modeste mignon-第43章

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Bastie　to　leave　the　dining…room。



〃I　thank　you　for　this　visit；　monsieur　le　comte；〃　said　La　Briere；　〃it

saves　me　from　the　embarrassment　of　presenting　my　friend　to　you　in　your

own　house。　You　have　a　heart；　and　you　have　also　a　quick　mind。〃



〃Bah！　the　ready　wit　of　Provence；　that　is　all；〃　said　Charles　Mignon。



〃Ah；　do　you　come　from　Provence？〃　cried　Canalis。



〃You　must　pardon　my　friend；〃　said　La　Briere；　〃he　has　not　studied；　as　I

have；　the　history　of　La　Bastie。〃



At　the　word　FRIEND　Canalis　threw　a　searching　glance　at　Ernest。



〃If　your　health　will　allow；〃　said　the　count　to　the　poet；　〃I　shall　hope

to　receive　you　this　evening　under　my　roof；　it　will　be　a　day　to　mark；

as　the　old　writer　said　'albo　notanda　lapillo。'　Though　we　cannot　duly

receive　so　great　a　fame　in　our　little　house；　yet　your　visit　will

gratify　my　daughter；　whose　admiration　for　your　poems　has　even　led　her

to　set　them　to　music。〃



〃You　have　something　better　than　fame　in　your　house；〃　said　Canalis；

〃you　have　beauty；　if　I　am　to　believe　Ernest。〃



〃Yes；　a　good　daughter；　but　you　will　find　her　rather　countrified；〃　said

Charles　Mignon。



〃A　country　girl　sought　by　the　Duc　d'Herouville；〃　remarked　Canalis；

dryly。



〃Oh！〃　replied　Monsieur　Mignon；　with　the　perfidious　good…humor　of　a

Southerner；　〃I　leave　my　daughter　free。　Dukes；　princes；　commoners；

they　are　all　the　same　to　me；　even　men　of　genius。　I　shall　make　no

pledges；　and　whoever　my　Modeste　chooses　will　be　my　son…in…law；　or

rather　my　son；〃　he　added；　looking　at　La　Briere。　〃It　could　not　be

otherwise。　Madame　de　La　Bastie　is　German。　She　has　never　adopted　our

etiquette；　and　I　let　my　two　women　lead　me　their　own　way。　I　have　always

preferred　to　sit　in　the　carriage　rather　than　on　the　box。　I　can　make　a

joke　of　all　this　at　present；　for　we　have　not　yet　seen　the　Duc

d'Herouville；　and　I　do　not　believe　in　marriages　arranged　by　proxy；　any

more　than　I　believe　in　choosing　my　daughter's　husband。〃



〃That　declaration　is　equally　encouraging　and　discouraging　to　two　young

men　who　are　searching　for　the　philosopher's　stone　of　happiness　in

marriage；〃　said　Canalis。



〃Don't　you　consider　it　useful；　necessary；　and　even　politic　to

stipulate　for　perfect　freedom　of　action　for　parents；　daughters；　and

suitors？〃　asked　Charles　Mignon。



Canalis；　at　a　sign　from　La　Briere；　kept　silence。　The　conversation

presently　became　unimportant；　and　after　a　few　turns　round　the　garden

the　count　retired；　urging　the　visit　of　the　two　friends。



〃That's　our　dismissal；〃　cried　Canalis；　〃you　saw　it　as　plainly　as　I

did。　Well；　in　his　place；　I　should　not　hesitate　between　the　grand

equerry　and　either　of　us；　charming　as　we　are。〃



〃I　don't　think　so；〃　said　La　Briere。　〃I　believe　that　frank　soldier　came

here　to　satisfy　his　desire　to　see　you；　and　to　warn　us　of　his

neutrality　while　receiving　us　in　his　house。　Modeste；　in　love　with　your

fame；　and　misled　by　my　person；　stands；　as　it　were；　between　the　real

and　the　ideal；　between　poetry　and　prose。　I　am；　unfortunately；　the

prose。〃



〃Germain；〃　said　Canalis　to　the　valet；　who　came　to　take　away　the

coffee；　〃order　the　carriage　in　half　an　hour。　We　will　take　a　drive

before　we　go　to　the　Chalet。〃







CHAPTER　XVIII



A　SPLENDID　FIRST　APPEARANCE



The　two　young　men　were　equally　impatient　to　see　Modeste；　but　La　Briere

dreaded　the　interview；　while　Canalis　approached　it　with　the　confidence

of　self…conceit。　The　eagerness　with　which　La　Briere　had　met　the

father；　and　the　flattery　of　his　attention　to　the　family　pride　of　the

ex…merchant；　showed　Canalis　his　own　maladroitness；　and　determined　him

to　select　a　special　role。　The　great　poet　resolved　to　pretend

indifference；　though　all　the　while　displaying　his　seductive　powers；　to

appear　to　disdain　the　young　lady；　and　thus　pique　her　self…love。

Trained　by　the　handsome　Duchesse　de　Chaulieu；　he　was　bound　to　be

worthy　of　his　reputation　as　a　man　who　knew　women；　when；　in　fact；　he

did　not　know　them　at　all；which　is　often　the　case　with　those　who　are

