modeste mignon-第53章

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of　a　great　man　that　even　I；　a　poor　girl　forced　to　take　the　veil　for

want　of　a　'dot；'　I　would　not　take　him。　You　don't　know　what　a　young　man

is　who　has　been　for　ten　years　in　the　hands　of　a　Duchesse　de　Chaulieu。

None　but　an　old　woman　of　sixty　could　put　up　with　the　little　ailments

of　which；　they　say；　the　great　poet　is　always　complaining；a　habit　in

Louis　XIV。　that　became　a　perfectly　insupportable　annoyance。　It　is　true

the　duchess　does　not　suffer　from　it　as　much　as　a　wife；　who　would　have

him　always　about　her。〃



Then；　practising　a　well…known　manoeuvre　peculiar　to　her　sex；　Helene

d'Herouville　repeated　in　a　low　voice　all　the　calumnies　which　women

jealous　of　the　Duchesse　de　Chaulieu　were　in　the　habit　of　spreading

about　the　poet。　This　little　incident；　common　as　it　is　in　the

intercourse　of　women；　will　serve　to　show　with　what　fury　the　hounds

were　after　Modeste's　wealth。



Ten　days　saw　a　great　change　in　the　opinions　at　the　Chalet　as　to　the

three　suitors　for　Mademoiselle　de　La　Bastie's　hand。　This　change；　which

was　much　to　the　disadvantage　of　Canalis；　came　about　through

considerations　of　a　nature　which　ought　to　make　the　holders　of　any　kind

of　fame　pause；　and　reflect。　No　one　can　deny；　if　we　remember　the

passion　with　which　people　seek　for　autographs；　that　public　curiosity

is　greatly　excited　by　celebrity。　Evidently　most　provincials　never　form

an　exact　idea　in　their　own　minds　of　how　illustrious　Parisians　put　on

their　cravats；　walk　on　the　boulevards；　stand　gaping　at　nothing；　or　eat

a　cutlet；　because；　no　sooner　do　they　perceive　a　man　clothed　in　the

sunbeams　of　fashion　or　resplendent　with　some　dignity　that　is　more　or

less　fugitive　（though　always　envied）；　than　they　cry　out；　〃Look　at

that！〃　〃How　queer！〃　and　other　depreciatory　exclamations。　In　a　word；

the　mysterious　charm　that　attaches　to　every　kind　of　fame；　even　that

which　is　most　justly　due；　never　lasts。　It　is；　and　especially　with

superficial　people　who　are　envious　or　sarcastic；　a　sensation　which

passes　off　with　the　rapidity　of　lightning；　and　never　returns。　It　would

seem　as　though　fame；　like　the　sun；　hot　and　luminous　at　a　distance；　is

cold　as　the　summit　of　an　alp　when　you　approach　it。　Perhaps　man　is　only

really　great　to　his　peers；　perhaps　the　defects　inherent　in　his

constitution　disappear　sooner　to　the　eyes　of　his　equals　than　to　those

of　vulgar　admirers。　A　poet；　if　he　would　please　in　ordinary　life；　must

put　on　the　fictitious　graces　of　those　who　are　able　to　make　their

insignificances　forgotten　by　charming　manners　and　complying　speeches。

The　poet　of　the　faubourg　Saint…Germain；　who　did　not　choose　to　bow

before　this　social　dictum；　was　made　before　long　to　feel　that　an

insulting　provincial　indifference　had　succeeded　to　the　dazed

fascination　of　the　earlier　evenings。　The　prodigality　of　his　wit　and

wisdom　had　produced　upon　these　worthy　souls　somewhat　the　effect　which

a　shopful　of　glass…ware　produces　on　the　eye；　in　other　words；　the　fire

and　brilliancy　of　Canalis's　eloquence　soon　wearied　people　who；　to　use

their　own　words；　〃cared　more　for　the　solid。〃



Forced　after　a　while　to　behave　like　an　ordinary　man；　the　poet　found　an

unexpected　stumbling…block　on　ground　where　La　Briere　had　already　won

the　suffrage　of　the　worthy　people　who　at　first　had　thought　him　sulky。

They　felt　the　need　of　compensating　themselves　for　Canalis's　reputation

by　preferring　his　friend。　The　best　of　men　are　influenced　by　such

feelings　as　these。　The　simple　and　straightforward　young　fellow　jarred

no　one's　self…love；　coming　to　know　him　better　they　discovered　his

heart；　his　modesty；　his　silent　and　sure　discretion；　and　his　excellent

bearing。　The　Duc　d'Herouville　considered　him；　as　a　political　element；

far　above　Canalis。　The　poet；　ill…balanced；　ambitious；　and　restless　as

Tasso；　loved　luxury；　grandeur；　and　ran　into　debt；　while　the　young

lawyer；　whose　character　was　equable　and　well…balanced；　lived　soberly；

was　useful　without　proclaiming　it；　awaited　rewards　without　begging　for

