the collection of antiquities-第6章

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　Collection　of　Antiquities；　chose　to　wear　the　impassive　countenance　of　a　savage。　He　smiled　upon　his　enemies；　hating　them　but　the　more　deeply；　watching　them　the　more　narrowly　from　hour　to　hour。　One　of　his　own　party；　who　seconded　him　in　these　calculations　of　cold　wrath；　was　the　President　of　the　Tribunal；　M。　du　Ronceret；　a　little　country　squire；　who　had　vainly　endeavored　to　gain　admittance　among　the　Antiquities。

The　d'Esgrignons'　little　fortune；　carefully　administered　by　Maitre　Chesnel；　was　barely　sufficient　for　the　worthy　Marquis'　needs；　for　though　he　lived　without　the　slightest　ostentation；　he　also　lived　like　a　noble。　The　governor　found　by　his　Lordship　the　Bishop　for　the　hope　of　the　house；　the　young　Comte　Victurnien　d'Esgrignon；　was　an　elderly　Oratorian　who　must　be　paid　a　certain　salary；　although　he　lived　with　the　family。　The　wages　of　a　cook；　a　waiting…woman　for　Mlle。　Armande；　an　old　valet　for　M。　le　Marquis；　and　a　couple　of　other　servants；　together　with　the　daily　expenses　of　the　household；　and　the　cost　of　an　education　for　which　nothing　was　spared；　absorbed　the　whole　family　income；　in　spite　of　Mlle。　Armande's　economies；　in　spite　of　Chesnel's　careful　management；　and　the　servants'　affection。　As　yet；　Chesnel　had　not　been　able　to　set　about　repairs　at　the　ruined　castle；　he　was　waiting　till　the　leases　fell　in　to　raise　the　rent　of　the　farms；　for　rents　had　been　rising　lately；　partly　on　account　of　improved　methods　of　agriculture；　partly　by　the　fall　in　the　value　of　money；　of　which　the　landlord　would　get　the　benefit　at　the　expiration　of　leases　granted　in　1809。

The　Marquis　himself　knew　nothing　of　the　details　of　the　management　of　the　house　or　of　his　property。　He　would　have　been　thunderstruck　if　he　had　been　told　of　the　excessive　precautions　needed　〃to　make　both　ends　of　the　year　meet　in　December；〃　to　use　the　housewife's　saying；　and　he　was　so　near　the　end　of　his　life；　that　every　one　shrank　from　opening　his　eyes。　The　Marquis　and　his　adherents　believed　that　a　House；　to　which　no　one　at　Court　or　in　the　Government　gave　a　thought；　a　House　that　was　never　heard　of　beyond　the　gates　of　the　town；　save　here　and　there　in　the　same　department；　was　about　to　revive　its　ancient　greatness；　to　shine　forth　in　all　its　glory。　The　d'Esgrignons'　line　should　appear　with　renewed　lustre　in　the　person　of　Victurnien；　just　as　the　despoiled　nobles　came　into　their　own　again；　and　the　handsome　heir　to　a　great　estate　would　be　in　a　position　to　go　to　Court；　enter　the　King's　service；　and　marry　（as　other　d'Esgrignons　had　done　before　him）　a　Navarreins；　a　Cadignan；　a　d'Uxelles；　a　Beausant；　a　Blamont…Chauvry；　a　wife；　in　short；　who　should　unite　all　the　distinctions　of　birth　and　beauty；　wit　and　wealth；　and　character。

The　intimates　who　came　to　play　their　game　of　cards　of　an　eveningthe　Troisvilles　（pronounced　Treville）；　the　La　Roche…Guyons；　the　Casterans　（pronounced　Cateran）；　and　the　Duc　de　Verneuilhad　all　so　long　been　accustomed　to　look　up　to　the　Marquis　as　a　person　of　immense　consequence；　that　they　encouraged　him　in　such　notions　as　these。　They　were　perfectly　sincere　in　their　belief；　and　indeed；　it　would　have　been　well　founded　if　they　could　have　wiped　out　the　history　of　the　last　forty　years。　But　the　most　honorable　and　undoubted　sanctions　of　right；　such　as　Louis　XVIII。　had　tried　to　set　on　record　when　he　dated　the　Charter　from　the　one…and…twentieth　year　of　his　reign；　only　exist　when　ratified　by　the　general　consent。　The　d'Esgrignons　not　only　lacked　the　very　rudiments　of　the　language　of　latter…day　politics；　to　wit；　money；　the　great　modern　RELIEF；　or　sufficient　rehabilitation　of　nobility；　but；　in　their　case；　too；　〃historical　continuity〃　was　lacking；　and　that　is　a　kind　of　renown　which　tells　quite　as　much　at　Court　as　on　the　battlefield；　in　diplomatic　circles　as　in　Parliament；　with　a　book；　or　in　connection　with　an　adventure；　it　is；　as　it　were；　a　sacred　ampulla　poured　upon　the　heads　of　each　successive　generation。　Whereas　a　noble　family；　inactive　and　forgotten；　is　very　much　in　the　position　of　a　hard…featured；　poverty…stricken；　simple…minded；　and　virtuous　maid；　these　qualifications　being　the　four　cardinal　points　of　misfortune。　The　marriage　of　a　daughter　of　the　Troisvilles　with　General　Montcornet；　so　far　from　opening　the　eyes　of　the　Antiquities；　very　nearly　brought　about　a　rupture　between　the　Troisvilles　and　the　salon　d'Esgrignon；　the　latter　declaring　that　the　Troisvilles　were　mixing　themselves　up　with　all　sorts　of　people。

