an old maid-第8节

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face；　the　curve　of　his　lips；　a　prominent　chin；　the　fine　modelling　of

his　forehead；　his　melancholy　countenance；　caused　by　a　sense　of　his

poverty　warring　with　the　powers　that　he　felt　within　him；　were　all

indications　of　repressed　and　imprisoned　talent。　In　any　other　place

than　the　town　of　Alencon　the　mere　aspect　of　his　person　would　have　won

him　the　assistance　of　superior　men；　or　of　women　who　are　able　to

recognize　genius　in　obscurity。　If　his　was　not　genius；　it　was　at　any

rate　the　form　and　aspect　of　it；　if　he　had　not　the　actual　force　of　a

great　heart；　the　glow　of　such　a　heart　was　in　his　glance。　Although　he

was　capable　of　expressing　the　highest　feeling；　a　casing　of　timidity

destroyed　all　the　graces　of　his　youth；　just　as　the　ice　of　poverty　kept

him　from　daring　to　put　forth　all　his　powers。　Provincial　life；　without

an　opening；　without　appreciation；　without　encouragement；　described　a

circle　about　him　in　which　languished　and　died　the　power　of　thought；a

power　which　as　yet　had　scarcely　reached　its　dawn。　Moreover；　Athanase

possessed　that　savage　pride　which　poverty　intensifies　in　noble　minds；

exalting　them　in　their　struggle　with　men　and　things；　although　at　their

start　in　life　it　is　an　obstacle　to　their　advancement。　Genius　proceeds

in　two　ways：　either　it　takes　its　opportunitylike　Napoleon；　like

Molierethe　moment　that　it　sees　it；　or　it　waits　to　be　sought　when　it

has　patiently　revealed　itself。　Young　Granson　belonged　to　that　class　of

men　of　talent　who　distrust　themselves　and　are　easily　discouraged。　His

soul　was　contemplative。　He　lived　more　by　thought　than　by　action。

Perhaps　he　might　have　seemed　deficient　or　incomplete　to　those　who

cannot　conceive　of　genius　without　the　sparkle　of　French　passion；　but

he　was　powerful　in　the　world　of　mind；　and　he　was　liable　to　reach；

through　a　series　of　emotions　imperceptible　to　common　souls；　those

sudden　determinations　which　make　fools　say　of　a　man；　〃He　is　mad。〃



The　contempt　which　the　world　pours　out　on　poverty　was　death　to

Athanase；　the　enervating　heat　of　solitude；　without　a　breath　or　current

of　air；　relaxed　the　bow　which　ever　strove　to　tighten　itself；　his　soul

grew　weary　in　this　painful　effort　without　results。　Athanase　was　a　man

who　might　have　taken　his　place　among　the　glories　of　France；　but；　eagle

as　he　was；　cooped　in　a　cage　without　his　proper　nourishment；　he　was

about　to　die　of　hunger　after　contemplating　with　an　ardent　eye　the

fields　of　air　and　the　mountain　heights　where　genius　soars。　His　work　in

the　city　library　escaped　attention；　and　he　buried　in　his　soul　his

thoughts　of　fame；　fearing　that　they　might　injure　him；　but　deeper　than

all　lay　buried　within　him　the　secret　of　his　heart；a　passion　which

hollowed　his　cheeks　and　yellowed　his　brow。　He　loved　his　distant

cousin；　this　very　Mademoiselle　Cormon　whom　the　Chevalier　de　Valois　and

du　Bousquier；　his　hidden　rivals；　were　stalking。　This　love　had　had　its

origin　in　calculation。　Mademoiselle　Cormon　was　thought　to　be　one　of

the　richest　persons　in　the　town：　the　poor　lad　had　therefore　been　led

to　love　her　by　desires　for　material　happiness；　by　the　hope；　long

indulged；　of　gilding　with　comfort　his　mother's　last　years；　by　eager

longing　for　the　ease　of　life　so　needful　to　men　who　live　by　thought；

but　this　most　innocent　point　of　departure　degraded　his　passion　in　his

own　eyes。　Moreover；　he　feared　the　ridicule　the　world　would　cast　upon

the　love　of　a　young　man　of　twenty…three　for　an　old　maid　of　forty。



And　yet　his　passion　was　real；　whatever　may　seem　false　about　such　a

love　elsewhere；　it　can　be　realized　as　a　fact　in　the　provinces；　where；

manners　and　morals　being　without　change　or　chance　or　movement　or

mystery；　marriage　becomes　a　necessity　of　life。　No　family　will　accept　a

young　man　of　dissolute　habits。　However　natural　the　liaison　of　a　young

man；　like　Athanase；　with　a　handsome　girl；　like　Suzanne；　for　instance；

might　seem　in　a　capital；　it　alarms　provincial　parents；　and　destroys

the　hopes　of　marriage　of　a　poor　young　man　when　possibly　the　fortune　of

a　rich　one　might　cause　such　an　unfortunate　antecedent　to　be

overlooked。　Between　the　depravity　of　certain　liaisons　and　a　sincere

love；　a　man　of　honor　and　no　fortune　will　not　hesitate：　he　prefers　the

misfortunes　of　virtue　to　the　evils　of　vice。　But　in　the　provinces　women

with　whom　a　young　man　call　fall　in　love　are　rare。　A　rich　young　girl　he

cannot　obtain　in　a　region　where　all　is　calculation；　a　poor　young　girl

he　is　prevented　from　loving；　it　would　be；　as　provincials　say；　marrying

