the secrets of the princesse de cadignan-第3章

按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！



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　with　my　hands

to　feed　him。　Besides；　Berthe　de　Cinq…Cygne　has　no　aversion　to　him。〃



〃Children　don't　bind　themselves　to　their　parents'　principles；〃　said

Madame　d'Espard。



〃Don't　let　us　talk　about　it；〃　said　the　princess。　〃If　I　can't　coax　over

the　Marquise　de　Cinq…Cygne；　I　shall　marry　Georges　to　the　daughter　of

some　iron…founderer；　as　that　little　d'Esgrignon　did。〃



〃Did　you　love　Victurnien？〃　asked　the　marquise。



〃No；〃　replied　the　princess；　gravely；　〃d'Esgrignon's　simplicity　was

really　only　a　sort　of　provincial　silliness；　which　I　perceived　rather

too　lateor；　if　you　choose；　too　soon。〃



〃And　de　Marsay？〃



〃De　Marsay　played　with　me　as　if　I　were　a　doll。　I　was　so　young　at　the

time！　We　never　love　men　who　pretend　to　teach　us；　they　rub　up　all　our

little　vanities。〃



〃And　that　wretched　boy　who　hanged　himself？〃



〃Lucien？　An　Antinous　and　a　great　poet。　I　worshiped　him　in　all

conscience；　and　I　might　have　been　happy。　But　he　was　in　love　with　a

girl　of　the　town；　and　I　gave　him　up　to　Madame。　de　Serizy。　。　。　。　If　he

had　cared　to　love　me；　should　I　have　given　him　up？〃



〃What　an　odd　thing；　that　you　should　come　into　collision　with　an　Esther！〃



〃She　was　handsomer　than　I；〃　said　the　Princess。〃Very　soon　it　shall　be

three　years　that　I　have　lived　in　solitude；〃　she　resumed；　after　a

pause；　〃and　this　tranquillity　has　nothing　painful　to　me　about　it。　To

you　alone　can　I　dare　to　say　that　I　feel　I　am　happy。　I　was　surfeited

with　adoration；　weary　of　pleasure；　emotional　on　the　surface　of　things；

but　conscious　that　emotion　itself　never　reached　my　heart。　I　have　found

all　the　men　whom　I　have　known　petty；　paltry；　superficial；　none　of　them

ever　caused　me　a　surprise；　they　had　no　innocence；　no　grandeur；　no

delicacy。　I　wish　I　could　have　met　with　one　man　able　to　inspire　me　with

respect。〃



〃Then　are　you　like　me；　my　dear？〃　asked　the　marquise；　〃have　you　never

felt　the　emotion　of　love　while　trying　to　love？〃



〃Never；〃　replied　the　princess；　laying　her　hand　on　the　arm　of　her

friend。



They　turned　and　seated　themselves　on　a　rustic　bench　beneath　a　jasmine

then　coming　into　flower。　Each　had　uttered　one　of　those　sayings　that

are　solemn　to　women　who　have　reached　their　age。



〃Like　you；〃　resumed　the　princess；　〃I　have　received　more　love　than　most

women；　but　through　all　my　many　adventures；　I　have　never　found

happiness。　I　committed　great　follies；　but　they　had　an　object；　and　that

object　retreated　as　fast　as　I　approached　it。　I　feel　to…day　in　my

heart；　old　as　it　is；　an　innocence　which　has　never　been　touched。　Yes；

under　all　my　experience；　lies　a　first　love　intact；just　as　I　myself；

in　spite　of　all　my　losses　and　fatigues；　feel　young　and　beautiful。　We

may　love　and　not　be　happy；　we　may　be　happy　and　never　love；　but　to　love

and　be　happy；　to　unite　those　two　immense　human　experiences；　is　a

miracle。　That　miracle　has　not　taken　place　for　me。〃



〃Nor　for　me；〃　said　Madame　d'Espard。



〃I　own　I　am　pursued　in　this　retreat　by　dreadful　regret：　I　have　amused

myself　all　through　life；　but　I　have　never　loved。〃



〃What　an　incredible　secret！〃　cried　the　marquise。



〃Ah！　my　dear；〃　replied　the　princess；　〃such　secrets　we　can　tell　to

ourselves；　you　and　I；　but　nobody　in　Paris　would　believe　us。〃



〃And；〃　said　the　marquise；　〃if　we　were　not　both　over　thirty…six　years

of　age；　perhaps　we　would　not　tell　them　to　each　other。〃



〃Yes；　when　women　are　young　they　have　so　many　stupid　conceits；〃　replied

the　princess。　〃We　are　like　those　poor　young　men　who　play　with　a

toothpick　to　pretend　they　have　dined。〃



〃Well；　at　any　rate；　here　we　are！〃　said　Madame　d'Espard；　with

coquettish　grace；　and　a　charming　gesture　of　well…informed　innocence；

〃and；　it　seems　to　me；　sufficiently　alive　to　think　of　taking　our

revenge。〃



〃When　you　told　me；　the　other　day；　that　Beatrix　had　gone　off　with

