the duchesse de langeais-第31章

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t　for　a　woman　as　that　barber's　knife…thrust；　which　so　affected　Canning　in　a　court　of　assize。　　Not　one　of　the　women　who　blame　the　Duchess　would　make　a　declaration　worthy　of　ancient　times。　　It　is　heroic　of　Mme　de　Langeais　to　proclaim　herself　so　frankly。　　Now　there　is　nothing　left　to　her　but　to　love　Montriveau。　　There　must　be　something　great　about　a　woman　if　she　says；　‘I　will　have　but　one　passion。'　〃

〃But　what　is　to　become　of　society；　monsieur；　if　you　honour　vice　in　this　way　without　respect　for　virtue？〃　asked　the　Comtesse　de　Granville；　the　attorney…general's　wife。

While　the　Chateau；　the　Faubourg；　and　the　Chaussee　d'Antin　were　discussing　the　shipwreck　of　aristocratic　virtue；　while　excited　young　men　rushed　about　on　horseback　to　make　sure　that　the　carriage　was　standing　in　the　Rue　de　Tournon；　and　the　Duchess　in　consequence　was　beyond　a　doubt　in　M。　de　Montriveau's　rooms；　Mme　de　Langeais；　with　heavy　throbbing　pulses；　was　lying　hidden　away　in　her　boudoir。　　And　Armand？he　had　been　out　all　night；　and　at　that　moment　was　walking　with　M。　de　Marsay　in　the　Gardens　of　the　Tuileries。　　The　elder　members；　of　Mme　de　Langeais's　family　were　engaged　in　calling　upon　one　another；　arranging　to　read　her　a　homily　and　to　hold　a　consultation　as　to　the　best　way　of　putting　a　stop　to　the　scandal。

At　three　o'clock；　therefore；　M。　le　Duc　de　Navarreins；　the　Vidame　de　Pamiers；　the　old　Princesse　de　Blamont…Chauvry；　and　the　Duc　de　Grandlieu　were　assembled　in　Mme　la　Duchesse　de　Langeais's　drawing…room。　　To　them；　as　to　all　curious　enquirers；　the　servants　said　that　their　mistress　was　not　at　home；　the　Duchess　had　made　no　exceptions　to　her　orders。　　But　these　four　personages　shone　conspicuous　in　that　lofty　sphere；　of　which　the　revolutions　and　hereditary　pretensions　are　solemnly　recorded　year　by　year　in　the　Almanach　de　Gotha；　wherefore　without　some　slight　sketch　of　each　of　them　this　picture　of　society　were　incomplete。

The　Princesse　de　Blamont…Chauvry；　in　the　feminine　world；　was　a　most　poetic　wreck　of　the　reign　of　Louis　Quinze。　　In　her　beautiful　prime；　so　it　was　said；　she　had　done　her　part　to　win　for　that　monarch　his　appellation　of　le　Bien…aime。　　Of　her　past　charms　of　feature；　little　remained　save　a　remarkably　prominent　slender　nose；　curved　like　a　Turkish　scimitar；　now　the　principal　ornament　of　a　countenance　that　put　you　in　mind　of　an　old　white　glove。　　Add　a　few　powdered　curls；　high…heeled　pantoufles；　a　cap　with　upstanding　loops　of　lace；　black　mittens；　and　a　decided　taste　for　ombre。　　But　to　do　full　justice　to　the　lady；　it　must　be　said　that　she　appeared　in　low…necked　gowns　of　an　evening　（so　high　an　opinion　of　her　ruins　had　she）；　wore　long　gloves；　and　raddled　her　cheeks　with　Martin's　classic　rouge。　　An　appalling　amiability　in　her　wrinkles；　a　prodigious　brightness　in　the　old　lady's　eyes；　a　profound　dignity　in　her　whole　person；　together　with　the　triple　barbed　wit　of　her　tongue；　and　an　infallible　memory　in　her　head；　made　of　her　a　real　power　in　the　land。　　The　whole　Cabinet　des　Chartes　was　entered　in　duplicate　on　the　parchment　of　her　brain。　　She　knew　all　the　genealogies　of　every　noble　house　in　Europeprinces；　dukes；　and　countsand　could　put　her　hand　on　the　last　descendants　of　Charlemagne　in　the　direct　line。　　No　usurpation　of　title　could　escape　the　Princesse　de　Blamont…Chauvry。

Young　men　who　wished　to　stand　well　at　Court；　ambitious　men；　and　young　married　women　paid　her　assiduous　homage。　　Her　salon　set　the　tone　of　the　Faubourg　Saint…Germain。　　The　words　of　this　Talleyrand　in　petticoats　were　taken　as　final　decrees。　　People　came　to　consult　her　on　questions　of　etiquette　or　usages；　or　to　take　lessons　in　good　taste。　　And；　in　truth；　no　other　old　woman　could　put　back　her　snuff…box　in　her　pocket　as　the　Princess　could；　while　there　was　a　precision　and　a　grace　about　the　movements　of　her　skirts；　when　she　sat　down　or　crossed　her　feet；　which　drove　the　finest　ladies　of　the　young　generation　to　despair。　　Her　voice　had　remained　in　her　head　during　one…third　of　her　lifetime；　but　she　could　not　prevent　a　descent　into　the　membranes　of　the　nose；　which　lent　to　it　a　peculiar　expressiveness。　　She　still　retained　a　hundred　and　fifty　thousand　livres　of　her　great　fortune；　for　Napoleon　had　generously　returned　her　woods　to　her；　so　that　personally　and　in　the　matter　of　possessions　she　was　a　woman　of　no　little　consequence。

