modeste mignon-第35章

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

husband　as　much　as　to　say；　〃What　did　I　do　wrong？〃



〃Monsieur　le　duc　honors　me　by　considering　that　I　am　a　thing；〃　said

Butscha；　〃a　poor　clerk　is　usually　thought　to　be　a　nonentity。〃



Though　this　was　said　with　a　laugh；　the　duke　colored　and　did　not

answer。　Great　people　are　to　blame　for　joking　with　their　social

inferiors。　Jesting　is　a　game；　and　games　presuppose　equality；　it　is　to

obviate　any　inconvenient　results　of　this　temporary　equality　that

players　have　the　right；　after　the　game　is　over；　not　to　recognize　each

other。



The　visit　of　the　grand　equerry　had　the　ostensible　excuse　of　an

important　piece　of　business；　namely；　the　retrieval　of　an　immense　tract

of　waste　land　left　by　the　sea　between　the　mouths　of　the　two　rivers；

which　tract　had　just　been　adjudged　by　the　Council　of　State　to　the

house　of　Herouville。　The　matter　was　nothing　less　than　putting　flood…

gates　with　double　bridges；　draining　three　or　four　hundred　acres；

cutting　canals；　and　laying　out　roadways。　When　the　duke　had　explained

the　condition　of　the　land；　Charles　Mignon　remarked　that　time　must　be

allowed　for　the　soil；　which　was　still　moving；　to　settle　and　grow　solid

in　a　natural　way。



〃Time；　which　has　providentially　enriched　your　house；　Monsieur　le　duc；

can　alone　complete　the　work；〃　he　said；　in　conclusion。　〃It　would　be

prudent　to　let　fifty　years　elapse　before　you　reclaim　the　land。〃



〃Do　not　let　that　be　your　final　word；　Monsieur　le　comte；〃　said　the

duke。　〃Come　to　Herouville　and　see　things　for　yourself。〃



Charles　Mignon　replied　that　every　capitalist　should　take　time　to

examine　into　such　matters　with　a　cool　head；　thus　giving　the　duke　a

pretext　for　his　visits　to　the　Chalet。　The　sight　of　Modeste　made　a

lively　impression　on　the　young　man；　and　he　asked　the　favor　of

receiving　her　at　Herouville　with　her　father；　saying　that　his　sister

and　his　aunt　had　heard　much　of　her；　and　wished　to　make　her

acquaintance。　On　this　the　count　proposed　to　present　his　daughter　to

those　ladies　himself；　and　invited　the　whole　party　to　dinner　on　the　day

of　his　return　to　the　villa。　The　duke　accepted　the　invitation。　The　blue

ribbon；　the　title；　and　above　all；　the　ecstatic　glances　of　the　noble

gentleman　had　an　effect　upon　Modeste；　but　she　appeared　to　great

advantage　in　carriage；　dignity；　and　conversation。　The　duke　withdrew

reluctantly；　carrying　with　him　an　invitation　to　visit　the　Chalet　every

evening；an　invitation　based　on　the　impossibility　of　a　courtier　of

Charles　X。　existing　for　a　single　evening　without　his　rubber。



The　following　evening；　therefore；　Modeste　was　to　see　all　three　of　her

lovers。　No　matter　what　young　girls　may　say；　and　though　the　logic　of

the　heart　may　lead　them　to　sacrifice　everything　to　preference；　it　is

extremely　flattering　to　their　self…love　to　see　a　number　of　rival

adorers　around　them；distinguished　or　celebrated　men；　or　men　of

ancient　lineage；all　endeavoring　to　shine　and　to　please。　Suffer　as

Modeste　may　in　general　estimation；　it　must　be　told　she　subsequently

admitted　that　the　sentiments　expressed　in　her　letters　paled　before　the

pleasure　of　seeing　three　such　different　minds　at　war　with　one　another；

three　men　who；　taken　separately；　would　each　have　done　honor　to　the

most　exacting　family。　Yet　this　luxury　of　self…love　was　checked　by　a

misanthropical　spitefulness；　resulting　from　the　terrible　wound　she　had

received；although　by　this　time　she　was　beginning　to　think　of　that

wound　as　a　disappointment　only。　So　when　her　father　said　to　her；

laughing；　〃Well；　Modeste；　do　you　want　to　be　a　duchess？〃　she　answered；

with　a　mocking　curtsey；



