an old maid-第28章

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women　came　down　soon　after；　and　announced　that　Mademoiselle　Cormon　was

much　better；　and　that　the　doctor　had　come。　She　intended　to　stay　in

bed；　as　it　was　necessary　to　bleed　her。　The　salon　was　now　full。

Mademoiselle　Cormon's　absence　allowed　the　ladies　present　to　discuss

the　tragi…comic　sceneembellished；　extended；　historified；

embroidered；　wreathed；　colored；　and　adornedwhich　had　just　taken

place；　and　which；　on　the　morrow；　was　destined　to　occupy　all　Alencon。



〃That　good　Monsieur　du　Bousquier！　how　well　he　carried　you！〃　said

Josette　to　her　mistress。　〃He　was　really　pale　at　the　sight　of　you；　he

loves　you　still。〃



That　speech　served　as　closure　to　this　solemn　and　terrible　evening。



Throughout　the　morning　of　the　next　day　every　circumstance　of　the　late

comedy　was　known　in　the　household　of　Alencon；　andlet　us　say　it　to

the　shame　of　that　town；they　caused　inextinguishable　laughter。　But　on

that　day　Mademoiselle　Cormon　（much　benefited　by　the　bleeding）　would

have　seemed　sublime　even　to　the　boldest　scoffers；　had　they　witnessed

the　noble　dignity；　the　splendid　Christian　resignation　which　influenced

her　as　she　gave　her　arm　to　her　involuntary　deceiver　to　go　into

breakfast。　Cruel　jesters！　why　could　you　not　have　seen　her　as　she　said

to　the　viscount；



〃Madame　de　Troisville　will　have　difficulty　in　finding　a　suitable

house；　do　me　the　favor；　monsieur；　of　accepting　the　use　of　mine　during

the　time　you　are　in　search　of　yours。〃



〃But；　mademoiselle；　I　have　two　sons　and　two　daughters；　we　should

greatly　inconvenience　you。〃



〃Pray　do　not　refuse　me；〃　she　said　earnestly。



〃I　made　you　the　same　offer　in　the　answer　I　wrote　to　your　letter；〃　said

the　abbe；　〃but　you　did　not　receive　it。〃



〃What；　uncle！　then　you　knew〃



The　poor　woman　stopped。　Josette　sighed。　Neither　the　viscount　nor　the

abbe　observed　anything　amiss。　After　breakfast　the　Abbe　de　Sponde

carried　off　his　guest；　as　agreed　upon　the　previous　evening；　to　show

him　the　various　houses　in　Alencon　which　could　be　bought；　and　the　lots

of　lands　on　which　he　might　build。



Left　alone　in　the　salon；　Mademoiselle　Cormon　said　to　Josette；　with　a

deeply　distressed　air；　〃My　child；　I　am　now　the　talk　of　the　whole

town。〃



〃Well；　then；　mademoiselle；　you　should　marry。〃



〃But　I　am　not　prepared　to　make　a　choice。〃



〃Bah！　if　I　were　in　your　place；　I　should　take　Monsieur　du　Bousquier。〃



〃Josette；　Monsieur　de　Valois　says　he　is　so　republican。〃



〃They　don't　know　what　they　say；　your　gentlemen：　sometimes　they　declare

that　he　robbed　the　republic；　he　couldn't　love　it　if　he　did　that；〃　said

Josette；　departing。



〃That　girl　has　an　amazing　amount　of　sense；〃　thought　Mademoiselle

Cormon；　who　remained　alone；　a　prey　to　her　perplexities。



She　saw　plainly　that　a　prompt　marriage　was　the　only　way　to　silence　the

town。　This　last　checkmate；　so　evidently　mortifying；　was　of　a　nature　to

drive　her　into　some　extreme　action；　for　persons　deficient　in　mind　find

difficulty　in　getting　out　of　any　path；　either　good　or　evil；　into　which

they　have　entered。



Each　of　the　two　old　bachelors　had　fully　understood　the　situation　in

which　Mademoiselle　Cormon　was　about　to　find　herself；　consequently；

each　resolved　to　call　in　the　course　of　that　morning　to　ask　after　her

health；　and　take　occasion；　in　bachelor　language；　to　〃press　his　point。〃

Monsieur　de　Valois　considered　that　such　an　occasion　demanded　a

painstaking　toilet；　he　therefore　took　a　bath　and　groomed　himself　with

extraordinary　care。　For　the　first　and　last　time　Cesarine　observed　him

putting　on　with　incredible　art　a　suspicion　of　rouge。　Du　Bousquier；　on

the　other　hand；　that　coarse　republican；　spurred　by　a　brisk　will；　paid

no　attention　to　his　dress；　and　arrived　the　first。



Such　little　things　decide　the　fortunes　of　men；　as　they　do　of　empires。

Kellerman's　charge　at　Marengo；　Blucher's　arrival　at　Waterloo；　Louis

XIV。's　disdain　for　Prince　Eugene；　the　rector　of　Denain；all　these

