a daughter of eve-第8章

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the　most　charming　and　the　cleverest　woman　in　Paris。　Marie's　other

sister…in…law；　the　Marquise　Charles　de　Vandenesse；　was　consumed　with

vexation　at　the　confusion　of　names　and　the　comparisons　it　sometimes

brought　about。　Though　the　marquise　was　a　handsome　and　clever　woman；

her　rivals　took　delight　in　comparing　her　with　her　sister…in…law；　with

all　the　more　point　because　the　countess　was　a　dozen　years　younger。

These　women　knew　very　well　what　bitterness　Marie's　social　vogue　would

bring　into　her　intercourse　with　both　of　her　sisters…in…law；　who；　in

fact；　became　cold　and　disobliging　in　proportion　to　her　triumph　in

society。　She　was　thus　surrounded　by　dangerous　relations　and　intimate

enemies。



Every　one　knows　that　French　literature　at　that　particular　period　was

endeavoring　to　defend　itself　against　an　apathetic　indifference　（the

result　of　the　political　drama）　by　producing　works　more　or　less

Byronian；　in　which　the　only　topics　really　discussed　were　conjugal

delinquencies。　Infringements　of　the　marriage　tie　formed　the　staple　of

reviews；　books；　and　dramas。　This　eternal　subject　grew　more　and　more

the　fashion。　The　lover；　that　nightmare　of　husbands；　was　everywhere；

except　perhaps　in　homes；　where；　in　point　of　fact；　under　the　bourgeois

regime；　he　was　less　seen　than　formerly。　It　is　not　when　every　one

rushes　to　their　window　and　cries　〃Thief！〃　and　lights　the　streets；　that

robbers　abound。　It　is　true　that　during　those　years　so　fruitful　of

turmoilurban；　political；　and　morala　few　matrimonial　catastrophes

took　place；　but　these　were　exceptional；　and　less　observed　than　they

would　have　been　under　the　Restoration。　Nevertheless；　women　talked　a

great　deal　together　about　books　and　the　stage；　then　the　two　chief

forms　of　poesy。　The　lover　thus　became　one　of　their　leading　topics；a

being　rare　in　point　of　act　and　much　desired。　The　few　affairs　which

were　known　gave　rise　to　discussions；　and　these　discussions　were；　as

usually　happens；　carried　on　by　immaculate　women。



A　fact　worthy　of　remark　is　the　aversion　shown　to　such　conversations　by

women　who　are　enjoying　some　illicit　happiness；　they　maintain　before

the　eyes　of　the　world　a　reserved；　prudish；　and　even　timid　countenance；

they　seem　to　ask　silence　on　the　subject；　or　some　condonation　of　their

pleasure　from　society。　When；　on　the　contrary；　a　woman　talks　freely　of

such　catastrophes；　and　seems　to　take　pleasure　in　doing　so；　allowing

herself　to　explain　the　emotions　that　justify　the　guilty　parties；　we

may　be　sure　that　she　herself　is　at　the　crossways　of　indecision；　and

does　not　know　what　road　she　might　take。



During　this　winter；　the　Comtesse　de　Vandenesse　heard　the　great　voice

of　the　social　world　roaring　in　her　ears；　and　the　wind　of　its　stormy

gusts　blew　round　her。　Her　pretended　friends；　who　maintained　their

reputations　at　the　height　of　their　rank　and　their　positions；　often

produced　in　her　presence　the　seductive　idea　of　the　lover；　they　cast

into　her　soul　certain　ardent　talk　of　love；　the　〃mot　d'enigme〃　which

life　propounds　to　woman；　the　grand　passion；　as　Madame　de　Stael　called

it；preaching　by　example。　When　the　countess　asked　naively；　in　a　small

and　select　circle　of　these　friends；　what　difference　there　was　between

a　lover　and　a　husband；　all　those　who　wished　evil　to　Felix　took　care　to

reply　in　a　way　to　pique　her　curiosity；　or　fire　her　imagination；　or

touch　her　heart；　or　interest　her　mind。



〃Oh！　my　dear；　we　vegetate　with　a　husband；　but　we　live　with　a　lover；〃

said　her　sister…in…law；　the　marquise。



〃Marriage；　my　dear；　is　our　purgatory；　love　is　paradise；〃　said　Lady

Dudley。



〃Don't　believe　her；〃　cried　Mademoiselle　des　Touches；　〃it　is　hell。〃



〃But　a　hell　we　like；〃　remarked　Madame　de　Rochefide。　〃There　is　often

more　pleasure　in　suffering　than　in　happiness；　look　at　the　martyrs！〃



〃With　a　husband；　my　dear　innocent；　we　live；　as　it　were；　in　our　own

life；　but　to　love；　is　to　live　in　the　life　of　another；〃　said　the

Marquise　d'Espard。



