the ball at sceaux-第14章

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〃I　knew　I　should　find　myself　in　this　fix！〃　cried　the　old　sailor；

waking　up。　He　looked　round　the　room；　but　his　niece　had　vanished　〃like

Saint…Elmo's　fires；〃　to　use　his　favorite　expression。



〃Well；　uncle；〃　Monsieur　de　Fontaine　went　on；　〃how　could　you　hide　from

us　all　you　knew　about　this　young　man？　You　must　have　seen　how　anxious

we　have　been。　Is　Monsieur　de　Longueville　a　man　of　family？〃



〃I　don't　know　him　from　Adam　or　Eve；〃　said　the　Comte　de　Kergarouet。

〃Trusting　to　that　crazy　child's　tact；　I　got　him　here　by　a　method　of　my

own。　I　know　that　the　boy　shoots　with　a　pistol　to　admiration；　hunts

well；　plays　wonderfully　at　billiards；　at　chess；　and　at　backgammon；　he

handles　the　foils；　and　rides　a　horse　like　the　late　Chevalier　de　Saint…

Georges。　He　has　a　thorough　knowledge　of　all　our　vintages。　He　is　as

good　an　arithmetician　as　Bareme；　draws；　dances；　and　sings　well。　The

devil's　in　it！　what　more　do　you　want？　If　that　is　not　a　perfect

gentleman；　find　me　a　bourgeois　who　knows　all　this；　or　any　man　who

lives　more　nobly　than　he　does。　Does　he　do　anything；　I　ask　you？　Does　he

compromise　his　dignity　by　hanging　about　an　office；　bowing　down　before

the　upstarts　you　call　Directors…General？　He　walks　upright。　He　is　a

man。However；　I　have　just　found　in　my　waistcoat　pocket　the　card　he

gave　me　when　he　fancied　I　wanted　to　cut　his　throat；　poor　innocent。

Young　men　are　very　simple…minded　nowadays！　Here　it　is。〃



〃Rue　du　Sentier；　No。　5；〃　said　Monsieur　de　Fontaine；　trying　to　recall

among　all　the　information　he　had　received；　something　which　might

concern　the　stranger。　〃What　the　devil　can　it　mean？　Messrs。　Palma；

Werbrust　&　Co。；　wholesale　dealers　in　muslins；　calicoes；　and　printed

cotton　goods；　live　there。Stay；　I　have　it：　Longueville　the　deputy　has

an　interest　in　their　house。　Well；　but　so　far　as　I　know；　Longueville

has　but　one　son　of　two…and…thirty；　who　is　not　at　all　like　our　man；　and

to　whom　he　gave　fifty　thousand　francs　a　year　that　he　might　marry　a

minister's　daughter；　he　wants　to　be　made　a　peer　like　the　rest　of　'em。

I　never　heard　him　mention　this　Maximilien。　Has　he　a　daughter？　What

is　this　girl　Clara？　Besides；　it　is　open　to　any　adventurer　to　call

himself　Longueville。　But　is　not　the　house　of　Palma；　Werbrust　&　Co。

half　ruined　by　some　speculation　in　Mexico　or　the　Indies？　I　will　clear

all　this　up。〃



〃You　speak　a　soliloquy　as　if　you　were　on　the　stage；　and　seem　to

account　me　a　cipher；〃　said　the　old　admiral　suddenly。　〃Don't　you　know

that　if　he　is　a　gentleman；　I　have　more　than　one　bag　in　my　hold　that

will　stop　any　leak　in　his　fortune？〃



〃As　to　that；　if　he　is　a　son　of　Longueville's；　he　will　want　nothing；

but；〃　said　Monsieur　de　Fontaine；　shaking　his　head　from　side　to　side；

〃his　father　has　not　even　washed　off　the　stains　of　his　origin。　Before

the　Revolution　he　was　an　attorney；　and　the　DE　he　has　since　assumed　no

more　belongs　to　him　than　half　of　his　fortune。〃



〃Pooh！　pooh！　happy　those　whose　fathers　were　hanged！〃　cried　the　admiral

gaily。







Three　or　four　days　after　this　memorable　day；　on　one　of　those　fine

mornings　in　the　month　of　November；　which　show　the　boulevards　cleaned

by　the　sharp　cold　of　an　early　frost；　Mademoiselle　de　Fontaine；　wrapped

in　a　new　style　of　fur　cape；　of　which　she　wished　to　set　the　fashion；

went　out　with　two　of　her　sisters…in…law；　on　whom　she　had　been　wont　to

discharge　her　most　cutting　remarks。　The　three　women　were　tempted　to

the　drive；　less　by　their　desire　to　try　a　very　elegant　carriage；　and

wear　gowns　which　were　to　set　the　fashion　for　the　winter；　than　by　their

wish　to　see　a　cape　which　a　friend　had　observed　in　a　handsome　lace　and

linen　shop　at　the　corner　of　the　Rue　de　la　Paix。　As　soon　as　they　were

in　the　shop　the　Baronne　de　Fontaine　pulled　Emilie　by　the　sleeve；　and

pointed　out　to　her　Maximilien　Longueville　seated　behind　the　desk；　and

engaged　in　paying　out　the　change　for　a　gold　piece　to　one　of　the

workwomen　with　whom　he　seemed　to　be　in　consultation。　The　〃handsome

