the ball at sceaux-第5章

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

for　themselves　a　brilliant　horoscope；　their　magic　consists　in　taking

their　dreams　for　reality；　secretly；　in　their　long　meditations；　they

resolve　to　give　their　heart　and　hand　to　none　but　the　man　possessing

this　or　the　other　qualification；　and　they　paint　in　fancy　a　model　to

which；　whether　or　no；　the　future　lover　must　correspond。　After　some

little　experience　of　life；　and　the　serious　reflections　that　come　with

years；　by　dint　of　seeing　the　world　and　its　prosaic　round；　by　dint　of

observing　unhappy　examples；　the　brilliant　hues　of　their　ideal　are

extinguished。　Then；　one　fine　day；　in　the　course　of　events；　they　are

quite　astonished　to　find　themselves　happy　without　the　nuptial　poetry

of　their　day…dreams。　It　was　on　the　strength　of　that　poetry　that

Mademoiselle　Emilie　de　Fontaine；　in　her　slender　wisdom；　had　drawn　up　a

programme　to　which　a　suitor　must　conform　to　be　excepted。　Hence　her

disdain　and　sarcasm。



〃Though　young　and　of　an　ancient　family；　he　must　be　a　peer　of　France；〃

said　she　to　herself。　〃I　could　not　bear　not　to　see　my　coat…of…arms　on

the　panels　of　my　carriage　among　the　folds　of　azure　mantling；　not　to

drive　like　the　princes　down　the　broad　walk　of　the　Champs…Elysees　on

the　days　of　Longchamps　in　Holy　Week。　Besides；　my　father　says　that　it

will　someday　be　the　highest　dignity　in　France。　He　must　be　a　soldier

but　I　reserve　the　right　of　making　him　retire；　and　he　must　bear　an

Order；　that　the　sentries　may　present　arms　to　us。〃



And　these　rare　qualifications　would　count　for　nothing　if　this　creature

of　fancy　had　not　the　most　amiable　temper；　a　fine　figure；　intelligence；

and；　above　all；　if　he　were　not　slender。　To　be　lean；　a　personal　grace

which　is　but　fugitive；　especially　under　a　representative　government；

was　an　indispensable　condition。　Mademoiselle　de　Fontaine　had　an　ideal

standard　which　was　to　be　the　model。　A　young　man　who　at　the　first

glance　did　not　fulfil　the　requisite　conditions　did　not　even　get　a

second　look。



〃Good　Heavens！　see　how　fat　he　is！〃　was　with　her　the　utmost　expression

of　contempt。



To　hear　her；　people　of　respectable　corpulence　were　incapable　of

sentiment；　bad　husbands；　and　unfit　for　civilized　society。　Though　it　is

esteemed　a　beauty　in　the　East；　to　be　fat　seemed　to　her　a　misfortune

for　a　woman；　but　in　a　man　it　was　a　crime。　These　paradoxical　views　were

amusing；　thanks　to　a　certain　liveliness　of　rhetoric。　The　Count　felt

nevertheless　that　by…and…by　his　daughter's　affections；　of　which　the

absurdity　would　be　evident　to　some　women　who　were　not　less　clear…

sighted　than　merciless；　would　inevitably　become　a　subject　of　constant

ridicule。　He　feared　lest　her　eccentric　notions　should　deviate　into　bad

style。　He　trembled　to　think　that　the　pitiless　world　might　already　be

laughing　at　a　young　woman　who　remained　so　long　on　the　stage　without

arriving　at　any　conclusion　of　the　drama　she　was　playing。　More　than　one

actor　in　it；　disgusted　by　a　refusal；　seemed　to　be　waiting　for　the

slightest　turn　of　ill…luck　to　take　his　revenge。　The　indifferent；　the

lookers…on　were　beginning　to　weary　of　it；　admiration　is　always

exhausting　to　human　beings。　The　old　Vendeen　knew　better　than　any　one

that　if　there　is　an　art　in　choosing　the　right　moment　for　coming

forward　on　the　boards　of　the　world；　on　those　of　the　Court；　in　a

drawing…room　or　on　the　stage；　it　is　still　more　difficult　to　quit　them

in　the　nick　of　time。　So　during　the　first　winter　after　the　accession　of

Charles　X。；　he　redoubled　his　efforts；　seconded　by　his　three　sons　and

his　sons…in…law；　to　assemble　in　the　rooms　of　his　official　residence

the　best　matches　which　Paris　and　the　various　deputations　from

departments　could　offer。　The　splendor　of　his　entertainments；　the

luxury　of　his　dining…room；　and　his　dinners；　fragrant　with　truffles；

rivaled　the　famous　banquets　by　which　the　ministers　of　that　time

secured　the　vote　of　their　parliamentary　recruits。



The　Honorable　Deputy　was　consequently　pointed　at　as　a　most　influential

