letters of two brides-第14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！


man；　and　not　easily　blinded；　but　from　day　to　day　he　is　won　over　by　his
brother's　partisans；　who　want　to　hurry　things　on。　He　has　not　two　years
to　live；　and　thinks　more　of　a　peaceful　deathbed　than　of　anything　else。

〃Shall　I　tell　you；　my　child；　which　is　the　most　destructive　of　all　the
consequences　entailed　by　the　Revolution？　You　would　never　guess。　In
Louis　XVI。　the　Revolution　has　decapitated　every　head　of　a　family。　The
family　has　ceased　to　exist；　we　have　only　individuals。　In　their　desire
to　become　a　nation；　Frenchmen　have　abandoned　the　idea　of　empire；　in
proclaiming　the　equal　rights　of　all　children　to　their　father's
inheritance；　they　have　killed　the　family　spirit　and　created　the　State
treasury。　But　all　this　has　paved　the　way　for　weakened　authority；　for
the　blind　force　of　the　masses；　for　the　decay　of　art　and　the　supremacy
of　individual　interests；　and　has　left　the　road　open　to　the　foreign
invader。

〃We　stand　between　two　policieseither　to　found　the　State　on　the　basis
of　the　family；　or　to　rest　it　on　individual　interestin　other　words；
between　democracy　and　aristocracy；　between　free　discussion　and
obedience；　between　Catholicism　and　religious　indifference。　I　am　among
the　few　who　are　resolved　to　oppose　what　is　called　the　people；　and　that
in　the　people's　true　interest。　It　is　not　now　a　question　of　feudal
rights；　as　fools　are　told；　nor　of　rank；　it　is　a　question　of　the　State
and　of　the　existence　of　France。　The　country　which　does　not　rest　on　the
foundation　of　paternal　authority　cannot　be　stable。　That　is　the　foot　of
the　ladder　of　responsibility　and　subordination；　which　has　for　its
summit　the　King。

〃The　King　stands　for　us　all。　To　die　for　the　King　is　to　die　for
oneself；　for　one's　family；　which；　like　the　kingdom；　cannot　die。　All
animals　have　certain　instincts；　the　instinct　of　man　is　for　family
life。　A　country　is　strong　which　consists　of　wealthy　families；　every
member　of　whom　is　interested　in　defending　a　common　treasure；　it　is
weak　when　composed　of　scattered　individuals；　to　whom　it　matters　little
whether　they　obey　seven　or　one；　a　Russian　or　a　Corsican；　so　long　as
each　keeps　his　own　plot　of　land；　blind；　in　their　wretched　egotism；　to
the　fact　that　the　day　is　coming　when　this　too　will　be　torn　from　them。

〃Terrible　calamities　are　in　store　for　us；　in　case　our　party　fails。
Nothing　will　be　left　but　penal　or　fiscal　lawsyour　money　or　your
life。　The　most　generous　nation　on　the　earth　will　have　ceased　to　obey
the　call　of　noble　instincts。　Wounds　past　curing　will　have　been
fostered　and　aggravated；　an　all　pervading　jealousy　being　the　first。
Then　the　upper　classes　will　be　submerged；　equality　of　desire　will　be
taken　for　equality　of　strength；　true　distinction；　even　when　proved　and
recognized；　will　be　threatened　by　the　advancing　tide　of　middle…class
prejudice。　It　was　possible　to　choose　one　man　out　of　a　thousand；　but；
amongst　three　millions；　discrimination　becomes　impossible；　when　all
are　moved　by　the　same　ambitions　and　attired　in　the　same　livery　of
mediocrity。　No　foresight　will　warn　this　victorious　horde　of　that　other
terrible　horde；　soon　to　be　arrayed　against　them　in　the　peasant
proprietors；　in　other　words；　twenty　million　acres　of　land；　alive；
stirring；　arguing；　deaf　to　reason；　insatiable　of　appetite；　obstructing
progress；　masters　in　their　brute　force〃

〃But；〃　said　I；　interrupting　my　father；　〃what　can　I　do　to　help　the
State。　I　feel　no　vocation　for　playing　Joan　of　Arc　in　the　interests　of
the　family；　or　for　finding　a　martyr's　block　in　the　convent。〃

〃You　are　a　little　hussy；〃　cried　my　father。　〃If　I　speak　sensibly　to
you；　you　are　full　of　jokes；　when　I　jest；　you　talk　like　an
ambassadress。〃

〃Love　lives　on　contrasts；〃　was　my　reply。

And　he　laughed　till　the　tears　stood　in　his　eyes。

〃You　will　reflect　on　what　I　have　told　you；　you　will　do　justice　to　the
large　and　confiding　spirit　in　which　I　have　broached　the　matter；　and
possibly　events　may　assist　my　plans。　I　know　that；　so　far　as　you　are
concerned；　they　are　injurious　and　unfair；　and　this　is　the　reason　why　I
appeal　for　your　sanction　of　them　less　to　your　heart　and　your
imagination　than　to　your　reason。　I　have　found　more　judgment　and
commonsense　in　you　than　in　any　one　I　know〃

