modeste mignon-第16节

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reflections　chased　each　other　through　her　mind。　She　was　cut　to　the

quick；　she　wished　to　re…read　the　letter；　and　lit　a　candle；　she　studied

the　sentences　so　carefully　studied　when　written；　and　ended　by　hearing

the　wheezing　voice　of　the　outer　world。



〃He　is　right；　and　I　am　wrong；〃　she　said　to　herself。　〃But　who　could

ever　believe　that　under　the　starry　mantle　of　a　poet　I　should　find

nothing　but　one　of　Moliere's　old　men？〃



When　a　woman　or　young　girl　is　taken　in　the　act；　〃flagrante　delicto；〃

she　conceives　a　deadly　hatred　to　the　witness；　the　author；　or　the

object　of　her　fault。　And　so　the　true；　the　single…minded；　the　untamed

and　untamable　Modeste　conceived　within　her　soul　an　unquenchable　desire

to　get　the　better　of　that　righteous　spirit；　to　drive　him　into　some

fatal　inconsistency；　and　so　return　him　blow　for　blow。　This　girl；　this

child；　as　we　may　call　her；　so　pure；　whose　head　alone　had　been

misguided；partly　by　her　reading；　partly　by　her　sister's　sorrows；　and

more　perhaps　by　the　dangerous　meditations　of　her　solitary　life；was

suddenly　caught　by　a　ray　of　sunshine　flickering　across　her　face。　She

had　been　standing　for　three　hours　on　the　shores　of　the　vast　sea　of

Doubt。　Nights　like　these　are　never　forgotten。　Modeste　walked　straight

to　her　little　Chinese　table；　a　gift　from　her　father；　and　wrote　a

letter　dictated　by　the　infernal　spirit　of　vengeance　which　palpitates

in　the　hearts　of　young　girls。







CHAPTER　VIII



BLADE　TO　BLADE



　　To　Monsieur　de　Canalis：



　　Monsieur；You　are　certainly　a　great　poet；　and　you　are　something

　　more；an　honest　man。　After　showing　such　loyal　frankness　to　a

　　young　girl　who　was　stepping　to　the　verge　of　an　abyss；　have　you

　　enough　left　to　answer　without　hypocrisy　or　evasion　the　following

　　question？



　　Would　you　have　written　the　letter　I　now　hold　in　answer　to　mine；

　　would　your　ideas；　your　language　have　been　the　same；had　some　one

　　whispered　in　your　ear　（what　may　prove　true）；　Mademoiselle　O。

　　d'Este　M。　has　six　millions　and　does　intend　to　have　a　dunce　for　a

　　master？



　　Admit　the　supposition　for　a　moment。　Be　with　me　what　you　are　with

　　yourself；　fear　nothing。　I　am　wiser　than　my　twenty　years；　nothing

　　that　is　frank　can　hurt　you　in　my　mind。　When　I　have　read　your

　　confidence；　if　you　deign　to　make　it；　you　shall　receive　from　me　an

　　answer　to　your　first　letter。



　　Having　admired　your　talent；　often　so　sublime；　permit　me　to　do

　　homage　to　your　delicacy　and　your　integrity；　which　force　me　to

　　remain　always；



Your　humble　servant；

O。　d'Este　M。





When　Ernest　de　La　Briere　had　held　this　letter　in　his　hands　for　some

little　time　he　went　to　walk　along　the　boulevards；　tossed　in　mind　like

a　tiny　vessel　by　a　tempest　when　the　wind　is　blowing　from　all　points　of

the　compass。　Most　young　men；　specially　true　Parisians；　would　have

settled　the　matter　in　a　single　phrase；　〃The　girl　is　a　little　hussy。〃

But　for　a　youth　whose　soul　was　noble　and　true；　this　attempt　to　put

him；　as　it　were；　upon　his　oath；　this　appeal　to　truth；　had　the　power　to

awaken　the　three　judges　hidden　in　the　conscience　of　every　man。　Honor；

Truth；　and　Justice；　getting　on　their　feet；　cried　out　in　their　several

ways　energetically。



〃Ah；　my　dear　Ernest；〃　said　Truth；　〃you　never　would　have　read　that

lesson　to　a　rich　heiress。　No；　my　boy；　you　would　have　gone　in　hot　haste

to　Havre　to　find　out　if　the　girl　were　handsome；　and　you　would　have

been　very　unhappy　indeed　at　her　preference　for　genius；　and　if　you

could　have　tripped　up　your　friend　and　supplanted　him　in　her

affections；　Mademoiselle　d'Este　would　have　been　a　divinity。〃



〃What？〃　cried　Justice；　〃are　you　not　always　bemoaning　yourselves；　you

penniless　men　of　wit　and　capacity；　that　rich　girls　marry　beings　whom

you　wouldn't　take　as　your　servants？　You　rail　against　the　materialism

of　the　century　which　hastens　to　join　wealth　to　wealth；　and　never

marries　some　fine　young　man　with　brains　and　no　money　to　a　rich　girl。

What　an　outcry　you　make　about　it；　and　yet　here　is　a　young　woman　who

revolts　against　that　very　spirit　of　the　age；　and　behold！　the　poet

replies　with　a　blow　at　her　heart！〃



〃Rich　or　poor；　young　or　old；　ugly　or　handsome；　the　girl　is　right；　she

has　sense　and　judgment；　she　has　tripped　you　over　into　the　slough　of

self…interest　and　lets　you　know　it；〃　cried　Honor。　〃She　deserves　an

answer；　a　sincere　and　loyal　and　frank　answer；　and；　above　all；　the

honest　expression　of　your　thought。　Examine　yourself！　sound　your　heart

