modeste mignon-第51章

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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　not　listening；　or　whether　he　had　the　faculty　of

listening　when　he　was　thinking　of　something　else；　it　is　certain　that

Melchior's　face　wore　an　absent…minded　look　in　conversation；　which

disconcerted　the　ideas　of　others　and　wounded　their　vanity。　Not　to

listen　is　not　merely　a　want　of　politeness；　it　is　a　mark　of　disrespect。

Canalis　pushed　this　habit　too　far；　for　he　often　forgot　to　answer　a

speech　which　required　an　answer；　and　passed；　without　the　ordinary

transitions　of　courtesy；　to　the　subject；　whatever　it　was；　that

preoccupied　him。　Though　such　impertinence　is　accepted　without　protest

from　a　man　of　marked　distinction；　it　stirs　a　leaven　of　hatred　and

vengeance　in　many　hearts；　in　those　of　equals　it　even　goes　so　far　as　to

destroy　a　friendship。　If　by　chance　Melchior　was　forced　to　listen；　he

fell　into　another　fault；　he　merely　lent　his　attention；　and　never　gave

it。　Though　this　may　not　be　so　mortifying；　it　shows　a　kind　of　semi…

concession　which　is　almost　as　unsatisfactory　to　the　hearer　and　leaves

him　dissatisfied。　Nothing　brings　more　profit　in　the　commerce　of

society　than　the　small　change　of　attention。　He　that　heareth　let　him

hear；　is　not　only　a　gospel　precept；　it　is　an　excellent　speculation；

follow　it；　and　all　will　be　forgiven　you；　even　vice。　Canalis　took　a

great　deal　of　trouble　in　his　anxiety　to　please　Modeste；　but　though　he

was　compliant　enough　with　her；　he　fell　back　into　his　natural　self　with

the　others。



Modeste；　pitiless　for　the　ten　martyrs　she　was　making；　begged　Canalis

to　read　some　of　his　poems；　she　wanted；　she　said；　a　specimen　of　his

gift　for　reading；　of　which　she　had　heard　so　much。　Canalis　took　the

volume　which　she　gave　him；　and　cooed　（for　that　is　the　proper　word）　a

poem　which　is　generally　considered　his　finest；an　imitation　of

Moore's　〃Loves　of　the　Angels；〃　entitled　〃Vitalis；〃　which　Monsieur　and

Madame　Dumay；　Madame　Latournelle；　and　Gobenheim　welcomed　with　a　few

yawns。



〃If　you　are　a　good　whist…player；　monsieur；〃　said　Gobenheim；

flourishing　five　cards　held　like　a　fan；　〃I　must　say　I　have　never　met　a

man　as　accomplished　as　you。〃



The　remark　raised　a　laugh；　for　it　was　the　translation　of　everybody's

thought。



〃I　play　it　sufficiently　well　to　live　in　the　provinces　for　the　rest　of

my　days；〃　replied　Canalis。　〃That；　I　think；　is　enough；　and　more　than

enough　literature　and　conversation　for　whist…players；〃　he　added；

throwing　the　volume　impatiently　on　a　table。



This　little　incident　serves　to　show　what　dangers　environ　a　drawing…

room　hero　when　he　steps；　like　Canalis；　out　of　his　sphere；　he　is　like

the　favorite　actor　of　a　second…rate　audience；　whose　talent　is　lost

when　he　leaves　his　own　boards　and　steps　upon　those　of　an　upper…class

theatre。







CHAPTER　XXI



MODESTE　PLAYS　HER　PART



The　game　opened　with　the　baron　and　the　duke；　Gobenheim　and　Latournelle

as　partners。　Modeste　took　a　seat　near　the　poet；　to　Ernest's　deep

disappointment；　he　watched　the　face　of　the　wayward　girl；　and　marked

the　progress　of　the　fascination　which　Canalis　exerted　over　her。　La

Briere　had　not　the　gift　of　seduction　which　Melchior　possessed。　Nature

frequently　denies　it　to　true　hearts；　who　are；　as　a　rule；　timid。　This

gift　demands　fearlessness；　an　alacrity　of　ways　and　means　that　might　be

called　the　trapeze　of　the　mind；　a　little　mimicry　goes　with　it；　in　fact

there　is　always；　morally　speaking；　something　of　the　comedian　in　a

poet。　There　is　a　vast　difference　between　expressing　sentiments　we　do

not　feel；　though　we　may　imagine　all　their　variations；　and　feigning　to

feel　them　when　bidding　for　success　on　the　theatre　of　private　life。　And

yet；　though　the　necessary　hypocrisy　of　a　man　of　the　world　may　have

gangrened　a　poet；　he　ends　by　carrying　the　faculties　of　his　talent　into

the　expression　of　any　required　sentiment；　just　as　a　great　man　doomed

