modeste mignon-第33章

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desired　effects。



〃I　should　think　a　man　without　heart；　if　he　had　no　devoted　friend　near

him；〃　said　Modeste；　to　pick　up　the　conversation　interrupted　by　Madame

Latournelle's　awkwardness。



〃Mademoiselle；　Ernest's　devotion　makes　me　almost　think　myself　worth

something；〃　said　Canalis；　〃for　my　dear　Pylades　is　full　of　talent；　he

was　the　right　hand　of　the　greatest　minister　we　have　had　since　the

peace。　Though　he　holds　a　fine　position；　he　is　good　enough　to　be　my

tutor　in　the　science　of　politics；　he　teaches　me　to　conduct　affairs　and

feeds　me　with　his　experience；　when　all　the　while　he　might　aspire　to　a

much　better　situation。　Oh！　he　is　worth　far　more　than　I。〃　At　a　gesture

from　Modeste　he　continued　gracefully：　〃Yes；　the　poetry　that　I　express

he　carries　in　his　heart；　and　if　I　speak　thus　openly　before　him　it　is

because　he　has　the　modesty　of　a　nun。〃



〃Enough；　oh；　enough！〃　cried　La　Briere；　who　hardly　knew　which　way　to

look。　〃My　dear　Canalis；　you　remind　me　of　a　mother　who　is　seeking　to

marry　off　her　daughter。〃



〃How　is　it；　monsieur；〃　said　Charles　Mignon；　addressing　Canalis；　〃that

you　can　even　think　of　becoming　a　political　character？〃



〃It　is　abdication；〃　said　Modeste；　〃for　a　poet；　politics　are　the

resource　of　matter…of…fact　men。〃



〃Ah；　mademoiselle；　the　rostrum　is　to…day　the　greatest　theatre　of　the

world；　it　has　succeeded　the　tournaments　of　chivalry；　it　is　now　the

meeting…place　for　all　intellects；　just　as　the　army　has　been　the

rallying…point　of　courage。〃



Canalis　stuck　spurs　into　his　charger　and　talked　for　ten　minutes　on

political　life：　〃Poetry　was　but　a　preface　to　the　statesman。〃　〃To…day

the　orator　has　become　a　sublime　reasoner；　the　shepherd　of　ideas。〃　〃A

poet　may　point　the　way　to　nations　or　individuals；　but　can　he　ever

cease　to　be　himself？〃　He　quoted　Chateaubriand　and　declared　that　he

would　one　day　be　greater　on　the　political　side　than　on　the　literary。

〃The　forum　of　France　was　to　be　the　pharos　of　humanity。〃　〃Oral　battles

supplanted　fields　of　battle：　there　were　sessions　of　the　Chamber　finer

than　any　Austerlitz；　and　orators　were　seen　to　be　as　lofty　as　generals；

they　spent　their　lives；　their　courage；　their　strength；　as　freely　as

those　who　went　to　war。〃　〃Speech　was　surely　one　of　the　most　prodigal

outlets　of　the　vital　fluid　that　man　had　ever　known；〃　etc。



This　improvisation　of　modern　commonplaces；　clothed　in　sonorous　phrases

and　newly　invented　words；　and　intended　to　prove　that　the　Comte　de

Canalis　was　becoming　one　of　the　glories　of　the　French　government；　made

a　deep　impression　upon　the　notary　and　Gobenheim；　and　upon　Madame

Latournelle　and　Madame　Mignon。　Modeste　looked　as　though　she　were　at

the　theatre；　in　an　attitude　of　enthusiasm　for　an　actor；very　much

like　that　of　Ernest　toward　herself；　for　though　the　secretary　knew　all

these　high…sounding　phrases　by　heart；　he　listened　through　the　eyes；　as

it　were；　of　the　young　girl；　and　grew　more　and　more　madly　in　love　with

her。　To　this　true　lover；　Modeste　was　eclipsing　all　the　Modestes　he　had

created　as　he　read　her　letters　and　answered　them。



This　visit；　the　length　of　which　was　predetermined　by　Canalis；　careful

not　to　allow　his　admirers　a　chance　to　get　surfeited；　ended　by　an

invitation　to　dinner　on　the　following　Monday。



〃We　shall　not　be　at　the　Chalet；〃　said　the　Comte　de　La　Bastie。　〃Dumay

will　have　sole　possession　of　it。　I　return　to　the　villa；　having　bought

it　back　under　a　deed　of　redemption　within　six　months；　which　I　have

to…day　signed　with　Monsieur　Vilquin。〃



〃I　hope；〃　said　Dumay；　〃that　Vilquin　will　not　be　able　to　return　to　you

