modeste mignon-第54节

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



〃Can　he　compete；　pray；　with　an　office　under　the　Crown？　There　are　but

six；　grand　almoner；　chancellor；　grand　chamberlain；　grand　master；　high

constable；　grand　admiral；but　they　don't　appoint　high　constables　any

longer。〃



〃In　six　months；　mademoiselle；　the　masseswho　are　made　up　of　wicked

Butschascould　send　all　those　grand　dignities　to　the　winds。　Besides；

what　signifies　nobility　in　these　days？　There　are　not　a　thousand　real

noblemen　in　France。　The　d'Herouvilles　are　descended　from　a　tipstaff　in

the　time　of　Robert　of　Normandy。　You　will　have　to　put　up　with　many　a

vexation　from　the　old　aunt　with　the　furrowed　face。　Look　here；as　you

are　so　anxious　for　the　title　of　duchess；you　belong　to　the　Comtat；

and　the　Pope　will　certainly　think　as　much　of　you　as　he　does　of　all

those　merchants　down　there；　he'll　sell　you　a　duchy　with　some　name

ending　in　'ia'　or　'agno。'　Don't　play　away　your　happiness　for　an　office

under　the　Crown。〃







CHAPTER　XXV



A　DIPLOMATIC　LETTER



The　poet's　reflections　during　the　night　were　thoroughly　matter…of

fact。　He　sincerely　saw　nothing　worse　in　life　than　the　situation　of　a

married　man　without　money。　Still　trembling　at　the　danger　he　had　been

led　into　by　his　vanity；　his　desire　to　get　the　better　of　the　duke；　and

his　belief　in　the　Mignon　millions；　he　began　to　ask　himself　what　the

duchess　must　be　thinking　of　his　stay　in　Havre；　aggravated　by　the　fact

that　he　had　not　written　to　her　for　fourteen　days；　whereas　in　Paris

they　exchanged　four　or　five　letters　a　week。



〃And　that　poor　woman　is　working　hard　to　get　me　appointed　commander　of

the　Legion　and　ambassador　to　the　Court　of　Baden！〃　he　cried。



Thereupon；　with　that　promptitude　of　decision　which　resultsin　poets

as　well　as　in　speculatorsfrom　a　lively　intuition　of　the　future；　he

sat　down　and　composed　the　following　letter：



　　To　Madame　la　Duchesse　de　Chaulieu：



　　My　dear　Eleonore；You　have　doubtless　been　surprised　at　not

　　hearing　from　me；　but　the　stay　I　am　making　in　this　place　is　not

　　altogether　on　account　of　my　health。　I　have　been　trying　to　do　a

　　good　turn　to　our　little　friend　La　Briere。　The　poor　fellow　has

　　fallen　in　love　with　a　certain　Mademoiselle　Modeste　de　La　Bastie；　a

　　rather　pale；　insignificant；　and　thread…papery　little　thing；　who；

　　by　the　way；　has　the　vice　of　liking　literature；　and　calls　herself　a

　　poet　to　excuse　the　caprices　and　humors　of　a　rather　sullen　nature。

　　You　know　Ernest；he　is　so　easy　to　catch　that　I　have　been　afraid

　　to　leave　him　to　himself。　Mademoiselle　de　La　Bastie　was　inclined　to

　　coquet　with　your　Melchior；　and　was　only　too　ready　to　become　your

　　rival；　though　her　arms　are　thin；　and　she　has　no　more　bust　than

　　most　girls；　moreover；　her　hair　is　as　dead　and　colorless　as　that　of

　　Madame　de　Rochefide；　and　her　eyes　small；　gray；　and　very

　　suspicious。　I　put　a　stopperhaps　rather　brutallyto　the

　　attentions　of　Mademoiselle　Immodeste；　but　love；　such　as　mine　for

　　you；　demanded　it。　What　care　I　for　all　the　women　on　earth；

　　compared　to　you；　what　are　they？



　　The　people　with　whom　I　pass　my　time；　and　who　form　the　circle　round

　　the　heiress；　are　so　thoroughly　bourgeois　that　they　almost　turn　my

　　stomach。　Pity　me；　imagine！　I　pass　my　evenings　with　notaries；

　　notaresses；　cashiers；　provincial　money…lendersah！　what　a　change

　　from　my　evenings　in　the　rue　de　Grenelle。　The　alleged　fortune　of

　　the　father；　lately　returned　from　China；　has　brought　to　Havre　that

　　indefatigable　suitor；　the　grand　equerry；　hungry　after　the

　　millions；　which　he　wants；　they　say；　to　drain　his　marshes。　The　king

　　does　not　know　what　a　fatal　present　he　made　the　duke　in　those　waste

　　lands。　His　Grace；　who　has　not　yet　found　out　that　the　lady　had　only

　　a　small　fortune；　is　jealous　of　ME；　for　La　Briere　is　quietly　making

　　progress　with　his　idol　under　cover　of　his　friend；　who　serves　as　a

　　blind。



　　Notwithstanding　Ernest's　romantic　ecstasies；　I　myself；　a　poet；

　　think　chiefly　of　the　essential　thing；　and　I　have　been　making　some

　　inquiries　which　darken　the　prospects　of　our　friend。　If　my　angel

　　would　like　absolution　for　some　of　our　little　sins；　she　will　try　to

　　find　out　the　facts　of　the　case　by　sending　for　Mongenod；　the

　　banker；　and　questioning　him；　with　the　dexterity　that　characterizes

　　her；　as　to　the　father's　fortune？　Monsieur　Mignon；　formerly　colonel

　　of　cavalry　in　the　Imperial　guard；　has　been　for　the　last　seven

