modeste mignon-第34章

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cast　a　favorable　eye　on　the　happiness　of　Madame　de　Canalis　if　her

waiting…woman；　who　is　in　love　with　Monsieur　Germain；　not　liking　that

charming　valet's　absence　in　Havre；　were　to　say　to　her　mistress　while

brushing　her　hair〃



〃Who　do　you　know　about　all　this？〃　said　La　Briere；　interrupting

Butscha。



〃In　the　first　place；　I　am　clerk　to　a　notary；〃　answered　Butscha。　〃But

haven't　you　seen　my　hump？　It　is　full　of　resources；　monsieur。　I　have

made　myself　cousin　to　Mademoiselle　Philoxene　Jacmin；　born　at　Honfleur；

where　my　mother　was　born；　a　Jacmin；there　are　eight　branches　of　the

Jacmins　at　Honfleur。　So　my　cousin　Philoxene；　enticed　by　the　bait　of　a

highly　improbable　fortune；　has　told　me　a　good　many　things。〃



〃The　duchess　is　vindictive？〃　said　La　Briere。



〃Vindictive　as　a　queen；　Philoxene　says；　she　has　never　yet　forgiven　the

duke　for　being　nothing　more　than　her　husband；〃　replied　Butscha。　〃She

hates　as　she　loves。　I　know　all　about　her　character；　her　tastes；　her

toilette；　her　religion；　and　her　manners；　for　Philoxene　stripped　her

for　me；　soul　and　corset。　I　went　to　the　opera　expressly　to　see　her；　and

I　didn't　grudge　the　ten　francs　it　cost　meI　don't　mean　the　play。　If

my　imaginary　cousin　had　not　told　me　the　duchess　had　seen　her　fifty

summers；　I　should　have　thought　I　was　over…generous　in　giving　her

thirty；　she　has　never　known　a　winter；　that　duchess！〃



〃Yes；〃　said　La　Briere；　〃she　is　a　cameopreserved　because　it　is　stone。

Canalis　would　be　in　a　bad　way　if　the　duchess　were　to　find　out　what　he

is　doing　here；　and　I　hope；　monsieur；　that　you　will　go　no　further　in

this　business　of　spying；　which　is　unworthy　of　an　honest　man。〃



〃Monsieur；〃　said　Butscha；　proudly；　〃for　me　Modeste　is　my　country。　I　do

not　spy；　I　foresee；　I　take　precautions。　The　duchess　will　come　here　if

it　is　desirable；　or　she　will　stay　tranquilly　where　she　is；　according

to　what　I　judge　best。〃



〃You？〃



〃I。〃



〃And　how；　pray？〃



〃Ha；　that's　it！〃　said　the　little　hunchback；　plucking　a　blade　of　grass。

〃See　here！　this　herb　believes　that　men　build　palaces　for　it　to　grow

in；　it　wedges　its　way　between　the　closest　blocks　of　marble；　and　brings

them　down；　just　as　the　masses　forced　into　the　edifice　of　feudality

have　brought　it　to　the　ground。　The　power　of　the　feeble　life　that　can

creep　everywhere　is　greater　than　that　of　the　mighty　behind　their

cannons。　I　am　one　of　three　who　have　sworn　that　Modeste　shall　be　happy；

and　we　would　sell　our　honor　for　her。　Adieu；　monsieur。　If　you　truly

love　Mademoiselle　de　La　Bastie；　forget　this　conversation　and　shake

hands　with　me；　for　I　think　you've　got　a　heart。　I　longed　to　see　the

Chalet；　and　I　got　here　just　as　SHE　was　putting　out　her　light。　I　saw

the　dogs　rush　at　you；　and　I　overheard　your　words；　and　that　is　why　I

take　the　liberty　of　saying　we　serve　in　the　same　regimentthat　of

loyal　devotion。〃



〃Monsieur；〃　said　La　Briere；　wringing　the　hunchback's　hand；　〃would　you

have　the　friendliness　to　tell　me　if　Mademoiselle　Modeste　ever　loved

any　one　WITH　LOVE　before　she　wrote　to　Canalis？〃



〃Oh！〃　exclaimed　Butscha　in　an　altered　voice；　〃that　thought　is　an

insult。　And　even　now；　who　knows　if　she　really　loves？　does　she　know

herself？　She　is　enamored　of　genius；　of　the　soul　and　intellect　of　that

seller　of　verses；　that　literary　quack；　but　she　will　study　him；　we

shall　all　study　him；　and　I　know　how　to　make　the　man's　real　character

peep　out　from　under　that　turtle…shell　of　fine　manners；we'll　soon　see

the　petty　little　head　of　his　ambition　and　his　vanity！〃　cried　Butscha；

rubbing　his　hands。　〃So；　unless　mademoiselle　is　desperately　taken　with

him〃



