the ball at sceaux-第3章

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which　made　her　singing　irresistibly　charming。　Clever；　and　intimate

with　every　branch　of　literature；　she　might　have　made　folks　believe

that；　as　Mascarille　says；　people　of　quality　come　into　the　world

knowing　everything。　She　could　argue　fluently　on　Italian　or　Flemish

painting；　on　the　Middle　Ages　or　the　Renaissance；　pronounced　at

haphazard　on　books　new　or　old；　and　could　expose　the　defects　of　a　work

with　a　cruelly　graceful　wit。　The　simplest　thing　she　said　was　accepted

by　an　admiring　crowd　as　a　fetfah　of　the　Sultan　by　the　Turks。　She　thus

dazzled　shallow　persons；　as　to　deeper　minds；　her　natural　tact　enabled

her　to　discern　them；　and　for　them　she　put　forth　so　much　fascination

that；　under　cover　of　her　charms；　she　escaped　their　scrutiny。　This

enchanting　veneer　covered　a　careless　heart；　the　opinioncommon　to

many　young　girlsthat　no　one　else　dwelt　in　a　sphere　so　lofty　as　to　be

able　to　understand　the　merits　of　her　soul；　and　a　pride　based　no　less

on　her　birth　than　on　her　beauty。　In　the　absence　of　the　overwhelming

sentiment　which；　sooner　or　later；　works　havoc　in　a　woman's　heart；　she

spent　her　young　ardor　in　an　immoderate　love　of　distinctions；　and

expressed　the　deepest　contempt　for　persons　of　inferior　birth。

Supremely　impertinent　to　all　newly…created　nobility；　she　made　every

effort　to　get　her　parents　recognized　as　equals　by　the　most　illustrious

families　of　the　Saint…Germain　quarter。



These　sentiments　had　not　escaped　the　observing　eye　of　Monsieur　de

Fontaine；　who　more　than　once；　when　his　two　elder　girls　were　married；

had　smarted　under　Emilie's　sarcasm。　Logical　readers　will　be　surprised

to　see　the　old　Royalist　bestowing　his　eldest　daughter　on　a　Receiver…

General；　possessed；　indeed；　of　some　old　hereditary　estates；　but　whose

name　was　not　preceded　by　the　little　word　to　which　the　throne　owed　so

many　partisans；　and　his　second　to　a　magistrate　too　lately　Baronified

to　obscure　the　fact　that　his　father　had　sold　firewood。　This　noteworthy

change　in　the　ideas　of　a　noble　on　the　verge　of　his　sixtieth　yearan

age　when　men　rarely　renounce　their　convictionswas　due　not　merely　to

his　unfortunate　residence　in　the　modern　Babylon；　where；　sooner　or

later；　country　folks　all　get　their　corners　rubbed　down；　the　Comte　de

Fontaine's　new　political　conscience　was　also　a　result　of　the　King's

advice　and　friendship。　The　philosophical　prince　had　taken　pleasure　in

converting　the　Vendeen　to　the　ideas　required　by　the　advance　of　the

nineteenth　century；　and　the　new　aspect　of　the　Monarchy。　Louis　XVIII。

aimed　at　fusing　parties　as　Napoleon　had　fused　things　and　men。　The

legitimate　King；　who　was　not　less　clever　perhaps　than　his　rival；　acted

in　a　contrary　direction。　The　last　head　of　the　House　of　Bourbon　was

just　as　eager　to　satisfy　the　third　estate　and　the　creations　of　the

Empire；　by　curbing　the　clergy；　as　the　first　of　the　Napoleons　had　been

to　attract　the　grand　old　nobility；　or　to　endow　the　Church。　The　Privy

Councillor；　being　in　the　secret　of　these　royal　projects；　had

insensibly　become　one　of　the　most　prudent　and　influential　leaders　of

that　moderate　party　which　most　desired　a　fusion　of　opinion　in　the

interests　of　the　nation。　He　preached　the　expensive　doctrines　of

constitutional　government；　and　lent　all　his　weight　to　encourage　the

political　see…saw　which　enabled　his　master　to　rule　France　in　the　midst

of　storms。　Perhaps　Monsieur　de　Fontaine　hoped　that　one　of　the　sudden

gusts　of　legislation；　whose　unexpected　efforts　then　startled　the

oldest　politicians；　might　carry　him　up　to　the　rank　of　peer。　One　of　his

most　rigid　principles　was　to　recognize　no　nobility　in　France　but　that

of　the　peeragethe　only　families　that　might　enjoy　any　privileges。



〃A　nobility　bereft　of　privileges；〃　he　would　say；　〃is　a　tool　without　a

handle。〃



As　far　from　Lafayette's　party　as　he　was　from　La　Bourdonnaye's；　he

ardently　engaged　in　the　task　of　general　reconciliation；　which　was

to　result　in　a　new　era　and　splendid　fortunes　for　France。　He

