an old maid-第4节

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households；　and　day　after　day　these　girls　would　tell　him　the　cancans

which　were　going　the　round　of　Alencon。　He　called　them　his　〃petticoat

gazettes；〃　his　〃talking　feuilletons。〃　Never　did　Monsieur　de　Sartines

have　spies　more　intelligent　and　less　expensive；　or　minions　who　showed

more　honor　while　displaying　their　rascality　of　mind。　So　it　may　be　said

that　in　the　mornings；　while　breakfasting；　the　chevalier　usually　amused

himself　as　much　as　the　saints　in　heaven。



Suzanne　was　one　of　his　favorites；　a　clever；　ambitious　girl；　made　of

the　stuff　of　a　Sophie　Arnold；　and　handsome　withal；　as　the　handsomest

courtesan　invited　by　Titian　to　pose　on　black　velvet　for　a　model　of

Venus；　although　her　face；　fine　about　the　eyes　and　forehead；

degenerated；　lower　down；　into　commonness　of　outline。　Hers　was　a　Norman

beauty；　fresh；　high…colored；　redundant；　the　flesh　of　Rubens　covering

the　muscles　of　the　Farnese　Hercules；　and　not　the　slender　articulations

of　the　Venus　de'　Medici；　Apollo's　graceful　consort。



〃Well；　my　child；　tell　me　your　great　or　your　little　adventure；　whatever

it　is。〃



The　particular　point　about　the　chevalier　which　would　have　made　him

noticeable　from　Paris　to　Pekin；　was　the　gentle　paternity　of　his　manner

to　grisettes。　They　reminded　him　of　the　illustrious　operatic　queens　of

his　early　days；　whose　celebrity　was　European　during　a　good　third　of

the　eighteenth　century。　It　is　certain　that　the　old　gentleman；　who　had

lived　in　days　gone　by　with　that　feminine　nation　now　as　much　forgotten

as　many　other　great　things；like　the　Jesuits；　the　Buccaneers；　the

Abbes；　and　the　Farmers…General；had　acquired　an　irresistible　good…

humor；　a　kindly　ease；　a　laisser…aller　devoid　of　egotism；　the　self…

effacement　of　Jupiter　with　Alcmene；　of　the　king　intending　to　be　duped；

who　casts　his　thunderbolts　to　the　devil；　wants　his　Olympus　full　of

follies；　little　suppers；　feminine　profusionsbut　with　Juno　out　of　the

way；　be　it　understood。



In　spite　of　his　old　green　damask　dressing…gown　and　the　bareness　of　the

room　in　which　he　sat；　where　the　floor　was　covered　with　a　shabby

tapestry　in　place　of　carpet；　and　the　walls　were　hung　with　tavern…paper

presenting　the　profiles　of　Louis　XVI。　and　members　of　his　family；

traced　among　the　branches　of　a　weeping　willow　with　other


sentimentalities　invented　by　royalism　during　the　Terror；in　spite　of

his　ruins；　the　chevalier；　trimming　his　beard　before　a　shabby　old

toilet…table；　draped　with　trumpery　lace；　exhaled　an　essence　of　the

eighteenth　century。　All　the　libertine　graces　of　his　youth　reappeared；

he　seemed　to　have　the　wealth　of　three　hundred　thousand　francs　of　debt；

while　his　vis…a…vis　waited　before　the　door。　He　was　grand；like

Berthier　on　the　retreat　from　Moscow；　issuing　orders　to　an　army　that

existed　no　longer。



〃Monsieur　le　chevalier；〃　replied　Suzanne；　drolly；　〃seems　to　me　I

needn't　tell　you　anything；　you've　only　to　look。〃



And　Suzanne　presented　a　side　view　of　herself　which　gave　a　sort　of

