modeste mignon-第52节

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admiration　for　the　beauties　of　nature　seemed　a　little　too　intense　to

be　natural。



〃Does　Monsieur　de　La　Briere　know　how　to　ride？〃　she　asked；　for　the

purpose　of　teasing　him。



〃Not　very　well；　but　he　gets　along；〃　answered　the　poet；　cold　as

Gobenheim　before　the　colonel's　return。



At　a　cross…road；　which　Monsieur　Mignon　made　them　take　through　a　lovely

valley　to　reach　a　height　overlooking　the　Seine；　Canalis　let　Modeste

and　the　duke　pass　him；　and　then　reined　up　to　join　the　colonel。



〃Monsieur　le　comte；〃　he　said；　〃you　are　an　open…hearted　soldier；　and　I

know　you　will　regard　my　frankness　as　a　title　to　your　esteem。　When

proposals　of　marriage；　with　all　their　brutal；or；　if　you　please；　too

civilizeddiscussions；　are　carried　on　by　third　parties；　it　is　an

injury　to　all。　We　are　both　gentlemen；　and　both　discreet；　and　you；　like

myself；　have　passed　beyond　the　age　of　surprises。　Let　us　therefore

speak　as　intimates。　I　will　set　you　the　example。　I　am　twenty…nine　years

old；　without　landed　estates；　and　full　of　ambition。　Mademoiselle

Modeste；　as　you　must　have　perceived；　pleases　me　extremely。　Now；　in

spite　of　the　little　defects　which　your　dear　girl　likes　to　assume〃



〃not　counting　those　she　really　possesses；〃　said　the　colonel；

smiling；



〃I　should　gladly　make　her　my　wife；　and　I　believe　I　could　render　her

happy。　The　question　of　money　is　of　the　utmost　importance　to　my　future；

which　hangs　to…day　in　the　balance。　All　young　girls　expect　to　be　loved

WHETHER　OR　NOfortune　or　no　fortune。　But　you　are　not　the　man　to　marry

your　dear　Modeste　without　a　'dot；'　and　my　situation　does　not　allow　me

to　make　a　marriage　of　what　is　called　love　unless　with　a　woman　who　has

a　fortune　at　least　equal　to　mine。　I　have；　from　my　emoluments　and

sinecures；　from　the　Academy　and　from　my　works；　about　thirty　thousand

francs　a　year；　a　large　income　for　a　bachelor。　If　my　wife　brought　me　as

much　more；　I　should　still　be　in　about　the　same　condition　that　I　am

now。　Shall　you　give　Mademoiselle　a　million？〃



〃Ah；　monsieur；　we　have　not　reached　that　point　as　yet；〃　said　the

colonel；　Jesuitically。



〃Then　suppose；〃　said　Canalis；　quickly；　〃that　we　go　no　further；　we　will

let　the　matter　drop。　You　shall　have　no　cause　to　complain　of　me；

Monsieur　le　comte；　the　world　shall　consider　me　among　the　unfortunate

suitors　of　your　charming　daughter。　Give　me　your　word　of　honor　to　say

nothing　on　the　subject　to　any　one；　not　even　to　Mademoiselle　Modeste；

because；〃　he　added；　throwing　a　word　of　promise　to　the　ear；　〃my

circumstances　may　so　change　that　I　can　ask　you　for　her　without　'dot。'〃



〃I　promise　you　that；〃　said　the　colonel。　〃You　know；　monsieur；　with　what

assurance　the　public；　both　in　Paris　and　the　provinces；　talk　of

fortunes　that　they　make　and　unmake。　People　exaggerate　both　happiness

and　unhappiness；　we　are　never　so　fortunate　nor　so　unfortunate　as

people　say　we　are。　There　is　nothing　sure　and　certain　in　business

except　investments　in　land。　I　am　awaiting　the　accounts　of　my　agents

with　very　great　impatience。　The　sale　of　my　merchandise　and　my　ship；

and　the　settlement　of　my　affairs　in　China；　are　not　yet　concluded；　and

I　cannot　know　the　full　amount　of　my　fortune　for　at　least　six　months。　I

did；　however；　say　to　Monsieur　de　La　Briere　in　Paris　that　I　would

guarantee　a　'dot'　of　two　hundred　thousand　francs　in　ready　money。　I

wish　to　entail　my　estates；　and　enable　my　grandchildren　to　inherit　my

arms　and　title。〃



Canalis　did　not　listen　to　this　statement　after　the　opening　sentence。

The　four　riders；　having　now　reached　a　wider　road；　went　abreast　and

soon　reached　a　stretch　of　table…land；　from　which　the　eye　took　in　on

one　side　the　rich　valley　of　the　Seine　toward　Rouen；　and　on　the　other

an　horizon　bounded　only　by　the　sea。



〃Butscha　was　right；　God　is　the　greatest　of　all　landscape　painters；〃

said　Canalis；　contemplating　the　view；　which　is　unique　among　the　many

fine　scenes　that　have　made　the　shores　of　the　Seine　so　justly

celebrated。



〃Above　all　do　we　feel　that；　my　dear　baron；〃　said　the　duke；　〃on

hunting…days；　when　nature　has　a　voice；　and　a　lively　tumult　breaks　the

silence；　at　such　times　the　landscape；　changing　rapidly　as　we　ride

through　it；　seems　really　sublime。〃



〃The　sun　is　the　inexhaustible　palette；〃　said　Modeste；　looking　at　the

poet　in　a　species　of　bewilderment。



A　remark　that　she　presently　made　on　his　absence　of　mind　gave　him　an

opportunity　of　saying　that　he　was　just　then　absorbed　in　his　own

