modeste mignon-第58章

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THE　POET　FEELS　THAT　HE　IS　LOVED　TOO　WELL



An　hour　later；　Modeste；　charmingly　equipped　in　a　bottle…green

cassimere　habit；　a　small　hat　with　a　green　veil；　buckskin　gloves；　and

velvet　boots　which　met　the　lace　frills　of　her　drawers；　and　mounted　on

an　elegantly　caparisoned　little　horse；　was　exhibiting　to　her　father

and　the　Duc　d'Herouville　the　beautiful　present　she　had　just　received；

she　was　evidently　delighted　with　an　attention　of　a　kind　that

particularly　flatters　women。



〃Did　it　come　from　you；　Monsieur　le　duc？〃　she　said；　holding　the

sparkling　handle　toward　him。　〃There　was　a　card　with　it；　saying；　'Guess

if　you　can；'　and　some　asterisks。　Francoise　and　Dumay　credit　Butscha

with　this　charming　surprise；　but　my　dear　Butscha　is　not　rich　enough　to

buy　such　rubies。　And　as　for　papa　（to　whom　I　said；　as　I　remember；　on

Sunday　evening；　that　I　had　no　whip）；　he　sent　to　Rouen　for　this　one；〃

pointing　to　a　whip　in　her　father's　hand；　with　a　top　like　a　cone　of

turquoise；　a　fashion　then　in　vogue　which　has　since　become　vulgar。



〃I　would　give　ten　years　of　my　old　age；　mademoiselle；　to　have　the　right

to　offer　you　that　beautiful　jewel；〃　said　the　duke；　courteously。



〃Ah；　here　comes　the　audacious　giver！〃　cried　Modeste；　as　Canalis　rode

up。　〃It　is　only　a　poet　who　knows　where　to　find　such　choice　things。

Monsieur；〃　she　said　to　Melchior；　〃my　father　will　scold　you；　and　say

that　you　justify　those　who　accuse　you　of　extravagance。〃



〃Oh！〃　exclaimed　Canalis；　with　apparent　simplicity；　〃so　that　is　why　La

Briere　rode　at　full　gallop　from　Havre　to　Paris？〃



〃Does　your　secretary　take　such　liberties？〃　said　Modeste；　turning　pale；

and　throwing　the　whip　to　Francoise　with　an　impetuosity　that　expressed

scorn。　〃Give　me　your　whip；　papa。〃



〃Poor　Ernest；　who　lies　there　on　his　bed　half…dead　with　fatigue！〃　said

Canalis；　overtaking　the　girl；　who　had　already　started　at　a　gallop。

〃You　are　pitiless；　mademoiselle。　'I　have'　（the　poor　fellow　said　to　me）

'only　this　one　chance　to　remain　in　her　memory。'〃



〃And　should　you　think　well　of　a　woman　who　could　take　presents　from

half　the　parish？〃　said　Modeste。



She　was　surprised　to　receive　no　answer　to　this　inquiry；　and　attributed

the　poet's　inattention　to　the　noise　of　the　horse's　feet。



〃How　you　delight　in　tormenting　those　who　love　you；〃　said　the　duke。

〃Your　nobility　of　soul　and　your　pride　are　so　inconsistent　with　your

faults　that　I　begin　to　suspect　you　calumniate　yourself；　and　do　those

naughty　things　on　purpose。〃



〃Ah！　have　you　only　just　found　that　out；　Monsieur　le　duc？〃　she

exclaimed；　laughing。　〃You　have　the　sagacity　of　a　husband。〃



They　rode　half　a　mile　in　silence。　Modeste　was　a　good　deal　astonished

not　to　receive　the　fire　of　the　poet's　eyes。　The　evening　before；　as　she

was　pointing　out　to　him　an　admirable　effect　of　setting　sunlight　across

the　water；　she　had　said；　remarking　his　inattention；　〃Well；　don't　you

see　it？〃to　which　he　replied；　〃I　can　see　only　your　hand〃；　but　now　his

admiration　for　the　beauties　of　nature　seemed　a　little　too　intense　to

be　natural。



〃Does　Monsieur　de　La　Briere　know　how　to　ride？〃　she　asked；　for　the

purpose　of　teasing　him。



〃Not　very　well；　but　he　gets　along；〃　answered　the　poet；　cold　as

Gobenheim　before　the　colonel's　return。



At　a　cross…road；　which　Monsieur　Mignon　made　them　take　through　a　lovely

valley　to　reach　a　height　overlooking　the　Seine；　Canalis　let　Modeste

and　the　duke　pass　him；　and　then　reined　up　to　join　the　colonel。



〃Monsieur　le　comte；〃　he　said；　〃you　are　an　open…hearted　soldier；　and　I

know　you　will　regard　my　frankness　as　a　title　to　your　esteem。　When

proposals　of　marriage；　with　all　their　brutal；or；　if　you　please；　too

civilizeddiscussions；　are　carried　on　by　third　parties；　it　is　an

injury　to　all。　We　are　both　gentlemen；　and　both　discreet；　and　you；　like

myself；　have　passed　beyond　the　age　of　surprises。　Let　us　therefore

speak　as　intimates。　I　will　set　you　the　example。　I　am　twenty…nine　years

