modeste mignon-第20章

按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！



　　voice　spoke　to　me。　I　swore　solemnly　to　make　my　fortune　myself；　and

　　not　be　led　by　motives　of　cupidity　in　choosing　the　companion　of　my

　　life。　I　have　also　reproached　myself　for　the　blamable　curiosity　you

　　have　excited　in　me。　You　have　not　six　millions。　There　is　no

　　concealment　possible　in　Havre　for　a　young　lady　who　possesses　such

　　a　fortune；　you　would　be　discovered　at　once　by　the　pack　of　hounds

　　of　great　families　whom　I　see　in　Paris　on　the　hunt　after　heiresses；

　　and　who　have　already　sent　one；　the　grand　equerry；　the　young　duke；

　　among　the　Vilquins。　Therefore；　believe　me；　the　sentiments　I　have

　　now　expressed　are　fixed　in　my　mind　as　a　rule　of　life；　from　which　I

　　have　abstracted　all　influences　of　romance　or　of　actual　fact。　Prove

　　to　me；　therefore；　that　you　have　one　of　those　souls　which　may　be

　　forgiven　for　its　disobedience　to　the　common　law；　by　perceiving　and

　　comprehending　the　spirit　of　this　letter　as　you　did　that　of　my

　　first　letter。　If　you　are　destined　to　a　middle…class　life；　obey　the

　　iron　law　which　holds　society　together。　Lifted　in　mind　above　other

　　women；　I　admire　you；　but　if　you　seek　to　obey　an　impulse　which　you

　　ought　to　repress；　I　pity　you。　The　all…wise　moral　of　that　great

　　domestic　epic　〃Clarissa　Harlowe〃　is　that　legitimate　and　honorable

　　love　led　the　poor　victim　to　her　ruin　because　it　was　conceived；

　　developed；　and　pursued　beyond　the　boundaries　of　family　restraint。

　　The　family；　however　cruel　and　even　foolish　it　may　be；　is　in　the

　　right　against　the　Lovelaces。　The　family　is　Society。　Believe　me；

　　the　glory　of　a　young　girl；　of　a　woman；　must　always　be　that　of

　　repressing　her　most　ardent　impulses　within　the　narrow　sphere　of

　　conventions。　If　I　had　a　daughter　able　to　become　a　Madame　de　Stael

　　I　should　wish　her　dead　at　fifteen。　Can　you　imagine　a　daughter　of

　　yours　flaunting　on　the　stage　of　fame；　exhibiting　herself　to　win

　　the　plaudits　of　a　crowd；　and　not　suffer　anguish　at　the　thought？　No

　　matter　to　what　heights　a　woman　can　rise　by　the　inward　poetry　of

　　her　soul；　she　must　sacrifice　the　outer　signs　of　superiority　on　the

　　altar　of　her　home。　Her　impulse；　her　genius；　her　aspirations　toward

　　Good；　the　whole　poem　of　a　young　girl's　being；　should　belong　to　the

　　man　she　accepts　and　the　children　whom　she　brings　into　the　world。　I

　　think　I　perceive　in　you　a　secret　desire　to　widen　the　narrow　circle

　　of　the　life　to　which　all　women　are　condemned；　and　to　put　love　and

　　passion　into　marriage。　Ah！　it　is　a　lovely　dream！　it　is　not

　　impossible；　it　is　difficult；　but　if　realized；　may　it　not　be　to　the

　　despair　of　soulsforgive　me　the　hackneyed　word〃incompris〃？



　　If　you　seek　a　platonic　friendship　it　will　be　to　your　sorrow　in

　　after　years。　If　your　letter　was　a　jest；　discontinue　it。　Perhaps

　　this　little　romance　is　to　end　hereis　it？　It　has　not　been　without

　　fruit。　My　sense　of　duty　is　aroused；　and　you；　on　your　side；　will

　　have　learned　something　of　Society。　Turn　your　thoughts　to　real

　　life；　throw　the　enthusiasms　you　have　culled　from　literature　into

　　the　virtues　of　your　sex。



　　Adieu；　mademoiselle。　Do　me　the　honor　to　grant　me　your　esteem。

　　Having　seen　you；　or　one　whom　I　believe　to　be　you；　I　have　known

　　that　your　letter　was　simply　natural；　a　flower　so　lovely　turns　to

　　the　sunof　poetry。　Yes；　love　poetry　as　you　love　flowers；　music；

　　the　grandeur　of　the　sea；　the　beauties　of　nature；　love　them　as　an

　　adornment　of　the　soul；　but　remember　what　I　have　had　the　honor　of

　　telling　you　as　to　the　nature　of　poets。　Be　cautious　not　to　marry；

　　as　you　say；　a　dunce；　but　seek　the　partner　whom　God　has　made　for

　　you。　There　are　souls；　believe　me；　who　are　fit　to　appreciate　you；

　　and　to　make　you　happy。　If　I　were　rich；　if　you　were　poor；　I　would

　　lay　my　heart　and　my　fortunes　at　your　feet；　for　I　believe　your　soul

　　to　be　full　of　riches　and　of　loyalty；　to　you　I　could　confide　my

　　life　and　my　honor　in　absolute　security。



