modeste mignon-第62章

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〃I　never　saw　a　hunt。〃



〃It　would　be　all　very　well　if　the　king　went；　but　it　is　a　terrible　bore

to　go　so　far；　and　he　will　not　do　it；　I　have　just　been　speaking　with

him　about　it。〃



〃Perhaps　MADAME　would　go？〃



〃That　would　be　better；〃　returned　the　duke；　〃I　dare　say　the　Duchesse　de

Maufrigneuse　would　help　you　to　persuade　her　from　Rosny。　If　she　goes

the　king　will　not　be　displeased　at　the　use　of　his　hunting　equipage。

Don't　go　to　Havre；　my　dear；〃　added　the　duke；　paternally；　〃that　would

be　giving　yourself　away。　Come；　here's　a　better　plan；　I　think。

Gaspard's　chateau　of　Rosembray　is　on　the　other　side　of　the　forest　of

Brotonne；　why　not　give　him　a　hint　to　invite　the　whole　party？〃



〃He　invite　them？〃　said　Eleonore。



〃I　mean；　of　course；　the　duchess；　she　is　always　engaged　in　pious　works

with　Mademoiselle　d'Herouville；　give　that　old　maid　a　hint；　and　get　her

to　speak　to　Gaspard。〃



〃You　are　a　love　of　a　man；〃　cried　Eleonore；　〃I'll　write　to　the　old　maid

and　to　Diane　at　once；　for　we　must　get　hunting　things　made；a　riding

hat　is　so　becoming。　Did　you　win　last　night　at　the　English　embassy？〃



〃Yes；〃　said　the　duke；　〃I　cleared　myself。〃



〃Henri；　above　all　things；　stop　proceedings　about　Melchior's　two

appointments。〃



After　writing　half　a　dozen　lines　to　the　beautiful　Diane　de

Maufrigneuse；　and　a　short　hint　to　Mademoiselle　d'Herouville；　Eleonore

sent　the　following　answer　like　the　lash　of　a　whip　through　the　poet's

lies。



　　To　Monsieur　le　Baron　de　Canalis：



　　My　dear　poet；Mademoiselle　de　La　Bastie　is　very　beautiful；

　　Mongenod　has　proved　to　me　that　her　father　has　millions。　I　did

　　think　of　marrying　you　to　her；　I　am　therefore　much　displeased　at

　　your　want　of　confidence。　If　you　had　any　intention　of　marrying　La

　　Briere　when　you　went　to　Havre　it　is　surprising　that　you　said

　　nothing　to　me　about　it　before　you　started。　And　why　have　you

　　omitted　writing　to　a　friend　who　is　so　easily　made　anxious　as　I？

　　Your　letter　arrived　a　trifle　late；　I　had　already　seen　the　banker。

　　You　are　a　child；　Melchior；　and　you　are　playing　tricks　with　us。　It

　　is　not　right。　The　duke　himself　is　quite　indignant　at　your

　　proceedings；　he　thinks　you　less　than　a　gentleman；　which　casts　some

　　reflections　on　your　mother's　honor。



　　Now；　I　intend　to　see　things　for　myself。　I　shall；　I　believe；　have

　　the　honor　of　accompanying　MADAME　to　the　hunt　which　the　Duc

　　d'Herouville　proposes　to　give　for　Mademoiselle　de　La　Bastie。　I

　　will　manage　to　have　you　invited　to　Rosembray；　for　the　meet　will

　　probably　take　place　in　Duc　de　Verneuil's　park。



　　Pray　believe；　my　dear　poet；　that　I　am　none　the　less；　for　life；





Your　friend；　　　　　　Eleonore　de　M。





〃There；　Ernest；　just　look　at　that！〃　cried　Canalis；　tossing　the　letter

at　Ernest's　nose　across　the　breakfast…table；　〃that's　the　two

thousandth　love…letter　I　have　had　from　that　woman；　and　there　isn't

even　a　'thou'　in　it。　The　illustrious　Eleonore　has　never　compromised

herself　more　than　she　does　there。　Marry；　and　try　your　luck！　The　worst

marriage　in　the　world　is　better　than　this　sort　of　halter。　Ah；　I　am　the

greatest　Nicodemus　that　ever　tumbled　out　of　the　moon！　Modeste　has

millions；　and　I've　lost　her；　for　we　can't　get　back　from　the　poles；

where　we　are　to…day；　to　the　tropics；　where　we　were　three　days　ago！

Well；　I　am　all　the　more　anxious　for　your　triumph　over　the　grand

equerry；　because　I　told　the　duchess　I　came　here　only　for　your　sake；

and　so　I　shall　do　my　best　for　you。〃



〃Alas；　Melchior；　Modeste　must　needs　have　so　noble；　so　grand；　so　well…

balanced　a　nature　to　resist　the　glories　of　the　Court；　and　all　these

splendors　cleverly　displayed　for　her　honor　and　glory　by　the　duke；　that

I　cannot　believe　in　the　existence　of　such　perfection；and　yet；　if　she

is　still　the　Modeste　of　her　letters；　there　might　be　hope！〃



〃Well；　well；　you　are　a　happy　fellow；　you　young　Boniface；　to　see　the

world　and　your　mistress　through　green　spectacles！〃　cried　Canalis；

