modeste mignon-第40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！



about　finding　a　pair　of　fine　horses　which　would　also　answer　as　saddle…

horses；for；　as　he　said；　monsieur　le　baron　and　his　secretary　took

horseback　exercise。　Under　the　eyes　of　little　Latournelle；　who　went

with　him　to　various　houses；　Germain　made　a　good　deal　of　talk　about　the

secretary；　rejecting　two　or　three　because　there　was　no　suitable　room

for　Monsieur　de　La　Briere。



〃Monsieur　le　baron；〃　he　said　to　the　notary；　〃makes　his　secretary　quite

his　best　friend。　Ah！　I　should　be　well　scolded　if　Monsieur　de　La　Briere

was　not　as　well　treated　as　monsieur　le　baron　himself；　and　after　all；

you　know；　Monsieur　de　La　Briere　is　a　lawyer　in　my　master's　court。〃



Germain　never　appeared　in　public　unless　punctiliously　dressed　in

black；　with　spotless　gloves；　well…polished　boots；　and　otherwise　as

well　apparelled　as　a　lawyer。　Imagine　the　effect　he　produced　in　Havre；

and　the　idea　people　took　of　the　great　poet　from　this　sample　of　him！

The　valet　of　a　man　of　wit　and　intellect　ends　by　getting　a　little　wit

and　intellect　himself　which　has　rubbed　off　from　his　master。　Germain

did　not　overplay　his　part；　he　was　simple　and　good…humored；　as　Canalis

had　instructed　him　to　be。　Poor　La　Briere　was　in　blissful　ignorance　of

the　harm　Germain　was　doing　to　his　prospects；　and　the　depreciation　his

consent　to　the　arrangement　had　brought　upon　him；　it　is；　however；　true

that　some　inkling　of　the　state　of　things　rose　to　Modeste's　ears　from

these　lower　regions。



Canalis　had　arranged　to　bring　his　secretary　in　his　own　carriage；　and

Ernest's　unsuspicious　nature　did　not　perceive　that　he　was　putting

himself　in　a　false　position　until　too　late　to　remedy　it。　The　delay　in

the　arrival　of　the　pair　which　had　troubled　Charles　Mignon　was　caused

by　the　painting　of　the　Canalis　arms　on　the　panels　of　the　carriage；　and

by　certain　orders　given　to　a　tailor；　for　the　poet　neglected　none　of

the　innumerable　details　which　might；　even　the　smallest　of　them；

influence　a　young　girl。



〃It　is　all　right；〃　said　Latournelle　to　Mignon　on　the　sixth　day。　〃The

baron's　valet　has　hired　Madame　Amaury's　villa　at　Sanvic；　all

furnished；　for　seven　hundred　francs；　he　has　written　to　his　master　that

he　may　start；　and　that　all　will　be　ready　on　his　arrival。　So　the　two

gentlemen　will　be　here　Sunday。　I　have　also　had　a　letter　from　Butscha；

here　it　is；　it's　not　long：　'My　dear　master；I　cannot　get　back　till

Sunday。　Between　now　and　then　I　have　some　very　important　inquiries　to

make　which　concern　the　happiness　of　a　person　in　whom　you　take　an

interest。'〃



The　announcement　of　this　arrival　did　not　rouse　Modeste　from　her　gloom；

the　sense　of　her　fall　and　the　bewilderment　of　her　mind　were　still　too

great；　and　she　was　not　nearly　as　much　of　a　coquette　as　her　father

thought　her　to　be。　There　is；　in　truth；　a　charming　and　permissible

coquetry；　that　of　the　soul；　which　may　claim　to　be　love's　politeness。

Charles　Mignon；　when　scolding　his　daughter；　failed　to　distinguish

between　the　mere　desire　of　pleasing　and　the　love　of　the　mind；the

thirst　for　love；　and　the　thirst　for　admiration。　Like　every　true

colonel　of　the　Empire　he　saw　in　this　correspondence；　rapidly　read；

only　the　young　girl　who　had　thrown　herself　at　the　head　of　a　poet；　but

in　the　letters　which　we　were　forced　to　lack　of　space　to　suppress；　a

better　judge　would　have　admired　the　dignified　and　gracious　reserve

which　Modeste　had　substituted　for　the　rather　aggressive　and　light…

minded　tone　of　her　first　letters。　The　father；　however；　was　only　too

cruelly　right　on　one　point。　Modeste's　last　letter；　which　we　have　read；

had　indeed　spoken　as　though　the　marriage　were　a　settled　fact；　and　the

remembrance　of　that　letter　filled　her　with　shame；　she　thought　her

father　very　harsh　and　cruel　to　force　her　to　receive　a　man　unworthy　of

her；　yet　to　whom　her　soul　had　flown；　as　it　were；　bare。　She　questioned

Dumay　about　his　interview　with　the　poet；　she　inveigled　him　into

relating　its　every　detail；　and　she　did　not　think　Canalis　as　barbarous

