modeste mignon-第36节

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thirst　for　love；　and　the　thirst　for　admiration。　Like　every　true

colonel　of　the　Empire　he　saw　in　this　correspondence；　rapidly　read；

only　the　young　girl　who　had　thrown　herself　at　the　head　of　a　poet；　but

in　the　letters　which　we　were　forced　to　lack　of　space　to　suppress；　a

better　judge　would　have　admired　the　dignified　and　gracious　reserve

which　Modeste　had　substituted　for　the　rather　aggressive　and　light…

minded　tone　of　her　first　letters。　The　father；　however；　was　only　too

cruelly　right　on　one　point。　Modeste's　last　letter；　which　we　have　read；

had　indeed　spoken　as　though　the　marriage　were　a　settled　fact；　and　the

remembrance　of　that　letter　filled　her　with　shame；　she　thought　her

father　very　harsh　and　cruel　to　force　her　to　receive　a　man　unworthy　of

her；　yet　to　whom　her　soul　had　flown；　as　it　were；　bare。　She　questioned

Dumay　about　his　interview　with　the　poet；　she　inveigled　him　into

relating　its　every　detail；　and　she　did　not　think　Canalis　as　barbarous

as　the　lieutenant　had　declared　him。　The　thought　of　the　beautiful

casket　which　held　the　letters　of　the　thousand　and　one　women　of　this

literary　Don　Juan　made　her　smile；　and　she　was　strongly　tempted　to　say

to　her　father：　〃I　am　not　the　only　one　to　write　to　him；　the　elite　of　my

sex　send　their　leaves　for　the　laurel　wreath　of　the　poet。〃



During　this　week　Modeste's　character　underwent　a　transformation。　The

catastropheand　it　was　a　great　one　to　her　poetic　natureroused　a

faculty　of　discernment　and　also　the　malice　latent　in　her　girlish

heart；　in　which　her　suitors　were　about　to　encounter　a　formidable

adversary。　It　is　a　fact　that　when　a　young　woman's　heart　is　chilled　her

head　becomes　clear；　she　observes　with　great　rapidity　of　judgment；　and

with　a　tinge　of　pleasantry　which　Shakespeare's　Beatrice　so　admirably

represents　in　〃Much　Ado　about　Nothing。〃　Modeste　was　seized　with　a　deep

disgust　for　men；　now　that　the　most　distinguished　among　them　had

betrayed　her　hopes。　When　a　woman　loves；　what　she　takes　for　disgust　is

simply　the　ability　to　see　clearly；　but　in　matters　of　sentiment　she　is

never；　especially　if　she　is　a　young　girl；　in　a　condition　to　see

clearly。　If　she　cannot　admire；　she　despises。　And　so；　after　passing

through　terrible　struggles　of　the　soul；　Modeste　necessarily　put　on　the

armor　on　which；　as　she　had　once　declared；　the　word　〃Disdain〃　was

engraved。　After　reaching　that　point　she　was　able；　in　the　character　of

uninterested　spectator；　to　take　part　in　what　she　was　pleased　to　call

the　〃farce　of　the　suitors；〃　a　performance　in　which　she　herself　was

about　to　play　the　role　of　heroine。　She　particularly　set　before　her

mind　the　satisfaction　of　humiliating　Monsieur　de　La　Briere。



〃Modeste　is　saved；〃　said　Madame　Mignon　to　her　husband；　〃she　wants　to

revenge　herself　on　the　false　Canalis　by　trying　to　love　the　real　one。〃



Such　in　truth　was　Modeste's　plan。　It　was　so　utterly　commonplace　that

her　mother；　to　whom　she　confided　her　griefs；　advised　her　on　the

contrary　to　treat　Monsieur　de　La　Briere　with　extreme　politeness。







CHAPTER　XVII



A　THIRD　SUITOR



〃Those　two　young　men；〃　said　Madame　Latournelle；　on　the　Saturday

evening；　〃have　no　idea　how　many　spies　they　have　on　their　tracks。　We

are　eight　in　all；　on　the　watch。〃



〃Don't　say　two　young　men；　wife；　say　three！〃　cried　little　Latournelle；

looking　round　him。　〃Gobenheim　is　not　here；　so　I　can　speak　out。〃



Modeste　raised　her　head；　and　everybody；　imitating　Modeste；　raised

theirs　and　looked　at　the　notary。



〃Yes；　a　third　loverand　he　is　something　like　a　loveroffers　himself

as　a　candidate。〃



〃Bah！〃　exclaimed　the　colonel。



〃I　speak　of　no　less　a　person；〃　said　Latournelle；　pompously；　〃than

Monsieur　le　Duc　d'Herouville；　Marquis　de　Saint…Sever；　Duc　de　Nivron；

Comte　de　Bayeux；　Vicomte　d'Essigny；　grand　equerry　and　peer　of　France；

knight　of　the　Spur　and　the　Golden　Fleece；　grandee　of　Spain；　and　son　of

the　last　governor　of　Normandy。　He　saw　Mademoiselle　Modeste　at　the　time

when　he　was　staying　with　the　Vilquins；　and　he　regretted　thenas　his

notary；　who　came　from　Bayeux　yesterday；　tells　methat　she　was　not

rich　enough　for　him；　for　his　father　recovered　nothing　but　the　estate

of　Herouville　on　his　return　to　France；　and　that　is　saddled　with　a

sister。　The　young　duke　is　thirty…three　years　old。　I　am　definitively

charged　to　lay　these　proposals　before　you；　Monsieur　le　comte；〃　added

the　notary；　turning　respectfully　to　the　colonel。



〃Ask　Modeste　if　she　wants　another　bird　in　her　cage；〃　replied　the

