the secrets of the princesse de cadignan-第4章

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interfered　with　the　affair。〃



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



〃I　first　noticed　this　beautiful　passion　about　the　middle　of　the　winter

of　1829。　Every　Friday；　at　the　opera；　I　observed　a　young　man；　about

thirty　years　of　age；　in　the　orchestra　stalls；　who　evidently　came　there

for　me。　He　was　always　in　the　same　stall；　gazing　at　me　with　eyes　of

fire；　but；　seemingly；　saddened　by　the　distance　between　us；　perhaps　by

the　hopelessness　of　reaching　me。〃



〃Poor　fellow！　When　a　man　loves　he　becomes　eminently　stupid；〃　said　the

marquise。



〃Between　every　act　he　would　slip　into　the　corridor；〃　continued　the

princess；　smiling　at　her　friend's　epigrammatic　remark。　〃Once　or　twice；

either　to　see　me　or　to　make　me　see　him；　he　looked　through　the　glass

sash　of　the　box　exactly　opposite　to　mine。　If　I　received　a　visit；　I　was

certain　to　see　him　in　the　corridor　close　to　my　door；　casting　a　furtive

glance　upon　me。　He　had　apparently　learned　to　know　the　persons

belonging　to　my　circle；　and　he　followed　them　when　he　saw　them　turning

in　the　direction　of　my　box；　in　order　to　obtain　the　benefit　of　the

opening　door。　I　also　found　my　mysterious　adorer　at　the　Italian　opera…

house；　there　he　had　a　stall　directly　opposite　to　my　box；　where　he

could　gaze　at　me　in　naive　ecstasyoh！　it　was　pretty！　On　leaving

either　house　I　always　found　him　planted　in　the　lobby；　motionless；　he

was　elbowed　and　jostled；　but　he　never　moved。　His　eyes　grew　less

brilliant　if　he　saw　me　on　the　arm　of　some　favorite。　But　not　a　word；

not　a　letter；　no　demonstration。　You　must　acknowledge　that　was　in　good

taste。　Sometimes；　on　getting　home　late　at　night；　I　found　him　sitting

upon　one　of　the　stone　posts　of　the　porte…cochere。　This　lover　of　mine

had　very　handsome　eyes；　a　long；　thick；　fan…shaped　beard；　with　a

moustache　and　side…whiskers；　nothing　could　be　seen　of　his　skin　but　his

white　cheek…bones；　and　a　noble　forehead；　it　was　truly　an　antique　head。

The　prince；　as　you　know；　defended　the　Tuileries　on　the　riverside；

during　the　July　days。　He　returned　to　Saint…Cloud　that　night；　when　all

was　lost；　and　said　to　me：　'I　came　near　being　killed　at　four　o'clock。　I

was　aimed　at　by　one　of　the　insurgents；　when　a　young　man；　with　a　long

beard；　whom　I　have　often　seen　at　the　opera；　and　who　was　leading　the

attack；　threw　up　the　man's　gun；　and　saved　me。'　So　my　adorer　was

evidently　a　republican！　In　1831；　after　I　came　to　lodge　in　this　house；

I　found　him；　one　day；　leaning　with　his　back　against　the　wall　of　it；　he

seemed　pleased　with　my　disasters；　possibly　he　may　have　thought　they

drew　us　nearer　together。　But　after　the　affair　of　Saint…Merri　I　saw　him

no　more；　he　was　killed　there。　The　evening　before　the　funeral　of

General　Lamarque；　I　had　gone　out　on　foot　with　my　son；　and　my

republican　accompanied　us；　sometimes　behind；　sometimes　in　front；　from

the　Madeleine　to　the　Passage　des　Panoramas；　where　I　was　going。〃



〃Is　that　all？〃　asked　the　marquise。



〃Yes；　all；〃　replied　the　princess。　〃Except　that　on　the　morning　Saint…

Merri　was　taken；　a　gamin　came　here　and　insisted　on　seeing　me。　He　gave

me　a　letter；　written　on　common　paper；　signed　by　my　republican。〃



〃Show　it　to　me；〃　said　the　marquise。



〃No；　my　dear。　Love　was　too　great　and　too　sacred　in　the　heart　of　that

man　to　let　me　violate　its　secrets。　The　letter；　short　and　terrible；

still　stirs　my　soul　when　I　think　of　it。　That　dead　man　gives　me　more

emotions　than　all　the　living　men　I　ever　coquetted　with；　he　constantly

recurs　to　my　mind。〃



〃What　was　his　name？〃　asked　the　marquise。



〃Oh！　a　very　common　one：　Michel　Chrestien。〃



〃You　have　done　well　to　tell　me；〃　said　Madame　d'Espard；　eagerly。　〃I

have　often　heard　of　him。　This　Michel　Chrestien　was　the　intimate　friend

of　a　remarkable　man　you　have　already　expressed　a　wish　to　see；Daniel

d'Arthez；　who　comes　to　my　house　some　two　or　three　times　a　year。

Chrestien；　who　was　really　killed　at　Saint…Merri；　had　no　lack　of