as　the　lieutenant　had　declared　him。　The　thought　of　the　beautiful

casket　which　held　the　letters　of　the　thousand　and　one　women　of　this

literary　Don　Juan　made　her　smile；　and　she　was　strongly　tempted　to　say

to　her　father：　〃I　am　not　the　only　one　to　write　to　him；　the　elite　of　my

sex　send　their　leaves　for　the　laurel　wreath　of　the　poet。〃



During　this　week　Modeste's　character　underwent　a　transformation。　The

catastropheand　it　was　a　great　one　to　her　poetic　natureroused　a

faculty　of　discernment　and　also　the　malice　latent　in　her　girlish

heart；　in　which　her　suitors　were　about　to　encounter　a　formidable

adversary。　It　is　a　fact　that　when　a　young　woman's　heart　is　chilled　her

head　becomes　clear；　she　observes　with　great　rapidity　of　judgment；　and

with　a　tinge　of　pleasantry　which　Shakespeare's　Beatrice　so　admirably

represents　in　〃Much　Ado　about　Nothing。〃　Modeste　was　seized　with　a　deep

disgust　for　men；　now　that　the　most　distinguished　among　them　had

betrayed　her　hopes。　When　a　woman　loves；　what　she　takes　for　disgust　is

simply　the　ability　to　see　clearly；　but　in　matters　of　sentiment　she　is

never；　especially　if　she　is　a　young　girl；　in　a　condition　to　see

clearly。　If　she　cannot　admire；　she　despises。　And　so；　after　passing

through　terrible　struggles　of　the　soul；　Modeste　necessarily　put　on　the

armor　on　which；　as　she　had　once　declared；　the　word　〃Disdain〃　was

engraved。　After　reaching　that　point　she　was　able；　in　the　character　of

uninterested　spectator；　to　take　part　in　what　she　was　pleased　to　call

the　〃farce　of　the　suitors；〃　a　performance　in　which　she　herself　was

about　to　play　the　role　of　heroine。　She　particularly　set　before　her

mind　the　satisfaction　of　humiliating　Monsieur　de　La　Briere。



〃Modeste　is　saved；〃　said　Madame　Mignon　to　her　husband；　〃she　wants　to

revenge　herself　on　the　false　Canalis　by　trying　to　love　the　real　one。〃



Such　in　truth　was　Modeste's　plan。　It　was　so　utterly　commonplace　that

her　mother；　to　whom　she　confided　her　griefs；　advised　her　on　the

contrary　to　treat　Monsieur　de　La　Briere　with　extreme　politeness。







CHAPTER　XVII



A　THIRD　SUITOR



〃Those　two　young　men；〃　said　Madame　Latournelle；　on　the　Saturday

evening；　〃have　no　idea　how　many　spies　they　have　on　their　tracks。　We

are　eight　in　all；　on　the　watch。〃



〃Don't　say　two　young　men；　wife；　say　three！〃　cried　little　Latournelle；

looking　round　him。　〃Gobenheim　is　not　here；　so　I　can　speak　out。〃



Modeste　raised　her　head；　and　everybody；　imitating　Modeste；　raised

theirs　and　looked　at　the　notary。



〃Yes；　a　third　loverand　he　is　something　like　a　loveroffers　himself

as　a　candidate。〃



〃Bah！〃　exclaimed　the　colonel。



〃I　speak　of　no　less　a　person；〃　said　Latournelle；　pompously；　〃than

Monsieur　le　Duc　d'Herouville；　Marquis　de　Saint…Sever；　Duc　de　Nivron；

Comte　de　Bayeux；　Vicomte　d'Essigny；　grand　equerry　and　peer　of　France；

knight　of　the　Spur　and　the　Golden　Fleece；　grandee　of　Spain；　and　son　of

the　last　governor　of　Normandy。　He　saw　Mademoiselle　Modeste　at　the　time

when　he　was　staying　with　the　Vilquins；　and　he　regretted　thenas　his

notary；　who　came　from　Bayeux　yesterday；　tells　methat　she　was　not

rich　enough　for　him；　for　his　father　recovered　nothing　but　the　estate

of　Herouville　on　his　return　to　France；　and　that　is　saddled　with　a

sister。　The　young　duke　is　thirty…three　years　old。　I　am　definitively

charged　to　lay　these　proposals　before　you；　Monsieur　le　comte；〃　added

the　notary；　turning　respectfully　to　the　colonel。



〃Ask　Modeste　if　she　wants　another　bird　in　her　cage；〃　replied　the

count；　〃as　far　as　I　am　concerned；　I　am　willing　that　my　lord　the　grand

equerry　shall　pay　her　attention。〃



Notwithstanding　the　care　with　which　Charles　Mignon　avoided　seeing

people；　and　though　he　stayed　in　the　Chalet　and　never　went　out　without

Modeste；　Gobenheim　had　reported　Dumay's　wealth；　for　Dumay　had　said　to

him　when　giving　up　his　position　as　cashier：　〃I　am　to　be　bailiff　for　my

colonel；　and　all　my　fortune；　except　what　my　wife　needs；　is　to　go　to

the　children　of　our　little　Modeste。〃　Every　one　in　Havre　had　therefore