modeste mignon-第37章

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〃A　girl　worth　six　millions；〃　he　thought　to　himself；　〃and　my　eyes　were

not　able　to　see　that　gold　shining　in　the　darkness！　With　such　a　fortune

I　could　be　peer　of　France；　count；　marquis；　ambassador。　I've　replied　to

middle…class　women　and　silly　women；　and　crafty　creatures　who　wanted

autographs；　I've　tired　myself　to　death　with　masked…ball　intrigues；at

the　very　moment　when　God　was　sending　me　a　soul　of　price；　an　angel　with

golden　wings！　Bah！　I'll　make　a　poem　on　it；　and　perhaps　the　chance　will

come　again。　Heavens！　the　luck　of　that　little　La　Briere；strutting

about　in　my　lustreplagiarism！　I'm　the　cast　and　he's　to　be　the

statue；　is　he？　It　is　the　old　fable　of　Bertrand　and　Raton。　Six

millions；　a　beauty；　a　Mignon　de　La　Bastie；　an　aristocratic　divinity

loving　poetry　and　the　poet！　And　I；　who　showed　my　muscle　as　man　of　the

world；　who　did　those　Alcide　exercises　to　silence　by　moral　force　the

champion　of　physical　force；　that　old　soldier　with　a　heart；　that　friend

of　this　very　young　girl；　whom　he'll　now　go　and　tell　that　I　have　a

heart　of　iron！I；　to　play　Napoleon　when　I　ought　to　have　been

seraphic！　Good　heavens！　True；　I　shall　have　my　friend。　Friendship　is　a

beautiful　thing。　I　have　kept　him；　but　at　what　a　price！　Six　millions；

that's　the　cost　of　it；　we　can't　have　many　friends　if　we　pay　all　that

for　them。〃



La　Briere　entered　the　room　as　Canalis　reached　this　point　in　his

meditations。　He　was　gloom　personified。



〃Well；　what's　the　matter？〃　said　Canalis。



〃The　father　exacts　that　his　daughter　shall　choose　between　the　two

Canalis〃



〃Poor　boy！〃　cried　the　poet；　laughing；　〃he's　a　clever　fellow；　that

father。〃



〃I　have　pledged　my　honor　that　I　will　take　you　to　Havre；〃　said　La

Briere；　piteously。



〃My　dear　fellow；〃　said　Canalis；　〃if　it　is　a　question　of　your　honor　you

may　count　on　me。　I'll　ask　for　leave　of　absence　for　a　month。〃



〃Modeste　is　so　beautiful！〃　exclaimed　La　Briere；　in　a　despairing　tone。

〃You　will　crush　me　out　of　sight。　I　wondered　all　along　that　fate　should

be　so　kind　to　me；　I　knew　it　was　all　a　mistake。〃



〃Bah！　we　will　see　about　that；〃　said　Canalis　with　inhuman　gaiety。



That　evening；　after　dinner；　Charles　Mignon　and　Dumay；　were　flying；　by

virtue　of　three　francs　to　each　postilion；　from　Paris　to　Havre。　The

father　had　eased　the　watch…dog's　mind　as　to　Modeste　and　her　love

affairs；　the　guard　was　relieved；　and　Butscha's　innocence　established。



〃It　is　all　for　the　best；　my　old　Dumay；〃　said　the　count；　who　had　been

making　certain　inquiries　of　Mongenod　respecting　Canalis　and　La　Briere。

〃We　are　going　to　have　two　actors　for　one　part！〃　he　cried　gaily。



Nevertheless；　he　requested　his　old　comrade　to　be　absolutely　silent

about　the　comedy　which　was　now　to　be　played　at　the　Chalet；a　comedy

it　might　be；　but　also　a　gentle　punishment；　or；　if　you　prefer　it；　a

lesson　given　by　the　father　to　the　daughter。



The　two　friends　kept　up　a　long　conversation　all　the　way　from　Paris　to

Havre；　which　put　the　colonel　in　possession　of　the　facts　relating　to

his　family　during　the　past　four　years；　and　informing　Dumay　that

Desplein；　the　great　surgeon；　was　coming　to　Havre　at　the　end　of　the

present　month　to　examine　the　cataract　on　Madame　Mignon's　eyes；　and

decide　if　it　were　possible　to　restore　her　sight。



A　few　moments　before　the　breakfast…hour　at　the　Chalet；　the　clacking　of

a　postilion's　whip　apprised　the　family　that　the　two　soldiers　were

arriving；　only　a　father's　joy　at　returning　after　long　absence　could　be

heralded　with　such　clatter；　and　it　brought　all　the　women　to　the　garden

gate。　There　is　many　a　father　and　many　a　childperhaps　more　fathers

than　childrenwho　will　understand　the　delights　of　such　an　arrival；

and　that　happy　fact　shows　that　literature　has　no　need　to　depict　it。

Perhaps　all　gentle　and　tender　emotions　are　beyond　the　range　of

literature。



Not　a　word　that　could　trouble　the　peace　of　the　family　was　uttered　on

this　joyful　day。　Truce　was　tacitly　established　between　father；　mother；

