the lily of the valley-第22章

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now　at　a　turning…point　in　your　life；　when　you　must　choose　wisely。　Be

on　our　side；especially　now；〃　she　added；　laughing；　〃when　it

triumphs。〃



I　was　keenly　touched　by　these　words；　in　which　the　depth　of　her

political　feeling　mingled　with　the　warmth　of　affection；a　combination

which　gives　to　women　so　great　a　power　of　persuasion；　they　know　how　to

give　to　the　keenest　arguments　a　tone　of　feeling。　In　her　desire　to

justify　all　her　husband's　actions　Henriette　had　foreseen　the

criticisms　that　would　rise　in　my　mind　as　soon　as　I　saw　the　servile

effects　of　a　courtier's　life　upon　him。　Monsieur　de　Mortsauf；　king　in

his　own　castle　and　surrounded　by　an　historic　halo；　had；　to　my　eyes；　a

certain　grandiose　dignity。　I　was　therefore　greatly　astonished　at　the

distance　he　placed　between　the　duchess　and　himself　by　manners　that

were　nothing　less　than　obsequious。　A　slave　has　his　pride　and　will　only

serve　the　greatest　despots。　I　confess　I　was　humiliated　at　the

degradation　of　one　before　whom　I　trembled　as　the　power　that　ruled　my

love。　This　inward　repulsion　made　me　understand　the　martyrdom　of　women

of　generous　souls　yoked　to　men　whose　meannesses　they　bury　daily。

Respect　is　a　safeguard　which　protects　both　great　and　small　alike；　each

side　can　hold　its　own。　I　was　respectful　to　the　duchess　because　of　my

youth；　but　where　others　saw　only　a　duchess　I　saw　the　mother　of　my

Henriette；　and　that　gave　sanctity　to　my　homage。



We　reached　the　great　court…yard　of　Frapesle；　where　we　found　the

others。　The　Comte　de　Mortsauf　presented　me　very　gracefully　to　the

duchess；　who　examined　me　with　a　cold　and　reserved　air。　Madame　de

Lenoncourt　was　then　a　woman　fifty…six　years　of　age；　wonderfully　well

preserved　and　with　grand　manners。　When　I　saw　the　hard　blue　eyes；　the

hollow　temples；　the　thin　emaciated　face；　the　erect；　imposing　figure

slow　of　movement；　and　the　yellow　whiteness　of　the　skin　（reproduced

with　such　brilliancy　in　the　daughter）；　I　recognized　the　cold　type　to

which　my　own　mother　belonged；　as　quickly　as　a　mineralogist　recognizes

Swedish　iron。　Her　language　was　that　of　the　old　court；　she　pronounced

the　〃oit〃　like　〃ait；〃　and　said　〃frait〃　for　〃froid；〃　〃porteux〃　for

〃porteurs。〃　I　was　not　a　courtier；　neither　was　I　stiff…backed　in　my

manner　to　her；　in　fact　I　behaved　so　well　that　as　I　passed　the　countess

she　said　in　a　low　voice；　〃You　are　perfect。〃



The　count　came　to　me　and　took　my　hand；　saying：　〃You　are　not　angry　with

me；　Felix；　are　you？　If　I　was　hasty　you　will　pardon　an　old　soldier？　We

shall　probably　stay　here　to　dinner；　and　I　invite　you　to　dine　with　us

on　Thursday；　the　evening　before　the　duchess　leaves。　I　must　go　to　Tours

to…morrow　to　settle　some　business。　Don't　neglect　Clochegourde。　My

mother…in…law　is　an　acquaintance　I　advise　you　to　cultivate。　Her　salon

will　set　the　tone　for　the　faubourg　St。　Germain。　She　has　all　the

traditions　of　the　great　world；　and　possesses　an　immense　amount　of

social　knowledge；　she　knows　the　blazon　of　the　oldest　as　well　as　the

newest　family　in　Europe。〃



The　count's　good　taste；　or　perhaps　the　advice　of　his　domestic　genius；

appeared　under　his　altered　circumstances。　He　was　neither　arrogant　nor

offensively　polite；　nor　pompous　in　any　way；　and　the　duchess　was　not

patronizing。　Monsieur　and　Madame　de　Chessel　gratefully　accepted　the

invitation　to　dinner　on　the　following　Thursday。　I　pleased　the　duchess；

and　by　her　glance　I　knew　she　was　examining　a　man　of　whom　her　daughter

had　spoken　to　her。　As　we　returned　from　vespers　she　questioned　me　about

my　family；　and　asked　if　the　Vandenesse　now　in　diplomacy　was　my

relative。　〃He　is　my　brother；〃　I　replied。　On　that　she　became　almost

affectionate。　She　told　me　that　my　great…aunt；　the　old　Marquise　de

Listomere；　was　a　Grandlieu。　Her　manners　were　as　cordial　as　those　of

Monsieur　de　Mortsauf　the　day　he　saw　me　for　the　first　time；　the　haughty

glance　with　which　these　sovereigns　of　the　earth　make　you　measure　the

distance　that　lies　between　you　and　them　disappeared。　I　knew　almost

