an old maid-第14章

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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

person　whose　virtuous　blind…man's…buff　required　an　amount　of

penetration　that　men　who　want　the　virtuous　ready…made　would　not　bestow

upon　it。　The　constant　fear　of　being　married　for　her　money　rendered　her

suspicious　and　uneasy　beyond　all　reason。　She　turned　to　the　rich　men；

but　the　rich　are　in　search　of　great　marriages；　she　feared　the　poor

men；　in　whom　she　denied　the　disinterestedness　she　sought　so　eagerly。

After　each　disappointment　in　marriage；　the　poor　lady；　led　to　despise

mankind；　began　to　see　them　all　in　a　false　light。　Her　character

acquired；　necessarily；　a　secret　misanthropy；　which　threw　a　tinge　of

bitterness　into　her　conversation；　and　some　severity　into　her　eyes。

Celibacy　gave　to　her　manners　and　habits　a　certain　increasing　rigidity；

for　she　endeavored　to　sanctify　herself　in　despair　of　fate。　Noble

vengeance！　she　was　cutting　for　God　the　rough　diamond　rejected　by　man。

Before　long　public　opinion　was　against　her；　for　society　accepts　the

verdict　an　independent　woman　renders　on　herself　by　not　marrying；

either　through　losing　suitors　or　rejecting　them。　Everybody　supposed

that　these　rejections　were　founded　on　secret　reasons；　always　ill

interpreted。　One　said　she　was　deformed；　another　suggested　some　hidden

fault；　but　the　poor　girl　was　really　as　pure　as　a　saint；　as　healthy　as

an　infant；　and　full　of　loving　kindness；　Nature　had　intended　her　for

all　the　pleasures；　all　the　joys；　and　all　the　fatigues　of　motherhood。



Mademoiselle　Cormon　did　not　possess　in　her　person　an　obliging

auxiliary　to　her　desires。　She　had　no　other　beauty　than　that　very

improperly　called　la　beaute　du　diable；　which　consists　of　a　buxom

freshness　of　youth　that　the　devil；　theologically　speaking；　could　never

have；though　perhaps　the　expression　may　be　explained　by　the　constant

desire　that　must　surely　possess　him　to　cool　and　refresh　himself。　The

feet　of　the　heiress　were　broad　and　flat。　Her　leg；　which　she　often

exposed　to　sight　by　her　manner　（be　it　said　without　malice）　of　lifting

her　gown　when　it　rained；　could　never　have　been　taken　for　the　leg　of　a

woman。　It　was　sinewy；　with　a　thick　projecting　calf　like　a　sailor's。　A

stout　waist；　the　plumpness　of　a　wet…nurse；　strong　dimpled　arms；　red

hands；　were　all　in　keeping　with　the　swelling　outlines　and　the　fat

whiteness　of　Norman　beauty。　Projecting　eyes；　undecided　in　color；　gave

to　her　face；　the　rounded　outline　of　which　had　no　dignity；　an　air　of

surprise　and　sheepish　simplicity；　which　was　suitable　perhaps　for　an

old　maid。　If　Rose　had　not　been；　as　she　was；　really　innocent；　she　would

have　seemed　so。　An　aquiline　nose　contrasted　curiously　with　the

narrowness　of　her　forehead；　for　it　is　rare　that　that　form　of　nose　does

not　carry　with　it　a　fine　brow。　In　spite　of　her　thick　red　lips；　a　sign

of　great　kindliness；　the　forehead　revealed　too　great　a　lack　of　ideas

to　allow　of　the　heart　being　guided　by　intellect；　she　was　evidently

benevolent　without　grace。　How　severely　we　reproach　Virtue　for　its

defects；　and　how　full　of　indulgence　we　all　are　for　the　pleasanter

qualities　of　Vice！



Chestnut　hair　of　extraordinary　length　gave　to　Rose　Cormon's　face　a

beauty　which　results　from　vigor　and　abundance；the　physical　qualities

most　apparent　in　her　person。　In　the　days　of　her　chief　pretensions；

Rose　affected　to　hold　her　head　at　the　three…quarter　angle；　in　order　to

exhibit　a　very　pretty　ear；　which　detached　itself　from　the　blue…veined

whiteness　of　her　throat　and　temples；　set　off；　as　it　was；　by　her　wealth

of　hair。　Seen　thus　in　a　ball…dress；　she　might　have　seemed　handsome。

Her　protuberant　outlines　and　her　vigorous　health　did；　in　fact；　draw

from　the　officers　of　the　Empire　the　approving　exclamation；



〃What　a　fine　slip　of　a　girl！〃



But；　as　years　rolled　on；　this　plumpness；　encouraged　by　a　tranquil；

wholesome　life；　had　insensibly　so　ill　spread　itself　over　the　whole　of

Mademoiselle　Cormon's　body　that　her　primitive　proportions　were

