modeste mignon-第31节

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〃He　is　well…dressed；　and　wears　the　ribbon　of　the　Legion　of　honor。〃



Canalis　made　a　sign　of　assent；　and　the　valet　retreated；　and　then

returned　and　announced；　〃Monsieur　Dumay。〃



When　he　heard　himself　announced；　when　he　was　actually　in　presence　of

Canalis；　in　a　study　as　gorgeous　as　it　was　elegant；　with　his　feet　on　a

carpet　far　handsomer　than　any　in　the　house　of　Mignon；　and　when　he　met

the　studied　glance　of　the　poet　who　was　playing　with　the　tassels　of　a

sumptuous　dressing…gown；　Dumay　was　so　completely　taken　aback　that　he

allowed　the　great　poet　to　have　the　first　word。



〃To　what　do　I　owe　the　honor　of　your　visit；　monsieur？〃



〃Monsieur；〃　began　Dumay；　who　remained　standing。



〃If　you　have　a　good　deal　to　say；〃　interrupted　Canalis；　〃I　must　ask　you

to　be　seated。〃



And　Canalis　himself　plunged　into　an　armchair　a　la　Voltaire；　crossed

his　legs；　raised　the　upper　one　to　the　level　of　his　eye　and　looked

fixedly　at　Dumay；　who　became；　to　use　his　own　martial　slang；

〃bayonetted。〃



〃I　am　listening；　monsieur；〃　said　the　poet；　〃my　time　is　precious；the

ministers　are　expecting　me。〃



〃Monsieur；〃　said　Dumay；　〃I　shall　be　brief。　You　have　seducedhow；　I　do

not　knowa　young　lady　in　Havre；　young；　beautiful；　and　rich；　the　last

and　only　hope　of　two　noble　families；　and　I　have　come　to　ask　your

intentions。〃



Canalis；　who　had　been　busy　during　the　last　three　months　with　serious

matters　of　his　own；　and　was　trying　to　get　himself　made　commander　of

the　Legion　of　honor　and　minister　to　a　German　court；　had　completely

forgotten　Modeste's　letter。〃



〃I！〃　he　exclaimed。



〃You！〃　repeated　Dumay。



〃Monsieur；〃　answered　Canalis；　smiling；　〃I　know　no　more　of　what　you　are

talking　about　than　if　you　had　said　it　in　Hebrew。　I　seduce　a　young

girl！　I；　who〃　and　a　superb　smile　crossed　his　features。　〃Come；　come；

monsieur；　I'm　not　such　a　child　as　to　steal　fruit　over　the　hedges　when

I　have　orchards　and　gardens　of　my　own　where　the　finest　peaches　ripen。

All　Paris　knows　where　my　affections　are　set。　Very　likely　there　may　be

some　young　girl　in　Havre　full　of　enthusiasm　for　my　verses；of　which

they　are　not　worthy；　that　would　not　surprise　me　at　all；　nothing　is

more　common。　See！　look　at　that　lovely　coffer　of　ebony　inlaid　with

mother…of…pearl；　and　edged　with　that　iron…work　as　fine　as　lace。　That

coffer　belonged　to　Pope　Leo　X。；　and　was　given　to　me　by　the　Duchesse　de

Chaulieu；　who　received　it　from　the　king　of　Spain。　I　use　it　to　hold　the

letters　I　receive　from　ladies　and　young　girls　living　in　every　quarter

of　Europe。　Oh！　I　assure　you　I　feel　the　utmost　respect　for　these

flowers　of　the　soul；　cut　and　sent　in　moments　of　enthusiasm　that　are

worthy　of　all　reverence。　Yes；　to　me　the　impulse　of　a　heart　is　a　noble

and　sublime　thing！　Othersscofferslight　their　cigars　with　such

letters；　or　give　them　to　their　wives　for　curl…papers；　but　I；　who　am　a

bachelor；　monsieur；　I　have　too　much　delicacy　not　to　preserve　these

