a daughter of eve-第3章

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————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！



their　lives；　just　as；　they　say；　a　Russian　peasant　takes　his　dreams　for

reality　and　his　actual　life　for　a　troubled　sleep。　With　the　instinct　of

protecting　their　souls　against　the　pettiness　that　threatened　to

overwhelm　them；　against　the　all…pervading　asceticism　of　their　home；

they　flung　themselves　into　the　difficulties　of　the　musical　art；　and

spent　themselves　upon　it。　Melody；　harmony；　and　composition；　three

daughters　of　heaven；　whose　choir　was　led　by　an　old　Catholic　faun　drunk

with　music；　were　to　these　poor　girls　the　compensation　of　their　trials；

they　made　them；　as　it　were；　a　rampart　against　their　daily　lives。

Mozart；　Beethoven；　Gluck；　Paesiello；　Cimarosa；　Haydn；　and　certain

secondary　geniuses；　developed　in　their　souls　a　passionate　emotion

which　never　passed　beyond　the　chaste　enclosure　of　their　breasts；

though　it　permeated　that　other　creation　through　which；　in　spirit；　they

winged　their　flight。　When　they　had　executed　some　great　work　in　a

manner　that　their　master　declared　was　almost　faultless；　they　embraced

each　other　in　ecstasy　and　the　old　man　called　them　his　Saint　Cecilias。



The　two　Maries　were　not　taken　to　a　ball　until　they　were　sixteen　years

of　age；　and　then　only　four　times　a　year　in　special　houses。　They　were

not　allowed　to　leave　their　mother's　side　without　instructions　as　to

their　behavior　with　their　partners；　and　so　severe　were　those

instructions　that　they　dared　say　only　yes　or　no　during　a　dance。　The

eye　of　the　countess　never　left　them；　and　she　seemed　to　know　from　the

mere　movement　of　their　lips　the　words　they　uttered。　Even　the　ball…

dresses　of　these　poor　little　things　were　piously　irreproachable；　their

muslin　gowns　came　up　to　their　chins　with　an　endless　number　of　thick

ruches；　and　the　sleeves　came　down　to　their　wrists。　Swathing　in　this

way　their　natural　charms；　this　costume　gave　them　a　vague　resemblance

to　Egyptian　hermae；　though　from　these　blocks　of　muslin　rose　enchanting

little　heads　of　tender　melancholy。　They　felt　themselves　the　objects　of

pity；　and　inwardly　resented　it。　What　woman；　however　innocent；　does　not

desire　to　excite　envy？



No　dangerous　idea；　unhealthy　or　even　equivocal；　soiled　the　pure　pulp

of　their　brain；　their　hearts　were　innocent；　their　hands　were　horribly

red；　and　they　glowed　with　health。　Eve　did　not　issue　more　innocent　from

the　hands　of　God　than　these　two　girls　from　their　mother's　home　when

they　went　to　the　mayor's　office　and　the　church　to　be　married；　after

receiving　the　simple　but　terrible　injunction　to　obey　in　all　things　two

men　with　whom　they　were　henceforth　to　live　and　sleep　by　day　and　by

night。　To　their　minds；　nothing　could　be　worse　in　the　strange　houses

where　they　were　to　go　than　the　maternal　convent。



Why　did　the　father　of　these　poor　girls；　the　Comte　de　Granville；　a　wise

and　upright　magistrate　（though　sometimes　led　away　by　politics）；

refrain　from　protecting　the　helpless　little　creatures　from　such

crushing　despotism？　Alas！　by　mutual　understanding；　about　ten　years

after　marriage；　he　and　his　wife　were　separated　while　living　under　one

roof。　The　father　had　taken　upon　himself　the　education　of　his　sons；

leaving　that　of　the　daughters　to　his　wife。　He　saw　less　danger　for

women　than　for　men　in　the　application　of　his　wife's　oppressive　system。

The　two　Maries；　destined　as　women　to　endure　tyranny；　either　of　love　or

marriage；　would　be；　he　thought；　less　injured　than　boys；　whose　minds

ought　to　have　freer　play；　and　whose　manly　qualities　would　deteriorate

under　the　powerful　compression　of　religious　ideas　pushed　to　their

utmost　consequences。　Of　four　victims　the　count　saved　two。



The　countess　regarded　her　sons　as　too　ill…trained　to　admit　of　the

slightest　intimacy　with　their　sisters。　All　communication　between　the

poor　children　was　therefore　strictly　watched。　When　the　boys　came　home

from　school；　the　count　was　careful　not　to　keep　them　in　the　house。　The

boys　always　breakfasted　with　their　mother　and　sisters；　but　after　that

