the ball at sceaux-第1章

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The　Ball　at　Sceaux



by　Honore　de　Balzac



Translated　by　Clara　Bell







To　Henri　de　Balzac；　his　brother　Honore。







The　Comte　de　Fontaine；　head　of　one　of　the　oldest　families　in　Poitou；

had　served　the　Bourbon　cause　with　intelligence　and　bravery　during　the

war　in　La　Vendee　against　the　Republic。　After　having　escaped　all　the

dangers　which　threatened　the　royalist　leaders　during　this　stormy

period　of　modern　history；　he　was　wont　to　say　in　jest；　〃I　am　one　of　the

men　who　gave　themselves　to　be　killed　on　the　steps　of　the　throne。〃　And

the　pleasantry　had　some　truth　in　it；　as　spoken　by　a　man　left　for　dead

at　the　bloody　battle　of　Les　Quatre　Chemins。　Though　ruined　by

confiscation；　the　staunch　Vendeen　steadily　refused　the　lucrative　posts

offered　to　him　by　the　Emperor　Napoleon。　Immovable　in　his　aristocratic

faith；　he　had　blindly　obeyed　its　precepts　when　he　thought　it　fitting

to　choose　a　companion　for　life。　In　spite　of　the　blandishments　of　a

rich　but　revolutionary　parvenu；　who　valued　the　alliance　at　a　high

figure；　he　married　Mademoiselle　de　Kergarouet；　without　a　fortune；　but

belonging　to　one　of　the　oldest　families　in　Brittany。



When　the　second　revolution　burst　on　Monsieur　de　Fontaine　he　was

encumbered　with　a　large　family。　Though　it　was　no　part　of　the　noble

gentlemen's　views　to　solicit　favors；　he　yielded　to　his　wife's　wish；

left　his　country　estate；　of　which　the　income　barely　sufficed　to

maintain　his　children；　and　came　to　Paris。　Saddened　by　seeing　the

greediness　of　his　former　comrades　in　the　rush　for　places　and　dignities

under　the　new　Constitution；　he　was　about　to　return　to　his　property

when　he　received　a　ministerial　despatch；　in　which　a　well…known　magnate

announced　to　him　his　nomination　as　marechal　de　camp；　or　brigadier…

general；　under　a　rule　which　allowed　the　officers　of　the　Catholic

armies　to　count　the　twenty　submerged　years　of　Louis　XVIII。's　reign　as

years　of　service。　Some　days　later　he　further　received；　without　any

solicitation；　ex　officio；　the　crosses　of　the　Legion　of　Honor　and　of

Saint…Louis。



Shaken　in　his　determination　by　these　successive　favors；　due；　as　he

supposed；　to　the　monarch's　remembrance；　he　was　no　longer　satisfied

with　taking　his　family；　as　he　had　piously　done　every　Sunday；　to　cry

〃Vive　le　Roi〃　in　the　hall　of　the　Tuileries　when　the　royal　family

passed　through　on　their　way　to　chapel；　he　craved　the　favor　of　a

private　audience。　The　audience；　at　once　granted；　was　in　no　sense

private。　The　royal　drawing…room　was　full　of　old　adherents；　whose

powdered　heads；　seen　from　above；　suggested　a　carpet　of　snow。　There　the

Count　met　some　old　friends；　who　received　him　somewhat　coldly；　but　the

princes　he　thought　ADORABLE；　an　enthusiastic　expression　which　escaped

him　when　the　most　gracious　of　his　masters；　to　whom　the　Count　had

supposed　himself　to　be　known　only　by　name；　came　to　shake　hands　with

him；　and　spoke　of　him　as　the　most　thorough　Vendeen　of　them　all。

Notwithstanding　this　ovation；　none　of　these　august　persons　thought　of

inquiring　as　to　the　sum　of　his　losses；　or　of　the　money　he　had　poured

so　generously　into　the　chests　of　the　Catholic　regiments。　He

discovered；　a　little　late；　that　he　had　made　war　at　his　own　cost。

Towards　the　end　of　the　evening　he　thought　he　might　venture　on　a　witty

allusion　to　the　state　of　his　affairs；　similar；　as　it　was；　to　that　of

many　other　gentlemen。　His　Majesty　laughed　heartily　enough；　any　speech

that　bore　the　hall…mark　of　wit　was　certain　to　please　him；　but　he

nevertheless　replied　with　one　of　those　royal　pleasantries　whose

sweetness　is　more　formidable　than　the　anger　of　a　rebuke。　One　of　the

King's　most　intimate　advisers　took　an　opportunity　of　going　up　to　the

fortune…seeking　Vendeen；　and　made　him　understand　by　a　keen　and　polite

hint　that　the　time　had　not　yet　come　for　settling　accounts　with　the

sovereign；　that　there　were　bills　of　much　longer　standing　than　his　on

the　books；　and　there；　no　doubt；　they　would　remain；　as　part　of　the

