modeste mignon-第38章

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the　starry　night。　While　his　daughter　walked　about　with　the　poet；

Charles　Mignon　left　her　and　came　up　to　La　Briere。



〃Your　friend；　monsieur；　ought　to　have　been　a　lawyer；〃　he　said；　smiling

and　looking　attentively　at　the　young　man。



〃You　must　not　judge　a　poet　as　you　would　an　ordinary　man；as　you　would

me；　for　example；　Monsieur　le　comte；〃　said　La　Briere。　〃A　poet　has　a

mission。　He　is　obliged　by　his　nature　to　see　the　poetry　of　questions；

just　as　he　expresses　that　of　things。　When　you　think　him　inconsistent

with　himself　he　is　really　faithful　to　his　vocation。　He　is　a　painter

copying　with　equal　truth　a　Madonna　and　a　courtesan。　Moliere　is　as　true

to　nature　in　his　old　men　as　in　his　young　ones；　and　Moliere's　judgment

was　assuredly　a　sound　and　healthy　one。　These　witty　paradoxes　might　be

dangerous　for　second…rate　minds；　but　they　have　no　real　influence　on

the　character　of　great　men。〃



Charles　Mignon　pressed　La　Briere's　hand。



〃That　adaptability；　however；　leads　a　man　to　excuse　himself　in　his　own

eyes　for　actions　that　are　diametrically　opposed　to　each　other；　above

all；　in　politics。〃



〃Ah；　mademoiselle；〃　Canalis　was　at　this　moment　saying；　in　a　caressing

voice；　replying　to　a　roguish　remark　of　Modeste；　〃do　not　think　that　a

multiplicity　of　emotions　can　in　any　way　lessen　the　strength　of

feelings。　Poets；　even　more　than　other　men；　must　needs　love　with

constancy　and　faith。　You　must　not　be　jealous　of　what　is　called　the

Muse。　Happy　is　the　wife　of　a　man　whose　days　are　occupied。　If　you　heard

the　complaints　of　women　who　have　to　endure　the　burden　of　an　idle

husband；　either　a　man　without　duties；　or　one　so　rich　as　to　have

nothing　to　do；　you　would　know　that　the　highest　happiness　of　a　Parisian

wife　is　freedom；the　right　to　rule　in　her　own　home。　Now　we　writers

and　men　of　functions　and　occupations；　we　leave　the　sceptre　to　our

wives；　we　cannot　descend　to　the　tyranny　of　little　minds；　we　have

something　better　to　do。　If　I　ever　marry；which　I　assure　you　is　a

catastrophe　very　remote　at　the　present　moment；I　should　wish　my　wife

to　enjoy　the　same　moral　freedom　that　a　mistress　enjoys；　and　which　is

perhaps　the　real　source　of　her　attraction。〃



Canalis　talked　on；　displaying　the　warmth　of　his　fancy　and　all　his

graces；　for　Modeste's　benefit；　as　he　spoke　of　love；　marriage；　and　the

adoration　of　women；　until　Monsieur　Mignon；　who　had　rejoined　them；

seized　the　opportunity　of　a　slight　pause　to　take　his　daughter's　arm

and　lead　her　up　to　Ernest　de　La　Briere；　whom　he　had　been　advising　to

seek　an　open　explanation　with　her。



〃Mademoiselle；〃　said　Ernest；　in　a　voice　that　was　scarcely　his　own；　〃it

is　impossible　for　me　to　remain　any　longer　under　the　weight　of　your

displeasure。　I　do　not　defend　myself；　I　do　not　seek　to　justify　my

conduct；　I　desire　only　to　make　you　see　that　BEFORE　reading　your　most

flattering　letter；　addressed　to　the　individual　and　no　longer　to　the

poet；the　last　which　you　sent　to　me；I　wished；　and　I　told　you　in　my

note　written　at　Havre　that　I　wished；　to　correct　the　error　under　which

you　were　acting。　All　the　feelings　that　I　have　had　the　happiness　to

express　to　you　are　sincere。　A　hope　dawned　on　me　in　Paris　when　your

father　told　me　he　was　comparatively　poor；but　now　that　all　is　lost；

now　that　nothing　is　left　for　me　but　endless　regrets；　why　should　I　stay

here　where　all　is　torture？　Let　me　carry　away　with　me　one　smile　to　live

forever　in　my　heart。〃



〃Monsieur；〃　answered　Modeste；　who　seemed　cold　and　absent…minded；　〃I　am

not　the　mistress　of　this　house；　but　I　certainly　should　deeply　regret

to　retain　any　one　where　he　finds　neither　pleasure　nor　happiness。〃



