an old maid-第22节

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When　Mademoiselle　Cormon　reached　the　level　of　the　portico　she　looked

about　her　courtyard　with　an　air　of　satisfaction。



〃Come；　come；　Mariette；　leave　that　gate　alone；　I　want　you。〃



〃There's　something　in　the　wind；〃　whispered　Jacquelin；　as　Mariette

passed　the　carriole。



〃Mariette；　what　provisions　have　you　in　the　house？〃　asked　Mademoiselle

Cormon；　sitting　down　on　the　bench　in　the　long　antechamber　like　a

person　overcome　with　fatigue。



〃I　haven't　anything；〃　replied　Mariette；　with　her　hands　on　her　hips。

〃Mademoiselle　knows　very　well　that　during　her　absence　Monsieur　l'abbe

dines　out　every　day。　Yesterday　I　went　to　fetch　him　from　Mademoiselle

Armande's。〃



〃Where　is　he　now？〃



〃Monsieur　l'abbe？　Why；　at　church；　he　won't　be　in　before　three

o'clock。〃



〃He　thinks　of　nothing！　he　ought　to　have　told　you　to　go　to　market。

Mariette；　go　at　once；　and　without　wasting　money；　don't　spare　it；　get

all　there　is　that　is　good　and　delicate。　Go　to　the　diligence　office　and

see　if　you　can　send　for　pates；　and　I　want　shrimps　from　the　Brillante。

What　o'clock　is　it？〃



〃A　quarter　to　nine。〃



〃Good　heavens！　Mariette；　don't　stop　to　chatter。　The　person　my　uncle

expects　may　arrive　at　any　moment。　If　we　had　to　give　him　breakfast；

where　should　we　be　with　nothing　in　the　house？〃



Mariette　turned　back　to　Penelope　in　a　lather；　and　looked　at　Jacquelin

as　if　she　would　say；　〃Mademoiselle　has　put　her　hand　on　a　husband　THIS

time。〃



〃Now；　Josette；〃　continued　the　old　maid；　〃let　us　see　where　we　had

better　put　Monsieur　de　Troisville　to　sleep。〃



With　what　joy　she　said　the　words；　〃Put　Monsieur　de　Troisville〃

（pronounced　Treville）　〃to　sleep。〃　How　many　ideas　in　those　few　words！

The　old　maid　was　bathed　in　hope。



〃Will　you　put　him　in　the　green　chamber？〃



〃The　bishop's　room？　No；　that's　too　near　mine；〃　said　Mademoiselle

Cormon。　〃All　very　well　for　monseigneur；　he's　a　saintly　man。〃



〃Give　him　your　uncle's　room。〃



〃Oh；　that's　so　bare；　it　is　actually　indecent。〃



〃Well；　then；　mademoiselle；　why　not　arrange　a　bed　in　your　boudoir？　It

is　easily　done；　and　there's　a　fire…place。　Moreau　can　certainly　find　in

his　warerooms　a　bed　to　match　the　hangings。〃



〃You　are　right；　Josette。　Go　yourself　to　Moreau；　consult　with　him　what

to　do；　I　authorize　you　to　get　what　is　wanted。　If　the　bed　could　be　put

up　to…night　without　Monsieur　de　Troisville　observing　it　（in　case

Monsieur　de　Troisville　arrives　while　Moreau　is　here）；　I　should　like

it。　If　Moreau　won't　engage　to　do　this；　then　I　must　put　Monsieur　de

Troisville　in　the　green　room；　although　Monsieur　de　Troisville　would　be

so　very　near　to　me。〃



Josette　was　departing　when　her　mistress　recalled　her。



〃Stop！　explain　the　matter　to　Jacquelin；〃　she　cried；　in　a　loud　nervous

tone。　〃Tell　HIM　to　go　to　Moreau；　I　must　be　dressed！　Fancy　if　Monsieur

de　Troisville　surprised　me　as　I　am　now！　and　my　uncle　not　here　to

receive　him！　Oh；　uncle；　uncle！　Come；　Josette；　come　and　dress　me　at

