white lies-第3章

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　to　France。〃

This　was　joyful　news　to　Rose。　　〃I　hoped　it　would　be　so；〃　said　she；　〃but　you　frightened　me。　　My　noble　sister；　were　I　ever　to　lose　your　esteem；　I　should　die。　　Oh；　how　awful　yet　how　beautiful　is　your　scorn。　　For　worlds　I　would　not　be　that　Cam〃　　Josephine　laid　her　hand　imperiously　on　Rose's　mouth。　　〃To　mention　his　name　to　me　will　be　to　insult　me；　De　Beaurepaire　I　am；　and　a　Frenchwoman。　　Come；　dear；　let　us　go　down　and　comfort　our　mother。〃

They　went　down；　and　this　patient　sufferer；　and　high　minded　conqueror；　of　her　own　accord　took　up　a　commonplace　book；　and　read　aloud　for　two　mortal　hours　to　her　mother　and　Aubertin。　　Her　voice　only　wavered　twice。

To　feel　that　life　is　ended；　to　wish　existence；　too；　had　ceased；　and　so　to　sit　down；　an　aching　hollow；　and　take　a　part　and　sham　an　interest　in　twaddle　to　please　others；　such　are　woman's　feats。　　How　like　nothing　at　all　they　look！

A　man　would　rather　sit　on　the　buffer　of　a　steam…engine　and　ride　at　the　Great　Redan。

Rose　sat　at　her　elbow；　a　little　behind　her；　and　turned　the　leaves；　and　on　one　pretence　or　other　held　Josephine's　hand　nearly　all　the　rest　of　the　day。　　Its　delicate　fibres　remained　tense；　like　a　greyhound's　sinews　after　a　race；　and　the　blue　veins　rose　to　sight　in　it；　though　her　voice　and　eyes　were　mastered。

So　keen　was　the　strife；　so　matched　the　antagonists；　so　hard　the　victory。

For　ire　and　scorn　are　mighty。　　And　noble　blood　in　a　noble　heart　is　heroic。　　And　Love　is　a　giant。


CHAPTER　II。


The　French　provinces　were　now　organized　upon　a　half　military　plan；　by　which　all　the　local　authorities　radiated　towards　a　centre　of　government。　　By…the…by；　this　feature　has　survived　subsequent　revolutions　and　political　changes。

In　days　of　change；　youth　is　at　a　premium；　because；　though　experience　is　valuable；　the　experience　of　one　order　of　things　unfits　ordinary　men　for　another　order　of　things。　　So　a　good　many　old　fogies　in　office　were　shown　the　door；　and　a　good　deal　of　youth　and　energy　infused　into　the　veins　of　provincial　government。　　For　instance；　Edouard　Riviere；　who　had　but　just　completed　his　education　with　singular　eclat　at　a　military　school；　was　one　fine　day　ordered　into　Brittany　to　fill　a　responsible　post　under　Commandant　Raynal；　a　blunt；　rough　soldier；　that　had　risen　from　the　ranks；　and　bore　a　much　higher　character　for　zeal　and　moral　integrity　than　for　affability。

This　officer　was　the　son　of　a　widow　that　kept　a　grocer's　shop　in　Paris。　　She　intended　him　for　spice；　but　he　thirsted　for　glory；　and　vexed　her。　　So　she　yielded；　as　mothers　will。

In　the　armies　of　the　republic　a　good　soldier　rose　with　unparalleled　certainty；　and　rapidity；　too；　for　when　soldiers　are　being　mowed　down　like　oats；　it　is　a　glorious　time　for　such　of　them　as　keep　their　feet。　　Raynal　mounted　fast；　and　used　to　write　to　his　mother；　and　joke　her　about　the　army　being　such　a　bad　profession；　and；　as　he　was　all　for　glory；　not　money；　he　lived　with　Spartan　frugality；　and　saved　half　his　pay　and　all　his　prize　money　for　the　old　lady　in　Paris。

But　this　prosperous　man　had　to　endure　a　deep　disappointment；　on　the　very　day　he　was　made　commandant　and　one　of　the　general's　aides…de…　camp；　came　a　letter　into　the　camp。　　His　mother　was　dead　after　a　short　illness。　　This　was　a　terrible　blow　to　the　simple；　rugged　soldier；　who　had　never　had　much　time　nor　inclination　to　flirt　with　a　lot　of　girls；　and　toughen　his　heart。　　He　came　back　to　Paris　honored　and　rich；　but　downcast。　　The　old　home；　empty　of　his　mother；　seemed　to　him　not　to　have　the　old　look。　　It　made　him　sadder。　　To　cheer　him　up　they　brought　him　much　money。　　The　widow's　trade　had　taken　a　wonderful　start　the　last　few　years；　and　she　had　been　playing　the　same　game　as　he　had；　living　on　ten…pence　a　day；　and　saving　all　for　him。　　This　made　him　sadder；　if　anything。

〃What；〃　said　he；　〃have　we　both　been　scraping　all　this　dross　together　for？　　I　would　give　it　all　to　sit　one　hour　by　the　fire；　with　her　hand　in　mine；　and　hear　her　say；　'Scamp；　you　made　me　unhappy　when　you　were　young；　but　I　have　lived　to　be　proud　of　you。'〃

