modeste mignon-第32节

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that　is　not　all。　Modeste　Mignon　is　of　high　birth；　and　Mongenod　has

just　told　me　that　her　father；　the　Comte　de　La　Bastie；　has　something

like　six　millions。　The　father　is　here　now；　and　I　have　asked　him

through　Mongenod　for　an　interview　at　two　o'clock。　Mongenod　is　to　give

him　a　hint；　just　a　word；　that　it　concerns　the　happiness　of　his

daughter。　But　you　will　readily　understand　that　before　seeing　the

father　I　feel　I　ought　to　make　a　clean　breast　of　it　to　you。〃



〃Among　the　plants　whose　flowers　bloom　in　the　sunshine　of　fame；〃　said

Canalis；　impressively；　〃there　is　one；　and　the　most　magnificent；　which

bears　like　the　orange…tree　a　golden　fruit　amid　the　mingled　perfumes　of

beauty　and　of　mind；　a　lovely　plant；　a　true　tenderness；　a　perfect

bliss；　andit　eludes　me。〃　Canalis　looked　at　the　carpet　that　Ernest

might　not　read　his　eyes。　〃Could　I；〃　he　continued　after　a　pause　to

regain　his　self…possession；　〃how　could　I　have　divined　that　flower　from

a　pretty　sheet　of　perfumed　paper；　that　true　heart；　that　young　girl；

that　woman　in　whom　love　wears　the　livery　of　flattery；　who　loves　us　for

ourselves；　who　offers　us　felicity？　It　needed　but　an　angel　or　a　demon

to　perceive　her；　and　what　am　I　but　the　ambitious　head　of　a　Court　of

Claims！　Ah；　my　friend；　fame　makes　us　the　target　of　a　thousand　arrows。

One　of　us　owes　his　rich　marriage　to　an　hydraulic　piece　of　poetry；

while　I；　more　seductive；　more　a　woman's　man　than　he；　have　missed　mine；

for；　do　you　love　her；　poor　girl？〃　he　said；　looking　up　at　La　Briere。



〃Oh！〃　ejaculated　the　young　man。



〃Well　then；〃　said　the　poet；　taking　his　secretary's　arm　and　leaning

heavily　upon　it；　〃be　happy；　Ernest。　By　a　mere　accident　I　have　been　not

ungrateful　to　you。　You　are　richly　rewarded　for　your　devotion；　and　I

will　generously　further　your　happiness。〃



Canalis　was　furious；　but　he　could　not　behave　otherwise　than　with

propriety；　and　he　made　the　best　of　his　disappointment　by　mounting　it

as　a　pedestal。



〃Ah；　Canalis；　I　have　never　really　known　you　till　this　moment。〃



〃Did　you　expect　to？　It　takes　some　time　to　go　round　the　world；〃　replied

the　poet　with　his　pompous　irony。



〃But　think；〃　said　La　Briere；　〃of　this　enormous　fortune。〃



〃Ah；　my　friend；　is　it　not　well　invested　in　you？〃　cried　Canalis；

accompanying　the　words　with　a　charming　gesture。



〃Melchior；〃　said　La　Briere；　〃I　am　yours　for　life　and　death。〃



He　wrung　the　poet's　hand　and　left　him　abruptly；　for　he　was　in　haste　to

meet　Monsieur　Mignon。







CHAPTER　XV



A　FATHER　STEPS　IN



The　Comte　de　La　Bastie　was　at　this　moment　overwhelmed　with　the　sorrows

which　lay　in　wait　for　him　as　their　prey。　He　had　learned　from　his

daughter's　letter　of　Bettina's　death　and　of　his　wife's　infirmity；　and

Dumay　related　to　him；　when　they　met；　his　terrible　perplexity　as　to

Modeste's　love　affairs。



〃Leave　me　to　myself；〃　he　said　to　his　faithful　friend。



As　the　lieutenant　closed　the　door；　the　unhappy　father　threw　himself　on

