modeste mignon-第26章

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first　perfumed　phial　that　praise　had　broken　over　his　head。



〃Ah；　my　soldier！〃　he　said　solemnly；　laying　his　hand　on　Dumay's

shoulder；　and　thinking　to　himself　how　droll　it　was　to　make　a　soldier

of　the　empire　tremble；　〃this　young　girl　may　be　all　in　all　to　you；　but

to　society　at　large　what　is　she？　nothing。　At　this　moment　the　greatest

mandarin　in　China　may　be　yielding　up　the　ghost　and　putting　half　the

universe　in　mourning；　and　what　is　that　to　you？　The　English　are　killing

thousands　of　people　in　India　more　worthy　than　we　are；　why；　at　this

very　moment　while　I　am　speaking　to　you　some　ravishing　woman　is　being

burned　alive；did　that　make　you　care　less　for　your　cup　of　coffee　this

morning　at　breakfast？　Not　a　day　passes　in　Paris　that　some　mother　in

rags　does　not　cast　her　infant　on　the　world　to　be　picked　up　by　whoever

finds　it；　and　yet　see！　here　is　this　delicious　tea　in　a　cup　that　cost

five　louis；　and　I　write　verses　which　Parisian　women　rush　to　buy；

exclaiming；　'Divine！　delicious！　charming！　food　for　the　soul！'　Social

nature；　like　Nature　herself；　is　a　great　forgetter。　You　will　be　quite

surprised　ten　years　hence　at　what　you　have　done　to…day。　You　are　here

in　a　city　where　people　die；　where　they　marry；　where　they　adore　each

other　at　an　assignation；　where　young　girls　suffocate　themselves；　where

the　man　of　genius　with　his　cargo　of　thoughts　teeming　with　humane

beneficence　goes　to　the　bottom；all　side　by　side；　sometimes　under　the

same　roof；　and　yet　ignorant　of　each　other；　ignorant　and　indifferent。

And　here　you　come　among　us　and　ask　us　to　expire　with　grief　at　this

commonplace　affair。〃



〃You　call　yourself　a　poet！〃　cried　Dumay；　〃but　don't　you　feel　what　you

write？〃



〃Good　heavens！　if　we　endured　the　joys　or　the　woes　we　sing　we　should　be

as　worn　out　in　three　months　as　a　pair　of　old　boots；〃　said　the　poet；

smiling。　〃But　stay；　you　shall　not　come　from　Havre　to　Paris　to　see

Canalis　without　carrying　something　back　with　you。　Warrior！〃　（Canalis

had　the　form　and　action　of　an　Homeric　hero）　〃learn　this　from　the　poet：

Every　noble　sentiment　in　man　is　a　poem　so　exclusively　individual　that

his　nearest　friend；　his　other　self；　cares　nothing　for　it。　It　is　a

treasure　which　is　his　alone；　it　is〃



〃Forgive　me　for　interrupting　you；〃　said　Dumay；　who　was　gazing　at　the

poet　with　horror；　〃but　did　you　ever　come　to　Havre？〃



〃I　was　there　for　a　day　and　a　night　in　the　spring　of　1824　on　my　way　to

London。〃



〃You　are　a　man　of　honor；〃　continued　Dumay；　〃will　you　give　me　your　word

that　you　do　not　know　Mademoiselle　Modeste　Mignon？〃



〃This　is　the　first　time　that　name　ever　struck　my　ear；〃　replied

Canalis。



〃Ah；　monsieur！〃　said　Dumay；　〃into　what　dark　intrigue　am　I　about　to

plunge？　Can　I　count　upon　you　to　help　me　in　my　inquiries？for　I　am

certain　that　some　one　has　been　using　your　name。　You　ought　to　have　had

a　letter　yesterday　from　Havre。〃



〃I　received　none。　Be　sure；　monsieur；　that　I　will　help　you；〃　said

Canalis；　〃so　far　as　I　have　the　opportunity　of　doing　so。〃



Dumay　withdrew；　his　heart　torn　with　anxiety；　believing　that　the

wretched　Butscha　had　worn　the　skin　of　the　poet　to　deceive　Modeste；

whereas　Butscha　himself；　keen…witted　as　a　prince　seeking　revenge；　and

far　cleverer　than　any　paid　spy；　was　ferretting　out　the　life　and

actions　of　Canalis；　escaping　notice　by　his　insignificance；　like　an

insect　that　bores　its　way　into　the　sap　of　a　tree。



The　Breton　had　scarcely　left　the　poet's　house　when　La　Briere　entered

his　friend's　study。　Naturally；　Canalis　told　him　of　the　visit　of　the

man　from　Havre。



〃Ha！〃　said　Ernest；　〃Modeste　Mignon；　that　is　just　what　I　have　come　to