nothing　of　my　family。　The　duchess　told　me　that　my　great…uncle；　an　old

abbe　whose　very　name　I　did　not　know；　was　to　be　member　of　the　privy

council；　that　my　brother　was　already　promoted；　and　also　that　by　a

provision　of　the　Charter；　of　which　I　had　not　yet　heard；　my　father

became　once　more　Marquis　de　Vandenesse。



〃I　am　but　one　thing；　the　serf　of　Clochegourde；〃　I　said　in　a　low　voice

to　the　countess。



The　transformation　scene　of　the　Restoration　was　carried　through　with　a

rapidity　which　bewildered　the　generation　brought　up　under　the　imperial

regime。　To　me　this　revolution　meant　nothing。　The　least　word　or　gesture

from　Madame　de　Mortsauf　were　the　sole　events　to　which　I　attached

importance。　I　was　ignorant　of　what　the　privy　council　was；　and　knew　as

little　of　politics　as　of　social　life；　my　sole　ambition　was　to　love

Henriette　better　than　Petrarch　loved　Laura。　This　indifference　made　the

duchess　take　me　for　a　child。　A　large　company　assembled　at　Frapesle　and

we　were　thirty　at　table。　What　intoxication　it　is　for　a　young　man

unused　to　the　world　to　see　the　woman　he　loves　more　beautiful　than　all

others　around　her；　the　centre　of　admiring　looks；　to　know　that　for　him

alone　is　reserved　the　chaste　fire　of　those　eyes；　that　none　but　he　can

discern　in　the　tones　of　that　voice；　in　the　words　it　utters；　however

gay　or　jesting　they　may　be；　the　proofs　of　unremitting　thought。　The

count；　delighted　with　the　attentions　paid　to　him；　seemed　almost　young；

his　wife　looked　hopeful　of　a　change；　I　amused　myself　with　Madeleine；

who；　like　all　children　with　bodies　weaker　than　their　minds；　made

others　laugh　with　her　clever　observations；　full　of　sarcasm；　though

never　malicious；　and　which　spared　no　one。　It　was　a　happy　day。　A　word；

a　hope　awakened　in　the　morning　illumined　nature。　Seeing　me　so　joyous；

Henriette　was　joyful　too。



〃This　happiness　smiling　on　my　gray　and　cloudy　life　seems　good；〃　she

said　to　me　the　next　day。



That　day　I　naturally　spent　at　Clochegourde。　I　had　been　banished　for

five　days；　I　was　athirst　for　life。　The　count　left　at　six　in　the

morning　for　Tours。　A　serious　disagreement　had　arisen　between　mother

and　daughter。　The　duchess　wanted　the　countess　to　move　to　Paris；　where

she　promised　her　a　place　at　court；　and　where　the　count；　reconsidering

his　refusal；　might　obtain　some　high　position。　Henriette；　who　was

thought　happy　in　her　married　life；　would　not　reveal；　even　to　her

mother；　her　tragic　sufferings　and　the　fatal　incapacity　of　her　husband。

It　was　to　hide　his　condition　from　the　duchess　that　she　persuaded　him

to　go　to　Tours　and　transact　business　with　his　notaries。　I　alone；　as

she　had　truly　said；　knew　the　dark　secret　of　Clochegourde。　Having

learned　by　experience　how　the　pure　air　and　the　blue　sky　of　the　lovely

valley　calmed　the　excitements　and　soothed　the　morbid　griefs　of　the

diseased　mind；　and　what　beneficial　effect　the　life　at　Clochegourde　had

upon　the　health　of　her　children；　she　opposed　her　mother's　desire　that

she　should　leave　it　with　reasons　which　the　overbearing　woman；　who　was

less　grieved　than　mortified　by　her　daughter's　bad　marriage；　vigorously

combated。



Henriette　saw　that　the　duchess　cared　little　for　Jacques　and　Madeleine；

a　terrible　discovery！　Like　all　domineering　mothers　who　expect　to

continue　the　same　authority　over　their　married　daughters　that　they

maintained　when　they　were　girls；　the　duchess　brooked　no　opposition；

sometimes　she　affected　a　crafty　sweetness　to　force　her　daughter　to

compliance；　at　other　times　a　cold　severity；　intending　to　obtain　by

fear　what　gentleness　had　failed　to　win；　then；　when　all　means　failed；

she　displayed　the　same　native　sarcasm　which　I　had　often　observed　in　my

own　mother。　In　those　ten　days　Henriette　passed　through　all　the

contentions　a　young　woman　must　endure　to　establish　her　independence。

You；　who　for　your　happiness　have　the　best　of　mothers；　can　scarcely

comprehend　such　trials。　To　gain　a　true　idea　of　the　struggle　between

that　cold；　calculating；　ambitious　woman　and　a　daughter　abounding　in

the　tender　natural　k