an old maid-第10节

按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！



to　their　houses；　social　intercourse　between　them　is　carried　on　by

cards　from　one　to　the　other；　and　a　dinner　or　soiree　accepted　and

returned。



This　salon；　in　which　the　lesser　nobility；　the　clergy；　and　the

magistracy　meet　together；　exerts　a　great　influence。　The　judgment　and

mind　of　the　region　reside　in　that　solid；　unostentatious　society；　where

each　man　knows　the　resources　of　his　neighbor；　where　complete

indifference　is　shown　to　luxury　and　dress；pleasures　which　are

thought　childish　in　comparison　to　that　of　obtaining　ten　or　twelve

acres　of　pasture　land；a　purchase　coveted　for　years；　which　has

probably　given　rise　to　endless　diplomatic　combinations。　Immovable　in

its　prejudices；　good　or　evil；　this　social　circle　follows　a　beaten

track；　looking　neither　before　it　nor　behind　it。　It　accepts　nothing

from　Paris　without　long　examination　and　trial；　it　rejects　cashmeres　as

it　does　investments　on　the　Grand…Livre；　it　scoffs　at　fashions　and

novelties；　reads　nothing；　prefers　ignorance；　whether　of　science；

literature；　or　industrial　inventions。　It　insists　on　the　removal　of　a

prefect　when　that　official　does　not　suit　it；　and　if　the　administration

resists；　it　isolates　him；　after　the　manner　of　bees　who　wall　up　a　snail

in　wax　when　it　gets　into　their　hive。



In　this　society　gossip　is　often　turned　into　solemn　verdicts。　Young

women　are　seldom　seen　there；　when　they　come　it　is　to　seek　approbation

of　their　conduct；a　consecration　of　their　self…importance。　This

supremacy　granted　to　one　house　is　apt　to　wound　the　sensibilities　of

other　natives　of　the　region；　who　console　themselves　by　adding　up　the

cost　it　involves；　and　by　which　they　profit。　If　it　so　happens　that

there　is　no　fortune　large　enough　to　keep　open　house　in　this　way；　the

big…wigs　of　the　place　choose　a　place　of　meeting；　as　they　did　at

Alencon；　in　the　house　of　some　inoffensive　person；　whose　settled　life

and　character　and　position　offers　no　umbrage　to　the　vanities　or　the

interests　of　any　one。



For　some　years　the　upper　classes　of　Alencon　had　met　in　this　way　at　the

house　of　an　old　maid；　whose　fortune　was；　unknown　to　herself；　the　aim

and　object　of　Madame　Granson；　her　second　cousin；　and　of　the　two　old

bachelors　whose　secret　hopes　in　that　direction　we　have　just　unveiled。

This　lady　lived　with　her　maternal　uncle；　a　former　grand…vicar　of　the

bishopric　of　Seez；　once　her　guardian；　and　whose　heir　she　was。　The

family　of　which　Rose…Marie…Victoire　Cormon　was　the　present

representative　had　been　in　earlier　days　among　the　most　considerable　in

the　province。　Though　belonging　to　the　middle　classes；　she　consorted

with　the　nobility；　among　whom　she　was　more　or　less　allied；　her　family

having　furnished；　in　past　years；　stewards　to　the　Duc　d'Alencon；　many

magistrates　to　the　long　robe；　and　various　bishops　to　the　clergy。

Monsieur　de　Sponde；　the　maternal　grandfather　of　Mademoiselle　Cormon；

was　elected　by　the　Nobility　to　the　States…General；　and　Monsieur

Cormon；　her　father；　by　the　Tiers…Etat；　though　neither　accepted　the

mission。　For　the　last　hundred　years　the　daughters　of　the　family　had

married　nobles　belonging　to　the　provinces；　consequently；　this　family

had　thrown　out　so　many　suckers　throughout　the　duchy　as　to　appear　on

nearly　all　the　genealogical　trees。　No　bourgeois　family　had　ever　seemed

so　like　nobility。



The　house　in　which　Mademoiselle　Cormon　lived；　build　in　Henri　IV。's

time；　by　Pierre　Cormon；　the　steward　of　the　last　Duc　d'Alencon；　had

always　belonged　to　the　family；　and　among　the　old　maid's　visible

possessions　this　one　was　particularly　stimulating　to　the　covetous

desires　of　the　two　old　lovers。　Yet；　far　from　producing　revenue；　the

house　was　a　cause　of　expense。　But　it　is　so　rare　to　find　in　the　very

centre　of　a　provincial　town　a　private　dwelling　without　unpleasant

surroundings；　handsome　in　outward　structure　and　convenient　within；

that　Alencon　shared　the　envy　of　the　lovers。



This　old　mansion　stands　exactly　in　the　middle　of　the　rue　du　Val…Noble。

It　is　remarkable　for　the　strength　of　its　construction；a　style　of

building　introduced　by　Marie　de'　Medici。　Though　built　of　granite；a

stone　which　is　hard　to　work；its　angles；　and　the　casings　of　the　doors

and　windows；　are　decorated　with　corner　blocks　cut　into　diamond　facets。

It　has　only　one　clear　story　above　the　ground…floor；　but　the　roof；

rising　steeply；　has　several　projecting　windows；　with　carved　spandrels

rather　elegantly　enclosed　in　oaken　frames；　and　externally　adorned　with

