modeste mignon-第5章

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which　was　supple　and　yet　not　fragile；　had　no　terrors　for　maternity；

like　those　of　girls　who　seek　beauty　by　the　fatal　pressure　of　a　corset。

Steel　and　dimity　and　lacings　defined　but　did　not　create　the　serpentine

lines　of　the　elegant　figure；　graceful　as　that　of　a　young　poplar

swaying　in　the　wind。



A　pearl…gray　dress　with　crimson　trimmings；　made　with　a　long　waist；

modestly　outlined　the　bust　and　covered　the　shoulders；　still　rather

thin；　with　a　chemisette　which　left　nothing　to　view　but　the　first

curves　of　the　throat　where　it　joined　the　shoulders。　From　the　aspect　of

the　young　girl's　face；　at　once　ethereal　and　intelligent；　where　the

delicacy　of　a　Greek　nose　with　its　rosy　nostrils　and　firm　modelling

marked　something　positive　and　defined；　where　the　poetry　enthroned　upon

an　almost　mystic　brow　seemed　belied　at　times　by　the　pleasure…loving

expression　of　the　mouth；　where　candor　claimed　the　depths　profound　and

varied　of　the　eye；　and　disputed　them　with　a　spirit　of　irony　that　was

trained　and　educated；from　all　these　signs　an　observer　would　have

felt　that　this　young　girl；　with　the　keen；　alert　ear　that　waked　at

every　sound；　with　a　nostril　open　to　catch　the　fragrance　of　the

celestial　flower　of　the　Ideal；　was　destined　to　be　the　battle…ground　of

a　struggle　between　the　poesies　of　the　dawn　and　the　labors　of　the　day；

between　fancy　and　reality；　the　spirit　and　the　life。　Modeste　was　a　pure

young　girl；　inquisitive　after　knowledge；　understanding　her　destiny；

and　filled　with　chastity；the　Virgin　of　Spain　rather　than　the　Madonna

of　Raphael。



She　raised　her　head　when　she　heard　Dumay　say　to　Exupere；　〃Come　here；

young　man。〃　Seeing　them　together　in　the　corner　of　the　salon　she

supposed　they　were　talking　of　some　commission　in　Paris。　Then　she

looked　at　the　friends　who　surrounded　her；　as　if　surprised　by　their

silence；　and　exclaimed　in　her　natural　manner；　〃Why　are　you　not

playing？〃with　a　glance　at　the　green　table　which　the　imposing　Madame

Latournelle　called　the　〃altar。〃



〃Yes；　let　us　play；〃　said　Dumay；　having　sent　off　Exupere。



〃Sit　there；　Butscha；〃　said　Madame　Latournelle；　separating　the　head…

clerk　from　the　group　around　Madame　Mignon　and　her　daughter　by　the

whole　width　of　the　table。



〃And　you；　come　over　here；〃　said　Dumay　to　his　wife；　making　her　sit

close　by　him。



Madame　Dumay；　a　little　American　about　thirty…six　years　of　age；　wiped

her　eyes　furtively；　she　adored　Modeste；　and　feared　a　catastrophe。



〃You　are　not　very　lively　this　evening；〃　remarked　Modeste。



〃We　are　playing；〃　said　Gobenheim；　sorting　his　cards。



No　matter　how　interesting　this　situation　may　appear；　it　can　be　made

still　more　so　by　explaining　Dumay's　position　towards　Modeste。　If　the

brevity　of　this　explanation　makes　it　seem　rather　dry；　the　reader　must

pardon　its　dryness　in　view　of　our　desire　to　get　through　with　these

preliminaries　as　speedily　as　possible；　and　the　necessity　of　relating

the　main　circumstances　which　govern　all　dramas。







CHAPTER　III



PRELIMINARIES



Jean　Francois　Bernard　Dumay；　born　at　Vannes；　started　as　a　soldier　for

the　army　of　Italy　in　1799。　His　father；　president　of　the　revolutionary

tribunal　of　that　town；　had　displayed　so　much　energy　in　his　office　that

the　place　had　become　too　hot　to　hold　the　son　when　the　parent；　a

pettifogging　lawyer；　perished　on　the　scaffold　after　the　ninth

Thermidor。　On　the　death　of　his　mother；　who　died　of　the　grief　this

catastrophe　occasioned；　Jean　sold　all　that　he　possessed　and　rushed　to

Italy　at　the　age　of　twenty…two；　at　the　very　moment　when　our　armies

were　beginning　to　yield。　On　the　way　he　met　a　young　man　in　the

department　of　Var；　who　for　reasons　analogous　to　his　own　was　in　search

of　glory；　believing　a　battle…field　less　perilous　than　his　own

Provence。　Charles　Mignon；　the　last　scion　of　an　ancient　family；　which

gave　its　name　to　a　street　in　Paris　and　to　a　mansion　built　by　Cardinal

Mignon；　had　a　shrewd　and　calculating　father；　whose　one　idea　was　to

