modeste mignon-第42章

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house　of　Herouville　had　already　been　threatened　with　extinction　by　the

deed　of　a　deformed　being　（see　the　〃Enfant　Maudit〃　in　〃Philosophical

Studies〃）。　The　grand　marshal；　that　being　the　family　term　for　the

member　who　was　made　duke　by　Louis　XIII。；　married　at　the　age　of　eighty。

The　young　duke　admired　women；　but　he　placed　them　too　high　and

respected　them　too　much；　in　fact；　he　adored　them；　and　was　only　at　his

ease　with　those　whom　he　could　not　respect。　This　characteristic　caused

him　to　lead　a　double　life。　He　found　compensation　with　women　of　easy

virtue　for　the　worship　to　which　he　surrendered　himself　in　the　salons；

or；　if　you　like；　the　boudoirs；　of　the　faubourg　Saint…Germain。　Such

habits　and　his　puny　figure；　his　suffering　face　with　its　blue　eyes

turning　upward　in　ecstasy；　increased　the　ridicule　already　bestowed

upon　him；very　unjustly　bestowed；　as　it　happened；　for　he　was　full　of

wit　and　delicacy；　but　his　wit；　which　never　sparkled；　only　showed

itself　when　he　felt　at　ease。　Fanny　Beaupre；　an　actress　who　was

supposed　to　be　his　nearest　friend　（at　a　price）；　called　him　〃a　sound

wine　so　carefully　corked　that　you　break　all　your　corkscrews。〃　The

beautiful　Duchesse　de　Maufrigneuse；　whom　the　grand　equerry　could　only

worship；　annihilated　him　with　a　speech　which；　unfortunately；　was

repeated　from　mouth　to　mouth；　like　all　such　pretty　and　malicious

sayings。



〃He　always　seems　to　me；〃　she　said；　〃like　one　of　those　jewels　of　fine

workmanship　which　we　exhibit　but　never　wear；　and　keep　in　cotton…wool。〃



Everything　about　him；　even　to　his　absurdly　contrasting　title　of　grand

equerry；　amused　the　good…natured　king；　Charles　X。；　and　made　him　laugh；

although　the　Duc　d'Herouville　justified　his　appointment　in　the

matter　of　being　a　fine　horseman。　Men　are　like　books；　often　understood

and　appreciated　too　late。　Modeste　had　seen　the　duke　during　his

fruitless　visit　to　the　Vilquins；　and　many　of　these　reflections　passed

through　her　mind　as　she　watched　him　come　and　go。　But　under　the

circumstances　in　which　she　now　found　herself；　she　saw　plainly　that　the

courtship　of　the　Duc　d'Herouville　would　save　her　from　being　at　the

mercy　of　either　Canalis。



〃I　see　no　reason；〃　she　said　to　Latournelle；　〃why　the　Duc　d'Herouville

should　not　be　received。　I　have　passed；　in　spite　of　our　indigence；〃　she

continued；　with　a　mischievous　look　at　her　father；　〃to　the　condition　of

heiress。　Haven't　you　observed　Gobenheim's　glances？　They　have　quite

changed　their　character　within　a　week。　He　is　in　despair　at　not　being

able　to　make　his　games　of　whist　count　for　mute　adoration　of　my

charms。〃



〃Hush；　my　darling！〃　cried　Madame　Latournelle；　〃here　he　comes。〃



〃Old　Althor　is　in　despair；〃　said　Gobenheim　to　Monsieur　Mignon　as　he

entered。



〃Why？〃　asked　the　count。



〃Vilquin　is　going　to　fail；　and　the　Bourse　thinks　you　are　worth　several

millions。　What　ill…luck　for　his　son！〃



〃No　one　knows；〃　said　Charles　Mignon；　coldly；　〃what　my　liabilities　in

India　are；　and　I　do　not　intend　to　take　the　public　into　my　confidence

as　to　my　private　affairs。　Dumay；〃　he　whispered　to　his　friend；　〃if

Vilquin　is　embarrassed　we　could　get　back　the　villa　by　paying　him　what

he　gave　for　it。〃



Such　was　the　general　state　of　things；　due　chiefly　to　accident；　when　on

Sunday　morning　Canalis　and　La　Briere　arrived；　with　a　courier　in

advance；　at　the　villa　of　Madame　Amaury。　It　was　known　that　the　Duc

d'Herouville；　his　sister；　and　his　aunt　were　coming　the　following

Tuesday　to　occupy；　also　under　pretext　of　ill…health；　a　hired　house　at

Graville。　This　assemblage　of　suitors　made　the　wits　of　the　Bourse

remark　that；　thanks　to　Mademoiselle　Mignon；　rents　would　rise　at

Ingouville。　〃If　this　goes　on；　she　will　have　a　hospital　here；〃　said　the

younger　Mademoiselle　Vilquin；　vexed　at　not　becoming　a　duchess。



The　everlasting　comedy　of　〃The　Heiress；〃　about　to　be　played　at　the

Chalet；　might　very　well　be　called；　in　view　of　Modeste's　frame　of　mind；

