an old maid-第14节

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adopted　the　principles　of　Saint　John　Chrysostom；　who　wrote　that　〃the

virgin　state　is　as　far　above　the　marriage　state　as　the　angel　is　above

humanity。〃　Accustomed　to　reverence　her　uncle；　Mademoiselle　Cormon

dared　not　initiate　him　into　the　desires　which　filled　her　soul　for　a

change　of　state。　The　worthy　man；　accustomed；　on　his　side；　to　the　ways

of　the　house；　would　scarcely　have　liked　the　introduction　of　a　husband。

Preoccupied　by　the　sufferings　he　soothed；　lost　in　the　depths　of

prayer；　the　Abbe　de　Sponde　had　periods　of　abstraction　which　the

habitues　of　the　house　regarded　as　absent…mindedness。　In　any　case；　he

talked　little；　but　his　silence　was　affable　and　benevolent。　He　was　a

man　of　great　height　and　spare；　with　grave　and　solemn　manners；　though

his　face　expressed　all　gentle　sentiments　and　an　inward　calm；　while　his

mere　presence　carried　with　it　a　sacred　authority。　He　was　very　fond　of

the　Voltairean　chevalier。　Those　two　majestic　relics　of　the　nobility

and　clergy；　though　of　very　different　habits　and　morals；　recognized

each　other　by　their　generous　traits。　Besides；　the　chevalier　was　as

unctuous　with　the　abbe　as　he　was　paternal　with　the　grisettes。



Some　persons　may　fancy　that　Mademoiselle　Cormon　used　every　means　to

attain　her　end；　and　that　among　the　legitimate　lures　of　womanhood　she

devoted　herself　to　dress；　wore　low…necked　gowns；　and　employed　the

negative　coquetries　of　a　magnificent　display　of　arms。　Not　at　all！　She

was　as　heroic　and　immovable　in　her　high…necked　chemisette　as　a　sentry

in　his　box。　Her　gowns；　bonnets；　and　chiffons　were　all　cut　and　made　by

the　dressmaker　and　the　milliner　of　Alencon；　two　hump…backed　sisters；

who　were　not　without　some　taste。　In　spite　of　the　entreaties　of　these

artists；　Mademoiselle　Cormon　refused　to　employ　the　airy　deceits　of

elegance；　she　chose　to　be　substantial　in　all　things；　flesh　and

feathers。　But　perhaps　the　heavy　fashion　of　her　gowns　was　best　suited

to　her　cast　of　countenance。　Let　those　laugh　who　will　at　this　poor

girl；　you　would　have　thought　her　sublime；　O　generous　souls！　who　care

but　little　what　form　true　feeling　takes；　but　admire　it　where　it　IS。



Here　some　light…minded　person　may　exclaim　against　the　truth　of　this

statement；　they　will　say　that　there　is　not　in　all　France　a　girl　so

silly　as　to　be　ignorant　of　the　art　of　angling　for　men；　that

Mademoiselle　Cormon　is　one　of　those　monstrous　exceptions　which

commonsense　should　prevent　a　writer　from　using　as　a　type；　that　the

most　virtuous　and　also　the　silliest　girl　who　desires　to　catch　her　fish

knows　well　how　to　bait　the　hook。　But　these　criticisms　fall　before　the

fact　that　the　noble　catholic；　apostolic；　and　Roman　religion　is　still

erect　in　Brittany　and　in　the　ancient　duchy　of　Alencon。　Faith　and　piety

admit　of　no　subtleties。　Mademoiselle　Cormon　trod　the　path　of

salvation；　preferring　the　sorrows　of　her　virginity　so　cruelly

prolonged　to　the　evils　of　trickery　and　the　sin　of　a　snare。　In　a　woman

armed　with　a　scourge　virtue　could　never　compromise；　consequently　both

love　and　self…interest　were　forced　to　seek　her；　and　seek　her

resolutely。　And　here　let　us　have　the　courage　to　make　a　cruel

observation；　in　days　when　religion　is　nothing　more　than　a　useful　means

to　some；　and　a　poesy　to　others。　Devotion　causes　a　moral　ophthalmia。　By

some　providential　grace；　it　takes　from　souls　on　the　road　to　eternity

the　sight　of　many　little　earthly　things。　In　a　word；　pious　persons；

devotes；　are　stupid　on　various　points。　This　stupidity　proves　with　what

force　they　turn　their　minds　to　celestial　matters；　although　the

Voltairean　Chevalier　de　Valois　declared　that　it　was　difficult　to

decide　whether　stupid　people　became　naturally　pious；　or　whether　piety

had　the　effect　of　making　intelligent　young　women　stupid。　But　reflect

upon　this　carefully：　the　purest　catholic　virtue；　with　its　loving

acceptance　of　all　cups；　with　its　pious　submission　to　the　will　of　God；

with　its　belief　in　the　print　of　the　divine　finger　on　the　clay　of　all

earthly　life；　is　the　mysterious　light　which　glides　into　the　innermost

folds　of　human　history；　setting　them　in　relief　and　magnifying　them　in

the　eyes　of　those　who　still　have　Faith。　Besides；　if　there　be

stupidity；　why　not　concern　ourselves　with　the　sorrows　of　stupidity　as

well　as　with　the　sorrows　of　genius？　The　former　is　a　social　element

infinitely　more　abundant　than　the　latter。



So；　then；　Mademoiselle　Cormon　was　guilty　in　the　eyes　of　the　world　of

the　divine　ignorance　of　virgins。　She　was　no　observer；　and　her　behavior

