the lily of the valley-第61章

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will　use　the　sand　and　write　a　word　with　the　point　of　her　little　foot；

her　love　will　find　expression　even　in　sleep；　in　short；　she　bends　the

world　to　her　love。　The　Englishwoman；　on　the　contrary；　makes　her　love

bend　to　the　world。　Educated　to　maintain　the　icy　manners；　the　Britannic

and　egotistic　deportment　which　I　described　to　you；　she　opens　and　shuts

her　heart　with　the　ease　of　a　British　mechanism。　She　possesses　an

impenetrable　mask；　which　she　puts　on　or　takes　off　phlegmatically。

Passionate　as　an　Italian　when　no　eye　sees　her；　she　becomes　coldly

dignified　before　the　world。　A　lover　may　well　doubt　his　empire　when　he

sees　the　immobility　of　face；　the　aloofness　of　countenance；　and　hears

the　calm　voice；　with　which　an　Englishwoman　leaves　her　boudoir。

Hypocrisy　then　becomes　indifference；　she　has　forgotten　all。



Certainly　the　woman　who　can　lay　aside　her　love　like　a　garment　may　be

thought　to　be　capable　of　changing　it。　What　tempests　arise　in　the　heart

of　a　man；　stirred　by　wounded　self…love；　when　he　sees　a　woman　taking

and　dropping　and　again　picking　up　her　love　like　a　piece　of　embroidery。

These　women　are　too　completely　mistresses　of　themselves　ever　to　belong

wholly　to　you；　they　are　too　much　under　the　influence　of　society　ever

to　let　you　reign　supreme。　Where　a　Frenchwoman　comforts　by　a　look；　or

betrays　her　impatience　with　visitors　by　witty　jests；　an　Englishwoman's

silence　is　absolute；　it　irritates　the　soul　and　frets　the　mind。　These

women　are　so　constantly；　and；　under　all　circumstances；　on　their

dignity；　that　to　most　of　them　fashion　reigns　omnipotent　even　over

their　pleasures。　An　Englishwoman　forces　everything　into　form；　though

in　her　case　the　love　of　form　does　not　produce　the　sentiment　of　art。　No

matter　what　may　be　said　against　it；　Protestantism　and　Catholicism

explain　the　differences　which　make　the　love　of　Frenchwomen　so　far

superior　to　the　calculating；　reasoning　love　of　Englishwomen。

Protestantism　doubts；　searches；　and　kills　belief；　it　is　the　death　of

art　and　love。　Where　worldliness　is　all　in　all；　worldly　people　must

needs　obey；　but　passionate　hearts　flee　from　it；　to　them　its　laws　are

insupportable。



You　can　now　understand　what　a　shock　my　self…love　received　when　I　found

that　Lady　Dudley　could　not　live　without　the　world；　and　that　the

English　system　of　two　lives　was　familiar　to　her。　It　was　no　sacrifice

she　felt　called　upon　to　make；　on　the　contrary　she　fell　naturally　into

two　forms　of　life　that　were　inimical　to　each　other。　When　she　loved　she

loved　madly；no　woman　of　any　country　could　be　compared　to　her；　but

when　the　curtain　fell　upon　that　fairy　scene　she　banished　even　the

memory　of　it。　In　public　she　never　answered　to　a　look　or　a　smile；　she

was　neither　mistress　nor　slave；　she　was　like　an　ambassadress；　obliged

to　round　her　phrases　and　her　elbows；　she　irritated　me　by　her

composure；　and　outraged　my　heart　with　her　decorum。　Thus　she　degraded

love　to　a　mere　need；　instead　of　raising　it　to　an　ideal　through

enthusiasm。　She　expressed　neither　fear；　nor　regrets；　nor　desire；　but

at　a　given　hour　her　tenderness　reappeared　like　a　fire　suddenly

lighted。



In　which　of　these　two　women　ought　I　to　believe？　I　felt；　as　it　were　by

a　thousand　pin…pricks；　the　infinite　differences　between　Henriette　and

Arabella。　When　Madame　de　Mortsauf　left　me　for　a　while　she　seemed　to

leave　to　the　air　the　duty　of　reminding　me　of　her；　the　folds　of　her

gown　as　she　went　away　spoke　to　the　eye；　as　their　undulating　sound　to

the　ear　when　she　returned；　infinite　tenderness　was　in　the　way　she

lowered　her　eyelids　and　looked　on　the　ground；　her　voice；　that　musical

voice；　was　a　continual　caress；　her　words　expressed　a　constant　thought；

she　was　always　like　unto　herself；　she　did　not　halve　her　soul　to　suit

two　atmospheres；　one　ardent；　the　other　icy。　In　short；　Madame　de

Mortsauf　reserved　her　mind　and　the　flower　of　her　thought　to　express

her　feelings；　she　was　coquettish　in　ideas　with　her　children　and　with

