an old maid-第29章

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〃That　you　will　take　upon　yourself　to〃



〃What？〃



〃To　say　that　this　marriage　has　been　agreed　upon　between　us　for　the

last　six　months。〃



〃Charming　woman；〃　said　the　purveyor；　in　the　tone　of　a　man　willing　to

devote　himself；　〃such　sacrifices　can　be　made　only　for　a　creature

adored　these　ten　years。〃



〃In　spite　of　my　harshness？〃　she　said。



〃Yes；　in　spite　of　your　harshness。〃



〃Monsieur　du　Bousquier；　I　have　misjudged　you。〃



Again　she　held　out　the　fat　red　hand；　which　du　Bousquier　kissed　again。



At　this　moment　the　door　opened；　the　betrothed　pair；　looking　round　to

see　who　entered；　beheld　the　delightful；　but　tardy　Chevalier　de　Valois。



〃Ah！〃　he　said；　on　entering；　〃I　see　you　are　about　to　be　up；　fair

queen。〃



She　smiled　at　the　chevalier；　feeling　a　weight　upon　her　heart。　Monsieur

de　Valois；　remarkably　young　and　seductive；　had　the　air　of　a　Lauzun　re…

entering　the　apartments　of　the　Grande　Mademoiselle　in　the　Palais…

Royal。



〃Hey！　dear　du　Bousquier；〃　said　he；　in　a　jaunty　tone；　so　sure　was　he　of

success；　〃Monsieur　de　Troisville　and　the　Abbe　de　Sponde　are　examining

your　house　like　appraisers。〃



〃Faith！〃　said　du　Bousquier；　〃if　the　Vicomte　de　Troisville　wants　it；　it

it　is　his　for　forty　thousand　francs。　It　is　useless　to　me　now。　If

mademoiselle　will　permitit　must　soon　be　known　Mademoiselle；　may　I

tell　it？　Yes！　Well；　then；　be　the　first；　MY　DEAR　CHEVALIER；　to　hear〃

＇Mademoiselle　Cormon　dropped　her　eyes＇　〃of　the　honor　that　mademoiselle

has　done　me；　the　secret　of　which　I　have　kept　for　some　months。　We　shall

be　married　in　a　few　days；　the　contract　is　already　drawn；　and　we　shall

sign　it　to…morrow。　You　see；　therefore；　that　my　house　in　the　rue　du

Cygne　is　useless　to　me。　I　have　been　privately　looking　for　a　purchaser

for　some　time；　and　the　Abbe　de　Sponde；　who　knew　that　fact；　has

naturally　taken　Monsieur　de　Troisville　to　see　the　house。〃



This　falsehood　bore　such　an　appearance　of　truth　that　the　chevalier　was

taken　in　by　it。　That　〃my　dear　chevalier〃　was　like　the　revenge　taken　by

Peter　the　Great　on　Charles　XII。　at　Pultawa　for　all　his　past　defeats。

Du　Bousquier　revenged　himself　deliciously　for　the　thousand　little

shafts　he　had　long　borne　in　silence；　but　in　his　triumph　he　made　a

lively　youthful　gesture　by　running　his　hands　through　his　hair；　and　in

so　doing　heknocked　aside　his　false　front。



〃I　congratulate　you　both；〃　said　the　chevalier；　with　an　agreeable　air；

〃and　I　wish　that　the　marriage　may　end　like　a　fairy　tale：　THEY　WERE

HAPPY　EVER　AFTER；　AND　HADMANYCHILDREN！〃　So　saying；　he　took　a　pinch

of　snuff。　〃But；　monsieur；〃　he　added　satirically；　〃you　forgetthat　you

are　wearing　a　false　front。〃



Du　Bousquier　blushed。　The　false　front　was　hanging　half　a　dozen　inches

from　his　skull。　Mademoiselle　Cormon　raised　her　eyes；　saw　that　skull　in

all　its　nudity；　and　lowered　them；　abashed。　Du　Bousquier　cast　upon　the

chevalier　the　most　venomous　look　that　toad　ever　darted　on　its　prey。



〃Dogs　of　aristocrats　who　despise　me；〃　thought　he；　〃I'll　crush　you　some

day。〃



The　chevalier　thought　he　had　recovered　his　advantage。　But　Mademoiselle

Cormon　was　not　a　woman　to　understand　the　connection　which　the

chevalier　intimated　between　his　congratulatory　wish　and　the　false

front。　Besides；　even　if　she　had　comprehended　it；　her　word　was　passed；

her　hand　given。　Monsieur　de　Valois　saw　at　once　that　all　was　lost。　The

innocent　woman；　with　the　two　now　silent　men　before　her；　wished；　true

to　her　sense　of　duty；　to　amuse　them。



〃Why　not　play　a　game　of　piquet　together？〃　she　said　artlessly；　without

the　slightest　malice。



Du　Bousquier　smiled；　and　went；　as　the　future　master　of　the　house；　to

fetch　the　piquet　table。　Whether　the　Chevalier　de　Valois　lost　his　head；

or　whether　he　wanted　to　stay　and　study　the　causes　of　his　disaster　and

remedy　it；　certain　it　is　that　he　allowed　himself　to　be　led　like　a　lamb

to　the　slaughter。　He　had　received　the　most　violent　knock…down　blow

