modeste mignon-第45节

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〃He　is　a　poet；〃　said　Gobenheim；　who　overheard　her。



Canalis；　who　was　ten　leagues　above　the　heads　of　his　audience；　and　who

may　have　been　right　in　his　last　philosophical　remark；　took　the　sort　of

coldness　which　now　overspread　the　surrounding　faces　of　a　symptom　of

provincial　ignorance；　but　seeing　that　Modeste　understood　him；　he　was

content；　being　wholly　unaware　that　monologue　is　particularly

disagreeable　to　country…folk；　whose　principal　desire　it　is　to　exhibit

the　manner　of　life　and　the　wit　and　wisdom　of　the　provinces　to

Parisians。



〃It　is　long　since　you　have　seen　the　Duchesse　de　Chaulieu？〃　asked　the

duke；　addressing　Canalis；　as　if　to　change　the　conversation。



〃I　left　her　about　six　days　ago。〃



〃Is　she　well？〃　persisted　the　duke。



〃Perfectly　well。〃



〃Have　the　kindness　to　remember　me　to　her　when　you　write。〃



〃They　say　she　is　charming；〃　remarked　Modeste；　addressing　the　duke。



〃Monsieur　le　baron　can　speak　more　confidently　than　I；〃　replied　the

grand　equerry。



〃More　than　charming；〃　said　Canalis；　making　the　best　of　the　duke's

perfidy；　〃but　I　am　partial；　mademoiselle；　she　has　been　a　friend　to　me

for　the　last　ten　years；　I　owe　all　that　is　good　in　me　to　her；　she　has

saved　me　from　the　dangers　of　the　world。　Moreover；　Monsieur　le　Duc　de

Chaulieu　launched　me　in　my　present　career。　Without　the　influence　of

that　family　the　king　and　the　princesses　would　have　forgotten　a　poor

poet　like　me；　therefore　my　affection　for　the　duchess　must　always　be

full　of　gratitude。〃



His　voice　quivered。



〃We　ought　to　love　the　woman　who　has　led　you　to　write　those　sublime

poems；　and　who　inspires　you　with　such　noble　feelings；〃　said　Modeste；

quite　affected。　〃Who　can　think　of　a　poet　without　a　muse！〃



〃He　would　be　without　a　heart；〃　replied　Canalis。　〃He　would　write　barren

verses　like　Voltaire；　who　never　loved　any　one　but　Voltaire。〃



〃I　thought　you　did　me　the　honor　to　say；　in　Paris；〃　interrupted　Dumay；

〃that　you　never　felt　the　sentiments　you　expressed。〃



〃The　shoe　fits；　my　soldier；〃　replied　the　poet；　smiling；　〃but　let　me

tell　you　that　it　is　quite　possible　to　have　a　great　deal　of　feeling

both　in　the　intellectual　life　and　in　real　life。　My　good　friend　here；

La　Briere；　is　madly　in　love；〃　continued　Canalis；　with　a　fine　show　of

generosity；　looking　at　Modeste。　〃I；　who　certainly　love　as　much　as　he；

that　is；　I　think　so　unless　I　delude　myself；well；　I　can　give　to　my

love　a　literary　form　in　harmony　with　its　character。　But　I　dare　not

say；　mademoiselle；〃　he　added；　turning　to　Modeste　with　too　studied　a

grace；　〃that　to…morrow　I　may　not　be　without　inspiration。〃



Thus　the　poet　triumphed　over　all　obstacles。　In　honor　of　his　love　he

rode　a…tilt　at　the　hindrances　that　were　thrown　in　his　way；　and　Modeste

remained　wonder…struck　at　the　Parisian　wit　that　scintillated　in　his

declamatory　discourse；　of　which　she　had　hitherto　known　little　or

nothing。



〃What　an　acrobat！〃　whispered　Butscha　to　Latournelle；　after　listening

to　a　magnificent　tirade　on　the　Catholic　religion　and　the　happiness　of

having　a　pious　wife；served　up　in　response　to　a　remark　by　Madame

Mignon。



Modeste's　eyes　were　blindfolded　as　it　were；　Canalis's　elocution　and

the　close　attention　which　she　was　predetermined　to　pay　to　him

prevented　her　from　seeing　that　Butscha　was　carefully　noting　the

declamation；　the　want　of　simplicity；　the　emphasis　that　took　the　place

of　feeling；　and　the　curious　incoherencies　in　the　poet's　speech　which

led　the　dwarf　to　make　his　rather　cruel　comment。　At　certain　points　of

Canalis's　discourse；　when　Monsieur　Mignon；　Dumay；　Butscha；　and

Latournelle　wondered　at　the　man's　utter　want　of　logic；　Modeste　admired

his　suppleness；　and　said　to　herself；　as　she　dragged　him　after　her

through　the　labyrinth　of　fancy；　〃He　loves　me！〃　Butscha；　in　common　with

the　other　spectators　of　what　we　must　call　a　stage　scene；　was　struck

with　the　radiant　defect　of　all　egoists；　which　Canalis；　like　many　men

accustomed　to　perorate；　allowed　to　be　too　plainly　seen。　Whether　he

understood　beforehand　what　the　person　he　was　speaking　to　meant　to　say；

whether　he　was　not　listening；　or　whether　he　had　the　faculty　of

listening　when　he　was　thinking　of　something　else；　it　is　certain　that

Melchior's　face　wore　an　absent…minded　look　in　conversation；　which

disconcerted　the　ideas　of　others　and　wounded　their　vanity。　Not　to

listen　is　not　merely　a　want　of　politeness；　it　is　a　mark　of　disrespect。

Canalis　pushed　this　habit　too　far；　for　he　often　forgot　to　answer　a

