the secrets of the princesse de cadignan-第2章

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Marsay；　Rastignac；　the　Marquis　d'Esgrignon；　General　Montriveau；　the

Marquis　de　Ronquerolles　and　d'Ajuda…Pinto；　Prince　Galathionne；　the

young　Ducs　de　Grandlieu　and　de　Rhetore；　the　Vicomte　de　Serizy；　and　the

handsome　Lucien　de　Rubempre；　had　all　been　treated　with　the　utmost

coquetry　of　brush　and　pencil　by　celebrated　artists。　As　the　princess

now　received　only　two　or　three　of　these　personages；　she　called　the

book；　jokingly；　the　collection　of　her　errors。



Misfortune　had　made　this　woman　a　good　mother。　During　the　fifteen　years

of　the　Restoration　she　had　amused　herself　far　too　much　to　think　of　her

son；　but　on　taking　refuge　in　obscurity；　this　illustrious　egoist

bethought　her　that　the　maternal　sentiment；　developed　to　its　extreme；

might　be　an　absolution　for　her　past　follies　in　the　eyes　of　sensible

persons；　who　pardon　everything　to　a　good　mother。　She　loved　her　son　all

the　more　because　she　had　nothing　else　to　love。　Georges　de　Maufrigneuse

was；　moreover；　one　of　those　children　who　flatter　the　vanities　of　a

mother；　and　the　princess　had；　accordingly；　made　all　sorts　of

sacrifices　for　him。　She　hired　a　stable　and　coach…house；　above　which　he

lived　in　a　little　entresol　with　three　rooms　looking　on　the　street；　and

charmingly　furnished；　she　had　even　borne　several　privations　to　keep　a

saddle…horse；　a　cab…horse；　and　a　little　groom　for　his　use。　For

herself；　she　had　only　her　own　maid；　and　as　cook；　a　former　kitchen…

maid。　The　duke's　groom　had；　therefore；　rather　a　hard　place。　Toby；

formerly　tiger　to　the　〃late〃　Beaudenord　（such　was　the　jesting　term

applied　by　the　gay　world　to　that　ruined　gentleman）；Toby；　who　at

twenty…five　years　of　age　was　still　considered　only　fourteen；　was

expected　to　groom　the　horses；　clean　the　cabriolet；　or　the　tilbury；　and

the　harnesses；　accompany　his　master；　take　care　of　the　apartments；　and

be　in　the　princess's　antechamber　to　announce　a　visitor；　if；　by　chance；

she　happened　to　receive　one。



When　one　thinks　of　what　the　beautiful　Duchesse　de　Maufrigneuse　had

been　under　the　Restoration；one　of　the　queens　of　Paris；　a　dazzling

queen；　whose　luxurious　existence　equalled　that　of　the　richest　women　of

fashion　in　London；there　was　something　touching　in　the　sight　of　her

in　that　humble　little　abode　in　the　rue　de　Miromesnil；　a　few　steps　away

from　her　splendid　mansion；　which　no　amount　of　fortune　had　enabled　her

to　keep；　and　which　the　hammer　of　speculators　has　since　demolished。　The

woman　who　thought　she　was　scarcely　well　served　by　thirty　servants；　who

possessed　the　most　beautiful　reception…rooms　in　all　Paris；　and　the

loveliest　little　private　apartments；　and　who　made　them　the　scene　of

such　delightful　fetes；　now　lived　in　a　small　apartment　of　five　rooms；

an　antechamber；　dining…room；　salon；　one　bed…chamber；　and　a　dressing…

room；　with　two　women…servants　only。



〃Ah！　she　is　devoted　to　her　son；〃　said　that　clever　creature；　Madame

d'Espard；　〃and　devoted　without　ostentation；　she　is　happy。　Who　would

ever　have　believed　so　frivolous　a　woman　was　capable　of　such　persistent

resolution！　Our　good　archbishop　has；　consequently；　greatly　encouraged

her；　he　is　most　kind　to　her；　and　has　just　induced　the　old　Comtesse　de

Cinq…Cygne　to　pay　her　a　visit。〃



Let　us　admit　a　truth！　One　must　be　a　queen　to　know　how　to　abdicate；　and

to　descend　with　dignity　from　a　lofty　position　which　is　never　wholly

lost。　Those　only　who　have　an　inner　consciousness　of　being　nothing　in

themselves；　show　regrets　in　falling；　or　struggle；　murmuring；　to　return

to　a　past　which　can　never　return；a　fact　of　which　they　themselves　are

well　aware。　Compelled　to　do　without　the　choice　exotics　in　the　midst　of

which　she　had　lived；　and　which　set　off　so　charmingly　her　whole　being

（for　it　is　impossible　not　to　compare　her　to　a　flower）；　the　princess

had　wisely　chosen　a　ground…floor　apartment；　there　she　enjoyed　a　pretty

little　garden　which　belonged　to　it；a　garden　full　of　shrubs；　and　an

always　verdant　turf；　which　brightened　her　peaceful　retreat。　She　had

