the lily of the valley-第36章

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　　history　well　enough　to　be　fully　informed　as　to　what　deeds　and　what

　　sentiments　have　led　to　true　grandeur。



　　I　now　come　to　a　serious　matter；　your　conduct　towards　women。

　　Wherever　you　visit　make　it　a　principle　not　to　fritter　yourself

　　away　in　a　petty　round　of　gallantry。　A　man　of　the　last　century　who

　　had　great　social　success　never　paid　attention　to　more　than　one

　　woman　of　an　evening；　choosing　the　one　who　seemed　the　most

　　neglected。　That　man；　my　dear　child；　controlled　his　epoch。　He

　　wisely　reckoned　that　by　a　given　time　all　women　would　speak　well　of

　　him。　Many　young　men　waste　their　most　precious　possession；　namely；

　　the　time　necessary　to　create　connections　which　contribute　more

　　than　all　else　to　social　success。　Your　springtime　is　short；

　　endeavor　to　make　the　most　of　it。　Cultivate　influential　women。

　　Influential　women　are　old　women；　they　will　teach　you　the

　　intermarriages　and　the　secrets　of　all　the　families　of　the　great

　　world；　they　will　show　you　the　cross…roads　which　will　bring　you

　　soonest　to　your　goal。　They　will　be　fond　of　you。　The　bestowal　of

　　protection　is　their　last　form　of　lovewhen　they　are　not　devout。

　　They　will　do　you　innumerable　good　services；　sing　your　praises　and

　　make　you　desirable　to　society。　Avoid　young　women。　Do　not　think　I

　　say　this　from　personal　self…interest。　The　woman　of　fifty　will　do

　　all　for　you；　the　woman　of　twenty　will　do　nothing；　she　wants　your

　　whole　life　while　the　other　asks　only　a　few　attentions。　Laugh　with

　　the　young　women；　meet　them　for　pastime　merely；　they　are　incapable

　　of　serious　thought。　Young　women；　dear　friend；　are　selfish；　vain；

　　petty；　ignorant　of　true　friendship；　they　love　no　one　but

　　themselves；　they　would　sacrifice　you　to　an　evening's　success。

　　Besides；　they　all　want　absolute　devotion；　and　your　present

　　situation　requires　that　devotion　be　shown　to　you；　two

　　irreconcilable　needs！　None　of　these　young　women　would　enter　into

　　your　interests；　they　would　think　of　themselves　and　not　of　you；

　　they　would　injure　you　more　by　their　emptiness　and　frivolity　than

　　they　could　serve　you　by　their　love；　they　will　waste　your　time

　　unscrupulously；　hinder　your　advance　to　fortune；　and　end　by

　　destroying　your　future　with　the　best　grace　possible。　If　you

　　complain；　the　silliest　of　them　will　make　you　think　that　her　glove

　　is　more　precious　than　fortune；　and　that　nothing　is　so　glorious　as

　　to　be　her　slave。　They　will　all　tell　you　that　they　bestow

　　happiness；　and　thus　lull　you　to　forget　your　nobler　destiny。

　　Believe　me；　the　happiness　they　give　is　transitory；　your　great

　　career　will　endure。　You　know　not　with　what　perfidious　cleverness

　　they　contrive　to　satisfy　their　caprices；　nor　the　art　with　which

　　they　will　convert　your　passing　fancy　into　a　love　which　ought　to　be

　　eternal。　The　day　when　they　abandon　you　they　will　tell　you　that　the

　　words；　〃I　no　longer　love　you；〃　are　a　full　justification　of　their

　　conduct；　just　as　the　words；　〃I　love；〃　justified　their　winning　you；

　　they　will　declare　that　love　is　involuntary　and　not　to　be　coerced。

　　Absurd！　Believe　me；　dear；　true　love　is　eternal；　infinite；　always

　　like　unto　itself；　it　is　equable；　pure；　without　violent

　　demonstration；　white　hair　often　covers　the　head　but　the　heart　that

　　holds　it　is　ever　young。　No　such　love　is　found　among　the　women　of

　　the　world；　all　are　playing　comedy；　this　one　will　interest　you　by

　　her　misfortunes；　she　seems　the　gentlest　and　least　exacting　of　her

　　sex；　but　when　once　she　is　necessary　to　you；　you　will　feel　the

　　tyranny　of　weakness　and　will　do　her　will；　you　may　wish　to　be　a

　　diplomat；　to　go　and　come；　and　study　men　and　interests；no；　you

　　must　stay　in　Paris；　or　at　her　country…place；　sewn　to　her

　　petticoat；　and　the　more　devotion　you　show　the　more　ungrateful　and

　　exacting　she　will　be。　Another　will　attract　you　by　her

　　submissiveness；　she　will　be　your　attendant；　follow　you

　　romantically　about；　compromise　herself　to　keep　you；　and　be　the