　　Once　more；　adieu；　adieu；　fairest　daughter　of　Eve　the　fair。



The　reading　of　this　letter；　swallowed　like　a　drop　of　water　in　the

desert；　lifted　the　mountain　which　weighed　heavily　on　Modeste's　heart：

then　she　saw　the　mistake　she　had　made　in　arranging　her　plan；　and

repaired　it　by　giving　Francoise　some　envelopes　directed　to　herself；　in

which　the　maid　could　put　the　letters　which　came　from　Paris　and　drop

them　again　into　the　box。　Modeste　resolved　to　receive　the　postman

herself　on　the　steps　of　the　Chalet　at　the　hour　when　he　made　his

delivery。



As　to　the　feelings　that　this　reply；　in　which　the　noble　heart　of　poor

La　Briere　beat　beneath　the　brilliant　phantom　of　Canalis；　excited　in

Modeste；　they　were　as　multifarious　and　confused　as　the　waves　which

rushed　to　die　along　the　shore　while　with　her　eyes　fixed　on　the　wide

ocean　she　gave　herself　up　to　the　joy　of　having　（if　we　dare　say　so）

harpooned　an　angelic　soul　in　the　Parisian　Gulf；　of　having　divined　that

hearts　of　price　might　still　be　found　in　harmony　with　genius；　and；

above　all；　for　having　followed　the　magic　voice　of　intuition。



A　vast　interest　was　now　about　to　animate　her　life。　The　wires　of　her

cage　were　broken：　the　bolts　and　bars　of　the　pretty　Chaletwhere　were

they？　Her　thoughts　took　wings。



〃Oh；　father！〃　she　cried；　looking　out　to　the　horizon。　〃Come　back　and

make　us　rich　and　happy。〃



The　answer　which　Ernest　de　La　Briere　received　some　five　days　later

will　tell　the　reader　more　than　any　elaborate　disquisition　of　ours。







CHAPTER　IX



THE　POWER　OF　THE　UNSEEN



　　To　Monsieur　de　Canalis：



　　My　friend；Suffer　me　to　give　you　that　name；you　have　delighted

　　me；　I　would　not　have　you　other　than　you　are　in　this　letter；　the

　　firstoh；　may　it　not　be　the　last！　Who　but　a　poet　could　have

　　excused　and　understood　a　young　girl　so　delicately？



　　I　wish　to　speak　with　the　sincerity　that　dictated　the　first　lines

　　of　your　letter。　And　first；　let　me　say　that　most　fortunately　you　do

　　not　know　me。　I　can　joyfully　assure　you　than　I　am　neither　that

　　hideous　Mademoiselle　Vilquin　nor　the　very　noble　and　withered

　　Mademoiselle　d'Herouville　who　floats　between　twenty　and　forty

　　years　of　age；　unable　to　decide　on　a　satisfactory　date。　The

　　Cardinal　d'Herouville　flourished　in　the　history　of　the　Church　at

　　least　a　century　before　the　cardinal　of　whom　we　boast　as　our　only

　　family　glory；for　I　take　no　account　of　lieutenant…generals；　and

　　abbes　who　write　trumpery　little　verses。



　　Moreover；　I　do　not　live　in　the　magnificent　villa　Vilquin；　there　is

　　not　in　my　veins；　thank　God；　the　ten…millionth　of　a　drop　of　that

　　chilly　blood　which　flows　behind　a　counter。　I　come　on　one　side　from

　　Germany；　on　the　other　from　the　south　of　France；　my　mind　has　a

　　Teutonic　love　of　reverie；　my　blood　the　vivacity　of　Provence。　I　am

　　noble　on　my　father's　and　on　my　mother's　side。　On　my　mother's　I

　　derive　from　every　page　of　the　Almanach　de　Gotha。　In　short；　my

　　precautions　are　well　taken。　It　is　not　in　any　man's　power；　nor　even

　　in　the　power　of　the　law；　to　unmask　my　incognito。　I　shall　remain

　　veiled；　unknown。



　　As　to　my　person　and　as　to　my　〃belongings；〃　as　the　Normans　say；

　　make　yourself　easy。　I　am　at　least　as　handsome　as　the　little　girl

　　（ignorantly　happy）　on　whom　your　eyes　chanced　to　light　during　your

　　visit　to　Havre；　and　I　do　not　call　myself　poverty…stricken；

　　although　ten　sons　of　peers　may　not　accompany　me　on　my　walks。　I

　　have　seen　the　humiliating　comedy　of　the　heiress　sought　for　her

　　millions　played　on　my　account。　In　short；　make　no　attempt；　even　on

　　a　wager；　to　reach　me。　Alas！　though　free　as　air；　I　am　watched　and

　　guarded；by　myself；　in　the　first　place；　and　secondly；　by　people

　　of　nerve　and　courage　who　would　not　hesitate　to　put　a　knife　in　your

　　heart　if　you　tried　to　penetrate　my　retreat。　I　do　not　say　this　to

　　excite　your　courage　or　stimulate　your　curiosity；　I　believe　I　have

　　no　need　of　such　incentives　to　interest　you　and　attach　you　to　me。



　　I　will　now　reply　to　the　second　edition；　considerably　enlarged；　of

　　your　first　sermo