an old maid-第32节

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headlong　into　marriage　without　succeeding　in　being　married；　made

everybody　laugh　at　her；　but　when　they　learned　the　exceptional　position

in　which　the　sternness　of　her　religious　principles　placed　her；　all　the

world　admired　her。　〃That　poor　Madame　du　Bousquier〃　took　the　place　of

〃That　good　Mademoiselle　Cormon。〃



Thus　the　chevalier　contrived　to　render　du　Bousquier　both　ridiculous

and　odious　for　a　time；　but　ridicule　ends　by　weakening；　when　all　had

said　their　say　about　him；　the　gossip　died　out。　Besides；　at　fifty…seven

years　of　age　the　dumb　republican　seemed　to　many　people　to　have　a　right

to　retire。　This　affair；　however；　envenomed　the　hatred　which　du

Bousquier　already　bore　to　the　house　of　Esgrignon　to　such　a　degree　that

it　made　him　pitiless　when　the　day　of　vengeance　came。　＇See　〃The　Gallery

of　Antiquities。〃＇　Madame　du　Bousquier　received　orders　never　again　to

set　foot　into　that　house。　By　way　of　reprisals　upon　the　chevalier　for

the　trick　thus　played　him；　du　Bousquier；　who　had　just　created　the

journal　called　the　〃Courrier　de　l'Orne；〃　caused　the　following　notice

to　be　inserted　in　it：



　　〃Bonds　to　the　amount　of　one　thousand　francs　a　year　will　be　paid　to

　　any　person　who　can　prove　the　existence　of　one　Monsieur　de

　　Pombreton　before；　during；　or　after　the　Emigration。〃



Although　her　marriage　was　essentially　negative；　Madame　du　Bousquier

saw　some　advantages　in　it：　was　it　not　better　to　interest　herself　in

the　most　remarkable　man　in　the　town　than　to　live　alone？　Du　Bousquier

was　preferable　to　a　dog；　or　cat；　or　those　canaries　that　spinsters

love。　He　showed　for　his　wife　a　sentiment　more　real　and　less　selfish

than　that　which　is　felt　by　servants；　confessors；　and　hopeful　heirs。

Later　in　life　she　came　to　consider　her　husband　as　the　instrument　of

divine　wrath；　for　she　then　saw　innumerable　sins　in　her　former　desires

for　marriage；　she　regarded　herself　as　justly　punished　for　the　sorrow

she　had　brought　on　Madame　Granson；　and　for　the　hastened　death　of　her

uncle。　Obedient　to　that　religion　which　commands　us　to　kiss　the　rod

with　which　the　punishment　is　inflicted；　she　praised　her　husband；　and

publicly　approved　him。　But　in　the　confessional；　or　at　night；　when

praying；　she　wept　often；　imploring　God's　forgiveness　for　the　apostasy

of　the　man　who　thought　the　contrary　of　what　he　professed；　and　who

desired　the　destruction　of　the　aristocracy　and　the　Church；the　two

religions　of　the　house　of　Cormon。



With　all　her　feelings　bruised　and　immolated　within　her；　compelled　by

duty　to　make　her　husband　happy；　attached　to　him　by　a　certain

indefinable　affection；　born；　perhaps；　of　habit；　her　life　became　one

perpetual　contradiction。　She　had　married　a　man　whose　conduct　and

opinions　she　hated；　but　whom　she　was　bound　to　care　for　with　dutiful

tenderness。　Often　she　walked　with　the　angels　when　du　Bousquier　ate　her

preserves　or　thought　the　dinner　good。　She　watched　to　see　that　his

slightest　wish　was　satisfied。　If　he　tore　off　the　cover　of　his

newspaper　and　left　it　on　a　table；　instead　of　throwing　it　away；　she

would　say：



〃Rene；　leave　that　where　it　is；　monsieur　did　not　place　it　there　without

intention。〃



If　du　Bousquier　had　a　journey　to　take；　she　was　anxious　about　his

trunk；　his　linen；　she　took　the　most　minute　precautions　for　his

material　benefit。　If　he　went　to　Prebaudet；　she　consulted　the　barometer

the　evening　before　to　know　if　the　weather　would　be　fine。　She　watched

for　his　will　in　his　eyes；　like　a　dog　which　hears　and　sees　its　master

while　sleeping。　When　the　stout　du　Bousquier；　touched　by　this

scrupulous　love；　would　take　her　round　the　waist　and　kiss　her　forehead；

saying；　〃What　a　good　woman　you　are！〃　tears　of　pleasure　would　come　into

the　eyes　of　the　poor　creature。　It　is　probably　that　du　Bousquier　felt

himself　obliged　to　make　certain　concessions　which　obtained　for　him　the

respect　of　Rose…Marie…Victoire；　for　Catholic　virtue　does　not　require　a

dissimulation　as　complete　as　that　of　Madame　du　Bousquier。　Often　the

good　saint　sat　mutely　by　and　listened　to　the　hatred　of　men　who

concealed　themselves　under　the　cloak　of　constitutional　royalists。　She

shuddered　as　she　foresaw　the　ruin　of　the　Church。　Occasionally　she

risked　a　stupid　word；　an　observation　which　du　Bousquier　cut　short　with

a　glance。



The　worries　of　such　an　existence　ended　by　stupefying　Madame　du

Bousquier；　who　found　it　easier　and　also　more　dignified　to　concentrate

her　intelligence　on　her　own　thoughts　and　resign　herself　to　lead　a　life