the　count　took　them　off　to　museums；　theatres；　restaurants；　or；　during

the　summer　season；　into　the　country。　Except　on　the　solemn　days　of　some

family　festival；　such　as　the　countess's　birthday　or　New　Year's　day；　or

the　day　of　the　distribution　of　prizes；　when　the　boys　remained　in　their

father's　house　and　slept　there；　the　sisters　saw　so　little　of　their

brothers　that　there　was　absolutely　no　tie　between　them。　On　those　days

the　countess　never　left　them　for　an　instant　alone　together。　Calls　of

〃Where　is　Angelique？〃〃What　is　Eugenie　about？〃〃Where　are　my

daughters？〃　resounded　all　day。　As　for　the　mother's　sentiments　towards

her　sons；　the　countess　raised　to　heaven　her　cold　and　macerated　eyes；

as　if　to　ask　pardon　of　God　for　not　having　snatched　them　from　iniquity。



Her　exclamations；　and　also　her　reticences　on　the　subject　of　her　sons；

were　equal　to　the　most　lamenting　verses　in　Jeremiah；　and　completely

deceived　the　sisters；　who　supposed　their　sinful　brothers　to　be　doomed

to　perdition。



When　the　boys　were　eighteen　years　of　age；　the　count　gave　them　rooms　in

his　own　part　of　the　house；　and　sent　them　to　study　law　under　the

supervision　of　a　solicitor；　his　former　secretary。　The　two　Maries　knew

nothing　therefore　of　fraternity；　except　by　theory。　At　the　time　of　the

marriage　of　the　sisters；　both　brothers　were　practising　in　provincial

courts；　and　both　were　detained　by　important　cases。　Domestic　life　in

many　families　which　might　be　expected　to　be　intimate；　united；　and

homogeneous；　is　really　spent　in　this　way。　Brothers　are　sent　to　a

distance；　busy　with　their　own　careers；　their　own　advancement；

occupied；　perhaps；　about　the　good　of　the　country；　the　sisters　are

engrossed　in　a　round　of　other　interests。　All　the　members　of　such　a

family　live　disunited；　forgetting　one　another；　bound　together　only　by

some　feeble　tie　of　memory；　until；　perhaps；　a　sentiment　of　pride　or

self…interest　either　joins　them　or　separates　them　in　heart　as　they

already　are　in　fact。　Modern　laws；　by　multiplying　the　family　by　the

family；　has　created　a　great　evil；namely；　individualism。



In　the　depths　of　this　solitude　where　their　girlhood　was　spent；

Angelique　and　Eugenie　seldom　saw　their　father；　and　when　he　did　enter

the　grand　apartment　of　his　wife　on　the　first　floor；　he　brought　with

him　a　saddened　face。　In　his　own　home　he　always　wore　the　grave　and

solemn　look　of　a　magistrate　on　the　bench。　When　the　little　girls　had

passed　the　age　of　dolls　and　toys；　when　they　began；　about　twelve；　to

use　their　minds　（an　epoch　at　which　they　ceased　to　laugh　at　Schmucke）

they　divined　the　secret　of　the　cares　that　lined　their　father's

forehead；　and　they　recognized　beneath　that　mask　of　sternness　the

relics　of　a　kind　heart　and　a　fine　character。　They　vaguely　perceived

how　he　had　yielded　to　the　forces　of　religion　in　his　household；

disappointed　as　he　was　in　his　hopes　of　a　husband；　and　wounded　in　the

tenderest　fibres　of　paternity；the　love　of　a　father　for　his

daughters。　Such　griefs　were　singularly　moving　to　the　hearts　of　the　two

young　girls；　who　were　themselves　deprived　of　all　tenderness。

Sometimes；　when　pacing　the　garden　between　his　daughters；　with　an　arm

round　each　little　waist；　and　stepping　with　their　own　short　steps；　the

father　would　stop　short　behind　a　clump　of　trees；　out　of　sight　of　the

house；　and　kiss　them　on　their　foreheads；　his　eyes；　his　lips；　his　whole

countenance　expressing　the　deepest　commiseration。



〃You　are　not　very　happy；　my　dear　little　girls；〃　he　said　one　day；　〃but

I　shall　marry　you　early。　It　will　comfort　me　to　have　you　leave　home。〃



〃Papa；〃　said　Eugenie；　〃we　have　decided　to　take　the　first　man　who

offers。〃



〃Ah！〃　he　cried；　〃that　is　the　bitter　fruit　of　such　a　system。　They　want

to　make　saints；　and　they　make〃　he　stopped　without　ending　his

sentence。



Often　the　two　girls　felt　an　infinite　tenderness　in　their　father's

〃Adieu；〃　or　in　his　eyes；　when；　by　chance；　he　dined　at　home。　They

pitied　that　father　so　seldom　seen；　and　love　follows　often　upon　pity。



This　stern　and　rigid　education　was　the　cause　of　the　marriages　of　the

two