an old maid-第3章

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

devoted　friendship。　If　some　one　asked　Monsieur　de　Valois　to　do　him　a

little　service　which　might　have　discommoded　him；　that　some　one　did　not

part　from　the　worthy　chevalier　without　being　truly　enchanted　with　him；

and　quite　convinced　that　he　either　could　not　do　the　service　demanded；

or　that　he　should　injure　the　affair　if　he　meddled　in　it。



To　explain　the　problematic　existence　of　the　chevalier；　the　historian；

whom　Truth；　that　cruel　wanton；　grasps　by　the　throat；　is　compelled　to

say　that　after　the　〃glorious〃　sad　days　of　July；　Alencon　discovered

that　the　chevalier's　nightly　winnings　amounted　to　about　one　hundred

and　fifty　francs　every　three　months；　and　that　the　clever　old　nobleman

had　had　the　pluck　to　send　to　himself　his　annuity　in　order　not　to

appear　in　the　eyes　of　a　community；　which　loves　the　main　chance；　to　be

entirely　without　resources。　Many　of　his　friends　（he　was　by　that　time

dead；　you　will　please　remark）　have　contested　mordicus　this　curious

fact；　declaring　it　to　be　a　fable；　and　upholding　the　Chevalier　de

Valois　as　a　respectable　and　worthy　gentleman　whom　the　liberals

calumniated。　Luckily　for　shrewd　players；　there　are　people　to　be　found

among　the　spectators　who　will　always　sustain　them。　Ashamed　of　having

to　defend　a　piece　of　wrong…doing；　they　stoutly　deny　it。　Do　not　accuse

them　of　wilful　infatuation；　such　men　have　a　sense　of　their　dignity；

governments　set　them　the　example　of　a　virtue　which　consists　in　burying

their　dead　without　chanting　the　Misere　of　their　defeats。　If　the

chevalier　did　allow　himself　this　bit　of　shrewd　practice；which；　by

the　bye；　would　have　won　him　the　regard　of　the　Chevalier　de　Gramont；　a

smile　from　the　Baron　de　Foeneste；　a　shake　of　the　hand　from　the　Marquis

de　Moncade；was　he　any　the　less　that　amiable　guest；　that　witty

talker；　that　imperturbable　card…player；　that　famous　teller　of

anecdotes；　in　whom　all　Alencon　took　delight？　Besides；　in　what　way　was

this　action；　which　is　certainly　within　the　rights　of　a　man's　own　will；

in　what　way　was　it　contrary　to　the　ethics　of　a　gentleman？　When　so

many　persons　are　forced　to　pay　annuities　to　others；　what　more　natural

than　to　pay　one　to　his　own　best　friend？　But　Laius　is　dead



To　return　to　the　period　of　which　we　are　writing：　after　about　fifteen

years　of　this　way　of　life　the　chevalier　had　amassed　ten　thousand　and

some　odd　hundred　francs。　On　the　return　of　the　Bourbons；　one　of　his　old

friends；　the　Marquis　de　Pombreton；　formerly　lieutenant　in　the　Black

mousquetaires；　returned　to　himso　he　saidtwelve　hundred　pistoles

which　he　had　lent　to　the　marquis　for　the　purpose　of　emigrating。　This

event　made　a　sensation；　it　was　used　later　to　refute　the　sarcasms　of

the　〃Constitutionnel；〃　on　the　method　employed　by　some　emigres　in

paying　their　debts。　When　this　noble　act　of　the　Marquis　de　Pombreton

was　lauded　before　the　chevalier；　the　good　man　reddened　even　to　his

right　cheek。　Every　one　rejoiced　frankly　at　this　windfall　for　Monsieur

de　Valois；　who　went　about　consulting　moneyed　people　as　to　the　safest

manner　of　investing　this　fragment　of　his　past　opulence。　Confiding　in

the　future　of　the　Restoration；　he　finally　placed　his　money　on　the

Grand…Livre　at　the　moment　when　the　funds　were　at　fifty…six　francs　and

twenty…five　centimes。　Messieurs　de　Lenoncourt；　de　Navarreins；　de

Verneuil；　de　Fontaine；　and　La　Billardiere；　to　whom　he　was　known；　he

said；　obtained　for　him；　from　the　king's　privy　purse；　a　pension　of

three　hundred　francs；　and　sent　him；　moreover；　the　cross　of　Saint…

Louis。　Never　was　it　known　positively　by　what　means　the　old　chevalier

obtained　these　two　solemn　consecrations　of　his　title　and　merits。　But

one　thing　is　certain；　the　cross　of　Saint…Louis　authorized　him　to　take

the　rank　of　retired　colonel　in　view　of　his　service　in　the　Catholic

armies　of　the　West。



Besides　his　fiction　of　an　annuity；　about　which　no　one　at　the　present

time　knew　anything；　the　chevalier　really　had；　therefore；　a　bona　fide

