a daughter of eve-第6章

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truth；　his　slave。



The　confidence　made　to　Madame　du　Tillet　by　Madame　Felix　de　Vandenesse

is　connected　with　so　many　points　of　the　latter's　history　for　the　last

six　years；　that　it　would　be　unintelligible　without　a　succinct　account

of　the　principal　events　of　her　life。







CHAPTER　III



THE　HISTORY　OF　A　FORTUNATE　WOMAN



Among　the　remarkable　men　who　owed　their　destiny　to　the　Restoration；

but　whom；　unfortunately；　the　restored　monarchy　kept；　with　Martignac；

aloof　from　the　concerns　of　government；　was　Felix　de　Vandenesse；

removed；　with　several　others；　to　the　Chamber　of　peers　during　the　last

days　of　Charles　X。　This　misfortune；　though；　as　he　supposed；　temporary；

made　him　think　of　marriage；　towards　which　he　was　also　led；　as　so　many

men　are；　by　a　sort　of　disgust　for　the　emotions　of　gallantry；　those

fairy　flowers　of　the　soul。　There　comes　a　vital　moment　to　most　of　us

when　social　life　appears　in　all　its　soberness。



Felix　de　Vandenesse　had　been　in　turn　happy　and　unhappy；　oftener

unhappy　than　happy；　like　men　who；　at　their　start　in　life；　have　met

with　Love　in　its　most　perfect　form。　Such　privileged　beings　can　never

subsequently　be　satisfied；　but；　after　fully　experiencing　life；　and

comparing　characters；　they　attain　to　a　certain　contentment；　taking

refuge　in　a　spirit　of　general　indulgence。　No　one　deceives　them；　for

they　delude　themselves　no　longer；　but　their　resignation；　their

disillusionment　is　always　graceful；　they　expect　what　comes；　and

therefor　they　suffer　less。　Felix　might　still　rank　among　the　handsomest

and　most　agreeable　men　in　Paris。　He　was　originally　commended　to　many

women　by　one　of　the　noblest　creatures　of　our　epoch；　Madame　de

Mortsauf；　who　had　died；　it　was　said；　out　of　love　and　grief　for　him；

but　he　was　specially　trained　for　social　life　by　the　handsome　and　well…

known　Lady　Dudley。



In　the　eyes　of　many　Parisian　women；　Felix；　a　sort　of　hero　of　romance；

owed　much　of　his　success　to　the　evil　that　was　said　of　him。　Madame　de

Manerville　had　closed　the　list　of　his　amorous　adventures；　and　perhaps

her　dismissal　had　something　to　do　with　his　frame　of　mind。　At　any　rate；

without　being　in　any　way　a　Don　Juan；　he　had　gathered　in　the　world　of

love　as　many　disenchantments　as　he　had　met　with　in　the　world　of

politics。　That　ideal　of　womanhood　and　of　passion；　the　type　of　which

perhaps　to　his　sorrowhad　lighted　and　governed　his　dawn　of　life；　he

despaired　of　ever　finding　again。



At　thirty　years　of　age；　Comte　Felix　determined　to　put　an　end　to　the

burden　of　his　various　felicities　by　marriage。　On　that　point　his　ideas

were　extremely　fixed；　he　wanted　a　young　girl　brought　up　in　the

strictest　tenets　of　Catholicism。　It　was　enough　for　him　to　know　how　the

Comtesse　de　Granville　had　trained　her　daughters　to　make　him；　after　he

had　once　resolved　on　marriage；　request　the　hand　of　the　eldest。　He

himself　had　suffered　under　the　despotism　of　a　mother；　he　still

remembered　his　unhappy　childhood　too　well　not　to　recognize；　beneath

the　reserves　of　feminine　shyness；　the　state　to　which　such　a　yoke　must

have　brought　the　heart　of　a　young　girl；　whether　that　heart　was　soured；

embittered；　or　rebellious；　or　whether　it　was　still　peaceful；　lovable；

and　ready　to　unclose　to　noble　sentiments。　Tyranny　produces　two

opposite　effects；　the　symbols　of　which　exist　in　two　grand　figures　of

ancient　slavery；　Epictetus　and　Spartacus；hatred　and　evil　feelings　on

the　one　hand；　resignation　and　tenderness；　on　the　other。



The　Comte　de　Vandenesse　recognized　himself　in　Marie…Angelique　de

Granville。　In　choosing　for　his　wife　an　artless；　innocent；　and　pure

young　girl；　this　young　old　man　determined　to　mingle　a　paternal　feeling

with　the　conjugal　feeling。　He　knew　his　own　heart　was　withered　by　the

world　and　by　politics；　and　he　felt　that　he　was　giving　in　exchange　for

a　dawning　life　the　remains　of　a　worn…out　existence。　Beside　those

springtide　flowers　he　was　putting　the　ice　of　winter；　hoary　experience

