modeste mignon-第29章

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Imaginationwhich　in　that　delicate　bosom　united　the　whole　of

womanhood；　from　the　violet…hidden　reveries　of　a　chaste　young　girl　to

the　passionate　desires　of　the　sexhad　led　her　into　enchanted　gardens

where；　oh；　bitter　sight！　she　now　saw；　springing　from　the　ground；　not

the　sublime　flower　of　her　fancy；　but　the　hairy；　twisted　limbs　of　the

black　mandragora。〃　Modeste　suddenly　found　herself　brought　down　from

the　mystic　heights　of　her　love　to　a　straight；　flat　road　bordered　with

ditches；in　short　the　work…day　path　of　common　life。　What　ardent；

aspiring　soul　would　not　have　been　bruised　and　broken　by　such　a　fall？

Whose　feet　were　these　at　which　she　had　shed　her　thoughts？　The　Modeste

who　re…entered　the　Chalet　was　no　more　the　Modeste　who　had　left　it　two

hours　earlier　than　an　actress　in　the　street　is　like　an　actress　on　the

boards。　She　fell　into　a　state　of　numb　depression　that　was　pitiful　to

see。　The　sun　was　darkened；　nature　veiled　itself；　even　the　flowers　no

longer　spoke　to　her。　Like　all　young　girls　with　a　tendency　to　extremes；

she　drank　too　deeply　of　the　cup　of　disillusion。　She　fought　against

reality；　and　would　not　bend　her　neck　to　the　yoke　of　family　and

conventions；　it　was；　she　felt；　too　heavy；　too　hard；　too　crushing。　She

would　not　listen　to　the　consolations　of　her　father　and　mother；　and

tasted　a　sort　of　savage　pleasure　in　letting　her　soul　suffer　to　the

utmost。



〃Poor　Butscha　was　right；〃　she　said　one　evening。



The　words　indicate　the　distance　she　travelled　in　a　short　space　of　time

and　in　gloomy　sadness　across　the　barren　plain　of　reality。　Sadness；

when　caused　by　the　overgrowth　of　hope；　is　a　disease；sometimes　a

fatal　one。　It　would　be　no　mean　object　for　physiology　to　search　out　in

what　ways　and　by　what　means　Thought　produces　the　same　internal

disorganization　as　poison；　and　how　it　is　that　despair　affects　the

appetite；　destroys　the　pylorus；　and　changes　all　the　physical

conditions　of　the　strongest　life。　Such　was　the　case　with　Modeste。　In

three　short　days　she　became　the　image　of　morbid　melancholy；　she　did

not　sing；　she　could　not　be　made　to　smile。　Charles　Mignon；　becoming

uneasy　at　the　non…arrival　of　the　two　friends；　thought　of　going　to

fetch　them；　when；　on　the　evening　of　the　fifth　day；　he　received　news　of

their　movements　through　Latournelle。



Canalis；　excessively　delighted　at　the　idea　of　a　rich　marriage；　was

determined　to　neglect　nothing　that　might　help　him　to　cut　out　La

Briere；　without；　however；　giving　La　Briere　a　chance　to　reproach　him

for　having　violated　the　laws　of　friendship。　The　poet　felt　that　nothing

would　lower　a　lover　so　much　in　the　eyes　of　a　young　girl　as　to　exhibit

him　in　a　subordinate　position；　and　he　therefore　proposed　to　La　Briere；

in　the　most　natural　manner；　to　take　a　little　country…house　at

Ingouville　for　a　month；　and　live　there　together　on　pretence　of

requiring　sea…air。　As　soon　as　La　Briere；　who　at　first　saw　nothing

amiss　in　the　proposal；　had　consented；　Canalis　declared　that　he　should

pay　all　expenses；　and　he　sent　his　valet　to　Havre；　telling　him　to　see

Monsieur　Latournelle　and　get　his　assistance　in　choosing　the　house；

well　aware　that　the　notary　would　repeat　all　particulars　to　the

Mignons。　Ernest　and　Canalis　had；　as　may　well　be　supposed；　talked　over

all　the　aspects　of　the　affair；　and　the　rather　prolix　Ernest　had　given

a　good　many　useful　hints　to　his　rival。　The　valet；　understanding　his

master's　wishes；　fulfilled　them　to　the　letter；　he　trumpeted　the

arrival　of　the　great　poet；　for　whom　the　doctors　advised　sea…air　to

restore　his　health；　injured　as　it　was　by　the　double　toils　of