lawyer's　comment　to　her　words。　The　chevalier；　who；　you　must　know；　was

a　sly　old　bird；　lowered　his　right　eye　on　the　grisette；　still　holding

the　razor　at　his　throat；　and　pretended　to　understand。



〃Well；　well；　my　little　duck；　we'll　talk　about　that　presently。　But　you

are　rather　previous；　it　seems　to　me。〃



〃Why；　Monsieur　le　chevalier；　ought　I　to　wait　until　my　mother　beats　me

and　Madame　Lardot　turns　me　off？　If　I　don't　get　away　soon　to　Paris；　I

shall　never　be　able　to　marry　here；　where　men　are　so　ridiculous。〃



〃It　can't　be　helped；　my　dear；　society　is　changing；　women　are　just　as

much　victims　to　the　present　state　of　things　as　the　nobility

themselves。　After　political　overturn　comes　the　overturn　of　morals。

Alas！　before　long　woman　won't　exist〃　（he　took　out　the　cotton…wool　to

arrange　his　ears）：　〃she'll　lose　everything　by　rushing　into　sentiment；

she'll　wring　her　nerves；　good…bye　to　all　the　good　little　pleasures　of

our　time；　desired　without　shame；　accepted　without　nonsense。〃　（He

polished　up　the　little　negroes'　heads。）　〃Women　had　hysterics　in　those

days　to　get　their　ends；　but　now〃　（he　began　to　laugh）　〃their　vapors　end

in　charcoal。　In　short；　marriage〃　（here　he　picked　up　his　pincers　to

remove　a　hair）　〃will　become　a　thing　intolerable；　whereas　it　used　to　be

so　gay　in　my　day！　The　reigns　of　Louis　XIV。　and　Louis　XV。remember

this；　my　childsaid　farewell　to　the　finest　manners　and　morals　ever

known　to　the　world。〃



〃But；　Monsieur　le　chevalier；〃　said　the　grisette；　〃the　matter　now

concerns　the　morals　and　honor　of　your　poor　little　Suzanne；　and　I　hope

you　won't　abandon　her。〃



〃Abandon　her！〃　cried　the　chevalier；　finishing　his　hair；　〃I'd　sooner

abandon　my　own　name。〃



〃Ah！〃　exclaimed　Suzanne。



〃Now；　listen　to　me；　you　little　mischief；〃　said　the　chevalier；　sitting

down　on　a　huge　sofa；　formerly　called　a　duchesse；　which　Madame　Lardot

had　been　at　some　pains　to　find　for　him。



He　drew　the　magnificent　Suzanne　before　him；　holding　her　legs　between

his　knees。　She　let　him　do　as　he　liked；　although　in　the　street　she　was

offish　enough　to　other　men；　refusing　their　familiarities　partly　from

decorum　and　partly　for　contempt　for　their　commonness。　She　now　stood

audaciously　in　front　of　the　chevalier；　who；　having　fathomed　in　his　day

many　other　mysteries　in　minds　that　were　far　more　wily；　took　in　the

situation　at　a　single　glance。　He　knew　very　well　that　no　young　girl

would　joke　about　a　real　dishonor；　but　he　took　good　care　not　to　knock

over　the　pretty　scaffolding　of　her　lie　as　he　touched　it。



〃We　slander　ourselves；〃　he　said　with　inimitable　craft；　〃we　are　as

virtuous　as　that　beautiful　biblical　girl　whose　name　we　bear；　we　can

always　marry　as　we　please；　but　we　are　thirsty　for　Paris；　where

charming　creaturesand　we　are　no　foolget　rich　without　trouble。　We

want　to　go　and　see　if　the　great　capital　of　pleasures　hasn't　some　young

Chevalier　de　Valois　in　store　for　us；　with　a　carriage；　diamonds；　an

opera…box；　and　so　forth。　Russians；　Austrians；　Britons；　have　millions

