modeste mignon-第49章

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offence　at　a　look　bestowed　upon　her　maid。　The　avarice　excited　by　these

two　sentiments　is　such　that　a　fraction　of　them　given　to　the　poor　is

thought　robbery。



〃Do　you　think；　monsieur；〃　said　Modeste；　smiling；　〃that　we　should　judge

genius　by　ordinary　standards？〃



〃Perhaps　we　ought　first　of　all　to　define　the　man　of　genius；〃　replied

Canalis。　〃One　of　the　conditions　of　genius　is　invention；invention　of

a　form；　a　system；　a　force。　Napoleon　was　an　inventor；　apart　from　his

other　conditions　of　genius。　He　invented　his　method　of　making　war。

Walter　Scott　is　an　inventor；　Linnaeus　is　an　inventor；　Geoffrey　Saint…

Hilaire　and　Cuvier　are　inventors。　Such　men　are　men　of　genius　of　the

first　rank。　They　renew；　increase；　or　modify　both　science　and　art。　But

Desplein　is　merely　a　man　whose　vast　talent　consists　in　properly

applying　laws　already　known；　in　observing；　by　means　of　a　natural　gift；

the　limits　laid　down　for　each　temperament；　and　the　time　appointed　by

Nature　for　an　operation。　He　has　not　founded；　like　Hippocrates；　the

science　itself。　He　has　invented　no　system；　as　did　Galen；　Broussais；

and　Rasori。　He　is　merely　an　executive　genius；　like　Moscheles　on　the

piano；　Paganini　on　the　violin；　or　Farinelli　on　his　own　larynx；men

who　have　developed　enormous　faculties；　but　who　have　not　created　music。

You　must　permit　me　to　discriminate　between　Beethoven　and　la　Catalani：

to　one　belongs　the　immortal　crown　of　genius　and　of　martyrdom；　to　the

other　innumerable　five…franc　pieces；　one　we　can　pay　in　coin；　but　the

world　remains　throughout　all　time　a　debtor　to　the　other。　Each　day

increases　our　debt　to　Moliere；　but　Baron's　comedies　have　been

overpaid。〃



〃I　think　you　make　the　prerogative　of　ideas　too　exclusive；〃　said　Ernest

de　La　Briere；　in　a　quiet　and　melodious　voice；　which　formed　a　sudden

contrast　to　the　peremptory　tones　of　the　poet；　whose　flexible　organ　had

abandoned　its　caressing　notes　for　the　strident　and　magisterial　voice

of　the　rostrum。　〃Genius　must　be　estimated　according　to　its　utility；

and　Parmentier；　who　brought　potatoes　into　general　use；　Jacquart；　the

inventor　of　silk　looms；　Papin；　who　first　discovered　the　elastic

quality　of　steam；　are　men　of　genius；　to　whom　statues　will　some　day　be

erected。　They　have　changed；　or　they　will　change　in　a　certain　sense；

the　face　of　the　State。　It　is　in　that　sense　that　Desplein　will　always

be　considered　a　man　of　genius　by　thinkers；　they　see　him　attended　by　a

generation　of　sufferers　whose　pains　are　stifled　by　his　hand。〃



That　Ernest　should　give　utterance　to　this　opinion　was　enough　to　make

Modeste　oppose　it。



〃If　that　be　so；　monsieur；〃　she　said；　〃then　the　man　who　could　discover

a　way　to　mow　wheat　without　injuring　the　straw；　by　a　machine　that　could

do　the　work　of　ten　men；　would　be　a　man　of　genius。〃



〃Yes；　my　daughter；〃　said　Madame　Mignon；　〃and　the　poor　would　bless　him

for　cheaper　bread；he　that　is　blessed　by　the　poor　is　blessed　of　God。〃



〃That　is　putting　utility　above　art；〃　said　Modeste；　shaking　her　head。



〃Without　utility　what　would　become　of　art？〃　said　Charles　Mignon。　〃What

would　it　rest　on？　what　would　it　live　on？　Where　would　you　lodge；　and

how　would　you　pay　the　poet？〃



〃Oh！　my　dear　papa；　such　opinions　are　fearfully　flat　and　antediluvian！

I　am　not　surprised　that　Gobenheim　and　Monsieur　de　La　Briere；　who　are

interested　in　the　solution　of　social　problems　should　think　so；　but

you；　whose　life　has　been　the　most　useless　poetry　of　the　century；

useless　because　the　blood　you　shed　all　over　Europe；　and　the　horrible

sufferings　exacted　by　your　colossus；　did　not　prevent　France　from

losing　ten　departments　acquired　under　the　Revolution；how　can　YOU

give　in　to　such　excessively　pig…tail　notions；　as　the　idealists　say？　It

is　plain　you've　just　come　from　China。〃



The　impertinence　of　Modeste's　speech　was　heightened　by　a　little　air　of

contemptuous　disdain　which　she　purposely　put　on；　and　which　fairly

astounded　Madame　Mignon；　Madame　Latournelle；　and　Dumay。　As　for　Madame

