an old maid-第2章

按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！



accomplishment　of　that　most　difficult　precept　of　the　Gospel　about

rendering　good　for　evil。　This　freshness　of　ablution　and　all　the　other

little　cares　harmonized　charmingly　with　the　blue　eyes；　the　ivory

teeth；　and　the　blond　person　of　the　old　chevalier。



The　only　blemish　was　that　this　retired　Adonis　had　nothing　manly　about

him；　he　seemed　to　be　employing　this　toilet　varnish　to　hide　the　ruins

occasioned　by　the　military　service　of　gallantry　only。　But　we　must

hasten　to　add　that　his　voice　produced　what　might　be　called　an

antithesis　to　his　blond　delicacy。　Unless　you　adopted　the　opinion　of

certain　observers　of　the　human　heart；　and　thought　that　the　chevalier

had　the　voice　of　his　nose；　his　organ　of　speech　would　have　amazed　you

by　its　full　and　redundant　sound。　Without　possessing　the　volume　of

classical　bass　voices；　the　tone　of　it　was　pleasing　from　a　slightly

muffled　quality　like　that　of　an　English　bugle；　which　is　firm　and

sweet；　strong　but　velvety。



The　chevalier　had　repudiated　the　ridiculous　costume　still　preserved　by

certain　monarchical　old　men；　he　had　frankly　modernized　himself。　He　was

always　seen　in　a　maroon…colored　coat　with　gilt　buttons；　half…tight

breeches　of　poult…de…soie　with　gold　buckles；　a　white　waistcoat　without

embroidery；　and　a　tight　cravat　showing　no　shirt…collar；a　last

vestige　of　the　old　French　costume　which　he　did　not　renounce；　perhaps；

because　it　enabled　him　to　show　a　neck　like　that　of　the　sleekest　abbe。

His　shoes　were　noticeable　for　their　square　buckles；　a　style　of　which

the　present　generation　has　no　knowledge；　these　buckles　were　fastened

to　a　square　of　polished　black　leather。　The　chevalier　allowed　two

watch…chains　to　hang　parallel　to　each　other　from　each　of　his　waistcoat

pockets；another　vestige　of　the　eighteenth　century；　which　the

Incroyables　had　not　disdained　to　use　under　the　Directory。　This

transition　costume；　uniting　as　it　did　two　centuries；　was　worn　by　the

chevalier　with　the　high…bred　grace　of　an　old　French　marquis；　the

secret　of　which　is　lost　to　France　since　the　day　when　Fleury；　Mole's

last　pupil；　vanished。



The　private　life　of　this　old　bachelor　was　apparently　open　to　all　eyes；

though　in　fact　it　was　quite　mysterious。　He　lived　in　a　lodging　that　was

modest；　to　say　the　best　of　it；　in　the　rue　du　Cours；　on　the　second

floor　of　a　house　belonging　to　Madame　Lardot；　the　best　and　busiest

washerwoman　in　the　town。　This　circumstance　will　explain　the　excessive

nicety　of　his　linen。　Ill…luck　would　have　it　that　the　day　came　when

Alencon　was　guilty　of　believing　that　the　chevalier　had　not　always

comported　himself　as　a　gentleman　should；　and　that　in　fact　he　was

secretly　married　in　his　old　age　to　a　certain　Cesarine；the　mother　of

a　child　which　had　had　the　impertinence　to　come　into　the　world　without

being　called　for。



〃He　had　given　his　hand；〃　as　a　certain　Monsieur　du　Bousquier　remarked；

〃to　the　person　who　had　long　had　him　under　irons。〃



This　horrible　calumny　embittered　the　last　days　of　the　dainty　chevalier

all　the　more　because；　as　the　present　Scene　will　show；　he　had　lost　a

hope　long　cherished　to　which　he　had　made　many　sacrifices。



Madame　Lardot　leased　to　the　chevalier　two　rooms　on　the　second　floor　of

her　house；　for　the　modest　sum　of　one　hundred　francs　a　year。　The　worthy

gentleman　dined　out　every　day；　returning　only　in　time　to　go　to　bed。

His　sole　expense　therefore　was　for　breakfast；　invariably　composed　of　a

cup　of　chocolate；　with　bread　and　butter　and　fruits　in　their　season。　He

made　no　fire　except　in　the　coldest　winter；　and　then　only　enough　to　get

up　by。　Between　eleven　and　four　o'clock　he　walked　about；　went　to　read

the　papers；　and　paid　visits。　From　the　time　of　his　settling　in　Alencon

he　had　nobly　admitted　his　poverty；　saying　that　his　whole　fortune

consisted　in　an　annuity　of　six　hundred　francs　a　year；　the　sole　remains

of　his　former　opulence；a　property　which　obliged　him　to　see　his　man

of　business　（who　held　the　annuity　papers）　quarterly。　In　truth；　one　of