〃Oh！　she　was　seized　with　admiration　when　she　saw　him；　as　if　he　were

something　marvellous；〃　exclaimed　La　Briere；　letting　the　secret　of　his

jealousy　escape　him。



〃If　he　is　a　loyal；　honest　fellow；　and　loves　her；　if　he　is　worthy　of

her；　if　he　renounces　his　duchess；〃　said　Butscha；〃then　I'll　manage

the　duchess！　Here；　my　dear　sir；　take　this　road；　and　you　will　get　home

in　ten　minutes。〃



But　as　they　parted；　Butscha　turned　back　and　hailed　poor　Ernest；　who；

as　a　true　lover；　would　gladly　have　stayed　there　all　night　talking　of

Modeste。



〃Monsieur；〃　said　Butscha；　〃I　have　not　yet　had　the　honor　of　seeing　our

great　poet。　I　am　very　curious　to　observe　that　magnificent　phenomenon

in　the　exercise　of　his　functions。　Do　me　the　favor　to　bring　him　to　the

Chalet　to…morrow　evening；　and　stay　as　long　as　possible；　for　it　takes

more　than　an　hour　for　a　man　to　show　himself　for　what　he　is。　I　shall　be

the　first　to　see　if　he　loves；　if　he　can　love；　or　if　he　ever　will　love

Mademoiselle　Modeste。〃



〃You　are　very　young　to〃



〃to　be　a　professor；〃　said　Butscha；　cutting　short　La　Briere。　〃Ha；

monsieur；　deformed　folks　are　born　a　hundred　years　old。　And　besides；　a

sick　man　who　has　long　been　sick；　knows　more　than　his　doctor；　he　knows

the　disease；　and　that　is　more　than　can　be　said　for　the　best　of

doctors。　Well；　so　it　is　with　a　man　who　cherishes　a　woman　in　his　heart

when　the　woman　is　forced　to　disdain　him　for　his　ugliness　or　his

deformity；　he　ends　by　knowing　so　much　of　love　that　he　becomes

seductive；　just　as　the　sick　man　recovers　his　health；　stupidity　alone

is　incurable。　I　have　had　neither　father　nor　mother　since　I　was　six

years　old；　I　am　now　twenty…five。　Public　charity　has　been　my　mother；

the　procureur　du　roi　my　father。　Oh！　don't　be　troubled；〃　he　added；

seeing　Ernest's　gesture；　〃I　am　much　more　lively　than　my　situation。

Well；　for　the　last　six　years；　ever　since　a　woman's　eye　first　told　me　I

had　no　right　to　love；　I　do　love；　and　I　study　women。　I　began　with　the

ugly　ones；　for　it　is　best　to　take　the　bull　by　the　horns。　So　I　took　my

master's　wife；　who　has　certainly　been　an　angel　to　me；　for　my　first

study。　Perhaps　I　did　wrong；　but　I　couldn't　help　it。　I　passed　her

through　my　alembic　and　what　did　I　find？　this　thought；　crouching　at　the

bottom　of　her　heart；　'I　am　not　so　ugly　as　they　think　me'；　and　if　a　man

were　to　work　upon　that　thought　he　could　bring　her　to　the　edge　of　the

abyss；　pious　as　she　is。〃



〃And　have　you　studied　Modeste？〃



〃I　thought　I　told　you；〃　replied　Butscha；　〃that　my　life　belongs　to　her；

just　as　France　belongs　to　the　king。　Do　you　now　understand　what　you

called　my　spying　in　Paris？　No　one　but　me　really　knows　what　nobility；

what　pride；　what　devotion；　what　mysterious　grace；　what　unwearying

kindness；　what　true　religion；　gaiety；　wit；　delicacy；　knowledge；　and

courtesy　there　are　in　the　soul　and　in　the　heart　of　that　adorable

creature！〃



Butscha　drew　out　his　handkerchief　and　wiped　his　eyes；　and　La　Briere

pressed　his　hand　for　a　long　time。



〃I　live　in　the　sunbeam　of　her　existence；　it　comes　from　her；　it　is

absorbed　in　me；　that　is　how　we　are　united；as　nature　is　to　God；　by

the　Light　and　by　the　Word。　Adieu；　monsieur；　never　in　my　life　have　I

talked　in　this　way；　but　seeing　you　beneath　her　windows；　I　felt　in　my

heart　that　you　loved　her　as　I　love　her。〃



Without　waiting　for　an　answer　Butscha　quitted　the　poor　lover；　into

whose　heart　his　words　had　put　an　inexpressible　balm。　Ernest　resolved

to　make　a　friend　of　him；　not　suspecting　that　the　chief　object　of　the

clerk's　loquacity　was　to　gain　communication　with　some　one　connected

with　Canalis。　Ernest　was　rocked　to　sleep　that　night　by　the　ebb　and