speak　of。〃



〃Ah；　bah！〃　cried　Canalis；　〃have　I　had　a　triumph　by　proxy？〃



〃Yes；　and　here　is　the　key　to　it。　My　friend；　I　am　loved　by　the　sweetest

girl　in　all　the　world；beautiful　enough　to　shine　beside　the　greatest

beauties　in　Paris；　with　a　heart　and　mind　worthy　of　Clarissa。　She　has

seen　me；　I　have　pleased　her；　and　she　thinks　me　the　great　Canalis。　But

that　is　not　all。　Modeste　Mignon　is　of　high　birth；　and　Mongenod　has

just　told　me　that　her　father；　the　Comte　de　La　Bastie；　has　something

like　six　millions。　The　father　is　here　now；　and　I　have　asked　him

through　Mongenod　for　an　interview　at　two　o'clock。　Mongenod　is　to　give

him　a　hint；　just　a　word；　that　it　concerns　the　happiness　of　his

daughter。　But　you　will　readily　understand　that　before　seeing　the

father　I　feel　I　ought　to　make　a　clean　breast　of　it　to　you。〃



〃Among　the　plants　whose　flowers　bloom　in　the　sunshine　of　fame；〃　said

Canalis；　impressively；　〃there　is　one；　and　the　most　magnificent；　which

bears　like　the　orange…tree　a　golden　fruit　amid　the　mingled　perfumes　of

beauty　and　of　mind；　a　lovely　plant；　a　true　tenderness；　a　perfect

bliss；　andit　eludes　me。〃　Canalis　looked　at　the　carpet　that　Ernest

might　not　read　his　eyes。　〃Could　I；〃　he　continued　after　a　pause　to

regain　his　self…possession；　〃how　could　I　have　divined　that　flower　from

a　pretty　sheet　of　perfumed　paper；　that　true　heart；　that　young　girl；

that　woman　in　whom　love　wears　the　livery　of　flattery；　who　loves　us　for

ourselves；　who　offers　us　felicity？　It　needed　but　an　angel　or　a　demon

to　perceive　her；　and　what　am　I　but　the　ambitious　head　of　a　Court　of

Claims！　Ah；　my　friend；　fame　makes　us　the　target　of　a　thousand　arrows。

One　of　us　owes　his　rich　marriage　to　an　hydraulic　piece　of　poetry；

while　I；　more　seductive；　more　a　woman's　man　than　he；　have　missed　mine；

for；　do　you　love　her；　poor　girl？〃　he　said；　looking　up　at　La　Briere。



〃Oh！〃　ejaculated　the　young　man。



〃Well　then；〃　said　the　poet；　taking　his　secretary's　arm　and　leaning

heavily　upon　it；　〃be　happy；　Ernest。　By　a　mere　accident　I　have　been　not

ungrateful　to　you。　You　are　richly　rewarded　for　your　devotion；　and　I

will　generously　further　your　happiness。〃



Canalis　was　furious；　but　he　could　not　behave　otherwise　than　with

propriety；　and　he　made　the　best　of　his　disappointment　by　mounting　it

as　a　pedestal。



〃Ah；　Canalis；　I　have　never　really　known　you　till　this　moment。〃



〃Did　you　expect　to？　It　takes　some　time　to　go　round　the　world；〃　replied

the　poet　with　his　pompous　irony。



〃But　think；〃　said　La　Briere；　〃of　this　enormous　fortune。〃



〃Ah；　my　friend；　is　it　not　well　invested　in　you？〃　cried　Canalis；

accompanying　the　words　with　a　charming　gesture。



〃Melchior；〃　said　La　Briere；　〃I　am　yours　for　life　and　death。〃



He　wrung　the　poet's　hand　and　left　him　abruptly；　for　he　was　in　haste　to

meet　Monsieur　Mignon。







CHAPTER　XV



A　FATHER　STEPS　IN



The　Comte　de　La　Bastie　was　at　this　moment　overwhelmed　with　the　sorrows

which　lay　in　wait　for　him　as　their　prey。　He　had　learned　from　his

daughter's　letter　of　Bettina's　death　and　of　his　wife's　infirmity；　and

Dumay　related　to　him；　when　they　met；　his　terrible　perplexity　as　to

Modeste's　love　affairs。



〃Leave　me　to　myself；〃　he　said　to　his　faithful　friend。



As　the　lieutenant　closed　the　door；　the　unhappy　father　threw　himself　on

a　sofa；　with　his　head　in　his　hands；　weeping　those　slow；　scanty　tears

which　suffuse　the　eyes　of　a　man　of　sixty；　but　do　not　fall；tears　soon

dried；　yet　quick　to　start　again；the　last　dews　of　the　human　autumn。



〃To　have　children；　to　have　a　wife；　to　adore　themwhat　is　it　but　to

have　many　hearts　and　bare　them　to　a　dagger？〃　he　cried；　springing　up