〃Sorrows　have　made　me　philosophical。〃



〃Do　you　mean　to　be　only　a　baroness？〃　asked　Butscha。



〃Or　a　viscountess？〃　said　her　father。



〃How　could　that　be？〃　she　asked　quickly。



〃If　you　accept　Monsieur　de　La　Briere；　he　has　enough　merit　and

influence　to　obtain　permission　from　the　king　to　bear　my　titles　and

arms。〃



〃Oh；　if　it　comes　to　disguising　himself；　HE　will　not　make　any

difficulty；〃　said　Modeste；　scornfully。



Butscha　did　not　understand　this　epigram；　whose　meaning　could　only　be

guessed　by　Monsieur　and　Madame　Mignon　and　Dumay。



〃When　it　is　a　question　of　marriage；　all　men　disguise　themselves；〃

remarked　Latournelle；　〃and　women　set　them　the　example。　I've　heard　it

said　ever　since　I　came　into　the　world　that　'Monsieur　this　or

Mademoiselle　that　has　made　a　good　marriage；'meaning　that　the　other

side　had　made　a　bad　one。〃



〃Marriage；〃　said　Butscha；　〃is　like　a　lawsuit；　there's　always　one　side

discontented。　If　one　dupes　the　other；　certainly　half　the　husbands　in

the　world　are　playing　a　comedy　at　the　expense　of　the　other　half。〃



〃From　which　you　conclude；　Sieur　Butscha？〃　inquired　Modeste。



〃To　pay　the　utmost　attention　to　the　manoeuvres　of　the　enemy；〃　answered

the　clerk。



〃What　did　I　tell　you；　my　darling？〃　said　Charles　Mignon；　alluding　to

their　conversation　on　the　seashore。



〃Men　play　as　many　parts　to　get　married　as　mothers　make　their　daughters

play　to　get　rid　of　them；〃　said　Latournelle。



〃Then　you　approve　of　stratagems？〃　said　Modeste。



〃On　both　sides；〃　cried　Gobenheim；　〃and　that　brings　it　even。〃



This　conversation　was　carried　on　by　fits　and　starts；　as　they　say；　in

the　intervals　of　cutting　and　dealing　the　cards；　and　it　soon　turned

chiefly　on　the　merits　of　the　Duc　d'Herouville；　who　was　thought　very

good…looking　by　little　Latournelle；　little　Dumay；　and　little　Butscha。

Without　the　foregoing　discussion　on　the　lawfulness　of　matrimonial

tricks；　the　reader　might　possibly　find　the　forthcoming　account　of　the

evening　so　impatiently　awaited　by　Butscha；　somewhat　too　long。



Desplein；　the　famous　surgeon；　arrived　the　next　morning；　and　stayed

only　long　enough　to　send　to　Havre　for　fresh　horses　and　have　them　put…

to；　which　took　about　an　hour。　After　examining　Madame　Mignon's　eyes；　he

decided　that　she　could　recover　her　sight；　and　fixed　a　suitable　time；　a

month　later；　to　perform　the　operation。　This　important　consultation

took　place　before　the　assembled　members　of　the　Chalet；　who　stood

trembling　and　expectant　to　hear　the　verdict　of　the　prince　of　science。

That　illustrious　member　of　the　Academy　of　Sciences　put　about　a　dozen

brief　questions　to　the　blind　woman　as　he　examined　her　eyes　in　the

strong　light　from　a　window。　Modeste　was　amazed　at　the　value　which　a

man　so　celebrated　attached　to　time；　when　she　saw　the　travelling…

carriage　piled　with　books　which　the　great　surgeon　proposed　to　read

during　the　journey；　for　he　had　left　Paris　the　evening　before；　and　had

spent　the　night　in　sleeping　and　travelling。　The　rapidity　and　clearness

of　Desplein's　judgment　on　each　answer　made　by　Madame　Mignon；　his

succinct　tone；　his　decisive　manner；　gave　Modeste　her　first　real　idea

of　a　man　of　genius。　She　perceived　the　enormous　difference　between　a

second…rate　man；　like　Canalis；　and　Desplein；　who　was　even　more　than　a

superior　man。　A　man　of　genius　finds　in　the　consciousness　of　his　talent

and　in　the　solidity　of　his　fame　an　arena　of　his　own；　where　his

legitimate　pride　can　expand　and　exercise　itself　without　interfering

with　others。　Moreover；　his　perpetual　struggle　with　men　and　things

leave　them　no　time　for　the　coxcombry　of　fashionable　genius；　which