〃You　flatter　yourself；〃　I　said；　with　a　smile；　〃for　I　am　every　inch
your　child！〃

〃In　short；〃　he　went　on；　〃one　must　be　logical。　You　can't　have　the　end
without　the　means；　and　it　is　our　duty　to　set　an　example　to　others。
From　all　this　I　deduce　that　you　ought　not　to　have　money　of　your　own
till　your　younger　brother　is　provided　for；　and　I　want　to　employ　the
whole　of　your　inheritance　in　purchasing　an　estate　for　him　to　go　with
the　title。〃

〃But；〃　I　said；　〃you　won't　interfere　with　my　living　in　my　own　fashion
and　enjoying　life　if　I　leave　you　my　fortune？〃

〃Provided；〃　he　replied；　〃that　your　view　of　life　does　not　conflict　with
the　family　honor；　reputation；　and；　I　may　add；　glory。〃

〃Come；　come；〃　I　cried；　〃what　has　become　of　my　excellent　judgment？〃

〃There　is　not　in　all　France；〃　he　said　with　bitterness；　〃a　man　who
would　take　for　wife　a　daughter　of　one　of　our　noblest　families　without
a　dowry　and　bestow　one　on　her。　If　such　a　husband　could　be　found；　it
would　be　among　the　class　of　rich　/parvenus/；　on　this　point　I　belong　to
the　eleventh　century。〃

〃And　I　also；〃　I　said。　〃But　why　despair？　Are　there　no　aged　peers？〃

〃You　are　an　apt　scholar；　Louise！〃　he　exclaimed。

Then　he　left　me；　smiling　and　kissing　my　hand。

I　received　your　letter　this　very　morning；　and　it　led　me　to　contemplate
that　abyss　into　which　you　say　that　I　may　fall。　A　voice　within　seemed
to　utter　the　same　warning。　So　I　took　my　precautions。　Henarez；　my　dear；
dares　to　look　at　me；　and　his　eyes　are　disquieting。　They　inspire　me
with　what　I　can　only　call　an　unreasoning　dread。　Such　a　man　ought　no
more　to　be　looked　at　than　a　frog；　he　is　ugly　and　fascinating。

For　two　days　I　have　been　hesitating　whether　to　tell　my　father　point…
blank　that　I　want　no　more　Spanish　lessons　and　have　Henarez　sent　about
his　business。　But　in　spite　of　all　my　brave　resolutions；　I　feel　that
the　horrible　sensation　which　comes　over　me　when　I　see　that　man　has
become　necessary　to　me。　I　say　to　myself；　〃Once　more；　and　then　I　will
speak。〃

His　voice；　my　dear；　is　sweetly　thrilling；　his　speaking　is　just　like　la
Fodor's　singing。　His　manners　are　simple；　entirely　free　from
affectation。　And　what　teeth！

Just　now；　as　he　was　leaving；　he　seemed　to　divine　the　interest　I　take
in　him；　and　made　a　gestureoh！　most　respectfullyas　though　to　take
my　hand　and　kiss　it；　then　checked　himself；　apparently　terrified　at　his
own　boldness　and　the　chasm　he　had　been　on　the　point　of　bridging。　There
was　the　merest　suggestion　of　all　this；　but　I　understood　it　and　smiled；
for　nothing　is　more　pathetic　than　to　see　the　frank　impulse　of　an
inferior　checking　itself　abashed。　The　love　of　a　plebeian　for　a　girl　of
noble　birth　implies　such　courage！

My　smile　emboldened　him。　The　poor　fellow　looked　blindly　about　for　his
hat；　he　seemed　determined　not　to　find　it；　and　I　handed　it　to　him　with
perfect　gravity。　His　eyes　were　wet　with　unshed　tears。　It　was　a　mere
passing　moment；　yet　a　world　of　facts　and　ideas　were　contained　in　it。
We　understood　each　other　so　well　that；　on　a　sudden；　I　held　out　my　hand
for　him　to　kiss。

Possibly　this　was　equivalent　to　telling　him　that　love　might　bridge　the
interval　between　us。　Well；　I　cannot　tell　what　moved　me　to　do　it。
Griffith　had　her　back　turned　as　I　proudly　extended　my　little　white
paw。　I　felt　the　fire　of　his　lips；　tempered　by　two　big　tears。　Oh！　my
love；　I　lay　in　my　armchair；　nerveless；　dreamy。　I　was　happy；　and　I
cannot　explain　to　you　how　or　why。　What　I　felt　only　a　poet　could
express。　My　condescension；　which　fills　me　with　shame　now；　seemed　to　me
then　something　to　be　proud　of；　he　had　fascinated　me；　that　is　my　one
excuse。

Friday。

This　man　is　really　very　handsome。　He　talks　admirably；　and　has
remarkable　intellectual　power。　My　dear；　he　is　a　very　Bossuet　in　force
and　persuasiveness　when　he　explains　the　mechanism；　not　only　of　the
Spanish　tongue；　but　also　of　human　thought　and　of　all　language。　His
mother　tongue　seems　to　be　French。　When　I　expressed　surprise　at　this；
he　replied　that　he　came　to　France　when　quite　a　boy；　following　the　King
of　S