the collection of antiquities-第3章

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rilled　me　with　very　much　the　effect　of　galvanism　on　a　dead　body。　Child　as　I　was；　I　felt　as　though　new　life　had　been　given　me。

〃Mlle。　Armande　had　hair　of　tawny　gold；　there　was　a　delicate　fine　down　on　her　cheek；　with　a　silver　gleam　upon　it　which　I　loved　to　catch；　putting　myself　so　that　I　could　see　the　outlines　of　her　face　lit　up　by　the　daylight；　and　feel　the　fascination　of　those　dreamy　emerald　eyes；　which　sent　a　flash　of　fire　through　me　whenever　they　fell　upon　my　face。　I　used　to　pretend　to　roll　on　the　grass　before　her　in　our　games；　only　to　try　to　reach　her　little　feet；　and　admire　them　on　a　closer　view。　The　soft　whiteness　of　her　skin；　her　delicate　features；　the　clearly　cut　lines　of　her　forehead；　the　grace　of　her　slender　figure；　took　me　with　a　sense　of　surprise；　while　as　yet　I　did　not　know　that　her　shape　was　graceful；　nor　her　brows　beautiful；　nor　the　outline　of　her　face　a　perfect　oval。　I　admired　as　children　pray　at　that　age；　without　too　clearly　understanding　why　they　pray。　When　my　piercing　gaze　attracted　her　notice；　when　she　asked　me　（in　that　musical　voice　of　hers；　with　more　volume　in　it；　as　it　seemed　to　me；　than　all　other　voices）；　'What　are　you　doing　little　one？　Why　do　you　look　at　me？'I　used　to　come　nearer　and　wriggle　and　bite　my　finger…nails；　and　redden　and　say；　'I　do　not　know。'　And　if　she　chanced　to　stroke　my　hair　with　her　white　hand；　and　ask　me　how　old　I　was；　I　would　run　away　and　call　from　a　distance；　'Eleven！'

Every　princess　and　fairy　of　my　visions；　as　I　read　the　Arabian　Nights；　looked　and　walked　like　Mlle。　d'Esgrignon；　and　afterwards；　when　my　drawing…master　gave　me　heads　from　the　antique　to　copy；　I　noticed　that　their　hair　was　braided　like　Mlle。　d'Esgrignon's。　Still　later；　when　the　foolish　fancies　had　vanished　one　by　one；　Mlle。　Armande　remained　vaguely　in　my　memory　as　a　type；　that　Mlle。　Armande　for　whom　men　made　way　respectfully；　following　the　tall　brown…robed　figure　with　their　eyes　along　the　Parade　and　out　of　sight。　Her　exquisitely　graceful　form；　the　rounded　curves　sometimes　revealed　by　a　chance　gust　of　wind；　and　always　visible　to　my　eyes　in　spite　of　the　ample　folds　of　stuff；　revisited　my　young　man's　dreams。　Later　yet；　when　I　came　to　think　seriously　over　certain　mysteries　of　human　thought；　it　seemed　to　me　that　the　feeling　of　reverence　was　first　inspired　in　me　by　something　expressed　in　Mlle。　d'Esgrignon's　face　and　bearing。　The　wonderful　calm　of　her　face；　the　suppressed　passion　in　it；　the　dignity　of　her　movements；　the　saintly　life　of　duties　fulfilled；all　this　touched　and　awed　me。　Children　are　more　susceptible　than　people　imagine　to　the　subtle　influences　of　ideas；　they　never　make　game　of　real　dignity；　they　feel　the　charm　of　real　graciousness；　and　beauty　attracts　them；　for　childhood　itself　is　beautiful；　and　there　are　mysterious　ties　between　things　of　the　same　nature。

〃Mlle。　d'Esgrignon　was　one　of　my　religions。　To　this　day　I　can　never　climb　the　staircase　of　some　old　manor…house　but　my　foolish　imagination　must　needs　picture　Mlle。　Armande　standing　there；　like　the　spirit　of　feudalism。　I　can　never　read　old　chronicles　but　she　appears　before　my　eyes　in　the　shape　of　some　famous　woman　of　old　times；　she　is　Agnes　Sorel；　Marie　Touchet；　Gabrielle；　and　I　lend　her　all　the　love　that　was　lost　in　her　heart；　all　the　love　that　she　never　expressed。　The　angel　shape　seen　in　glimpses　through　the　haze　of　childish　fancies　visits　me　now　sometimes　across　the　mists　of　dreams。〃



Keep　this　portrait　in　mind；　it　is　a　faithful　picture　and　sketch　of　character。　Mlle。　d'Esgrignon　is　one　of　the　most　instructive　figures　in　this　story；　she　affords　an　example　of　the　mischief　that　may　be　done　by　the　purest　goodness　for　lack　of　intelligence。