with　the　bound　of　a　tiger　and　walking　up　and　down　the　room。　〃To　be　a

father　is　to　give　one's　self　over；　bound　hand　and　foot　to　sorrow。　If　I

meet　that　D'Estourny　I　will　kill　him。　To　have　daughters！one　gives

her　life　to　a　scoundrel；　the　other；　my　Modeste；　falls　a　victim　to

whom？　a　coward；　who　deceives　her　with　the　gilded　paper　of　a　poet。　If

it　were　Canalis　himself　it　might　not　be　so　bad；　but　that　Scapin　of　a

lover！I　will　strangle　him　with　my　two　hands；〃　he　cried；　making　an

involuntary　gesture　of　furious　determination。　〃And　what　then？　suppose

my　Modeste　were　to　die　of　grief？〃



He　gazed　mechanically　out　of　the　windows　of　the　hotel　des　Princes；　and

then　returned　to　the　sofa；　where　he　sat　motionless。　The　fatigues　of

six　voyages　to　India；　the　anxieties　of　speculation；　the　dangers　he　had

encountered　and　evaded；　and　his　many　griefs；　had　silvered　Charles

Mignon's　head。　His　handsome　soldierly　face；　so　pure　in　outline　and　now

bronzed　by　the　suns　of　China　and　the　southern　seas；　had　acquired　an

air　of　dignity　which　his　present　grief　rendered　almost　sublime。



〃Mongenod　told　me　he　felt　confidence　in　the　young　man　who　is　coming　to

ask　me　for　my　daughter；〃　he　thought　at　last；　and　at　this　moment　Ernest

de　La　Briere　was　announced　by　one　of　the　servants　whom　Monsieur　de　La

Bastie　had　attached　to　himself　during　the　last　four　years。



〃You　have　come；　monsieur；　from　my　friend　Mongenod？〃　he　said。



〃Yes；〃　replied　Ernest；　growing　timid　when　he　saw　before　him　a　face　as

sombre　as　Othello's。　〃My　name　is　Ernest　de　La　Briere；　related　to　the

family　of　the　late　cabinet　minister；　and　his　private　secretary　during

his　term　of　office。　On　his　dismissal；　his　Excellency　put　me　in　the

Court　of　Claims；　to　which　I　am　legal　counsel；　and　where　I　may　possibly

succeed　as　chief〃



〃And　how　does　all　this　concern　Mademoiselle　de　La　Bastie？〃　asked　the

count。



〃Monsieur；　I　love　her；　and　I　have　the　unhoped…for　happiness　of　being

loved　by　her。　Hear　me；　monsieur；〃　cried　Ernest；　checking　a　violent

movement　on　the　part　of　the　angry　father。　〃I　have　the　strangest

confession　to　make　to　you；　a　shameful　one　for　a　man　of　honor；　but　the

worst　punishment　of　my　conduct；　natural　enough　in　itself；　is　not　the

telling　of　it　to　you；　no；　I　fear　the　daughter　even　more　than　the

father。〃



Ernest　then　related　simply；　and　with　the　nobleness　that　comes　of

sincerity；　all　the　facts　of　his　little　drama；　not　omitting　the　twenty

or　more　letters；　which　he　had　brought　with　him；　nor　the　interview

which　he　had　just　had　with　Canalis。　When　Monsieur　Mignon　had　finished

reading　the　letters；　the　unfortunate　lover；　pale　and　suppliant；

actually　trembled　under　the　fiery　glance　of　the　Provencal。



〃Monsieur；〃　said　the　latter；　〃in　this　whole　matter　there　is　but　one

error；　but　that　is　cardinal。　My　daughter　will　not　have　six　millions；

at　the　utmost；　she　will　have　a　marriage　portion　of　two　hundred

thousand　francs；　and　very　doubtful　expectations。〃



〃Ah；　monsieur！〃　cried　Ernest；　rising　and　grasping　Monsieur　Mignon's

hand；　〃you　take　a　load　from　my　breast。　Nothing　can　now　hinder　my

happiness。　I　have　friends；　influence；　I　shall　certainly　be　chief　of

the　Court　of　Claims。　Had　Mademoiselle　Mignon　no　more　than　ten　thousand

francs；　if　I　had　even　to　make　a　settlement　on　her；　she　should　still　be

my　wife；　and　to　make　her　happy　as　you；　monsieur；　have　made　your　wife

happy；　to　be　to　you　a　real　son　（for　I　have　no　father）；　are　the　deepest

desires　of　my　heart。〃



Charles　Mignon　stepped　back　three　paces　and　fixed　upon　La　Briere　a

look　which　entered　the　eyes　of　the　young　man　as　a　dagger　enters　its

sheath；　he　stood　silent　a　moment；　recognizing　the　absolute　candor；　the