letters of two brides-第7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！



〃And　these　are　the　product　of　Paris！〃　I　said　to　Miss　Griffith。

〃Most　cultivated　and　pleasant　men；〃　she　replied。

I　was　silent。　The　heart　of　a　spinster　of　thirty…six　is　a　well　of
tolerance。

In　the　evening　I　went　to　the　ball；　where　I　kept　close　to　my　mother's
side。　She　gave　me　her　arm　with　a　devotion　which　did　not　miss　its
reward。　All　the　honors　were　for　her；　I　was　made　the　pretext　for
charming　compliments。　She　was　clever　enough　to　find　me　fools　for　my
partners；　who　one　and　all　expatiated　on　the　heat　and　the　beauty　of　the
ball；　till　you　might　suppose　I　was　freezing　and　blind。　Not　one　failed
to　enlarge　on　the　strange；　unheard…of；　extraordinary；　odd；　remarkable
factthat　he　saw　me　for　the　first　time。

My　dress；　which　dazzled　me　as　I　paraded　alone　in　my　white…and…gold
drawing…room；　was　barely　noticeable　amidst　the　gorgeous　finery　of　most
of　the　married　women。　Each　had　her　band　of　faithful　followers；　and
they　all　watched　each　other　askance。　A　few　were　radiant　in　triumphant
beauty；　and　amongst　these　was　my　mother。　A　girl　at　a　ball　is　a　mere
dancing…machinea　thing　of　no　consequence　whatever。

The　men；　with　rare　exceptions；　did　not　impress　me　more　favorably　here
than　at　the　Champs…Elysees。　They　have　a　used…up　look；　their　features
are　meaningless；　or　rather　they　have　all　the　same　meaning。　The　proud；
stalwart　bearing　which　we　find　in　the　portraits　of　our　ancestorsmen
who　joined　moral　to　physical　vigorhas　disappeared。　Yet　in　this
gathering　there　was　one　man　of　remarkable　ability；　who　stood　out　from
the　rest　by　the　beauty　of　his　face。　But　even　he　did　not　rouse　in　me
the　feeling　which　I　should　have　expected。　I　do　not　know　his　works；　and
he　is　a　man　of　no　family。　Whatever　the　genius　and　the　merits　of　a
plebeian　or　a　commoner；　he　could　never　stir　my　blood。　Besides；　this
man　was　obviously　so　much　more　taken　up　with　himself　than　with　anybody
else；　that　I　could　not　but　think　these　great　brain…workers　must　look
on　us　as　things　rather　than　persons。　When　men　of　intellectual　power
love；　they　ought　to　give　up　writing；　otherwise　their　love　is　not　the
real　thing。　The　lady　of　their　heart　does　not　come　first　in　all　their
thoughts。　I　seemed　to　read　all　this　in　the　bearing　of　the　man　I　speak
of。　I　am　told　he　is　a　professor；　orator；　and　author；　whose　ambition
makes　him　the　slave　of　every　bigwig。

My　mind　was　made　up　on　the　spot。　It　was　unworthy　of　me；　I　determined；
to　quarrel　with　society　for　not　being　impressed　by　my　merits；　and　I
gave　myself　up　to　the　simple　pleasure　of　dancing；　which　I　thoroughly
enjoyed。　I　heard　a　great　deal　of　inept　gossip　about　people　of　whom　I
know　nothing；　but　perhaps　it　is　my　ignorance　on　many　subjects　which
prevents　me　from　appreciating　it；　as　I　saw　that　most　men　and　women
took　a　lively　pleasure　in　certain　remarks；　whether　falling　from　their
own　lips　or　those　of　others。　Society　bristles　with　enigmas　which　look
hard　to　solve。　It　is　a　perfect　maze　of　intrigue。　Yet　I　am　fairly　quick
of　sight　and　hearing；　and　as　to　my　wits；　Mlle。　de　Maucombe　does　not
need　to　be　told！

I　returned　home　tired　with　a　pleasant　sort　of　tiredness；　and　in　all
innocence　began　describing　my　sensations　to　my　mother；　who　was　with
me。　She　checked　me　with　the　warning　that　I　must　never　say　such　things
to　any　one　but　her。

〃My　dear　child；〃　she　added；　〃it　needs　as　much　tact　to　know　when　to　be
silent　as　when　to　speak。〃

This　advice　brought　home　to　me　the　nature　of　the　sensations　which
ought　to　be　concealed　from　every　one；　not　excepting　perhaps　even　a
mother。　At　a　glance　I　measured　the　vast　field　of　feminine　duplicity。　I
can　assure　you；　sweetheart；　that　we；　in　our　unabashed　simplicity；
would　pass　for　two　very　wide…awake　little　scandal…mongers。　What
lessons　may　be　conveyed　in　a　finger　on　the　lips；　in　a　word；　a　look！
All　in　a　moment　I　was　seized　with　excessive　shyness。　What！　may　I　never
again　speak　of　the　natural　pleasure　I　feel　in　the　exercise　of　dancing？
〃How　then；〃　I　said　to　myself；　〃about　the　deeper　feelings？〃