with　young　and　innocent　ignorance。　After　soberly　judging　the　position；

he　took　up　his　conjugal　career　with　ample　precaution；　indulgence　and

perfect　confidence　were　the　two　anchors　to　which　he　moored　it。　Mothers

of　families　ought　to　seek　such　men　for　their　daughters。　A　good　mind

protects　like　a　divinity；　disenchantment　is　as　keen…sighted　as　a

surgeon；　experience　as　foreseeing　as　a　mother。　Those　three　qualities

are　the　cardinal　virtues　of　a　safe　marriage。　All　that　his　past　career

had　taught　to　Felix　de　Vandenesse；　the　observations　of　a　life　that　was

busy；　literary；　and　thoughtful　by　turns；　all　his　forces；　in　fact；　were

now　employed　in　making　his　wife　happy；　to　that　end　he　applied　his

mind。



When　Marie…Angelique　left　the　maternal　purgatory；　she　rose　at　once

into　the　conjugal　paradise　prepared　for　her　by　Felix；　rue　du　Rocher；

in　a　house　where　all　things　were　redolent　of　aristocracy；　but　where

the　varnish　of　society　did　not　impede　the　ease　and　〃laisser…aller〃

which　young　and　loving　hearts　desire　so　much。　From　the　start；　Marie…

Angelique　tasted　all　the　sweets　of　material　life　to　the　very　utmost。

For　two　years　her　husband　made　himself；　as　it　were；　her　purveyor。　He

explained　to　her；　by　degrees；　and　with　great　art；　the　things　of　life；

he　initiated　her　slowly　into　the　mysteries　of　the　highest　society；　he

taught　her　the　genealogies　of　noble　families；　he　showed　her　the　world；

he　guided　her　taste　in　dress；　he　trained　her　to　converse；　he　took　her

from　theatre　to　theatre；　and　made　her　study　literature　and　current

history。　This　education　he　accomplished　with　all　the　care　of　a　lover；

father；　master；　and　husband；　but　he　did　it　soberly　and　discreetly；　he

managed　both　enjoyments　and　instructions　in　such　a　manner　as　not　to

destroy　the　value　of　her　religious　ideas。　In　short；　he　carried　out　his

enterprise　with　the　wisdom　of　a　great　master。　At　the　end　of　four

years；　he　had　the　happiness　of　having　formed　in　the　Comtesse　de

Vandenesse　one　of　the　most　lovable　and　remarkable　young　women　of　our

day。



Marie…Angelique　felt　for　Felix　precisely　the　feelings　with　which　Felix

desired　to　inspire　her；true　friendship；　sincere　gratitude；　and　a

fraternal　love；　in　which　was　mingled；　at　certain　times；　a　noble　and

dignified　tenderness；　such　as　tenderness　between　husband　and　wife

ought　to　be。　She　was　a　mother；　and　a　good　mother。　Felix　had　therefore

attached　himself　to　his　young　wife　by　every　bond　without　any

appearance　of　garroting　her；relying　for　his　happiness　on　the　charms

of　habit。



None　but　men　trained　in　the　school　of　lifemen　who　have　gone　round

the　circle　of　disillusionment；　political　and　amorousare　capable　of

following　out　a　course　like　this。　Felix；　however；　found　in　his　work

the　same　pleasure　that　painters；　writers；　architects　take　in　their

creations。　He　doubly　enjoyed　both　the　work　and　its　fruition　as　he

admired　his　wife；　so　artless；　yet　so　well…informed；　witty；　but

natural；　lovable　and　chaste；　a　girl；　and　yet　a　mother；　perfectly　free；

though　bound　by　the　chains　of　righteousness。　The　history　of　all　good

homes　is　that　of　prosperous　peoples；　it　can　be　written　in　two　lines；

and　has　in　it　nothing　for　literature。　So；　as　happiness　is　only

explicable　to　and　by　itself；　these　four　years　furnish　nothing　to

relate　which　was　not　as　tender　as　the　soft　outlines　of　eternal

cherubs；　as　insipid；　alas！　as　manna；　and　about　as　amusing　as　the　tale

of　〃Astrea。〃



In　1833；　this　edifice　of　happiness；　so　carefully　erected　by　Felix　de

Vandenesse；　began　to　crumble；　weakened　at　its　base　without　his

knowledge。　The　heart　of　a　woman　of　twenty…five　is　no　longer　that　of　a

girl　of　eighteen；　any　more　than　the　heart　of　a　woman　of　forty　is　that

of　a　woman　of　thirty。　There　are　four　ages　in　the　life　of　woman；　each

age　creates　a　new　woman。　Vandenesse　knew；　no　doubt；　the　law　of　these

transformations　（created　by　our　modern　manners　and　morals）；　but　he

forgot　them　in　his　own　case；just　as　the　best　grammarian　will　forget

a　rule　of　grammar　in　writing　a　book；　or　the　greatest　general　in　the

field　under　fire；　surprised　by