〃The　Designs　of　a　Young　Girl〃；　for　since　the　overthrow　of　her

illusions　she　had　fully　made　up　her　mind　to　give　her　hand　to　no　man

whose　qualifications　did　not　fully　satisfy　her。



The　two　rivals；　still　intimate　friends；　intended　to　pay　their　first

visit　at　the　Chalet　on　the　evening　of　the　day　succeeding　their

arrival。　They　had　spent　Sunday　and　part　of　Monday　in　unpacking　and

arranging　Madame　Amaury's　house　for　a　month's　stay。　The　poet；　always

calculating　effects；　wished　to　make　the　most　of　the　probable

excitement　which　his　arrival　would　case　in　Havre；　and　which　would　of

course　echo　up　to　the　Mignons。　Therefore；　in　his　role　of　a　man　needing

rest；　he　did　not　leave　the　house。　La　Briere　went　twice　to　walk　past

the　Chalet；　though　always　with　a　sense　of　despair；　for　he　feared　to

displease　Modeste；　and　the　future　seemed　to　him　dark　with　clouds。　The

two　friends　came　down　to　dinner　on　Monday　dressed　for　the　momentous

visit。　La　Briere　wore　the　same　clothes　he　had　so　carefully　selected

for　the　famous　Sunday；　but　he　now　felt　like　the　satellite　of　planet；

and　resigned　himself　to　the　uncertainties　of　his　situation。　Canalis；

on　the　other　hand；　had　carefully　attended　to　his　black　coat；　his

orders；　and　all　those　little　drawing…room　elegancies；　which　his

intimacy　with　the　Duchesse　de　Chaulieu　and　the　fashionable　world　of

the　faubourg　had　brought　to　perfection。　He　had　gone　into　the　minutiae

of　dandyism；　while　poor　La　Briere　was　about　to　present　himself　with

the　negligence　of　a　man　without　hope。　Germain；　as　he　waited　at　dinner

could　not　help　smiling　to　himself　at　the　contrast。　After　the　second

course；　however；　the　valet　came　in　with　a　diplomatic；　that　is　to　say；

uneasy　air。



〃Does　Monsieur　le　baron　know；〃　he　said　to　Canalis　in　a　low　voice；

〃that　Monsieur　the　grand　equerry　is　coming　to　Graville　to　get　cured　of

the　same　illness　which　has　brought　Monsieur　de　La　Briere　and　Monsieur

le　baron　to　the　sea…shore？〃



〃What；　the　little　Duc　d'Herouville？〃



〃Yes；　monsieur。〃



〃Is　he　coming　for　Mademoiselle　de　La　Bastie？〃　asked　La　Briere；

coloring。



〃So　it　appears；　monsieur。〃



〃We　are　cheated！〃　cried　Canalis　looking　at　La　Briere。



〃Ah！〃　retorted　Ernest　quickly；　〃that　is　the　first　time　you　have　said；

'we'　since　we　left　Paris：　it　has　been　'I'　all　along。〃



〃You　understood　me；〃　cried　Canalis；　with　a　burst　of　laughter。　〃But　we

are　not　in　a　position　to　struggle　against　a　ducal　coronet；　nor　the

duke's　title；　nor　against　the　waste　lands　which　the　Council　of　State

have　just　granted；　on　my　report；　to　the　house　of　Herouville。〃



〃His　grace；〃　said　La　Briere；　with　a　spice　of　malice　that　was

nevertheless　serious；　〃will　furnish　you　with　compensation　in　the

person　of　his　sister。〃



At　this　instant；　the　Comte　de　La　Bastie　was　announced；　the　two　young

men　rose　at　once；　and　La　Briere　hastened　forward　to　present　Canalis。



〃I　wished　to　return　the　visit　that　you　paid　me　in　Paris；〃　said　the

count　to　the　young　lawyer；　〃and　I　knew　that　by　coming　here　I　should

have　the　double　pleasure　of　greeting　one　of　our　great　living　poets。〃



〃Great！Monsieur；〃　replied　the　poet；　smiling；　〃no　one　can　be　great　in

a　century　prefaced　by　the　reign　of　a　Napoleon。　We　are　a　tribe　of

would…be　great　poets；　besides；　second…rate　talent　imitates　genius

nowadays；　and　renders　real　distinction　impossible。〃



〃Is　that　the　reason　why　you　have　thrown　yourself　into　politics？〃　asked

the　count。



〃It　is　the　same　thing　in　that　sphere；〃　said　the　poet；　〃there　are　no

statesmen　in　these　days；　only　men　who　handle　events　more　or　less。　Look

at　it；　monsieur；　under　the　system　of　government　that　we　derive　from

the　Charter；　which　makes　a　tax…list　of　more　importance　than　a　coat…of…

arms；　there　is　absolutely　nothing　solid　except　that　which　you　went　to

seek　in　China；wealth。〃



Satisfied　with　himself　and　with　the　impression　he　was　making　on　the

prospective　father…in…law；　Canalis　turned　to　Germain。



〃Serve　the　coffee　in　the　salon；〃　he　said；　inviting　Monsieur　de　La

Bastie　to　leave　the　dining…room。



〃I　thank　you