modeste mignon-第28章

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family。〃



〃Alas　for　the　child　that　finds　her　happiness　in　resisting　them；〃　said

the　colonel；　gravely。　〃In　1813　I　saw　one　of　my　comrades；　the　Marquis

d'Aiglemont；　marry　his　cousin　against　the　wishes　of　her　father；　and

the　pair　have　since　paid　dear　for　the　obstinacy　which　the　young　girl

took　for　love。　The　family　must　be　sovereign　in　marriage。〃



〃My　poet　has　told　me　all　that；〃　she　answered。　〃He　played　Orgon　for

some　time；　and　he　was　brave　enough　to　disparage　the　personal　lives　of

poets。〃



〃I　have　read　your　letters；〃　said　Charles　Mignon；　with　the　flicker　of　a

malicious　smile　on　his　lips　that　made　Modeste　very　uneasy；　〃and　I

ought　to　remark　that　your　last　epistle　was　scarcely　permissible　in　any

woman；　even　a　Julie　d'Etanges。　Good　God！　what　harm　novels　do！〃



〃We　should　live　them；　my　dear　father；　whether　people　wrote　them　or

not；　I　think　it　is　better　to　read　them。　There　are　not　so　many

adventures　in　these　days　as　there　were　under　Louis　XIV。　and　Louis　XV。；

and　so　they　publish　fewer　novels。　Besides；　if　you　have　read　those

letters；　you　must　know　that　I　have　chosen　the　most　angelic　soul；　the

most　sternly　upright　man　for　your　son…in…law；　and　you　must　have　seen

that　we　love　one　another　at　least　as　much　as　you　and　mamma　love　each

other。　Well；　I　admit　that　it　was　not　all　exactly　conventional；　I　did；

if　you　WILL　have　me　say　so；　wrong〃



〃I　have　read　your　letters；〃　said　her　father；　interrupting　her；　〃and　I

know　exactly　how　far　your　lover　justified　you　in　your　own　eyes　for　a

proceeding　which　might　be　permissible　in　some　woman　who　understood

life；　and　who　was　led　away　by　strong　passion；　but　which　in　a　young

girl　of　twenty　was　a　monstrous　piece　of　wrong…doing。〃



〃Yes；　wrong…doing　for　commonplace　people；　for　the　narrow…minded

Gobenheims；　who　measure　life　with　a　square　rule。　Please　let　us　keep　to

the　artistic　and　poetic　life；　papa。　We　young　girls　have　only　two　ways

to　act；　we　must　let　a　man　know　we　love　him　by　mincing　and　simpering；

or　we　must　go　to　him　frankly。　Isn't　the　last　way　grand　and　noble？　We

French　girls　are　delivered　over　by　our　families　like　so　much

merchandise；　at　sixty　days'　sight；　sometimes　thirty；　like　Mademoiselle

Vilquin；　but　in　England；　and　Switzerland；　and　Germany；　they　follow

very　much　the　plan　I　have　adopted。　Now　what　have　you　got　to　say　to

that？　Am　I　not　half　German？〃



〃Child！〃　cried　the　colonel；　looking　at　her；　〃the　supremacy　of　France

comes　from　her　sound　common…sense；　from　the　logic　to　which　her　noble

language　constrains　her　mind。　France　is　the　reason　of　the　whole　world。

England　and　Germany　are　romantic　in　their　marriage　customs；though

even　there　noble　families　follow　our　customs。　You　certainly　do　not

mean　to　deny　that　your　parents；　who　know　life；　who　are　responsible　for

your　soul　and　for　your　happiness；　have　no　right　to　guard　you　from　the

stumbling…blocks　that　are　in　your　way？　Good　heavens！〃　he　continued；

speaking　half　to　himself；　〃is　it　their　fault；　or　is　it　ours？　Ought　we

to　hold　our　children　under　an　iron　yoke？　Must　we　be　punished　for　the

tenderness　that　leads　us　to　make　them　happy；　and　teaches　our　hearts

how　to　do　so？〃



Modeste　watched　her　father　out　of　the　corner　of　her　eye　as　she

listened　to　this　species　of　invocation；　uttered　in　a　broken　voice。



〃Was　it　wrong；〃　she　said；　〃in　a　girl　whose　heart　was　free；　to　choose

for　her　husband　not　only　a　charming　companion；　but　a　man　of　noble

genius；　born　to　an　honorable　position；　a　gentleman；　the　equal　of

myself；　a　gentlewoman？〃



〃You　love　him？〃　asked　her　father。