and　child　as　to　the　so…called　mysterious　love　which　had　paled

Modeste's　cheeks；for　this　was　the　first　day　she　had　left　her　bed

since　Dumay's　departure　for　Paris。　The　colonel；　with　the　charming

delicacy　of　a　true　soldier；　never　left　his　wife's　side　nor　released

her　hand；　but　he　watched　Modeste　with　delight；　and　was　never　weary　of

noting　her　refined；　elegant；　and　poetic　beauty。　Is　it　not　by　such

seeming　trifles　that　we　recognize　a　man　of　feeling？　Modeste；　who

feared　to　interrupt　the　subdued　joy　of　the　husband　and　wife　kept　at　a

little　distance；　coming　from　time　to　time　to　kiss　her　father's

forehead；　and　when　she　kissed　it　overmuch　she　seemed　to　mean　that　she

was　kissing　it　for　two；for　Bettina　and　herself。



〃Oh；　my　darling；　I　understand　you；〃　said　the　colonel；　pressing　her

hand　as　she　assailed　him　with　kisses。



〃Hush！〃　whispered　the　young　girl；　glancing　at　her　mother。



Dumay's　rather　sly　and　pregnant　silence　made　Modeste　somewhat　uneasy

as　to　the　upshot　of　his　journey　to　Paris。　She　looked　at　him　furtively

every　now　and　then；　without　being　able　to　get　beneath　his　epidermis。

The　colonel；　like　a　prudent　father；　wanted　to　study　the　character　of

his　only　daughter；　and　above　all　consult　his　wife；　before　entering　on

a　conference　upon　which　the　happiness　of　the　whole　family　depended。



〃To…morrow；　my　precious　child；〃　he　said　as　they　parted　for　the　night；

〃get　up　early；　and　we　will　go　and　take　a　walk　on　the　seashore。　We　have

to　talk　about　your　poems；　Mademoiselle　de　La　Bastie。〃



His　last　words；　accompanied　by　a　smile；　which　reappeared　like　an　echo

on　Dumay's　lips；　were　all　that　gave　Modeste　any　clew　to　what　was

coming；　but　it　was　enough　to　calm　her　uneasiness　and　keep　her　awake

far　into　the　night　with　her　head　full　of　suppositions；　this；　however；

did　not　prevent　her　from　being　dressed　and　ready　in　the　morning　long

before　the　colonel。



〃You　know　all；　my　kind　papa？〃　she　said　as　soon　as　they　were　on　the

road　to　the　beach。



〃I　know　all；　and　a　good　deal　more　than　you　do；〃　he　replied。



After　that　remark　father　and　daughter　went　some　little　way　in　silence。



〃Explain　to　me；　my　child；　how　it　happens　that　a　girl　whom　her　mother

idolizes　could　have　taken　such　an　important　step　as　to　write　to　a

stranger　without　consulting　her。〃



〃Oh；　papa！　because　mamma　would　never　have　allowed　it。〃



〃And　do　you　think；　my　daughter；　that　that　was　proper？　Though　you　have

been　educating　your　mind　in　this　fatal　way；　how　is　it　that　your　good

sense　and　your　intellect　did　not；　in　default　of　modesty；　step　in　and

show　you　that　by　acting　as　you　did　you　were　throwing　yourself　at　a

man's　head。　To　think　that　my　daughter；　my　only　remaining　child；　should

lack　pride　and　delicacy！　Oh；　Modeste；　you　made　your　father　pass　two

hours　in　hell　when　he　heard　of　it；　for；　after　all；　your　conduct　has

been　the　same　as　Bettina's　without　the　excuse　of　a　heart's　seduction；

you　were　a　coquette　in　cold　blood；　and　that　sort　of　coquetry　is　head…

love；　the　worst　vice　of　French　women。〃



〃I；　without　pride！〃　said　Modeste；　weeping；　〃but　HE　has　not　yet　seen

me。〃



〃HE　knows　your　name。〃



〃I　did　not　tell　it　to　him　till　my　eyes　had　vindicated　the

correspondence；　lasting　three　months；　during　which　our　souls　had

spoken　to　each　other。〃



〃Oh；　my　dear　misguided　angel；　you　have　mixed　up　a　species　of　reason

with　a　folly　that　has　compromised　your　own　happiness　and　that　of　your

family。〃



〃But；　after　all；　papa；　happiness　is　the　absolution　of　my　temerity；〃

she　said；　pouting。



〃Oh！　your　conduct　is　temerity；　is　it？〃



〃A　temerity　that　my　mother　practised　before　me；〃　she　retorted　quickly。



〃Rebellious　child！　your　mother　after　seeing　me　at　a　ball　told　her

father；　who　adored　her；　that　she　thought　she　could　be　happy　with　me。

Be　honest；　Modeste；　is　there　any　likeness　between　a　love　hastily

conceived；　I　admit；　but　under　the　eyes　of　a　father；　and　your　mad

action　of　writing　to　a　stranger？〃



〃A　stranger；　papa？　say　rather　one　of　our　greatest　poets；　whose