modeste mignon-第53节

按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！



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

the　unfortunate　Modeste　approached　him；　to　find　plausible　excuses　for

his　conduct。



〃Dear　Modeste；〃　he　began；　in　a　coaxing　tone；　〃considering　the　terms　on

which　we　stand　to　each　other；　shall　I　displease　you　if　I　say　that　your

replies　to　the　Duc　d'Herouville　were　very　painful　to　a　man　in　love；

above　all；　to　a　poet　whose　soul　is　feminine；　nervous；　full　of　the

jealousies　of　true　passion。　I　should　make　a　poor　diplomatist　indeed　if

I　had　not　perceived　that　your　first　coquetries；　your　little

premeditated　inconsistencies；　were　only　assumed　for　the　purpose　of

studying　our　characters〃



Modeste　raised　her　head　with　the　rapid；　intelligent；　half…coquettish

motion　of　a　wild　animal；　in　whom　instinct　produces　such　miracles　of

grace。



〃and　therefore　when　I　returned　home　and　thought　them　over；　they

never　misled　me。　I　only　marvelled　at　a　cleverness　so　in　harmony　with

your　character　and　your　countenance。　Do　not　be　uneasy；　I　never　doubted

that　your　assumed　duplicity　covered　an　angelic　candor。　No；　your　mind；

your　education；　have　in　no　way　lessened　the　precious　innocence　which

we　demand　in　a　wife。　You　are　indeed　a　wife　for　a　poet；　a　diplomatist；

a　thinker；　a　man　destined　to　endure　the　chances　and　changes　of　life；

and　my　admiration　is　equalled　only　by　the　attachment　I　feel　to　you。　I

now　entreat　youif　yesterday　you　were　not　playing　a　little　comedy

when　you　accepted　the　love　of　a　man　whose　vanity　will　change　to　pride

if　you　accept　him；　one　whose　defects　will　become　virtues　under　your

divine　influenceI　entreat　you　do　not　excite　a　passion　which；　in　him；

amounts　to　vice。　Jealousy　is　a　noxious　element　in　my　soul；　and　you

have　revealed　to　me　its　strength；　it　is　awful；　it　destroys　everything

Oh！　I　do　not　mean　the　jealousy　of　an　Othello；〃　he　continued；

noticing　Modeste's　gesture。　〃No；　no；　my　thoughts　were　of　myself：　I

have　been　so　indulged　on　that　point。　You　know　the　affection　to　which　I

owe　all　the　happiness　I　have　ever　enjoyed；very　little　at　the　best〃

（he　sadly　shook　his　head）。　〃Love　is　symbolized　among　all　nations　as　a

child；　because　it　fancies　the　world　belongs　to　it；　and　it　cannot

conceive　otherwise。　Well；　Nature　herself　set　the　limit　to　that

sentiment。　It　was　still…born。　A　tender；　maternal　soul　guessed　and

calmed　the　painful　constriction　of　my　heart；for　a　woman　who　feels；

who　knows；　that　she　is　past　the　joys　of　love　becomes　angelic　in　her

treatment　of　others。　The　duchess　has　never　made　me　suffer　in　my

sensibilities。　For　ten　years　not　a　word；　not　a　look；　that　could　wound

me！　I　attach　more　value　to　words；　to　thoughts；　to　looks；　than　ordinary

men。　If　a　look　is　to　me　a　treasure　beyond　all　price；　the　slightest

doubt　is　deadly　poison；　it　acts　instantaneously；　my　love　dies。　I

believecontrary　to　the　mass　of　men；　who　delight　in　trembling；

hoping；　expectingthat　love　can　only　exist　in　perfect；　infantile；　and

infinite　security。　The　exquisite　purgatory；　where　women　delight　to

send　us　by　their　coquetry；　is　a　base　happiness　to　which　I　will　not

submit：　to　me；　love　is　either　heaven　or　hell。　If　it　is　hell；　I　will

have　none　of　it。　I　feel　an　affinity　with　the　azure　skies　of　Paradise

within　my　soul。　I　can　give　myself　without　reserve；　without　secrets；

doubts　or　deceptions；　in　the　life　to　come；　and　I　demand　reciprocity。

Perhaps　I　offend　you　by　these　doubts。　Remember；　however；　that　I　am

only　talking　of　myself〃



〃a　good　deal；　but　never　too　much；〃　said　Modeste；　offended　in　every

hole　and　corner　of　her　pride　by　this　discourse；　in　which　the　Duchesse

de　Chaulieu　served　as　a　dagger。　〃I　am　so　accustomed　to　admire　you；　my

dear　poet。〃



〃Well；　then；　can　you　promise　me　the　same　canine　fidelity　which　I　offer

to　you？　Is　it　not　beautiful？　Is　it　not　just　what　you　have　longed　for？〃



〃But　why；　dear　poet；　do　you　not　marry　a　deaf…mute；　and　one　who　is　also

something　of　an　idiot？　I　ask　nothing　better　than　to　please　my　husband。

But　you　threaten　to　take　away　from　a　girl　the　very　happiness　you　so

kindly　arrange　for　her；　you　are　tearing　away　every　gesture；　every

word；　every　look；　you　cut　the　wings　of　your　bird；　and　then　expect　it

to　hover　about　you。　I　know　poets　are　accused　of　inconsistencyoh！

very　unjustly；〃　she　added；　as　Canalis　made　a　gesture　of　denial；　〃that

alleged　defect　which　comes　from　the　brilliant　activity　of　their　minds

which　commonplace　people　cannot　take　into　account。　I　do　not　believe；