the　happy　victims　of　an　exclusive　passion。　While　poor　Ernest；　gloomily

ensconced　in　his　corner　of　the　caleche；　gave　way　to　the　terrors　of

genuine　love；　and　foresaw　instinctively　the　anger；　contempt；　and

disdain　of　an　injured　and　offended　young　girl；　Canalis　was　preparing

himself；　not　less　silently；　like　an　actor　making　ready　for　an

important　part　in　a　new　play；　certainly　neither　of　them　presented　the

appearance　of　a　happy　man。　Important　interests　were　involved　for

Canalis。　The　mere　suggestion　of　his　desire　to　marry　would　bring　about

a　rupture　of　the　tie　which　had　bound　him　for　the　last　ten　years　to　the

Duchesse　de　Chaulieu。　Though　he　had　covered　the　purpose　of　his　journey

with　the　vulgar　pretext　of　needing　rest；in　which；　by　the　bye；　women

never　believe；　even　when　it　is　true；his　conscience　troubled　him

somewhat；　but　the　word　〃conscience〃　seemed　so　Jesuitical　to　La　Briere

that　he　shrugged　his　shoulders　when　the　poet　mentioned　his　scruples。



〃Your　conscience；　my　friend；　strikes　me　as　nothing　more　nor　less　than

a　dread　of　losing　the　pleasures　of　vanity；　and　some　very　real

advantages　and　habits　by　sacrificing　the　affections　of　Madame　de

Chaulieu；　for；　if　you　were　sure　of　succeeding　with　Modeste；　you　would

renounce　without　the　slightest　compunction　the　wilted　aftermath　of　a

passion　that　has　been　mown　and　well…raked　for　the　last　eight　years。　If

you　simply　mean　that　you　are　afraid　of　displeasing　your　protectress；

should　she　find　out　the　object　of　your　stay　here；　I　believe　you。　To

renounce　the　duchess　and　yet　not　succeed　at　the　Chalet　is　too　heavy　a

risk。　You　take　the　anxiety　of　this　alternative　for　remorse。〃



〃You　have　no　comprehension　of　feelings；〃　said　the　poet；　irritably；

like　a　man　who　hears　truth　when　he　expects　a　compliment。



〃That　is　what　a　bigamist　should　tell　the　jury；〃　retorted　La　Briere；

laughing。



This　epigram　made　another　disagreeable　impression　on　Canalis。　He　began

to　think　La　Briere　too　witty　and　too　free　for　a　secretary。



The　arrival　of　an　elegant　caleche；　driven　by　a　coachman　in　the　Canalis

livery；　made　the　more　excitement　at　the　Chalet　because　the　two　suitors

were　expected；　and　all　the　personages　of　this　history　were　assembled

to　receive　them；　except　the　duke　and　Butscha。



〃Which　is　the　poet？〃　asked　Madame　Latournelle　of　Dumay　in　the

embrasure　of　a　window；　where　she　stationed　herself　as　soon　as　she

heard　the　wheels。



〃The　one　who　walks　like　a　drum…major；〃　answered　the　lieutenant。



〃Ah！〃　said　the　notary's　wife；　examining　Canalis；　who　was　swinging　his

body　like　a　man　who　knows　he　is　being　looked　at。　The　fault　lay　with

the　great　lady　who　flattered　him　incessantly　and　spoiled　him；as　all

women　older　than　their　adorers　invariably　spoil　and　flatter　them；

Canalis　in　his　moral　being　was　a　sort　of　Narcissus。　When　a　woman　of　a

certain　age　wishes　to　attach　a　man　forever；　she　begins　by　deifying　his

defects；　so　as　to　cut　off　all　possibility　of　rivalry；　for　a　rival　is

never；　at　the　first　approach；　aware　of　the　super…fine　flattery　to

which　the　man　is　accustomed。　Coxcombs　are　the　product　of　this　feminine

manoeuvre；　when　they　are　not　fops　by　nature。　Canalis；　taken　young　by

the　handsome　duchess；　vindicated　his　affectations　to　his　own　mind　by

telling　himself　that　they　pleased　that　〃grande　dame；〃　whose　taste　was

law。　Such　shades　of　character　may　be　excessively　faint；　but　it　is

improper　for　the　historian　not　to　point　them　out。　For　instance；

Melchior　possessed　a　talent　for　reading　which　was　greatly　admired；　and

much　injudicious　praise　had　given　him　a　habit　of　exaggeration；　which

neither　poets　nor　actors　are　willing　to　check；　and　which　made　people

say　of　him　（always　through　De　Marsay）　that　he　no　longer　declaimed；　he

bellowed　his　verses；　lengthening　the　sounds　that　he　might　listen　to

himself。　In　the　slang　of　the　green…room；　Canalis　〃dragged　the　time。〃

He　was　fond　of　exchanging　glances　with　his　hearers；　throwing　himself

into　postures　of　self…complacency　and　practising　those　tricks　o