the ball at sceaux-第16章

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noise　made　by　the　ladies　as　they　rose　from　the　table；　〃no　one　will

ever　more　ardently　desire　your　happiness　than　I；　permit　me　to　assure

you　of　this；　as　I　am　taking　leave　of　you。　I　am　starting　for　Italy　in　a

few　days。〃



〃With　a　Duchess；　no　doubt？〃



〃No；　but　perhaps　with　a　mortal　blow。〃



〃Is　not　that　pure　fancy？〃　asked　Emilie；　with　an　anxious　glance。



〃No；〃　he　replied。　〃There　are　wounds　which　never　heal。〃



〃You　are　not　to　go；〃　said　the　girl；　imperiously；　and　she　smiled。



〃I　shall　go；〃　replied　Maximilien；　gravely。



〃You　will　find　me　married　on　your　return；　I　warn　you；〃　she　said

coquettishly。



〃I　hope　so。〃



〃Impertinent　wretch！〃　she　exclaimed。　〃How　cruel　a　revenge！〃



A　fortnight　later　Maximilien　set　out　with　his　sister　Clara　for　the

warm　and　poetic　scenes　of　beautiful　Italy；　leaving　Mademoiselle　de

Fontaine　a　prey　to　the　most　vehement　regret。　The　young　Secretary　to

the　Embassy　took　up　his　brother's　quarrel；　and　contrived　to　take

signal　vengeance　on　Emilie's　disdain　by　making　known　the　occasion　of

the　lovers'　separation。　He　repaid　his　fair　partner　with　interest　all

the　sarcasm　with　which　she　had　formerly　attacked　Maximilien；　and　often

made　more　than　one　Excellency　smile　by　describing　the　fair　foe　of　the

counting…house；　the　amazon　who　preached　a　crusade　against　bankers；　the

young　girl　whose　love　had　evaporated　before　a　bale　of　muslin。　The

Comte　de　Fontaine　was　obliged　to　use　his　influence　to　procure　an

appointment　to　Russia　for　Auguste　Longueville　in　order　to　protect　his

daughter　from　the　ridicule　heaped　upon　her　by　this　dangerous　young

persecutor。



Not　long　after；　the　Ministry　being　compelled　to　raise　a　levy　of　peers

to　support　the　aristocratic　party；　trembling　in　the　Upper　Chamber

under　the　lash　of　an　illustrious　writer；　gave　Monsieur　Guiraudin　de

Longueville　a　peerage；　with　the　title　of　Vicomte。　Monsieur　de　Fontaine

also　obtained　a　peerage；　the　reward　due　as　much　to　his　fidelity　in

evil　days　as　to　his　name；　which　claimed　a　place　in　the　hereditary

Chamber。



About　this　time　Emilie；　now　of　age；　made；　no　doubt；　some　serious

reflections　on　life；　for　her　tone　and　manners　changed　perceptibly。

Instead　of　amusing　herself　by　saying　spiteful　things　to　her　uncle；　she

lavished　on　him　the　most　affectionate　attentions；　she　brought　him　his

stick　with　a　persevering　devotion　that　made　the　cynical　smile；　she

gave　him　her　arm；　rode　in　his　carriage；　and　accompanied　him　in　all　his

drives；　she　even　persuaded　him　that　she　liked　the　smell　of　tobacco；

and　read　him　his　favorite　paper　La　Quotidienne　in　the　midst　of　clouds

of　smoke；　which　the　malicious　old　sailor　intentionally　blew　over　her；

she　learned　piquet　to　be　a　match　for　the　old　count；　and　this　fantastic

damsel　even　listened　without　impatience　to　his　periodical　narratives

of　the　battles　of　the　Belle…Poule；　the　manoeuvres　of　the　Ville　de

Paris；　M。　de　Suffren's　first　expedition；　or　the　battle　of　Aboukir。



Though　the　old　sailor　had　often　said　that　he　knew　his　longitude　and

latitude　too　well　to　allow　himself　to　be　captured　by　a　young　corvette；

one　fine　morning　Paris　drawing…rooms　heard　the　news　of　the　marriage　of

Mademoiselle　de　Fontaine　to　the　Comte　de　Kergarouet。　The　young

Countess　gave　splendid　entertainments　to　drown　thought；　but　she；　no

doubt；　found　a　void　at　the　bottom　of　the　whirlpool；　luxury　was

ineffectual　to　disguise　the　emptiness　and　grief　of　her　sorrowing　soul；

for　the　most　part；　in　spite　of　the　flashes　of　assumed　gaiety；　her

beautiful　face　expressed　unspoken　melancholy。　Emilie　appeared；

however；　full　of　attentions　and　consideration　for　her　old　husband；

who；　on　retiring　to　his　rooms　at　night；　to　the　sounds　of　a　lively

band；　would　often　say；　〃I　do　not　know　myself。　Was　I　to　wait　till　the

age　of　seventy…two　to　embark　as　pilot　on　board　the　Belle　Emilie　after

twenty　years　of　matrimonial　galleys？〃



The　conduct　of　the　young　Countess　was　marked　by　such　strictness　that