thoughts；an　excuse　that　authors　have　more　reason　for　giving　than

other　men。



〃Are　we　really　made　happy　by　carrying　our　lives　into　the　midst　of　the

world；　and　swelling　them　with　all　sorts　of　fictitious　wants　and　over…

excited　vanities？〃　said　Modeste；　moved　by　the　aspect　of　the　fertile

and　billowy　country　to　long　for　a　philosophically　tranquil　life。



〃That　is　a　bucolic；　mademoiselle；　which　is　only　written　on　tablets　of

gold；〃　said　the　poet。



〃And　sometimes　under　garret…roofs；〃　remarked　the　colonel。



Modeste　threw　a　piercing　glance　at　Canalis；　which　he　was　unable　to

sustain；　she　was　conscious　of　a　ringing　in　her　ears；　darkness　seemed

to　spread　before　her；　and　then　she　suddenly　exclaimed　in　icy　tones：



〃Ah！　it　is　Wednesday！〃



〃I　do　not　say　this　to　flatter　your　passing　caprice；　mademoiselle；〃

said　the　duke；　to　whom　the　little　scene；　so　tragical　for　Modeste；　had

left　time　for　thought；　〃but　I　declare　I　am　so　profoundly　disgusted

with　the　world　and　the　Court　and　Paris　that　had　I　a　Duchesse

d'Herouville；　gifted　with　the　wit　and　graces　of　mademoiselle；　I　would

gladly　bind　myself　to　live　like　a　philosopher　at　my　chateau；　doing

good　around　me；　draining　my　marshes；　educating　my　children〃



〃That；　Monsieur　le　duc；　will　be　set　to　the　account　of　your　great

goodness；〃　said　Modeste；　letting　her　eyes　rest　steadily　on　the　noble

gentleman。　〃You　flatter　me　in　not　thinking　me　frivolous；　and　in

believing　that　I　have　enough　resources　within　myself　to　be　able　to

live　in　solitude。　It　is　perhaps　my　lot；〃　she　added；　glancing　at

Canalis；　with　an　expression　of　pity。



〃It　is　the　lot　of　all　insignificant　fortunes；〃　said　the　poet。　〃Paris

demands　Babylonian　splendor。　Sometimes　I　ask　myself　how　I　have　ever

managed　to　keep　it　up。〃



〃The　king　does　that　for　both　of　us；〃　said　the　duke；　candidly；　〃we　live

on　his　Majesty's　bounty。　If　my　family　had　not　been　allowed；　after　the

death　of　Monsieur　le　Grand；　as　they　call　Cinq…Mars；　to　keep　his　office

among　us；　we　should　have　been　obliged　to　sell　Herouville　to　the　Black

Brethren。　Ah；　believe　me；　mademoiselle；　it　is　a　bitter　humiliation　to

me　to　have　to　think　of　money　in　marrying。〃



The　simple　honesty　of　this　confession　came　from　his　heart；　and　the

regret　was　so　sincere　that　it　touched　Modeste。



〃In　these　days；〃　said　the　poet；　〃no　man　in　France；　Monsieur　le　duc；　is

rich　enough　to　marry　a　woman　for　herself；　her　personal　worth；　her

grace；　or　her　beauty〃



The　colonel　looked　at　Canalis　with　a　curious　eye；　after　first　watching

Modeste；　whose　face　no　longer　expressed　the　slightest　astonishment。



〃For　persons　of　high　honor；〃　he　said　slowly；　〃it　is　a　noble　employment

of　wealth　to　repair　the　ravages　of　time　and　destiny；　and　restore　the

old　historic　families。〃



〃Yes；　papa；〃　said　Modeste；　gravely。



The　colonel　invited　the　duke　and　Canalis　to　dine　with　him　sociably　in

their　riding…dress；　promising　them　to　make　no　change　himself。　When

Modeste　went　to　her　room　to　make　her　toilette；　she　looked　at　the

jewelled　whip　she　had　disdained　in　the　morning。



〃What　workmanship　they　put　into　such　things　nowadays！〃　she　said　to

Francoise　Cochet；　who　had　become　her　waiting…maid。



〃That　poor　young　man；　mademoiselle；　who　has　got　a　fever〃



〃Who　told　you　that？〃



〃Monsieur　Butscha。　He　came　here　this　afternoon　and　asked　me　to　say　to

you　that　he　hoped　you　would　notice　he　had　kept　his　word　on　the

appointed　day。〃



Modeste　came　down　into　the　salon　dressed　with　royal　simplicity。



〃My　dear　father；〃　she　said　aloud；　taking　the　colonel　by　the　arm；

〃please　go　and　ask　after　Monsieur　de　La　Briere's　health；　and　take　him

back　his　present。　You　can　say　that　my　small　means；　as　well　as　my

natural　tastes；　forbid　my　wearing　ornaments　which　are　only　fit　for

queens　or　courtesans。　Besides；　I　can　only　accept　gifts　from　a

bridegroom。　Beg　him　to　keep　the　whip　until　you　know　whether　you　are

rich　enough　to　buy　it　back。〃



〃My　little　girl　has　plenty　of　good　sense；〃　said　the　colonel；　kissing

his　daughter　on　the　forehead。



Canalis　took　advantage　of　a　conversation　which　began　between　the　duke

and　Madame　Mignon　to　escape　to　the　terrace；　where　Modeste　joined　him；

influenced　by　curiosity；　though　the　poet　believed　her　desire　to　become

Madame　de　Canalis　had　brought　her　there。　Rather　alarmed　at　the

indecency　with　which　he　had　just　executed　what　soldiers　call　a　〃volte…

face；〃　and　which；　according　to　the　laws　of　ambition；　every　man　in　his

position　would　have　executed　quite　as　brutally；　he　now　endeavored；　as

the　unf