history　of　the　Revolution。　The　Count　prudently　withdrew　from　the

venerable　group；　which　formed　a　respectful　semi…circle　before　the

august　family；　then；　having　extricated　his　sword；　not　without　some

difficulty；　from　among　the　lean　legs　which　had　got　mixed　up　with　it；

he　crossed　the　courtyard　of　the　Tuileries　and　got　into　the　hackney　cab

he　had　left　on　the　quay。　With　the　restive　spirit；　which　is　peculiar　to

the　nobility　of　the　old　school；　in　whom　still　survives　the　memory　of

the　League　and　the　day　of　the　Barricades　（in　1588）；　he　bewailed

himself　in　his　cab；　loudly　enough　to　compromise　him；　over　the　change

that　had　come　over　the　Court。　〃Formerly；〃　he　said　to　himself；　〃every

one　could　speak　freely　to　the　King　of　his　own　little　affairs；　the

nobles　could　ask　him　a　favor；　or　for　money；　when　it　suited　them；　and

nowadays　one　cannot　recover　the　money　advanced　for　his　service　without

raising　a　scandal！　By　Heaven！　the　cross　of　Saint…Louis　and　the　rank　of

brigadier…general　will　not　make　good　the　three　hundred　thousand　livres

I　have　spent；　out　and　out；　on　the　royal　cause。　I　must　speak　to　the

King；　face　to　face；　in　his　own　room。〃



This　scene　cooled　Monsieur　de　Fontaine's　ardor　all　the　more

effectually　because　his　requests　for　an　interview　were　never　answered。

And；　indeed；　he　saw　the　upstarts　of　the　Empire　obtaining　some　of　the

offices　reserved；　under　the　old　monarchy；　for　the　highest　families。



〃All　is　lost！〃　he　exclaimed　one　morning。　〃The　King　has　certainly　never

been　other　than　a　revolutionary。　But　for　Monsieur；　who　never

derogates；　and　is　some　comfort　to　his　faithful　adherents；　I　do　not

know　what　hands　the　crown　of　France　might　not　fall　into　if　things　are

to　go　on　like　this。　Their　cursed　constitutional　system　is　the　worst

possible　government；　and　can　never　suit　France。　Louis　XVIII。　and

Monsieur　Beugnot　spoiled　everything　at　Saint　Ouen。〃



The　Count；　in　despair；　was　preparing　to　retire　to　his　estate；

abandoning；　with　dignity；　all　claims　to　repayment。　At　this　moment　the

events　of　the　20th　March　（1815）　gave　warning　of　a　fresh　storm；

threatening　to　overwhelm　the　legitimate　monarch　and　his　defenders。

Monsieur　de　Fontaine；　like　one　of　those　generous　souls　who　do　not

dismiss　a　servant　in　a　torrent　of　rain；　borrowed　on　his　lands　to

follow　the　routed　monarchy；　without　knowing　whether　this　complicity　in

emigration　would　prove　more　propitious　to　him　than　his　past　devotion。

But　when　he　perceived　that　the　companions　of　the　King's　exile　were　in

higher　favor　than　the　brave　men　who　had　protested；　sword　in　hand；

against　the　establishment　of　the　republic；　he　may　perhaps　have　hoped

to　derive　greater　profit　from　this　journey　into　a　foreign　land　than

from　active　and　dangerous　service　in　the　heart　of　his　own　country。　Nor

was　his　courtier…like　calculation　one　of　these　rash　speculations　which

promise　splendid　results　on　paper；　and　are　ruinous　in　effect。　He　was

to　quote　the　wittiest　and　most　successful　of　our　diplomatesone　of

the　faithful　five　hundred　who　shared　the　exile　of　the　Court　at　Ghent；

and　one　of　the　fifty　thousand　who　returned　with　it。　During　the　short

banishment　of　royalty；　Monsieur　de　Fontaine　was　so　happy　as　to　be

employed　by　Louis　XVIII。；　and　found　more　than　one　opportunity　of

giving　him　proofs　of　great　political　honesty　and　sincere　attachment。

One　evening；　when　the　King　had　nothing　better　to　do；　he　recalled

Monsieur　de　Fontaine's　witticism　at　the　Tuileries。　The　old　Vendeen　did

not　let　such　a　happy　chance　slip；　he　told　his　history　with　so　much

vivacity　that　a　king；　who　never　forgot　anything；　might　remember　it　at

a　convenient　season。　The　royal　amateur　of　literature　also　observed　the

elegant　style　given　to　some　notes　which　the　discreet　gentleman　had

been　invited　to　recast。　This　little　success　stamped　Monsieur　de

Fontaine　on　the　King's　memory　as　one　of　the　loyal　servants　of　the

Crown。



At　the　second　restoration　the　Count　was　one　of　those　special　envoys

who　were　sent　throughout　the　departments　charged　with　absolute

jurisdiction　over　the　leaders