modeste mignon-第38章

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action　of　writing　to　a　stranger？〃



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

character　and　whose　life　are　exposed　to　the　strongest　light　of　day；　to

detraction；　to　calumny；a　man　robed　in　fame；　and　to　whom；　my　dear

father；　I　was　a　mere　literary　and　dramatic　personage；　one　of

Shakespeare's　women；　until　the　moment　when　I　wished　to　know　if　the　man

himself　were　as　beautiful　as　his　soul。〃



〃Good　God！　my　poor　child；　you　are　turning　marriage　into　poetry。　But

if；　from　time　immemorial；　girls　have　been　cloistered　in　the　bosom　of

their　families；　if　God；　if　social　laws　put　them　under　the　stern　yoke

of　parental　sanction；　it　is；　mark　my　words；　to　spare　them　the

misfortunes　that　this　very　poetry　which　charms　and　dazzles　you；　and

which　you　are　therefore　unable　to　judge　of；　would　entail　upon　them。

Poetry　is　indeed　one　of　the　pleasures　of　life；　but　it　is　not　life

itself。〃



〃Papa；　that　is　a　suit　still　pending　before　the　Court　of　Facts；　the

struggle　is　forever　going　on　between　our　hearts　and　the　claims　of

family。〃



〃Alas　for　the　child　that　finds　her　happiness　in　resisting　them；〃　said

the　colonel；　gravely。　〃In　1813　I　saw　one　of　my　comrades；　the　Marquis

d'Aiglemont；　marry　his　cousin　against　the　wishes　of　her　father；　and

the　pair　have　since　paid　dear　for　the　obstinacy　which　the　young　girl

took　for　love。　The　family　must　be　sovereign　in　marriage。〃



〃My　poet　has　told　me　all　that；〃　she　answered。　〃He　played　Orgon　for

some　time；　and　he　was　brave　enough　to　disparage　the　personal　lives　of

poets。〃



〃I　have　read　your　letters；〃　said　Charles　Mignon；　with　the　flicker　of　a

malicious　smile　on　his　lips　that　made　Modeste　very　uneasy；　〃and　I

ought　to　remark　that　your　last　epistle　was　scarcely　permissible　in　any

woman；　even　a　Julie　d'Etanges。　Good　God！　what　harm　novels　do！〃



〃We　should　live　them；　my　dear　father；　whether　people　wrote　them　or

not；　I　think　it　is　better　to　read　them。　There　are　not　so　many

adventures　in　these　days　as　there　were　under　Louis　XIV。　and　Louis　XV。；

and　so　they　publish　fewer　novels。　Besides；　if　you　have　read　those

letters；　you　must　know　that　I　have　chosen　the　most　angelic　soul；　the

most　sternly　upright　man　for　your　son…in…law；　and　you　must　have　seen

that　we　love　one　another　at　least　as　much　as　you　and　mamma　love　each

other。　Well；　I　admit　that　it　was　not　all　exactly　conventional；　I　did；

if　you　WILL　have　me　say　so；　wrong〃



〃I　have　read　your　letters；〃　said　her　father；　interrupting　her；　〃and　I

know　exactly　how　far　your　lover　justified　you　in　your　own　eyes　for　a

proceeding　which　might　be　permissible　in　some　woman　who　understood

life；　and　who　was　led　away　by　strong　passion；　but　which　in　a　young

girl　of　twenty　was　a　monstrous　piece　of　wrong…doing。〃



〃Yes；　wrong…doing　for　commonplace　people；　for　the　narrow…minded

Gobenheims；　who　measure　life　with　a　square　rule。　Please　let　us　keep　to

the　artistic　and　poetic　life；　papa。　We　young　girls　have　only　two　ways

to　act；　we　must　let　a　man　know　we　love　him　by　mincing　and　simpering；

or　we　must　go　to　him　frankly。　Isn't　the　last　way　grand　and　noble？　We

French　girls　are　delivered　over　by　our　families　like　so　much

merchandise；　at　sixty　days'　sight；　sometimes　thirty；　like　Mademoiselle

Vilquin；　but　in　England；　and　Switzerland；　and　Germany；　they　follow

very　much　the　plan　I　have　adopted。　Now　what　have　you　got　to　say　to

that？　Am　I　not　half　German？〃



〃Child！〃　cried　the　colonel；　looking　at　her；　〃the　supremacy　of　France

comes　from　her　sound　common…sense；　from　the　logic　to　which　her　noble

language　constrains　her　mind。　France　is　the　reason　of　the　whole　world。

England　and　Germany　are　romantic　in　their　marriage　customs；though

even　there　noble　families　follow　our　customs。　You　certainly　do　not

mean　to　deny　that　your　parents；　who　know　life；　who　are　responsible　for

your　soul　and　for　your　happiness；　have　no　right　to　guard　you　from　the

stumbling…blocks　that　are　in　your　way？　Good　heavens！〃　he　continued；