Conti；　I　thought　of　it　all　night　long；〃　said　the　princess；　after　a

pause。　〃I　suppose　there　was　happiness　in　sacrificing　her　position；　her

future；　and　renouncing　society　forever。〃



〃She　was　a　little　fool；〃　said　Madame　d'Espard；　gravely。　〃Mademoiselle

des　Touches　was　delighted　to　get　rid　of　Conti。　Beatrix　never　perceived

how　that　surrender；　made　by　a　superior　woman　who　never　for　a　moment

defended　her　claims；　proved　Conti's　nothingness。〃



〃Then　you　think　she　will　be　unhappy？〃



〃She　is　so　now；〃　replied　Madame　d'Espard。　〃Why　did　she　leave　her

husband？　What　an　acknowledgment　of　weakness！〃



〃Then　you　think　that　Madame　de　Rochefide　was　not　influenced　by　the

desire　to　enjoy　a　true　love　in　peace？〃　asked　the　princess。



〃No；　she　was　simply　imitating　Madame　de　Beausant　and　Madame　de

Langeais；　who；　be　it　said；　between　you　and　me；　would　have　been；　in　a

less　vulgar　period　than　ours；　the　La　Villiere；　the　Diane　de　Poitiers；

the　Gabrielle　d'Estrees　of　history。〃



〃Less　the　king；　my　dear。　Ah！　I　wish　I　could　evoke　the　shades　of　those

women；　and　ask　them〃



〃But；〃　said　the　marquise；　interrupting　the　princess；　〃why　ask　the

dead？　We　know　living　women　who　have　been　happy。　I　have　talked　on　this

very　subject　a　score　of　times　with　Madame　de　Montcornet　since　she

married　that　little　Emile　Blondet；　who　makes　her　the　happiest　woman　in

the　world；　not　an　infidelity；　not　a　thought　that　turns　aside　from　her；

they　are　as　happy　as　they　were　the　first　day。　These　long　attachments；

like　that　of　Rastignac　and　Madame　de　Nucingen；　and　your　cousin；　Madame

de　Camps；　for　her　Octave；　have　a　secret；　and　that　secret　you　and　I

don't　know；　my　dear。　The　world　has　paid　us　the　extreme　compliment　of

thinking　we　are　two　rakes　worthy　of　the　court　of　the　regent；　whereas

we　are；　in　truth；　as　innocent　as　a　couple　of　school…girls。〃



〃I　should　like　that　sort　of　innocence；〃　cried　the　princess；　laughing；

〃but　ours　is　worse；　and　it　is　very　humiliating。　Well；　it　is　a

mortification　we　offer　up　in　expiation　of　our　fruitless　search；　yes；

my　dear；　fruitless；　for　it　isn't　probable　we　shall　find　in　our　autumn

season　the　fine　flower　we　missed　in　the　spring　and　summer。〃



〃That's　not　the　question；〃　resumed　the　marquise；　after　a　meditative

pause。　〃We　are　both　still　beautiful　enough　to　inspire　love；　but　we

could　never　convince　any　one　of　our　innocence　and　virtue。〃



〃If　it　were　a　lie；　how　easy　to　dress　it　up　with　commentaries；　and

serve　it　as　some　delicious　fruit　to　be　eagerly　swallowed！　But　how　is

it　possible　to　get　a　truth　believed？　Ah！　the　greatest　of　men　have　been

mistaken　there！〃　added　the　princess；　with　one　of　those　meaning　smiles

which　the　pencil　of　Leonardo　da　Vinci　alone　has　rendered。



〃Fools　love　well；　sometimes；〃　returned　the　marquise。



〃But　in　this　case；〃　said　the　princess；　〃fools　wouldn't　have　enough

credulity　in　their　nature。〃



〃You　are　right；〃　said　the　marquise。　〃But　what　we　ought　to　look　for　is

neither　a　fool　nor　even　a　man　of　talent。　To　solve　our　problem　we　need

a　man　of　genius。　Genius　alone　has　the　faith　of　childhood；　the　religion

of　love；　and　willingly　allows　us　to　band　its　eyes。　Look　at　Canalis　and

the　Duchesse　de　Chaulieu！　Though　we　have　both　encountered　men　of

genius；　they　were　either　too　far　removed　from　us　or　too　busy；　and　we

too　absorbed；　too　frivolous。〃



〃Ah！　how　I　wish　I　might　not　leave　this　world　without　knowing　the

happiness　of　true　love；〃　exclaimed　the　princess。



〃It　is　nothing　to　inspire　it；〃　said　Madame　d'Espard；　〃the　thing　is　to

feel　it。　I　see　many　women　who　are　only　the　pretext　for　a　passion

without　being　both　its　cause　and　its　effect。〃



〃The　last　love　I　inspired　was　a　beautiful　and　sacred　thing；〃　said　the

princess。　〃It　had　a　future　in　it。　Chance　had　brought　me；　for　once　in　a

way；　the　man　of　genius　who　is　due　to　us；　and　yet　so　difficult　to

obtain；　there　are　more　pretty　women　than　men　of　genius。　But　the　devil

interfered　with　the　affair。〃



〃Tell　me　about　it；　my　dear；　this　is　all　news　to　me。〃



〃I　first　noticed　thi