modeste mignon-第43节

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arms。〃



〃Oh；　if　it　comes　to　disguising　himself；　HE　will　not　make　any

difficulty；〃　said　Modeste；　scornfully。



Butscha　did　not　understand　this　epigram；　whose　meaning　could　only　be

guessed　by　Monsieur　and　Madame　Mignon　and　Dumay。



〃When　it　is　a　question　of　marriage；　all　men　disguise　themselves；〃

remarked　Latournelle；　〃and　women　set　them　the　example。　I've　heard　it

said　ever　since　I　came　into　the　world　that　'Monsieur　this　or

Mademoiselle　that　has　made　a　good　marriage；'meaning　that　the　other

side　had　made　a　bad　one。〃



〃Marriage；〃　said　Butscha；　〃is　like　a　lawsuit；　there's　always　one　side

discontented。　If　one　dupes　the　other；　certainly　half　the　husbands　in

the　world　are　playing　a　comedy　at　the　expense　of　the　other　half。〃



〃From　which　you　conclude；　Sieur　Butscha？〃　inquired　Modeste。



〃To　pay　the　utmost　attention　to　the　manoeuvres　of　the　enemy；〃　answered

the　clerk。



〃What　did　I　tell　you；　my　darling？〃　said　Charles　Mignon；　alluding　to

their　conversation　on　the　seashore。



〃Men　play　as　many　parts　to　get　married　as　mothers　make　their　daughters

play　to　get　rid　of　them；〃　said　Latournelle。



〃Then　you　approve　of　stratagems？〃　said　Modeste。



〃On　both　sides；〃　cried　Gobenheim；　〃and　that　brings　it　even。〃



This　conversation　was　carried　on　by　fits　and　starts；　as　they　say；　in

the　intervals　of　cutting　and　dealing　the　cards；　and　it　soon　turned

chiefly　on　the　merits　of　the　Duc　d'Herouville；　who　was　thought　very

good…looking　by　little　Latournelle；　little　Dumay；　and　little　Butscha。

Without　the　foregoing　discussion　on　the　lawfulness　of　matrimonial

tricks；　the　reader　might　possibly　find　the　forthcoming　account　of　the

evening　so　impatiently　awaited　by　Butscha；　somewhat　too　long。



Desplein；　the　famous　surgeon；　arrived　the　next　morning；　and　stayed

only　long　enough　to　send　to　Havre　for　fresh　horses　and　have　them　put…

to；　which　took　about　an　hour。　After　examining　Madame　Mignon's　eyes；　he

decided　that　she　could　recover　her　sight；　and　fixed　a　suitable　time；　a

month　later；　to　perform　the　operation。　This　important　consultation

took　place　before　the　assembled　members　of　the　Chalet；　who　stood

trembling　and　expectant　to　hear　the　verdict　of　the　prince　of　science。

That　illustrious　member　of　the　Academy　of　Sciences　put　about　a　dozen

brief　questions　to　the　blind　woman　as　he　examined　her　eyes　in　the

strong　light　from　a　window。　Modeste　was　amazed　at　the　value　which　a

man　so　celebrated　attached　to　time；　when　she　saw　the　travelling…

carriage　piled　with　books　which　the　great　surgeon　proposed　to　read

during　the　journey；　for　he　had　left　Paris　the　evening　before；　and　had

spent　the　night　in　sleeping　and　travelling。　The　rapidity　and　clearness

of　Desplein's　judgment　on　each　answer　made　by　Madame　Mignon；　his

succinct　tone；　his　decisive　manner；　gave　Modeste　her　first　real　idea

of　a　man　of　genius。　She　perceived　the　enormous　difference　between　a

second…rate　man；　like　Canalis；　and　Desplein；　who　was　even　more　than　a

superior　man。　A　man　of　genius　finds　in　the　consciousness　of　his　talent

and　in　the　solidity　of　his　fame　an　arena　of　his　own；　where　his

legitimate　pride　can　expand　and　exercise　itself　without　interfering

with　others。　Moreover；　his　perpetual　struggle　with　men　and　things

leave　them　no　time　for　the　coxcombry　of　fashionable　genius；　which

makes　haste　to　gather　in　the　harvests　of　a　fugitive　season；　and　whose

vanity　and　self…love　are　as　petty　and　exacting　as　a　custom…house　which

levies　tithes　on　all　that　comes　in　its　way。



Modeste　was　the　more　enchanted　by　this　great　practical　genius；　because

he　was　evidently　charmed　with　the　exquisite　beauty　of　Modeste；he；

through　whose　hands　so　many　women　had　passed；　and　who　had　long　since

examined　the　sex；　as　it　were；　with　magnifier　and　scalpel。



〃It　would　be　a　sad　pity；〃　he　said；　with　an　air　of　gallantry　which　he

occasionally　put　on；　and　which　contrasted　with　his　assumed

brusqueness；　〃if　a　mother　were　deprived　of　the　sight　of　so　charming　a

daughter。〃



Modeste　insisted　on　serving　the　simple　breakfast　which　was　all　the

great　surgeon　would　accept。　She　accompanied　her　father　and　Dumay　to

the　carriage　stationed　at　the　garden…gate；　and　said　to　Desplein　at

parting；　her　eyes　shining　with　hope；



〃And　will　my　dear　mamma　really　see　me？〃



〃Yes；　my　little　sprite；　I'll　promise　you　that；〃　he　answered；　smiling；

〃and　I　am　incapable　of　deceiving　you；　for　I；　too；　have　a　daughter。〃



The　horses　started　and　carried　him　off　as　he　uttered　the　last　words