the　sum　you　have　just　lent　him；　and　that　the　villa　will　remain　yours。〃



〃It　is　an　abode　in　keeping　with　your　fortune；〃　said　Canalis。



〃You　mean　the　fortune　that　I　am　supposed　to　have；〃　replied　Charles

Mignon；　hastily。



〃It　would　be　too　sad；〃　said　Canalis；　turning　to　Modeste　with　a

charming　little　bow；　〃if　this　Madonna　were　not　framed　in　a　manner

worthy　of　her　divine　perfections。〃



That　was　the　only　thing　Canalis　said　to　Modeste。　He　affected　not　to

look　at　her；　and　behaved　like　a　man　to　whom　all　idea　of　marriage　was

interdicted。



〃Ah！　my　dear　Madame　Mignon；〃　cried　the　notary's　wife；　as　soon　as　the

gravel　was　heard　to　grit　under　the　feet　of　the　Parisians；　〃what　an

intellect！〃



〃Is　he　rich？that　is　the　question；〃　said　Gobenheim。



Modeste　was　at　the　window；　not　losing　a　single　movement　of　the　great

poet；　and　paying　no　attention　to　his　companion。　When　Monsieur　Mignon

returned　to　the　salon；　and　Modeste；　having　received　a　last　bow　from

the　two　friends　as　the　carriage　turned；　went　back　to　her　seat；　a

weighty　discussion　took　place；　such　as　provincials　invariably　hold

over　Parisians　after　a　first　interview。　Gobenheim　repeated　his　phrase；

〃Is　he　rich？〃　as　a　chorus　to　the　songs　of　praise　sung　by　Madame

Latournelle；　Modeste；　and　her　mother。



〃Rich！〃　exclaimed　Modeste；　〃what　can　that　signify！　Do　you　not　see　that

Monsieur　de　Canalis　is　one　of　those　men　who　are　destined　for　the

highest　places　in　the　State。　He　has　more　than　fortune；　he　possesses

that　which　gives　fortune。〃



〃He　will　be　minister　or　ambassador；〃　said　Monsieur　Mignon。



〃That　won't　hinder　tax…payers　from　having　to　pay　the　costs　of　his

funeral；〃　remarked　the　notary。



〃How　so？〃　asked　Charles　Mignon。



〃He　strikes　me　as　a　man　who　will　waste　all　the　fortunes　with　whose

gifts　Mademoiselle　Modeste　so　liberally　endows　him；〃　answered

Latournelle。



〃Modeste　can't　avoid　being　liberal　to　a　poet　who　called　her　a

Madonna；〃　said　Dumay；　sneering；　and　faithful　to　the　repulsion　with

which　Canalis　had　originally　inspired　him。



Gobenheim　arranged　the　whist…table　with　all　the　more　persistency

because；　since　the　return　of　Monsieur　Mignon；　Latournelle　and　Dumay

had　allowed　themselves　to　play　for　ten　sous　points。



〃Well；　my　little　darling；〃　said　the　father　to　the　daughter　in　the

embrasure　of　a　window。　〃Admit　that　papa　thinks　of　everything。　If　you

send　your　orders　this　evening　to　your　former　dressmaker　in　Paris；　and

all　your　other　furnishing　people；　you　shall　show　yourself　eight　days

hence　in　all　the　splendor　of　an　heiress。　Meantime　we　will　install

ourselves　in　the　villa。　You　already　have　a　pretty　horse；　now　order　a

habit；　you　owe　that　amount　of　civility　to　the　grand　equerry。〃



〃All　the　more　because　there　will　be　a　number　of　us　to　ride；〃　said

Modeste；　who　was　recovering　the　colors　of　health。



〃The　secretary　did　not　say　much；〃　remarked　Madame　Mignon。



〃A　little　fool；〃　said　Madame　Latournelle；　〃the　poet　has　an　attentive

word　for　everybody。　He　thanked　Monsieur　Latournelle　for　his　help　in

choosing　the　house；　and　said　he　must　have　taken　counsel　with　a　woman

of　good　taste。　But　the　other　looked　as　gloomy　as　a　Spaniard；　and　kept

his　eyes　fixed　on　Modeste　as　though　he　would　like　to　swallow　her

whole。　If　he　had　even　looked　at　me　I　should　have　been　afraid　of　him。〃



〃He　had　a　pleasant　voice；〃　said　Madame　Mignon。



〃No　doubt　he　came　to　Havre　to　inquire　about　the　Mignons　in　the

interests　of　his　friend　the　poet；〃　said　Modeste；　looking　furtively　at

her　father。　〃It　was　certainly　he　whom　we　saw　in　church。〃



Madame　Dumay　and　Monsieur　and　Madame　Latournelle；　accepted　this　as　the

natural　explanation　of　Ernest's　journey。