marching　off　to　pace　up　and　down　the　garden。



Caught　between　two　lies；　the　poet　was　at　a　loss　what　to　do。



〃Play　by　rule；　and　you　lose！〃　he　cried　presently；　sitting　down　in　the

kiosk。　〃Every　man　of　sense　would　have　acted　as　I　did　four　days　ago；

and　got　himself　out　of　the　net　in　which　I　saw　myself。　At　such　times

people　don't　disentangle　nets；　they　break　through　them！　Come；　let　us

be　calm；　cold；　dignified；　affronted。　Honor　requires　it；　English

stiffness　is　the　only　way　to　win　her　back。　After　all；　if　I　have　to

retire　finally；　I　can　always　fall　back　on　my　old　happiness；　a　fidelity

of　ten　years　can't　go　unrewarded。　Eleonore　will　arrange　me　some　good

marriage。〃







CHAPTER　XXVI



TRUE　LOVE



The　hunt　was　destined　to　be　not　only　a　meet　of　the　hounds；　but　a

meeting　of　all　the　passions　excited　by　the　colonel's　millions　and

Modeste's　beauty；　and　while　it　was　in　prospect　there　was　truce　between

the　adversaries。　During　the　days　required　for　the　arrangement　of　this

forestrial　solemnity；　the　salon　of　the　villa　Mignon　presented　the

tranquil　picture　of　a　united　family。　Canalis；　cut　short　in　his　role　of

injured　love　by　Modeste's　quick　perceptions；　wished　to　appear

courteous；　he　laid　aside　his　pretensions；　gave　no　further　specimens　of

his　oratory；　and　became；　what　all　men　of　intellect　can　be　when　they

renounce　affectation；　perfectly　charming。　He　talked　finances　with

Gobenheim；　and　war　with　the　colonel；　Germany　with　Madame　Mignon；　and

housekeeping　with　Madame　Latournelle；endeavoring　to　bias　them　all　in

favor　of　La　Briere。　The　Duc　d'Herouville　left　the　field　to　his　rivals；

for　he　was　obliged　to　go　to　Rosembray　to　consult　with　the　Duc　de

Verneuil；　and　see　that　the　orders　of　the　Royal　Huntsman；　the　Prince　de

Cadignan；　were　carried　out。　And　yet　the　comic　element　was　not

altogether　wanting。　Modeste　found　herself　between　the　depreciatory

hints　of　Canalis　as　to　the　gallantry　of　the　grand　equerry；　and　the

exaggerations　of　the　two　Mesdemoiselles　d'Herouville；　who　passed　every

evening　at　the　villa。　Canalis　made　Modeste　take　notice　that；　instead

of　being　the　heroine　of　the　hunt；　she　would　be　scarcely　noticed。

MADAME　would　be　attended　by　the　Duchesse　de　Maufrigneuse；　daughter…in…

law　of　the　Prince　de　Cadignan；　by　the　Duchesse　de　Chaulieu；　and　other

great　ladies　of　the　Court；　among　whom　she　could　produce　no　sensation；

no　doubt　the　officers　in　garrison　at　Rouen　would　be　invited；　etc。

Helene；　on　the　other　hand；　was　incessantly　telling　her　new　friend；

whom　she　already　looked　upon　as　a　sister…in…law；　that　she　was　to　be

presented　to　MADAME；　undoubtedly　the　Duc　de　Verneuil　would　invite　her

father　and　herself　to　stay　at　Rosembray；　if　the　colonel　wished　to

obtain　a　favor　of　the　king；a　peerage；　for　instance；the　opportunity

was　unique；　for　there　was　hope　of　the　king　himself　being　present　on

the　third　day；　she　would　be　delighted　with　the　charming　welcome　with

which　the　beauties　of　the　Court；　the　Duchesses　de　Chaulieu；　de

Maufrigneuse；　de　Lenoncourt…Chaulieu；　and　other　ladies；　were　prepared

to　meet　her。　It　was　in　fact　an　excessively　amusing　little　warfare；

with　its　marches　and　countermarches　and　stratagems；all　of　which　were

keenly　enjoyed　by　the　Dumays；　the　Latournelles；　Gobenheim；　and

Butscha；　who；　in　conclave　assembled；　said　horrible　things　of　these

noble　personages；　cruelly　noting　and　intelligently　studying　all　their

little　meannesses。



The　promises　on　the　d'Herouville　side　were；　however；　confirmed　by　the

arrival　of　an　invitation；　couched　in　flattering　terms；　from　the　Duc　de

Verneuil　and　the　Master　of　the　Hunt　to　Monsieur　le　Comte　de　La　Bastie

and　his　daughter；　to　stay　at　Rosembray　and　be　present　at　a　grand　hunt

on　the　seventh；　eighth；　ninth；　and　tenth；　of　November　following。



La　Briere；　full　of　dark　presentiments；　craved　the　presence　of　Modeste

with　an　eagerness　whose　bitter　joys　are　known　only　to　lovers　who　feel

that　they　are　parted；　and　parted　fatally　from　those　they　love。　Flashes

of　joy　came　to　him　intermingled　with　melancholy　meditat