I　went　to　bed　sorrowful；　and　I　still　suffer　from　the　shock　produced　by
this　first　collision　of　my　frank；　joyous　nature　with　the　harsh　laws　of
society。　Already　the　highway　hedges　are　flecked　with　my　white　wool！
Farewell；　beloved。



V

RENEE　DE　MAUCOMBE　TO　LOUISE　DE　CHAULIEU
October。

How　deeply　your　letter　moved　me；　above　all；　when　I　compare　our　widely
different　destinies！　How　brilliant　is　the　world　you　are　entering；　how
peaceful　the　retreat　where　I　shall　end　my　modest　career！

In　the　Castle　of　Maucombe；　which　is　so　well　known　to　you　by
description　that　I　shall　say　no　more　of　it；　I　found　my　room　almost
exactly　as　I　left　it；　only　now　I　can　enjoy　the　splendid　view　it　gives
of　the　Gemenos　valley；　which　my　childish　eyes　used　to　see　without
comprehending。　A　fortnight　after　my　arrival；　my　father　and　mother　took
me；　along　with　my　two　brothers；　to　dine　with　one　of　our　neighbors；　M。
de　l'Estorade；　an　old　gentleman　of　good　family；　who　has　made　himself
rich；　after　the　provincial　fashion；　by　scraping　and　paring。

M。　de　l'Estorade　was　unable　to　save　his　only　son　from　the　clutches　of
Bonaparte；　after　successfully　eluding　the　conscription；　he　was　forced
to　send　him　to　the　army　in　1813；　to　join　the　Emperor's　bodyguard。
After　Leipsic　no　more　was　heard　of　him。　M。　de　Montriveau；　whom　the
father　interviewed　in　1814；　declared　that　he　had　seen　him　taken　by　the
Russians。　Mme。　de　l'Estorade　died　of　grief　whilst　a　vain　search　was
being　made　in　Russia。　The　Baron；　a　very　pious　old　man；　practised　that
fine　theological　virtue　which　we　used　to　cultivate　at　BloisHope！
Hope　made　him　see　his　son　in　dreams。　He　hoarded　his　income　for　him；
and　guarded　carefully　the　portion　of　inheritance　which　fell　to　him
from　the　family　of　the　late　Mme。　de　l'Estorade；　no　one　venturing　to
ridicule　the　old　man。

At　last　it　dawned　upon　me　that　the　unexpected　return　of　this　son　was
the　cause　of　my　own。　Who　could　have　imagined；　whilst　fancy　was　leading
us　a　giddy　dance；　that　my　destined　husband　was　slowly　traveling　on
foot　through　Russia；　Poland；　and　Germany？　His　bad　luck　only　forsook
him　at　Berlin；　where　the　French　Minister　helped　his　return　to　his
native　country。　M。　de　l'Estorade；　the　father；　who　is　a　small　landed
proprietor　in　Provence；　with　an　income　of　about　ten　thousand　livres；
has　not　sufficient　European　fame　to　interest　the　world　in　the
wandering　Knight　de　l'Estorade；　whose　name　smacks　of　his　adventures。

The　accumulated　income　of　twelve　thousand　livres　from　the　property　of
Mme。　de　l'Estorade；　with　the　addition　of　the　father's　savings；
provides　the　poor　guard　of　honor　with　something　like　two　hundred　and
fifty　thousand　livres；　not　counting　house　and　landsquite　a
considerable　fortune　in　Provence。　His　worthy　father　had　bought；　on　the
very　eve　of　the　Chevalier's　return；　a　fine　but　badly…managed　estate；
where　he　designs　to　plant　ten　thousand　mulberry…trees；　raised　in　his
nursery　with　a　special　view　to　this　acquisition。　The　Baron；　having
found　his　long…lost　son；　has　now　but　one　thought；　to　marry　him；　and
marry　him　to　a　girl　of　good　family。

My　father　and　mother　entered　into　their　neighbor's　idea　with　an　eye　to
my　interests　so　soon　as　they　discovered　that　Renee　de　Maucombe　would
be　acceptable　without　a　dowry；　and　that　the　money　the　said　Renee　ought
to　inherit　from　her　parents　would　be　duly　acknowledged　as　hers　in　the
contract。　In　a　similar　way；　my　younger　brother；　Jean　de　Maucombe；　as
soon　as　he　came　of　age；　signed　a　document　stating　that　he　had　received
from　his　parents　an　advance　upon　the　estate　equal　in　amount　to　one…
third　of　whole。　This　is　the　device　by　which　the　nobles　of　Provence
elude　the　infamous　Civil　Code　of　M。　de　Bonaparte；　a　code　which　will
drive　as　many　girls　of　good　family　into　convents　as　it　will　find
husbands　for。　The　French　nobility；　from　the　little　I　have　been　able　to
gather；　seem　to　be　divided　on　these　matters。

The　dinner；　darling；　was　a　first　meeting　between　your　sweetheart　and
the　exile。　The　Comte　de　Maucombe's　servants　donned　their　old　laced
liveries　and　hats；　the　coachman　his　great　top…boots；　we　sat　five　in
the　antiquated　carriage；　and　arrived　in　state　about　two　o'clockthe
dinner　was　for　threeat　the　grange；　which　is　the　dwelling　of　the
Baron　de　l'Est