honorine-第8章

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drama　indeed；　for　I　understood　that　there　could　be　no　vulgar
difference　between　the　woman　that　Count　could　choose　and　such　a
character　as　his。　The　events　which　had　driven　the　Countess　to　leave　a
man　so　noble；　so　amiable；　so　perfect；　so　loving；　so　worthy　to　be
loved；　must　have　been　singular；　to　say　the　least。　M。　de　Grandville's
remark　had　been　like　a　torch　flung　into　the　caverns　over　which　I　had
so　long　been　walking；　and　though　the　flame　lighted　them　but　dimly；　my
eyes　could　perceive　their　wide　extent！　I　could　imagine　the　Count's
sufferings　without　knowing　their　depths　or　their　bitterness。　That
sallow　face；　those　parched　temples；　those　overwhelming　studies；　those
moments　of　absentmindedness；　the　smallest　details　of　the　life　of　this
married　bachelor；　all　stood　out　in　luminous　relief　during　the　hour　of
mental　questioning；　which　is；　as　it　were；　the　twilight　before　sleep；
and　to　which　any　man　would　have　given　himself　up；　as　I　did。

〃Oh！　how　I　loved　my　poor　master！　He　seemed　to　me　sublime。　I　read　a
poem　of　melancholy；　I　saw　perpetual　activity　in　the　heart　I　had
accused　of　being　torpid。　Must　not　supreme　grief　always　come　at　last　to
stagnation？　Had　this　judge；　who　had　so　much　in　his　power；　ever
revenged　himself？　Was　he　feeding　himself　on　her　long　agony？　Is　it　not
a　remarkable　thing　in　Paris　to　keep　anger　always　seething　for　ten
years？　What　had　Octave　done　since　this　great　misfortunefor　the
separation　of　husband　and　wife　is　a　great　misfortune　in　our　day；　when
domestic　life　has　become　a　social　question；　which　it　never　was　of　old？

〃We　allowed　a　few　days　to　pass　on　the　watch；　for　great　sorrows　have　a
diffidence　of　their　own；　but　at　last；　one　evening；　the　Count　said　in　a
grave　voice：

〃　'Stay。'



〃This；　as　nearly　as　may　be；　is　his　story。

〃　'My　father　had　a　ward；　rich　and　lovely；　who　was　sixteen　at　the　time
when　I　came　back　from　college　to　live　in　this　old　house。　Honorine；　who
had　been　brought　up　by　my　mother；　was　just　awakening　to　life。　Full　of
grace　and　of　childish　ways；　she　dreamed　of　happiness　as　she　would　have
dreamed　of　jewels；　perhaps　happiness　seemed　to　her　the　jewel　of　the
soul。　Her　piety　was　not　free　from　puerile　pleasures；　for　everything；
even　religion；　was　poetry　to　her　ingenuous　heart。　She　looked　to　the
future　as　a　perpetual　fete。　Innocent　and　pure；　no　delirium　had
disturbed　her　dream。　Shame　and　grief　had　never　tinged　her　cheek　nor
moistened　her　eye。　She　did　not　even　inquire　into　the　secret　of　her
involuntary　emotions　on　a　fine　spring　day。　And　then；　she　felt　that　she
was　weak　and　destined　to　obedience；　and　she　awaited　marriage　without
wishing　for　it。　Her　smiling　imagination　knew　nothing　of　the　corruption
necessary　perhapswhich　literature　imparts　by　depicting　the
passions；　she　knew　nothing　of　the　world；　and　was　ignorant　of　all　the
dangers　of　society。　The　dear　child　had　suffered　so　little　that　she　had
not　even　developed　her　courage。　In　short；　her　guilelessness　would　have
led　her　to　walk　fearless　among　serpents；　like　the　ideal　figure　of
Innocence　a　painter　once　created。　We　lived　together　like　two　brothers。

〃　'At　the　end　of　a　year　I　said　to　her　one　day；　in　the　garden　of　this
house；　by　the　basin；　as　we　stood　throwing　crumbs　to　the　fish：

〃　'　〃Would　you　like　that　we　should　be　married？　With　me　you　could　do
whatever　you　please；　while　another　man　would　make　you　unhappy。〃

〃　'　〃Mamma；〃　said　she　to　my　mother；　who　came　out　to　join　us；　〃Octave
and　I　have　agreed　to　be　married〃

〃　'　〃What！　at　seventeen？〃　said　my　mother。　〃No；　you　must　wait　eighteen
months；　and　if　eighteen　months　hence　you　like　each　other；　well；　your
birth　and　fortunes　are　equal；　you　can　make　a　marriage　which　is
suitable；　as　well　as　being　a　love　match。〃

〃　'When　I　was　six…and…twenty；　and　Honorine　nineteen；　we　were　married。
Our　respect　for　my　father　and　mother；　old　folks　of　the　Bourbon　Court；
hindered　us　from　making　this　house　fashionable；　or　renewing　the
furniture；　we　lived　on；　as　we　had　done　in　the　past；　as　children。
However；　I　went　into　society；　I　initiated　my　wife　into　the　world　of
fashion；　and　I　regarded　it　as　one　of　my　duties　to　instruct　her。

