modeste mignon-第13章

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English　poet　chanted　by　the　mouth　of　his　Gulmare。　Modeste　greatly

admired　the　behavior　of　the　young　Englishwoman　who　offered　herself　to

Crebillon；　the　son；　who　married　her。　The　story　of　Sterne　and　Eliza

Draper　was　her　life　and　her　happiness　for　several　months。　She　made

herself　ideally　the　heroine　of　a　like　romance；　and　many　a　time　she

rehearsed　in　imagination　the　sublime　role　of　Eliza。　The　sensibility　so

charmingly　expressed　in　that　delightful　correspondence　filled　her　eyes

with　tears　which；　it　is　said；　were　lacking　in　those　of　the　wittiest　of

English　writers。



Modeste　existed　for　some　time　on　a　comprehension；　not　only　of　the

works；　but　of　the　characters　of　her　favorite　authors；Goldsmith；　the

author　of　Obermann；　Charles　Nodier；　Maturin。　The　poorest　and　the　most

suffering　among　them　were　her　deities；　she　guessed　their　trials；

initiated　herself　into　a　destitution　where　the　thoughts　of　genius

brooded；　and　poured　upon　it　the　treasures　of　her　heart；　she　fancied

herself　the　giver　of　material　comfort　to　these　great　men；　martyrs　to

their　own　faculty。　This　noble　compassion；　this　intuition　of　the

struggles　of　toilers；　this　worship　of　genius；　are　among　the　choicest

perceptions　that　flutter　through　the　souls　of　women。　They　are；　in　the

first　place；　a　secret　between　the　woman　and　God；　for　they　are　hidden；

in　them　there　is　nothing　striking；　nothing　that　gratifies　the　vanity；

that　powerful　auxiliary　to　all　action　among　the　French。



Out　of　this　third　period　of　the　development　of　her　ideas；　there　came

to　Modeste　a　passionate　desire　to　penetrate　to　the　heart　of　one　of

these　abnormal　beings；　to　understand　the　working　of　the　thoughts　and

the　hidden　griefs　of　genius；to　know　not　only　what　it　wanted　but　what

it　was。　At　the　period　when　this　story　begins；　these　vagaries　of　fancy；

these　excursions　of　her　soul　into　the　void；　these　feelers　put　forth

into　the　darkness　of　the　future；　the　impatience　of　an　ungiven　love　to

find　its　goal；　the　nobility　of　all　her　thoughts　of　life；　the　decision

of　her　mind　to　suffer　in　a　sphere　of　higher　things　rather　than

flounder　in　the　marshes　of　provincial　life　like　her　mother；　the　pledge

she　had　made　to　herself　never　to　fail　in　conduct；　but　to　respect　her

father's　hearth　and　bring　it　happiness；all　this　world　of　feeling　and

sentiment　had　lately　come　to　a　climax　and　taken　shape。　Modeste　wished

to　be　the　friend　and　companion　of　a　poet；　an　artist；　a　man　in　some　way

superior　to　the　crowd　of　men。　But　she　intended　to　choose　him；not　to

give　him　her　heart；　her　life；　her　infinite　tenderness　freed　from　the

trammels　of　passion；　until　she　had　carefully　and　deeply　studied　him。



She　began　this　pretty　romance　by　simply　enjoying　it。　Profound

tranquillity　settled　down　upon　her　soul。　Her　cheeks　took　on　a　soft

color；　and　she　became　the　beautiful　and　noble　image　of　Germany；　such

as　we　have　lately　seen　her；　the　glory　of　the　Chalet；　the　pride　of

Madame　Latournelle　and　the　Dumays。　Modeste　was　living　a　double

existence。　She　performed　with　humble；　loving　care　all　the　minute

duties　of　the　homely　life　at　the　Chalet；　using　them　as　a　rein　to　guide

the　poetry　of　her　ideal　life；　like　the　Carthusian　monks　who　labor

methodically　on　material　things　to　leave　their　souls　the　freer　to

develop　in　prayer。　All　great　minds　have　bound　themselves　to　some　form

of　mechanical　toil　to　obtain　greater　mastery　of　thought。　Spinosa

ground　glasses　for　spectacles；　Bayle　counted　the　tiles　on　the　roof；

Montesquieu　gardened。　The　body　being　thus　subdued；　the　soul　could

spread　its　wings　in　all　security。



Madame　Mignon；　reading　her　daughter's　soul；　was　therefore　right。

Modeste　loved；　she　loved　with　that　rare　platonic　love；　so　little

understood；　the　first　illusion　of　a　young　girl；　the　most　delicate　of

all　sentiments；　a　very　dainty　of　the　heart。　She　drank　deep　draughts

from　the　chalice　of　the　unknown；　the　vague；　the　visionary。　She　admired

the　blue　plumage　of　the　bird　that　sings　afar　in　the　paradise　of　young