〃Father！〃　she　said；　laying　her　head　upon　his　breast；　〃would　you　see　me

die？〃



〃Enough！〃　said　the　old　soldier。　〃I　see　your　love　is　inextinguishable。〃



〃Yes；　inextinguishable。〃



〃Can　nothing　change　it？〃



〃Nothing。〃



〃No　circumstances；　no　treachery；　no　betrayal？　You　mean　that　you　will

love　him　in　spite　of　everything；　because　of　his　personal　attractions？

Even　though　he　proved　a　D'Estourny；　would　you　love　him　still？〃



〃Oh；　my　father！　you　do　not　know　your　daughter。　Could　I　love　a　coward；

a　man　without　honor；　without　faith？〃



〃But　suppose　he　had　deceived　you？〃



〃He？　that　honest；　candid　soul；　half　melancholy？　You　are　joking；

father；　or　else　you　have　never　met　him。〃



〃But　you　see　now　that　your　love　is　not　inextinguishable；　as　you　chose

to　call　it。　I　have　already　made　you　admit　that　circumstances　could

alter　your　poem；　don't　you　now　see　that　fathers　are　good　for

something？〃



〃You　want　to　give　me　a　lecture；　papa；　it　is　positively　l'Ami　des

Enfants　over　again。〃



〃Poor　deceived　girl；〃　said　her　father；　sternly；　〃it　is　no　lecture　of

mine；　I　count　for　nothing　in　it；　indeed；　I　am　only　trying　to　soften

the　blow。〃



〃Father；　don't　play　tricks　with　my　life；〃　exclaimed　Modeste；　turning

pale。



〃Then；　my　daughter；　summon　all　your　courage。　It　is　you　who　have　been

playing　tricks　with　your　life；　and　life　is　now　tricking　you。〃



Modeste　looked　at　her　father　in　stupid　amazement。



〃Suppose　that　young　man　whom　you　love；　whom　you　saw　four　days　ago　at

church　in　Havre；　was　a　deceiver？〃



〃Never！〃　she　cried；　〃that　noble　head；　that　pale　face　full　of　poetry〃



〃was　a　lie；〃　said　the　colonel　interrupting　her。　〃He　was　no　more

Monsieur　de　Canalis　than　I　am　that　sailor　over　there　putting　out　to

sea。〃



〃Do　you　know　what　you　are　killing　in　me？〃　she　said　in　a　low　voice。



〃Comfort　yourself；　my　child；　though　accident　has　put　the　punishment　of

your　fault　into　the　fault　itself；　the　harm　done　is　not　irreparable。

The　young　man　whom　you　have　seen；　and　with　whom　you　exchanged　hearts

by　correspondence；　is　a　loyal　and　honorable　fellow；　he　came　to　me　and

confided　everything。　He　loves　you；　and　I　have　no　objection　to　him　as　a

son…in…law。〃



〃If　he　is　not　Canalis；　who　is　he　then？〃　said　Modeste　in　a　changed

voice。



〃The　secretary；　his　name　is　Ernest　de　La　Briere。　He　is　not　a　nobleman；

but　he　is　one　of　those　plain　men　with　fixed　principles　and　sound

morality　who　satisfy　parents。　However；　that　is　not　the　point；　you　have

seen　him　and　nothing　can　change　your　heart；　you　have　chosen　him；

comprehend　his　soul；　it　is　as　beautiful　as　he　himself。〃



The　count　was　interrupted　by　a　heavy　sigh　from　Modeste。　The　poor　girl

sat　with　her　eyes　fixed　on　the　sea；　pale　and　rigid　as　death；　as　if　a

pistol　shot　had　struck　her　in　those　fatal　words；　A　PLAIN　MAN；　WITH

FIXED　PRINCIPLES　AND　SOUND　MORALITY。



〃Deceived！〃　she　said　at　last。



〃Like　your　poor　sister；　but　less　fatally。〃



〃Let　us　go　home；　father；〃　she　said；　rising　from　the　hillock　on　which

they　were　sitting。　〃Papa；　hear　me；　I　swear　before　God　to　obey　your

wishes；　whatever　they　may　be；　in　the　AFFAIR　of　my　marriage。〃



〃Then　you　don't　love　him　any　longer？〃　asked　her　father。



〃I　loved　an　honest　man；　with　no　falsehood　on　his　face；　upright　as

yourself；　incapable　of　disguising　himself　like　an　actor；　with　the

paint　of　another　man's　glory　on　his　cheeks。〃



〃You　said　nothing　could　change　you〃；　remarked　the　colonel；　ironically。



〃Ah；　do　not　trifle　with　me！〃　she　exclaimed；　clasping　her　hands　and

looking　at　her　father　in　distressful　anxiety；　〃don't　you　see　that　you

are　wringing　my　heart　and　destroying　my　beliefs　with　your　jokes。〃



〃God　forbid！　I　have　told　you　the　exact　truth。〃