stranger〃　held　in　his　hand　a　parcel　of　patterns；　which　left　no　doubt

as　to　his　honorable　profession。



Emilie　felt　an　icy　shudder；　though　no　one　perceived　it。　Thanks　to　the

good　breeding　of　the　best　society；　she　completely　concealed　the　rage

in　her　heart；　and　answered　her　sister…in…law　with　the　words；　〃I　knew

it；〃　with　a　fulness　of　intonation　and　inimitable　decision　which　the

most　famous　actress　of　the　time　might　have　envied　her。　She　went

straight　up　to　the　desk。　Longueville　looked　up；　put　the　patterns　in

his　pocket　with　distracting　coolness；　bowed　to　Mademoiselle　de

Fontaine；　and　came　forward；　looking　at　her　keenly。



〃Mademoiselle；〃　he　said　to　the　shopgirl；　who　followed　him；　looking

very　much　disturbed；　〃I　will　send　to　settle　that　account；　my　house

deals　in　that　way。　But　here；〃　he　whispered　into　her　ear；　as　he　gave

her　a　thousand…franc　note；　〃take　thisit　is　between　ourselves。You

will　forgive　me；　I　trust；　mademoiselle；〃　he　added；　turning　to　Emilie。

〃You　will　kindly　excuse　the　tyranny　of　business　matters。〃



〃Indeed；　monsieur；　it　seems　to　me　that　it　is　no　concern　of　mine；〃

replied　Mademoiselle　de　Fontaine；　looking　at　him　with　a　bold

expression　of　sarcastic　indifference　which　might　have　made　any　one

believe　that　she　now　saw　him　for　the　first　time。



〃Do　you　really　mean　it？〃　asked　Maximilien　in　a　broken　voice。



Emilie　turned　her　back　upon　him　with　amazing　insolence。　These　words；

spoken　in　an　undertone；　had　escaped　the　ears　of　her　two　sisters…in…

law。　When；　after　buying　the　cape；　the　three　ladies　got　into　the

carriage　again；　Emilie；　seated　with　her　back　to　the　horses；　could　not

resist　one　last　comprehensive　glance　into　the　depths　of　the　odious

shop；　where　she　saw　Maximilien　standing　with　his　arms　folded；　in　the

attitude　of　a　man　superior　to　the　disaster　that　has　so　suddenly　fallen

on　him。　Their　eyes　met　and　flashed　implacable　looks。　Each　hoped　to

inflict　a　cruel　wound　on　the　heart　of　a　lover。　In　one　instant　they

were　as　far　apart　as　if　one　had　been　in　China　and　the　other　in

Greenland。



Does　not　the　breath　of　vanity　wither　everything？　Mademoiselle　de

Fontaine；　a　prey　to　the　most　violent　struggle　that　can　torture　the

heart　of　a　young　girl；　reaped　the　richest　harvest　of　anguish　that

prejudice　and　narrow…mindedness　ever　sowed　in　a　human　soul。　Her　face；

but　just　now　fresh　and　velvety；　was　streaked　with　yellow　lines　and　red

patches；　the　paleness　of　her　cheeks　seemed　every　now　and　then　to　turn

green。　Hoping　to　hide　her　despair　from　her　sisters；　she　would　laugh　as

she　pointed　out　some　ridiculous　dress　or　passer…by；　but　her　laughter

was　spasmodic。　She　was　more　deeply　hurt　by　their　unspoken　compassion

than　by　any　satirical　comments　for　which　she　might　have　revenged

herself。　She　exhausted　her　wit　in　trying　to　engage　them　in　a

conversation；　in　which　she　tried　to　expend　her　fury　in　senseless

paradoxes；　heaping　on　all　men　engaged　in　trade　the　bitterest　insults

and　witticisms　in　the　worst　taste。



On　getting　home；　she　had　an　attack　of　fever；　which　at　first　assumed　a

somewhat　serious　character。　By　the　end　of　a　month　the　care　of　her

parents　and　of　the　physician　restored　her　to　her　family。



Every　one　hoped　that　this　lesson　would　be　severe　enough　to　subdue

Emilie's　nature；　but　she　insensibly　fell　into　her　old　habits　and　threw

herself　again　into　the　world　of　fashion。　She　declared　that　there　was

no　disgrace　in　making　a　mistake。　If　she；　like　her　father；　had　a　vote

in　the　Chamber；　she　would　move　for　an　edict；　she　said；　by　which　all

merchants；　and　especially　dealers　in　calico；　should　be　branded　on　the

forehead；　like　Berri　sheep；　down　to　the　third　generation。　She　wished

that　none　but　nobles　should　have　the　right　to　wear　the　antique　French

costume；　which　was　so　becoming　to　the　courtiers　of　Louis　XV。　To　hear

her；　it　was　a　misfortune　for　France；　perhaps；　that　there　was　no

outward　and　visible　difference　between　a　merchant　and　a　peer　of

France。　And　a　hundred　more　such　pleasantries；　easy　to　imagine；　were

rapidly　poured　out　when　any　accident　b