and　purge　it　of　its　meannesses。　What　would　Moliere's　Alceste　say？〃



And　La　Briere；　having　started　from　the　boulevard　Poissoniere；　walked

so　slowly；　absorbed　in　these　reflections；　that　he　was　more　than　an

hour　in　reaching　the　boulevard　des　Capucines。　Then　he　followed　the

quays；　which　led　him　to　the　Cour　des　Comptes；　situated　in　that　time

close　to　the　Saint…Chapelle。　Instead　of　beginning　on　the　accounts　as

he　should　have　done；　he　remained　at　the　mercy　of　his　perplexities。



〃One　thing　is　evident；〃　he　said　to　himself；　〃she　hasn't　six　millions；

but　that's　not　the　point〃



Six　days　later；　Modeste　received　the　following　letter：



　　Mademoiselle；You　are　not　a　D'Este。　The　name　is　a　feigned　one　to

　　conceal　your　own。　Do　I　owe　the　revelations　which　you　solicit　to　a

　　person　who　is　untruthful　about　herself？　Question　for　question：　Are

　　you　of　an　illustrious　family？　or　a　noble　family？　or　a　middle…class

　　family？　Undoubtedly　ethics　and　morality　cannot　change；　they　are

　　one：　but　obligations　vary　in　the　different　states　of　life。　Just　as

　　the　sun　lights　up　a　scene　diversely　and　produces　differences　which

　　we　admire；　so　morality　conforms　social　duty　to　rank；　to　position。

　　The　peccadillo　of　a　soldier　is　a　crime　in　a　general；　and　vice…

　　versa。　Observances　are　not　alike　in　all　cases。　They　are　not　the

　　same　for　the　gleaner　in　the　field；　for　the　girl　who　sews　at

　　fifteen　sous　a　day；　for　the　daughter　of　a　petty　shopkeeper；　for

　　the　young　bourgoise；　for　the　child　of　a　rich　merchant；　for　the

　　heiress　of　a　noble　family；　for　a　daughter　of　the　house　of　Este。　A

　　king　must　not　stoop　to　pick　up　a　piece　of　gold；　but　a　laborer

　　ought　to　retrace　his　steps　to　find　ten　sous；　though　both　are

　　equally　bound　to　obey　the　laws　of　economy。　A　daughter　of　Este；　who

　　is　worth　six　millions；　has　the　right　to　wear　a　broad…brimmed　hat

　　and　plume；　to　flourish　her　whip；　press　the　flanks　of　her　barb；　and

　　ride　like　an　amazon　decked　in　gold　lace；　with　a　lackey　behind　her；

　　into　the　presence　of　a　poet　and　say：　〃I　love　poetry；　and　I　would

　　fain　expiate　Leonora's　cruelty　to　Tasso！〃　but　a　daughter　of　the

　　people　would　cover　herself　with　ridicule　by　imitating　her。　To　what

　　class　do　you　belong？　Answer　sincerely；　and　I　will　answer　the

　　question　you　have　put　to　me。



　　As　I　have　not　the　honor　of　knowing　you　personally；　and　yet　am

　　bound　to　you；　in　a　measure；　by　the　ties　of　poetic　communion；　I　am

　　unwilling　to　offer　any　commonplace　compliments。　Perhaps　you　have

　　already　won　a　malicious　victory　by　thus　embarrassing　a　maker　of

　　books。



The　young　man　was　certainly　not　wanting　in　the　sort　of　shrewdness

which　is　permissible　to　a　man　of　honor。　By　return　courier　he　received

an　answer：



　　To　Monsieur　de　Canalis；You　grow　more　and　more　sensible；　my　dear

　　poet。　My　father　is　a　count。　The　chief　glory　of　our　house　was　a

　　cardinal；　in　the　days　when　cardinals　walked　the　earth　by　the　side

　　of　kings。　I　am　the　last　of　our　family；　which　ends　in　me；　but　I

　　have　the　necessary　quarterings　to　make　my　entry　into　any　court　or

　　chapter…house　in　Europe。　We　are　quite　the　equals　of　the　Canalis。

　　You　will　be　so　kind　as　to　excuse　me　from　sending　you　our　arms。



　　Endeavor　to　answer　me　as　truthfully　as　I　have　now　answered　you。　I

　　await　your　response　to　know　if　I　can　then　sign　myself　as　I　do　now；



Your　servant；　　　　　　　O。　d'Este　M。





〃The　little　mischief！　how　she　abuses　her　privileges；〃　cried　La　Briere；

〃but　isn't　she　frank！〃



No　young　man　can　be　four　years　private　secretary　to　a　cabinet

minister；　and　live　in　Paris　and　observe　the　carrying　on　of　many

intrigues；　with　perfect　impunity；　in　fact；　the　purest　soul　is　more　or

less　intoxicated　by　the　heady　atmosphere　of　the　imperial　city。　Happy

in　the　thought　that　he　was　not　Canalis；　our　young　secretary　engaged　a

place　in　the　mail…coach　for　Havre；　after　writing　a　letter　in　which　he

announced　that　the　promised　answer　would　be　sent　a　few　days　later；

excusing　the　delay　on　the　ground　of　the　importance　of　the　confession

and　the　pressure　of　his　duties　at　the　ministry。



He　took　care　to　get　from　the　director…general　of　the　post…office　a

note　to　the　postmaster　at　Havre；　requesting　secrecy　and　attention　to

his　wishes。　Ernest　was　thus　enabled　to　see　Francoise　Cochet　when　she

came　for　the　letters；　and　to　follow　her　without　exciting　observation。

Guided　by　her；　he　reached　Ingouville　and　saw　Modeste　Mignon　at　the

window　of　the　Chalet。



〃Well；　Francoise？〃　he　heard　the　young　girl　s