an old maid-第13章

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Josette；　the　maid；　nor　Jacquelin；　the　man…servant；　nor　Mariette；　the

cook；　informed　them。　The　first　comer　received　the　second；　then；　when

the　company　were　sufficiently　numerous　for　whist；　piquet；　or　boston；

they　began　the　game　without　awaiting　either　the　Abbe　de　Sponde　or

mademoiselle。　If　it　was　dark；　Josette　or　Jacquelin　would　hasten　to

light　the　candles　as　soon　as　the　first　bell　rang。　Seeing　the　salon

lighted　up；　the　abbe　would　slowly　hurry　to　come　down。　Every　evening

the　backgammon　and　the　piquet　tables；　the　three　boston　tables；　and　the

whist　table　were　filled；which　gave　occupation　to　twenty…five　or

thirty　persons；　but　as　many　as　forty　were　usually　present。　Jacquelin

would　then　light　the　candles　in　the　other　rooms。



Between　eight　and　nine　o'clock　the　servants　began　to　arrive　in　the

antechamber　to　accompany　their　masters　home；　and；　short　of　a

revolution；　no　one　remained　in　the　salon　at　ten　o'clock。　At　that　hour

the　guests　were　departing　in　groups　along　the　street；　discoursing　on

the　game；　or　continuing　conversations　on　the　land　they　were　covetous

of　buying；　on　the　terms　of　some　one's　will；　on　quarrels　among　heirs；

on　the　haughty　assumption　of　the　aristocratic　portion　of　the

community。　It　was　like　Paris　when　the　audience　of　a　theatre　disperses。



Certain　persons　who　talk　much　of　poesy　and　know　nothing　about　it；

declaim　against　the　habits　of　life　in　the　provinces。　But　put　your

forehead　in　your　left　hand；　rest　one　foot　on　the　fender；　and　your

elbow　on　your　knee；　then；　if　you　compass　the　idea　of　this　quiet　and

uniform　scene；　this　house　and　its　interior；　this　company　and　its

interests；　heightened　by　the　pettiness　of　its　intellect　like　goldleaf

beaten　between　sheets　of　parchment；　ask　yourself；　What　is　human　life？

Try　to　decide　between　him　who　scribbles　jokes　on　Egyptian　obelisks；

and　him　who　has　〃bostoned〃　for　twenty　years　with　Du　Bousquier；

Monsieur　de　Valois；　Mademoiselle　Cormon；　the　judge　of　the　court；　the

king's　attorney；　the　Abbe　de　Sponde；　Madame　Granson；　and　tutti　quanti。

If　the　daily　and　punctual　return　of　the　same　steps　to　the　same　path　is

not　happiness；　it　imitates　happiness　so　well　that　men　driven　by　the

storms　of　an　agitated　life　to　reflect　upon　the　blessings　of

tranquillity　would　say　that　here　was　happiness　ENOUGH。



To　reckon　the　importance　of　Mademoiselle　Cormon's　salon　at　its　true

value；　it　will　suffice　to　say　that　the　born　statistician　of　the

society；　du　Bousquier；　had　estimated　that　the　persons　who　frequented

it　controlled　one　hundred　and　thirty…one　votes　in　the　electoral

college；　and　mustered　among　themselves　eighteen　hundred　thousand

francs　a　year　from　landed　estate　in　the　neighborhood。



The　town　of　Alencon；　however；　was　not　entirely　represented　by　this

salon。　The　higher　aristocracy　had　a　salon　of　their　own；　moreover；　that

of　the　receiver…general　was　like　an　administration　inn　kept　by　the

government；　where　society　danced；　plotted；　fluttered；　loved；　and

supped。　These　two　salons　communicated　by　means　of　certain　mixed

individuals　with　the　house　of　Cormon；　and　vice…versa；　but　the　Cormon

establishment　sat　severely　in　judgment　on　the　two　other　camps。　The

luxury　of　their　dinners　was　criticised；　the　ices　at　their　balls　were

pondered；　the　behavior　of　the　women；　the　dresses；　and　〃novelties〃

there　produced　were　discussed　and　disapproved。



Mademoiselle　Cormon；　a　species　of　firm；　as　one　might　say；　under　whose

name　was　comprised　an　imposing　coterie；　was　naturally　the　aim　and

object　of　two　ambitious　men　as　deep　and　wily　as　the　Chevalier　de

Valois　and　du　Bousquier。　To　the　one　as　well　as　to　the　other；　she　meant

election　as　deputy；　resulting；　for　the　noble；　in　the　peerage；　for　the

purveyor；　in　a　receiver…generalship。　A　leading　salon　is　a　difficult

thing　to　create；　whether　in　Paris　or　the　provinces；　and　here　was　one

already　created。　To　marry　Mademoiselle　Cormon　was　to　reign　in　Alencon。

Athanase　Granson；　the　only　one　of　the　three　suitors　for　the　hand　of