with　unexpected　grace　and　feeling。　Nothing　is　more　charming　than　the

peculiar　unexpectedness　of　persons　of　talent。







CHAPTER　XX



THE　POET　DOES　HIS　EXERCISES



This　visit　of　the　great　surgeon　was　the　event　of　the　day；　and　it　left

a　luminous　trace　in　Modeste's　soul。　The　young　enthusiast　ardently

admired　the　man　whose　life　belonged　to　others；　and　in　whom　the　habit

of　studying　physical　suffering　had　destroyed　the　manifestations　of

egoism。　That　evening；　when　Gobenheim；　the　Latournelles；　and　Butscha；

Canalis；　Ernest；　and　the　Duc　d'Herouville　were　gathered　in　the　salon；

they　all　congratulated　the　Mignon　family　on　the　hopes　which　Desplein

encouraged。　The　conversation；　in　which　the　Modeste　of　her　letters　was

once　more　in　the　ascendant；　turned　naturally　on　the　man　whose　genius；

unfortunately　for　his　fame；　was　appreciable　only　by　the　faculty　and

men　of　science。　Gobenheim　contributed　a　phrase　which　is　the　sacred

chrism　of　genius　as　interpreted　in　these　days　by　public　economists　and

bankers；



〃He　makes　a　mint　of　money。〃



〃They　say　he　is　very　grasping；〃　added　Canalis。



The　praises　which　Modeste　showered　on　Desplein　had　annoyed　the　poet。

Vanity　acts　like　a　woman；they　both　think　they　are　defrauded　when

love　or　praise　is　bestowed　on　others。　Voltaire　was　jealous　of　the　wit

of　a　roue　whom　Paris　admired　for　two　days；　and　even　a　duchess　takes

offence　at　a　look　bestowed　upon　her　maid。　The　avarice　excited　by　these

two　sentiments　is　such　that　a　fraction　of　them　given　to　the　poor　is

thought　robbery。



〃Do　you　think；　monsieur；〃　said　Modeste；　smiling；　〃that　we　should　judge

genius　by　ordinary　standards？〃



〃Perhaps　we　ought　first　of　all　to　define　the　man　of　genius；〃　replied

Canalis。　〃One　of　the　conditions　of　genius　is　invention；invention　of

a　form；　a　system；　a　force。　Napoleon　was　an　inventor；　apart　from　his

other　conditions　of　genius。　He　invented　his　method　of　making　war。

Walter　Scott　is　an　inventor；　Linnaeus　is　an　inventor；　Geoffrey　Saint…

Hilaire　and　Cuvier　are　inventors。　Such　men　are　men　of　genius　of　the

first　rank。　They　renew；　increase；　or　modify　both　science　and　art。　But

Desplein　is　merely　a　man　whose　vast　talent　consists　in　properly

applying　laws　already　known；　in　observing；　by　means　of　a　natural　gift；

the　limits　laid　down　for　each　temperament；　and　the　time　appointed　by

Nature　for　an　operation。　He　has　not　founded；　like　Hippocrates；　the

science　itself。　He　has　invented　no　system；　as　did　Galen；　Broussais；

and　Rasori。　He　is　merely　an　executive　genius；　like　Moscheles　on　the

piano；　Paganini　on　the　violin；　or　Farinelli　on　his　own　larynx；men

who　have　developed　enormous　faculties；　but　who　have　not　created　music。

You　must　permit　me　to　discriminate　between　Beethoven　and　la　Catalani：

to　one　belongs　the　immortal　crown　of　genius　and　of　martyrdom；　to　the

other　innumerable　five…franc　pieces；　one　we　can　pay　in　coin；　but　the

world　remains　throughout　all　time　a　debtor　to　the　other。　Each　day

increases　our　debt　to　Moliere；　but　Baron's　comedies　have　been

overpaid。〃



〃I　think　you　make　the　prerogative　of　ideas　too　exclusive；〃　said　Ernest

de　La　Briere；　in　a　quiet　and　melodious　voice；　which　formed　a　sudden

contrast　to　the　peremptory　tones　of　the　poet；　whose　flexible　organ　had

abandoned　its　caressing　notes　for　the　strident　and　magisterial　voice

of　the　rostrum。　〃Genius　must　be　estimated　according　to　its　utility；

and　Parmentier；　who　brought　potatoes　into　general　use；　Jacquart；　the

inventor　of　silk　looms；　Papin；　who　first　discovered　the　elastic

quality　of　steam；　are　men　of　genius；　to　whom　statues　will　some　day　be

erected。　They　have　changed；　or　they　will　change　in　a　certain　sense；

the　face　of　the　State。　It　is　in　that　sense　that　Desplein　will　always

be　considered　a　man　of　genius　by　thinkers；　they　see　him　attended　by　a

generation　of　sufferers　whose　pains　are　stifled　by　his　hand。〃



That　Ernest　should　give　utterance　to　this　opinion　was　enough　to　make

Modeste　oppose　it。



〃If　that　be　so；　monsieur；〃　she　said；　〃then　the　man　who　could　discover

a　way　to　mow　wheat　without　injuring　the　straw；　by　a　machine　that　could

do　the　work　of　ten　men；　would　be　a　man　of　genius。〃



〃Yes；　my　daughter；〃　said　Madame　Mignon；　〃and　the　poor　would　bless　him

for　cheaper　bread；he　that　is　blessed　by　the　poor　is　blessed　of　God。〃



〃That　is　putting　utility　above　art；〃　said　Modeste；　shaking　her　head。



〃Without　utility　what　would　become　of　art？〃　said　Charles　Mignon。　〃What

would　it　rest　on？　what　would　it　live　on？　Where