count；　〃as　far　as　I　am　concerned；　I　am　willing　that　my　lord　the　grand

equerry　shall　pay　her　attention。〃



Notwithstanding　the　care　with　which　Charles　Mignon　avoided　seeing

people；　and　though　he　stayed　in　the　Chalet　and　never　went　out　without

Modeste；　Gobenheim　had　reported　Dumay's　wealth；　for　Dumay　had　said　to

him　when　giving　up　his　position　as　cashier：　〃I　am　to　be　bailiff　for　my

colonel；　and　all　my　fortune；　except　what　my　wife　needs；　is　to　go　to

the　children　of　our　little　Modeste。〃　Every　one　in　Havre　had　therefore

propounded　the　same　question　that　the　notary　had　already　put　to

himself：　〃If　Dumay's　share　in　the　profits　is　six　hundred　thousand

francs；　and　he　is　going　to　be　Monsieur　Mignon's　bailiff；　then　Monsieur

Mignon　must　certainly　have　a　colossal　fortune。　He　arrived　at

Marseilles　on　a　ship　of　his　own；　loaded　with　indigo；　and　they　say　at

the　Bourse　that　the　cargo；　not　counting　the　ship；　is　worth　more　than

he　gives　out　as　his　whole　fortune。〃



The　colonel　was　unwilling　to　dismiss　the　servants　he　had　brought　back

with　him；　whom　he　had　chosen　with　care　during　his　travels；　and　he

therefore　hired　a　house　for　them　in　the　lower　part　of　Ingouville；

where　he　installed　his　valet；　cook；　and　coachman；　all　Negroes；　and

three　mulattos　on　whose　fidelity　he　could　rely。　The　coachman　was　told

to　search　for　saddle…horses　for　Mademoiselle　and　for　his　master；　and

for　carriage…horses　for　the　caleche　in　which　the　colonel　and　the

lieutenant　had　returned　to　Havre。　That　carriage；　bought　in　Paris；　was

of　the　latest　fashion；　and　bore　the　arms　of　La　Bastie；　surmounted　by　a

count's　coronet。　These　things；　insignificant　in　the　eyes　of　a　man　who

for　four　years　had　been　accustomed　to　the　unbridled　luxury　of　the

Indies　and　of　the　English　merchants　at　Canton；　were　the　subject　of

much　comment　among　the　business　men　of　Havre　and　the　inhabitants　of

Ingouville　and　Graville。　Before　five　days　had　elapsed　the　rumor　of

them　ran　from　one　end　of　Normandy　to　the　other　like　a　train　of

gunpowder　touched　by　fire。



〃Monsieur　Mignon　has　come　back　from　China　with　millions；〃　some　one

said　in　Rouen；　〃and　it　seems　he　was　made　a　count　in　mid…ocean。〃



〃But　he　was　the　Comte　de　La　Bastie　before　the　Revolution；〃　answered

another。



〃So　they　call　him　a　liberal　just　because　he　was　plain　Charles　Mignon

for　twenty…five　years！　What　are　we　coming　to？〃　said　a　third。



Modeste　was　considered；　therefore；　notwithstanding　the　silence　of　her

parents　and　friends；　as　the　richest　heiress　in　Normandy；　and　all　eyes

began　once　more　to　see　her　merits。　The　aunt　and　sister　of　the　Duc

d'Herouville　confirmed　in　the　aristocratic　salons　of　Bayeux　Monsieur

Charles　Mignon's　right　to　the　title　and　arms　of　count；　derived　from

Cardinal　Mignon；　for　whom　the　Cardinal's　hat　and　tassels　were　added　as

a　crest。　They　had　seen　Mademoiselle　de　La　Bastie　when　they　were

staying　at　the　Vilquins；　and　their　solicitude　for　the　impoverished

head　of　their　house　now　became　active。



〃If　Mademoiselle　de　La　Bastie　is　really　as　rich　as　she　is　beautiful；〃

said　the　aunt　of　the　young　duke；　〃she　is　the　best　match　in　the

province。　SHE　at　least　is　noble。〃



The　last　words　were　aimed　at　the　Vilquins；　with　whom　they　had　not　been

able　to　come　to　terms；　after　incurring　the　humiliation　of　staying　in

that　bourgeois　household。



Such　were　the　little　events　which；　contrary　to　the　rules　of　Aristotle

and　of　Horace；　precede　the　introduction　of　another　person　into　our

story；　but　the　portrait　and　the　biography　of　this　personage；　this　late

arrival；　shall　not　be　long；　taking　into　consideration　his　own

diminutiveness。　The　grand　equerry　shall　not　take　more　space　here　than

he　will　take　in　history。　Monsieur　le　Duc　d'Herouville；　offspring　of

the　matrimonial　autumn　of　the　last　governor　of　Normandy；　was　born

during　the　emigration　in　1799；　at　Vienna。　The　old　marechal；　father　of

the　present　duke；　returned　with　the　king　in　1814；　and　died　in　1819；

before　he　was　able　to　marry　his　son。　He　could　only　leave　him　the　vast

chateau　of　Herouville；　the　park；　a　few　dependencies；　and　a　farm　which

he　had　bought　back　with　some　difficulty；　all　of　which　returned　a

rental　of　about　fifteen　thousand　francs　a　year。　Louis　XVIII。　gave　the

post　of　grand　equerry　to　the　son；　who；　under　Charles　X。；　received　the

usual　pension　of　twelve　thousand　francs　which　was　granted　to　the

pauper　peers　of　France。　But　what　were　these　twenty…seven　thousand

francs　a　year　and　the　salary　of　grand　equerry　to　such　a　family？　In

Paris；　of　course；　the　young　d