once。〃



〃But　Penelope？〃　said　Josette；　imprudently。



〃Always　Penelope！　Penelope　this；　Penelope　that！　Is　Penelope　the

mistress　of　this　house？〃



〃But　she　is　all　of　a　lather；　and　she　hasn't　had　time　to　eat　her　oats。〃



〃Then　let　her　starve！〃　cried　Mademoiselle　Cormon；　〃provided　I　marry；〃

she　thought　to　herself。



Hearing　these　words；　which　seemed　to　her　like　homicide；　Josette　stood

still　for　a　moment；　speechless。　Then；　at　a　gesture　from　her　mistress；

she　ran　headlong　down　the　steps　of　the　portico。



〃The　devil　is　in　her；　Jacquelin；〃　were　the　first　words　she　uttered。



Thus　all　things　conspired　on　this　fateful　day　to　produce　the　great

scenic　effect　which　decided　the　future　life　of　Mademoiselle　Cormon。

The　town　was　already　topsy…turvy　in　mind；　as　a　consequence　of　the　five

extraordinary　circumstances　which　accompanied　Mademoiselle　Cormon's

return；　to　wit；　the　pouring　rain；　Penelope　at　a　gallop；　in　a　lather；

and　blown；　the　early　hour；　the　parcels　half…packed；　and　the　singular

air　of　the　excited　old　maid。　But　when　Mariette　made　an　invasion　of　the

market；　and　bought　all　the　best　things；　when　Jacquelin　went　to　the

principal　upholsterer　in　Alencon；　two　doors　from　the　church；　in　search

of　a　bed；there　was　matter　for　the　gravest　conjectures。　These

extraordinary　events　were　discussed　on　all　sides；　they　occupied　the

minds　of　every　one；　even　Mademoiselle　Armande　herself；　with　whom　was

Monsieur　de　Valois。　Within　two　days　the　town　of　Alencon　had　been

agitated　by　such　startling　events　that　certain　good　women　were　heard

to　remark　that　the　world　was　coming　to　an　end。　This　last　news；

however；　resolved　itself　into　a　single　question；　〃What　is　happening　at

the　Cormons？〃



The　Abbe　de　Sponde；　adroitly　questioned　when　he　left　Saint…Leonard's

to　take　his　daily　walk　with　the　Abbe　Couturier；　replied　with　his　usual

kindliness　that　he　expected　the　Vicomte　de　Troisville；　a　nobleman　in

the　service　of　Russia　during　the　Emigration；　who　was　returning　to

Alencon　to　settle　there。　From　two　to　five　o'clock　a　species　of　labial

telegraphy　went　on　throughout　the　town；　and　all　the　inhabitants

learned　that　Mademoiselle　Cormon　had　at　last　found　a　husband　by

letter；　and　was　about　to　marry　the　Vicomte　de　Troisville。　Some　said；

〃Moreau　has　sold　them　a　bed。〃　The　bed　was　six　feet　wide　in　that

quarter；　it　was　four　feet　wide　at　Madame　Granson's；　in　the　rue　du

Bercail；　but　it　was　reduced　to　a　simple　couch　at　Monsieur　du

Ronceret's；　where　du　Bousquier　was　dining。　The　lesser　bourgeoisie

declared　that　the　cost　was　eleven　hundred　francs。　But　generally　it　was

thought　that；　as　to　this；　rumor　was　counting　the　chickens　before　they

were　hatched。　In　other　quarters　it　was　said　that　Mariette　had　made

such　a　raid　on　the　market　that　the　price　of　carp　had　risen。　At　the　end

of　the　rue　Saint…Blaise；　Penelope　had　dropped　dead。　This　decease　was

doubted　in　the　house　of　the　receiver…general；　but　at　the　Prefecture　it

was　authenticated　that　the　poor　beast　had　expired　as　she　turned　into