corrupter　of　the　legislative　honesty　of　the　illustrious　Chamber　that

was　dying　as　it　would　seem　of　indigestion。　A　whimsical　result！　his

efforts　to　get　his　daughter　married　secured　him　a　splendid　popularity。

He　perhaps　found　some　covert　advantage　in　selling　his　truffles　twice

over。　This　accusation；　started　by　certain　mocking　Liberals；　who　made

up　by　their　flow　of　words　for　their　small　following　in　the　Chamber；

was　not　a　success。　The　Poitevin　gentleman　had　always　been　so　noble　and

so　honorable；　that　he　was　not　once　the　object　of　those　epigrams　which

the　malicious　journalism　of　the　day　hurled　at　the　three　hundred　votes

of　the　centre；　at　the　Ministers；　the　cooks；　the　Directors…General；　the

princely　Amphitryons；　and　the　official　supporters　of　the　Villele

Ministry。



At　the　close　of　this　campaign；　during　which　Monsieur　de　Fontaine　had

on　several　occasions　brought　out　all　his　forces；　he　believed　that　this

time　the　procession　of　suitors　would　not　be　a　mere　dissolving　view　in

his　daughter's　eyes；　that　it　was　time　she　should　make　up　her　mind。　He

felt　a　certain　inward　satisfaction　at　having　well　fulfilled　his　duty

as　a　father。　And　having　left　no　stone　unturned；　he　hoped　that；　among

so　many　hearts　laid　at　Emilie's　feet；　there　might　be　one　to　which　her

caprice　might　give　a　preference。　Incapable　of　repeating　such　an

effort；　and　tired；　too；　of　his　daughter's　conduct；　one　morning；

towards　the　end　of　Lent；　when　the　business　at　the　Chamber　did　not

demand　his　vote；　he　determined　to　ask　what　her　views　were。　While　his

valet　was　artistically　decorating　his　bald　yellow　head　with　the　delta

of　powder　which；　with　the　hanging　〃ailes　de　pigeon；〃　completed　his

venerable　style　of　hairdressing；　Emilie's　father；　not　without　some

secret　misgivings；　told　his　old　servant　to　go　and　desire　the　haughty

damsel　to　appear　in　the　presence　of　the　head　of　the　family。



〃Joseph；〃　he　added；　when　his　hair　was　dressed；　〃take　away　that　towel；

draw　back　the　curtains；　put　those　chairs　square；　shake　the　rug；　and

lay　it　quite　straight。　Dust　everything。Now；　air　the　room　a　little　by

opening　the　window。〃



The　Count　multiplied　his　orders；　putting　Joseph　out　of　breath；　and　the

old　servant；　understanding　his　master's　intentions；　aired　and　tidied

the　room；　of　course　the　least　cared　for　of　any　in　the　house；　and

succeeded　in　giving　a　look　of　harmony　to　the　files　of　bills；　the

letter…boxes；　the　books　and　furniture　of　this　sanctum；　where　the

interests　of　the　royal　demesnes　were　debated　over。　When　Joseph　had

reduced　this　chaos　to　some　sort　of　order；　and　brought　to　the　front

such　things　as　might　be　most　pleasing　to　the　eye；　as　if　it　were　a　shop

front；　or　such　as　by　their　color　might　give　the　effect　of　a　kind　of

official　poetry；　he　stood　for　a　minute　in　the　midst　of　the　labyrinth

of　papers　piled　in　some　places　even　on　the　floor；　admired　his

handiwork；　jerked　his　head；　and　went。



The　anxious　sinecure…holder　did　not　share　his　retainer's　favorable

opinion。　Before　seating　himself　in　his　deep　chair；　whose　rounded　back

screened　him　from　draughts；　he　looked　round　him　doubtfully；　examined

his　dressing…gown　with　a　hostile　expression；　shook　off　a　few　grains　of

snuff；　carefully　wiped　his　nose；　arranged　the　tongs　and　shovel；　made

the　fire；　pulled　up　the　heels　of　his　slippers；　pulled　out　his　little

queue　of　hair　which　had　lodged　horizontally　between　the　collar　of　his

waistcoat　and　that　of　his　dressing…gown　restoring　it　to　its

perpendicular　position；　then　he　swept　up　the　ashes　of　the　hearth；

which　bore　witness　to　a　persistent　catarrh。　Finally；　the　old　man　did

not　settle　himself　till　he　had　once　more　looked　all　over　the　room；

hoping　that　nothing　could　give　occasion　to　the　saucy　and　impertinent

remarks　with　which　his　daughter　was　apt　to　answer　his　good　advice。　On

this　occasion　he　was　anxious　not　to　compromise　his　dignity　as　a

father。　He　daintily　took　a　pinch　of　snuff；　cleared　his　throat　two　or

three　times；　as　if　he　were　about　to　demand　a　count　out　of　t