literature　and　politics。　This　important　personage　wanted　a　house；

which　must　have　at　least　such　and　such　a　number　of　rooms；　as　he　would

bring　with　him　a　secretary；　cook；　two　servants；　and　a　coachman；　not

counting　himself；　Germain　Bonnet；　the　valet。　The　carriage；　selected

and　hired　for　a　month　by　Canalis；　was　a　pretty　one；　and　Germain　set

about　finding　a　pair　of　fine　horses　which　would　also　answer　as　saddle…

horses；for；　as　he　said；　monsieur　le　baron　and　his　secretary　took

horseback　exercise。　Under　the　eyes　of　little　Latournelle；　who　went

with　him　to　various　houses；　Germain　made　a　good　deal　of　talk　about　the

secretary；　rejecting　two　or　three　because　there　was　no　suitable　room

for　Monsieur　de　La　Briere。



〃Monsieur　le　baron；〃　he　said　to　the　notary；　〃makes　his　secretary　quite

his　best　friend。　Ah！　I　should　be　well　scolded　if　Monsieur　de　La　Briere

was　not　as　well　treated　as　monsieur　le　baron　himself；　and　after　all；

you　know；　Monsieur　de　La　Briere　is　a　lawyer　in　my　master's　court。〃



Germain　never　appeared　in　public　unless　punctiliously　dressed　in

black；　with　spotless　gloves；　well…polished　boots；　and　otherwise　as

well　apparelled　as　a　lawyer。　Imagine　the　effect　he　produced　in　Havre；

and　the　idea　people　took　of　the　great　poet　from　this　sample　of　him！

The　valet　of　a　man　of　wit　and　intellect　ends　by　getting　a　little　wit

and　intellect　himself　which　has　rubbed　off　from　his　master。　Germain

did　not　overplay　his　part；　he　was　simple　and　good…humored；　as　Canalis

had　instructed　him　to　be。　Poor　La　Briere　was　in　blissful　ignorance　of

the　harm　Germain　was　doing　to　his　prospects；　and　the　depreciation　his

consent　to　the　arrangement　had　brought　upon　him；　it　is；　however；　true

that　some　inkling　of　the　state　of　things　rose　to　Modeste's　ears　from

these　lower　regions。



Canalis　had　arranged　to　bring　his　secretary　in　his　own　carriage；　and

Ernest's　unsuspicious　nature　did　not　perceive　that　he　was　putting

himself　in　a　false　position　until　too　late　to　remedy　it。　The　delay　in

the　arrival　of　the　pair　which　had　troubled　Charles　Mignon　was　caused

by　the　painting　of　the　Canalis　arms　on　the　panels　of　the　carriage；　and

by　certain　orders　given　to　a　tailor；　for　the　poet　neglected　none　of

the　innumerable　details　which　might；　even　the　smallest　of　them；

influence　a　young　girl。



〃It　is　all　right；〃　said　Latournelle　to　Mignon　on　the　sixth　day。　〃The

baron's　valet　has　hired　Madame　Amaury's　villa　at　Sanvic；　all

furnished；　for　seven　hundred　francs；　he　has　written　to　his　master　that

he　may　start；　and　that　all　will　be　ready　on　his　arrival。　So　the　two

gentlemen　will　be　here　Sunday。　I　have　also　had　a　letter　from　Butscha；

here　it　is；　it's　not　long：　'My　dear　master；I　cannot　get　back　till

Sunday。　Between　now　and　then　I　have　some　very　important　inquiries　to

make　which　concern　the　happiness　of　a　person　in　whom　you　take　an

interest。'〃



The　announcement　of　this　arrival　did　not　rouse　Modeste　from　her　gloom；

the　sense　of　her　fall　and　the　bewilderment　of　her　mind　were　still　too

great；　and　she　was　not　nearly　as　much　of　a　coquette　as　her　father

thought　her　to　be。　There　is；　in　truth；　a　charming　and　permissible

coquetry；　that　of　the　soul；　which　may　claim　to　be　love's　politeness。

Charles　Mignon；　when　scolding　his　daughter；　failed　to　distinguish

between　the　mere　desire　of　pleasing　and　the　love　of　the　mind；the

thirst　for　love；　and　the　thirst　for　admiration。　Like　every　true

colonel　of　the　Empire　he　saw　in　this　correspondence；　rapidly　read；

only　the　young　girl　who　had　thrown　herself　at　the　head　of　a　poet；　but

in　the　letters　which　we　were　forced　to　lack　of　space　to　suppress；　a

better　judge　would　have　admired　the　dignified　and　gracious　reserve

