modeste mignon-第50章

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Duc　d'Herouville；　laughing；　during　the　silent　pause　which　followed　the

poet's　pompous　oration。



〃Let　me　ask；〃　said　Butscha；　attacking　Canalis；　〃does　art；　the　sphere

in　which；　according　to　you；　genius　is　required　to　evolve　itself；　exist

at　all？　Is　it　not　a　splendid　lie；　a　delusion；　of　the　social　man？　Do　I

want　a　landscape　scene　of　Normandy　in　my　bedroom　when　I　can　look　out

and　see　a　better　one　done　by　God　himself？　Our　dreams　make　poems　more

glorious　than　Iliads。　For　an　insignificant　sum　of　money　I　can　find　at

Valogne；　at　Carentan；　in　Provence；　at　Arles；　many　a　Venus　as　beautiful

as　those　of　Titian。　The　police　gazette　publishes　tales；　differing

somewhat　from　those　of　Walter　Scott；　but　ending　tragically　with　blood；

not　ink。　Happiness　and　virtue　exist　above　and　beyond　both　art　and

genius。〃



〃Bravo；　Butscha！〃　cried　Madame　Latournelle。



〃What　did　he　say？〃　asked　Canalis　of　La　Briere；　failing　to　gather　from

the　eyes　and　attitude　of　Mademoiselle　Mignon　the　usual　signs　of

artless　admiration。



The　contemptuous　indifference　which　Modeste　had　exhibited　toward　La

Briere；　and　above　all；　her　disrespectful　speeches　to　her　father；　so

depressed　the　young　man　that　he　made　no　answer　to　Canalis；　his　eyes；

fixed　sorrowfully　on　Modeste；　were　full　of　deep　meditation。　The　Duc

d'Herouville　took　up　Butscha's　argument　and　reproduced　it　with　much

intelligence；　saying　finally　that　the　ecstasies　of　Saint…Theresa　were

far　superior　to　the　creations　of　Lord　Byron。



〃Oh；　Monsieur　le　duc；〃　exclaimed　Modeste；　〃hers　was　a　purely　personal

poetry；　whereas　the　genius　of　Lord　Byron　and　Moliere　benefit　the

world。〃



〃How　do　you　square　that　opinion　with　those　of　Monsieur　le　baron？〃

cried　Charles　Mignon；　quickly。　〃Now　you　are　insisting　that　genius　must

be　useful；　and　benefit　the　world　as　though　it　were　cotton；but

perhaps　you　think　logic　as　antediluvian　as　your　poor　old　father。〃



Butscha；　La　Briere；　and　Madame　Latournelle　exchanged　glances　that　were

more　than　half　derisive；　and　drove　Modeste　to　a　pitch　of　irritation

that　kept　her　silent　for　a　moment。



〃Mademoiselle；　do　not　mind　them；〃　said　Canalis；　smiling　upon　her；　〃we

are　neither　beaten；　nor　caught　in　a　contradiction。　Every　work　of　art；

let　it　be　in　literature；　music；　painting；　sculpture；　or　architecture；

implies　a　positive　social　utility；　equal　to　that　of　all　other

commercial　products。　Art　is　pre…eminently　commerce；　presupposes　it；　in

short。　An　author　pockets　ten　thousand　francs　for　his　book；　the　making

of　books　means　the　manufactory　of　paper；　a　foundry；　a　printing…office；

a　bookseller；in　other　words；　the　employment　of　thousands　of　men。　The

execution　of　a　symphony　of　Beethoven　or　an　opera　by　Rossini　requires

human　arms　and　machinery　and　manufactures。　The　cost　of　a　monument　is

an　almost　brutal　case　in　point。　In　short；　I　may　say　that　the　works　of

genius　have　an　extremely　costly　basis　and　are；　necessarily；　useful　to

the　workingman。〃



Astride　of　that　theme；　Canalis　spoke　for　some　minutes　with　a　fine

luxury　of　metaphor；　and　much　inward　complacency　as　to　his　phrases；　but

it　happened　with　him；　as　with　many　another　great　speaker；　that　he

found　himself　at　last　at　the　point　from　which　the　conversation

started；　and　in　full　agreement　with　La　Briere　without　perceiving　it。



〃I　see　with　much　pleasure；　my　dear　baron；〃　said　the　little　duke；

slyly；　〃that　you　will　make　an　admirable　constitutional　minister。〃



〃Oh！〃　said　Canalis；　with　the　gesture　of　a　great　man；　〃what　is　the　use

of　all　these　discussions？　What　do　they　prove？the　eternal　verity　of

one　axiom：　All　things　are　true；　all　things　are　false。　Moral　truths　as

well　as　human　beings　change　their　aspect　according　to　their

surroundings；　to　the　point　of　being　actually　unrecognizable。〃



〃Society　exists　through　settled　opinions；〃　said　the　Duc　d'Herouville。



〃What　laxity！〃　whispered　Madame　Latournelle　to　her　husband。



〃He　is　a　poet；〃　said　Gobenheim；　who　overheard　her。