girls；　which　no　hand　can　touch；　no　gun　can　cover；　as　it　flits　across

the　sight；　she　loved　those　magic　colors；　like　sparkling　jewels

dazzling　to　the　eye；　which　youth　can　see；　and　never　sees　again　when

Reality；　the　hideous　hag；　appears　with　witnesses　accompanied　by　the

mayor。　To　live　the　very　poetry　of　love　and　not　to　see　the　loverah；

what　sweet　intoxication！　what　visionary　rapture！　a　chimera　with

flowing　man　and　outspread　wings！



The　following　is　the　puerile　and　even　silly　event　which　decided　the

future　life　of　this　young　girl。



Modeste　happened　to　see　in　a　bookseller's　window　a　lithographic

portrait　of　one　of　her　favorites；　Canalis。　We　all　know　what　lies　such

pictures　tell；being　as　they　are　the　result　of　a　shameless

speculation；　which　seizes　upon　the　personality　of　celebrated

individuals　as　if　their　faces　were　public　property。



In　this　instance　Canalis；　sketched　in　a　Byronic　pose；　was　offering　to

public　admiration　his　dark　locks　floating　in　the　breeze；　a　bare

throat；　and　the　unfathomable　brow　which　every　bard　ought　to　possess。

Victor　Hugo's　forehead　will　make　more　persons　shave　their　heads　than

the　number　of　incipient　marshals　ever　killed　by　the　glory　of　Napoleon。

This　portrait　of　Canalis　（poetic　through　mercantile　necessity）　caught

Modeste's　eye。　The　day　on　which　it　caught　her　eye　one　of　Arthez's　best

books　happened　to　be　published。　We　are　compelled　to　admit；　though　it

may　be　to　Modeste's　injury；　that　she　hesitated　long　between　the

illustrious　poet　and　the　illustrious　prose…writer。　Which　of　these

celebrated　men　was　free？that　was　the　question。



Modeste　began　by　securing　the　co…operation　of　Francoise　Cochet；　a　maid

taken　from　Havre　and　brought　back　again　by　poor　Bettina；　whom　Madame

Mignon　and　Madame　Dumay　now　employed　by　the　day；　and　who　lived　in

Havre。　Modeste　took　her　to　her　own　room　and　assured　her　that　she　would

never　cause　her　parents　any　grief；　never　pass　the　bounds　of　a　young

girl's　propriety；　and　that　as　to　Francoise　herself　she　would　be　well

provided　for　after　the　return　of　Monsieur　Mignon；　on　condition　that

she　would　do　a　certain　service　and　keep　it　an　inviolable　secret。　What

was　it？　Why；　a　nothingperfectly　innocent。　All　that　Modeste　wanted　of

her　accomplice　was　to　put　certain　letters　into　the　post　at　Havre　and

to　bring　some　back　which　would　be　directed　to　herself；　Francoise

Cochet。　The　treaty　concluded；　Modeste　wrote　a　polite　note　to　Dauriat；

publisher　of　the　poems　of　Canalis；　asking；　in　the　interest　of　that

great　poet；　for　some　particulars　about　him；　among　others　if　he　were

married。　She　requested　the　publisher　to　address　his　answer　to

Mademoiselle　Francoise；　〃poste　restante；〃　Havre。



Dauriat；　incapable　of　taking　the　epistle　seriously；　wrote　a　reply　in

presence　of　four　or　five　journalists　who　happened　to　be　in　his　office

at　the　time；　each　of　whom　added　his　particular　stroke　of　wit　to　the

production。



　　Mademoiselle；Canalis　（Baron　of）；　Constant　Cys　Melchior；　member

　　of　the　French　Academy；　born　in　1800；　at　Canalis　（Correze）；　five

　　feet　four　inches　in　height；　of　good　standing；　vaccinated；　spotless

　　birth；　has　given　a　substitute　to　the　conscription；　enjoys　perfect

　　health；　owns　a　small　patrimonial　estate　in　the　Correze；　and　wishes

　　to　marry；　but　the　lady　must　be　rich。



　　He　beareth　per　pale；　gules　an　axe　or；　sable　three　escallops

　　argent；　surmounted　by　a　baron's　coronet；　supporters；　two　larches；

　　vert。　Motto：　〃Or　et　fer〃　（no　allusion　to　Ophir　or　auriferous）。



　　The　original　Canalis；　who　went　to　the　Holy　Land　with　the　First

　　Crusade；　is　cited　in　the　chronicles　of　Auvergne　as　being　armed

　　with　an　axe　on　account　of　the　family　indigence；　which　to　this　day

　　weighs　heavily　on　the　race。　This　noble　baron；　famous　for

　　discomfiting　a　vast　number　of　infidels；　died；　without　〃or〃　or

　　〃fer；〃　as　naked　as　a　worm；　near　Jerusalem；　on　the　plains　of

　　Ascalon；　ambulances　not　being　then　invented。



　　The　chateau　of　Canalis　（the　domain　yields　a　few　chestnuts）

　　consists　of　two　dismantled　towers；　uni