the duchesse de langeais-第14章

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；　and　a　joke　lasts　for　such　a　short　time；　that　everyone　is　eager　to　make　the　most　of　it　while　it　is　fresh。

All　unconsciously；　the　General　felt　flattered　by　this　nonsense。　　From　his　place　where　he　had　taken　his　stand；　his　eyes　were　drawn　again　and　again　to　the　Duchess　by　countless　wavering　reflections。

He　could　not　help　admitting　to　himself　that　of　all　the　women　whose　beauty　had　captivated　his　eyes；　not　one　had　seemed　to　be　a　more　exquisite　embodiment　of　faults　and　fair　qualities　blended　in　a　completeness　that　might　realise　the　dreams　of　earliest　manhood。

Is　there　a　man　in　any　rank　of　life　that　has　not　felt　indefinable　rapture　in　his　secret　soul　over　the　woman　singled　out　（if　only　in　his　dreams）　to　be　his　own；　when　she；　in　body；　soul；　and　social　aspects；　satisfies　his　every　requirement；　a　thrice　perfect　woman？

And　if　this　threefold　perfection　that　flatters　his　pride　is　no　argument　for　loving　her；　it　is　beyond　cavil　one　of　the　great　inducements　to　the　sentiment。　　Love　would　soon　be　convalescent；　as　the　eighteenth　century　moralist　remarked；　were　it　not　for　vanity。　　And　it　is　certainly　true　that　for　everyone；　man　or　woman；　there　is　a　wealth　of　pleasure　in　the　superiority　of　the　beloved。　　Is　she　set　so　high　by　birth　that　a　contemptuous　glance　can　never　wound　her？　is　she　wealthy　enough　to　surround　herself　with　state　which　falls　nothing　short　of　royalty；　of　kings；　of　finance　during　their　short　reign　of　splendour？　is　she　so　ready…witted　that　a　keen…edged　jest　never　brings　her　into　confusion？　beautiful　enough　to　rival　any　woman？Is　it　such　a　small　thing　to　know　that　your　self…love　will　never　suffer　through　her？　　A　man　makes　these　reflections　in　the　twinkling　of　an　eye。　　And　how　if；　in　the　future　opened　out　by　early　ripened　passion；　he　catches　glimpses　of　the　changeful　delight　of　her　charm；　the　frank　innocence　of　a　maiden　soul；　the　perils　of　love's　voyage；　the　thousand　folds　of　the　veil　of　coquetry？　　Is　not　this　enough　to　move　the　coldest　man's　heart？

This；　therefore；　was　M。　de　Montriveau's　position　with　regard　to　woman；　his　past　life　in　some　measure　explaining　the　extraordinary　fact。　　He　had　been　thrown；　when　little　more　than　a　boy；　into　the　hurricane　of　Napoleon's　wars；　his　life　had　been　spent　on　fields　of　battle。　　Of　women　he　knew　just　so　much　as　a　traveller　knows　of　a　country　when　he　travels　across　it　in　haste　from　one　inn　to　another。　　The　verdict　which　Voltaire　passed　upon　his　eighty　years　of　life　might；　perhaps；　have　been　applied　by　Montriveau　to　his　own　thirty…seven　years　of　existence；　had　he　not　thirty…seven　follies　with　which　to　reproach　himself？　　At　his　age　he　was　as　much　a　novice　in　love　as　the　lad　that　has　just　been　furtively　reading　Faublas。　　Of　women　he　had　nothing　to　learn；　of　love　he　knew　nothing；　and　thus；　desires；　quite　unknown　before；　sprang　from　this　virginity　of　feeling。

There　are　men　here　and　there　as　much　engrossed　in　the　work　demanded　of　them　by　poverty　or　ambition；　art　or　science；　as　M。　de　Montriveau　by　war　and　a　life　of　adventurethese　know　what　it　is　to　be　in　this　unusual　position　if　they　very　seldom　confess　to　it。

Every　man　in　Paris　is　supposed　to　have　been　in　love。　　No　woman　in　Paris　cares　to　take　what　other　women　have　passed　over。　　The　dread　of　being　taken　for　a　fool　is　the　source　of　the　coxcomb's　bragging　so　common　in　France；　for　in　France　to　have　the　reputation　of　a　fool　is　to　be　a　foreigner　in　one's　own　country。　　Vehement　desire　seized　on　M。　de　Montriveau；　desire　that　had　gathered　strength　from　the　heat　of　the　desert　and　the　first　stirrings　of　a　heart　unknown　as　yet　in　its　suppressed　turbulence。

A　strong　man；　and　violent　as　he　was　strong；　he　could　keep　mastery　over　himself；　but　as　he　talked　of　indifferent　things；　he　retired　within　himself；　and　swore　to　possess　this　woman；　for　through　that　thought　lay　the　only　way　to　love　for　him。　　Desire　became　a　solemn　compact　made　with　himself；　an　oath　after　the　manner　of　the　Arabs　among　whom　he　had　lived；　for　among　them　a　vow　is　a　kind　of　contract　made　with　Destiny　a　man's　whole　future　is　solemnly　pledged　to　fulfil　it；　and　everything　even　his　own　death；　is　regarded　simply　as　a　means　to　the　one　end。

