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But you threaten to take away from a girl the very happiness you so

kindly arrange for her; you are tearing away every gesture; every

word; every look; you cut the wings of your bird; and then expect it

to hover about you。 I know poets are accused of inconsistencyoh!

very unjustly;〃 she added; as Canalis made a gesture of denial; 〃that

alleged defect which comes from the brilliant activity of their minds

which commonplace people cannot take into account。 I do not believe;

however; that a man of genius can invent such irreconcilable

conditions and call his invention life。 You are requiring the

impossible solely for the pleasure of putting me in the wrong;like

the enchanters in fairy…tales; who set tasks to persecuted young girls

whom the good fairies come and deliver。〃



〃In this case the good fairy would be true love;〃 said Canalis in a

curt tone; aware that his elaborate excuse for a rupture was seen

through by the keen and delicate mind which Butscha had piloted so

well。



〃My dear poet; you remind me of those fathers who inquire into a

girl's 'dot' before they are willing to name that of their son。 You

are quarrelling with me without knowing whether you have the slightest

right to do so。 Love is not gained by such dry arguments as yours。 The

poor duke on the contrary abandons himself to it like my Uncle Toby;

with this difference; that I am not the Widow Wadman;though widow

indeed of many illusions as to poetry at the present moment。 Ah; yes;

we young girls will not believe in anything that disturbs our world of

fancy! I was warned of all this beforehand。 My dear poet; you are

attempting to get up a quarrel which is unworthy of you。 I no longer

recognize the Melchior of yesterday。〃



〃Because Melchior has discovered a spirit of ambition in you which〃



Modeste looked at him from head to foot with an imperial eye。



〃But I shall be peer of France and ambassador as well as he;〃 added

Canalis。



〃Do you take me for a bourgeois;〃 she said; beginning to mount the

steps of the portico; but she instantly turned back and added; 〃That

is less impertinent than to take me for a fool。 The change in your

conduct comes from certain silly rumors which you have heard in Havre;

and which my maid Francoise has repeated to me。〃



〃Ah; Modeste; how can you think it?〃 said Canalis; striking a dramatic

attitude。 〃Do you think me capable of marrying you only for your

money?〃



〃If I do you that wrong after your edifying remarks on the banks of

the Seine can you easily undeceive me;〃 she said; annihilating him

with her scorn。



〃Ah!〃 thought the poet; as he followed her into the house; 〃if you

think; my little girl; that I'm to be caught in that net; you take me

to be younger than I am。 Dear; dear; what a fuss about an artful

little thing whose esteem I value about as much as that of the king of

Borneo。 But she has given me a good reason for the rupture by accusing

me of such unworthy sentiments。 Isn't she sly? La Briere will get a

burden on his backidiot that he is! And five years hence it will be

a good joke to see them together。〃



The coldness which this altercation produced between Modeste and

Canalis was visible to all eyes that evening。 The poet went off early;

on the ground of La Briere's illness; leaving the field to the grand

equerry。 About eleven o'clock Butscha; who had come to walk home with

Madame Latournelle; whispered in Modeste's ear; 〃Was I right?〃



〃Alas; yes;〃 she said。



〃But I hope you have left the door half open; so that he can come

back; we agreed upon that; you know。〃



〃Anger got the better of me;〃 said Modeste。 〃Such meanness sent the

blood to my head and I told him what I thought of him。〃



〃Well; so much the better。 When you are both so angry that you can't

speak civilly to each other I engage to make him desperately in love

and so pressing that you will be deceived yourself。〃



〃Come; come; Butscha; he is a great poet; he is a gentleman; he is a

man of intellect。〃



〃Your father's eight millions are more to him than all that。〃



〃Eight millions!〃 exclaimed Modeste。



〃My master; who has sold his practice; is going to Provence to attend

to the purchase of lands which your father's agent has suggested to

him。 The sum that is to be paid for the estate of La Bastie is four

millions; your father has agreed to it。 You are to have a 'dot' of two

millions and another million for an establishment in Paris; a hotel

and furniture。 Now; count up。〃



〃Ah! then I can be Duchesse d'Herouville!〃 cried Modeste; glancing at

Butscha。



〃If it hadn't been for that comedian of a Canalis you would have kept

HIS whip; thinking it came from me;〃 said the dwarf; indirectly

pleading La Briere's cause。



〃Monsieur Butscha; may I ask if I am to marry to please you?〃 said

Modeste; laughing。



〃That fine fellow loves you as well as I do;and you loved him for

eight days;〃 retorted Butscha; 〃and HE has got a heart。〃



〃Can he compete; pray; with an office under the Crown? There are but

six; grand almoner; chancellor; grand chamberlain; grand master; high

constable; grand admiral;but they don't appoint high constables any

longer。〃



〃In six months; mademoiselle; the masseswho are made up of wicked

Butschascould send all those grand dignities to the winds。 Besides;

what signifies nobility in these days? There are not a thousand real

noblemen in France。 The d'Herouvilles are descended from a tipstaff in

the time of Robert of Normandy。 You will have to put up with many a

vexation from the old aunt with the furrowed face。 Look here;as you

are so anxious for the title of duchess;you belong to the Comtat;

and the Pope will certainly think as much of you as he does of all

those merchants down there; he'll sell you a duchy with some name

ending in 'ia' or 'agno。' Don't play away your happiness for an office

under the Crown。〃







CHAPTER XXV



A DIPLOMATIC LETTER



The poet's reflections during the night were thoroughly matter…of

fact。 He sincerely saw nothing worse in life than the situation of a

married man without money。 Still trembling at the danger he had been

led into by his vanity; his desire to get the better of the duke; and

his belief in the Mignon millions; he began to ask himself what the

duchess must be thinking of his stay in Havre; aggravated by the fact

that he had not written to her for fourteen days; whereas in Paris

they exchanged four or five letters a week。



〃And that poor woman is working hard to get me appointed commander of

the Legion and ambassador to the Court of Baden!〃 he cried。



Thereupon; with that promptitude of decision which resultsin poets

as well as in speculatorsfrom a lively intuition of the future; he

sat down and composed the following letter:



  To Madame la Duchesse de Chaulieu:



  My dear Eleonore;You have doubtless been surprised at not

  hearing from me; but the stay I am making in this place is not

  altogether on account of my health。 I have been trying to do a

  good turn to our little friend La Briere。 The poor fellow has

  fallen in love with a certain Mademoiselle Modeste de La Bastie; a

  rather pale; insignificant; and thread…papery little thing; who;

  by the way; has the vice of liking literature; and calls herself a

  poet to excuse the caprices and humors of a rather sullen nature。

  You know Ernest;he is so easy to catch that I have been afraid

  to leave him to himself。 Mademoiselle de La Bastie was inclined to

  coquet with your Melchior; and was only too ready to become your

  rival; though her arms are thin; and she has no more bust than

  most girls; moreover; her hair is as dead and colorless as that of

  Madame de Rochefide; and her eyes small; gray; and very

  suspicious。 I put a stopperhaps rather brutallyto the

  attentions of Mademoiselle Immodeste; but love; such as mine for

  you; demanded it。 What care I for all the women on earth;

  compar

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