the duchesse de langeais-第10章

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nobleness　of　developing　womanhood。　　She　trusted　nothing　and　no　one；　yet　there　were　times　when　she　quitted　her　sceptical　attitude　for　a　submissive　credulity。

How　should　any　portrait　be　anything　but　incomplete　of　her；　in　whom　the　play　of　swiftly…changing　colour　made　discord　only　to　produce　a　poetic　confusion？　　For　in　her　there　shone　a　divine　brightness；　a　radiance　of　youth　that　blended　all　her　bewildering　characteristics　in　a　certain　completeness　and　unity　informed　by　her　charm。　　Nothing　was　feigned。　　The　passion　or　semi…passion；　the　ineffectual　high　aspirations；　the　actual　pettiness；　the　coolness　of　sentiment　and　warmth　of　impulse；　were　all　spontaneous　and　unaffected；　and　as　much　the　outcome　of　her　own　position　as　of　the　position　of　the　aristocracy　to　which　she　belonged。　　She　was　wholly　self…contained；　she　put　herself　proudly　above　the　world　and　beneath　the　shelter　of　her　name。　　There　was　something　of　the　egoism　of　Medea　in　her　life；　as　in　the　life　of　the　aristocracy　that　lay　a…dying；　and　would　not　so　much　as　raise　itself　or　stretch　out　a　hand　to　any　political　physician；　so　well　aware　of　its　feebleness；　or　so　conscious　that　it　was　already　dust；　that　it　refused　to　touch　or　be　touched。

The　Duchesse　de　Langeais　（for　that　was　her　name）　had　been　married　for　about　four　years　when　the　Restoration　was　finally　consummated；　which　is　to　say；　in　1816。　　By　that　time　the　revolution　of　the　Hundred　Days　had　let　in　the　light　on　the　mind　of　Louis　XVIII。　　In　spite　of　his　surroundings；　he　comprehended　the　situation　and　the　age　in　which　he　was　living；　and　it　was　only　later；　when　this　Louis　XI；　without　the　axe；　lay　stricken　down　by　disease；　that　those　about　him　got　the　upper　hand。　　The　Duchesse　de　Langeais；　a　Navarreins　by　birth；　came　of　a　ducal　house　which　had　made　a　point　of　never　marrying　below　its　rank　since　the　reign　of　Louis　XIV。　　Every　daughter　of　the　house　must　sooner　or　later　take　a　tabouret　at　Court。　　So；　Antoinette　de　Navarreins；　at　the　age　of　eighteen；　came　out　of　the　profound　solitude　in　which　her　girlhood　had　been　spent　to　marry　the　Duc　de　Langeais's　eldest　son。　　The　two　families　at　that　time　were　living　quite　out　of　the　world；　but　after　the　invasion　of　France；　the　return　of　the　Bourbons　seemed　to　every　Royalist　mind　the　only　possible　way　of　putting　an　end　to　the　miseries　of　the　war。

The　Ducs　de　Navarreins　and　de　Langeais　had　been　faithful　throughout　to　the　exiled　Princes；　nobly　resisting　all　the　temptations　of　glory　under　the　Empire。　　Under　the　circumstances　they　naturally　followed　out　the　old　family　policy；　and　Mlle　Antoinette；　a　beautiful　and　portionless　girl；　was　married　to　M。　le　Marquis　de　Langeais　only　a　few　months　before　the　death　of　the　Duke　his　father。

After　the　return　of　the　Bourbons；　the　families　resumed　their　rank；　offices；　and　dignity　at　Court；　once　more　they　entered　public　life；　from　which　hitherto　they　held　aloof；　and　took　their　place　high　on　the　sunlit　summits　of　the　new　political　world。　　In　that　time　of　general　baseness　and　sham　political　conversions；　the　public　conscience　was　glad　to　recognise　the　unstained　loyalty　of　the　two　houses；　and　a　consistency　in　political　and　private　life　for　which　all　parties　involuntarily　respected　them。　　But；　unfortunately；　as　so　often　happens　in　a　time　of　transition；　the　most　disinterested　persons；　the　men　whose　loftiness　of　view　and　wise　principles　would　have　gained　the　confidence　of　the　French　nation　and　led　them　to　believe　in　the　generosity　of　a　novel　and　spirited　policythese　men；　to　repeat；　were　taken　out　of　affairs；　and　public　business　was　allowed　to　fall　into　the　hands　of　others；　who　found　it　to　their　interest　to　push　principles　to　their　extreme　consequences　by　way　of　proving　their　devotion。

The　families　of　Langeais　and　Navarreins　remained　about　the　Court；　condemned　to　perform　the　duties　required　by　Court　ceremonial　amid　the　reproaches　and　sneers　of　the　Liberal　party。　　They　were　accused　of　gorging　themselves　with　riches　and　honours；　and　all　the　while　their　family　estates　were　no　larger　than　before；　and　liberal　allowances　from　the　civil　list　were　wholly　expended　in　keeping　up　the　state　necessary　for　any　European　government；　even　if　it　be　a　Republic。