however；　that　a　man　of　genius　can　invent　such　irreconcilable

conditions　and　call　his　invention　life。　You　are　requiring　the

impossible　solely　for　the　pleasure　of　putting　me　in　the　wrong；like

the　enchanters　in　fairy…tales；　who　set　tasks　to　persecuted　young　girls

whom　the　good　fairies　come　and　deliver。〃



〃In　this　case　the　good　fairy　would　be　true　love；〃　said　Canalis　in　a

curt　tone；　aware　that　his　elaborate　excuse　for　a　rupture　was　seen

through　by　the　keen　and　delicate　mind　which　Butscha　had　piloted　so

well。



〃My　dear　poet；　you　remind　me　of　those　fathers　who　inquire　into　a

girl's　'dot'　before　they　are　willing　to　name　that　of　their　son。　You

are　quarrelling　with　me　without　knowing　whether　you　have　the　slightest

right　to　do　so。　Love　is　not　gained　by　such　dry　arguments　as　yours。　The

poor　duke　on　the　contrary　abandons　himself　to　it　like　my　Uncle　Toby；

with　this　difference；　that　I　am　not　the　Widow　Wadman；though　widow

indeed　of　many　illusions　as　to　poetry　at　the　present　moment。　Ah；　yes；

we　young　girls　will　not　believe　in　anything　that　disturbs　our　world　of

fancy！　I　was　warned　of　all　this　beforehand。　My　dear　poet；　you　are

attempting　to　get　up　a　quarrel　which　is　unworthy　of　you。　I　no　longer

recognize　the　Melchior　of　yesterday。〃



〃Because　Melchior　has　discovered　a　spirit　of　ambition　in　you　which〃



Modeste　looked　at　him　from　head　to　foot　with　an　imperial　eye。



〃But　I　shall　be　peer　of　France　and　ambassador　as　well　as　he；〃　added

Canalis。



〃Do　you　take　me　for　a　bourgeois；〃　she　said；　beginning　to　mount　the

steps　of　the　portico；　but　she　instantly　turned　back　and　added；　〃That

is　less　impertinent　than　to　take　me　for　a　fool。　The　change　in　your

conduct　comes　from　certain　silly　rumors　which　you　have　heard　in　Havre；

and　which　my　maid　Francoise　has　repeated　to　me。〃



〃Ah；　Modeste；　how　can　you　think　it？〃　said　Canalis；　striking　a　dramatic

attitude。　〃Do　you　think　me　capable　of　marrying　you　only　for　your

money？〃



〃If　I　do　you　that　wrong　after　your　edifying　remarks　on　the　banks　of

the　Seine　can　you　easily　undeceive　me；〃　she　said；　annihilating　him

with　her　scorn。



〃Ah！〃　thought　the　poet；　as　he　followed　her　into　the　house；　〃if　you

think；　my　little　girl；　that　I'm　to　be　caught　in　that　net；　you　take　me

to　be　younger　than　I　am。　Dear；　dear；　what　a　fuss　about　an　artful

little　thing　whose　esteem　I　value　about　as　much　as　that　of　the　king　of

Borneo。　But　she　has　given　me　a　good　reason　for　the　rupture　by　accusing

me　of　such　unworthy　sentiments。　Isn't　she　sly？　La　Briere　will　get　a

burden　on　his　backidiot　that　he　is！　And　five　years　hence　it　will　be

a　good　joke　to　see　them　together。〃



The　coldness　which　this　altercation　produced　between　Modeste　and

Canalis　was　visible　to　all　eyes　that　evening。　The　poet　went　off　early；

on　the　ground　of　La　Briere's　illness；　leaving　the　field　to　the　grand

equerry。　About　eleven　o'clock　Butscha；　who　had　come　to　walk　home　with

Madame　Latournelle；　whispered　in　Modeste's　ear；　〃Was　I　right？〃



〃Alas；　yes；〃　she　said。



〃But　I　hope　you　have　left　the　door　half　open；　so　that　he　can　come

back；　we　agreed　upon　that；　you　know。〃



〃Anger　got　the　better　of　me；〃　said　Modeste。　〃Such　meanness　sent　the

blood　to　my　head　and　I　told　him　what　I　thought　of　him。〃



〃Well；　so　much　the　better。　When　you　are　both　so　angry　that　you　can't

speak　civilly　to　each　other　I　engage　to　make　him　desperately　in　love

and　so　pressing　that　you　will　be　deceived　yourself。〃



〃Come；　come；　Butscha；　he　is　a　great　poet；　he　is　a　gentleman；　he　is　a

man　of　intellect。〃



〃Your　father's　eight　millions　are　more　to　him　than　all　that。〃



〃Eight　millions！〃　exclaimed　Modeste。



〃My　master；　who　has　sold　his　practice；　is　going　to　Provence　to　attend

to　the　purchase　of　lands　which　your　father's　agent　has　suggested　to

him。　The　sum　that　is　to　be　paid　for　the　estate　of　La　Bastie　is　four

millions；　your　father　has　agreed　to　it。　You　are　to　have　a　'dot'　of　two

millions　and　another　million　for　an　establishment　in　Paris；　a　hotel

and　furniture。　Now；　count　up。〃



〃Ah！　then　I　can　be　Duchesse　d'Herouville！〃　cried　Modeste；　glancing　at

Butscha。



〃If　it　hadn't　been　for　that　comedian　of　a　Canalis　you　would　have　kept

HIS　whip；　thinking　it　came　from　me；〃　said　the　dwarf；　indirectly

pleading　La　Briere's　cause。



〃Monsieur　Butscha；　may　I　ask　if　I　am　to　marry　to　please　you？〃　said

Modeste；　laughing。



〃That　fine　fellow　loves　you　as　well　as　I　do；and　you　loved　him　for

eight　days；〃　retorted　Butscha；　〃and　HE　has　got　a　heart。〃



〃Can　he　compete；　pray；　with　an　off