artless　offeringsso　fresh；　so　disinterestedin　a　tabernacle　of

their　own。　In　fact；　I　guard　them　with　a　species　of　veneration；　and　at

my　death　they　will　be　burned　before　my　eyes。　People　may　call　that

ridiculous；　but　I　do　not　care。　I　am　grateful；　these　proofs　of　devotion

enable　me　to　bear　the　criticisms　and　annoyances　of　a　literary　life。

When　I　receive　a　shot　in　the　back　from　some　enemy　lurking　under　cover

of　a　daily　paper；　I　look　at　that　casket　and　think；here　and　there　in

this　wide　world　there　are　hearts　whose　wounds　have　been　healed；　or

soothed；　or　dressed　by　me！〃



This　bit　of　poetry；　declaimed　with　all　the　talent　of　a　great　actor；

petrified　the　lieutenant；　whose　eyes　opened　to　their　utmost　extent；

and　whose　astonishment　delighted　the　poet。



〃I　will　permit　you；〃　continued　the　peacock；　spreading　his　tail；　〃out

of　respect　for　your　position；　which　I　fully　appreciate；　to　open　that

coffer　and　look　for　the　letter　of　your　young　lady。　Though　I　know　I　am

right；　I　remember　names；　and　I　assure　you　you　are　mistaken　in

thinking〃



〃And　this　is　what　a　poor　child　comes　to　in　this　gulf　of　Paris！〃　cried

Dumay；〃the　darling　of　her　parents；　the　joy　of　her　friends；　the　hope

of　all；　petted　by　all；　the　pride　of　a　family；　who　has　six　persons　so

devoted　to　her　that　they　would　willingly　make　a　rampart　of　their　lives

and　fortunes　between　her　and　sorrow。　Monsieur；〃　Dumay　remarked　after　a

pause；　〃you　are　a　great　poet；　and　I　am　only　a　poor　soldier。　For

fifteen　years　I　served　my　country　in　the　ranks；　I　have　had　the　wind　of

many　a　bullet　in　my　face；　I　have　crossed　Siberia　and　been　a　prisoner

there；　the　Russians　flung　me　on　a　kibitka；　and　God　knows　what　I

suffered。　I　have　seen　thousands　of　my　comrades　die；but　you；　you　have

given　me　a　chill　to　the　marrow　of　my　bones；　such　as　I　never　felt

before。〃



Dumay　fancied　that　his　words　moved　the　poet；　but　in　fact　they　only

flattered　him；a　thing　which　at　this　period　of　his　life　had　become

almost　an　impossibility；　for　his　ambitious　mind　had　long　forgotten　the

first　perfumed　phial　that　praise　had　broken　over　his　head。



〃Ah；　my　soldier！〃　he　said　solemnly；　laying　his　hand　on　Dumay's

shoulder；　and　thinking　to　himself　how　droll　it　was　to　make　a　soldier

of　the　empire　tremble；　〃this　young　girl　may　be　all　in　all　to　you；　but

to　society　at　large　what　is　she？　nothing。　At　this　moment　the　greatest

mandarin　in　China　may　be　yielding　up　the　ghost　and　putting　half　the

universe　in　mourning；　and　what　is　that　to　you？　The　English　are　killing

thousands　of　people　in　India　more　worthy　than　we　are；　why；　at　this

very　moment　while　I　am　speaking　to　you　some　ravishing　woman　is　being

burned　alive；did　that　make　you　care　less　for　your　cup　of　coffee　this

morning　at　breakfast？　Not　a　day　passes　in　Paris　that　some　mother　in

rags　does　not　cast　her　infant　on　the　world　to　be　picked　up　by　whoever

finds　it；　and　yet　see！　here　is　this　delicious　tea　in　a　cup　that　cost

five　louis；　and　I　write　verses　which　Parisian　women　rush　to　buy；

exclaiming；　'Divine！　delicious！　charming！　food　for　the　soul！'　Social