to　solitude　ends　by　infusing　his　heart　into　his　mind。



〃He　is　after　the　millions；〃　thought　La　Briere；　sadly；　〃and　he　can　play

passion　so　well　that　Modeste　will　believe　him。〃



Instead　of　endeavoring　to　appear　more　amiable　and　wittier　than　his

rival；　Ernest　imitated　the　Duc　d'Herouville；　and　was　gloomy；　anxious；

and　watchful；　but　whereas　the　courier　studied　the　freaks　of　the　young

heiress；　Ernest　simply　fell　a　prey　to　the　pains　of　dark　and

concentrated　jealousy。　He　had　not　yet　been　able　to　obtain　a　glance

from　his　idol。　After　a　while　he　left　the　room　with　Butscha。



〃It　is　all　over！〃　he　said；　〃she　is　caught　by　him；　I　am　more

disagreeable　to　her；　and　moreover；　she　is　right。　Canalis　is　charming；

there's　intellect　in　his　silence；　passion　in　his　eyes；　poetry　in　his

rhodomontades。〃



〃Is　he　an　honest　man？〃　asked　Butscha。



〃Oh；　yes；〃　replied　La　Briere。　〃He　is　loyal　and　chivalrous；　and　capable

of　getting　rid；　under　Modeste's　influence；　of　those　affectations　which

Madame　de　Chaulieu　has　taught　him。〃



〃You　are　a　fine　fellow；〃　said　the　hunchback；　〃but　is　he　capable　of

loving；will　he　love　her？〃



〃I　don't　know；〃　answered　La　Briere。　〃Has　she　said　anything　about　me？〃

he　asked　after　a　moment's　silence。



〃Yes；〃　said　Butscha；　and　he　repeated　Modeste's　speech　about　disguises。



Poor　Ernest　flung　himself　upon　a　bench　and　held　his　head　in　his　hands。

He　could　not　keep　back　his　tears；　and　he　did　not　wish　Butscha　to　see

them；　but　the　dwarf　was　the　very　man　to　guess　his　emotion。



〃What　troubles　you？〃　he　asked。



〃She　is　right！〃　cried　Ernest；　springing　up；　〃I　am　a　wretch。〃



And　he　related　the　deception　into　which　Canalis　had　led　him　when

Modeste's　first　letter　was　received；　carefully　pointing　out　to　Butscha

that　he　had　wished　to　undeceive　the　young　girl　before　she　herself　took

off　the　mask；　and　apostrophizing；　in　rather　juvenile　fashion；　his

luckless　destiny。　Butscha　sympathetically　understood　the　love　in　the

flavor　and　vigor　of　his　simple　language；　and　in　his　deep　and　genuine

anxiety。



〃But　why　don't　you　show　yourself　to　Mademoiselle　Modeste　for　what　you

are？〃　he　said；　〃why　do　you　let　your　rival　do　his　exercises？〃



〃Have　you　never　felt　your　throat　tighten　when　you　wished　to　speak　to

her？〃　cried　La　Briere；　〃is　there　never　a　strange　feeling　in　the　roots

of　your　hair　and　on　the　surface　of　your　skin　when　she　looks　at　you；

even　if　she　is　thinking　of　something　else？〃



〃But　you　had　sufficient　judgment　to　show　displeasure　when　she　as　good

as　told　her　excellent　father　that　he　was　a　dolt。〃



〃Monsieur；　I　love　her　too　well　not　to　have　felt　a　knife　in　my　heart

when　I　heard　her　contradicting　her　own　perfections。〃



〃Canalis　supported　her。〃



〃If　she　had　more　self…love　than　heart　there　would　be　nothing　for　a　man

to　regret　in　losing　her；〃　answered　La　Briere。



At　this　moment；　Modeste；　followed　by　Canalis；　who　had　lost　the　rubber；

came　out　with　her　father　and　Madame　Dumay　to　breathe　the　fresh　air　of

the　starry　night。　While　his　daughter　walked　about　with　the　poet；

Charles　Mignon　left　her　and　came　up　to　La　Briere。



〃Your　friend；　monsieur；　ought　to　have　been　a　lawyer；〃　he　said；　smiling

and　looking　attentively　at　the　young　man。



〃You　must　not　judge　a　poet　as　you　would　an　ordinary　man；as　you　would

me；　for　example；　Monsieur　le　comte；〃　said　La　Briere。　〃A　poet　has　a

mission。　He　is　obliged　by　his　nature　to　see　the　poetry　of　questions；

just　as　he　expresses　that　of　things。　When　you　think　him　inconsistent

with　himself　he　is　really　faithful　to　his　vocation。　He　is　a　painter

copying　with　equal　truth　a　Madonna　and　a　courtesan。　Moliere　is　as　true

to　nature　in　his　old　men　as　in　his　young　ones；　and　Moliere's　judgment

was　assuredly　a　sound　and　healthy　one。　These　witty　paradoxes　might　be

dangerous　for　second…rate　minds；　but　they　have　no　real　influence　on

the　character　of　great　men。〃



Charles　Mignon　pressed　La　Briere's　hand。



〃That　adaptability；　however；　leads　a　man　to　excuse　himself　in　his　own

eyes　for　acti