Two…thirds　of　the　emigres　returned　to　France　during　1804　and　1805；　and　almost　every　exile　from　the　Marquis　d'Esgrignon's　province　came　back　to　the　land　of　his　fathers。　There　were　certainly　defections。　Men　of　good　birth　entered　the　service　of　Napoleon；　and　went　into　the　army　or　held　places　at　the　Imperial　court；　and　others　made　alliances　with　the　upstart　families。　All　those　who　cast　in　their　lots　with　the　Empire　retrieved　their　fortunes　and　recovered　their　estates；　thanks　to　the　Emperor's　munificence；　and　these　for　the　most　part　went　to　Paris　and　stayed　there。　But　some　eight　or　nine　families　still　remained　true　to　the　proscribed　noblesse　and　loyal　to　the　fallen　monarchy。　The　La　Roche…Guyons；　Nouastres；　Verneuils；　Casterans；　Troisvilles；　and　the　rest　were　some　of　them　rich；　some　of　them　poor；　but　money；　more　or　less；　scarcely　counted　for　anything　among　them。　They　took　an　antiquarian　view　of　themselves；　for　them　the　age　and　preservation　of　the　pedigree　was　the　one　all…important　matter；　precisely　as；　for　an　amateur；　the　weight　of　metal　in　a　coin　is　a　small　matter　in　comparison　with　clean　lettering；　a　flawless　stamp；　and　high　antiquity。　Of　these　families；　the　Marquis　d'Esgrignon　was　the　acknowledged　head。　His　house　became　their　cenacle。　There　His　Majesty；　Emperor　and　King；　was　never　anything　but　〃M。　de　Bonaparte〃；　there　〃the　King〃　meant　Louis　XVIII。；　then　at　Mittau；　there　the　Department　was　still　the　Province；　and　the　prefecture　the　intendance。

The　Marquis　was　honored　among　them　for　his　admirable　behavior；　his　loyalty　as　a　noble；　his　undaunted　courage；　even　as　he　was　respected　throughout　the　town　for　his　misfortunes；　his　fortitude；　his　steadfast　adherence　to　his　political　convictions。　The　man　so　admirable　in　adversity　was　invested　with　all　the　majesty　of　ruined　greatness。　His　chivalrous　fair…mindedness　was　so　well　known；　that　litigants　many　a　time　had　referred　their　disputes　to　him　for　arbitration。　All　gently　bred　Imperalists　and　the　authorities　themselves　showed　as　much　indulgence　for　his　prejudices　as　respect　for　his　personal　character；　but　there　was　another　and　a　large　section　of　the　new　society　which　was　destined　to　be　known　after　the　Restoration　as　the　Liberal　party；　and　these；　with　du　Croisier　as　their　unacknowledged　head；　laughed　at　an　aristocratic　oasis　which　nobody　might　enter　without　proof　of　irreproachable　descent。　Their　animosity　was　all　the　more　bitter　because　honest　country　squires　and　the　higher　officials；　with　a　good　many　worthy　folk　in　the　town；　were　of　the　opinion　that　all　the　best　society　thereof　was　to　be　found　in　the　Marquis　d'Esgrignon's　salon。　The　prefect　himself；　the　Emperor's　chamberlain；　made　overtures　to　the　d'Esgrignons；　humbly　sending　his　wife　（a　Grandlieu）　as　ambassadress。

Wherefore；　those　excluded　from　the　miniature　provincial　Faubourg　Saint…Germain　nicknamed　the　salon　〃The　Collection　of　Antiquities；〃　and　called　the　Marquis　himself　〃M。　Carol。〃　The　receiver　of　taxes；　for　instance；　addressed　his　applications　to　〃M。　Carol　（ci…devant　des　Grignons）；〃　maliciously　adopting　the　obsolete　way　of　spelling。



〃For　my　own　part；〃　said　Emile　Blondet；　〃if　I　try　to　recall　my　childhood　memories；　I　remember　that　the　nickname　of　'Collection　of　Antiquities'　always　made　me　laugh；　in　spite　of　my　respectmy　love；　I　ought　to　sayfor　Mlle。　d'Esgrignon。　The　Hotel　d'Esgrignon　stood　at　the　angle　of　two　of　the　busiest　thoroughfares　in　the　town；　and　not　five　hundred　paces　away　from　the　market　place。　Two　of　the　drawing…room　windows　looked　upon　the　street　and　two　upon　the　square；　the　room　was　like　a　glass　cage；　every　one　who　came　past　could　look　through　it　from　side　to　side。　I　was　only　a　boy　of　twelve　at　the　time；　but　I　thought；　even　then；　that　the　salon　was　one　of　those　rare　curiosities　which　seem；　when　you　come　to　think　of　them　afterwards；　to　lie　just　on　the　borderland　between　reality　and　dreams；　so　that　you　can　scarcely　tell　to　which　side　they　most　belong。

〃The　room；　the　ancient　Hall　of　Audience；　stood　above　a　row　of　cellars　with　grated　air…holes；　once　the　prison　cells　of　the　old　court…house；　now　converted　into　a　kitchen。　I　do　not　know　that　the　magnificent　lofty　chimney…piece　of　the　Louvre；　with　its　marvelous　carving；　seemed　more　wonderful　to　me　than　the　vast　open　hearth　of　the　salon　d'Esgrignon　when　I　saw　it　for　the　first　time。　It　was　covered　like　a　melon　with　a　network　of　tracery。　Over　it　stood　an　equestrian　portrait　of　Henri　III。；　under　whom　the　ancient　duchy　of　appanage　reverted　to　the　crown；　it　was　a　great　picture　executed　in　low　relief；　and　set　in　a　carved　and　gilded　frame。　The　ceiling　spaces　between　the　chest