A　younger　man　would　have　said　to　himself；　〃I　should　very　much　like　to　have　the　Duchess　for　my　mistress！〃　or；　〃If　the　Duchesse　de　Langeais　cared　for　a　man；　he　would　be　a　very　lucky　rascal！〃　　But　the　General　said；　〃I　will　have　Mme　de　Langeais　for　my　mistress。〃　　And　if　a　man　takes　such　an　idea　into　his　head　when　his　heart　has　never　been　touched　before；　and　love　begins　to　be　a　kind　of　religion　with　him；　he　little　knows　in　what　a　hell　he　has　set　his　foot。

Armand　de　Montriveau　suddenly　took　flight　and　went　home　in　the　first　hot　fever…fit　of　the　first　love　that　he　had　known。　　When　a　man　has　kept　all　his　boyish　beliefs；　illusions；　frankness；　and　impetuosity　into　middle　age；　his　first　impulse　is；　as　it　were；　to　stretch　out　a　hand　to　take　the　thing　that　he　desires；　a　little　later　he　realises　that　there　is　a　gulf　set　between　them；　and　that　it　is　all　but　impossible　to　cross　it。　　A　sort　of　childish　impatience　seizes　him；　he　wants　the　thing　the　more；　and　trembles　or　cries。　　Wherefore；　the　next　day；　after　the　stormiest　reflections　that　had　yet　perturbed　his　mind；　Armand　de　Montriveau　discovered　that　he　was　under　the　yoke　of　the　senses；　and　his　bondage　made　the　heavier　by　his　love。

The　woman　so　cavalierly　treated　in　his　thoughts　of　yesterday　had　become　a　most　sacred　and　dreadful　power。　　She　was　to　be　his　world；　his　life；　from　this　time　forth。　　The　greatest　joy；　the　keenest　anguish；　that　he　had　yet　known　grew　colourless　before　the　bare　recollection　of　the　least　sensation　stirred　in　him　by　her。　　The　swiftest　revolutions　in　a　man's　outward　life　only　touch　his　interests；　while　passion　brings　a　complete　revulsion　of　feeling。　　And　so　in　those　who　live　by　feeling；　rather　than　by　self…interest；　the　doers　rather　than　the　reasoners；　the　sanguine　rather　than　the　lymphatic　temperaments；　love　works　a　complete　revolution。　　In　a　flash；　with　one　single　reflection；　Armand　de　Montriveau　wiped　out　his　whole　past　life。

A　score　of　times　he　asked　himself；　like　a　boy；　〃Shall　I　go；　or　shall　I　not？〃　and　then　at　last　he　dressed；　came　to　the　Hotel　de　Langeais　towards　eight　o'clock　that　evening；　and　was　admitted。　　He　was　to　see　the　womanah！　not　the　womanthe　idol　that　he　had　seen　yesterday；　among　lights；　a　fresh　innocent　girl　in　gauze　and　silken　lace　and　veiling。　　He　burst　in　upon　her　to　declare　his　love；　as　if　it　were　a　question　of　firing　the　first　shot　on　a　field　of　battle。

Poor　novice！　　He　found　his　ethereal　sylphide　shrouded　in　a　brown　cashmere　dressing…gown　ingeniously　befrilled；　lying　languidly　stretched　out　upon　a　sofa　in　a　dimly　lighted　boudoir。　　Mme　de　Langeais　did　not　so　much　as　rise；　nothing　was　visible　of　her　but　her　face；　her　hair　was　loose　but　confined　by　a　scarf。　　A　hand　indicated　a　seat；　a　hand　that　seemed　white　as　marble　to　Montriveau　by　the　flickering　light　of　a　single　candle　at　the　further　side　of　the　room；　and　a　voice　as　soft　as　the　light　said

〃If　it　had　been　anyone　else；　M。　le　Marquis；　a　friend　with　whom　I　could　dispense　with　ceremony；　or　a　mere　acquaintance　in　whom　I　felt　but　slight　interest；　I　should　have　closed　my　door。　　I　am　exceedingly　unwell。〃

〃I　will　go；〃　Armand　said　to　himself。

〃But　I　do　not　know　how　it　is；〃　she　continued　（and　the　simple　warrior　attributed　the　shining　of　her　eyes　to　fever）；　〃perhaps　it　was　a　presentiment　of　your　kind　visit　（and　no　one　can　be　more　sensible　of　the　prompt　attention　than　I）；　but　the　vapours　have　left　my　head。〃

〃Then　may　I　stay？〃

〃Oh；　I　should　be　very　sorry　to　allow　you　to　go。　　I　told　myself　this　morning　that　it　was　impossible　that　I　should　have　made　the　slightest　impression　on　your　mind；　and　that　in　all　probability　you　took　my　request　for　one　of　the　commonplaces　of　which　Parisians　are　lavish　on　every　occasion。　　And　I　forgave　your　ingratitude　in　advance。　　An　explorer　from　the　deserts　is　not　supposed　to　know　how　exclusive　we　are　in　our　friendships　in　the　Faubourg。〃

The　gracious；　half…murmured　words　dropped　one　by　one；　as　if　they　had　been　weighted　with　the　gladness　that　apparently　brought　them　to　her　lips。　　The　Duchess　meant　to　have　the　full　benefit　of　her　headache；　and　her　speculation　was　fully　successful。　　The　Gene