a daughter of eve-第11章

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〃Take　care；　my　dear；〃　said　Marie's　kind　and　gracious　companion　in　her

ear；　〃and　go　home。〃



The　countess　looked　at　her　husband　to　ask　for　his　arm　with　one　of

those　glances　which　husbands　do　not　always　understand。　Felix　did　so；

and　took　her　home。



〃My　dear　friend；〃　said　Madame　d'Espard　in　Raoul's　ear；　〃you　are　a

lucky　fellow。　You　have　made　more　than　one　conquest　to…night；　and　among

them　that　of　the　charming　woman　who　has　just　left　us　so　abruptly。〃



〃Do　you　know　what　the　Marquise　d'Espard　meant　by　that？〃　said　Raoul　to

Rastignac；　when　they　happened　to　be　comparatively　alone　between　one

and　two　o'clock　in　the　morning。



〃I　am　told　that　the　Comtesse　de　Vandenesse　has　taken　a　violent　fancy

to　you。　You　are　not　to　be　pitied！〃　said　Rastignac。



〃I　did　not　see　her；〃　said　Raoul。



〃Oh！　but　you　will　see　her；　you　scamp！〃　cried　Emile　Blondet；　who　was

standing　by。　〃Lady　Dudley　is　going　to　ask　you　to　her　grand　ball；　that

you　may　meet　the　pretty　countess。〃



Raoul　and　Blondet　went　off　with　Rastignac；　who　offered　them　his

carriage。　All　three　laughed　at　the　combination　of　an　eclectic　under…

secretary　of　State；　a　ferocious　republican；　and　a　political　atheist。



〃Suppose　we　sup　at　the　expense　of　the　present　order　of　things？〃　said

Blondet；　who　would　fain　recall　suppers　to　fashion。



Rastignac　took　them　to　Very's；　sent　away　his　carriage；　and　all　three

sat　down　to　table　to　analyze　society　with　Rabelaisian　laughs。　During

the　supper；　Rastignac　and　Blondet　advised　their　provisional　enemy　not

to　neglect　such　a　capital　chance　of　advancement　as　the　one　now　offered

to　him。　The　two　〃roues〃　gave　him；　in　fine　satirical　style；　the　history

of　Madame　Felix　de　Vandenesse；　they　drove　the　scalpel　of　epigram　and

the　sharp　points　of　much　good　wit　into　that　innocent　girlhood　and

happy　marriage。　Blondet　congratulated　Raoul　on　encountering　a　woman

guilty　of　nothing　worse　so　far　than　horrible　drawings　in　red　chalk；

attenuated　water…colors；　slippers　embroidered　for　a　husband；　sonatas

executed　with　the　best　intentions；a　girl　tied　to　her　mother's　apron…

strings　till　she　was　eighteen；　trussed　for　religious　practices；

seasoned　by　Vandenesse；　and　cooked　to　a　point　by　marriage。　At　the

third　bottle　of　champagne；　Raoul　unbosomed　himself　as　he　had　never

done　before　in　his　life。



〃My　friends；〃　he　said；　〃you　know　my　relations　with　Florine；　you　also

know　my　life；　and　you　will　not　be　surprised　to　hear　me　say　that　I　am

absolutely　ignorant　of　what　a　countess's　love　may　be　like。　I　have

often　felt　mortified　that　I；　a　poet；　could　not　give　myself　a　Beatrice；

a　Laura；　except　in　poetry。　A　pure　and　noble　woman　is　like　an　unstained

conscience；she　represents　us　to　ourselves　under　a　noble　form。

Elsewhere　we　may　soil　ourselves；　but　with　her　we　are　always　proud；

lofty；　and　immaculate。　Elsewhere　we　lead　ill…regulated　lives；　with　her

we　breathe　the　calm；　the　freshness；　the　verdure　of　an　oasis〃



〃Go　on；　go　on；　my　dear　fellow！〃　cried　Rastignac；　〃twang　that　fourth

string　with　the　prayer　in　'Moses'　like　Paganini。〃



Raoul　remained　silent；　with　fixed　eyes；　apparently　musing。



〃This　wretched　ministerial　apprentice　does　not　understand　me；〃　he

said；　after　a　moment's　silence。



So；　while　the　poor　Eve　in　the　rue　du　Rocher　went　to　bed　in　the　sheets

of　shame；　frightened　at　the　pleasure　with　which　she　had　listened　to

that　sham　great　poet；　these　three　bold　minds　were　trampling　with　jests

over　the　tender　flowers　of　her　dawning　love。　Ah！　if　women　only　knew

the　cynical　tone　that　such　men；　so　humble；　so　fawning　in　their

presence；　take　behind　their　backs！　how　they　sneer　at　what　they　say

they　adore！　Fresh；　pure；　gracious　being；　how　the　scoffing　jester

disrobes　and　analyzes　her！　but；　even　so；　the　more　she　loses　veils；　the

more　her　beauty　shines。



Marie　was　at　this　moment　comparing　Raoul　and　Felix；　without　imagining

the　danger　there　might　be　for　her　in　such　comparisons。　Nothing　could