strove　to　convince　the　families　who　frequented　his　drawing…room；

or　those　whom　he　visited；　how　few　favorable　openings　would

henceforth　be　offered　by　a　civil　or　military　career。　He　urged

mothers　to　give　their　boys　a　start　in　independent　and　industrial

professions；　explaining　that　military　posts　and　high　Government

appointments　must　at　last　pertain；　in　a　quite　constitutional

order；　to　the　younger　sons　of　members　of　the　peerage。　According

to　him；　the　people　had　conquered　a　sufficiently　large　share　in

practical　government　by　its　elective　assembly；　its　appointments

to　law…offices；　and　those　of　the　exchequer；　which；　said　he；　would

always；　as　heretofore；　be　the　natural　right　of　the　distinguished

men　of　the　third　estate。



These　new　notions　of　the　head　of　the　Fontaines；　and　the　prudent

matches　for　his　eldest　girls　to　which　they　had　led；　met　with　strong

resistance　in　the　bosom　of　his　family。　The　Comtesse　de　Fontaine

remained　faithful　to　the　ancient　beliefs　which　no　woman　could　disown；

who；　through　her　mother；　belonged　to　the　Rohans。　Although　she　had　for

a　while　opposed　the　happiness　and　fortune　awaiting　her　two　eldest

girls；　she　yielded　to　those　private　considerations　which　husband　and

wife　confide　to　each　other　when　their　heads　are　resting　on　the　same

pillow。　Monsieur　de　Fontaine　calmly　pointed　out　to　his　wife；　by　exact

arithmetic　that　their　residence　in　Paris；　the　necessity　for

entertaining；　the　magnificence　of　the　house　which　made　up　to　them　now

for　the　privations　so　bravely　shared　in　La　Vendee；　and　the　expenses　of

their　sons；　swallowed　up　the　chief　part　of　their　income　from　salaries。

They　must　therefore　seize；　as　a　boon　from　heaven；　the　opportunities

which　offered　for　settling　their　girls　with　such　wealth。　Would　they

not　some　day　enjoy　sixtyeightya　hundred　thousand　francs　a　year？

Such　advantageous　matches　were　not　to　be　met　with　every　day　for　girls

without　a　portion。　Again；　it　was　time　that　they　should　begin　to　think

of　economizing；　to　add　to　the　estate　of　Fontaine；　and　re…establish　the

old　territorial　fortune　of　the　family。　The　Countess　yielded　to　such

cogent　arguments；　as　every　mother　would　have　done　in　her　place；　though

perhaps　with　a　better　grace；　but　she　declared　that　Emilie；　at　any

rate；　should　marry　in　such　a　way　as　to　satisfy　the　pride　she　had

unfortunately　contributed　to　foster　in　the　girl's　young　soul。



Thus　events；　which　ought　to　have　brought　joy　into　the　family；　had

introduced　a　small　leaven　of　discord。　The　Receiver…General　and　the

young　lawyer　were　the　objects　of　a　ceremonious　formality　which　the

Countess　and　Emilie　contrived　to　create。　This　etiquette　soon　found

even　ampler　opportunity　for　the　display　of　domestic　tyranny；　for

Lieutenant…General　de　Fontaine　married　Mademoiselle　Mongenod；　the

daughter　of　a　rich　banker；　the　President　very　sensibly　found　a　wife　in

a　young　lady　whose　father；　twice　or　thrice　a　millionaire；　had　traded

in　salt；　and　the　third　brother；　faithful　to　his　plebeian　doctrines；

married　Mademoiselle　Grossetete；　the　only　daughter　of　the　Receiver…

General　at　Bourges。　The　three　sisters…in…law　and　the　two　brothers…in…

law　found　the　high　sphere　of　political　bigwigs；　and　the　drawing…rooms

of　the　Faubourg　Saint…Germain；　so　full　of　charm　and　of　personal

advantages；　that　they　united　in　forming　a　little　court　round　the

overbearing　Emilie。　This　treaty　between　interest　and　pride　was　not；

however；　so　firmly　cemented　but　that　the　young　despot　was；　not

unfrequently；　the　cause　of　revolts　in　her　little　realm。　Scenes；　which

the　highest　circles　would　not　have　disowned；　kept　up　a　sarcastic

temper　among　all　the　members　of　this　powerful　family；　and　this；

without　seriously　diminishing　the　regard　they　professed　in　public；

degenerated　sometimes　in　private　into　sentiments　far　from　charitable。

Thus　the　Lieutenant…General's　wife；　having　become　a　Baronne；　thought

herself　quite　as　noble　as　a　Kergarouet；　and　imagined　that　her　good

hundred　thousand　francs　a　year　gave　her　the　right　to　be　as　impertinent

as　her　sister…in…law　Emilie；　whom　she　would