the　old　maid　who　no　longer　calculated　profits；　now　loved　her　person　as

well　as　her　fortune。



To　employ　the　jargon　of　the　day；　is　there　not　a　singular　drama　in　the

situation　of　these　four　personages？　Surely　there　is　something　odd　and

fantastic　in　three　rivalries　silently　encompassing　a　woman　who　never

guessed　their　existence；　in　spite　of　an　eager　and　legitimate　desire　to

be　married。　And　yet；　though　all　these　circumstances　make　the

spinsterhood　of　this　old　maid　an　extraordinary　thing；　it　is　not

difficult　to　explain　how　and　why；　in　spite　of　her　fortune　and　her

three　lovers；　she　was　still　unmarried。　In　the　first　place；

Mademoiselle　Cormon；　following　the　custom　and　rule　of　her　house；　had

always　desired　to　marry　a　nobleman；　but　from　1788　to　1798　public

circumstances　were　very　unfavorable　to　such　pretensions。　Though　she

wanted　to　be　a　woman　of　condition；　as　the　saying　is；　she　was　horribly

afraid　of　the　Revolutionary　tribunal。　The　two　sentiments；　equal　in

force；　kept　her　stationary　by　a　law　as　true　in　ethics　as　it　is　in

statics。　This　state　of　uncertain　expectation　is　pleasing　to　unmarried

women　as　long　as　they　feel　themselves　young；　and　in　a　position　to

choose　a　husband。　France　knows　that　the　political　system　of　Napoleon

resulted　in　making　many　widows。　Under　that　regime　heiresses　were

entirely　out　of　proportion　in　numbers　to　the　bachelors　who　wanted　to

marry。　When　the　Consulate　restored　internal　order；　external

difficulties　made　the　marriage　of　Mademoiselle　Cormon　as　difficult　to

arrange　as　it　had　been　in　the　past。　If；　on　the　one　hand；　Rose…Marie…

Victoire　refused　to　marry　an　old　man；　on　the　other；　the　fear　of

ridicule　forbade　her　to　marry　a　very　young　one。



In　the　provinces；　families　marry　their　sons　early　to　escape　the

conscription。　In　addition　to　all　this；　she　was　obstinately　determined

not　to　marry　a　soldier：　she　did　not　intend　to　take　a　man　and　then　give

him　up　to　the　Emperor；　she　wanted　him　for　herself　alone。　With　these

views；　she　found　it　therefore　impossible；　from　1804　to　1815；　to　enter

the　lists　with　young　girls　who　were　rivalling　each　other　for　suitable

matches。



Besides　her　predilection　for　the　nobility；　Mademoiselle　Cormon　had

another　and　very　excusable　mania：　that　of　being　loved　for　herself。　You

could　hardly　believe　the　lengths　to　which　this　desire　led　her。　She

employed　her　mind　on　setting　traps　for　her　possible　lovers；　in　order

to　test　their　real　sentiments。　Her　nets　were　so　well　laid　that　the

luckless　suitors　were　all　caught；　and　succumbed　to　the　test　she

applied　to　them　without　their　knowledge。　Mademoiselle　Cormon　did　not

study　them；　she　watched　them。　A　single　word　said　heedlessly；　a　joke

（that　she　often　was　unable　to　understand）；　sufficed　to　make　her　reject

an　aspirant　as　unworthy：　this　one　had　neither　heart　nor　delicacy；　that

one　told　lies；　and　was　not　religious；　a　third　only　wanted　to　coin

money　under　the　cloak　of　marriage；　another　was　not　of　a　nature　to　make

a　woman　happy；　here　she　suspected　hereditary　gout；　there　certain

immoral　antecedents　alarmed　her。　Like　the　Church；　she　required　a　noble

priest　at　her　altar；　she　even　wanted　to　be　married　for　imaginary

ugliness　and　pretended　defects；　just　as　other　women　wish　to　be　loved

for　the　good　qualities　they　have　not；　and　for　imaginary　beauties。

Mademoiselle　Cormon's　ambition　took　its　rise　in　the　most　delicate　and

sensitive　feminine　feeling；　she　longed　to　reward　a　lover　by　revealing

to　him　a　thousand　virtues　after　marriage；　as　other　women　then　betray

the　imperfections　they　have　hitherto　concealed。　But　she　was　ill

understood。　The　noble　woman　met　with　none　but　common　souls　in　whom　the

reckoning　of　actual　interests　was　paramount；　and　who　knew　nothing　of

the　nobler　calculations　of　sentiment。



The　farther　she　advanced　towards　that　fatal　epoch　so　adroitly　called

the　〃second　youth；〃　the　more　her　distrust　increased。　She　affected　to

present　herself　in　the　most　unfavorable　light；　and　played　her　part　so

well　that　the　last　wooers　hesitated　to　link　their　fate　to　that　of　a