modeste mignon-第37节

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

Paris；　of　course；　the　young　duke　used　the　king's　coaches；　and　had　a

mansion　provided　for　him　in　the　rue　Saint…Thomas…du…Louvre；　near　the

royal　stables；　his　salary　paid　for　his　winters　in　the　city；　and　his

twenty…seven　thousand　francs　for　the　summers　in　Normandy。　If　this

noble　personage　was　still　a　bachelor　he　was　less　to　blame　than　his

aunt；　who　was　not　versed　in　La　Fontaine's　fables。　Mademoiselle

d'Herouville　made　enormous　pretensions　wholly　out　of　keeping　with　the

spirit　of　the　times；　for　great　names；　without　the　money　to　keep　them

up；　can　seldom　win　rich　heiresses　among　the　higher　French　nobility；

who　are　themselves　embarrassed　to　provide　for　their　sons　under　the　new

law　of　the　equal　division　of　property。　To　marry　the　young　Duc

d'Herouville；　it　was　necessary　to　conciliate　the　great　banking…houses；

but　the　haughty　pride　of　the　daughter　of　the　house　alienated　these

people　by　cutting　speeches。　During　the　first　years　of　the　Restoration；

from　1817　to　1825；　Mademoiselle　d'Herouville；　though　in　quest　of

millions；　refused；　among　others；　the　daughter　of　Mongenod　the　banker；

with　whom　Monsieur　de　Fontaine　afterwards　contented　himself。



At　last；　having　lost　several　good　opportunities　to　establish　her

nephew；　entirely　through　her　own　fault；　she　was　just　considering

whether　the　property　of　the　Nucingens　was　not　too　basely　acquired；　or

whether　she　should　lend　herself　to　the　ambition　of　Madame　de　Nucingen；

who　wished　to　make　her　daughter　a　duchess。　The　king；　anxious　to

restore　the　d'Herouvilles　to　their　former　splendor；　had　almost　brought

about　this　marriage；　and　when　it　failed　he　openly　accused　Mademoiselle

d'Herouville　of　folly。　In　this　way　the　aunt　made　the　nephew

ridiculous；　and　the　nephew；　in　his　own　way；　was　not　less　absurd。　When

great　things　disappear　they　leave　crumbs；　〃frusteaux；〃　Rabelais　would

say；　behind　them；　and　the　French　nobility　of　this　century　has　left　us

too　many　such　fragments。　Neither　the　clergy　nor　the　nobility　have

anything　to　complain　of　in　this　long　history　of　manners　and　customs。

Those　great　and　magnificent　social　necessities　have　been　well

represented；　but　we　ought　surely　to　renounce　the　noble　title　of

historian　if　we　are　not　impartial；　if　we　do　not　here　depict　the

present　degeneracy　of　the　race　of　nobles；　although　we　have　already

done　so　elsewhere；in　the　character　of　the　Comte　de　Mortsauf　（in　〃The

Lily　of　the　Valley〃）；　in　the　〃Duchesse　de　Langeais；〃　and　the　very

nobleness　of　the　nobility　in　the　〃Marquis　d'Espard。〃　How　then　could　it

be　that　the　race　of　heroes　and　valiant　men　belonging　to　the　proud

house　of　Herouville；　who　gave　the　famous　marshal　to　the　nation；

cardinals　to　the　church；　great　leaders　to　the　Valois；　knights　to　Louis

XIV。；　was　reduced　to　a　little　fragile　being　smaller　than　Butscha？　That

is　a　question　which　we　ask　ourselves　in　more　than　one　salon　in　Paris

when　we　hear　the　greatest　names　of　France　announced；　and　see　the

entrance　of　a　thin；　pinched；　undersized　young　man；　scarcely　possessing

the　breath　of　life；　or　a　premature　old　one；　or　some　whimsical　creature

in　whom　an　observer　can　with　great　difficulty　trace　the　signs　of　a

past　grandeur。　The　dissipations　of　the　reign　of　Louis　XV。；　the　orgies

of　that　fatal　and　egotistic　period；　have　produced　an　effete

generation；　in　which　manners　alone　survive　the　nobler　vanished

qualities；forms；　which　are　the　sole　heritage　our　nobles　have

preserved。　The　abandonment　in　which　Louis　XVI。　was　allowed　to　perish

may　thus　be　explained；　with　some　slight　reservations；　as　a　wretched

result　of　the　reign　of　Madame　de　Pompadour。



The　grand　equerry；　a　fair　young　man　with　blue　eyes　and　a　pallid　face；

was　not　without　a　certain　dignity　of　thought；　but　his　thin；　undersized

figure；　and　the　follies　of　his　aunt　who　had　taken　him　to　the　Vilquins

and　elsewhere　to　pay　his　court；　rendered　him　extremely　diffident。　The

house　of　Herouville　had　already　been　threatened　with　extinction　by　the

deed　of　a　deformed　being　（see　the　〃Enfant　Maudit〃　in　〃Philosophical

Studies〃）。　The　grand　marshal；　that　being　the　family　term　for　the

member　who　was　made　duke　by　Louis　XIII。；　married　at　the　age　of　eighty。

The　young　duke　admired　women；　but　he　placed　them　too　high　and

respected　them　too　much；　in　fact；　he　adored　them；　and　was　only　at　his

ease　with　those　whom　he　could　not　respect。　This　characteristic　caused

him　to　lead　a　double　life。　He　found　compensation　with　women　of　easy