a　sofa；　with　his　head　in　his　hands；　weeping　those　slow；　scanty　tears

which　suffuse　the　eyes　of　a　man　of　sixty；　but　do　not　fall；tears　soon

dried；　yet　quick　to　start　again；the　last　dews　of　the　human　autumn。



〃To　have　children；　to　have　a　wife；　to　adore　themwhat　is　it　but　to

have　many　hearts　and　bare　them　to　a　dagger？〃　he　cried；　springing　up

with　the　bound　of　a　tiger　and　walking　up　and　down　the　room。　〃To　be　a

father　is　to　give　one's　self　over；　bound　hand　and　foot　to　sorrow。　If　I

meet　that　D'Estourny　I　will　kill　him。　To　have　daughters！one　gives

her　life　to　a　scoundrel；　the　other；　my　Modeste；　falls　a　victim　to

whom？　a　coward；　who　deceives　her　with　the　gilded　paper　of　a　poet。　If

it　were　Canalis　himself　it　might　not　be　so　bad；　but　that　Scapin　of　a

lover！I　will　strangle　him　with　my　two　hands；〃　he　cried；　making　an

involuntary　gesture　of　furious　determination。　〃And　what　then？　suppose

my　Modeste　were　to　die　of　grief？〃



He　gazed　mechanically　out　of　the　windows　of　the　hotel　des　Princes；　and

then　returned　to　the　sofa；　where　he　sat　motionless。　The　fatigues　of

six　voyages　to　India；　the　anxieties　of　speculation；　the　dangers　he　had

encountered　and　evaded；　and　his　many　griefs；　had　silvered　Charles

Mignon's　head。　His　handsome　soldierly　face；　so　pure　in　outline　and　now

bronzed　by　the　suns　of　China　and　the　southern　seas；　had　acquired　an

air　of　dignity　which　his　present　grief　rendered　almost　sublime。



〃Mongenod　told　me　he　felt　confidence　in　the　young　man　who　is　coming　to

ask　me　for　my　daughter；〃　he　thought　at　last；　and　at　this　moment　Ernest

de　La　Briere　was　announced　by　one　of　the　servants　whom　Monsieur　de　La

Bastie　had　attached　to　himself　during　the　last　four　years。



〃You　have　come；　monsieur；　from　my　friend　Mongenod？〃　he　said。



〃Yes；〃　replied　Ernest；　growing　timid　when　he　saw　before　him　a　face　as

sombre　as　Othello's。　〃My　name　is　Ernest　de　La　Briere；　related　to　the

family　of　the　late　cabinet　minister；　and　his　private　secretary　during

his　term　of　office。　On　his　dismissal；　his　Excellency　put　me　in　the

Court　of　Claims；　to　which　I　am　legal　counsel；　and　where　I　may　possibly

succeed　as　chief〃



〃And　how　does　all　this　concern　Mademoiselle　de　La　Bastie？〃　asked　the

count。



〃Monsieur；　I　love　her；　and　I　have　the　unhoped…for　happiness　of　being

loved　by　her。　Hear　me；　monsieur；〃　cried　Ernest；　checking　a　violent

movement　on　the　part　of　the　angry　father。　〃I　have　the　strangest

confession　to　make　to　you；　a　shameful　one　for　a　man　of　honor；　but　the

worst　punishment　of　my　conduct；　natural　enough　in　itself；　is　not　the

telling　of　it　to　you；　no；　I　fear　the　daughter　even　more　than　the

father。〃



Ernest　then　related　simply；　and　with　the　nobleness　that　comes　of

sincerity；　all　the　facts　of　his　little　drama；　not　omitting　the　twenty

or　more　letters；　which　he　had　brought　with　him；　nor　the　interview

which　he　had　just　had　with　Canalis。　When　Monsieur　Mignon　had　finished

reading　the　letters；　the　unfortunate　lover；　pale　and　suppliant；

actually　trembled　under　the　fiery　glance　of　the　Provencal。



