a daughter of eve-第7章

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

field　under　fire；　surprised　by　some　unlooked…for　change　of　base；

forgets　his　military　tactics。　The　man　who　can　perpetually　bring　his

thought　to　bear　upon　his　facts　is　a　man　of　genius；　but　the　man　of　the

highest　genius　does　not　display　genius　at　all　times；　if　he　did；　he

would　be　like　to　God。



After　four　years　of　this　life；　with　never　a　shock　to　the　soul；　nor　a

word　that　produced　the　slightest　discord　in　this　sweet　concert　of

sentiment；　the　countess；　feeling　herself　developed　like　a　beautiful

plant　in　a　fertile　soil；　caressed　by　the　sun　of　a　cloudless　sky；　awoke

to　a　sense　of　a　new　self。　This　crisis　of　her　life；　the　subject　of　this

Scene；　would　be　incomprehensible　without　certain　explanations；　which

may　extenuate　in　the　eyes　of　women　the　wrong…doing　of　this　young

countess；　a　happy　wife；　a　happy　mother；　who　seems；　at　first　sight；

inexcusable。



Life　results　from　the　action　of　two　opposing　principles；　when　one　of

them　is　lacking　the　being　suffers。　Vandenesse；　by　satisfying　every

need；　had　suppressed　desire；　that　king　of　creation；　which　fills　an

enormous　place　in　the　moral　forces。　Extreme　heat；　extreme　sorrow；

complete　happiness；　are　all　despotic　principles　that　reign　over　spaces

devoid　of　production；　they　insist　on　being　solitary；　they　stifle　all

that　is　not　themselves。　Vandenesse　was　not　a　woman；　and　none　but　women

know　the　art　of　varying　happiness；　hence　their　coquetry；　refusals；

fears；　quarrels；　and　the　all…wise　clever　foolery　with　which　they　put

in　doubt　the　things　that　seemed　to　be　without　a　cloud　the　night

before。　Men　may　weary　by　their　constancy；　but　women　never。　Vandenesse

was　too　thoroughly　kind　by　nature　to　worry　deliberately　the　woman　he

loved；　on　the　contrary；　he　kept　her　in　the　bluest　and　least　cloudy

heaven　of　love。　The　problem　of　eternal　beatitude　is　one　of　those　whose

solution　is　known　only　to　God。　Here；　below；　the　sublimest　poets　have

simply　harassed　their　readers　when　attempting　to　picture　paradise。

Dante's　reef　was　that　of　Vandenesse；　all　honor　to　such　courage！



Felix's　wife　began　to　find　monotony　in　an　Eden　so　well　arranged；　the

perfect　happiness　which　the　first　woman　found　in　her　terrestrial

paradise　gave　her　at　length　a　sort　of　nausea　of　sweet　things；　and　made

the　countess　wish；　like　Rivarol　reading　Florian；　for　a　wolf　in　the

fold。　Such；　judging　by　the　history　of　ages；　appears　to　be　the　meaning

of　that　emblematic　serpent　to　which　Eve　listened；　in　all　probability；

out　of　ennui。　This　deduction　may　seem　a　little　venturesome　to

Protestants；　who　take　the　book　of　Genesis　more　seriously　than　the　Jews

themselves。



The　situation　of　Madame　de　Vandenesse　can；　however；　be　explained

without　recourse　to　Biblical　images。　She　felt　in　her　soul　an　enormous

power　that　was　unemployed。　Her　happiness　gave　her　no　suffering；　it

rolled　along　without　care　or　uneasiness；　she　was　not　afraid　of　losing

it；　each　morning　it　shone　upon　her；　with　the　same　blue　sky；　the　same

smile；　the　same　sweet　words。　That　clear；　still　lake　was　unruffled　by

any　breeze；　even　a　zephyr；　she　would　fain　have　seen　a　ripple　on　its

glassy　surface。　Her　desire　had　something　so　infantine　about　it　that　it

ought　to　be　excused；　but　society　is　not　more　indulgent　than　the　God　of

Genesis。　Madame　de　Vandenesse；　having　now　become　intelligently　clever；

was　aware　that　such　sentiments　were　not　permissible；　and　she　refrained

from　confiding　them　to　her　〃dear　little　husband。〃　Her　genuine

simplicity　had　not　invented　any　other　name　for　him；　for　one　can't　call

up　in　cold　blood　that　delightfully　exaggerated　language　which　love

imparts　to　its　victims　in　the　midst　of　flames。



Vandenesse；　glad　of　this　adorable　reserve；　kept　his　wife；　by

deliberate　calculations；　in　the　temperate　regions　of　conjugal

affection。　He　never　condescended　to　seek　a　reward　or　even　an

acknowledgment　of　the　infinite　pains　which　he　gave　himself；　his　wife

thought　his　luxury　and　good　taste　her　natural　right；　and　she　felt　no