Latournelle；　she　opened　her　eyes　so　wide　she　no　longer　saw　anything。

Butscha；　whose　alert　attention　was　comparable　to　that　of　a　spy；　looked

at　Monsieur　Mignon；　expecting　to　see　him　flush　with　sudden　and　violent

indignation。



〃A　little　more；　young　lady；　and　you　will　be　wanting　in　respect　for

your　father；〃　said　the　colonel；　smiling；　and　noticing　Butscha's　look。

〃See　what　it　is　to　spoil　one's　children！〃



〃I　am　your　only　child；〃　she　said　saucily。



〃Child；　indeed；〃　remarked　the　notary；　significantly。



〃Monsieur；〃　said　Modeste；　turning　upon　him；　〃my　father　is　delighted　to

have　me　for　his　governess；　he　gave　me　life　and　I　give　him　knowledge；

he　will　soon　owe　me　something。〃



〃There　seems　occasion　for　it；〃　said　Madame　Mignon。



〃But　mademoiselle　is　right；〃　said　Canalis；　rising　and　standing　before

the　fireplace　in　one　of　the　finest　attitudes　of　his　collection。　〃God；

in　his　providence；　has　given　food　and　clothing　to　man；　but　he　has　not

directly　given　him　art。　He　says　to　man：　'To　live；　thou　must　bow

thyself　to　earth；　to　think；　thou　shalt　lift　thyself　to　Me。'　We　have　as

much　need　of　the　life　of　the　soul　as　of　the　life　of　the　body；hence；

there　are　two　utilities。　It　is　true　we　cannot　be　shod　by　books　or

clothed　by　poems。　An　epic　song　is　not；　if　you　take　the　utilitarian

view；　as　useful　as　the　broth　of　a　charity　kitchen。　The　noblest　ideas

will　not　sail　a　vessel　in　place　of　canvas。　It　is　quite　true　that　the

cotton…gin　gives　us　calicoes　for　thirty　sous　a　yard　less　than　we　ever

paid　before；　but　that　machine　and　all　other　industrial　perfections

will　not　breathe　the　breath　of　life　into　a　people；　will　not　tell

futurity　of　a　civilization　that　once　existed。　Art；　on　the　contrary；

Egyptian；　Mexican；　Grecian；　Roman　art；　with　their　masterpiecesnow

called　useless！reveal　the　existence　of　races　back　in　the　vague

immense　of　time；　beyond　where　the　great　intermediary　nations；　denuded

of　men　of　genius；　have　disappeared；　leaving　not　a　line　nor　a　trace

behind　them！　The　works　of　genius　are　the　'summum'　of　civilization；　and

presuppose　utility。　Surely　a　pair　of　boots　are　not　as　agreeable　to

your　eyes　as　a　fine　play　at　the　theatre；　and　you　don't　prefer　a

windmill　to　the　church　of　Saint…Ouen；　do　you？　Well　then；　nations　are

imbued　with　the　same　feelings　as　the　individual　man；　and　the　man's

cherished　desire　is　to　survive　himself　morally　just　as　he　propagates

himself　physically。　The　survival　of　a　people　is　the　work　of　its　men　of

genius。　At　this　very　moment　France　is　proving；　energetically；　the

truth　of　that　theory。　She　is；　undoubtedly；　excelled　by　England　in

commerce；　industry；　and　navigation；　and　yet　she　is；　I　believe；　at　the

head　of　the　world；by　reason　of　her　artists；　her　men　of　talent；　and

the　good　taste　of　her　products。　There　is　no　artist　and　no　superior

intellect　that　does　not　come　to　Paris　for　a　diploma。　There　is　no

school　of　painting　at　this　moment　but　that　of　France；　and　we　shall

reign　far　longer　and　perhaps　more　securely　by　our　books　than　by　our

swords。　In　La　Briere's　system；　on　the　other　hand；　all　that　is　glorious

and　lovely　must　be　suppressed；woman's　beauty；　music；　painting；

poetry。　Society　will　not　be　overthrown；　that　is　true；　but；　I　ask　you；

who　would　willingly　accept　such　a　life？　All　useful　things　are　ugly　and

forbidding。　A　kitchen　is　indispensable；　but　you　take　care　not　to　sit

there；　you　live　in　the　salon；　which　you　adorn；　like　this；　with

superfluous　things。　Of　what　USE；　let　me　ask　you；　are　these　charming

wall…paintings；　this　carved　wood…work？　There　is　nothing　beautiful　but

that　which　seems　to　us　useless。　We　called　the　sixteenth　century　the

Renascence　with　admirable　truth　of　language。　That　century　was　the　dawn

of　a　new　era。　Men　will　continue　to　speak　of　it　when　all　remembrance　of

anterior　centuries　had　passed　away；their　only　merit　being　that　they

once　existed；　like　the　million　beings　who　count　as　the　rubbish　of　a

generation。〃



〃Rubbish！　yes；　that　may　be；　but　my　rubbish　is　dear　to　me；〃　said　the

Duc　d'Herouville；　laughing；　during　the