save　his　feudal　estate　of　La　Bastie　in　the　Comtat　from　the　claws　of

the　Revolution。　Like　all　timid　folk　of　that　day；　the　Comte　de　La

Bastie；　now　citizen　Mignon；　found　it　more　wholesome　to　cut　off　other

people's　heads　than　to　let　his　own　be　cut　off。　The　sham　terrorist

disappeared　after　the　9th　Thermidor；　and　was　then　inscribed　on　the

list　of　emigres。　The　estate　of　La　Bastie　was　sold；　the　towers　and

bastions　of　the　old　castle　were　pulled　down；　and　citizen　Mignon　was

soon　after　discovered　at　Orleans　and　put　to　death　with　his　wife　and

all　his　children　except　Charles；　whom　he　had　sent　to　find　a　refuge　for

the　family　in　the　Upper　Alps。



Horrorstruck　at　the　news；　Charles　waited　for　better　times　in　a　valley

of　Mont　Genevra；　and　there　he　remained　till　1799；　subsisting　on　a　few

louis　which　his　father　had　put　into　his　hand　at　starting。　Finally；

when　twenty…three　years　of　age；　and　without　other　fortune　than　his

fine　presence　and　that　southern　beauty　which；　when　it　reaches

perfection；　may　be　called　sublime　（of　which　Antinous；　the　favorite　of

Adrian；　is　the　type）；　Charles　resolved　to　wager　his　Provencal　audacity

taking　it；　like　many　another　youth；　for　a　vocationon　the　red　cloth

of　war。　On　his　way　to　the　base　of　the　army　at　Nice　he　met　the　Breton。

The　pair　became　intimate；　partly　from　the　contrasts　in　their

characters；　they　drank　from　the　same　cup　at　the　wayside　torrents；

broke　the　same　biscuit；　and　were　both　made　sergeants　at　the　peace

which　followed　the　battle　of　Marengo。



When　the　war　recommenced；　Charles　Mignon　was　promoted　into　the　cavalry

and　lost　sight　of　his　comrade。　In　1812　the　last　of　the　Mignon　de　La

Bastie　was　an　officer　of　the　Legion　of　honor　and　major　of　a　regiment

of　cavalry。　Taken　prisoner　by　the　Russians　he　was　sent；　like　so　many

others；　to　Siberia。　He　made　the　journey　in　company　with　another

prisoner；　a　poor　lieutenant；　in　whom　he　recognized　his　old　friend　Jean

Dumay；　brave；　neglected；　undecorated；　unhappy；　like　a　million　of　other

woollen　epaulets；　rank　and　filethat　canvas　of　men　on　which　Napoleon

painted　the　picture　of　the　Empire。　While　in　Siberia；　the　lieutenant…

colonel；　to　kill　time；　taught　writing　and　arithmetic　to　the　Breton；

whose　early　education　had　seemed　a　useless　waste　of　time　to　Pere

Scevola。　Charles　found　in　the　old　comrade　of　his　marching　days　one　of

those　rare　hearts　into　which　a　man　can　pour　his　griefs　while　telling

his　joys。



The　young　Provencal　had　met　the　fate　which　attends　all　handsome

bachelors。　In　1804；　at　Frankfort　on　the　Main；　he　was　adored　by　Bettina

Wallenrod；　only　daughter　of　a　banker；　and　he　married　her　with　all　the

more　enthusiasm　because　she　was　rich　and　a　noted　beauty；　while　he　was

only　a　lieutenant　with　no　prospects　but　the　extremely　problematical

future　of　a　soldier　of　fortune　of　that　day。　Old　Wallenrod；　a　decayed

German　baron　（there　is　always　a　baron　in　a　German　bank）　delighted　to

know　that　the　handsome　lieutenant　was　the　sole　representative　of　the

Mignon　de　La　Bastie；　approved　the　love　of　the　blonde　Bettina；　whose

beauty　an　artist　（at　that　time　there　really　was　one　in　Frankfort）　had

lately　painted　as　an　ideal　head　of　Germany。　Wallenrod　invested　enough

money　in　the　French　funds　to　give　his　daughter　thirty　thousand　francs

a　year；　and　settled　it　on　his　anticipated　grandsons；　naming　them

counts　of　La　Bastie…Wallenrod。　This　〃dot〃　made　only　a　small　hole　in

his　cash…box；　the　value　of　money　being　then　very　low。　But　the　Empire；

pursuing　a　policy　often　attempted　by　other　debtors；　rarely　paid　its

dividends；　and　Charles　was　rather　alarmed　at　this　investment；　having

less　faith　than　his　father…in…law　in　the　imperial　eagle。　The

phenomenon　of　belief；　or　of　admiration　which　is　ephemeral　belief；　is

not　so　easily　maintained　when　in　close　quarters　with　the　idol。　The

mechanic　distrusts　the　machine　which　the　traveller　admires；　and　the

officers　of　the　army　might　be　called　the　stokers　of　the　Napoleonic

engine；if；　indeed；　they　were　not　its　fuel。



However；　the　Baron　Wallenrod…Tustall…Bartenstild　promised　to