modeste mignon-第59节

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Diane；　who　was　then　an　object　of　adoration　to　this　charming　young　man；

son　of　a　minister　of　state；　gentleman　in　ordinary　of　the　chamber；　only

son　and　heir　to　an　immense　fortune。　The　Duchesse　de　Maufrigneuse

permitted　his　attentions　solely　for　the　purpose　of　attracting　notice

to　the　age　of　his　mother；　Madame　de　Serizy；　who　was　said；　in　those

chronicles　that　are　whispered　behind　the　fans；　to　have　deprived　her　of

the　heart　of　the　handsome　Lucien　de　Rubempre。



〃You　will　do　us　the　pleasure；　I　hope；　to　remain　at　Rosembray；〃　said

the　severe　duchess　to　the　young　officer。



While　giving　ear　to　every　scandal；　the　devout　lady　shut　her　eyes　to

the　derelictions　of　her　guests　who　had　been　carefully　selected　by　the

duke；　indeed；　it　is　surprising　how　much　these　excellent　women　will

tolerate　under　pretence　of　bringing　the　lost　sheep　back　to　the　fold　by

their　indulgence。



〃We　reckoned　without　our　constitutional　government；〃　said　the　grand

equerry；　〃and　Rosembray；　Madame　la　duchesse；　will　lose　a　great　honor。〃



〃We　shall　be　more　at　our　ease；〃　said　a　tall　thin　old　man；　about

seventy…five　years　of　age；　dressed　in　blue　cloth；　and　wearing　his

hunting…cap　by　permission　of　the　ladies。　This　personage；　who　closely

resembled　the　Duc　de　Bourbon；　was　no　less　than　the　Prince　de　Cadignan；

Master　of　the　Hunt；　and　one　of　the　last　of　the　great　French　lords。

Just　as　La　Briere　was　endeavoring　to　slip　behind　the　sofa　and　obtain　a

moment's　intercourse　with　Modeste；　a　man　of　thirty…eight；　short；　fat；

and　very　common　in　appearance；　entered　the　room。



〃My　son；　the　Prince　de　Loudon；〃　said　the　Duchesse　de　Verneuil　to

Modeste；　who　could　not　restrain　the　expression　of　amazement　that

overspread　her　young　face　on　seeing　the　man　who　bore　the　historical

name　that　the　hero　of　La　Vendee　had　rendered　famous　by　his　bravery　and

the　martyrdom　of　his　death。



〃Gaspard；〃　said　the　duchess；　calling　her　son　to　her。　The　young　prince

came　at　once；　and　his　mother　continued；　motioning　to　Modeste；

〃Mademoiselle　de　La　Bastie；　my　friend。〃



The　heir　presumptive；　whose　marriage　with　Desplein's　only　daughter　had

lately　been　arranged；　bowed　to　the　young　girl　without　seeming　struck；

as　his　father　had　been；　with　her　beauty。　Modeste　was　thus　enabled　to

compare　the　youth　of　to…day　with　the　old　age　of　a　past　epoch；　for　the

old　Prince　de　Cadignan　had　already　said　a　few　words　which　made　her

feel　that　he　rendered　as　true　a　homage　to　womanhood　as　to　royalty。　The

Duc　de　Rhetore；　the　eldest　son　of　the　Duchesse　de　Chaulieu；　chiefly

remarkable　for　manners　that　were　equally　impertinent　and　free　and

easy；　bowed　to　Modeste　rather　cavalierly。　The　reason　of　this　contrast

between　the　fathers　and　the　sons　is　to　be　found；　probably；　in　the　fact

that　young　men　no　longer　feel　themselves　great　beings；　as　their

forefathers　did；　and　they　dispense　with　the　duties　of　greatness；

knowing　well　that　they　are　now　but　the　shadow　of　it。　The　fathers

retain　the　inherent　politeness　of　their　vanished　grandeur；　like　the

mountain…tops　still　gilded　by　the　sun　when　all　is　twilight　in　the

valley。



Ernest　was　at　last　able　to　slip　a　word　into　Modeste's　ear；　and　she

rose　immediately。



〃My　dear；〃　said　the　duchesse；　thinking　she　was　going　to　dress；　and

pulling　a　bell…rope；　〃they　shall　show　you　your　apartment。〃



Ernest　accompanied　Modeste　to　the　foot　of　the　grand　staircase；

presenting　the　request　of　the　luckless　poet；　and　endeavoring　to　touch

her　feelings　by　describing　Melchior's　agony。



〃You　see；　he　loveshe　is　a　captive　who　thought　he　could　break　his

chain。〃



〃Love　in　such　a　rapid　seeker　after　fortune！〃　retorted　Modeste。



〃Mademoiselle；　you　are　at　the　entrance　of　life；　you　do　not　know　its

defiles。　The　inconsistencies　of　a　man　who　falls　under　the　dominion　of

a　woman　much　older　than　himself　should　be　forgiven；　for　he　is　really

not　accountable。　Think　how　many　sacrifices　Canalis　has　made　to　her。　He

has　sown　too　much　seed　of　that　kind　to　resign　the　harvest；　the　duchess

represents　to　him　ten　years　of　devotion　and　happiness。　You　made　him

forget　all　that；　and　unfortunately；　he　has　more　vanity　than　pride；　he

did　not　reflect　on　what　he　was　losing　until　he　met　Madame　Chaulieu

here　to…day。　If　you　really　understood　him；　you　would　help　him。　He　is　a

child；　always　mismanaging　his　life。　You　call　him　a　seeker　after

fortune；　but　he　seeks　very　badly；　like　all　poets；　he　is　a　victim　of

sensations；　he　is　childish；　easily　dazzled　like　a　child　by　anything