great　causes　of　fortune　or　catastrophe　history　has　recorded；　but　no

one　ever　profits　by　them　to　avoid　the　small　neglects　of　their　own

life。　Consequently；　observe　what　happens：　the　Duchesse　de　Langeais

（see　〃History　of　the　Thirteen〃）　makes　herself　a　nun　for　the　lack　of

ten　minutes'　patience；　Judge　Popinot　（see　〃Commission　in　Lunacy〃）　puts

off　till　the　morrow　the　duty　of　examining　the　Marquis　d'Espard；

Charles　Grandet　（see　〃Eugenie　Grandet〃）　goes　to　Paris　from　Bordeaux

instead　of　returning　by　Nantes；　and　such　events　are　called　chance　or

fatality！　A　touch　of　rouge　carefully　applied　destroyed　the　hopes　of

the　Chevalier　de　Valois；　could　that　nobleman　perish　in　any　other　way？

He　had　lived　by　the　Graces；　and　he　was　doomed　to　die　by　their　hand。

While　the　chevalier　was　giving　this　last　touch　to　his　toilet　the　rough

du　Bousquier　was　entering　the　salon　of　the　desolate　old　maid。　This

entrance　produced　a　thought　in　Mademoiselle　Cormon's　mind　which　was

favorable　to　the　republican；　although　in　all　other　respects　the

Chevalier　de　Valois　held　the　advantages。



〃God　wills　it！〃　she　said　piously；　on　seeing　du　Bousquier。



〃Mademoiselle；　you　will　not；　I　trust；　think　my　eagerness　importunate。

I　could　not　trust　to　my　stupid　Rene　to　bring　news　of　your　condition；

and　therefore　I　have　come　myself。〃



〃I　am　perfectly　recovered；〃　she　replied；　in　a　tone　of　emotion。　〃I

thank　you；　Monsieur　du　Bousquier；〃　she　added；　after　a　slight　pause；

and　in　a　significant　tone　of　voice；　〃for　the　trouble　you　have　taken；

and　for　that　which　I　gave　you　yesterday〃



She　remembered　having　been　in　his　arms；　and　that　again　seemed　to　her

an　order　from　heaven。　She　had　been　seen　for　the　first　time　by　a　man

with　her　laces　cut；　her　treasures　violently　bursting　from　their

casket。



〃I　carried　you　with　such　joy　that　you　seemed　to　me　light。〃



Here　Mademoiselle　Cormon　looked　at　du　Bousquier　as　she　had　never　yet

looked　at　any　man　in　the　world。　Thus　encouraged；　the　purveyor　cast

upon　the　old　maid　a　glance　which　reached　her　heart。



〃I　would；〃　he　said；　〃that　that　moment　had　given　me　the　right　to　keep

you　as　mine　forever〃　＇she　listened　with　a　delighted　air＇；　〃as　you　lay

fainting　upon　that　bed；　you　were　enchanting。　I　have　never　in　my　life

seen　a　more　beautiful　person；and　I　have　seen　many　handsome　women。

Plump　ladies　have　this　advantage：　they　are　superb　to　look　upon；　they

have　only　to　show　themselves　and　they　triumph。〃



〃I　fear　you　are　making　fun　of　me；〃　said　the　old　maid；　〃and　that　is　not

kind　when　all　the　town　will　probably　misinterpret　what　happened　to　me

yesterday。〃



〃As　true　as　my　name　is　du　Bousquier；　mademoiselle；　I　have　never

changed　in　my　feelings　toward　you；　and　your　first　refusal　has　not

discouraged　me。〃



The　old　maid's　eyes　were　lowered。　There　was　a　moment　of　cruel　silence

for　du　Bousquier；　and　then　Mademoiselle　Cormon　decided　on　her　course。

She　raised　her　eyelids；　tears　flowed　from　her　eyes；　and　she　gave　du

Bousquier　a　tender　glance。



〃If　that　is　so；　monsieur；〃　she　said；　in　a　trembling　voice；　〃promise　me

to　live　in　a　Christian　manner；　and　not　oppose　my　religious　customs；

but　to　leave　me　the　right　to　select　my　confessors；　and　I　will　grant

you　my　hand〃；　as　she　said　the　words；　she　held　it　out　to　him。



Du　Bousquier　seized　the　good　fat　hand　so　full　of　money；　and　kissed　it

solemnly。



〃But；〃　she　said；　allowing　him　to　kiss　it；　〃one　thing　more　I　must

require　of　you。〃



〃If　it　is　a　possible　thing；　it　is　granted；〃　replied　the　purveyor。



〃Alas！〃　returned　the　old　maid。　〃For　my　sake；　I　must　ask　you　to　take

upon　yourself　a　sin　which　I　feel　to　be　enormous；for　to　lie　is　one　of

the　capital　sins。　But　you　will　confess　it；　will　you　not？　We　will　do

penance　for　it　together〃　＇they　looked　at　each　other　tenderly＇。

〃Besides；　it　may　be　one　of　those　lies　which　the　Church　permits　as

necessary〃



〃Can　she　be　as　Suzanne　says　she　is？〃　thought　du　Bousquier。　〃What　luck！

Well；　mademoiselle；　what　is　it？〃　he　said　aloud。



〃That　you　will　take　upon　yourself　to〃



〃What？〃



〃To　say　that　t