makes　haste　to　gather　in　the　harvests　of　a　fugitive　season；　and　whose

vanity　and　self…love　are　as　petty　and　exacting　as　a　custom…house　which

levies　tithes　on　all　that　comes　in　its　way。



Modeste　was　the　more　enchanted　by　this　great　practical　genius；　because

he　was　evidently　charmed　with　the　exquisite　beauty　of　Modeste；he；

through　whose　hands　so　many　women　had　passed；　and　who　had　long　since

examined　the　sex；　as　it　were；　with　magnifier　and　scalpel。



〃It　would　be　a　sad　pity；〃　he　said；　with　an　air　of　gallantry　which　he

occasionally　put　on；　and　which　contrasted　with　his　assumed

brusqueness；　〃if　a　mother　were　deprived　of　the　sight　of　so　charming　a

daughter。〃



Modeste　insisted　on　serving　the　simple　breakfast　which　was　all　the

great　surgeon　would　accept。　She　accompanied　her　father　and　Dumay　to

the　carriage　stationed　at　the　garden…gate；　and　said　to　Desplein　at

parting；　her　eyes　shining　with　hope；



〃And　will　my　dear　mamma　really　see　me？〃



〃Yes；　my　little　sprite；　I'll　promise　you　that；〃　he　answered；　smiling；

〃and　I　am　incapable　of　deceiving　you；　for　I；　too；　have　a　daughter。〃



The　horses　started　and　carried　him　off　as　he　uttered　the　last　words

with　unexpected　grace　and　feeling。　Nothing　is　more　charming　than　the

peculiar　unexpectedness　of　persons　of　talent。







CHAPTER　XX



THE　POET　DOES　HIS　EXERCISES



This　visit　of　the　great　surgeon　was　the　event　of　the　day；　and　it　left

a　luminous　trace　in　Modeste's　soul。　The　young　enthusiast　ardently

admired　the　man　whose　life　belonged　to　others；　and　in　whom　the　habit

of　studying　physical　suffering　had　destroyed　the　manifestations　of

egoism。　That　evening；　when　Gobenheim；　the　Latournelles；　and　Butscha；

Canalis；　Ernest；　and　the　Duc　d'Herouville　were　gathered　in　the　salon；

they　all　congratulated　the　Mignon　family　on　the　hopes　which　Desplein

encouraged。　The　conversation；　in　which　the　Modeste　of　her　letters　was

once　more　in　the　ascendant；　turned　naturally　on　the　man　whose　genius；

unfortunately　for　his　fame；　was　appreciable　only　by　the　faculty　and

men　of　science。　Gobenheim　contributed　a　phrase　which　is　the　sacred

chrism　of　genius　as　interpreted　in　these　days　by　public　economists　and

bankers；



〃He　makes　a　mint　of　money。〃



〃They　say　he　is　very　grasping；〃　added　Canalis。



The　praises　which　Modeste　showered　on　Desplein　had　annoyed　the　poet。

Vanity　acts　like　a　woman；they　both　think　they　are　defrauded　when

love　or　praise　is　bestowed　on　others。　Voltaire　was　jealous　of　the　wit

of　a　roue　whom　Paris　admired　for　two　days；　and　even　a　duchess　takes

offence　at　a　look　bestowed　upon　her　maid。　The　avarice　excited　by　these

two　sentiments　is　such　that　a　fraction　of　them　given　to　the　poor　is

thought　robbery。



〃Do　you　think；　monsieur；〃　said　Modeste；　smiling；　〃that　we　should　judge

genius　by　ordinary　standards？〃



〃Perhaps　we　ought　first　of　all　to　define　the　man　of　genius；〃　replied

Canalis。　〃One　of　the　conditions　of　genius　is　invention；invention　of

a　form；　a　system；　a　force。　Napoleon　was　an　inventor；　apart　from　his

other　conditions　of　genius。　He　invented　his　method　of　making　war。

Walter　Scott　is　an　inventor；　Linnaeus　is　an　inventor；　Geoffrey　Saint…

Hilaire　and　Cuvier　are　inventors。　Such　men　are　men　of　genius　of　the

first　rank。　They　renew；　increase；　or　modify　both　science　and　art。　But

Desplein　is　merely　a　man　whose　vast　talent　consists　in　properly

applying　laws　already　known；　in　observing；　by　means　of　a　natural　gift；

the　limits　laid　down　for　each　temperament；　and　the　time　appointed　by

Nature　for　an　operation。　He　has　not　founded；　like　Hippocrates；　the

science　itself。　He　has　invented　no　system；　as　did　Galen；　Broussais；

and　Rasori。　He　is　merely　an　exe