that　shines；　and　pursuing　its　glitter。　He　used　to　love　horses　and

pictures；　and　he　craved　fame；well；　he　sold　his　pictures　to　buy　armor

and　old　furniture　of　the　Renaissance　and　Louis　XV。；　just　now　he　is

seeking　political　power。　Admit　that　his　hobbies　are　noble　things。〃



〃You　have　said　enough；〃　replied　Modeste；　〃come；〃　she　added；　seeing　her

father；　whom　she　called　with　a　motion　of　her　head　to　give　her　his　arm；

〃come　with　me；　and　I　will　give　you　that　scrap　of　paper；　you　shall

carry　it　to　the　great　man　and　assure　him　of　my　condescension　to　his

wishes；　but　on　one　condition；you　must　thank　him　in　my　name　for　the

pleasure　I　have　taken　in　seeing　one　of　the　finest　of　the　German　plays

performed　in　my　honor。　I　have　learned　that　Goethe's　masterpiece　is

neither　Faust　nor　Egmont〃　and　then；　as　Ernest　looked　at　the

malicious　girl　with　a　puzzled　air；　she　added：　〃It　is　Torquato　Tasso！

Tell　Monsieur　de　Canalis　to　re…read　it；〃　she　added　smiling；　〃I

particularly　desire　that　you　will　repeat　to　your　friend　word　for　word

what　I　say；　for　it　is　not　an　epigram；　it　is　the　justification　of　his

conduct；with　this　trifling　difference；　that　he　will；　I　trust；　become

more　and　more　reasonable；　thanks　to　the　folly　of　his　Eleonore。〃



The　duchess's　head…woman　conducted　Modeste　and　her　father　to　their

apartment；　where　Francoise　Cochet　had　already　put　everything　in　order；

and　the　choice　elegance　of　which　astounded　the　colonel；　more

especially　after　he　heard　from　Francoise　that　there　were　thirty　other

apartments　in　the　chateau　decorated　with　the　same　taste。



〃This　is　what　I　call　a　proper　country…house；〃　said　Modeste。



〃The　Comte　de　La　Bastie　must　build　you　one　like　it；〃　replied　her

father。



〃Here；　monsieur；〃　said　Modeste；　giving　the　bit　of　paper　to　Ernest；

〃carry　it　to　our　friend　and　put　him　out　of　his　misery。〃



The　word　OUR　friend　struck　the　young　man's　heart。　He　looked　at　Modeste

to　see　if　there　was　anything　real　in　the　community　of　interests　which

she　seemed　to　admit；　and　she；　understanding　perfectly　what　his　look

meant；　added；　〃Come；　go　at　once；　your　friend　is　waiting。〃



La　Briere　colored　excessively；　and　left　the　room　in　a　state　of　doubt

and　anxiety　less　endurable　than　despair。　The　path　that　approaches

happiness　is；　to　the　true　lover；　like　the　narrow　way　which　Catholic

poetry　has　called　the　entrance　to　Paradise；expressing　thus　a　dark

and　gloomy　passage；　echoing　with　the　last　cries　of　earthly　anguish。



An　hour　later　this　illustrious　company　were　all　assembled　in　the

salon；　some　were　playing　whist；　others　conversing；　the　women　had　their

embroideries　in　hand；　and　all　were　waiting　the　announcement　of　dinner。

The　Prince　de　Cadignan　was　drawing　Monsieur　Mignon　out　upon　China；　and

his　campaigns　under　the　empire；　and　making　him　talk　about　the

Portendueres；　the　L'Estorades；　and　the　Maucombes；　Provencal　families；

he　blamed　him　for　not　seeking　service；　and　assured　him　that　nothing

would　be　easier　than　to　restore　him　to　his　rank　as　colonel　of　the

Guard。



〃A　man　of　your　birth　and　your　fortune　ought　not　to　belong　to　the

present　Opposition；〃　said　the　prince；　smiling。



This　society　of　distinguished　persons　not　only　pleased　Modeste；　but　it

enabled　her　to　acquire；　during　her　stay；　a　perfection　of　manners　which

without　this　revelation　she　would　have　lacked　all　her　life。　Show　a

clock　to　an　embryo　mechanic；　and　you　reveal　to　him　the　whole

mechanism；　he　thus　develops　the　germs　of　his　faculty　which　lie　dormant

within　him。　In　like　manner　Modeste　had　the　instinct　to　appropriate　the

distinctive　qualities　of　Madame　de　Maufrigneuse　and　Madame　de

Chaulieu。　For　her；　the　sight　of　these　women　was　an　education；　whereas

a　bourgeois　would　merely　have　ridiculed　their　ways　or　made　them　absurd

by　clumsy　imitation。　A　well…born；　well…educated；　and　right…minded

young　woman　like　Modeste　fell　naturally　into　connection　with　these

people；　and　saw　at　once　the　differences　that　separate　the　aristocratic

world　from　the　bourgeois　world；　the　provinces　from　the　faubourg　Saint…

Germain；　she　caught　the　almost　imperceptible　shadings；　in　short；　she

perceived　the　grace　of　the　〃grande　dame〃　without　doubting　that　she

could　herself　acquire　it。　She　noticed　also　that　her　father　and　La

Briere　appeared　infinitely　better　in　this　Olympus　than　Canalis。　The

great　poet；　abdicating　his　real　and　incontestable　power；　that　of　the

mind；　became　nothing　more　than　a　courtier　seeking　a　ministry；

intriguing　for　an　order；　and　forced　to　please　the　whole　galaxy。　Ernest

de　La　B