nature；　like　Nature　herself；　is　a　great　forgetter。　You　will　be　quite

surprised　ten　years　hence　at　what　you　have　done　to…day。　You　are　here

in　a　city　where　people　die；　where　they　marry；　where　they　adore　each

other　at　an　assignation；　where　young　girls　suffocate　themselves；　where

the　man　of　genius　with　his　cargo　of　thoughts　teeming　with　humane

beneficence　goes　to　the　bottom；all　side　by　side；　sometimes　under　the

same　roof；　and　yet　ignorant　of　each　other；　ignorant　and　indifferent。

And　here　you　come　among　us　and　ask　us　to　expire　with　grief　at　this

commonplace　affair。〃



〃You　call　yourself　a　poet！〃　cried　Dumay；　〃but　don't　you　feel　what　you

write？〃



〃Good　heavens！　if　we　endured　the　joys　or　the　woes　we　sing　we　should　be

as　worn　out　in　three　months　as　a　pair　of　old　boots；〃　said　the　poet；

smiling。　〃But　stay；　you　shall　not　come　from　Havre　to　Paris　to　see

Canalis　without　carrying　something　back　with　you。　Warrior！〃　（Canalis

had　the　form　and　action　of　an　Homeric　hero）　〃learn　this　from　the　poet：

Every　noble　sentiment　in　man　is　a　poem　so　exclusively　individual　that

his　nearest　friend；　his　other　self；　cares　nothing　for　it。　It　is　a

treasure　which　is　his　alone；　it　is〃



〃Forgive　me　for　interrupting　you；〃　said　Dumay；　who　was　gazing　at　the

poet　with　horror；　〃but　did　you　ever　come　to　Havre？〃



〃I　was　there　for　a　day　and　a　night　in　the　spring　of　1824　on　my　way　to

London。〃



〃You　are　a　man　of　honor；〃　continued　Dumay；　〃will　you　give　me　your　word

that　you　do　not　know　Mademoiselle　Modeste　Mignon？〃



〃This　is　the　first　time　that　name　ever　struck　my　ear；〃　replied

Canalis。



〃Ah；　monsieur！〃　said　Dumay；　〃into　what　dark　intrigue　am　I　about　to

plunge？　Can　I　count　upon　you　to　help　me　in　my　inquiries？for　I　am

certain　that　some　one　has　been　using　your　name。　You　ought　to　have　had

a　letter　yesterday　from　Havre。〃



〃I　received　none。　Be　sure；　monsieur；　that　I　will　help　you；〃　said

Canalis；　〃so　far　as　I　have　the　opportunity　of　doing　so。〃



Dumay　withdrew；　his　heart　torn　with　anxiety；　believing　that　the

wretched　Butscha　had　worn　the　skin　of　the　poet　to　deceive　Modeste；

whereas　Butscha　himself；　keen…witted　as　a　prince　seeking　revenge；　and

far　cleverer　than　any　paid　spy；　was　ferretting　out　the　life　and

actions　of　Canalis；　escaping　notice　by　his　insignificance；　like　an

insect　that　bores　its　way　into　the　sap　of　a　tree。



The　Breton　had　scarcely　left　the　poet's　house　when　La　Briere　entered

his　friend's　study。　Naturally；　Canalis　told　him　of　the　visit　of　the

man　from　Havre。



〃Ha！〃　said　Ernest；　〃Modeste　Mignon；　that　is　just　what　I　have　come　to

speak　of。〃



〃Ah；　bah！〃　cried　Canalis；　〃have　I　had　a　triumph　by　proxy？〃



〃Yes；　and　here　is　the　key　to　it。　My　friend；　I　am　loved　by　the　sweetest

girl　in　all　the　world；beautiful　enough　to　shine　beside　the　greatest

beauties　in　Paris；　with　a　heart　and　mind　worthy　of　Clarissa。　She　has

seen　me；　I　have　pleased　her；　and　she　thinks　me　the　great　Canalis。　But

that　is　not　all。　Modeste　Mignon　is　of　high