　　years　a　correspondent　of　the　Mongenods。　It　is　said　that　he　gives

　　his　daughter　a　〃dot〃　of　two　hundred　thousand　francs；　and　before　I

　　make　the　offer　on　Ernest's　behalf　I　am　anxious　to　get　the　rights

　　of　the　story。　As　soon　as　the　affair　is　arranged　I　shall　return　to

　　Paris。　I　know　a　way　to　settle　everything　to　the　advantage　of　our

　　young　lover；simply　by　the　transmission　of　the　father…in…law's

　　title；　and　no　one；　I　think；　can　more　readily　obtain　that　favor

　　than　Ernest；　both　on　account　of　his　own　services　and　the　influence

　　which　you　and　I　and　the　duke　can　exert　for　him。　With　his　tastes；

　　Ernest；　who　of　course　will　step　into　my　office　when　I　go　to　Baden；

　　will　be　perfectly　happy　in　Paris　with　twenty…five　thousand　francs

　　a　year；　a　permanent　place；　and　a　wifeluckless　fellow！



　　Ah；　dearest；　how　I　long　for　the　rue　de　Grenelle！　Fifteen　days　of

　　absence！　when　they　do　not　kill　love；　they　revive　all　the　ardor　of

　　its　earlier　days；　and　you　know；　better　than　I；　perhaps；　the

　　reasons　that　make　my　love　eternal；my　bones　will　love　thee　in　the

　　grave！　Ah！　I　cannot　bear　this　separation。　If　I　am　forced　to　stay

　　here　another　ten　days；　I　shall　make　a　flying　visit　of　a　few　hours

　　to　Paris。



　　Has　the　duke　obtained　for　me　the　thing　we　wanted；　and　shall　you；

　　my　dearest　life；　be　ordered　to　drink　the　Baden　waters　next　year？

　　The　billing　and　cooing　of　the　〃handsome　disconsolate；〃　compared

　　with　the　accents　of　our　happy　loveso　true　and　changeless　for　now

　　ten　years！have　given　me　a　great　contempt　for　marriage。　I　had

　　never　seen　the　thing　so　near。　Ah；　dearest！　what　the　world　calls　a

　　〃false　step〃　brings　two　beings　nearer　together　than　the　lawdoes

　　it　not？



The　concluding　idea　served　as　a　text　for　two　pages　of　reminiscences

and　aspirations　a　little　too　confidential　for　publication。



The　evening　before　the　day　on　which　Canalis　put　the　above　epistle　into

the　post；　Butscha；　under　the　name　of　Jean　Jacmin；　had　received　a

letter　from　his　fictitious　cousin；　Philoxene；　and　had　mailed　his

answer；　which　thus　preceded　the　letter　of　the　poet　by　about　twelve

hours。　Terribly　anxious　for　the　last　two　weeks；　and　wounded　by

Melchior's　silence；　the　duchess　herself　dictated　Philoxene's　letter　to

her　cousin；　and　the　moment　she　had　read　the　answer；　rather　too

explicit　for　her　quinquagenary　vanity；　she　sent　for　the　banker　and

made　close　inquiries　as　to　the　exact　fortune　of　Monsieur　Mignon。

Finding　herself　betrayed　and　abandoned　for　the　millions；　Eleonore　gave

way　to　a　paroxysm　of　anger；　hatred；　and　cold　vindictiveness。　Philoxene

knocked　at　the　door　of　the　sumptuous　room；　and　entering　found　her

mistress　with　her　eyes　full　of　tears；so　unprecedented　a　phenomenon

in　the　fifteen　years　she　had　waited　upon　her　that　the　woman　stopped

short　stupefied。



〃We　expiate　the　happiness　of　ten　years　in　ten　minutes；〃　she　heard　the

duchess　say。



〃A　letter　from　Havre；　madame。〃



Eleonore　read　the　poet's　prose　without　noticing　the　presence　of

Philoxene；　whose　amazement　became　still　greater　when　she　saw　the　dawn

of　fresh　serenity　on　the　duchess's　face　as　she　read　further　and

further　into　the　letter。　Hold　out　a　pole　no　thicker　than　a　walking…

stick　to　a　drowning　man；　and　he　will　think　it　a　high…road　of　safety。

The　happy　Eleonore　believed　in　Canalis's　good　faith　when　she　had　read

through　the　four　pages　in　which　love　and　business；　falsehood　and

truth；　jostled　each　other。　She　who；　a　few　moments　earlier；　had　sent

for　her　husband　to　prevent　Melchior's　appointment　while　there　was

still　time；　was　now　seized　with　a　spirit　of　generosity　that　amounted

almost　to　the　sublime。



〃Poor　fellow！〃　she　thought；　〃he　has　not　had　one　faithless　thought；　he

loves　me　as　he　did　on　the　first　day；　he　tells　me　allPhiloxene！〃　she

cried；　noticing　her　maid；　who　was　standing　near　and　pretending　to

arrange　the　toilet…table。



〃Madame　la　duchesse？〃



〃A　mirror；　child！〃



Eleonore　looked　at　herself；　saw　the　fine　razor…like　lines　traced　on

her　brow；　which　disappeared　at　a　little　distance；　she　sighed；　and　in

that　sigh　she　felt　she　bade　adieu　to　love。　A　brave　thought　came　into

her　mind；　a　manly　thought；　outside　of　all　the　pettiness　of　women；a

thought　which　intoxicates　for　a　moment；　and　which　explains；　perhaps；

the　clemency　of　the　Semiramis　of　Russia　when　she　married　her　young　and

beautiful　rival　to　Momonoff。



〃Since　he　has　not　been　faithless；　he　shall　have　the　girl　and　her

millions；〃　she　thought；〃provided　Mademoiselle　Mignon　is　as　ugly　as

he　says　sh