In　1818；　M。　le　Duc　de　Langeais　commanded　a　division　of　the　army；　and　the　Duchess　held　a　post　about　one　of　the　Princesses；　in　virtue　of　which　she　was　free　to　live　in　Paris　and　apart　from　her　husband　without　scandal。　　The　Duke；　moreover；　besides　his　military　duties；　had　a　place　at　Court；　to　which　he　came　during　his　term　of　waiting；　leaving　his　major…general　in　command。　　The　Duke　and　Duchess　were　leading　lives　entirely　apart；　the　world　none　the　wiser。　　Their　marriage　of　convention　shared　the　fate　of　nearly　all　family　arrangements　of　the　kind。　　Two　more　antipathetic　dispositions　could　not　well　have　been　found；　they　were　brought　together；　they　jarred　upon　each　other；　there　was　soreness　on　either　side；　then　they　were　divided　once　for　all。　　Then　they　went　their　separate　ways；　with　a　due　regard　for　appearances。　　The　Duc　de　Langeais；　by　nature　as　methodical　as　the　Chevalier　de　Folard　himself；　gave　himself　up　methodically　to　his　own　tastes　and　amusements；　and　left　his　wife　at　liberty　to　do　as　she　pleased　so　soon　as　he　felt　sure　of　her　character。　　He　recognised　in　her　a　spirit　pre…eminently　proud；　a　cold　heart；　a　profound　submissiveness　to　the　usages　of　the　world；　and　a　youthful　loyalty。　　Under　the　eyes　of　great　relations；　with　the　light　of　a　prudish　and　bigoted　Court　turned　full　upon　the　Duchess；　his　honour　was　safe。

So　the　Duke　calmly　did　as　the　grands　seigneurs　of　the　eighteenth　century　did　before　him；　and　left　a　young　wife　of　two…and…twenty　to　her　own　devices。　　He　had　deeply　offended　that　wife；　and　in　her　nature　there　was　one　appalling　characteristicshe　would　never　forgive　an　offence　when　woman's　vanity　and　self…love；　with　all　that　was　best　in　her　nature　perhaps；　had　been　slighted；　wounded　in　secret。　　Insult　and　injury　in　the　face　of　the　world　a　woman　loves　to　forget；　there　is　a　way　open　to　her　of　showing　herself　great；　she　is　a　woman　in　her　forgiveness；　but　a　secret　offence　women　never　pardon；　for　secret　baseness；　as　for　hidden　virtues　and　hidden　love；　they　have　no　kindness

This　was　Mme　la　Duchesse　de　Langeais's　real　position；　unknown　to　the　world。　　She　herself　did　not　reflect　upon　it。　　It　was　the　time　of　the　rejoicings　over　the　Duc　de　Berri's　marriage。　　The　Court　and　the　Faubourg　roused　itself　from　its　listlessness　and　reserve。

This　was　the　real　beginning　of　that　unheard…of　splendour　which　the　Government　of　the　Restoration　carried　too　far。　　At　that　time　the　Duchess；　whether　for　reasons　of　her　own；　or　from　vanity；　never　appeared　in　public　without　a　following　of　women　equally　distinguished　by　name　and　fortune。　　As　queen　of　fashion　she　had　her　dames　d'atours；　her　ladies；　who　modelled　their　manner　and　their　wit　on　hers。　　They　had　been　cleverly　chosen。　　None　of　her　satellites　belonged　to　the　inmost　Court　circle；　nor　to　the　highest　level　of　the　Faubourg　Saint…Germain；　but　they　had　set　their　minds　upon　admission　to　those　inner　sanctuaries。　　Being　as　yet　simple　dominations；　they　wished　to　rise　to　the　neighbourhood　of　the　throne；　and　mingle　with　the　seraphic　powers　in　the　high　sphere　known　as　le　petit　chateau。　　Thus　surrounded；　the　Duchess's　position　was　stronger　and　more　commanding　and　secure。　　Her　〃ladies〃　defended　her　character　and　helped　her　to　play　her　detestable　part　of　a　woman　of　fashion。　　She　could　laugh　at　men　at　her　ease；　play　with　fire；　receive　the　homage　on　which　the　feminine　nature　is　nourished；　and　remain　mistress　of　herself。　　

At　Paris；　in　the　highest　society　of　all；　a　woman　is　a　woman　still；　she　lives　on　incense；　adulation；　and　honours。　　No　beauty；　however　undoubted；　no　face；　however　fair；　is　anything　without　admiration。　　Flattery　and　a　lover　are　proofs　of　power。　　And　what　is　power　without　recognition？　　Nothing。　　If　the　prettiest　of　women　were　left　alone　in　a　corner　of　a　drawing…room；　she　would　droop。　　Put　her　in　the　very　centre　and　summit　of　social　grandeur；　she　will　at　once　aspire　to　reign　over　all　heartsoften　because　it　is　out　of　her　power　to　be　the　happy　queen　of　one。　　Dress　and　manner　and　coquetry　are　all　meant　to　please　one　of　the　poorest　creatures　extantthe　brainless　coxcomb；　whose　handsome　face　is　his　sole