them；　and　laid　by　his　money。



Canalis　had　moreover　laid　himself　open　in　a　special　way　to　the

bourgeois　eyes　that　were　watching　him。　For　two　or　three　days　he　had

shown　signs　of　impatience；　he　had　given　way　to　depression；　to　states

of　melancholy　without　apparent　reason；　to　those　capricious　changes　of

temper　which　are　the　natural　results　of　the　nervous　temperament　of

poets。　These　originalities　（we　use　the　provincial　word）　came　from　the

uneasiness　that　his　conduct　toward　the　Duchesse　de　Chaulieu　which　grew

daily　less　explainable；　caused　him。　He　knew　he　ought　to　write　to　her；

but　could　not　resolve　on　doing　so。　All　these　fluctuations　were

carefully　remarked　and　commented　on　by　the　gentle　American；　and　the

excellent　Madame　Latournelle；　and　they　formed　the　topic　of　many　a

discussion　between　these　two　ladies　and　Madame　Mignon。　Canalis　felt

the　effects　of　these　discussions　without　being　able　to　explain　them。

The　attention　paid　to　him　was　not　the　same；　the　faces　surrounding　him

no　longer　wore　the　entranced　look　of　the　earlier　days；　while　at　the

same　time　Ernest　was　evidently　gaining　ground。



For　the　last　two　days　the　poet　had　endeavored　to　fascinate　Modeste

only；　and　he　took　advantage　of　every　moment　when　he　found　himself

alone　with　her；　to　weave　the　web　of　passionate　language　around　his

love。　Modeste's　blush；　as　she　listened　to　him　on　the　occasion　we　have

just　mentioned；　showed　the　demoiselles　d'Herouville　the　pleasure　with

which　she　was　listening　to　sweet　conceits　that　were　sweetly　said；　and

they；　horribly　uneasy　at　the　sight；　had　immediate　recourse　to　the

〃ultima　ratio〃　of　women　in　such　cases；　namely；　those　calumnies　which

seldom　miss　their　object。　Accordingly；　when　the　party　met　at　the

dinner…table　the　poet　saw　a　cloud　on　the　brow　of　his　idol；　he　knew

that　Mademoiselle　d'Herouville's　malignity　allowed　him　to　lose　no

time；　and　he　resolved　to　offer　himself　as　a　husband　at　the　first

moment　when　he　could　find　himself　alone　with　Modeste。



Overhearing　a　few　acid　though　polite　remarks　exchanged　between　the

poet　and　the　two　noble　ladies；　Gobenheim　nudged　Butscha　with　his

elbow；　and　said　in　an　undertone；　motioning　towards　the　poet　and　the

grand　equerry；



〃They'll　demolish　one　another！〃



〃Canalis　has　genius　enough　to　demolish　himself　all　alone；〃　answered

the　dwarf。







CHAPTER　XXII



A　RIDDLE　GUESSED



During　the　dinner；　which　was　magnificent　and　admirably　well　served；

the　duke　obtained　a　signal　advantage　over　Canalis。　Modeste；　who　had

received　her　habit　and　other　equestrian　equipments　the　night　before；

spoke　of　taking　rides　about　the　country。　A　turn　of　the　conversation

led　her　to　express　the　wish　to　see　a　hunt　with　hounds；　a　pleasure　she

had　never　yet　enjoyed。　The　duke　at　once　proposed　to　arrange　a　hunt　in

one　of　the　crown　forests；　which　lay　a　few　leagues　from　Havre。　Thanks

to　his　intimacy　with　the　Prince　de　Cadignan；　Master　of　the　Hunt；　he

saw　his　chance　of　displaying　an　almost　regal　pomp　before　Modeste's

eyes；　and　alluring　her　with　a　glimpse　of　court　fascinations；　to　which

she　could　be　introduced　by　marriage。　Glances　were　exchanged　between

the　duke　and　the　two　demoiselles　d'Herouville；　which　plainly　said；

〃The　heiress　is　ours！〃　and　the　poet；　who　detected　them；　and　who　had

nothing　but　his　personal　splendors　to　depend　on；　determined　all　the

more　firmly　to　obtain　some　pledge　of　affection　at　once。　Modeste；　on

the　other　hand；　half…frightened　at　being　thus　pushed　beyond　her

intentions　by　the　d'Herouvilles；　walked　rather　markedly　apart　with

Melchior；　when　the　company　adjourned　to　the　park　after　dinner。　With

the　pardonable　curiosity　of　a　young　girl；　she　let　him　suspect　the

calumnies　which　Helene　had　poured　into　her　ears；　but　on　Canalis's

exclamation　of　anger；　she　begged　him　to　keep　silence　about　them；　which

he　promised。



〃These　stabs　of　the　tongue；〃　he　said；　〃are　considered　fair　in　the

great　world。　They　shock　your　upright　nature；　but　as　for　me；　I　laugh　at

them；　I　am　even　pleased。　These　ladies　must　feel　that　the　du