〃You　are　very　kind；　father；〃　she　said　after　a　pause；　and　with　a　sort

of　solemnity。



〃He　has　kept　your　letters；〃　resumed　the　colonel；　〃now　suppose　the　rash

caresses　of　your　soul　had　fallen　into　the　hands　of　one　of　those　poets

who；　as　Dumay　says；　light　their　cigars　with　them？〃



〃Oh！you　are　going　too　far。〃



〃Canalis　told　him　so。〃



〃Has　Dumay　seen　Canalis？〃



〃Yes；〃　answered　her　father。



The　two　walked　along　in　silence。



〃So　that　is　why　that　GENTLEMAN；〃　resumed　Modeste；　〃told　me　so　much

harm　of　poets　and　poetry；　no　wonder　the　little　secretary　said　Why；〃

she　added；　interrupting　herself；　〃his　virtues；　his　noble　qualities；

his　fine　sentiments　are　nothing　but　an　epistolary　theft！　The　man　who

steals　glory　and　a　name　may　very　likely〃



〃break　locks；　steal　purses；　and　cut　people's　throats　on　the

highway；〃　cried　the　colonel。　〃Ah；　you　young　girls；　that's　just　like

you；with　your　peremptory　opinions　and　your　ignorance　of　life。　A　man

who　once　deceives　a　woman　was　born　under　the　scaffold　on　which　he

ought　to　die。〃



This　ridicule　stopped　Modeste's　effervescence　for　a　moment　and　least；

and　again　there　was　silence。



〃My　child；〃　said　the　colonel；　presently；　〃men　in　society；　as　in　nature

everywhere；　are　made　to　win　the　hearts　of　women；　and　women　must　defend

themselves。　You　have　chosen　to　invert　the　parts。　Was　that　wise？

Everything　is　false　in　a　false　position。　The　first　wrong…doing　was

yours。　No；　a　man　is　not　a　monster　because　he　seeks　to　please　a　woman；

it　is　our　right　to　win　her　by　aggression　with　all　its　consequences；

short　of　crime　and　cowardice。　A　man　may　have　many　virtues　even　if　he

does　deceive　a　woman；　if　he　deceives　her；　it　is　because　he　finds　her

wanting　in　some　of　the　treasures　that　he　sought　in　her。　None　but　a

queen；　an　actress；　or　a　woman　placed　so　far　above　a　man　that　she　seems

to　him　a　queen；　can　go　to　him　of　herself　without　incurring　blameand

for　a　young　girl　to　do　it！　Why；　she　is　false　to　all　that　God　has　given

her　that　is　sacred　and　lovely　and　noble；no　matter　with　what　grace　or

what　poetry　or　what　precautions　she　surrounds　her　fault。〃



〃To　seek　the　master　and　find　the　servant！〃　she　said　bitterly；　〃oh！　I

can　never　recover　from　it！〃



〃Nonsense！　Monsieur　Ernest　de　La　Briere　is；　to　my　thinking；　fully　the

equal　of　the　Baron　de　Canalis。　He　was　private　secretary　of　a　cabinet

minister；　and　he　is　now　counsel　for　the　Court　of　Claims；　he　has　a

heart；　and　he　adores　you；　buthe　DOES　NOT　WRITE　VERSES。　No；　I　admit；

he　is　not　a　poet；　but　for　all　that　he　may　have　a　heart　full　of　poetry。

At　any　rate；　my　dear　girl；〃　added　her　father；　as　Modeste　made　a

gesture　of　disgust；　〃you　are　to　see　both　of　them；　the　sham　and　the

true　Canalis〃



〃Oh；　papa！〃



〃Did　you　not　swear　just　now　to　obey　me　in　everything；　even　in　the

AFFAIR　of　your　marriage？　Well；　I　allow　you　to　choose　which　of　the　two

you　like　best　for　a　husband。　You　have　begun　by　a　poem；　you　shall

finish　with　a　bucolic；　and　try　if　you　can　discover　the　real　character

of　these　gentlemen　here；　in　the　country；　on　a　few　hunting　or　fishing

excursions。〃



Modeste　bowed　her　head　and　walked　home　with　her　father；　listening　to

what　he　said　but　replying　only　in　monosyllables。







CHAPTER　XVI



DISENCHANTED



The　poor　girl　had　fallen　humiliated　from　the　alp　she　had　scaled　in

search　of　her　eagle's　nest；　into　the　mud　of　the　swamp　below；　where　（to

use　the　poetic　language　of　an　author　of　our　day）　〃after　feeling　the

soles　of　her　feet　too　tender　to　tread　the　broken　glass　of　reality；

Imaginationwhich　in　that　delicate　bosom　united　the　whole　of

womanhood；　from　the　violet…hidden　reveries　of　a　chas