an old maid-第16章

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armed　with　a　scourge　virtue　could　never　compromise；　consequently　both

love　and　self…interest　were　forced　to　seek　her；　and　seek　her

resolutely。　And　here　let　us　have　the　courage　to　make　a　cruel

observation；　in　days　when　religion　is　nothing　more　than　a　useful　means

to　some；　and　a　poesy　to　others。　Devotion　causes　a　moral　ophthalmia。　By

some　providential　grace；　it　takes　from　souls　on　the　road　to　eternity

the　sight　of　many　little　earthly　things。　In　a　word；　pious　persons；

devotes；　are　stupid　on　various　points。　This　stupidity　proves　with　what

force　they　turn　their　minds　to　celestial　matters；　although　the

Voltairean　Chevalier　de　Valois　declared　that　it　was　difficult　to

decide　whether　stupid　people　became　naturally　pious；　or　whether　piety

had　the　effect　of　making　intelligent　young　women　stupid。　But　reflect

upon　this　carefully：　the　purest　catholic　virtue；　with　its　loving

acceptance　of　all　cups；　with　its　pious　submission　to　the　will　of　God；

with　its　belief　in　the　print　of　the　divine　finger　on　the　clay　of　all

earthly　life；　is　the　mysterious　light　which　glides　into　the　innermost

folds　of　human　history；　setting　them　in　relief　and　magnifying　them　in

the　eyes　of　those　who　still　have　Faith。　Besides；　if　there　be

stupidity；　why　not　concern　ourselves　with　the　sorrows　of　stupidity　as

well　as　with　the　sorrows　of　genius？　The　former　is　a　social　element

infinitely　more　abundant　than　the　latter。



So；　then；　Mademoiselle　Cormon　was　guilty　in　the　eyes　of　the　world　of

the　divine　ignorance　of　virgins。　She　was　no　observer；　and　her　behavior

with　her　suitors　proved　it。　At　this　very　moment；　a　young　girl　of

sixteen；　who　had　never　opened　a　novel；　would　have　read　a　hundred

chapters　of　a　love　story　in　the　eyes　of　Athanase　Granson；　where

Mademoiselle　Cormon　saw　absolutely　nothing。　Shy　herself；　she　never

suspected　shyness　in　others；　she　did　not　recognize　in　the　quavering

tones　of　his　speech　the　force　of　a　sentiment　he　could　not　utter。

Capable　of　inventing　those　refinements　of　sentimental　grandeur　which

hindered　her　marriage　in　her　early　years；　she　yet　could　not　recognize

them　in　Athanase。　This　moral　phenomenon　will　not　seem　surprising　to

persons　who　know　that　the　qualities　of　the　heart　are　as　distinct　from

those　of　the　mind　as　the　faculties　of　genius　are　from　the　nobility　of

soul。　A　perfect；　all…rounded　man　is　so　rare　that　Socrates；　one　of　the

noblest　pearls　of　humanity；　declared　（as　a　phrenologist　of　that　day）

that　he　was　born　to　be　a　scamp；　and　a　very　bad　one。　A　great　general

may　save　his　country　at　Zurich；　and　take　commissions　from　purveyors。　A

great　musician　may　conceive　the　sublimest　music　and　commit　a　forgery。

A　woman　of　true　feeling　may　be　a　fool。　In　short；　a　devote　may　have　a

sublime　soul　and　yet　be　unable　to　recognize　the　tones　of　a　noble　soul

beside　her。　The　caprices　produced　by　physical　infirmities　are　equally

to　be　met　with　in　the　mental　and　moral　regions。



This　good　creature；　who　grieved　at　making　her　yearly　preserves　for　no

one　but　her　uncle　and　herself；　was　becoming　almost　ridiculous。　Those

who　felt　a　sympathy　for　her　on　account　of　her　good　qualities；　and

others　on　account　of　her　defects；　now　made　fun　of　her　abortive

marriages。　More　than　one　conversation　was　based　on　what　would　become

of　so　fine　a　property；　together　with　the　old　maid's　savings　and　her

uncle's　inheritance。　For　some　time　past　she　had　been　suspected　of

being　au　fond；　in　spite　of　appearances；　an　〃original。〃　In　the

provinces　it　was　not　permissible　to　be　original：　being　original　means

having　ideas　that　are　not　understood　by　others；　the　provinces　demand

equality　of　mind　as　well　as　equality　of　manners　and　customs。



The　marriage　of　Mademoiselle　Cormon　seemed；　after　1804；　a　thing　so

problematical　that　the　saying　〃married　like　Mademoiselle　Cormon〃

became　proverbial　in　Alencon　as　applied　to　ridiculous　failures。　Surely

the　sarcastic　mood　must　be　an　imperative　need　in　France；　that　so