speech　which　required　an　answer；　and　passed；　without　the　ordinary

transitions　of　courtesy；　to　the　subject；　whatever　it　was；　that

preoccupied　him。　Though　such　impertinence　is　accepted　without　protest

from　a　man　of　marked　distinction；　it　stirs　a　leaven　of　hatred　and

vengeance　in　many　hearts；　in　those　of　equals　it　even　goes　so　far　as　to

destroy　a　friendship。　If　by　chance　Melchior　was　forced　to　listen；　he

fell　into　another　fault；　he　merely　lent　his　attention；　and　never　gave

it。　Though　this　may　not　be　so　mortifying；　it　shows　a　kind　of　semi…

concession　which　is　almost　as　unsatisfactory　to　the　hearer　and　leaves

him　dissatisfied。　Nothing　brings　more　profit　in　the　commerce　of

society　than　the　small　change　of　attention。　He　that　heareth　let　him

hear；　is　not　only　a　gospel　precept；　it　is　an　excellent　speculation；

follow　it；　and　all　will　be　forgiven　you；　even　vice。　Canalis　took　a

great　deal　of　trouble　in　his　anxiety　to　please　Modeste；　but　though　he

was　compliant　enough　with　her；　he　fell　back　into　his　natural　self　with

the　others。



Modeste；　pitiless　for　the　ten　martyrs　she　was　making；　begged　Canalis

to　read　some　of　his　poems；　she　wanted；　she　said；　a　specimen　of　his

gift　for　reading；　of　which　she　had　heard　so　much。　Canalis　took　the

volume　which　she　gave　him；　and　cooed　（for　that　is　the　proper　word）　a

poem　which　is　generally　considered　his　finest；an　imitation　of

Moore's　〃Loves　of　the　Angels；〃　entitled　〃Vitalis；〃　which　Monsieur　and

Madame　Dumay；　Madame　Latournelle；　and　Gobenheim　welcomed　with　a　few

yawns。



〃If　you　are　a　good　whist…player；　monsieur；〃　said　Gobenheim；

flourishing　five　cards　held　like　a　fan；　〃I　must　say　I　have　never　met　a

man　as　accomplished　as　you。〃



The　remark　raised　a　laugh；　for　it　was　the　translation　of　everybody's

thought。



〃I　play　it　sufficiently　well　to　live　in　the　provinces　for　the　rest　of

my　days；〃　replied　Canalis。　〃That；　I　think；　is　enough；　and　more　than

enough　literature　and　conversation　for　whist…players；〃　he　added；

throwing　the　volume　impatiently　on　a　table。



This　little　incident　serves　to　show　what　dangers　environ　a　drawing…

room　hero　when　he　steps；　like　Canalis；　out　of　his　sphere；　he　is　like

the　favorite　actor　of　a　second…rate　audience；　whose　talent　is　lost

when　he　leaves　his　own　boards　and　steps　upon　those　of　an　upper…class

theatre。







CHAPTER　XXI



MODESTE　PLAYS　HER　PART



The　game　opened　with　the　baron　and　the　duke；　Gobenheim　and　Latournelle

as　partners。　Modeste　took　a　seat　near　the　poet；　to　Ernest's　deep

disappointment；　he　watched　the　face　of　the　wayward　girl；　and　marked

the　progress　of　the　fascination　which　Canalis　exerted　over　her。　La

Briere　had　not　the　gift　of　seduction　which　Melchior　possessed。　Nature

frequently　denies　it　to　true　hearts；　who　are；　as　a　rule；　timid。　This

gift　demands　fearlessness；　an　alacrity　of　ways　and　means　that　might　be

called　the　trapeze　of　the　mind；　a　little　mimicry　goes　with　it；　in　fact

there　is　always；　morally　speaking；　something　of　the　comedian　in　a

poet。　There　is　a　vast　difference　between　expressing　sentiments　we　do

not　feel；　though　we　may　imagine　all　their　variations；　and　feigning　to

feel　them　when　bidding　for　success　on　the　theatre　of　private　life。　And

yet；　though　the　necessary　hypocrisy　of　a　man　of　the　world　may　have

gangrened　a　poet；　he　ends　by　carrying　the　faculties　of　his　talent　into

the　expression　of　any　required　sentiment；　just　as　a　great　man　doomed

to　solitude　ends　by　infusing　his　heart　into　his　mind。



〃He　is　after　the　millions；〃　thought　La　Briere；　sadly；　〃and　he　can　play

passion　so　well　that　Modeste　will　believe　him。〃



Instead　of　endeavoring　to　appear　more　amiable　and　wittier　than　his

rival；　Ernest　imitated　the　Duc　d'Herouville；　and　was　gloomy；　anxious；

and　watchful；　but　whereas　the　courier　studied　the　freaks　of　the　young

heiress；　Ernest　simply　fell　a　prey　to　the　pains　of　dark　and

concentrated　jealousy。　He　had　not　yet　been　able　to　obtain　a　glance

from　his　idol。　After　a　while　he　left　the　room　with　Butscha。



〃It　is　all　over！〃　he　said；　〃she　is　caught　by　him；　I　am　more

disagreeable　to　her；　and　moreover；　she　is　right。　Canalis　is　charming；

there's　intellect　in　his　silence；　passion　in　his　eyes；　poetry　in　his

rhodomontades。〃



〃Is　he　an　honest　man？〃　asked　Butscha。



〃Oh；　yes；〃　replied　La　Briere。　〃He　is　loyal　and　chivalrous；　and　capable

of　getting　rid；　under　Modeste's　influence；　of　those　affectations　which

Madame　de　Chaulieu　has　taught　him。〃



〃You　are　a　fine　fellow；〃　said　the　h