〃Monsieur；〃　said　the　latter；　〃in　this　whole　matter　there　is　but　one

error；　but　that　is　cardinal。　My　daughter　will　not　have　six　millions；

at　the　utmost；　she　will　have　a　marriage　portion　of　two　hundred

thousand　francs；　and　very　doubtful　expectations。〃



〃Ah；　monsieur！〃　cried　Ernest；　rising　and　grasping　Monsieur　Mignon's

hand；　〃you　take　a　load　from　my　breast。　Nothing　can　now　hinder　my

happiness。　I　have　friends；　influence；　I　shall　certainly　be　chief　of

the　Court　of　Claims。　Had　Mademoiselle　Mignon　no　more　than　ten　thousand

francs；　if　I　had　even　to　make　a　settlement　on　her；　she　should　still　be

my　wife；　and　to　make　her　happy　as　you；　monsieur；　have　made　your　wife

happy；　to　be　to　you　a　real　son　（for　I　have　no　father）；　are　the　deepest

desires　of　my　heart。〃



Charles　Mignon　stepped　back　three　paces　and　fixed　upon　La　Briere　a

look　which　entered　the　eyes　of　the　young　man　as　a　dagger　enters　its

sheath；　he　stood　silent　a　moment；　recognizing　the　absolute　candor；　the

pure　truthfulness　of　that　open　nature　in　the　light　of　the　young　man's

inspired　eyes。　〃Is　fate　at　last　weary　of　pursuing　me？〃　he　asked

himself。　〃Am　I　to　find　in　this　young　man　the　pearl　of　sons…in…law？〃　He

walked　up　and　down　the　room　in　strong　agitation。



〃Monsieur；〃　he　said　at　last；　〃you　are　bound　to　submit　wholly　to　the

judgment　which　you　have　come　here　to　seek；　otherwise　you　are　now

playing　a　farce。〃



〃Oh；　monsieur！〃



〃Listen　to　me；〃　said　the　father；　nailing　La　Briere　where　he　stood　with

a　glance。　〃I　shall　be　neither　harsh；　nor　hard；　nor　unjust。　You　shall

have　the　advantages　and　the　disadvantages　of　the　false　position　in

which　you　have　placed　yourself。　My　daughter　believes　that　she　loves

one　of　the　great　poets　of　the　day；　whose　fame　is　really　that　which　has

attracted　her。　Well；　I；　her　father；　intend　to　give　her　the　opportunity

to　choose　between　the　celebrity　which　has　been　a　beacon　to　her；　and

the　poor　reality　which　the　irony　of　fate　has　flung　at　her　feet。　Ought

she　not　to　choose　between　Canalis　and　yourself？　I　rely　upon　your　honor

not　to　repeat　what　I　have　told　you　as　to　the　state　of　my　affairs。　You

may　each　come；　I　mean　you　and　your　friend　the　Baron　de　Canalis；　to

Havre　for　the　last　two　weeks　of　October。　My　house　will　be　open　to　both

of　you；　and　my　daughter　must　have　an　opportunity　to　study　you。　You

must　yourself　bring　your　rival；　and　not　disabuse　him　as　to　the　foolish

tales　he　will　hear　about　the　wealth　of　the　Comte　de　La　Bastie。　I　go　to

Havre　to…morrow；　and　I　shall　expect　you　three　days　later。　Adieu；

monsieur。〃



Poor　La　Briere　went　back　to　Canalis　with　a　dragging　step。　The　poet；

meantime；　left　to　himself；　had　given　way　to　a　current　of　thought　out

of　which　had　come　that　secondary　impulse　which　Monsieur　de　Talleyrand

valued　so　much。　The　first　impulse　is　the　voice　of　nature；　the　second

that　of　society。



〃A　girl　worth　six　millions；〃　he　thought　to　himself；　〃and　my　eyes　were

not　able　to　see　that　gold　shining　in　the　darkness！　With　such　a