the　courtyard　of　the　hotel　Cormon；　with　such　velocity　had　the　old　maid

flown　to　meet　her　husband。　The　harness…maker；　who　lived　at　the　corner

of　the　rue　de　Seez；　was　bold　enough　to　call　at　the　house　and　ask　if

anything　had　happened　to　Mademoiselle　Cormon's　carriage；　in　order　to

discover　whether　Penelope　was　really　dead。　From　the　end　of　the　rue

Saint…Blaise　to　the　end　of　the　rue　du　Bercail；　it　was　then　made　known

that；　thanks　to　Jacquelin's　devotion；　Penelope；　that　silent　victim　of

her　mistress's　impetuosity；　still　lived；　though　she　seemed　to　be

suffering。



Along　the　road　to　Brittany　the　Vicomte　de　Troisville　was　stated　to　be

a　younger　son　without　a　penny；　for　the　estates　in　Perche　belonged　to

the　Marquis　de　Troisville；　peer　of　France；　who　had　children；　the

marriage　would　be；　therefore；　an　enormous　piece　of　luck　for　a　poor

emigre。　The　aristocracy　along　that　road　approved　of　the　marriage；

Mademoiselle　Cormon　could　not　do　better　with　her　money。　But　among　the

Bourgeoisie；　the　Vicomte　de　Troisville　was　a　Russian　general　who　had

fought　against　France；　and　was　now　returning　with　a　great　fortune　made

at　the　court　of　Saint…Petersburg；　he　was　a　FOREIGNER；　one　of　those

ALLIES　so　hated　by　the　liberals；　the　Abbe　de　Sponde　had　slyly

negotiated　this　marriage。　All　the　persons　who　had　a　right　to　call　upon

Mademoiselle　Cormon　determined　to　do　so　that　very　evening。



During　this　transurban　excitement；　which　made　that　of　Suzanne　almost　a

forgotten　affair；　Mademoiselle　was　not　less　agitated；　she　was　filled

with　a　variety　of　novel　emotions。　Looking　about　her　salon；　dining…

room；　and　boudoir；　cruel　apprehensions　took　possession　of　her。　A

species　of　demon　showed　her　with　a　sneer　her　old…fashioned　luxury。　The

handsome　things　she　had　admired　from　her　youth　up　she　suddenly

suspected　of　age　and　absurdity。　In　short；　she　felt　that　fear　which

takes　possession　of　nearly　all　authors　when　they　read　over　a　work　they

have　hitherto　thought　proof　against　every　exacting　or　blase　critic：

new　situations　seem　timeworn；　the　best…turned　and　most　highly　polished

phrases　limp　and　squint；　metaphors　and　images　grin　or　contradict　each

other；　whatsoever　is　false　strikes　the　eye。　In　like　manner　this　poor

woman　trembled　lest　she　should　see　on　the　lips　of　Monsieur　de

Troisville　a　smile　of　contempt　for　this　episcopal　salon；　she　dreaded

the　cold　look　he　might　cast　over　that　ancient　dining…room；　in　short；

she　feared　the　frame　might　injure　and　age　the　portrait。　Suppose　these

antiquities　should　cast　a　reflected　light　of　old　age　upon　herself？

This　question　made　her　flesh　creep。　She　would　gladly；　at　that　moment；

spend　half　her　savings　on　refitting　her　house　if　some　fairy　wand　could

do　it　in　a　moment。　Where　is　the　general　who　has　not　trembled　on　the

eve　of　a　battle？　The　poor　woman　was　now　between　her　Austerlitz　and　her

Waterloo。



〃Madame　la　Vicomtesse　de　Troisville；〃　she　said　to　herself；　〃a　noble

name！　Our　property　will　go　to　a　good　family；　at　any　rate。〃



She　fell　a　p