This　curious　antique；　seated　in　a　low　chair　by　the　fireside；　was　chatting　with　the　Vidame　de　Pamiers；　a　contemporary　ruin。　　The　Vidame　was　a　big；　tall；　and　spare　man；　a　seigneur　of　the　old　school；　and　had　been　a　Commander　of　the　Order　of　Malta。　　His　neck　had　always　been　so　tightly　compressed　by　a　strangulation　stock；　that　his　cheeks　pouched　over　it　a　little；　and　he　held　his　head　high；　to　many　people　this　would　have　given　an　air　of　self…sufficiency；　but　in　the　Vidame　it　was　justified　by　a　Voltairean　wit。　　His　wide　prominent　eyes　seemed　to　see　everything；　and　as　a　matter　of　fact　there　was　not　much　that　they　had　not　seen。　　Altogether；　his　person　was　a　perfect　model　of　aristocratic　outline；　slim　and　slender；　supple　and　agreeable。　　He　seemed　as　if　he　could　be　pliant　or　rigid　at　will；　and　twist　and　bend；　or　rear　his　head　like　a　snake。

The　Duc　de　Navarreins　was　pacing　up　and　down　the　room　with　the　Duc　de　Grandlieu。　　Both　were　men　of　fifty…six　or　thereabouts；　and　still　hale；　both　were　short；　corpulent；　flourishing；　somewhat　florid…complexioned　men　with　jaded　eyes；　and　lower　lips　that　had　begun　to　hang　already。　　But　for　an　exquisite　refinement　of　accent；　an　urbane　courtesy；　and　an　ease　of　manner　that　could　change　in　a　moment　to　insolence；　a　superficial　observer　might　have　taken　them　for　a　couple　of　bankers。　　Any　such　mistake　would　have　been　impossible；　however；　if　the　listener　could　have　heard　them　converse；　and　seen　them　on　their　guard　with　men　whom　they　feared；　vapid　and　commonplace　with　their　equals；　slippery　with　the　inferiors　whom　courtiers　and　statesmen　know　how　to　tame　by　a　tactful　word；　or　to　humiliate　with　an　unexpected　phrase。

Such　were　the　representatives　of　the　great　noblesse　that　determined　to　perish　rather　than　submit　to　any　change。　　It　was　a　noblesse　that　deserved　praise　and　blame　in　equal　measure；　a　noblesse　that　will　never　be　judged　impartially　until　some　poet　shall　arise　to　tell　how　joyfully　the　nobles　obeyed　the　King　though　their　heads　fell　under　a　Richelieu's　axe；　and　how　deeply　they　scorned　the　guillotine　of　'89　as　a　foul　revenge。

Another　noticeable　trait　in　all　the　four　was　a　thin　voice　that　agreed　peculiarly　well　with　their　ideas　and　bearing。　　Among　themselves；　at　any　rate；　they　were　on　terms　of　perfect　equality。　　None　of　them　betrayed　any　sign　of　annoyance　over　the　Duchess's　escapade；　but　all　of　them　had　learned　at　Court　to　hide　their　feelings。

And　here；　lest　critics　should　condemn　the　puerility　of　the　opening　of　the　forthcoming　scene；　it　is　perhaps　as　well　to　remind　the　reader　that　Locke；　once　happening　to　be　in　the　company　of　several　great　lords；　renowned　no　less　for　their　wit　than　for　their　breeding　and　political　consistency；　wickedly　amused　himself　by　taking　down　their　conversation　by　some　shorthand　process　of　his　own；　and　afterwards；　when　he　read　it　over　to　them　to　see　what　they　could　make　of　it；　they　all　burst　out　laughing。　　And；　in　truth；　the　tinsel　jargon　which　circulates　among　the　upper　ranks　in　every　country　yields　mighty　little　gold　to　the　crucible　when　washed　in　the　ashes　of　literature　or　philosophy。　　In　every　rank　of　society　（some　few　Parisian　salons　excepted）　the　curious　observer　finds　folly　a　constant　quantity　beneath　a　more　or　less　transparent　varnish。　　Conversation　with　any　substance　in　it　is　a　rare　exception；　and　boeotianism　is　current　coin　in　every　zone。　　In　the　higher　regions　they　must　perforce　talk　more；　but　to　make　up　for　it　they　think　the　less。　　Thinking　is　a　tiring　exercise；　and　the　rich　like　their　lives　to　flow　by　easily　and　without　effort。　　It　is　by　comparing　the　fundamental　matter　of　jests；　as　you　rise　in　the　social　scale　from　the　street…boy　to　the　peer　of　France；　that　the　observer　arrives　at　a　true　comprehension　of　M。　de　Talleyrand's　maxim；　〃The　manner　is　everything〃；　an　elegant　rendering　of　the　legal　axiom；　〃The　form　is　of　more　consequence　than　the　matter。〃　　In　the　eyes　of　the　poet　the　advantage　rests　with　the　lower　classes；　for　they　seldom