speaking　half　to　himself；　〃is　it　their　fault；　or　is　it　ours？　Ought　we

to　hold　our　children　under　an　iron　yoke？　Must　we　be　punished　for　the

tenderness　that　leads　us　to　make　them　happy；　and　teaches　our　hearts

how　to　do　so？〃



Modeste　watched　her　father　out　of　the　corner　of　her　eye　as　she

listened　to　this　species　of　invocation；　uttered　in　a　broken　voice。



〃Was　it　wrong；〃　she　said；　〃in　a　girl　whose　heart　was　free；　to　choose

for　her　husband　not　only　a　charming　companion；　but　a　man　of　noble

genius；　born　to　an　honorable　position；　a　gentleman；　the　equal　of

myself；　a　gentlewoman？〃



〃You　love　him？〃　asked　her　father。



〃Father！〃　she　said；　laying　her　head　upon　his　breast；　〃would　you　see　me

die？〃



〃Enough！〃　said　the　old　soldier。　〃I　see　your　love　is　inextinguishable。〃



〃Yes；　inextinguishable。〃



〃Can　nothing　change　it？〃



〃Nothing。〃



〃No　circumstances；　no　treachery；　no　betrayal？　You　mean　that　you　will

love　him　in　spite　of　everything；　because　of　his　personal　attractions？

Even　though　he　proved　a　D'Estourny；　would　you　love　him　still？〃



〃Oh；　my　father！　you　do　not　know　your　daughter。　Could　I　love　a　coward；

a　man　without　honor；　without　faith？〃



〃But　suppose　he　had　deceived　you？〃



〃He？　that　honest；　candid　soul；　half　melancholy？　You　are　joking；

father；　or　else　you　have　never　met　him。〃



〃But　you　see　now　that　your　love　is　not　inextinguishable；　as　you　chose

to　call　it。　I　have　already　made　you　admit　that　circumstances　could

alter　your　poem；　don't　you　now　see　that　fathers　are　good　for

something？〃



〃You　want　to　give　me　a　lecture；　papa；　it　is　positively　l'Ami　des

Enfants　over　again。〃



〃Poor　deceived　girl；〃　said　her　father；　sternly；　〃it　is　no　lecture　of

mine；　I　count　for　nothing　in　it；　indeed；　I　am　only　trying　to　soften

the　blow。〃



〃Father；　don't　play　tricks　with　my　life；〃　exclaimed　Modeste；　turning

pale。



〃Then；　my　daughter；　summon　all　your　courage。　It　is　you　who　have　been

playing　tricks　with　your　life；　and　life　is　now　tricking　you。〃



Modeste　looked　at　her　father　in　stupid　amazement。



〃Suppose　that　young　man　whom　you　love；　whom　you　saw　four　days　ago　at

church　in　Havre；　was　a　deceiver？〃



〃Never！〃　she　cried；　〃that　noble　head；　that　pale　face　full　of　poetry〃



〃was　a　lie；〃　said　the　colonel　interrupting　her。　〃He　was　no　more

Monsieur　de　Canalis　than　I　am　that　sailor　over　there　putting　out　to

sea。〃



〃Do　you　know　what　you　are　killing　in　me？〃　she　said　in　a　low　voice。



〃Comfort　yourself；　my　child；　though　accident　has　put　the　punishment　of

your　fault　into　the　fault　itself；　the　harm　done　is　not　irreparable。

The　young　man　whom　you　have　seen；　and　with　whom　you　exchanged　hearts

by　correspondence；　is　a　loyal　and　honorable　fellow；　he　came　to　me　and

confided　everything。　He　loves　you；　and　I　have　no　objection　to　him　as　a

son…in…law。〃



〃If　he　is　not　Canalis；　who　is　he　then？〃　said　Modeste　in　a　changed

voice。



〃The　secretary；　his　name　is　Ernest　de　La　Briere。　He　is　not　a　nobleman；

but　he　is　one　of　those　plain　men　with　fixed　principles　and　sound

morality　who　satisfy　parents。　However；　that　is　not　the　point；　you　have

seen　him　and　nothing　can　change　your　heart；　you　have　chosen　him；

comprehend　his　soul；　it　is　as　beautiful　as　he　himself。〃



The　count　was　interrupted　by　a　heavy　sigh　from　Modeste。　The　poor　girl

sat　with　her　eyes　fixed　on　the　sea；　pale　and　rigid　as　death；　as　if　a

pistol　shot　had　struck　her　in　those　fatal　words；　A　PLAIN　MAN；　WITH

FIXED　PRINCIPLES　AND　SOUND　MORALITY。



〃Deceived！〃　she　said　at　last。



〃Like　your　poor　sister；　but　less　fatally。〃



〃Let　us　go　home；　father；〃　she　said；　rising　from　the　hillock　on　which

they　were　sitting。　〃Papa；　hear　me；　I　swear　before　God　to　obey　your

wishes；　whatever　they　may　be；　in　the　AFFAIR　of　my　marriage。〃



〃Then　you　don't　love　him　any　longer？〃　asked　her　father。



〃I　loved　an　honest　man；　with　no　falsehood　on　his　face；　upright　as

yourself；　incapable　of　disguising　himself　like　an　actor；　with　the

paint　of　another　man's　glory　on　his　cheeks。〃