friends。　I　have　heard　it　said　that　he　was　one　of　those　born　statesmen

to　whom；　like　de　Marsay；　nothing　is　wanting　but　opportunity　to　become

all　they　might　be。〃



〃Then　he　had　better　be　dead；〃　said　the　princess；　with　a　melancholy

air；　under　which　she　concealed　her　thoughts。



〃Will　you　come　to　my　house　some　evening　and　meet　d'Arthez？〃　said　the

marquise。　〃You　can　talk　of　your　ghost。〃



〃Yes；　I　will；〃　replied　the　princess。







CHAPTER　II



DANIEL　D'ARTHEZ



A　few　days　after　this　conversation　Blondet　and　Rastignac；　who　knew

d'Arthez；　promised　Madame　d'Espard　that　they　would　bring　him　to　dine

with　her。　This　promise　might　have　proved　rash　had　it　not　been　for　the

name　of　the　princess；　a　meeting　with　whom　was　not　a　matter　of

indifference　to　the　great　writer。



Daniel　d'Arthez；　one　of　the　rare　men　who；　in　our　day；　unite　a　noble

character　with　great　talent；　had　already　obtained；　not　all　the

popularity　his　works　deserve；　but　a　respectful　esteem　to　which　souls

of　his　own　calibre　could　add　nothing。　His　reputation　will　certainly

increase；　but　in　the　eyes　of　connoisseurs　it　had　already　attained　its

full　development。　He　is　one　of　those　authors　who；　sooner　or　later；　are

put　in　their　right　place；　and　never　lose　it。　A　poor　nobleman；　he　had

understood　his　epoch　well　enough　to　seek　personal　distinction　only。　He

had　struggled　long　in　the　Parisian　arena；　against　the　wishes　of　a　rich

uncle　who；　by　a　contradiction　which　vanity　must　explain；　after　leaving

his　nephew　a　prey　to　the　utmost　penury；　bequeathed　to　the　man　who　had

reached　celebrity　the　fortune　so　pitilessly　refused　to　the　unknown

writer。　This　sudden　change　in　his　position　made　no　change　in　Daniel

d'Arthez's　habits；　he　continued　to　work　with　a　simplicity　worthy　of

the　antique　past；　and　even　assumed　new　toils　by　accepting　a　seat　in

the　Chamber　of　Deputies；　where　he　took　his　seat　on　the　Right。



Since　his　accession　to　fame　he　had　sometimes　gone　into　society。　One　of

his　old　friends；　the　now…famous　physician；　Horace　Bianchon；　persuaded

him　to　make　the　acquaintance　of　the　Baron　de　Rastignac；　under…

secretary　of　State；　and　a　friend　of　de　Marsay；　the　prime　minister。

These　two　political　officials　acquiesced；　rather　nobly；　in　the　strong

wish　of　d'Arthez；　Bianchon；　and　other　friends　of　Michel　Chrestien　for

the　removal　of　the　body　of　that　republican　to　the　church　of　Saint…

Merri　for　the　purpose　of　giving　it　funeral　honors。　Gratitude　for　a

service　which　contrasted　with　the　administrative　rigor　displayed　at　a

time　when　political　passions　were　so　violent；　had　bound；　so　to　speak；

d'Arthez　to　Rastignac。　The　latter　and　de　Marsay　were　much　too　clever

not　to　profit　by　that　circumstance；　and　thus　they　won　over　other

friends　of　Michel　Chrestien；　who　did　not　share　his　political　opinions；

and　who　now　attached　themselves　to　the　new　government。　One　of　them；

Leon　Giraud；　appointed　in　the　first　instance　master　of　petitions；

became　eventually　a　Councillor　of　State。



The　whole　existence　of　Daniel　d'Arthez　is　consecrated　to　work；　he　sees

society　only　by　snatches；　it　is　to　him　a　sort　of　dream。　His　house　is　a

convent；　where　he　leads　the　life　of　a　Benedictine；　the　same　sobriety

of　regimen；　the　same　regularity　of　occupation。　His　friends　knew　that

up　to　the　present　time　woman　had　been　to　him　no　more　than　an　always

dreaded　circumstance；　he　had　observed　her　too　much　not　to　fear　her；

but　by　dint　of　studying　her　he　had　ceased　to　understand　her；like；　in

this；　to　those　deep　strategists　who　are　always　beaten　on　unexpected

ground；　where　their　scientific　axioms　are　either　modified　or

contradicted。　In　character　he　still　remains　a　simple…hearted　child；

all　the　while　proving　himself　an　observer　of　the　first　rank。　This

contrast；　apparently　impossible；　is　explainable　to　those　who　know　how

to　measure　the　depths　which　separate　faculties　from　feelings；　the

former　proceed　from　the　head；　the　latter　from　the　heart。　A　man　can　be

a　great　man　and　a　wicked　one；　just　as　he　can　be　a　fool　and　a　devoted

lover。　D'Arthez　is　one　of　those　privileged　beings　in　whom　shrewdness