me。　But　Arabella's　mind　was　never　used　to　make　life　pleasant；　it　was

never　used　at　all　for　my　benefit；　it　existed　only　for　the　world　and　by

the　world；　and　it　was　spent　in　sarcasm。　She　loved　to　rend；　to　bite；　as

it　were；not　for　amusement　but　to　satisfy　a　craving。　Madame　de

Mortsauf　would　have　hidden　her　happiness　from　every　eye；　Lady　Dudley

chose　to　exhibit　hers　to　all　Paris；　and　yet　with　her　impenetrable

English　mask　she　kept　within　conventions　even　while　parading　in　the

Bois　with　me。　This　mixture　of　ostentation　and　dignity；　love　and

coldness；　wounded　me　constantly；　for　my　soul　was　both　virgin　and

passionate；　and　as　I　could　not　pass　from　one　temperature　to　the　other；

my　temper　suffered。　When　I　complained　（never　without　precaution）；　she

turned　her　tongue　with　its　triple　sting　against　me；　mingling　boasts　of

her　love　with　those　cutting　English　sarcasms。　As　soon　as　she　found

herself　in　opposition　to　me；　she　made　it　an　amusement　to　hurt　my

feelings　and　humiliate　my　mind；　she　kneaded　me　like　dough。　To　any

remark　of　mine　as　to　keeping　a　medium　in　all　things；　she　replied　by

caricaturing　my　ideas　and　exaggerating　them。　When　I　reproached　her　for

her　manner　to　me；　she　asked　if　I　wished　her　to　kiss　me　at　the　opera

before　all　Paris；　and　she　said　it　so　seriously　that　I；　knowing　her

desire　to　make　people　talk；　trembled　lest　she　should　execute　her

threat。　In　spite　of　her　real　passion　she　was　never　meditative；　self…

contained；　or　reverent；　like　Henriette；　on　the　contrary　she　was

insatiable　as　a　sandy　soil。　Madame　de　Mortsauf　was　always　composed；

able　to　feel　my　soul　in　an　accent　or　a　glance。　Lady　Dudley　was　never

affected　by　a　look；　or　a　pressure　of　the　hand；　nor　yet　by　a　tender

word。　No　proof　of　love　surprised　her。　She　felt　so　strong　a　necessity

for　excitement；　noise；　celebrity；　that　nothing　attained　to　her　ideal

in　this　respect；　hence　her　violent　love；　her　exaggerated　fancy；

everything　concerned　herself　and　not　me。



The　letter　you　have　read　from　Madame　de　Mortsauf　（a　light　which　still

shone　brightly　on　my　life）；　a　proof　of　how　the　most　virtuous　of　women

obeyed　the　genius　of　a　Frenchwoman；　revealing；　as　it　did；　her

perpetual　vigilance；　her　sound　understanding　of　all　my　prospectsthat

letter　must　have　made　you　see　with　what　care　Henriette　had　studied　my

material　interests；　my　political　relations；　my　moral　conquests；　and

with　what　ardor　she　took　hold　of　my　life　in　all　permissible

directions。　On　such　points　as　these　Lady　Dudley　affected　the　reticence

of　a　mere　acquaintance。　She　never　informed　herself　about　my　affairs；

nor　of　my　likings　or　dislikings　as　a　man。　Prodigal　for　herself　without

being　generous；　she　separated　too　decidedly　self…interest　and　love。

Whereas　I　knew　very　well；　without　proving　it；　that　to　save　me　a　pang

Henriette　would　have　sought　for　me　that　which　she　would　never　seek　for

herself。　In　any　great　and　overwhelming　misfortune　I　should　have　gone

for　counsel　to　Henriette；　but　I　would　have　let　myself　be　dragged　to

prison　sooner　than　say　a　word　to　Lady　Dudley。



Up　to　this　point　the　contrast　relates　to　feelings；　but　it　was　the　same

in　outward　things。　In　France；　luxury　is　the　expression　of　the　man；　the

reproduction　of　his　ideas；　of　his　personal　poetry；　it　portrays　the

character；　and　gives；　between　lovers；　a　precious　value　to　every　little

attention　by　keeping　before　them　the　dominant　thought　of　the　being

loved。　But　English　luxury；　which　at　first　allured　me　by　its　choiceness

and　delicacy；　proved　to　be　mechanical　also。　The　thousand　and　one

attentions　shown　me　at　Clochegourde　Arabella　would　have　considered　the

business　of　servants；　each　one　had　his　own　duty　and　speciality。　The

choice　of　the　footman　was　the　business　of　her　butler；　as　if　it　were　a

matter　of　horses。　She　never　attached　herself　to　her　servants；　the

death　of　the　best　of　them　would　not　have　affected　her；　for　money　could

replace　the　one　lost　by　another　equally　efficient。　As　to　her　duty

towards　her　neighbor；　I　never　saw　a　tear　in　her　eye　for　the

misfortunes　of　another；　in　fact　her　selfishness　was　so　naively　ca