〃　'I　recognized　afterwards　that　marriages　contracted　under　such
circumstances　as　ours　bear　in　themselves　a　rock　against　which　many
affections　are　wrecked；　many　prudent　calculations；　many　lives。　The
husband　becomes　a　pedagogue；　or；　if　you　like；　a　professor；　and　love
perishes　under　the　rod　which；　sooner　or　later；　gives　pain；　for　a　young
and　handsome　wife；　at　once　discreet　and　laughter…loving；　will　not
accept　any　superiority　above　that　with　which　she　is　endowed　by　nature。
Perhaps　I　was　in　the　wrong？　During　the　difficult　beginnings　of　a
household　I；　perhaps；　assumed　a　magisterial　tone？　On　the　other　hand；　I
may　have　made　the　mistake　of　trusting　too　entirely　to　that　artless
nature；　I　kept　no　watch　over　the　Countess；　in　whom　revolt　seemed　to　me
impossible？　Alas！　neither　in　politics　nor　in　domestic　life　has　it　yet
been　ascertained　whether　empires　and　happiness　are　wrecked　by　too　much
confidence　or　too　much　severity！　Perhaps　again；　the　husband　failed　to
realize　Honorine's　girlish　dreams？　Who　can　tell；　while　happy　days
last；　what　precepts　he　has　neglected？'

〃I　remember　only　the　broad　outlines　of　the　reproaches　the　Count
addressed　to　himself；　with　all　the　good　faith　of　an　anatomist　seeking
the　cause　of　a　disease　which　might　be　overlooked　by　his　brethren；　but
his　merciful　indulgence　struck　me　then　as　really　worthy　of　that　of
Jesus　Christ　when　He　rescued　the　woman　taken　in　adultery。

〃　'It　was　eighteen　months　after　my　father's　deathmy　mother　followed
him　to　the　tomb　in　a　few　monthswhen　the　fearful　night　came　which
surprised　me　by　Honorine's　farewell　letter。　What　poetic　delusion　had
seduced　my　wife？　Was　it　through　her　senses？　Was　it　the　magnetism　of
misfortune　or　of　genius？　Which　of　these　powers　had　taken　her　by　storm
or　misled　her？I　would　not　know。　The　blow　was　so　terrible；　that　for　a
month　I　remained　stunned。　Afterwards；　reflection　counseled　me　to
continue　in　ignorance；　and　Honorine's　misfortunes　have　since　taught　me
too　much　about　all　these　things。So　far；　Maurice；　the　story　is
commonplace　enough；　but　one　word　will　change　it　all：　I　love　Honorine；
I　have　never　ceased　to　worship　her。　From　the　day　when　she　left　me　I
have　lived　on　memory；　one　by　one　I　recall　the　pleasures　for　which
Honorine　no　doubt　had　no　taste。

〃　'Oh！'　said　he；　seeing　the　amazement　in　my　eyes；　'do　not　make　a　hero
of　me；　do　not　think　me　such　a　fool；　as　the　Colonel　of　the　Empire　would
say；　as　to　have　sought　no　diversion。　Alas；　my　boy！　I　was　either　too
young　or　too　much　in　love；　I　have　not　in　the　whole　world　met　with
another　woman。　After　frightful　struggles　with　myself；　I　tried　to
forget；　money　in　hand；　I　stood　on　the　very　threshold　of　infidelity；
but　there　the　memory　of　Honorine　rose　before　me　like　a　white　statue。
As　I　recalled　the　infinite　delicacy　of　that　exquisite　skin；　through
which　the　blood　might　be　seen　coursing　and　the　nerves　quivering；　as　I
saw　in　fancy　that　ingenuous　face；　as　guileless　on　the　eve　of　my
sorrows　as　on　the　day　when　I　said　to　her；　〃Shall　we　marry？〃　as　I
remembered　a　heavenly　fragrance；　the　very　odor　of　virtue；　and　the
light　in　her　eyes；　the　prettiness　of　her　movements；　I　fled　like　a　man
preparing　to　violate　a　tomb；　who　sees　emerging　from　it　the
transfigured　soul　of　the　dead。　At　consultations；　in　Court；　by　night；　I
dream　so　incessantly　of　Honorine　that　only　by　excessive　strength　of
mind　do　I　succeed　in　attending　to　what　I　am　doing　and　saying。　This　is
the　secret　of　my　labors。

〃　'Well；　I　felt　no　more　anger　with　her　than　a　father　can　feel　on
seeing　his　beloved　child　in　some　danger　it　has　imprudently　rushed
into。　I　understood　that　I　had　made　a　poem　of　my　wifea　poem　I
delighted　in　with　such　intoxication；　that　I　fancied　she　shared　the
intoxication。　Ah！　Maurice；　an　indiscriminating　passion　in　a　husband　is
a　mistake　that　may　lead　to　any　crime　in　a　wife。　I　had　no　doubt　left
all　the　faculties　of　this　child；　loved　as　a　child；　entirely
unemployed；　I　had　perhaps　wearied　her　with　my　love　before　the　hour　of
loving　had　struck　for　her！　Too　young　to　understand　that　in　the
constancy　of　the　wife　lies　the　germ　of　the　mother's　devotion；　she
mis