flow　of　thoughts　and　resolutions　and　plans　for　his　future　conduct；

whereas　Canalis　slept　the　sleep　of　the　conqueror；　which　is　the

sweetest　of　slumbers　after　that　of　the　just。



At　breakfast　next　morning；　the　friends　agreed　to　spend　the　evening　of

the　following　day　at　the　Chalet　and　initiate　themselves　into　the

delights　of　provincial　whist。　To　get　rid　of　the　day　they　ordered　their

horses；　purchased　by　Germain　at　a　large　price；　and　started　on　a　voyage

of　discovery　round　the　country；　which　was　quite　as　unknown　to　them　as

China；　for　the　most　foreign　thing　to　Frenchmen　in　France　is　France

itself。



By　dint　of　reflecting　on　his　position　as　an　unfortunate　and　despised

lover；　Ernest　went　through　something　of　the　same　process　as　Modeste's

first　letter　had　forced　upon　him。　Though　sorrow　is　said　to　develop

virtue；　it　only　develops　it　in　virtuous　persons；　that　cleaning…out　of

the　conscience　takes　place　only　in　persons　who　are　by　nature　clean。　La

Briere　vowed　to　endure　his　sufferings　in　Spartan　silence；　to　act

worthily；　and　give　way　to　no　baseness；　while　Canalis；　fascinated　by

the　enormous　〃dot；〃　was　telling　himself　to　take　every　means　of

captivating　the　heiress。　Selfishness　and　devotion；　the　key…notes　of

the　two　characters；　therefore　took；　by　the　action　of　a　moral　law　which

is　often　very　odd　in　its　effects；　certain　measures　that　were　contrary

to　their　respective　natures。　The　selfish　man　put　on　self…abnegation；

the　man　who　thought　chiefly　of　others　took　refuge　on　the　Aventinus　of

pride。　That　phenomenon　is　often　seen　in　political　life。　Men　frequently

turn　their　characters　wrong　side　out；　and　it　sometimes　happens　that

the　public　is　unable　to　tell　which　is　the　right　side。



After　dinner　the　two　friends　heard　of　the　arrival　of　the　grand

equerry；　who　was　presented　at　the　Chalet　the　same　evening　by

Latournelle。　Mademoiselle　d'Herouville　had　contrived　to　wound　that

worthy　man　by　sending　a　footmen　to　tell　him　to　come　to　her；　instead　of

sending　her　nephew　in　person；　thus　depriving　the　notary　of　a

distinguished　visit　he　would　certainly　have　talked　about　for　the　rest

of　his　natural　life。　So　Latournelle　curtly　informed　the　grand　equerry；

when　he　proposed　to　drive　him　to　the　Chalet；　that　he　was　engaged　to

take　Madame　Latournelle。　Guessing　from　the　little　man's　sulky　manner

that　there　was　some　blunder　to　repair；　the　duke　said　graciously：



〃Then　I　shall　have　the　pleasure；　if　you　will　allow　me；　of　taking

Madame　Latournelle　also。〃



Disregarding　Mademoiselle　d'Herouville's　haughty　shrug；　the　duke　left

the　room　with　the　notary。　Madame　Latournelle；　half…crazed　with　joy　at

seeing　the　gorgeous　carriage　at　her　door；　with　footmen　in　royal　livery

letting　down　the　steps；　was　too　agitated　on　hearing　that　the　grand

equerry　had　called　for　her；　to　find　her　gloves；　her　parasol；　her

absurdity；　or　her　usual　air　of　pompous　dignity。　Once　in　the　carriage；

however；　and　while　expressing　confused　thanks　and　civilities　to　the

little　duke；　she　suddenly　exclaimed；　from　a　thought　in　her　kind

heart；



〃But　Butscha；　where　is　he？〃



〃Let　us　take　Butscha；〃　said　the　duke；　smiling。



When　the　people　on　the　quays；　attracted　in　groups　by　the　splendor　of

the　royal　equipage；　saw　the　funny　spectacle；　the　three　little　men　with

the　spare　gigantic　woman；　they　looked　at　one　another　and　laughed。



〃If　you　melt　all　three　together；　they　might　make　one　man　fit　to　mate

with　that　big　cod…fish；〃　said　a　sailor　from　Bordeaux。



〃Is　there　any　other　thing　you　would　like　to　take　with　you；　madame？〃

asked　the　duke；　jestingly；　while　the　footman　awaited　his　orders。



〃No；　monseigneur；〃　she　replied；　turning　scarlet　and　looking　at　her

husband　as　much　as　to