　　millstone　about　your　neck。　You　will　drown　yourself　some　day；　but

　　the　woman　will　come　to　the　surface。



　　The　least　manoeuvring　of　these　women　of　the　world　have　many　nets。

　　The　silliest　triumph　because　too　foolish　to　excite　distrust。　The

　　one　to　be　feared　least　may　be　the　woman　of　gallantry　whom　you　love

　　without　exactly　knowing　why；　she　will　leave　you　for　no　motive　and

　　go　back　to　you　out　of　vanity。　All　these　women　will　injure　you；

　　either　in　the　present　or　the　future。　Every　young　woman　who　enters

　　society　and　lives　a　life　of　pleasure　and　of　gratified　vanity　is

　　semi…corrupt　and　will　corrupt　you。　Among　them　you　will　not　find

　　the　chaste　and　tranquil　being　in　whom　you　may　forever　reign。　Ah！

　　she　who　loves　you　will　love　solitude；　the　festivals　of　her　heart

　　will　be　your　glances；　she　will　live　upon　your　words。　May　she　be

　　all　the　world　to　you；　for　you　will　be　all　in　all　to　her。　Love　her

　　well；　give　her　neither　griefs　nor　rivals；　do　not　rouse　her

　　jealousy。　To　be　loved；　dear；　to　be　comprehended；　is　the　greatest

　　of　all　joys；　I　pray　that　you　may　taste　it！　But　run　no　risk　of

　　injuring　the　flower　of　your　soul；　be　sure；　be　very　sure　of　the

　　heart　in　which　you　place　your　affections。　That　woman　will　never　be

　　her　own　self；　she　will　never　think　of　herself；　but　of　you。　She

　　will　never　oppose　you；　she　will　have　no　interests　of　her　own；　for

　　you　she　will　see　a　danger　where　you　can　see　none　and　where　she

　　would　be　oblivious　of　her　own。　If　she　suffers　it　will　be　in

　　silence；　she　will　have　no　personal　vanity；　but　deep　reverence　for

　　whatever　in　her　has　won　your　love。　Respond　to　such　a　love　by

　　surpassing　it。　If　you　are　fortunate　enough　to　find　that　which　I；

　　your　poor　friend；　must　ever　be　without；　I　mean　a　love　mutually

　　inspired；　mutually　felt；　remember　that　in　a　valley　lives　a　mother

　　whose　heart　is　so　filled　with　the　feelings　you　have　put　there　that

　　you　can　never　sound　its　depths。　Yes；　I　bear　you　an　affection　which

　　you　will　never　know　to　its　full　extent；　before　it　could　show

　　itself　for　what　it　is　you　would　have　to　lose　your　mind　and

　　intellect；　and　then　you　would　be　unable　to　comprehend　the　length

　　and　breadth　of　my　devotion。



　　Shall　I　be　misunderstood　in　bidding　you　avoid　young　women　（all

　　more　or　less　artful；　satirical；　vain；　frivolous；　and　extravagant）

　　and　attach　yourself　to　influential　women；　to　those　imposing

　　dowagers　full　of　excellent　good…sense；　like　my　aunt；　who　will　help

　　your　career；　defend　you　from　attacks；　and　say　for　you　the　things

　　that　you　cannot　say　for　yourself？　Am　I　not；　on　the　contrary；

　　generous　in　bidding　you　reserve　your　love　for　the　coming　angel

　　with　the　guileless　heart？　If　the　motto　Noblesse　oblige　sums　up　the

　　advice　I　gave　you　just　now；　my　further　advice　on　your　relations　to

　　women　is　based　upon　that　other　motto　of　chivalry；　〃Serve　all；　love

　　one！〃



　　Your　educational　knowledge　is　immense；　your　heart；　saved　by　early

　　suffering；　is　without　a　stain；　all　is　noble；　all　is　well　with　you。

　　Now；　Felix；　WILL！　Your　future　lies　in　that　one　word；　that　word　of

　　great　men。　My　child；　you　will　obey　your　Henriette；　will　you　not？

　　You　will　permit　her　to　tell　you　from　time　to　time　the　thoughts

　　that　are　in　her　mind　of　you　and　of　your　relations　to　the　world？　I

　　have　an　eye　in　my　soul　which　sees　the　future　for　you　as　for　my

　　children；　suffer　me　to　use　that　faculty　for　your　benefit；　it　is　a

　　faculty；　a　mysterious　gift　bestowed　by　my　lonely　life；　far　from

　　its　growing　weaker；　I　find　it　strengthened　and　exalted　by　solitude

　　and　silence。



　　I　ask　you　in　return　to　bestow　a　happiness　on　me；　I　desire　to　see

　　you　becoming　more　and　more　important　among　men；　without　one　single

　　success　that　shall　bring　a　line　of　shame　upon　my　brow；　I　desire

　　that　you　may　quickly　bring　your　fortunes　to　the　level　of　your

　　noble　name；　and　be　able　to　tell　me　I　have　contributed　to　your

　　advancement　by　something　better　than　a　wish。　This　secret

　　co…operation　in　your　future　is　the