that　ever　struck　a　man；　any　nobleman　would　have　lost　his　senses　for

less。



The　Abbe　de　Sponde　and　the　Vicomte　de　Troisville　soon　returned。

Mademoiselle　Cormon　instantly　rose；　hurried　into　the　antechamber；　and

took　her　uncle　apart　to　tell　him　her　resolution。　Learning　that　the

house　in　the　rue　du　Cygne　exactly　suited　the　viscount；　she　begged　her

future　husband　to　do　her　the　kindness　to　tell　him　that　her　uncle　knew

it　was　for　sale。　She　dared　not　confide　that　lie　to　the　abbe；　fearing

his　absent…mindedness。　The　lie；　however；　prospered　better　than　if　it

had　been　a　virtuous　action。　In　the　course　of　that　evening　all　Alencon

heard　the　news。　For　the　last　four　days　the　town　had　had　as　much　to

think　of　as　during　the　fatal　days　of　1814　and　1815。　Some　laughed；

others　admitted　the　marriage。　These　blamed　it；　those　approved　it。　The

middle　classes　of　Alencon　rejoiced；　they　regarded　it　as　a　victory。　The

next　day；　among　friends；　the　Chevalier　de　Valois　said　a　cruel　thing：



〃The　Cormons　end　as　they　began；　there's　only　a　hand's　breadth　between

a　steward　and　a　purveyor。〃







CHAPTER　VII



OTHER　RESULTS



The　news　of　Mademoiselle　Cormon's　choice　stabbed　poor　Athanase　Granson

to　the　heart；　but　he　showed　no　outward　sign　of　the　terrible　agitation

within　him。　When　he　first　heard　of　the　marriage　he　was　at　the　house　of

the　chief…justice；　du　Ronceret；　where　his　mother　was　playing　boston。

Madame　Granson　looked　at　her　son　in　a　mirror；　and　thought　him　pale；

but　he　had　been　so　all　day；　for　a　vague　rumor　of　the　matter　had

already　reached　him。



Mademoiselle　Cormon　was　the　card　on　which　Athanase　had　staked　his

life；　and　the　cold　presentiment　of　a　catastrophe　was　already　upon　him。

When　the　soul　and　the　imagination　have　magnified　a　misfortune　and　made

it　too　heavy　for　the　shoulders　and　the　brain　to　bear；　when　a　hope　long

cherished；　the　realization　of　which　would　pacify　the　vulture　feeding

on　the　heart；　is　balked；　and　the　man　has　faith　neither　in　himself；

despite　his　powers；　nor　in　the　future；　despite　of　the　Divine　power；

then　that　man　is　lost。　Athanase　was　a　fruit　of　the　Imperial　system　of

education。　Fatality；　the　Emperor's　religion；　had　filtered　down　from

the　throne　to　the　lowest　ranks　of　the　army　and　the　benches　of　the

lyceums。　Athanase　sat　still；　with　his　eyes　fixed　on　Madame　du

Ronceret's　cards；　in　a　stupor　that　might　so　well　pass　for　indifference

that　Madame　Granson　herself　was　deceived　about　his　feelings。　This

apparent　unconcern　explained　her　son's　refusal　to　make　a　sacrifice　for

this　marriage　of　his　LIBERAL　opinions；the　term　〃liberal〃　having

lately　been　created　for　the　Emperor　Alexander　by；　I　think；　Madame　de

Stael；　through　the　lips　of　Benjamin　Constant。



After　that　fatal　evening　the　young　man　took　to　rambling　among　the

picturesque　regions　of　the　Sarthe；　the　banks　of　which　are　much

frequented　by　sketchers　who　come　to　Alencon　for　points　of　view。

Windmills　are　there；　and　the　river　is　gay　in　the　meadows。　The　shores

of　the　Sarthe　are　bordered　with　beautiful　trees；　well　grouped。　Though

the　landscape　is　flat；　it　is　not　without　those　modest　graces　which

distinguish　France；　where　the　eye　is　never　wearied　by　the　brilliancy

of　Oriental　skies；　nor　saddened　by　constant　fog。　The　place　is

solitary。　In　the　provinces　no　one　pays　much　attention　to　a　fine　view；

either　because　provincials　are　blases　on　the　beauty　around　them；　or

because　they　have　no　poesy　in　their　souls。　If　there　exists　in　the

provinces　a　mall；　a　promenade；　a　vantage…ground　from　which　a　fine　view

can　be　obtained；　that　is　the　point　to　which　no　one　goes。　Athanase　was

fond　of　this　solitude；　enlivened　by　the　sparkling　water；　where　the

fields　were　the　first　to　green　under　the　earliest　smiling　of　the

springtide　sun。　Those　persons　who　saw　him　sitting　beneath　a　poplar；

and　who　noticed　the　vacant　eye　which　he　turned　to　them；　would　say　to

Madame　Granson：



〃Something　is　the　matter　with　your　son。〃



〃I　know　what　it　is；〃　the　mother　would　reply；　hinting　that　he　was

meditating　over　some　great　work。



Ath