〃A　lover　is　forbidden　fruit；　and　that　to　me；　says　all！〃　cried　the

pretty　Moina　de　Saint…Heren；　laughing。



When　she　was　not　at　some　diplomatic　rout；　or　at　a　ball　given　by　rich

foreigners；　like　Lady　Dudley　or　the　Princesse　Galathionne；　the

Comtesse　de　Vandenesse　might　be　seen；　after　the　Opera；　at　the　houses

of　Madame　d'Espard；　the　Marquise　de　Listomere；　Mademoiselle　des

Touches；　the　Comtesse　de　Montcornet；　or　the　Vicomtesse　de　Grandlieu；

the　only　aristocratic　houses　then　open；　and　never　did　she　leave　any

one　of　them　without　some　evil　seed　of　the　world　being　sown　in　her

heart。　She　heard　talk　of　completing　her　life；a　saying　much　in

fashion　in　those　days；　of　being　comprehended；another　word　to　which

women　gave　strange　meanings。　She　often　returned　home　uneasy；　excited；

curious；　and　thoughtful。　She　began　to　find　something　less；　she　hardly

knew　what；　in　her　life；　but　she　did　not　yet　go　so　far　as　to　think　it

lonely。







CHAPTER　IV



A　CELEBRATED　MAN



The　most　amusing　society；　but　also　the　most　mixed；　which　Madame　Felix

de　Vandenesse　frequented；　was　that　of　the　Comtesse　de　Montcornet；　a

charming　little　woman；　who　received　illustrious　artists；　leading

financial　personages；　distinguished　writers；　but　only　after　subjecting

them　to　so　rigid　an　examination　that　the　most　exclusive　aristocrat　had

nothing　to　fear　in　coming　in　contact　with　this　second…class　society。

The　loftiest　pretensions　were　there　respected。



During　the　winter　of　1833；　when　society　rallied　after　the　revolution

of　July；　some　salons；　notably　those　of　Mesdames　d'Espard　and　de

Listomere；　Mademoiselle　des　Touches；　and　the　Duchesse　de　Grandlieu；

had　selected　certain　of　the　celebrities　in　art；　science；　literature；

and　politics；　and　received　them。　Society　can　lose　nothing　of　its

rights；　and　it　must　be　amused。　At　a　concert　given　by　Madame　de

Montcornet　toward　the　close　of　the　winter　of　1833；　a　man　of　rising

fame　in　literature　and　politics　appeared　in　her　salon；　brought　there

by　one　of　the　wittiest；　but　also　one　of　the　laziest　writers　of　that

epoch；　Emile　Blondet；　celebrated　behind　closed　doors；　highly　praised

by　journalists；　but　unknown　beyond　the　barriers。　Blondet　himself　was

well　aware　of　this；　he　indulged　in　no　illusions；　and；　among　his　other

witty　and　contemptuous　sayings；　he　was　wont　to　remark　that　fame　is　a

poison　good　to　take　in　little　doses。



From　the　moment　when　the　man　we　speak　of；　Raoul　Nathan；　after　a　long

struggle；　forced　his　way　to　the　public　gaze；　he　had　put　to　profit　the

sudden　infatuation　for　form　manifested　by　those　elegant　descendants　of

the　middle　ages；　jestingly　called　Young　France。　He　assumed　the

singularities　of　a　man　of　genius　and　enrolled　himself　among　those

adorers　of　art；　whose　intentions；　let　us　say；　were　excellent；　for

surely　nothing　could　be　more　ridiculous　than　the　costume　of　Frenchmen

in　the　nineteenth　century；　and　nothing　more　courageous　than　an　attempt

to　reform　it。　Raoul；　let　us　do　him　this　justice；　presents　in　his

person　something　fine；　fantastic；　and　extraordinary；　which　needs　a

frame。　His　enemies；　or　his　friends；　they　are　about　the　same　thing；

agree　that　nothing　could　harmonize　better　with　his　mind　than　his

outward　form。



Raoul　Nathan　would；　perhaps；　be　more　singular　if　left　to　his　natural

self　than　he　is　with　his　various　accompaniments。　His　worn　and　haggard

face　gives　him　an　appearance　of　having　fought　with　angels　or　devils；

it　bears　some　resemblance　to　that　the　German　painters　give　to　the　dead

Christ；　countless　signs　of　a　constant　struggle　between　failing　human

nature　and　the　powers　on　high　appear　in　it。　But　the　lines　in　his

hollow　cheeks；　the　projections　of　his　crooked；　furrowed　skull；　the

caverns　around　his　eyes　and　behind　his　temples；　show　nothing　weakly　in

his　constitution。　His　hard　membranes；　his　visible　bones　are　the　signs

of　remarkable　solidity；　and　though　his　skin；　discolored　by　excesses；

clings　to　those　bones　as　if　dried　there　by　inward　fires；　it

nevertheless　covers　a　most　powerful　structure。　He　is　thin　and　tall。

His　lo