present　a　greater　contrast　than　the　disorderly；　vigorous　Raoul　to

Felix　de　Vandenesse；　who　cared　for　his　person　like　a　dainty　woman；

wore　well…fitting　clothes；　had　a　charming　〃desinvoltura；〃　and　was　a

votary　of　English　nicety；　to　which；　in　earlier　days；　Lady　Dudley　had

trained　him。　Marie；　as　a　good　and　pious　woman；　soon　forbade　herself

even　to　think　of　Raoul；　and　considered　that　she　was　a　monster　of

ingratitude　for　making　the　comparison。



〃What　do　you　think　of　Raoul　Nathan？〃　she　asked　her　husband　the　next

day　at　breakfast。



〃He　is　something　of　a　charlatan；〃　replied　Felix；　〃one　of　those

volcanoes　who　are　easily　calmed　down　with　a　little　gold…dust。　Madame

de　Montcornet　makes　a　mistake　in　admitting　him。〃



This　answer　annoyed　Marie；　all　the　more　because　Felix　supported　his

opinion　with　certain　facts；　relating　what　he　knew　of　Raoul　Nathan's

life；a　precarious　existence　mixed　up　with　a　popular　actress。



〃If　the　man　has　genius；〃　he　said　in　conclusion；　〃he　certainly　has

neither　the　constancy　nor　the　patience　which　sanctifies　it；　and　makes

it　a　thing　divine。　He　endeavors　to　impose　on　the　world　by　placing

himself　on　a　level　which　he　does　nothing　to　maintain。　True　talent；

pains…taking　and　honorable　talent　does　not　act　thus。　Men　who　possess

such　talent　follow　their　path　courageously；　they　accept　its　pains　and

penalties；　and　don't　cover　them　with　tinsel。〃



A　woman's　thought　is　endowed　with　incredible　elasticity。　When　she

receives　a　knockdown　blow；　she　bends；　seems　crushed；　and　then　renews

her　natural　shape　in　a　given　time。



〃Felix　is　no　doubt　right；〃　thought　she。



But　three　days　later　she　was　once　more　thinking　of　the　serpent；

recalled　to　him　by　that　singular　emotion；　painful　and　yet　sweet；　which

the　first　sight　of　Raoul　had　given　her。　The　count　and　countess　went　to

Lady　Dudley's　grand　ball；　where；　by　the　bye；　de　Marsay　appeared　in

society　for　the　last　time。　He　died　about　two　months　later；　leaving　the

reputation　of　a　great　statesman；　because；　as　Blondet　remarked；　he　was

incomprehensible。



Vandenesse　and　his　wife　again　met　Raoul　Nathan　at　this　ball；　which　was

remarkable　for　the　meeting　of　several　personages　of　the　political

drama；　who　were　not　a　little　astonished　to　find　themselves　together。

It　was　one　of　the　first　solemnities　of　the　great　world。　The　salons

presented　a　magnificent　spectacle　to　the　eye；flowers；　diamonds；　and

brilliant　head…dresses；　all　jewel…boxes　emptied；　all　resources　of　the

toilet　put　under　contribution。　The　ball…room　might　be　compared　to　one

of　those　choice　conservatories　where　rich　horticulturists　collect　the

most　superb　rarities；same　brilliancy；　same　delicacy　of　texture。　On

all　sides　white　or　tinted　gauzes　like　the　wings　of　the　airiest　dragon…

fly；　crepes；　laces；　blondes；　and　tulles；　varied　as　the　fantasies　of

entomological　nature；　dentelled；　waved；　and　scalloped；　spider's　webs

of　gold　and　silver；　mists　of　silk　embroidered　by　fairy　fingers；　plumes

colored　by　the　fire　of　the　tropics　drooping　from　haughty　heads；　pearls

twined　in　braided　hair；　shot　or　ribbed　or　brocaded　silks；　as　though

the　genius　of　arabesque　had　presided　over　French　manufactures；all

this　luxury　was　in　harmony　with　the　beauties　collected　there　as　if　to

realize　a　〃Keepsake。〃　The　eye　received　there　an　impression　of　the

whitest　shoulders；　some　amber…tinted；　others　so　polished　as　to　seem

colandered；　some　dewy；　some　plump　and　satiny；　as　though　Rubens　had

prepared　their　flesh；　in　short；　all　shades　known　to　man　in　white。　Here

were　eyes　sparkling　like　onyx　or　turquoise　fringed　with　dark　lashes；

faces　of　varied　outline　presenting　the　most　graceful　types　of　many

lands；　foreheads　noble　and　majestic；　or　softly　rounded；　as　if　thought

ruled；　or　flat；　as　if　resistant　will　reigned　there　unconquered；

beautiful　bosoms　swelling；　as　George　IV。　admired　them；　or　widely

parted　after　the　fashion　of　the　eighteenth　century；　or　pressed

together；　as　Louis　XV。　required；　some　shown　boldly；　without　veils；

others　covered　by　those　charming　pleated　chemisettes　which　Raffaelle

painted。　The