the　most　clear…sighted　criticism　had　no　fault　to　find　with　her。

Lookers　on　chose　to　think　that　the　vice…admiral　had　reserved　the　right

of　disposing　of　his　fortune　to　keep　his　wife　more　tightly　in　hand；　but

this　was　a　notion　as　insulting　to　the　uncle　as　to　the　niece。　Their

conduct　was　indeed　so　delicately　judicious　that　the　men　who　were　most

interested　in　guessing　the　secrets　of　the　couple　could　never　decide

whether　the　old　Count　regarded　her　as　a　wife　or　as　a　daughter。　He　was

often　heard　to　say　that　he　had　rescued　his　niece　as　a　castaway　after

shipwreck；　and　that；　for　his　part；　he　had　never　taken　a　mean　advantage

of　hospitality　when　he　had　saved　an　enemy　from　the　fury　of　the　storm。

Though　the　Countess　aspired　to　reign　in　Paris　and　tried　to　keep　pace

with　Mesdames　the　Duchesses　de　Maufrigneuse　and　du　Chaulieu；　the

Marquises　d'Espard　and　d'Aiglemont；　the　Comtesses　Feraud；　de

Montcornet；　and　de　Restaud；　Madame　de　Camps；　and　Mademoiselle　des

Touches；　she　did　not　yield　to　the　addresses　of　the　young　Vicomte　de

Portenduere；　who　made　her　his　idol。



Two　years　after　her　marriage；　in　one　of　the　old　drawing…rooms　in　the

Faubourg　Saint…Germain；　where　she　was　admired　for　her　character；

worthy　of　the　old　school；　Emilie　heard　the　Vicomte　de　Longueville

announced。　In　the　corner　of　the　room　where　she　was　sitting；　playing

piquet　with　the　Bishop　of　Persepolis；　her　agitation　was　not　observed；

she　turned　her　head　and　saw　her　former　lover　come　in；　in　all　the

freshness　of　youth。　His　father's　death；　and　then　that　of　his　brother；

killed　by　the　severe　climate　of　Saint…Petersburg；　had　placed　on

Maximilien's　head　the　hereditary　plumes　of　the　French　peer's　hat。　His

fortune　matched　his　learning　and　his　merits；　only　the　day　before　his

youthful　and　fervid　eloquence　had　dazzled　the　Assembly。　At　this　moment

he　stood　before　the　Countess；　free；　and　graced　with　all　the　advantages

she　had　formerly　required　of　her　ideal。　Every　mother　with　a　daughter

to　marry　made　amiable　advances　to　a　man　gifted　with　the　virtues　which

they　attributed　to　him；　as　they　admired　his　attractive　person；　but

Emilie　knew；　better　than　any　one；　that　the　Vicomte　de　Longueville　had

the　steadfast　nature　in　which　a　wise　woman　sees　a　guarantee　of

happiness。　She　looked　at　the　admiral　who；　to　use　his　favorite

expression；　seemed　likely　to　hold　his　course　for　a　long　time　yet；　and

cursed　the　follies　of　her　youth。



At　this　moment　Monsieur　de　Persepolis　said　with　Episcopal　grace：　〃Fair

lady；　you　have　thrown　away　the　king　of　heartsI　have　won。　But　do　not

regret　your　money。　I　keep　it　for　my　little　seminaries。〃







PARIS；　December　1829。









ADDENDUM



The　following　personages　appear　in　other　stories　of　the　Human　Comedy。



Beaudenord；　Godefroid　de

　　A　Distinguished　Provincial　at　Paris

　　The　Firm　of　Nucingen



Dudley；　Lady　Arabella

　　The　Lily　of　the　Valley

　　The　Magic　Skin

　　The　Secrets　of　a　Princess

　　A　Daughter　of　Eve

　　Letters　of　Two　Brides



Fontaine；　Comte　de

　　The　Chouans

　　Modeste　Mignon

　　Cesar　Birotteau

　　The　Government　Clerks



Kergarouet；　Comte　de

　　The　Purse

　　Ursule　Mirouet



Louis　XVIII。；　Louis…Stanislas…Xavier

　　The　Chouans

　　The　Seamy　Side　of　History

　　The　Gondreville　Mystery

　　Scenes　from　a　Courtesan's　Life

　　The　Lily　of　the　Valley

　　Colonel　Chabert

　　The　Government　Clerks



Manerville；　Paul　Francois…Joseph；　Comte　de

　　The　Thirteen

　　Lost　Illusions

　　A　Distinguished　Provincial　at　Paris

　　A　Marriage　Settlement



Marsay；　Henri　de

　　The　Thirteen

　　The　Unconscious　Humorists

　　Another　Study　of　Woman

　　The　Lily　of　the　Valley

　　Father　Goriot

　　Jealousies　of　a　Country　Town

　　Ursule　Mirouet

　　A　Marriage　Settlement

　　Lost　Illusions

　　A　Distinguished　Provincial　at　Paris

　　Letters　of　Two　Brides

　　Modest　Mignon

　　The　Secrets　of　a　Princess

　　The　Gondreville　Mystery

　　A　Daughter　of　Eve



Palma　（banker）

　　The　Firm　of　Nucingen

　　Cesar　Birotteau

　　Gobseck

　　Lost　Illusions

　　A　Distingui