on　which　we　have　an　eye。　Besides；　we　are　patriotic；　we　want　to　help

France　in　getting　back　her　money　from　the　pockets　of　those　gentry。

Hey！　hey！　my　dear　little　devil's　duck！　it　isn't　a　bad　plan。　The　world

you　live　in　may　cry　out　a　bit；　but　success　justifies　all　things。　The

worst　thing　in　this　world；　my　dear；　is　to　be　without　money；　that's　our

disease；　yours　and　mine。　Now　inasmuch　as　we　have　plenty　of　wit；　we

thought　it　would　be　a　good　thing　to　parade　our　dear　little　honor；　or

dishonor；　to　catch　an　old　boy；　but　that　old　boy；　my　dear　heart；　knows

the　Alpha　and　Omega　of　female　tricks；which　means　that　you　could

easier　put　salt　on　a　sparrow's　tail　than　to　make　me　believe　I　have

anything　to　do　with　your　little　affair。　Go　to　Paris；　my　dear；　go　at

the　cost　of　an　old　celibate；　I　won't　prevent　it；　in　fact；　I'll　help

you；　for　an　old　bachelor；　Suzanne；　is　the　natural　money…box　of　a　young

girl。　But　don't　drag　me　into　the　matter。　Listen；　my　queen；　you　who

know　life　pretty　well；　you　would　me　great　harm　and　give　me　much　pain；

harm；　because　you　would　prevent　my　marriage　in　a　town　where　people

cling　to　morality；　pain；　because　if　you　are　in　trouble　（which　I　deny；

you　sly　puss！）　I　haven't　a　penny　to　get　you　out　of　it。　I'm　as　poor　as

a　church　mouse；　you　know　that；　my　dear。　Ah！　if　I　marry　Mademoiselle

Cormon；　if　I　am　once　more　rich；　of　course　I　would　prefer　you　to

Cesarine。　You've　always　seemed　to　me　as　fine　as　the　gold　they　gild　on

lead；　you　were　made　to　be　the　love　of　a　great　seigneur。　I　think　you　so

clever　that　the　trick　you　are　trying　to　play　off　on　me　doesn't

surprise　me　one　bit；　I　expected　it。　You　are　flinging　the　scabbard

after　the　sword；　and　that's　daring　for　a　girl。　It　takes　nerve　and

superior　ideas　to　do　it；　my　angel；　and　therefore　you　have　won　my

respectful　esteem。〃



〃Monsieur　le　chevalier；　I　assure　you；　you　are　mistaken；　and〃



She　colored；　and　did　not　dare　to　say　more。　The　chevalier；　with　a

single　glance；　had　guessed　and　fathomed　her　whole　plan。



〃Yes；　yes！　I　understand：　you　want　me　to　believe　it；〃　he　said。　〃Well！　I

do　believe　it。　But　take　my　advice：　go　to　Monsieur　du　Bousquier。

Haven't　you　taken　linen　there　for　the　last　six　or　eight　months？　I'm

not　asking　what　went　on　between　you；　but　I　know　the　man：　he　has

immense　conceit；　he　is　an　old　bachelor；　and　very　rich；　and　he　only

spends　a　quarter　of　a　comfortable　income。　If　you　are　as　clever　as　I

suppose；　you　can　go　to　Paris　at　his　expense。　There；　run　along；　my

little　doe；　go　and　twist　him　round　your　finger。　Only；　mind　this：　be　as

supple　as　silk；　at　every　word　take　a　double　turn　round　him　and　make　a

knot。　He　is　a　man　to　fear　scandal；　and　if　he　has　given　you　a　chance　to

put　him　in　the　pilloryin　short；　understand；　threaten　him　with　the

ladies　of　the　Maternity　Hospital。　Besides；　he's　ambitious。　A　man

succeeds　through　his　wife；　and　you　are　handsome　and　clever　enough　to

make　the　fortune　of　a　husband。　Hey！　the　mischief！　you　could　hold　your

own　against　all　the　court　ladies。〃



Suzanne；　whose　mind　took　i