gratitude　for　the　fact　that　her　pride　and　self…love　had　never

suffered。　It　was　thus　in　everything。　Kindness　has　its　mishaps；　often

it　is　attributed　to　temperament；　people　are　seldom　willing　to

recognize　it　as　the　secret　effort　of　a　noble　soul。



About　this　period　of　her　life；　Madame　Felix　de　Vandenesse　had　attained

to　a　degree　of　worldly　knowledge　which　enabled　her　to　quit　the

insignificant　role　of　a　timid；　listening；　and　observing　supernumerary；

a　part　played；　they　say；　for　some　time；　by　Giulia　Grisi　in　the

chorus　at　La　Scala。　The　young　countess　now　felt　herself　capable　of

attempting　the　part　of　prima…donna；　and　she　did　so　on　several

occasions。　To　the　great　satisfaction　of　her　husband；　she　began　to

mingle　in　conversations。　Intelligent　ideas　and　delicate　observations

put　into　her　mind　by　her　intercourse　with　her　husband；　made　her

remarked　upon；　and　success　emboldened　her。　Vandenesse；　to　whom　the

world　admitted　that　his　wife　was　beautiful；　was　delighted　when　the

same　assurance　was　given　that　she　was　clever　and　witty。　On　their

return　from　a　ball；　concert；　or　rout　where　Marie　had　shone

brilliantly；　she　would　turn　to　her　husband；　as　she　took　off　her

ornaments；　and　say；　with　a　joyous；　self…assured　air；



〃Were　you　pleased　with　me　this　evening？〃



The　countess　excited　jealousies；　among　others　that　of　her　husband's

sister；　Madame　de　Listomere；　who　until　now　had　patronized　her；

thinking　that　she　protected　a　foil　to　her　own　merits。　A　countess；

beautiful；　witty　and　virtuous！what　a　prey　for　the　tongues　of　the

world！　Felix　had　broken　with　too　many　women；　and　too　many　women　had

broken　with　him；　to　leave　them　indifferent　to　his　marriage。　When　these

women　beheld　in　Madame　de　Vandenesse　a　small　woman　with　red　hands；　and

rather　awkward　manner；　saying　little；　and　apparently　not　thinking

much；　they　thought　themselves　sufficiently　avenged。　The　disasters　of

July；　1830；　supervened；　society　was　dissolved　for　two　years；　the　rich

evaded　the　turmoil　and　left　Paris　either　for　foreign　travel　or　for

their　estates　in　the　country；　and　none　of　the　salons　reopened　until

1833。　When　that　time　came；　the　faubourg　Saint…Germain　still　sulked；

but　it　held　intercourse　with　a　few　houses；　regarding　them　as　neutral

ground；among　others　that　of　the　Austrian　ambassador；　where　the

legitimist　society　and　the　new　social　world　met　together　in　the

persons　of　their　best　representatives。



Attached　by　many　ties　of　the　heart　and　by　gratitude　to　the　exiled

family；　and　strong　in　his　personal　convictions；　Vandenesse　did　not

consider　himself　obliged　to　imitate　the　silly　behavior　of　his　party。

In　times　of　danger；　he　had　done　his　duty　at　the　risk　of　his　life；　his

fidelity　had　never　been　compromised；　and　he　determined　to　take　his

wife　into　general　society　without　fear　of　its　becoming　so。　His　former

mistresses　could　scarcely　recognize　the　bride　they　had　thought　so

childish　in　the　elegant；　witty；　and　gentle　countess；　who　now　appeared

in　society　with　the　exquisite　manners　of　the　highest　female

aristocracy。　Mesdames　d'Espard；　de　Manerville；　and　Lady　Dudley；　with

others　less　known；　felt　the　serpent　waking　up　in　the　depths　of　their

hearts；　they　heard　the　low　hissings　of　angry　pride；　they　were　jealous

of　Felix's　happiness；　and　would　gladly　have　given　their　prettiest

jewel　to　do　him　some　harm；　but　instead　of　being　hostile　to　the

countess；　these　kind；　ill…natured　women　surrounded　her；　showed　her　the

utmost　friendship；　and　praised　her　to　me。　Sufficiently　aware　of　their

intentions；　Felix　watched　their　relations　with　Marie；　and　warned　her

to　distrust　them。　They　all　suspected　the　uneasiness　of　the　count　at

their　intimacy　with　his　wife；　and　they　redoubled　their　attentions　and

flatteries；　so　that　they　gave　her　an　enormous　vogue　in　society；　to　the

great　displeasure　of　her　sister…in…law；　the　Marquise　de　Listomere；　who

could　not　understand　it。　The　Comtesse　Felix　de　Vandenesse　was　cited　as

the　most　charming　and　the　cleverest　woman　in　Paris。　Mari