which　Modeste　had　substituted　for　the　rather　aggressive　and　light…

minded　tone　of　her　first　letters。　The　father；　however；　was　only　too

cruelly　right　on　one　point。　Modeste's　last　letter；　which　we　have　read；

had　indeed　spoken　as　though　the　marriage　were　a　settled　fact；　and　the

remembrance　of　that　letter　filled　her　with　shame；　she　thought　her

father　very　harsh　and　cruel　to　force　her　to　receive　a　man　unworthy　of

her；　yet　to　whom　her　soul　had　flown；　as　it　were；　bare。　She　questioned

Dumay　about　his　interview　with　the　poet；　she　inveigled　him　into

relating　its　every　detail；　and　she　did　not　think　Canalis　as　barbarous

as　the　lieutenant　had　declared　him。　The　thought　of　the　beautiful

casket　which　held　the　letters　of　the　thousand　and　one　women　of　this

literary　Don　Juan　made　her　smile；　and　she　was　strongly　tempted　to　say

to　her　father：　〃I　am　not　the　only　one　to　write　to　him；　the　elite　of　my

sex　send　their　leaves　for　the　laurel　wreath　of　the　poet。〃



During　this　week　Modeste's　character　underwent　a　transformation。　The

catastropheand　it　was　a　great　one　to　her　poetic　natureroused　a

faculty　of　discernment　and　also　the　malice　latent　in　her　girlish

heart；　in　which　her　suitors　were　about　to　encounter　a　formidable

adversary。　It　is　a　fact　that　when　a　young　woman's　heart　is　chilled　her

head　becomes　clear；　she　observes　with　great　rapidity　of　judgment；　and

with　a　tinge　of　pleasantry　which　Shakespeare's　Beatrice　so　admirably

represents　in　〃Much　Ado　about　Nothing。〃　Modeste　was　seized　with　a　deep

disgust　for　men；　now　that　the　most　distinguished　among　them　had

betrayed　her　hopes。　When　a　woman　loves；　what　she　takes　for　disgust　is

simply　the　ability　to　see　clearly；　but　in　matters　of　sentiment　she　is

never；　especially　if　she　is　a　young　girl；　in　a　condition　to　see

clearly。　If　she　cannot　admire；　she　despises。　And　so；　after　passing

through　terrible　struggles　of　the　soul；　Modeste　necessarily　put　on　the

armor　on　which；　as　she　had　once　declared；　the　word　〃Disdain〃　was

engraved。　After　reaching　that　point　she　was　able；　in　the　character　of

uninterested　spectator；　to　take　part　in　what　she　was　pleased　to　call

the　〃farce　of　the　suitors；〃　a　performance　in　which　she　herself　was

about　to　play　the　role　of　heroine。　She　particularly　set　before　her

mind　the　satisfaction　of　humiliating　Monsieur　de　La　Briere。



〃Modeste　is　saved；〃　said　Madame　Mignon　to　her　husband；　〃she　wants　to

revenge　herself　on　the　false　Canalis　by　trying　to　love　the　real　one。〃



Such　in　truth　was　Modeste's　plan。　It　was　so　utterly　commonplace　that

her　mother；　to　whom　she　confided　her　griefs；　advised　her　on　the

contrary　to　treat　Monsieur　de　La　Briere　with　extreme　politeness。







CHAPTER　XVII



A　THIRD　SUITOR



〃Those　two　young　men；〃　said　Madame　Latournelle；　on　the　Saturday

evening；　〃have　no　idea　how　many　spies　they　have　on　their　tracks。　We

are　eight　in　all；　on　the　watch。〃



〃Don't　say　two　young　men；　wife；　say　three！〃　cried　little　Latournelle；

looking　round　him。　〃Gobenheim　is　not　here；　so　I　can　speak　out。〃



Modeste　raised　her　head；　and　everybody；　imitating　Modeste；　raised

theirs　and　looked　at　the　notary。



〃Yes；　a　third　loverand　he　is　something　like　a　loveroffers　himself

as　a　candidate。〃



〃Bah！〃　exclaimed　the　colonel。



〃I　speak　of　no　less　a　person；〃　said　Latournelle；　pompously；　〃than

Monsieur　le　Duc　d'Herouville；　Marquis　de　Saint…Sever；　Duc　de　Nivron；

Comte　de　Bayeux；　Vicomte　d'Essigny；　grand　equerry　and　peer　of　France；

knight　of　the　Spur　and　the　Golden　Fleece；　grandee　of　Spain；　and　son　of

the　last　governor　of　Normandy。　He　saw　Mademoiselle　Modeste　at　the　time

when　he　was　staying　with　the　Vilquins；　and　he　regretted　thenas　his

notary；　who　came　from　Bayeux　yesterday；