There　was　one；　and　one　only；　among　all　these　folk　who　did　not　share　their　illusions。　And　that　one；　needless　to　say；　was　Chesnel　the　notary。　Although　his　devotion；　sufficiently　proved　already；　was　simply　unbounded　for　the　great　house　now　reduced　to　three　persons；　although　he　accepted　all　their　ideas；　and　thought　them　nothing　less　than　right；　he　had　too　much　common　sense；　he　was　too　good　a　man　of　business　to　more　than　half　the　families　in　the　department；　to　miss　the　significance　of　the　great　changes　that　were　taking　place　in　people's　minds；　or　to　be　blind　to　the　different　conditions　brought　about　by　industrial　development　and　modern　manners。　He　had　watched　the　Revolution　pass　through　the　violent　phase　of　1793；　when　men；　women；　and　children　wore　arms；　and　heads　fell　on　the　scaffold；　and　victories　were　won　in　pitched　battles　with　Europe；　and　now　he　saw　the　same　forces　quietly　at　work　in　men's　minds；　in　the　shape　of　ideas　which　sanctioned　the　issues。　The　soil　had　been　cleared；　the　seed　sown；　and　now　came　the　harvest。　To　his　thinking；　the　Revolution　had　formed　the　mind　of　the　younger　generation；　he　touched　the　hard　facts；　and　knew　that　although　there　were　countless　unhealed　wounds；　what　had　been　done　was　past　recall。　The　death　of　a　king　on　the　scaffold；　the　protracted　agony　of　a　queen；　the　division　of　the　nobles'　lands；　in　his　eyes　were　so　many　binding　contracts；　and　where　so　many　vested　interests　were　involved；　it　was　not　likely　that　those　concerned　would　allow　them　to　be　attacked。　Chesnel　saw　clearly。　His　fanatical　attachment　to　the　d'Esgrignons　was　whole…hearted；　but　it　was　not　blind；　and　it　was　all　the　fairer　for　this。　The　young　monk's　faith　that　sees　heaven　laid　open　and　beholds　the　angels；　is　something　far　below　the　power　of　the　old　monk　who　points　them　out　to　him。　The　ex…steward　was　like　the　old　monk；　he　would　have　given　his　life　to　defend　a　worm…eaten　shrine。

He　tried　to　explain　the　〃innovations〃　to　his　old　master；　using　a　thousand　tactful　precautions；　sometimes　speaking　jestingly；　sometimes　affecting　surprise　or　sorrow　over　this　or　that；　but　he　always　met　the　same　prophetic　smile　on　the　Marquis'　lips；　the　same　fixed　conviction　in　the　Marquis'　mind；　that　these　follies　would　go　by　like　others。　Events　contributed　in　a　way　which　has　escaped　attention　to　assist　such　noble　champions　of　forlorn　hope　to　cling　to　their　superstitions。　What　could　Chesnel　do　when　the　old　Marquis　said；　with　a　lordly　gesture；　〃God　swept　away　Bonaparte　with　his　armies；　his　new　great　vassals；　his　crowned　kings；　and　his　vast　conceptions！　God　will　deliver　us　from　the　rest。〃　And　Chesnel　hung　his　head　sadly；　and　did　not　dare　to　answer；　〃It　cannot　be　God's　will　to　sweep　away　France。〃　Yet　both　of　them　were　grand　figures；　the　one；　standing　out　against　the　torrent　of　facts　like　an　ancient　block　of　lichen…covered　granite；　still　upright　in　the　depths　of　an　Alpine　gorge；　the　other；　watching　the　course　of　the　flood　to　turn　it　to　account。　Then　the　good　gray…headed　notary　would　groan　over　the　irreparable　havoc　which　the　superstitions　were　sure　to　work　in　the　mind；　the　habits；　and　ideas　of　the　Comte　Victurnien　d'Esgrignon。

Idolized　by　his　father；　idolized　by　his　aunt；　the　young　heir　was　a　spoilt　child　in　every　sense　of　the　word；　but　still　a　spoilt　child　who　justified　paternal　and　maternal　illusions。　Maternal；　be　it　said；　for　Victurnien's　aunt　was　truly　a　mother　to　him；　and　yet；　however　careful　and　tender　she　may　be　that　never　bore　a　child；　there　is　something　lacking　in　her　motherhood。　A　mother's　second　sight　cannot　be　acquired。　An　aunt；　bound　to　her　nursling　by　ties　of　such　pure　affection　as　united　Mlle。　Armande　to　Victurnien；　may　love　as　much　as　a　mother　might；　may　be　as　careful；　as　kind；　as　tender；　as　indulgent；　but　she　lacks　the　mother's　instinctive　knowledge　when　and　how　to　be　severe；　she　has　no　sudden　warnings；