ferragus-第5章

按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！


monarchy　could　have　been　saved　by　their　retirement　and　the　accession
of　this　Young　France；　which　the　old　doctrinaires；　the　/emigres/　of　the
Restoration；　still　speak　of　slightingly。　Auguste　de　Maulincour　was　a
victim　to　the　ideas　which　weighed　in　those　days　upon　French　youth；　and
we　must　here　explain　why。

The　Vidame　de　Pamiers　was　still；　at　sixty…seven　years　of　age；　a　very
brilliant　man；　having　seen　much　and　lived　much；　a　good　talker；　a　man
of　honor　and　a　gallant　man；　but　who　held　as　to　women　the　most
detestable　opinions；　he　loved　them；　and　he　despised　them。　/Their/
honor！　/their/　feelings！　Ta…ra…ra；　rubbish　and　shams！　When　he　was　with
them；　he　believed　in　them；　the　ci…devant　〃monstre〃；　he　never
contradicted　them；　and　he　made　them　shine。　But　among　his　male　friends；
when　the　topic　of　the　sex　came　up；　he　laid　down　the　principle　that　to
deceive　women；　and　to　carry　on　several　intrigues　at　once；　should　be
the　occupation　of　those　young　men　who　were　so　misguided　as　to　wish　to
meddle　in　the　affairs　of　the　State。　It　is　sad　to　have　to　sketch　so
hackneyed　a　portrait；　for　has　it　not　figured　everywhere　and　become；
literally；　as　threadbare　as　that　of　a　grenadier　of　the　Empire？　But　the
vidame　had　an　influence　on　Monsieur　de　Maulincour's　destiny　which
obliges　us　to　preserve　his　portrait；　he　lectured　the　young　man　after
his　fashion；　and　did　his　best　to　convert　him　to　the　doctrines　of　the
great　age　of　gallantry。

The　dowager；　a　tender…hearted；　pious　woman；　sitting　between　God　and
her　vidame；　a　model　of　grace　and　sweetness；　but　gifted　with　that
well…bred　persistency　which　triumphs　in　the　long　run；　had　longed　to
preserve　for　her　grandson　the　beautiful　illusions　of　life；　and　had
therefore　brought　him　up　in　the　highest　principles；　she　instilled　into
him　her　own　delicacy　of　feeling　and　made　him；　to　outward　appearance；　a
timid　man；　if　not　a　fool。　The　sensibilities　of　the　young　fellow；
preserved　pure；　were　not　worn　by　contact　without；　he　remained　so
chaste；　so　scrupulous；　that　he　was　keenly　offended　by　actions　and
maxims　to　which　the　world　attached　no　consequence。　Ashamed　of　this
susceptibility；　he　forced　himself　to　conceal　it　under　a　false
hardihood；　but　he　suffered　in　secret；　all　the　while　scoffing　with
others　at　the　things　he　reverenced。

It　came　to　pass　that　he　was　deceived；　because；　in　accordance　with　a
not　uncommon　whim　of　destiny；　he；　a　man　of　gentle　melancholy；　and
spiritual　in　love；　encountered　in　the　object　of　his　first　passion　a
woman　who　held　in　horror　all　German　sentimentalism。　The　young　man；　in
consequence；　distrusted　himself；　became　dreamy；　absorbed　in　his
griefs；　complaining　of　not　being　understood。　Then；　as　we　desire　all
the　more　violently　the　things　we　find　difficult　to　obtain；　he
continued　to　adore　women　with　that　ingenuous　tenderness　and　feline
delicacy　the　secret　of　which　belongs　to　women　themselves；　who　may；
perhaps；　prefer　to　keep　the　monopoly　of　it。　In　point　of　fact；　though
women　of　the　world　complain　of　the　way　men　love　them；　they　have　little
liking　themselves　for　those　whose　soul　is　half　feminine。　Their　own
superiority　consists　in　making　men　believe　they　are　their　inferiors　in
love；　therefore　they　will　readily　leave　a　lover　if　he　is　inexperienced
enough　to　rob　them　of　those　fears　with　which　they　seek　to　deck
themselves；　those　delightful　tortures　of　feigned　jealousy；　those
troubles　of　hope　betrayed；　those　futile　expectations；in　short；　the
whole　procession　of　their　feminine　miseries。　They　hold　Sir　Charles
Grandison　in　horror。　What　can　be　more　contrary　to　their　nature　than　a
tranquil；　perfect　love？　They　want　emotions；　happiness　without　storms
is　not　happiness　to　them。　Women　with　souls　that　are　strong　enough　to
bring　infinitude　into　love　are　angelic　exceptions；　they　are　among
women　what　noble　geniuses　are　among　men。　Their　great　passions　are　rare
as　masterpieces。　Below　the　level　of　such　love　come　compromises；
conventions；　passing　and　contemptible　irritations；　as　in　all　things
petty　and　perishable。

