an old maid-第17章

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

had　lowered　themselves　to　the　mute；　submissive　regularity　of　the　beast

went　and　came　daily　in　the　same　occupations　with　the　infallible

accuracy　of　mechanism。　But；　as　they　said　in　their　idiom；　they　had

eaten　their　white　bread　first。　Mademoiselle　Cormon；　like　all　persons

nervously　agitated　by　a　fixed　idea；　became　hard　to　please；　and

nagging；　less　by　nature　than　from　the　need　of　employing　her　activity。

Having　no　husband　or　children　to　occupy　her；　she　fell　back　on　petty

details。　She　talked　for　hours　about　mere　nothings；　on　a　dozen　napkins

marked　〃Z；〃　placed　in　the　closet　before　the　〃O's。〃



〃What　can　Josette　be　thinking　of？〃　she　exclaimed。　〃Josette　is

beginning　to　neglect　things。〃



Mademoiselle　inquired　for　eight　days　running　whether　Penelope　had　had

her　oats　at　two　o'clock；　because　on　one　occasion　Jacquelin　was　a

trifle　late。　Her　narrow　imagination　spent　itself　on　trifles。　A　layer

of　dust　forgotten　by　the　feather…duster；　a　slice　of　toast　ill…made　by

Mariette；　Josette's　delay　in　closing　the　blinds　when　the　sun　came

round　to　fade　the　colors　of　the　furniture；all　these　great　little

things　gave　rise　to　serious　quarrels　in　which　mademoiselle　grew　angry。

〃Everything　was　changing；〃　she　would　cry；　〃she　did　not　know　her　own

servants；　the　fact　was　she　spoiled　them！〃　On　one　occasion　Josette　gave

her　the　〃Journee　du　Chretien〃　instead　of　the　〃Quinzaine　de　Paques。〃

The　whole　town　heard　of　this　disaster　the　same　evening。　Mademoiselle

had　been　forced　to　leave　the　church　and　return　home；　and　her　sudden

departure；　upsetting　the　chairs；　made　people　suppose　a　catastrophe　had

happened。　She　was　therefore　obliged　to　explain　the　facts　to　her

friends。



〃Josette；〃　she　said　gently；　〃such　a　thing　must　never　happen　again。〃



Mademoiselle　Cormon　was；　without　being　aware　of　it；　made　happier　by

such　little　quarrels；　which　served　as　cathartics　to　relieve　her

bitterness。　The　soul　has　its　needs；　and；　like　the　body；　its

gymnastics。　These　uncertainties　of　temper　were　accepted　by　Josette　and

Jacquelin　as　changes　in　the　weather　are　accepted　by　husbandmen。　Those

worthy　souls　remark；　〃It　is　fine　to…day；〃　or　〃It　rains；〃　without

arraigning　the　heavens。　And　so　when　they　met　in　the　morning　the

servants　would　wonder　in　what　humor　mademoiselle　would　get　up；　just　as

a　farmer　wonders　about　the　mists　at　dawn。



Mademoiselle　Cormon　had　ended；　as　it　was　natural　she　should　end；　in

contemplating　herself　only　in　the　infinite　pettinesses　of　her　life。

Herself　and　God；　her　confessor　and　the　weekly　wash；　her　preserves　and

the　church　services；　and　her　uncle　to　care　for；　absorbed　her　feeble

intellect。　To　her　the　atoms　of　life　were　magnified　by　an　optic

peculiar　to　persons　who　are　selfish　by　nature　or　self…absorbed　by　some

accident。　Her　perfect　health　gave　alarming　meaning　to　the　least　little

derangement　of　her　digestive　organs。　She　lived　under　the　iron　rod　of

the　medical　science　of　our　forefathers；　and　took　yearly　four

precautionary　doses；　strong　enough　to　have　killed　Penelope；　though

they　seemed　to　rejuvenate　her　mistress。　If　Josette；　when　dressing　her；

chanced　to　discover　a　little　pimple　on　the　still　satiny　shoulders　of

mademoiselle；　it　became　the　subject　of　endless　inquiries　as　to　the

various　alimentary　articles　of　the　preceding　week。　And　what　a　triumph

when　Josette　reminded　her　mistress　of　a　certain　hare　that　was　rather

〃high；〃　and　had　doubtless　raised　that　accursed　pimple！　With　what　joy

they　said　to　each　other：　〃No　doubt；　no　doubt；　it　WAS　the　hare！〃



〃Mariette　over…seasoned　it；〃　said　mademoiselle。　〃I　am　always　telling

her　to　do　so　lightly　for　my　uncle　and　for　me；　but　Mariette　has　no　more

memory　than〃



〃The　hare；〃　said　Josette。



〃Just　so；〃　replied　Mademoiselle；　〃she　has　no　more　memory　than　a　hare；

a　very　just　remark。〃



Four　times　a　year；　at　the　beginning　of　each　season；　Mademoiselle

Cormon　went　to　pass　a　certain　number　of　days　on　her　estate　of