Canalis；　who　was　ten　leagues　above　the　heads　of　his　audience；　and　who

may　have　been　right　in　his　last　philosophical　remark；　took　the　sort　of

coldness　which　now　overspread　the　surrounding　faces　of　a　symptom　of

provincial　ignorance；　but　seeing　that　Modeste　understood　him；　he　was

content；　being　wholly　unaware　that　monologue　is　particularly

disagreeable　to　country…folk；　whose　principal　desire　it　is　to　exhibit

the　manner　of　life　and　the　wit　and　wisdom　of　the　provinces　to

Parisians。



〃It　is　long　since　you　have　seen　the　Duchesse　de　Chaulieu？〃　asked　the

duke；　addressing　Canalis；　as　if　to　change　the　conversation。



〃I　left　her　about　six　days　ago。〃



〃Is　she　well？〃　persisted　the　duke。



〃Perfectly　well。〃



〃Have　the　kindness　to　remember　me　to　her　when　you　write。〃



〃They　say　she　is　charming；〃　remarked　Modeste；　addressing　the　duke。



〃Monsieur　le　baron　can　speak　more　confidently　than　I；〃　replied　the

grand　equerry。



〃More　than　charming；〃　said　Canalis；　making　the　best　of　the　duke's

perfidy；　〃but　I　am　partial；　mademoiselle；　she　has　been　a　friend　to　me

for　the　last　ten　years；　I　owe　all　that　is　good　in　me　to　her；　she　has

saved　me　from　the　dangers　of　the　world。　Moreover；　Monsieur　le　Duc　de

Chaulieu　launched　me　in　my　present　career。　Without　the　influence　of

that　family　the　king　and　the　princesses　would　have　forgotten　a　poor

poet　like　me；　therefore　my　affection　for　the　duchess　must　always　be

full　of　gratitude。〃



His　voice　quivered。



〃We　ought　to　love　the　woman　who　has　led　you　to　write　those　sublime

poems；　and　who　inspires　you　with　such　noble　feelings；〃　said　Modeste；

quite　affected。　〃Who　can　think　of　a　poet　without　a　muse！〃



〃He　would　be　without　a　heart；〃　replied　Canalis。　〃He　would　write　barren

verses　like　Voltaire；　who　never　loved　any　one　but　Voltaire。〃



〃I　thought　you　did　me　the　honor　to　say；　in　Paris；〃　interrupted　Dumay；

〃that　you　never　felt　the　sentiments　you　expressed。〃



〃The　shoe　fits；　my　soldier；〃　replied　the　poet；　smiling；　〃but　let　me

tell　you　that　it　is　quite　possible　to　have　a　great　deal　of　feeling

both　in　the　intellectual　life　and　in　real　life。　My　good　friend　here；

La　Briere；　is　madly　in　love；〃　continued　Canalis；　with　a　fine　show　of

generosity；　looking　at　Modeste。　〃I；　who　certainly　love　as　much　as　he；

that　is；　I　think　so　unless　I　delude　myself；well；　I　can　give　to　my

love　a　literary　form　in　harmony　with　its　character。　But　I　dare　not

say；　mademoiselle；〃　he　added；　turning　to　Modeste　with　too　studied　a

grace；　〃that　to…morrow　I　may　not　be　without　inspiration。〃



Thus　the　poet　triumphed　over　all　obstacles。　In　honor　of　his　love　he

rode　a…tilt　at　the　hindrances　that　were　thrown　in　his　way；　and　Modeste

remained　wonder…struck　at　the　Parisian　wit　that　scintillated　in　his

declamatory　discourse；　of　which　she　had　hitherto　known　little　or

nothing。



〃What　an　acrobat！〃　whispered　Butscha　to　Latournelle；　after　listening

to　a　magnificent　tirade　on　the　Catholic　religion　and　the　happiness　of

having　a　pious　wife；served　up　in　response　to　a　remark　by　Madame

Mignon。



Modeste's　eyes　were　blindfolded　as　it　were；　Canalis's　elocution　and

the　close　attention　which　she　was　predetermined　to　pay　to　him

prevented　her　from　seeing　that　Butscha　was　carefully　noting　the

declamation；　the　want　of　simplicity；　the　emphasis　that　took　the　place

of　feeling；　and　the　curious　incoherencies　in　the　poet's　speech　which

led　the　dwarf　to　make　his　rather　cruel　comment。　At　certain　points　of

Canalis's　discourse；　when　Monsieur　Mignon；　Dumay；　Butscha；　and

Latournelle　wondered　at　the　man's　utter　want　of　logic；　Modeste　admired

his　suppleness；　and　said　to　herself；　as　she　dragged　him　after　her

through　the　labyrinth　of　fancy；　〃He　loves　me！〃　Butscha；　in　common　with

the　other　spectators　of　what　we　must　call　a　stage　scene；　was　struck

with　the　radiant　defect　of　all　egoists；　which　Canalis；　like　many　men

accustomed　to　perorate；　allowed　to　be　too　plainly　seen。　Whether　he

understood　beforehand　what　the　person　he　was　speaking　to　meant　to　say；

whether　he　was　no