balustrades。　Between　each　of　these　windows　is　a　gargoyle　presenting

the　fantastic　jaws　of　an　animal　without　a　body；　vomiting　the　rain…

water　upon　large　stones　pierced　with　five　holes。　The　two　gables　are

surmounted　by　leaden　bouquets；a　symbol　of　the　bourgeoisie；　for

nobles　alone　had　the　privilege　in　former　days　of　having　weather…vanes。

To　right　of　the　courtyard　are　the　stables　and　coach…house；　to　left；

the　kitchen；　wood…house；　and　laundry。



One　side　of　the　porte…cochere；　being　left　open；　allowed　the　passers　in

the　street　to　see　in　the　midst　of　the　vast　courtyard　a　flower…bed；　the

raised　earth　of　which　was　held　in　place　by　a　low　privet　hedge。　A　few

monthly　roses；　pinkes；　lilies；　and　Spanish　broom　filled　this　bed；

around　which　in　the　summer　season　boxes　of　paurestinus；　pomegranates；

and　myrtle　were　placed。　Struck　by　the　scrupulous　cleanliness　of　the

courtyard　and　its　dependencies；　a　stranger　would　at　once　have　divined

that　the　place　belonged　to　an　old　maid。　The　eye　which　presided　there

must　have　been　an　unoccupied；　ferreting　eye；　minutely　careful；　less

from　nature　than　for　want　of　something　to　do。　An　old　maid；　forced　to

employ　her　vacant　days；　could　alone　see　to　the　grass　being　hoed　from

between　the　paving　stones；　the　tops　of　the　walls　kept　clean；　the　broom

continually　going；　and　the　leather　curtains　of　the　coach…house　always

closed。　She　alone　would　have　introduced；　out　of　busy　idleness；　a　sort

of　Dutch　cleanliness　into　a　house　on　the　confines　of　Bretagne　and

Normandie；a　region　where　they　take　pride　in　professing　an　utter

indifference　to　comfort。



Never　did　the　Chevalier　de　Valois；　or　du　Bousquier；　mount　the　steps　of

the　double　stairway　leading　to　the　portico　of　this　house　without

saying　to　himself；　one；　that　it　was　fit　for　a　peer　of　France；　the

other；　that　the　mayor　of　the　town　ought　to　live　there。



A　glass　door　gave　entrance　from　this　portico　into　an　antechamber；　a

species　of　gallery　paved　in　red　tiles　and　wainscoted；　which　served　as

a　hospital　for　the　family　portraits；some　having　an　eye　put　out；

others　suffering　from　a　dislocated　shoulder；　this　one　held　his　hat　in

a　hand　that　no　longer　existed；　that　one　was　a　case　of　amputation　at

the　knee。　Here　were　deposited　the　cloaks；　clogs；　overshoes；　umbrellas；

hoods；　and　pelisses　of　the　guests。　It　was　an　arsenal　where　each

arrival　left　his　baggage　on　arriving；　and　took　it　up　when　departing。

Along　each　wall　was　a　bench　for　the　servants　who　arrived　with

lanterns；　and　a　large　stove；　to　counteract　the　north　wind；　which　blew

through　this　hall　from　the　garden　to　the　courtyard。



The　house　was　divided　in　two　equal　parts。　On　one　side；　toward　the

courtyard；　was　the　well　of　the　staircase；　a　large　dining…room　looking

to　the　garden；　and　an　office　or　pantry　which　communicated　with　the

kitchen。　On　the　other　side　was　the　salon；　with　four　windows；　beyond

which　were　two　smaller　rooms；one　looking　on　the　garden；　and　used　as

a　boudoir；　the　other　lighted　from　the　courtyard；　and　used　as　a　sort　of

office。



The　upper　floor　contained　a　complete　apartment　for　a　family　household；

and　a　suite　of　rooms　where　the　venerable　Abbe　de　Sponde　had　his　abode。

The　garrets　offered　fine　quarters　to　the　rats　and　mice；　whose

nocturnal　performances　were　related　by　Mademoiselle　Cormon　to　the

Chevalier　de　Valois；　with　many　expressions　of　surprise　at　the

inutility　of　her　efforts　to　get　rid　of　them。　The　garden；　about　half　an

acre　in　size；　is　margined　by　the　Brillante；　so　named　from　the

particles　of　mica　which　sparkle　in　its　bed　elsewhere　than　in　the　Val…

Noble；　where　its　shallow　waters　are　stained　by　the　dyehouses；　and

loaded　with　refuse　from　the　other　industries　of　the　town。　The　shore

opposite　to　Mademoiselle　Cormon's　garden　is　crowded　with　houses　where

a　variety　of　trades　are　carried　on；　happily　for　her；　the　occupants　are

quiet　people；a　baker；　a　cleaner；　an　upholsterer；　and　several

bourgeois。　The　garden；　full　of　common　flowers；　ends　in　a　natural

terrace；　forming　a　quay；　down　which　are　several　steps　leading　to　the

river。　Imagine　on　the　balustrade　of　this　terrace　a　number　of　tall

vases　of　blue　and　white　pottery；　in　which　are　gilliflowers；　and　to

right　and　left；　along　the　neighboring　walls；　hedges　of　linden　closely

trimmed　in；　and　you　will　gain　an　idea　of　the　landscape；　full　of

tranquil　chastity；　modest　cheerfulness；　but　commonplace　withal；　which

surrounded　the　venerable　edifice　of　the　Cormon　family。　What　peace！

what　tranquillity！　nothing　pretentious；　but　nothing　transitory；　all

seems　eternal　there！



The　ground…f