about　twelve　thousand　francs　a　year；　but　that　modest　income　was　partly

made　up　of　an　annual　stipend　sent　her　by　the　old　Duchesse　de

Navarreins；　paternal　aunt　of　the　young　duke；　and　another　stipend　given

by　her　mother；　the　Duchesse　d'Uxelles；　who　was　living　on　her　estate　in

the　country；　where　she　economized　as　old　duchesses　alone　know　how　to

economize；　for　Harpagon　is　a　mere　novice　compared　to　them。　The

princess　still　retained　some　of　her　past　relations　with　the　exiled

royal　family；　and　it　was　in　her　house　that　the　marshal　to　whom　we　owe

the　conquest　of　Africa　had　conferences；　at　the　time　of　〃Madame's〃

attempt　in　La　Vendee；　with　the　principal　leaders　of　legitimist

opinion；so　great　was　the　obscurity　in　which　the　princess　lived；　and

so　little　distrust　did　the　government　feel　for　her　in　her　present

distress。



Beholding　the　approach　of　that　terrible　fortieth　year；　the　bankruptcy

of　love；　beyond　which　there　is　so　little　for　a　woman　as　woman；　the

princess　had　flung　herself　into　the　kingdom　of　philosophy。　She　took　to

reading；　she　who　for　sixteen　years　had　felt　a　cordial　horror　for

serious　things。　Literature　and　politics　are　to…day　what　piety　and

devotion　once　were　to　her　sex；the　last　refuge　of　their　feminine

pretensions。　In　her　late　social　circle　it　was　said　that　Diane　was

writing　a　book。　Since　her　transformation　from　a　queen　and　beauty　to　a

woman　of　intellect；　the　princess　had　contrived　to　make　a　reception　in

her　little　house　a　great　honor　which　distinguished　the　favored　person。

Sheltered　by　her　supposed　occupation；　she　was　able　to　deceive　one　of

her　former　adorers；　de　Marsay；　the　most　influential　personage　of　the

political　bourgeoisie　brought　to　the　fore　in　July　1830。　She　received

him　sometimes　in　the　evenings；　and；　occupied　his　attention　while　the

marshal　and　a　few　legitimists　were　talking；　in　a　low　voice；　in　her

bedroom；　about　the　recovery　of　power；　which　could　be　attained　only　by

a　general　co…operation　of　ideas；the　one　element　of　success　which　all

conspirators　overlook。　It　was　the　clever　vengeance　of　the　pretty

woman；　who　thus　inveigled　the　prime　minister；　and　made　him　act　as

screen　for　a　conspiracy　against　his　own　government。



This　adventure；　worthy　of　the　finest　days　of　the　Fronde；　was　the　text

of　a　very　witty　letter；　in　which　the　princess　rendered　to　〃Madame〃　an

account　of　the　negotiations。　The　Duc　de　Maufrigneuse　went　to　La

Vendee；　and　was　able　to　return　secretly　without　being　compromised；　but

not　without　taking　part　in　〃Madame's〃　perils；　the　latter；　however；

sent　him　home　the　moment　she　saw　that　her　cause　was　lost。　Perhaps；　had

he　remained；　the　eager　vigilance　of　the　young　man　might　have　foiled

that　treachery。　However　great　the　faults　of　the　Duchesse　de

Maufrigneuse　may　have　seemed　in　the　eyes　of　the　bourgeoisie；　the

behavior　of　her　son　on　this　occasion　certainly　effaced　them　in　the

eyes　of　the　aristocracy。　There　was　great　nobility　and　grandeur　in　thus

risking　her　only　son；　and　the　heir　of　an　historic　name。　Some　persons

are　said　to　intentionally　cover　the　faults　of　their　private　life　by

public　services；　and　vice　versa；　but　the　Princesse　de　Cadignan　made　no

such　calculation。　Possibly　those　who　apparently　so　conduct　themselves

make　none。　Events　count　for　much　in　such　cases。



On　one　of　the　first　fine　days　in　the　month　of　May；　1833；　the　Marquise

d'Espard　and　the　princess　were　turning　aboutone　could　hardly　call　it

walkingin　the　single　path　which　wound　round　the　grass…plat　in　the

garden；　about　half…past　two　in　the　afternoon；　just　as　the　sun　was

leaving　it。　The　rays　reflected　on　the　walls　gave　a　warm　atmosphere　to

the　little　space；　which　was　fragrant　with　flowers；　the　gift　of　the

marquise。



〃We　shall　soon　lose　de　Marsay；〃　said　the　marquise；　〃and　with　him　will

disappear　your　last　hope　of　fortune　for　your　son。　Ever　since　you

played　him　that　clever　trick；　he　has　returned　to　his　affection　for

you。〃



〃My　son　will　never　capitulate　to　the　younger　branch；〃　returned　the

princess；　〃if　he　has　to　die　of　hunger；　or　I　have　to　work