the lily of the valley-第12章

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unhappily　he　had　enough　genuine　superiority　to　make　him　wish　to

advance　in　his　own　way。



At　this　particular　time　Monsieur　de　Chessel's　ambition　had　a　second

dawn。　Royalty　smiled　upon　him；　and　he　was　now　affecting　the　grand

manner。　Still　he　was；　I　must　say；　most　kind　to　me；　and　he　pleased　me

for　the　very　simple　reason　that　with　him　I　had　found　peace　and　rest

for　the　first　time。　The　interest；　possibly　very　slight；　which　he

showed　in　my　affairs；　seemed　to　me；　lonely　and　rejected　as　I　was；　an

image　of　paternal　love。　His　hospitable　care　contrasted　so　strongly

with　the　neglect　to　which　I　was　accustomed；　that　I　felt　a　childlike

gratitude　to　the　home　where　no　fetters　bound　me　and　where　I　was

welcomed　and　even　courted。



The　owners　of　Frapesle　are　so　associated　with　the　dawn　of　my　life's

happiness　that　I　mingle　them　in　all　those　memories　I　love　to　revive。

Later；　and　more　especially　in　connection　with　his　letters…patent；　I

had　the　pleasure　of　doing　my　host　some　service。　Monsieur　de　Chessel

enjoyed　his　wealth　with　an　ostentation　that　gave　umbrage　to　certain　of

his　neighbors。　He　was　able　to　vary　and　renew　his　fine　horses　and

elegant　equipages；　his　wife　dressed　exquisitely；　he　received　on　a

grand　scale；　his　servants　were　more　numerous　than　his　neighbors

approved；　for　all　of　which　he　was　said　to　be　aping　princes。　The

Frapesle　estate　is　immense。　Before　such　luxury　as　this　the　Comte　de

Mortsauf；　with　one　family　cariole；which　in　Touraine　is　something

between　a　coach　without　springs　and　a　post…chaise；forced　by　limited

means　to　let　or　farm　Clochegourde；　was　Tourangean　up　to　the　time　when

royal　favor　restored　the　family　to　a　distinction　possibly　unlooked

for。　His　greeting　to　me；　the　younger　son　of　a　ruined　family　whose

escutcheon　dated　back　to　the　Crusades；　was　intended　to　show　contempt

for　the　large　fortune　and　to　belittle　the　possessions；　the　woods；　the

arable　lands；　the　meadows；　of　a　neighbor　who　was　not　of　noble　birth。

Monsieur　de　Chessel　fully　understood　this。　They　always　met　politely；

but　there　was　none　of　that　daily　intercourse　or　that　agreeable

intimacy　which　ought　to　have　existed　between　Clochegourde　and

Frapesle；　two　estates　separated　only　by　the　Indre；　and　whose

mistresses　could　have　beckoned　to　each　other　from　their　windows。



Jealousy；　however；　was　not　the　sole　reason　for　the　solitude　in　which

the　Count　de　Mortsauf　lived。　His　early　education　was　that　of　the

children　of　great　families；an　incomplete　and　superficial　instruction

as　to　knowledge；　but　supplemented　by　the　training　of　society；　the

habits　of　a　court　life；　and　the　exercise　of　important　duties　under　the

crown　or　in　eminent　offices。　Monsieur　de　Mortsauf　had　emigrated　at　the

very　moment　when　the　second　stage　of　his　education　was　about　to　begin；

and　accordingly　that　training　was　lacking　to　him。　He　was　one　of　those

who　believed　in　the　immediate　restoration　of　the　monarchy；　with　that

conviction　in　his　mind；　his　exile　was　a　long　and　miserable　period　of

idleness。　When　the　army　of　Conde；　which　his　courage　led　him　to　join

with　the　utmost　devotion；　was　disbanded；　he　expected　to　find　some

other　post　under　the　white　flag；　and　never　sought；　like　other

emigrants；　to　take　up　an　industry。　Perhaps　he　had　not　the　sort　of

courage　that　could　lay　aside　his　name　and　earn　his　living　in　the　sweat

of　a　toil　he　despised。　His　hopes；　daily　postponed　to　the　morrow；　and

possibly　a　scruple　of　honor；　kept　him　from　offering　his　services　to

foreign　powers。　Trials　undermined　his　courage。　Long　tramps　afoot　on

insufficient　nourishment；　and　above　all；　on　hopes　betrayed；　injured

his　health　and　discouraged　his　mind。　By　degrees　he　became　utterly

destitute。　If　to　some　men　misery　is　a　tonic；　on　others　it　acts　as　a

dissolvent；　and　the　count　was　of　the　latter。



Reflecting　on　the　life　of　this　poor　Touraine　gentleman；　tramping　and

sleeping　along　the　highroads　of　Hungary；　sharing　the　mutton　of　Prince

Esterhazy's　shepherds；　from　whom　the　foot…worn　traveller　begged　the

