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modeste mignon-第3章

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balustrade; surmounts the lower floor and projects at the centre of

the facade into a veranda with glass sides。 The ground…floor has a

charming salon and a dining…room; separated from each other by the

landing of a staircase built of wood; designed and decorated with

elegant simplicity。 The kitchen is behind the dining…room; and the

corresponding room back of the salon; formerly a study; is now the

bedroom of Monsieur and Madame Dumay。 On the upper floor the architect

has managed to get two large bedrooms; each with a dressing…room; to

which the veranda serves as a salon; and above this floor; under the

eaves; which are tipped together like a couple of cards; are two

servants' rooms with mansard roofs; each lighted by a circular window

and tolerably spacious。



Vilquin has been petty enough to build a high wall on the side toward

the orchard and kitchen garden; and in consequence of this piece of

spite; the few square feet which the lease secured to the Chalet

resembled a Parisian garden。 The out…buildings; painted in keeping

with the cottage; stood with their backs to the wall of the adjoining

property。



The interior of this charming dwelling harmonized with its exterior。

The salon; floored entirely with iron…wood; was painted in a style

that suggested the beauties of Chinese lacquer。 On black panels edged

with gold; birds of every color; foliage of impossible greens; and

fantastic oriental designs glowed and shimmered。 The dining…room was

entirely sheathed in Northern woods carved and cut in open…work like

the beautiful Russian chalets。 The little antechamber formed by the

landing and the well of the staircase was painted in old oak to

represent Gothic ornament。 The bedrooms; hung with chintz; were

charming in their costly simplicity。 The study; where the cashier and

his wife now slept; was panelled from top to bottom; on the walls and

ceiling; like the cabin of a steamboat。 These luxuries of his

predecessor excited Vilquin's wrath。 He would fain have lodged his

daughter and her husband in the cottage。 This desire; well known to

Dumay; will presently serve to illustrate the Breton obstinacy of the

latter。



The entrance to the Chalet is by a little trellised iron door; the

uprights of which; ending in lance…heads; show for a few inches above

the fence and its hedge。 The little garden; about as wide as the more

pretentious lawn; was just now filled with flowers; roses; and dahlias

of the choicest kind; and many rare products of the hot…houses; for

(another Vilquinard grievance) the elegant little hot…house; a very

whim of a hot…house; a hot…house representing dignity and style;

belonged to the Chalet; and separated; or if you prefer; united it to

the villa Vilquin。 Dumay consoled himself for the toils of business in

taking care of this hot…house; whose exotic treasures were one of

Modeste's joys。 The billiard…room of the villa Vilquin; a species of

gallery; formerly communicated through an immense aviary with this

hot…house。 But after the building of the wall which deprived him of a

view into the orchards; Dumay bricked up the door of communication。

〃Wall for wall!〃 he said。



In 1827 Vilquin offered Dumay a salary of six thousand francs; and ten

thousand more as indemnity; if he would give up the lease。 The cashier

refused; though he had but three thousand francs from Gobenheim; a

former clerk of his master。 Dumay was a Breton transplanted by fate

into Normandy。 Imagine therefore the hatred conceived for the tenants

of the Chalet by the Norman Vilquin; a man worth three millions! What

criminal leze…million on the part of a cashier; to hold up to the eyes

of such a man the impotence of his wealth! Vilquin; whose desperation

in the matter made him the talk of Havre; had just proposed to give

Dumay a pretty house of his own; and had again been refused。 Havre

itself began to grow uneasy at the man's obstinacy; and a good many

persons explained it by the phrase; 〃Dumay is a Breton。〃 As for the

cashier; he thought Madame and Mademoiselle Mignon would be ill…lodged

elsewhere。 His two idols now inhabited a temple worthy of them; the

sumptuous little cottage gave them a home; where these dethroned

royalties could keep the semblance of majesty about them;a species

of dignity usually denied to those who have seen better days。



Perhaps as the story goes on; the reader will not regret having

learned in advance a few particulars as to the home and the habitual

companions of Modeste Mignon; for; at her age; people and things have

as much influence upon the future life as a person's own character;

indeed; character often receives ineffaceable impressions from its

surroundings。







CHAPTER II



A PORTRAIT FROM LIFE



From the manner with which the Latournelles entered the Chalet a

stranger would readily have guessed that they came there every

evening。



〃Ah; you are here already;〃 said the notary; perceiving the young

banker Gobenheim; a connection of Gobenheim…Keller; the head of the

great banking house in Paris。



This young man with a livid facea blonde of the type with black

eyes; whose immovable glance has an indescribable fascination; sober

in speech as in conduct; dressed in black; lean as a consumptive; but

nevertheless vigorously framedvisited the family of his former

master and the house of his cashier less from affection than from

self…interest。 Here they played whist at two sous a point; a dress…

coat was not required; he accepted no refreshment except 〃eau sucree;〃

and consequently had no civilities to return。 This apparent devotion

to the Mignon family allowed it to be supposed that Gobenheim had a

heart; it also released him from the necessity of going into the

society of Havre and incurring useless expenses; thus upsetting the

orderly economy of his domestic life。 This disciple of the golden calf

went to bed at half…past ten o'clock and got up at five in the

morning。 Moreover; being perfectly sure of Latournelle's and Butscha's

discretion; he could talk over difficult business matters; obtain the

advice of the notary gratis; and get an inkling of the real truth of

the gossip of the street。 This stolid gold…glutton (the epithet is

Butscha's) belonged by nature to the class of substances which

chemistry terms absorbents。 Ever since the catastrophe of the house of

Mignon; where the Kellers had placed him to learn the principles of

maritime commerce; no one at the Chalet had ever asked him to do the

smallest thing; no matter what; his reply was too well known。 The

young fellow looked at Modeste precisely as he would have looked at a

cheap lithograph。



〃He's one of the pistons of the big engine called 'Commerce;'〃 said

poor Butscha; whose clever mind made itself felt occasionally by such

little sayings timidly jerked out。



The four Latournelles bowed with the most respectful deference to an

old lady dressed in black velvet; who did not rise from the armchair

in which she was seated; for the reason that both eyes were covered

with the yellow film produced by cataract。 Madame Mignon may be

sketched in one sentence。 Her august countenance of the mother of a

family attracted instant notice as that of one whose irreproachable

life defies the assaults of destiny; which nevertheless makes her the

target of its arrows and a member of the unnumbered tribe of Niobes。

Her blonde wig; carefully curled and well arranged upon her head;

became the cold white face which resembled that of some burgomaster's

wife painted by Hals or Mirevelt。 The extreme neatness of her dress;

the velvet boots; the lace collar; the shawl evenly folded and put on;

all bore testimony to the solicitous care which Modeste bestowed upon

her mother。



When silence was; as the notary had predicted; restored in the pretty

salon; Modeste; sitting beside her mother; for whom she was

embroidering a kerchief; became for an instant the centre of

observation。 This curiosity; barely vei

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