excellent　a　woman　should　excite　the　laughter　of　Alencon。　Not　only　did

she　receive　the　whole　society　of　the　place　at　her　house；　not　only　was

she　charitable；　pious；　incapable　of　saying　an　unkind　thing；　but　she

was　fully　in　accord　with　the　spirit　of　the　place　and　the　habits　and

customs　of　the　inhabitants；　who　liked　her　as　the　symbol　of　their

lives；　she　was　absolutely　inlaid　into　the　ways　of　the　provinces；　she

had　never　quitted　them；　she　imbibed　all　their　prejudices；　she　espoused

all　their　interests；　she　adored　them。



In　spite　of　her　income　of　eighteen　thousand　francs　from　landed

property；　a　very　considerable　fortune　in　the　provinces；　she　lived　on　a

footing　with　families　who　were　less　rich。　When　she　went　to　her

country…place　at　Prebaudet；　she　drove　there　in　an　old　wicker　carriole；

hung　on　two　straps　of　white　leather；　drawn　by　a　wheezy　mare；　and

scarcely　protected　by　two　leather　curtains　rusty　with　age。　This

carriole；　known　to　all　the　town；　was　cared　for　by　Jacquelin　as　though

it　were　the　finest　coupe　in　all　Paris。　Mademoiselle　valued　it；　she　had

used　it　for　twelve　years；a　fact　to　which　she　called　attention　with

the　triumphant　joy　of　happy　avarice。　Most　of　the　inhabitants　of　the

town　were　grateful　to　Mademoiselle　Cormon　for　not　humiliating　them　by

the　luxury　she　could　have　displayed；　we　may　even　believe　that　had　she

imported　a　caleche　from　Paris　they　would　have　gossiped　more　about　that

than　about　her　various　matrimonial　failures。　The　most　brilliant

equipage　would；　after　all；　have　only　taken　her；　like　the　old　carriole；

to　Prebaudet。　Now　the　provinces；　which　look　solely　to　results；　care

little　about　the　beauty　or　elegance　of　the　means；　provided　they　are

efficient。







CHAPTER　V



AN　OLD　MAID'S　HOUSEHOLD



To　complete　the　picture　of　the　internal　habits　and　ways　of　this　house；

it　is　necessary　to　group　around　Mademoiselle　Cormon　and　the　Abbe　de

Sponde　Jacquelin；　Josette；　and　Mariette；　the　cook；　who　employed

themselves　in　providing　for　the　comfort　of　uncle　and　niece。



Jacquelin；　a　man　of　forty；　short；　fat；　ruddy；　and　brown；　with　a　face

like　a　Breton　sailor；　had　been　in　the　service　of　the　house　for　twenty…

two　years。　He　waited　at　table；　groomed　the　mare；　gardened；　blacked　the

abbe's　boots；　went　on　errands；　chopped　the　wood；　drove　the　carriole；

and　fetched　the　oats；　straw；　and　hay　from　Prebaudet。　He　sat　in　the

antechamber　during　the　evening；　where　he　slept　like　a　dormouse。　He　was

in　love　with　Josette；　a　girl　of　thirty；　whom　Mademoiselle　would　have

dismissed　had　she　married　him。　So　the　poor　fond　pair　laid　by　their

wages；　and　loved　each　other　silently；　waiting；　hoping　for

mademoiselle's　own　marriage；　as　the　Jews　are　waiting　for　the　Messiah。

Josette；　born　between　Alencon　and　Mortagne；　was　short　and　plump；　her

face；　which　looked　like　a　dirty　apricot；　was　not　wanting　in　sense　and

character；　it　was　said　that　she　ruled　her　mistress。　Josette　and

Jacquelin；　sure　of　results；　endeavored　to　hide　an　inward　satisfaction

which　allows　it　to　be　supposed　that；　as　lovers；　they　had　discounted

the　future。　Mariette；　the　cook；　who　had　been　fifteen　years　in　the

household；　knew　how　to　make　all　the　dishes　held　in　most　honor　in

Alencon。



Perhaps　we　ought　to　count　for　much　the　fat　old　Norman　brown…bay　mare；

which　drew　Mademoiselle　Cormon　to　her　country…seat　at　Prebaudet；　for

the　five　inhabitants　of　the　house　bore　to　this　animal　a　maniacal

affection。　She　was　called　Penelope；　and　had　served　the　family　for

eighteen　years；　but　she　was　kept　so　carefully　and　fed　with　such

regularity　that　mademoiselle　and　Jacquelin　both　hoped　to　use　her　for

ten　years　longer。　This　beast　was　the　subject　of　perpetual　talk　and

occupation；　it　seemed　as　if　poor　Mademoiselle　Cormon；　having　no

children　on　whom　her　repressed　motherly　feelings　could　expend

themselves；　had　turned　those　sentiments　wholly　on　this　most　fortunate

animal。



The　four　faithful　servantsfor　Penelope's　intelligence　raised　her　to

the　level　of　the　other　good　servants；　while　they；　on　the　other　hand；

had　lowered　themselves　to　the　mute；　submissi