that　was　purely　animal。　She　then　adopted　the　submission　of　a　slave；

and　regarded　it　as　a　meritorious　deed　to　accept　the　degradation　in

which　her　husband　placed　her。　The　fulfilment　of　his　will　never　once

caused　her　to　murmur。　The　timid　sheep　went　henceforth　in　the　way　the

shepherd　led　her；　she　gave　herself　up　to　the　severest　religious

practices；　and　thought　no　more　of　Satan　and　his　works　and　vanities。

Thus　she　presented　to　the　eyes　of　the　world　a　union　of　all　Christian

virtues；　and　du　Bousquier　was　certainly　one　of　the　luckiest　men　in　the

kingdom　of　France　and　of　Navarre。



〃She　will　be　a　simpleton　to　her　last　breath；〃　said　the　former

collector；　who；　however；　dined　with　her　twice　a　week。



This　history　would　be　strangely　incomplete　if　no　mention　were　made　of

the　coincidence　of　the　Chevalier　de　Valois's　death　occurring　at　the

same　time　as　that　of　Suzanne's　mother。　The　chevalier　died　with　the

monarchy；　in　August；　1830。　He　had　joined　the　cortege　of　Charles　X。　at

Nonancourt；　and　piously　escorted　it　to　Cherbourg　with　the　Troisvilles；

Casterans；　d'Esgrignons；　Verneuils；　etc。　The　old　gentleman　had　taken

with　him　fifty　thousand　francs；the　sum　to　which　his　savings　then

amounted。　He　offered　them　to　one　of　the　faithful　friends　of　the　king

for　transmission　to　his　master；　speaking　of　his　approaching　death；　and

declaring　that　the　money　came　originally　from　the　goodness　of　the

king；　and；　moreover；　that　the　property　of　the　last　of　the　Valois

belonged　of　right　to　the　crown。　It　is　not　known　whether　the　fervor　of

his　zeal　conquered　the　reluctance　of　the　Bourbon；　who　abandoned　his

fine　kingdom　of　France　without　carrying　away　with　him　a　farthing；　and

who　ought　to　have　been　touched　by　the　devotion　of　the　chevalier。　It　is

certain；　however；　that　Cesarine；　the　residuary　legate　of　the　old　man；

received　from　his　estate　only　six　hundred　francs　a　year。　The　chevalier

returned　to　Alencon；　cruelly　weakened　by　grief　and　by　fatigue；　he　died

on　the　very　day　when　Charles　X。　arrived　on　a　foreign　shore。



Madame　du　Val…Noble　and　her　protector；　who　was　just　then　afraid　of　the

vengeance　of　the　liberal　party；　were　glad　of　a　pretext　to　remain

incognito　in　the　village　where　Suzanne's　mother　died。　At　the　sale　of

the　chevalier's　effects；　which　took　place　at　that　time；　Suzanne；

anxious　to　obtain　a　souvenir　of　her　first　and　last　friend；　pushed　up

the　price　of　the　famous　snuff…box；　which　was　finally　knocked　down　to

her　for　a　thousand　francs。　The　portrait　of　the　Princess　Goritza　was

alone　worth　that　sum。　Two　years　later；　a　young　dandy；　who　was　making　a

collection　of　the　fine　snuff…boxes　of　the　last　century；　obtained　from

Madame　du　Val…Noble　the　chevalier's　treasure。　The　charming　confidant

of　many　a　love　and　the　pleasure　of　an　old　age　is　now　on　exhibition　in

a　species　of　private　museum。　If　the　dead　could　know　what　happens　after

them；　the　chevalier's　head　would　surely　blush　upon　its　left　cheek。



If　this　history　has　no　other　effect　than　to　inspire　the　possessors　of

precious　relics　with　holy　fear；　and　induce　them　to　make　codicils　to

secure　these　touching　souvenirs　of　joys　that　are　no　more　by

bequeathing　them　to　loving　hands；　it　will　have　done　an　immense　service

to　the　chivalrous　and　romantic　portion　of　the　community；　but　it　does；

in　truth；　contain　a　far　higher　moral。　Does　it　not　show　the　necessity

for　a　new　species　of　education？　Does　it　not　invoke；　from　the

enlightened　solicitude　of　the　ministers　of　Public　Instruction；　the

creation　of　chairs　of　anthropology；a　science　in　which　Germany

outstrips　us？　Modern　myths　are　even　less　understood　than　ancient　ones；

harried　as　we　are　with　myths。　Myths　are　pressing　us　from　every　point；

they　serve　all　theories；　they　explain　all　questions。　They　are；

according　to　human　ideas；　the　torches　of　history；　they　would　save

empires　from　revolution　if　only　the　professors　of　history　would　force

the　explanations　they　give　into　the　mind　of　the　provincial　masses。　If

Mademoiselle　Cormon　had　been　a　reader　or　a　student；　and　if　there　had

existed　in　the　department　of　the　Orne　a　professor　of　anthropology；　or

even　had　she　read　Ariosto；　the　frightful　disasters　of　her　conjugal

life　would　never　have　occurred。　She　would　probably　have　known　why　the

Italian　poet　makes　Angelica　prefer　Medoro；　who　was　a　blond　Chevalier

de　Valois；　to　Orlando；　whose　mare　was　dead；　and　who　knew　no　better

than　to　fly　into　a　passion。　Is　not　Medoro　the　mythic　form　for　all

courtiers　of　feminine　royalty；　and　Orlando　the　myth　of　disorderly；

furious；　and　impotent　revolutions；　wh