food　he　would　not；　as　a　gentleman；　have　accepted　at　the　table　of　the

master；　and　refusing　again　and　again　to　do　service　to　the　enemies　of

France；　I　never　found　it　in　my　heart　to　feel　bitterness　against　him；

even　when　I　saw　him　at　his　worst　in　after　days。　The　natural　gaiety　of

a　Frenchman　and　a　Tourangean　soon　deserted　him；　he　became　morose；　fell

ill；　and　was　charitably　cared　for　in　some　German　hospital。　His　disease

was　an　inflammation　of　the　mesenteric　membrane；　which　is　often　fatal；

and　is　liable；　even　if　cured；　to　change　the　constitution　and　produce

hypochondria。　His　love　affairs；　carefully　buried　out　of　sight　and

which　I　alone　discovered；　were　low…lived；　and　not　only　destroyed　his

health　but　ruined　his　future。



After　twelve　years　of　great　misery　he　made　his　way　to　France；　under

the　decree　of　the　Emperor　which　permitted　the　return　of　the　emigrants。

As　the　wretched　wayfarer　crossed　the　Rhine　and　saw　the　tower　of

Strasburg　against　the　evening　sky；　his　strength　gave　way。　〃'France！

France！'　I　cried。　'I　see　France！'〃　（he　said　to　me）　〃as　a　child　cries

'Mother！'　when　it　is　hurt。〃　Born　to　wealth；　he　was　now　poor；　made　to

command　a　regiment　or　govern　a　province；　he　was　now　without　authority

and　without　a　future；　constitutionally　healthy　and　robust；　he　returned

infirm　and　utterly　worn　out。　Without　enough　education　to　take　part

among　men　and　affairs；　now　broadened　and　enlarged　by　the　march　of

events；　necessarily　without　influence　of　any　kind；　he　lived　despoiled

of　everything；　of　his　moral　strength　as　well　as　his　physical。　Want　of

money　made　his　name　a　burden。　His　unalterable　opinions；　his

antecedents　with　the　army　of　Conde；　his　trials；　his　recollections；　his

wasted　health；　gave　him　susceptibilities　which　are　but　little　spared

in　France；　that　land　of　jest　and　sarcasm。　Half　dead　he　reached　Maine；

where；　by　some　accident　of　the　civil　war；　the　revolutionary　government

had　forgotten　to　sell　one　of　his　farms　of　considerable　extent；　which

his　farmer　had　held　for　him　by　giving　out　that　he　himself　was　the

owner　of　it。



When　the　Lenoncourt　family；　living　at　Givry；　an　estate　not　far　from

this　farm；　heard　of　the　arrival　of　the　Comte　de　Mortsauf；　the　Duc　de

Lenoncourt　invited　him　to　stay　at　Givry　while　a　house　was　being

prepared　for　him。　The　Lenoncourt　family　were　nobly　generous　to　him；

and　with　them　he　remained　some　months；　struggling　to　hide　his

sufferings　during　that　first　period　of　rest。　The　Lenoncourts　had

themselves　lost　an　immense　property。　By　birth　Monsieur　de　Mortsauf　was

a　suitable　husband　for　their　daughter。　Mademoiselle　de　Lenoncourt；

instead　of　rejecting　a　marriage　with　a　feeble　and　worn…out　man　of

thirty…five；　seemed　satisfied　to　accept　it。　It　gave　her　the

opportunity　of　living　with　her　aunt；　the　Duchesse　de　Verneuil；　sister

of　the　Prince　de　Blamont…Chauvry；　who　was　like　a　mother　to　her。



Madame　de　Verneuil；　the　intimate　friend　of　the　Duchesse　de　Bourbon；

was　a　member　of　the　devout　society　of　which　Monsieur　Saint…Martin

（born　in　Touraine　and　called　the　Philosopher　of　Mystery）　was　the　soul。

The　disciples　of　this　philosopher　practised　the　virtues　taught　them　by

the　lofty　doctrines　of　mystical　illumination。　These　doctrines　hold　the

key　to　worlds　divine；　they　explain　existence　by　reincarnations　through

which　the　human　spirit　rises　to　its　sublime　destiny；　they　liberate

duty　from　its　legal　degradation；　enable　the　soul　to　meet　the　trials　of

life　with　the　unalterable　serenity　of　the　Quaker；　ordain　contempt　for

the　sufferings　of　this　life；　and　inspire　a　fostering　care　of　that

angel　within　us　who　allies　us　to　the　divine。　It　is　stoicism　with　an

immortal　future。　Active　prayer　and　pure　love　are　the　elements　of　this

faith；　which　is　born　of　the　Roman　Church　but　returns　to　the

Christianity　of　the　primitive　faith。　Mademoiselle　de　Lenoncourt

remained；　however；　in　the　Catholic　communion；　to　which　her　aunt　was

equally　bound。　Cruelly　tried　by　revolutionary　horrors；　the　Duchesse　de

Verneuil　acquired　in　the　last　years　of　her　life