CHAPTER　XIX



OF　WHICH　THE　AUTHOR　THINKS　A　GOOD　DEAL



〃Do　you　know；　Ernest；〃　cried　Canalis；　when　they　had　driven　a　short

distance　from　the　house；　〃I　don't　see　any　marriageable　woman　in

society　in　Paris　who　compares　with　that　adorable　girl。〃



〃Ah；　that　ends　it！〃　replied　Ernest。　〃She　loves　you；　or　she　will　love

you　if　you　desire　it。　Your　fame　won　half　the　battle。　Well；　you　may　now

have　it　all　your　own　way。　You　shall　go　there　alone　in　future。　Modeste

despises　me；　she　is　right　to　do　so；　and　I　don't　see　any　reason　why　I

should　condemn　myself　to　see；　to　love；　desire；　and　adore　that　which　I

can　never　possess。〃



After　a　few　consoling　remarks；　dashed　with　his　own　satisfaction　at

having　made　a　new　version　of　Caesar's　phrase；　Canalis　divulged　a

desire　to　break　with　the　Duchesse　de　Chaulieu。　La　Briere；　totally

unable　to　keep　up　the　conversation；　made　the　beauty　of　the　night　an

excuse　to　be　set　down；　and　then　rushed　like　one　possessed　to　the

seashore；　where　he　stayed　till　past　ten；　in　a　half…demented　state；

walking　hurriedly　up　and　down；　talking　aloud　in　broken　sentences；

sometimes　standing　still　or　sitting　down；　without　noticing　the

uneasiness　of　two　custom…house　officers　who　were　on　the　watch。　After

loving　Modeste's　wit　and　intellect　and　her　aggressive　frankness；　he

now　joined　adoration　of　her　beautythat　is　to　say；　love　without

reason；　love　inexplicableto　all　the　other　reasons　which　had　drawn

him　ten　days　earlier；　to　the　church　in　Havre。



He　returned　to　the　Chalet；　where　the　Pyrenees　hounds　barked　at　him

till　he　was　forced　to　relinquish　the　pleasure　of　gazing　at　Modeste's

windows。　In　love；　such　things　are　of　no　more　account　to　the　lover　than

the　work　which　is　covered　by　the　last　layer　of　color　is　to　an　artist；

yet　they　make　up　the　whole　of　love；　just　as　the　hidden　toil　is　the

whole　of　art。　Out　of　them　arise　the　great　painter　and　the　true　lover

whom　the　woman　and　the　public　end；　sometimes　too　late；　by　adoring。



〃Well　then！〃　he　cried　aloud；　〃I　will　stay；　I　will　suffer；　I　will　love

her　for　myself　only；　in　solitude。　Modeste　shall　be　my　sun；　my　life；　I

will　breathe　with　her　breath；　rejoice　in　her　joys　and　bear　her　griefs；

be　she　even　the　wife　of　that　egoist；　Canalis。〃



〃That's　what　I　call　loving；　monsieur；〃　said　a　voice　which　came　from　a

shrub　by　the　side　of　the　road。　〃Ha；　ha；　so　all　the　world　is　in　love

with　Mademoiselle　de　La　Bastie？〃



And　Butscha　suddenly　appeared　and　looked　at　La　Briere。　La　Briere

checked　his　anger　when；　by　the　light　of　the　moon；　he　saw　the　dwarf；

and　he　made　a　few　steps　without　replying。



〃Soldiers　who　serve　in　the　same　company　ought　to　be　good　comrades；〃

remarked　Butscha。　〃You　don't　love　Canalis；　neither　do　I。〃



〃He　is　my　friend；〃　replied　Ernest。



〃Ha；　you　are　the　little　secretary？〃



〃You　are　to　know；　monsieur；　that　I　am　no　man's　secretary。　I　have　the

honor　to　be　of　counsel　to　a　supreme　court　of　this　kingdom。〃



〃I　have　the　honor　to　salute　Monsieur　de　La　Briere；〃　said　Butscha。　〃I

myself　have　the　honor　to　be　head　clerk　to　Latournelle；　chief

councillor　of　Havre；　and　my　position　is　a　better　one　than　yours。　Yes；

I　have　had　the　happiness　of　seeing　Mademoiselle　Modeste　de　La　Bastie

nearly　every　evening　for　the　last　four　years；　and　I　expect　to　live

near　her；　as　a　king's　servant　lives　in　the　Tuileries。　If　they　offered

me　the　throne　of　Russia　I　should　answer；　'I　love　the　sun　too　well。'

Isn't　that　telling　you；　monsieur；　that　I　care　more　for　her　than　for

myself？　I　am　looking　after　her　interests　with　the　most　honorable

intentions。　Do　you　believe　that　the　proud　Duchesse　de　Chaulieu　would

cast　a　favorable　eye　on　the　happiness　of　Madame　de　Cana