She　left　La　Briere　and　took　Madame　Dumay's　arm　to　re…enter　the　house。

A　few　moments　later　all　the　actors　in　this　domestic　scene　reassembled

in　the　salon；　and　were　a　good　deal　surprised　to　see　Modeste　sitting

beside　the　Duc　d'Herouville　and　coquetting　with　him　like　an

accomplished　Parisian　woman。　She　watched　his　play；　gave　him　the　advice

he　wanted；　and　found　occasion　to　say　flattering　things　by　ranking　the

merits　of　noble　birth　with　those　of　genius　and　beauty。　Canalis　thought

he　knew　the　reason　of　this　change；　he　had　tried　to　pique　Modeste　by

calling　marriage　a　catastrophe；　and　showing　that　he　was　aloof　from　it；

but　like　others　who　play　with　fire；　he　had　burned　his　fingers。

Modeste's　pride　and　her　present　disdain　frightened　him；　and　he

endeavored　to　recover　his　ground；　exhibiting　a　jealousy　which　was　all

the　more　visible　because　it　was　artificial。　Modeste；　implacable　as　an

angel；　tasted　the　sweets　of　power；　and；　naturally　enough；　abused　it。

The　Duc　d'Herouville　had　never　known　such　a　happy　evening；　a　woman

smiled　on　him！　At　eleven　o'clock；　an　unheard…of　hour　at　the　Chalet；

the　three　suitors　took　their　leave；the　duke　thinking　Modeste

charming；　Canalis　believing　her　excessively　coquettish；　and　La　Briere

heart…broken　by　her　cruelty。



For　eight　days　the　heiress　continued　to　be　to　her　three　lovers　very

much　what　she　had　been　during　that　evening；　so　that　the　poet　appeared

to　carry　the　day　against　his　rivals；　in　spite　of　certain　freaks　and

caprices　which　from　time　to　time　gave　the　Duc　d'Herouville　a　little

hope。　The　disrespect　she　showed　to　her　father；　and　the　great　liberties

she　took　with　him；　her　impatience　with　her　blind　mother；　to　whom　she

seemed　to　grudge　the　little　services　which　had　once　been　the　delight

of　her　filial　piety；seemed　the　result　of　a　capricious　nature　and　a

heedless　gaiety　indulged　from　childhood。　When　Modeste　went　too　far；

she　turned　round　and　openly　took　herself　to　task；　ascribing　her

impertinence　and　levity　to　a　spirit　of　independence。　She　acknowledged

to　the　duke　and　Canalis　her　distaste　for　obedience；　and　professed　to

regard　it　as　an　obstacle　to　her　marriage；　thus　investigating　the

nature　of　her　suitors；　after　the　manner　of　those　who　dig　into　the

earth　in　search　of　metals；　coal；　tufa；　or　water。



〃I　shall　never；〃　she　said；　the　evening　before　the　day　on　which　the

family　were　to　move　into　the　villa；　〃find　a　husband　who　will　put　up

with　my　caprices　as　my　father　does；　his　kindness　never　flags。　I　am

sure　no　one　will　ever　be　as　indulgent　to　me　as　my　precious　mother。〃



〃They　know　that　you　love　them；　mademoiselle；〃　said　La　Briere。



〃You　may　be　very　sure；　mademoiselle；　that　your　husband　will　know　the

full　value　of　his　treasure；〃　added　the　duke。



〃You　have　spirit　and　resolution　enough　to　discipline　a　husband；〃　cried

Canalis；　laughing。



Modeste　smiled　as　Henri　IV。　must　have　smiled　after　drawing　out　the

characters　of　his　three　principal　ministers；　for　the　benefit　of　a

foreign　ambassador；　by　means　of　three　answers　to　an　insidious

question。



On　the　day　of　the　dinner；　Modeste；　led　away　by　the　preference　she

bestowed　on　Canalis；　walked　alone　with　him　up　and　down　the　gravelled

space　which　lay　between　the　house　and　the　lawn　with　its　flower…beds。

From　the　gestures　of　the　poet；　and　the　air　and　manner　of　the　young

heiress；　it　was　easy　to　see　that　she　was　listening　favorably　to　him。

The　two　demoiselles　d'Herouville　hastened　to　interrupt　the　scandalous

tete…a…tete；　and　with　the　natural　cleverness　of　women　under　such

circumstances；　they　turned　the　conversation　on　the　court；　and　the

distinction　of　an　appointment　under　the　crown；pointing　out　the