virtue　for　the　worship　to　which　he　surrendered　himself　in　the　salons；

or；　if　you　like；　the　boudoirs；　of　the　faubourg　Saint…Germain。　Such

habits　and　his　puny　figure；　his　suffering　face　with　its　blue　eyes

turning　upward　in　ecstasy；　increased　the　ridicule　already　bestowed

upon　him；very　unjustly　bestowed；　as　it　happened；　for　he　was　full　of

wit　and　delicacy；　but　his　wit；　which　never　sparkled；　only　showed

itself　when　he　felt　at　ease。　Fanny　Beaupre；　an　actress　who　was

supposed　to　be　his　nearest　friend　（at　a　price）；　called　him　〃a　sound

wine　so　carefully　corked　that　you　break　all　your　corkscrews。〃　The

beautiful　Duchesse　de　Maufrigneuse；　whom　the　grand　equerry　could　only

worship；　annihilated　him　with　a　speech　which；　unfortunately；　was

repeated　from　mouth　to　mouth；　like　all　such　pretty　and　malicious

sayings。



〃He　always　seems　to　me；〃　she　said；　〃like　one　of　those　jewels　of　fine

workmanship　which　we　exhibit　but　never　wear；　and　keep　in　cotton…wool。〃



Everything　about　him；　even　to　his　absurdly　contrasting　title　of　grand

equerry；　amused　the　good…natured　king；　Charles　X。；　and　made　him　laugh；

although　the　Duc　d'Herouville　justified　his　appointment　in　the

matter　of　being　a　fine　horseman。　Men　are　like　books；　often　understood

and　appreciated　too　late。　Modeste　had　seen　the　duke　during　his

fruitless　visit　to　the　Vilquins；　and　many　of　these　reflections　passed

through　her　mind　as　she　watched　him　come　and　go。　But　under　the

circumstances　in　which　she　now　found　herself；　she　saw　plainly　that　the

courtship　of　the　Duc　d'Herouville　would　save　her　from　being　at　the

mercy　of　either　Canalis。



〃I　see　no　reason；〃　she　said　to　Latournelle；　〃why　the　Duc　d'Herouville

should　not　be　received。　I　have　passed；　in　spite　of　our　indigence；〃　she

continued；　with　a　mischievous　look　at　her　father；　〃to　the　condition　of

heiress。　Haven't　you　observed　Gobenheim's　glances？　They　have　quite

changed　their　character　within　a　week。　He　is　in　despair　at　not　being

able　to　make　his　games　of　whist　count　for　mute　adoration　of　my

charms。〃



〃Hush；　my　darling！〃　cried　Madame　Latournelle；　〃here　he　comes。〃



〃Old　Althor　is　in　despair；〃　said　Gobenheim　to　Monsieur　Mignon　as　he

entered。



〃Why？〃　asked　the　count。



〃Vilquin　is　going　to　fail；　and　the　Bourse　thinks　you　are　worth　several

millions。　What　ill…luck　for　his　son！〃



〃No　one　knows；〃　said　Charles　Mignon；　coldly；　〃what　my　liabilities　in

India　are；　and　I　do　not　intend　to　take　the　public　into　my　confidence

as　to　my　private　affairs。　Dumay；〃　he　whispered　to　his　friend；　〃if

Vilquin　is　embarrassed　we　could　get　back　the　villa　by　paying　him　what

he　gave　for　it。〃



Such　was　the　general　state　of　things；　due　chiefly　to　accident；　when　on

Sunday　morning　Canalis　and　La　Briere　arrived；　with　a　courier　in

advance；　at　the　villa　of　Madame　Amaury。　It　was　known　that　the　Duc

d'Herouville；　his　sister；　and　his　aunt　were　coming　the　following

Tuesday　to　occupy；　also　under　pretext　of　ill…health；　a　hired　house　at

Graville。　This　assemblage　of　suitors　made　the　wits　of　the　Bourse

remark　that；　thanks　to　Mademoiselle　Mignon；　rents　would　rise　at

Ingouville。　〃If　this　goes　on；　she　will　have　a　hospital　here；〃　said　the

younger　Mademoiselle　Vilquin；　vexed　at　not　becoming　a　duchess。



The　everlasting　comedy　of　〃The　Heiress；〃　about　to　be　played　at　the

Chalet；　might　very　well　be　called；　in　view　of　Modeste's　frame　of　mind；

〃The　Designs　of　a　Young　Girl〃；　for　since　the　overthrow　of　her

illusions　she　had　fully　made　up　her　mind　to　give　her　hand　to　no　man

whose　qualifications　did　not　fully　satisfy　her。



The　two　rivals；　still　intimate　friends；　intended　to　pay　their　first

visit　at　the　Chalet　on　the　evening　of　the　day　succeeding　their

arrival。　They　had　spent　Sunday　and　part　of　Monday　in　unpacking　and

arranging　Madame　Amaury's　house　for　a　month's　stay。　The　poet；　always

calculating　effects；　wished　to　make　the　most　of　the　probable

excitement　which　his　arrival　would　case　in　Havre；　and　which　would　of

course　echo　up　to　the　Mignons。　Therefore；　in　his　role　of　a　man　needing

rest；　he　did　not　leave　the　house。　La　Briere　went　twice　to　walk　past

the　Chalet；　though　always　with　a　sense　of　despair；　for　he　feared　to

displease　Modeste；　and　the　future　seemed　to　him　dark　with　clouds。　The

two　friends　came　down　to　dinner　on　Monday　dressed　for　the　momentous

visit。　La　Briere　wore　the　same　clothes　he　had　so　carefully　selected

for　the　famous　Sunday；　but　he　now　felt　like　the　satellite　of　planet；

and　resigned　himself　to　the　uncertainties　of　his　situation。