with　her　suitors　proved　it。　At　this　very　moment；　a　young　girl　of

sixteen；　who　had　never　opened　a　novel；　would　have　read　a　hundred

chapters　of　a　love　story　in　the　eyes　of　Athanase　Granson；　where

Mademoiselle　Cormon　saw　absolutely　nothing。　Shy　herself；　she　never

suspected　shyness　in　others；　she　did　not　recognize　in　the　quavering

tones　of　his　speech　the　force　of　a　sentiment　he　could　not　utter。

Capable　of　inventing　those　refinements　of　sentimental　grandeur　which

hindered　her　marriage　in　her　early　years；　she　yet　could　not　recognize

them　in　Athanase。　This　moral　phenomenon　will　not　seem　surprising　to

persons　who　know　that　the　qualities　of　the　heart　are　as　distinct　from

those　of　the　mind　as　the　faculties　of　genius　are　from　the　nobility　of

soul。　A　perfect；　all…rounded　man　is　so　rare　that　Socrates；　one　of　the

noblest　pearls　of　humanity；　declared　（as　a　phrenologist　of　that　day）

that　he　was　born　to　be　a　scamp；　and　a　very　bad　one。　A　great　general

may　save　his　country　at　Zurich；　and　take　commissions　from　purveyors。　A

great　musician　may　conceive　the　sublimest　music　and　commit　a　forgery。

A　woman　of　true　feeling　may　be　a　fool。　In　short；　a　devote　may　have　a

sublime　soul　and　yet　be　unable　to　recognize　the　tones　of　a　noble　soul

beside　her。　The　caprices　produced　by　physical　infirmities　are　equally

to　be　met　with　in　the　mental　and　moral　regions。



This　good　creature；　who　grieved　at　making　her　yearly　preserves　for　no

one　but　her　uncle　and　herself；　was　becoming　almost　ridiculous。　Those

who　felt　a　sympathy　for　her　on　account　of　her　good　qualities；　and

others　on　account　of　her　defects；　now　made　fun　of　her　abortive

marriages。　More　than　one　conversation　was　based　on　what　would　become

of　so　fine　a　property；　together　with　the　old　maid's　savings　and　her

uncle's　inheritance。　For　some　time　past　she　had　been　suspected　of

being　au　fond；　in　spite　of　appearances；　an　〃original。〃　In　the

provinces　it　was　not　permissible　to　be　original：　being　original　means

having　ideas　that　are　not　understood　by　others；　the　provinces　demand

equality　of　mind　as　well　as　equality　of　manners　and　customs。



The　marriage　of　Mademoiselle　Cormon　seemed；　after　1804；　a　thing　so

problematical　that　the　saying　〃married　like　Mademoiselle　Cormon〃

became　proverbial　in　Alencon　as　applied　to　ridiculous　failures。　Surely

the　sarcastic　mood　must　be　an　imperative　need　in　France；　that　so

excellent　a　woman　should　excite　the　laughter　of　Alencon。　Not　only　did

she　receive　the　whole　society　of　the　place　at　her　house；　not　only　was

she　charitable；　pious；　incapable　of　saying　an　unkind　thing；　but　she

was　fully　in　accord　with　the　spirit　of　the　place　and　the　habits　and

customs　of　the　inhabitants；　who　liked　her　as　the　symbol　of　their

lives；　she　was　absolutely　inlaid　into　the　ways　of　the　provinces；　she

had　never　quitted　them；　she　imbibed　all　their　prejudices；　she　espoused

all　their　interests；　she　adored　them。



In　spite　of　her　income　of　eighteen　thousand　francs　from　landed

property；　a　very　considerable　fortune　in　the　provinces；　she　lived　on　a

footing　with　families　who　were　less　rich。　When　she　went　to　her

country…place　at　Prebaudet；　she　drove　there　in　an　old　wicker　carriole；

hung　on　two　straps　of　white　leather；　drawn　by　a　wheezy　mare；　and

scarcely　protected　by　two　leather　curtains　rusty　with　age。　This

carriole；　known　to　all　the　town；　was　cared　for　by　Jacquelin　as　though

it　were　the　finest　coupe　in　all　Paris。　Mademoiselle　valued　it；　she　had

used　it　for　twelve　years；a　fact　to　which　she　called　attention　with

the　triumphant　joy　of　happy　avarice。　Most　of　the　inhabitants　of　the

town　were　grateful　to　Mademoiselle　Cormon　for　not　humiliating　them　by

the　luxury　she　could　have　displayed；　we　may　even　believe　that　had　she

imported　a　caleche　from　Paris　they　would　have　gossiped　more　about　that

than　about　her　various　matrimonial　failures。　The　most　brilliant

equipage　would；　after　all；　have　only　taken　her；　like　the　old　carriole；

to　Prebaudet。　Now　the　provinces；　which　look　solely　to　results；　care

little　about　the　beauty　or　elegance　of　the　means；　provided　they　are

efficient。







CHAPTER　V



AN　OLD　MAID'S　HOUSEHOLD



To　complete　the　picture　of　the　internal　habits　and　ways　of　this　house；

it　is　necessary　to　group　around　Mademoiselle　Cormon　and　the　Abbe　de

Sponde　Jacquelin；　Josette；　and　Mariette；　the　cook；　who　employed

themselves　in　providing　for　the　comfort　of　uncle　and　niece。



Jacquelin；　a　man　of　forty；　short；　fat；　ruddy；　and　brown；　with　a　face

like　a　Breton　sailor；　had　bee