Prebaudet。　It　was　now　the　middle　of　May；　the　period　at　which　she

wished　to　see　how　her　apple…trees　had　〃snowed；〃　a　saying　of　that

region　which　expressed　the　effect　produced　beneath　the　trees　by　the

falling　of　their　blossoms。　When　the　circular　deposit　of　these　fallen

petals　resembled　a　layer　of　snow　the　owner　of　the　trees　might　hope　for

an　abundant　supply　of　cider。　While　she　thus　gauged　her　vats；

Mademoiselle　Cormon　also　attended　to　the　repairs　which　the　winter

necessitated；　she　ordered　the　digging　of　her　flower…beds　and　her

vegetable　garden；　from　which　she　supplied　her　table。　Every　season　had

its　own　business。　Mademoiselle　always　gave　a　dinner　of　farewell　to　her

intimate　friends　the　day　before　her　departure；　although　she　was

certain　to　see　them　again　within　three　weeks。　It　was　always　a　piece　of

news　which　echoed　through　Alencon　when　Mademoiselle　Cormon　departed。

All　her　visitors；　especially　those　who　had　missed　a　visit；　came　to　bid

her　good…bye；　the　salon　was　thronged；　and　every　one　said　farewell　as

though　she　were　starting　for　Calcutta。　The　next　day　the　shopkeepers

would　stand　at　their　doors　to　see　the　old　carriole　pass；　and　they

seemed　to　be　telling　one　another　some　news　by　repeating　from　shop　to

shop：



〃So　Mademoiselle　Cormon　is　going　to　Prebaudet！〃



Some　said：　〃HER　bread　is　baked。〃



〃Hey！　my　lad；〃　replied　the　next　man。　〃She's　a　worthy　woman；　if　money

always　came　into　such　hands　we　shouldn't　see　a　beggar　in　the　country。〃



Another　said：　〃Dear　me；　I　shouldn't　be　surprised　if　the　vineyards　were

in　bloom；　here's　Mademoiselle　Cormon　going　to　Prebaudet。　How　happens

it　she　doesn't　marry？〃



〃I'd　marry　her　myself；〃　said　a　wag；　〃in　fact；　the　marriage　is　half…

made；　for　here's　one　consenting　party；　but　the　other　side　won't。　Pooh！

the　oven　is　heating　for　Monsieur　du　Bousquier。〃



〃Monsieur　du　Bousquier！　Why；　she　has　refused　him。〃



That　evening　at　all　the　gatherings　it　was　told　gravely：



〃Mademoiselle　Cormon　has　gone。〃



Or：



〃So　you　have　really　let　Mademoiselle　Cormon　go。〃



The　Wednesday　chosen　by　Suzanne　to　make　known　her　scandal　happened　to

be　this　farewell　Wednesday；a　day　on　which　Mademoiselle　Cormon　drove

Josette　distracted　on　the　subject　of　packing。　During　the　morning；

therefore；　things　had　been　said　and　done　in　the　town　which　lent　the

utmost　interest　to　this　farewell　meeting。　Madame　Granson　had　gone　the

round　of　a　dozen　houses　while　the　old　maid　was　deliberating　on　the

things　she　needed　for　the　journey；　and　the　malicious　Chevalier　de

Valois　was　playing　piquet　with　Mademoiselle　Armande；　sister　of　a

distinguished　old　marquis；　and　the　queen　of　the　salon　of　the

aristocrats。　If　it　was　not　uninteresting　to　any　one　to　see　what　figure

the　seducer　would　cut　that　evening；　it　was　all　important　for　the

chevalier　and　Madame　Granson　to　know　how　Mademoiselle　Cormon　would

take　the　news　in　her　double　capacity　of　marriageable　woman　and

president　of　the　Maternity　Society。　As　for　the　innocent　du　Bousquier；

he　was　taking　a　walk　on　the　promenade；　and　beginning　to　suspect　that

Suzanne　had　tricked　him；　this　suspicion　confirmed　him　in　his

principles　as　to　women。



On　gala　days　the　table　was　laid　at　Mademoiselle　Cormon's　about　half…

past　three　o'clock。　At　that　period　the　fashionable　people　of　Alencon

dined　at　four。　Under　the　Empire　they　still　dined　as　in　former　times　at

half…past　two；　but　then　they　supped！　One　of　the　pleasures　which

Mademoiselle　Cormon　valued　most　was　（without　meaning　any　malice；

although　the　fact　certainly　rests　on　egotism）　the　unspeakable

satisfaction　she　derived　from　seeing　herself　dressed　as　mistress　of

the　house　to　receive　her　guests。　When　she　was　thus　under　arms　a　ray　of

hope　would　glide　into　the　darkness　of　her　heart；　a　voice　told　her　that

nature　had　not　so　abundantly　provided　for　her　in　vain；　and　that　some

man；　brave　and　enterprising；　would　surely　present　himself。　Her　desire

was　refreshed　like　her　person；　she　contemplated　herself　in　her　heavy

stuffs　with　a　sort　of　i