He　applied　for　active　service；　no　matter　what：　obtained　at　once　this　post　in　Brittany；　and　threw　himself　into　it　with　that　honest　zeal　and　activity；　which　are　the　best　earthly　medicine　for　all　our　griefs。　　He　was　busy　writing；　when　young　Riviere　first　presented　himself。　　He　looked　up　for　a　moment；　and　eyed　him；　to　take　his　measure；　then　put　into　his　hand　a　report　by　young　Nicole；　a　subordinate　filling　a　post　of　the　same　nature　as　Riviere's；　and　bade　him　analyze　that　report　on　the　spot：　with　this　he　instantly　resumed　his　own　work。

Edouard　Riviere　was　an　adept　at　this　sort　of　task；　and　soon　handed　him　a　neat　analysis。　　Raynal　ran　his　eye　over　it；　nodded　cold　approval；　and　told　him　to　take　this　for　the　present　as　a　guide　as　to　his　own　duties。　　He　then　pointed　to　a　map　on　which　Riviere's　district　was　marked　in　blue　ink；　and　bade　him　find　the　centre　of　it。　Edouard　took　a　pair　of　compasses　off　the　table；　and　soon　discovered　that　the　village　of　Beaurepaire　was　his　centre。　　〃Then　quarter　yourself　at　Beaurepaire；　and　good…day；〃　said　Raynal。

The　chateau　was　in　sight　from　Riviere's　quarters；　and　he　soon　learned　that　it　belonged　to　a　royalist　widow　and　her　daughters；　who　all　three　held　themselves　quite　aloof　from　the　rest　of　the　world。　〃Ah；〃　said　the　young　citizen；　〃I　see。　　If　these　rococo　citizens　play　that　game　with　me；　I　shall　have　to　take　them　down。〃　　Thus　a　fresh　peril　menaced　this　family；　on　whose　hearts　and　fortunes　such　heavy　blows　had　fallen。

One　evening　our　young　official；　after　a　day　spent　in　the　service　of　the　country；　deigned　to　take　a　little　stroll　to　relieve　the　cares　of　administration。　　He　imprinted　on　his　beardless　face　the　expression　of　a　wearied　statesman；　and　strolled　through　an　admiring　village。　The　men　pretended　veneration　from　policy；　the　women；　whose　views　of　this　great　man　were　shallower　but　more　sincere；　smiled　approval　of　his　airs；　and　the　young　puppy　affected　to　take　no　notice　of　either　sex。

Outside　the　village；　Publicola　suddenly　encountered　two　young　ladies；　who　resembled　nothing　he　had　hitherto　met　with　in　his　district；　they　were　dressed　in　black；　and　with　extreme　simplicity；　but　their　easy　grace　and　composure；　and　the　refined　sentiment　of　their　gentle　faces；　told　at　a　glance　they　belonged　to　the　high　nobility。　　Publicola　divined　them　at　once；　and　involuntarily　raised　his　hat　to　so　much　beauty　and　dignity；　instead　of　poking　it　with　a　finger　as　usual。　　On　this　the　ladies　instantly　courtesied　to　him　after　the　manner　of　their　party；　with　a　sweep　and　a　majesty；　and　a　precision　of　politeness；　that　the　pup　would　have　laughed　at　if　he　had　heard　of　it；　but　seeing　it　done；　and　well　done；　and　by　lovely　women　of　rank；　he　was　taken　aback　by　it；　and　lifted　his　hat　again；　and　bowed　again　after　he　had　gone　by；　and　was　generally　flustered。　In　short；　instead　of　a　member　of　the　Consular　Government　saluting　private　individuals　of　a　decayed　party　that　existed　only　by　sufferance；　a　handsome；　vain；　good…natured　boy　had　met　two　self…　possessed　young　ladies　of　distinction　and　breeding；　and　had　cut　the　usual　figure。

For　the　next　hundred　yards　his　cheeks　burned　and　his　vanity　cooled。　But　bumptiousness　is　elastic　in　France；　as　in　England；　and　doubtless　among　the　Esquimaux。　　〃Well；　they　are　pretty　girls；〃　says　he　to　himself。　　〃I　never　saw　two　such　pretty　girls　together；　they　will　do　for　me　to　flirt　with　while　I　am　banished　to　this　Arcadia。〃　　Banished　from　school；　I　beg　to　observe。

And　〃awful　beauty〃　being　no　longer　in　sight；　Mr。　Edouard　resolved　he　would　flirt　with　them　to　their　hearts'　content。　　But　there　are　ladies　with　whom　a　certain　preliminary　is　required　before　you　can　flirt　with　them。　　You　must　be　on　speaking　terms。　　How　was　this　to　be　managed？

He　used　to　watch　at　his　window　with　a　telescope；　and　whenever　the　sisters　came　out　of　their　own　grounds；　which　unfortunately　was　not　above　twice　a　week；　he　would　throw　himself　in　their　way　by　the　merest　accident；　and　pay　them　a　dignified　and　courteous　salute；　which　he　had　carefully　got　up　before　a　mirror　in　the　privacy　of　his　own　chamber。

One　day；　as　he　took　off　his　hat　to　the　young　ladies；　there　broke　from　one　of　them　a　smile；　so　sudden；　sweet；　and　vivid；　that　he　seemed　to　feel　it　smite　h