destroyed。　At　the　present　moment；　no　corset　could　restore　a　pair　of

hips　to　the　poor　lady；　who　seemed　to　have　been　cast　in　a　single　mould。

The　youthful　harmony　of　her　bosom　existed　no　longer；　and　its　excessive

amplitude　made　the　spectator　fear　that　if　she　stooped　its　heavy　masses

might　topple　her　over。　But　nature　had　provided　against　this　by　giving

her　a　natural　counterpoise；　which　rendered　needless　the　deceitful

adjunct　of　a　bustle；　in　Rose　Cormon　everything　was　genuine。　Her　chin；

as　it　doubled；　reduced　the　length　of　her　neck；　and　hindered　the　easy

carriage　of　her　head。　Rose　had　no　wrinkles；　but　she　had　folds　of

flesh；　and　jesters　declared　that　to　save　chafing　she　powdered　her　skin

as　they　do　an　infant's。



This　ample　person　offered　to　a　young　man　full　of　ardent　desires　like

Athanase　an　attraction　to　which　he　had　succumbed。　Young　imaginations；

essentially　eager　and　courageous；　like　to　rove　upon　these　fine　living

sheets　of　flesh。　Rose　was　like　a　plump　partridge　attracting　the　knife

of　a　gourmet。　Many　an　elegant　deep　in　debt　would　very　willingly　have

resigned　himself　to　make　the　happiness　of　Mademoiselle　Cormon。　But；

alas！　the　poor　girl　was　now　forty　years　old。　At　this　period；　after

vainly　seeking　to　put　into　her　life　those　interests　which　make　the

Woman；　and　finding　herself　forced　to　be　still　unmarried；　she　fortified

her　virtue　by　stern　religious　practices。　She　had　recourse　to　religion；

the　great　consoler　of　oppressed　virginity。　A　confessor　had；　for　the

last　three　years；　directed　Mademoiselle　Cormon　rather　stupidly　in　the

path　of　maceration；　he　advised　the　use　of　scourging；　which；　if　modern

medical　science　is　to　be　believed；　produces　an　effect　quite　the

contrary　to　that　expected　by　the　worthy　priest；　whose　hygienic

knowledge　was　not　extensive。



These　absurd　practices　were　beginning　to　shed　a　monastic　tint　over　the

face　of　Rose　Cormon；　who　now　saw　with　something　like　despair　her　white

skin　assuming　the　yellow　tones　which　proclaim　maturity。　A　slight　down

on　her　upper　lip；　about　the　corners；　began　to　spread　and　darken　like　a

trail　of　smoke；　her　temples　grew　shiny；　decadence　was　beginning！　It

was　authentic　in　Alencon　that　Mademoiselle　Cormon　suffered　from　rush

of　blood　to　the　head。　She　confided　her　ills　to　the　Chevalier　de

Valois；　enumerating　her　foot…baths；　and　consulting　him　as　to

refrigerants。　On　such　occasions　the　shrewd　old　gentleman　would　pull

out　his　snuff…box；　gaze　at　the　Princess　Goritza；　and　say；　by　way　of

conclusion：



〃The　right　composing　draught；　my　dear　lady；　is　a　good　and　kind

husband。〃



〃But　whom　can　one　trust？〃　she　replied。



The　chevalier　would　then　brush　away　the　snuff　which　had　settled　in　the

folds　of　his　waistcoat　or　his　paduasoy　breeches。　To　the　world　at　large

this　gesture　would　have　seemed　very　natural；　but　it　always　gave

extreme　uneasiness　to　the　poor　woman。



The　violence　of　this　hope　without　an　object　was　so　great　that　Rose　was

afraid　to　look　a　man　in　the　face　lest　he　should　perceive　in　her　eyes

the　feelings　that　filled　her　soul。　By　a　wilfulness；　which　was　perhaps

only　the　continuation　of　her　earlier　methods；　though　she　felt　herself

attracted　toward　the　men　who　might　still　suit　her；　she　was　so　afraid

of　being　accused　of　folly　that　she　treated　them　ungraciously。　Most

persons　in　her　society；　being　incapable　of　appreciating　her　motives；

which　were　always　noble；　explained　her　manner　towards　her　co…celibates

as　the　revenge　of　a　refusal　received　or　expected。　When　the　year　1815

began；　Rose　had　reached　that　fatal　age　which　she　dared　not　avow。　She

was　forty…two　years　old。　Her　desire　for　marriage　then　acquired　an

intensity　which　bordered　on　monomania；　for　she　saw　plainly　that　all

chance　of　progeny　was　about　to　escape　her；　and　the　thing　which　in　her

celestial　ignorance　she　desired　above　all　things　was　the　possession　of

children。　Not　a　person　in　all　Alencon　ever　attributed　to　this　virtuous

woman　a　single　desire　for　amorous　license。　She　lo