Amid　the　hidden　disasters　of　his　heart；　and　while　he　was　still　seeking
the　woman　who　could　comprehend　him　（a　search　which；　let　us　remark　in
passing；　is　one　of　the　amorous　follies　of　our　epoch）；　Auguste　met；　in
the　rank　of　society　that　was　farthest　from　his　own；　in　the　secondary
sphere　of　money；　where　banking　holds　the　first　place；　a　perfect　being；
one　of　those　women　who　have　I　know　not　what　about　them　that　is　saintly
and　sacred；women　who　inspire　such　reverence　that　love　has　need　of
the　help　of　a　long　familiarity　to　declare　itself。

Auguste　then　gave　himself　up　wholly　to　the　delights　of　the　deepest　and
most　moving　of　passions；　to　a　love　that　was　purely　adoring。
Innumerable　repressed　desires　there　were；　shadows　of　passion　so　vague
yet　so　profound；　so　fugitive　and　yet　so　actual；　that　one　scarcely
knows　to　what　we　may　compare　them。　They　are　like　perfumes；　or　clouds；
or　rays　of　the　sun；　or　shadows；　or　whatever　there　is　in　nature　that
shines　for　a　moment　and　disappears；　that　springs　to　life　and　dies；
leaving　in　the　heart　long　echoes　of　emotion。　When　the　soul　is　young
enough　to　nurture　melancholy　and　far…off　hope；　to　find　in　woman　more
than　a　woman；　is　it　not　the　greatest　happiness　that　can　befall　a　man
when　he　loves　enough　to　feel　more　joy　in　touching　a　gloved　hand；　or　a
lock　of　hair；　in　listening　to　a　word；　in　casting　a　single　look；　than
in　all　the　ardor　of　possession　given　by　happy　love？　Thus　it　is　that
rejected　persons；　those　rebuffed　by　fate；　the　ugly　and　unfortunate；
lovers　unrevealed；　women　and　timid　men；　alone　know　the　treasures
contained　in　the　voice　of　the　beloved。　Taking　their　source　and　their
element　from　the　soul　itself；　the　vibrations　of　the　air；　charged　with
passion；　put　our　hearts　so　powerfully　into　communion；　carrying　thought
between　them　so　lucidly；　and　being；　above　all；　so　incapable　of
falsehood；　that　a　single　inflection　of　a　voice　is　often　a　revelation。
What　enchantments　the　intonations　of　a　tender　voice　can　bestow　upon
the　heart　of　a　poet！　What　ideas　they　awaken！　What　freshness　they　shed
there！　Love　is　in　the　voice　before　the　glance　avows　it。　Auguste；　poet
after　the　manner　of　lovers　（there　are　poets　who　feel；　and　poets　who
express；　the　first　are　the　happiest）；　Auguste　had　tasted　all　these
early　joys；　so　vast；　so　fecund。　SHE　possessed　the　most　winning　organ
that　the　most　artful　woman　of　the　world　could　have　desired　in　order　to
deceive　at　her　ease；　/she/　had　that　silvery　voice　which　is　soft　to　the
ear；　and　ringing　only　for　the　heart　which　it　stirs　and　troubles；
caresses　and　subjugates。

And　this　woman　went　by　night　to　the　rue　Soly　through　the　rue　Pagevin！
and　her　furtive　apparition　in　an　infamous　house　had　just　destroyed　the
grandest　of　passions！　The　vidame's　logic　triumphed。

〃If　she　is　betraying　her　husband　we　will　avenge　ourselves；〃　said
Auguste。

There　was　still　faith　in　that　〃if。〃　The　philosophic　doubt　of　Descartes
is　a　politeness　with　which　we　should　always　honor　virtue。　Ten　o'clock
sounded。　The　Baron　de　Maulincour　remembered　that　this　woman　was　going
to　a　ball　that　evening　at　a　house　to　which　he　had　access。　He　dressed；
went　there；　and　searched　for　her　through　all　the　salons。　The　mistress
of　the　house；　Madame　de　Nucingen；　seeing　him　thus　occupied；　said：

〃You　are　looking　for　Madame　Jules；　but　she　has　not　yet　come。〃

〃Good　evening；　dear；〃　said　a　voice。

Auguste　and　Madame　de　Nucingen　turned　round。　Madame　Jules　had　arrived；
dressed　in　white；　looking　simple　and　noble；　wearing　in　her　hair　the
marabouts　the　young　baron　had　seen　her　choose　in　the　flower…shop。　That
voice　of　love　now　pierced　his　heart。　Had　he　won　the　slightest　right　to
be　jealous　of　her　he　would　have　petrified　her　then　and　there　by　saying
the　words；　〃Rue　Soly！〃　But　if　he；　an　alien　to　her　life；　had　said　those
words　in　her　ear　a　thousand　times；　Madame　Jules　would　have　asked　him
in　astonishment　what　he　meant。　He　looked　at　her　stupidly。

For　those　sarcastic　persons　who　scoff　at　all　things　it　may　be　a　great
amusement　to　detect　the　secret　of　a　woman；　to　know　that　her　chastity
is　a　lie；　that　her　calm　face　hides　some　anxious　thought；　that　under
that　pure　brow　is　a　dreadful　drama。　But　there　are　other　souls　to　whom
the　sight　is　saddening；　and　m