the ball at sceaux-第4章

按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！



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

as　her　sister…in…law　Emilie；　whom　she　would　sometimes　wish　to　see

happily　married；　as　she　announced　that　the　daughter　of　some　peer　of

France　had　married　Monsieur　So…and…So　with　no　title　to　his　name。　The

Vicomtesse　de　Fontaine　amused　herself　by　eclipsing　Emilie　in　the　taste

and　magnificence　that　were　conspicuous　in　her　dress；　her　furniture；

and　her　carriages。　The　satirical　spirit　in　which　her　brothers　and

sisters　sometimes　received　the　claims　avowed　by　Mademoiselle　de

Fontaine　roused　her　to　wrath　that　a　perfect　hailstorm　of　sharp　sayings

could　hardly　mitigate。　So　when　the　head　of　the　family　felt　a　slight

chill　in　the　King's　tacit　and　precarious　friendship；　he　trembled　all

the　more　because；　as　a　result　of　her　sisters'　defiant　mockery；　his

favorite　daughter　had　never　looked　so　high。



In　the　midst　of　these　circumstances；　and　at　a　moment　when　this　petty

domestic　warfare　had　become　serious；　the　monarch；　whose　favor　Monsieur

de　Fontaine　still　hoped　to　regain；　was　attacked　by　the　malady　of　which

he　was　to　die。　The　great　political　chief；　who　knew　so　well　how　to

steer　his　bark　in　the　midst　of　tempests；　soon　succumbed。　Certain　then

of　favors　to　come；　the　Comte　de　Fontaine　made　every　effort　to　collect

the　elite　of　marrying　men　about　his　youngest　daughter。　Those　who　may

have　tried　to　solve　the　difficult　problem　of　settling　a　haughty　and

capricious　girl；　will　understand　the　trouble　taken　by　the　unlucky

father。　Such　an　affair；　carried　out　to　the　liking　of　his　beloved

child；　would　worthily　crown　the　career　the　Count　had　followed　for

these　ten　years　at　Paris。　From　the　way　in　which　his　family　claimed

salaries　under　every　department；　it　might　be　compared　with　the　House

of　Austria；　which；　by　intermarriage；　threatens　to　pervade　Europe。　The

old　Vendeen　was　not　to　be　discouraged　in　bringing　forward　suitors；　so

much　had　he　his　daughter's　happiness　at　heart；　but　nothing　could　be

more　absurd　than　the　way　in　which　the　impertinent　young　thing

pronounced　her　verdicts　and　judged　the　merits　of　her　adorers。　It　might

have　been　supposed　that；　like　a　princess　in　the　Arabian　Nights；　Emilie

was　rich　enough　and　beautiful　enough　to　choose　from　among　all　the

princes　in　the　world。　Her　objections　were　each　more　preposterous　than

the　last：　one　had　too　thick　knees　and　was　bow…legged；　another　was

short…sighted；　this　one's　name　was　Durand；　that　one　limped；　and　almost

all　were　too　fat。　Livelier；　more　attractive；　and　gayer　than　ever　after

dismissing　two　or　three　suitors；　she　rushed　into　the　festivities　of

the　winter　season；　and　to　balls；　where　her　keen　eyes　criticised　the

celebrities　of　the　day；　delighted　in　encouraging　proposals　which　she

invariably　rejected。



Nature　had　bestowed　on　her　all　the　advantages　needed　for　playing　the

part　of　Celimene。　Tall　and　slight；　Emilie　de　Fontaine　could　assume　a

dignified　or　a　frolicsome　mien　at　her　will。　Her　neck　was　rather　long；

allowing　her　to　affect　beautiful　attitudes　of　scorn　and　impertinence。

She　had　cultivated　a　large　variety　of　those　turns　of　the　head　and

feminine　gestures；　which　emphasize　so　cruelly　or　so　happily　a　hint　of

a　smile。　Fine　black　hair；　thick　and　strongly…arched　eyebrows；　lent　her

countenance　an　expression　of　pride；　to　which　her　coquettish　instincts

and　her　mirror　had　taught　her　to　add　terror　by　a　stare；　or　gentleness

by　the　softness　of　her　gaze；　by　the　set　of　the　gracious　curve　of　her

lips；　by　the　coldness　or　the　sweetness　of　her　smile。　When　Emilie　meant

to　conquer　a　heart；　her　pure　voice　did　not　lack　melody；　but　she　could

also　give　it　a　sort　of　curt　clearness　when　she　was　minded　to　paralyze

a　partner's　indiscreet　tongue。　Her　colorless　face　and　alabaster　brow

were　like　the　limpid　surface　of　a　lake；　which　by　turns　is　rippled　by

the　impulse　of　a　breeze　and　recovers　its　glad　serenity　when　the　air　is

still。　More　than　one　young　man；　a　victim　to　her　scorn；　accused　her　of