difference　that　existed　between　appointments　in　the　household　of　the

king　and　those　of　the　crown。　They　tried　to　intoxicate　Modeste's　mind

by　appealing　to　her　pride；　and　describing　one　of　the　highest　stations

to　which　a　woman　could　aspire。



〃To　have　a　duke　for　a　son；〃　said　the　elder　lady；　〃is　an　actual

advantage。　The　title　is　a　fortune　that　we　secure　to　our　children

without　the　possibility　of　loss。〃



〃How　is　it；　then；〃　said　Canalis；　displeased　at　his　tete…a…tete　being

thus　broken　in　upon；　〃that　Monsieur　le　duc　has　had　so　little　success

in　a　matter　where　his　title　would　seem　to　be　of　special　service　to

him？〃



The　two　ladies　cast　a　look　at　Canalis　as　full　of　venom　as　the　tooth　of

a　snake；　and　they　were　so　disconcerted　by　Modeste's　amused　smile　that

they　were　actually　unable　to　reply。



〃Monsieur　le　duc　has　never　blamed　you；〃　she　said　to　Canalis；　〃for　the

humility　with　which　you　bear　your　fame；　why　should　you　attack　him　for

his　modesty？〃



〃Besides；　we　have　never　yet　met　a　woman　worthy　of　my　nephew's　rank；〃

said　Mademoiselle　d'Herouville。　〃Some　had　only　the　wealth　of　the

position；　others；　without　fortune；　had　the　wit　and　birth。　I　must　admit

that　we　have　done　well　to　wait　till　God　granted　us　an　opportunity　to

meet　one　in　whom　we　find　the　noble　blood；　the　mind；　and　fortune　of　a

Duchesse　d'Herouville。〃



〃My　dear　Modeste；〃　said　Helene　d'Herouville；　leading　her　new　friend

apart；　〃there　are　a　thousand　barons　in　the　kingdom；　just　as　there　are

a　hundred　poets　in　Paris；　who　are　worth　as　much　as　he；　he　is　so　little

of　a　great　man　that　even　I；　a　poor　girl　forced　to　take　the　veil　for

want　of　a　'dot；'　I　would　not　take　him。　You　don't　know　what　a　young　man

is　who　has　been　for　ten　years　in　the　hands　of　a　Duchesse　de　Chaulieu。

None　but　an　old　woman　of　sixty　could　put　up　with　the　little　ailments

of　which；　they　say；　the　great　poet　is　always　complaining；a　habit　in

Louis　XIV。　that　became　a　perfectly　insupportable　annoyance。　It　is　true

the　duchess　does　not　suffer　from　it　as　much　as　a　wife；　who　would　have

him　always　about　her。〃



Then；　practising　a　well…known　manoeuvre　peculiar　to　her　sex；　Helene

d'Herouville　repeated　in　a　low　voice　all　the　calumnies　which　women

jealous　of　the　Duchesse　de　Chaulieu　were　in　the　habit　of　spreading

about　the　poet。　This　little　incident；　common　as　it　is　in　the

intercourse　of　women；　will　serve　to　show　with　what　fury　the　hounds

were　after　Modeste's　wealth。



Ten　days　saw　a　great　change　in　the　opinions　at　the　Chalet　as　to　the

three　suitors　for　Mademoiselle　de　La　Bastie's　hand。　This　change；　which

was　much　to　the　disadvantage　of　Canalis；　came　about　through

considerations　of　a　nature　which　ought　to　make　the　holders　of　any　kind

of　fame　pause；　and　reflect。　No　one　can　deny；　if　we　remember　the

passion　with　which　people　seek　for　autographs；　that　public　curiosity

is　greatly　excited　by　celebrity。　Evidently　most　provincials　never　form

an　exact　idea　in　their　own　minds　of　how　illustrious　Parisians　put　on

their　cravats；　walk　on　the　boulevards；　stand　gaping　at　nothing；　or　eat

a　cutlet；　because；　no　sooner　do　they　perceive　a　man　clothed　in　the

sunbeams　of　fashion　or　resplendent　with　some　dignity　that　is　more　or

less　fugitive　（though　always　envied）；　than　they　cry　out；　〃Look　at

that！〃　〃How　queer！〃　and　other　depreciatory　exclamations。　In　a　word；

the　mysterious　charm　that　attaches　to　every　kind　of　fame；　even　that

which　is　most　justly　due；　never　lasts。　It　is；　and　especially　with

superficial　people　who　are　envious　or　sarcastic；　a　sensation　which

passes　off　with　the　rapidity　of　lightning；　and　never　returns。　It　would

seem　as　though　fame；　like　the　sun；　hot　and　luminous　at　a　distance；　is

col