the　Alencon　bankers　paid　him　every　three　months　one　hundred　and　fifty

francs；　sent　down　by　Monsieur　Bordin　of　Paris；　the　last　of　the

procureurs　du　Chatelet。　Every　one　knew　these　details　because　the

chevalier　exacted　the　utmost　secrecy　from　the　persons　to　whom　he　first

confided　them。



Monsieur　de　Valois　gathered　the　fruit　of　his　misfortunes。　His　place　at

table　was　laid　in　all　the　most　distinguished　houses　in　Alencon；　and　he

was　bidden　to　all　soirees。　His　talents　as　a　card…player；　a　narrator；

an　amiable　man　of　the　highest　breeding；　were　so　well　known　and

appreciated　that　parties　would　have　seemed　a　failure　if　the　dainty

connoisseur　was　absent。　Masters　of　houses　and　their　wives　felt　the

need　of　his　approving　grimace。　When　a　young　woman　heard　the　chevalier

say　at　a　ball；　〃You　are　delightfully　well…dressed！〃　she　was　more

pleased　at　such　praise　than　she　would　have　been　at　mortifying　a　rival。

Monsieur　de　Valois　was　the　only　man　who　could　perfectly　pronounce

certain　phrases　of　the　olden　time。　The　words；　〃my　heart；〃　〃my　jewel；〃

〃my　little　pet；〃　〃my　queen；〃　and　the　amorous　diminutives　of　1770；　had

a　grace　that　was　quite　irresistible　when　they　came　from　his　lips。　In

short；　the　chevalier　had　the　privilege　of　superlatives。　His

compliments；　of　which　he　was　stingy；　won　the　good　graces　of　all　the

old　women；　he　made　himself　agreeable　to　every　one；　even　to　the

officials　of　the　government；　from　whom　he　wanted　nothing。　His　behavior

at　cards　had　a　lofty　distinction　which　everybody　noticed：　he　never

complained；　he　praised　his　adversaries　when　they　lost；　he　did　not

rebuke　or　teach　his　partners　by　showing　them　how　they　ought　to　have

played。　When；　in　the　course　of　a　deal；　those　sickening　dissertations

on　the　game　would　take　place；　the　chevalier　invariably　drew　out　his

snuff…box　with　a　gesture　that　was　worthy　of　Mole；　looked　at　the

Princess　Goritza；　raised　the　cover　with　dignity；　shook；　sifted；　massed

the　snuff；　and　gathered　his　pinch；　so　that　by　the　time　the　cards　were

dealt　he　had　decorated　both　nostrils　and　replaced　the　princess　in　his

waistcoat　pocket；always　on　his　left　side。　A　gentleman　of　the　〃good〃

century　（in　distinction　from　the　〃grand〃　century）　could　alone　have

invented　that　compromise　between　contemptuous　silence　and　a　sarcasm

which　might　not　have　been　understood。　He　accepted　poor　players　and

knew　how　to　make　the　best　of　them。　His　delightful　equability　of　temper

made　many　persons　say；



〃I　do　admire　the　Chevalier　de　Valois！〃



His　conversation；　his　manners；　seemed　bland；　like　his　person。　He

endeavored　to　shock　neither　man　nor　woman。　Indulgent　to　defects　both

physical　and　mental；　he　listened　patiently　（by　the　help　of　the

Princess　Goritza）　to　the　many　dull　people　who　related　to　him　the　petty

miseries　of　provincial　life；an　egg　ill…boiled　for　breakfast；　coffee

with　feathered　cream；　burlesque　details　about　health；　disturbed　sleep；

dreams；　visits。　The　chevalier　could　call　up　a　languishing　look；　he

could　take　on　a　classic　attitude　to　feign　compassion；　which　made　him　a

most　valuable　listener；　he　could　put　in　an　〃Ah！〃　and　a　〃Bah！〃　and　a

〃What　DID　you　do？〃　with　charming　appropriateness。　He　died　without　any

one　suspecting　him　of　even　an　allusion　to　the　tender　passages　of　his

romance　with　the　Princess　Goritza。　Has　any　one　ever　reflected　on　the

service　a　dead　sentiment　can　do　to　society；　how　love　may　become　both

social　and　useful？　This　will　serve　to　explain　why；　in　spite　of　his

constant　winning　at　play　（he　never　left　a　salon　without　carrying　off

with　him　about　six　francs）；　the　old　chevalier　remained　the　spoilt

darling　of　the　town。　His　losseswhich；　by　the　bye；　he　always

proclaimed；　were　very　rare。



All　who　know　him　declare　that　they　have　never　met；　not　even　in　the

Egyptian　museum　at　Turin；　so　agreeable　a　mummy。　In　no　country　in　the

world　did　parasitism　ever　take　on　so　pleasant　a　form。　Never　did

selfishness　of　a　most　concentrated　kind　appear　less　forth…putting；

less　offensive；　than　in　this　old　gentleman；　it　stood　him　in　place　of

devoted　friendshi