acting　a　part；　but　she　justified　herself　by　inspiring　her　detractors

with　the　desire　to　please　her；　and　then　subjecting　them　to　all　her

most　contemptuous　caprice。　Among　the　young　girls　of　fashion；　not　one

knew　better　than　she　how　to　assume　an　air　of　reserve　when　a　man　of

talent　was　introduced　to　her；　or　how　to　display　the　insulting

politeness　which　treats　an　equal　as　an　inferior；　and　to　pour　out　her

impertinence　on　all　who　tried　to　hold　their　heads　on　a　level　with

hers。　Wherever　she　went　she　seemed　to　be　accepting　homage　rather　than

compliments；　and　even　in　a　princess　her　airs　and　manner　would　have

transformed　the　chair　on　which　she　sat　into　an　imperial　throne。



Monsieur　de　Fontaine　discovered　too　late　how　utterly　the　education　of

the　daughter　he　loved　had　been　ruined　by　the　tender　devotion　of　the

whole　family。　The　admiration　which　the　world　is　at　first　ready　to

bestow　on　a　young　girl；　but　for　which；　sooner　or　later；　it　takes　its

revenge；　had　added　to　Emilie's　pride；　and　increased　her　self…

confidence。　Universal　subservience　had　developed　in　her　the

selfishness　natural　to　spoilt　children；　who；　like　kings；　make　a

plaything　of　everything　that　comes　to　hand。　As　yet　the　graces　of　youth

and　the　charms　of　talent　hid　these　faults　from　every　eye；　faults　all

the　more　odious　in　a　woman；　since　she　can　only　please　by　self…

sacrifice　and　unselfishness；　but　nothing　escapes　the　eye　of　a　good

father；　and　Monsieur　de　Fontaine　often　tried　to　explain　to　his

daughter　the　more　important　pages　of　the　mysterious　book　of　life。　Vain

effort！　He　had　to　lament　his　daughter's　capricious　indocility　and

ironical　shrewdness　too　often　to　persevere　in　a　task　so　difficult　as

that　of　correcting　an　ill…disposed　nature。　He　contented　himself　with

giving　her　from　time　to　time　some　gentle　and　kind　advice；　but　he　had

the　sorrow　of　seeing　his　tenderest　words　slide　from　his　daughter's

heart　as　if　it　were　of　marble。　A　father's　eyes　are　slow　to　be

unsealed；　and　it　needed　more　than　one　experience　before　the　old

Royalist　perceived　that　his　daughter's　rare　caresses　were　bestowed　on

him　with　an　air　of　condescension。　She　was　like　young　children；　who

seem　to　say　to　their　mother；　〃Make　haste　to　kiss　me；　that　I　may　go　to

play。〃　In　short；　Emilie　vouchsafed　to　be　fond　of　her　parents。　But

often；　by　those　sudden　whims；　which　seem　inexplicable　in　young　girls；

she　kept　aloof　and　scarcely　ever　appeared；　she　complained　of　having　to

share　her　father's　and　mother's　heart　with　too　many　people；　she　was

jealous　of　every　one；　even　of　her　brothers　and　sisters。　Then；　after

creating　a　desert　about　her；　the　strange　girl　accused　all　nature　of

her　unreal　solitude　and　her　wilful　griefs。　Strong　in　the　experience　of

her　twenty　years；　she　blamed　fate；　because；　not　knowing　that　the

mainspring　of　happiness　is　in　ourselves；　she　demanded　it　of　the

circumstances　of　life。　She　would　have　fled　to　the　ends　of　the　earth　to

escape　a　marriage　such　as　those　of　her　two　sisters；　and　nevertheless

her　heart　was　full　of　horrible　jealousy　at　seeing　them　married；　rich；

and　happy。　In　short；　she　sometimes　led　her　motherwho　was　as　much　a

victim　to　her　vagaries　as　Monsieur　de　Fontaineto　suspect　that　she

had　a　touch　of　madness。



But　such　aberrations　are　quite　inexplicable；　nothing　is　commoner　than

this　unconfessed　pride　developed　in　the　heart　of　young　girls　belonging

to　families　high　in　the　social　scale；　and　gifted　by　nature　with　great

beauty。　They　are　almost　all　convinced　that　their　mothers；　now　forty　or

fifty　years　of　age；　can　neither　sympathize　with　their　young　souls；　nor

conceive　of　their　imaginings。　They　fancy　that　most　mothers；　jealous　of

their　girls；　want　to　dress　them　in　their　own　way　with　the　premeditated

purpose　of　eclipsing　them　or　robbing　them　of　admiration。　Hence；　often；

secret　tears　and　dumb　revolt　against　supposed　tyranny。　In　the　midst　of

these　woes；　which　become　very　real　though　built　on　an　imaginary　basis；

they　have　also　a　mania　for　composing　a　scheme　of　life；　while　casting

for　themselves　a　brilliant　horoscope；　their　mag