old；　without　landed　estates；　and　full　of　ambition。　Mademoiselle

Modeste；　as　you　must　have　perceived；　pleases　me　extremely。　Now；　in

spite　of　the　little　defects　which　your　dear　girl　likes　to　assume〃



〃not　counting　those　she　really　possesses；〃　said　the　colonel；

smiling；



〃I　should　gladly　make　her　my　wife；　and　I　believe　I　could　render　her

happy。　The　question　of　money　is　of　the　utmost　importance　to　my　future；

which　hangs　to…day　in　the　balance。　All　young　girls　expect　to　be　loved

WHETHER　OR　NOfortune　or　no　fortune。　But　you　are　not　the　man　to　marry

your　dear　Modeste　without　a　'dot；'　and　my　situation　does　not　allow　me

to　make　a　marriage　of　what　is　called　love　unless　with　a　woman　who　has

a　fortune　at　least　equal　to　mine。　I　have；　from　my　emoluments　and

sinecures；　from　the　Academy　and　from　my　works；　about　thirty　thousand

francs　a　year；　a　large　income　for　a　bachelor。　If　my　wife　brought　me　as

much　more；　I　should　still　be　in　about　the　same　condition　that　I　am

now。　Shall　you　give　Mademoiselle　a　million？〃



〃Ah；　monsieur；　we　have　not　reached　that　point　as　yet；〃　said　the

colonel；　Jesuitically。



〃Then　suppose；〃　said　Canalis；　quickly；　〃that　we　go　no　further；　we　will

let　the　matter　drop。　You　shall　have　no　cause　to　complain　of　me；

Monsieur　le　comte；　the　world　shall　consider　me　among　the　unfortunate

suitors　of　your　charming　daughter。　Give　me　your　word　of　honor　to　say

nothing　on　the　subject　to　any　one；　not　even　to　Mademoiselle　Modeste；

because；〃　he　added；　throwing　a　word　of　promise　to　the　ear；　〃my

circumstances　may　so　change　that　I　can　ask　you　for　her　without　'dot。'〃



〃I　promise　you　that；〃　said　the　colonel。　〃You　know；　monsieur；　with　what

assurance　the　public；　both　in　Paris　and　the　provinces；　talk　of

fortunes　that　they　make　and　unmake。　People　exaggerate　both　happiness

and　unhappiness；　we　are　never　so　fortunate　nor　so　unfortunate　as

people　say　we　are。　There　is　nothing　sure　and　certain　in　business

except　investments　in　land。　I　am　awaiting　the　accounts　of　my　agents

with　very　great　impatience。　The　sale　of　my　merchandise　and　my　ship；

and　the　settlement　of　my　affairs　in　China；　are　not　yet　concluded；　and

I　cannot　know　the　full　amount　of　my　fortune　for　at　least　six　months。　I

did；　however；　say　to　Monsieur　de　La　Briere　in　Paris　that　I　would

guarantee　a　'dot'　of　two　hundred　thousand　francs　in　ready　money。　I

wish　to　entail　my　estates；　and　enable　my　grandchildren　to　inherit　my

arms　and　title。〃



Canalis　did　not　listen　to　this　statement　after　the　opening　sentence。

The　four　riders；　having　now　reached　a　wider　road；　went　abreast　and

soon　reached　a　stretch　of　table…land；　from　which　the　eye　took　in　on

one　side　the　rich　valley　of　the　Seine　toward　Rouen；　and　on　the　other

an　horizon　bounded　only　by　the　sea。



〃Butscha　was　right；　God　is　the　greatest　of　all　landscape　painters；〃

said　Canalis；　contemplating　the　view；　which　is　unique　among　the　many

fine　scenes　that　have　made　the　shores　of　the　Seine　so　justly

celebrated。



〃Above　all　do　we　feel　that；　my　dear　baron；〃　said　the　duke；　〃on

hunting…days；　when　nature　has　a　voice；　and　a　lively　tumult　breaks　the

silence；　at　such　times　the　landscape；　changing　rapidly　as　we　ride

through　it；　seems　really　sublime。〃



〃The　sun　is　the　inexhaustible　palette；〃　said　Modeste；　looking　at　the

poet　in　a　species　of　bewilderment。



A　remark　that　she　presently　made　on　his　absence　of　mind　gave　him　an

opportunity　of　saying　that　he　was　just　then　absorbed　in　his　own

thoughts；an　excuse　that　authors　have　more　reason　for　giving　than

other　men。



〃Are　we　really　made　happy　by　carrying　our　lives　into　the　midst　of　the

world；　and　swelling　them　with　all　sorts　of　fictitious　wants　and　over…

excited　vanities？〃　said　Modeste；　moved　by　the　aspect　of　the　fertile

and　billowy　country　to　long　for　a　philosophically　tranquil　life。



〃That　is　a　bucolic；　mademoiselle；　which　is　only　written　on　tablets　of

gold；〃　said　the　poet。



〃And　sometimes　under　garret…roofs；〃　remarked　the　colonel。



Modeste　threw　a　piercing　glance　at　Canalis；　which　he　was　unable　to