income　of　a　thousand　francs。　But　in　spite　of　this　bettering　of　his

circumstances；　he　made　no　change　in　his　life；　manners；　or　appearance；

except　that　the　red　ribbon　made　a　fine　effect　on　his　maroon…colored

coat；　and　completed；　so　to　speak；　the　physiognomy　of　a　gentleman。

After　1802；　the　chevalier　sealed　his　letters　with　a　very　old　seal；

ill…engraved　to　be　sure；　by　which　the　Casterans；　the　d'Esgrignons；　the

Troisvilles　were　enabled　to　see　that　he　bore：　Party　of　France；　two

cottises　gemelled　gules；　and　gules；　five　mascles　or；　placed　end　to

end；　on　a　chief　sable；　a　cross　argent。　For　crest；　a　knight's　helmet。

For　motto：　〃Valeo。〃　Bearing　such　noble　arms；　the　so…called　bastard　of

the　Valois　had　the　right　to　get　into　all　the　royal　carriages　of　the

world。



Many　persons　envied　the　quiet　existence　of　this　old　bachelor；　spent　on

whist；　boston；　backgammon；　reversi；　and　piquet；　all　well　played；　on

dinners　well　digested；　snuff　gracefully　inhaled；　and　tranquil　walks

about　the　town。　Nearly　all　Alencon　believed　this　life　to　be　exempt

from　ambitions　and　serious　interests；　but　no　man　has　a　life　as　simple

as　envious　neighbors　attribute　to　him。　You　will　find　in　the　most　out…


of…the　way　villages　human　mollusks；　creatures　apparently　dead；　who

have　passions　for　lepidoptera　or　for　conchology；　let　us　say；beings

who　will　give　themselves　infinite　pains　about　moths；　butterflies；　or

the　concha　Veneris。　Not　only　did　the　chevalier　have　his　own　particular

shells；　but　he　cherished　an　ambitious　desire　which　he　pursued　with　a

craft　so　profound　as　to　be　worthy　of　Sixtus　the　Fifth：　he　wanted　to

marry　a　certain　rich　old　maid；　with　the　intention；　no　doubt；　of　making

her　a　stepping…stone　by　which　to　reach　the　more　elevated　regions　of

the　court。　There；　then；　lay　the　secret　of　his　royal　bearing　and　of　his

residence　in　Alencon。







CHAPTER　II



SUSANNAH　AND　THE　ELDERS



On　a　Wednesday　morning；　early；　toward　the　middle　of　spring；　in　the

year　16；such　was　his　mode　of　reckoning；at　the　moment　when　the

chevalier　was　putting　on　his　old　green…flowered　damask　dressing…gown；

he　heard；　despite　the　cotton　in　his　ears；　the　light　step　of　a　young

girl　who　was　running　up　the　stairway。　Presently　three　taps　were

discreetly　struck　upon　the　door；　then；　without　waiting　for　any

response；　a　handsome　girl　slipped　like　an　eel　into　the　room　occupied

by　the　old　bachelor。



〃Ah！　is　it　you；　Suzanne？〃　said　the　Chevalier　de　Valois；　without

discontinuing　his　occupation；　which　was　that　of　stropping　his　razor。

〃What　have　you　come　for；　my　dear　little　jewel　of　mischief？〃



〃I　have　come　to　tell　you　something　which　may　perhaps　give　you　as　much

pleasure　as　pain？〃



〃Is　it　anything　about　Cesarine？〃



〃Cesarine！　much　I　care　about　your　Cesarine！〃　she　said　with　a　saucy

air；　half　serious；　half　indifferent。



This　charming　Suzanne；　whose　present　comical　performance　was　to

exercise　a　great　influence　in　the　principal　personages　of　our　history；

was　a　work…girl　at　Madame　Lardot's。　One　word　here　on　the　topography　of

the　house。　The　wash…rooms　occupied　the　whole　of　the　ground　floor。　The

little　courtyard　was　used　to　hang　out　on　wire　cords　embroidered

handkerchiefs；　collarets；　capes；　cuffs；　frilled　shirts；　cravats；

laces；　embroidered　dresses；in　short；　all　the　fine　linen　of　the　best

families　of　the　town。　The　chevalier　assumed　to　know　from　the　number　of

her　capes　in　the　wash　how　the　love…affairs　of　the　wife　of　the　prefect

were　going　on。　Though　he　guessed　much　from　observations　of　this　kind；

the　chevalier　was　discretion　itself；　he　was　never　betrayed　into　an

epigram　（he　had　plenty　of　wit）　which　might　have　closed　to　him　an

agreeable　salon。　You　are　therefore　to　consider　Monsieur　de　Valois　as　a

man　of　superior　manners；　whose　talents；　like　those　of　many　others；

were　lost　in　a　narrow　sphere。　Onlyfor；　after　all；　he　was　a　manhe

permitted　himself　certain　penetrating　glances　which　could　make　some

women　tremble；　although　they　all　loved　him　heartily　as　soon　as　they

discovered