hunger　and　thirst。　Such　monkish　solitude　is；　however；　dangerous　to

youth。



These　reflections　explain　why　provincial　life　is　so　firmly　based　on

marriage。　Thus　we　find　that　ardent　and　vigorous　genius；　forced　to　rely

on　the　independence　of　its　own　poverty；　quits　these　cold　regions　where

thought　is　persecuted　by　brutal　indifference；　where　no　woman　is

willing　to　be　a　sister　of　charity　to　a　man　of　talent；　of　art；　of

science。



Who　will　really　understand　Athanase　Granson's　love　for　Mademoiselle

Cormon？　Certainly　neither　rich　menthose　sultans　of　society　who　fill

their　haremsnor　middle…class　men；　who　follow　the　well…beaten　high…

road　of　prejudices；　nor　women　who；　not　choosing　to　understand　the

passions　of　artists；　impose　the　yoke　of　their　virtues　upon　men　of

genius；　imagining　that　the　two　sexes　are　governed　by　the　same　laws。



Here；　perhaps；　we　should　appeal　to　those　young　men　who　suffer　from　the

repression　of　their　first　desires　at　the　moment　when　all　their　forces

are　developing；　to　artists　sick　of　their　own　genius　smothering　under

the　pressure　of　poverty；　to　men　of　talent；　persecuted　and　without

influence；　often　without　friends　at　the　start；　who　have　ended　by

triumphing　over　that　double　anguish；　equally　agonizing；　of　soul　and

body。　Such　men　will　well　understand　the　lancinating　pains　of　the

cancer　which　was　now　consuming　Athanase；　they　have　gone　through　those

long　and　bitter　deliberations　made　in　presence　of　some　grandiose

purpose　they　had　not　the　means　to　carry　out；　they　have　endured　those

secret　miscarriages　in　which　the　fructifying　seed　of　genius　falls　on

arid　soil。　Such　men　know　that　the　grandeur　of　desires　is　in　proportion

to　the　height　and　breadth　of　the　imagination。　The　higher　they　spring；

the　lower　they　fall；　and　how　can　it　be　that　ties　and　bonds　should　not

be　broken　by　such　a　fall？　Their　piercing　eye　has　seenas　did　Athanase

the　brilliant　future　which　awaited　them；　and　from　which　they　fancied

that　only　a　thin　gauze　parted　them；　but　that　gauze　through　which　their

eyes　could　see　is　changed　by　Society　into　a　wall　of　iron。　Impelled　by

a　vocation；　by　a　sentiment　of　art；　they　endeavor　again　and　again　to

live　by　sentiments　which　society　as　incessantly　materializes。　Alas！

the　provinces　calculate　and　arrange　marriage　with　the　one　view　of

material　comfort；　and　a　poor　artist　or　man　of　science　is　forbidden　to

double　its　purpose　and　make　it　the　saviour　of　his　genius　by　securing

to　him　the　means　of　subsistence！



Moved　by　such　ideas；　Athanase　Granson　first　thought　of　marriage　with

Mademoiselle　Cormon　as　a　means　of　obtaining　a　livelihood　which　would

be　permanent。　Thence　he　could　rise　to　fame；　and　make　his　mother　happy；

knowing　at　the　same　time　that　he　was　capable　of　faithfully　loving　his

wife。　But　soon　his　own　will　created；　although　he　did　not　know　it；　a

genuine　passion。　He　began　to　study　the　old　maid；　and；　by　dint　of　the

charm　which　habit　gives；　he　ended　by　seeing　only　her　beauties　and

ignoring　her　defects。



In　a　young　man　of　twenty…three　the　senses　count　for　much　in　love；

their　fire　produces　a　sort　of　prism　between　his　eyes　and　the　woman。

From　this　point　of　view　the　clasp　with　which　Beaumarchis'　Cherubin

seizes　Marceline　is　a　stroke　of　genius。　But　when　we　reflect　that　in

the　utter　isolation　to　which　poverty　condemned　poor　Athanase；

Mademoiselle　Cormon　was　the　only　figure　presented　to　his　gaze；　that

she　attracted　his　eye　incessantly；　that　all　the　light　he　had　was

concentrated　on　her；　surely　his　love　may　be　considered　natural。



This　sentiment；　so　carefully　hidden；　increased　from　day　to　day。

Desires；　sufferings；　hopes；　and　meditations　swelled　in　quietness　and

silence　the　lake　widening　ever　in　the　young　man's　breast；　as　hour　by

hour　added　its　drop　of　water　to　the　volume。　And　the　wider　this　inward

circle；　drawn　by　the　imagination；　aided　by　the　senses；　grew；　the　more

imposing　Mademoiselle　Cormon　appeared　to　Athanase；　and　the　more　his

own　timidity　increased。



The　mother　had　divined　the　truth。　Like　all　provincial　mothers；　she

calculated　candidly　in　her　own　mind　the　advantages　of　the　match。　She

told　herself　that　Mademoiselle　Cormon　would　be　very　lucky　to　secure　a

husband　in　a　young　man　of　twenty…three；　full　of　talent；　who　would

always　be　an　honor　to　his　family　and　the　neighborhood；　at　the　same

time　the　obstacles　which　her　son's　want　of　fortune　and　Mademoiselle

Cormon's　age　presented　to　the　marriage　seemed　to　her　almost

insurmountable；　she　could　think　of　nothing　but　patience　as　being　able