modeste mignon-第63章

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of　joy　came　to　him　intermingled　with　melancholy　meditations　on　the　one

theme；　〃I　have　lost　her；〃　and　made　him　all　the　more　interesting　to

those　who　watched　him；　because　his　face　and　his　whole　person　were　in

keeping　with　his　profound　feeling。　There　is　nothing　more　poetic　than　a

living　elegy；　animated　by　a　pair　of　eyes；　walking　about；　and　sighing

without　rhymes。



The　Duc　d'Herouville　arrived　at　last　to　arrange　for　Modeste's

departure；　after　crossing　the　Seine　she　was　to　be　conveyed　in　the

duke's　caleche；　accompanied　by　the　Demoiselles　d'Herouville。　The　duke

was　charmingly　courteous；　he　begged　Canalis　and　La　Briere　to　be　of　the

party；　assuring　them；　as　he　did　the　colonel；　that　he　had　taken

particular　care　that　hunters　should　be　provided　for　them。　The　colonel

invited　the　three　lovers　to　breakfast　on　the　morning　of　the　start。

Canalis　then　began　to　put　into　execution　a　plan　that　he　had　been

maturing　in　his　own　mind　for　the　last　few　days；　namely；　to　quietly

reconquer　Modeste；　and　throw　over　the　duchess；　La　Briere；　and　the

duke。　A　graduate　of　diplomacy　could　hardly　remain　stuck　in　the

position　in　which　he　found　himself。　On　the　other　hand　La　Briere　had

come　to　the　resolution　of　bidding　Modeste　an　eternal　farewell。　Each

suitor　was　therefore　on　the　watch　to　slip　in　a　last　word；　like　the

defendant's　counsel　to　the　court　before　judgment　is　pronounced；　for

all　felt　that　the　three　weeks'　struggle　was　approaching　its

conclusion。　After　dinner　on　the　evening　before　the　start　was　to　be

made；　the　colonel　had　taken　his　daughter　by　the　arm　and　made　her　feel

the　necessity　of　deciding。



〃Our　position　with　the　d'Herouville　family　will　be　quite　intolerable

at　Rosembray；〃　he　said　to　her。　〃Do　you　mean　to　be　a　duchess？〃



〃No；　father；〃　she　answered。



〃Then　do　you　love　Canalis？〃



〃No；　papa；　a　thousand　times　no！〃　she　exclaimed　with　the　impatience　of

a　child。



The　colonel　looked　at　her　with　a　sort　of　joy。



〃Ah；　I　have　not　influenced　you；〃　cried　the　true　father；　〃and　I　will

now　confess　that　I　chose　my　son…in…law　in　Paris　when；　having　made　him

believe　that　I　had　but　little　fortune；　he　grasped　my　hand　and　told　me

I　took　a　weight　from　his　mind〃



〃Who　is　it　you　mean？〃　asked　Modeste；　coloring。



〃THE　MAN　OF　FIXED　PRINCIPLES　AND　SOUND　MORALITIES；〃　said　her　father；

slyly；　repeating　the　words　which　had　dissolved　poor　Modeste's　dream　on

the　day　after　his　return。



〃I　was　not　even　thinking　of　him；　papa。　Please　leave　me　at　liberty　to

refuse　the　duke　myself；　I　understand　him；　and　I　know　how　to　soothe

him。〃



〃Then　your　choice　is　not　made？〃



〃Not　yet；　there　is　another　syllable　or　two　in　the　charade　of　my

destiny　still　to　be　guessed；　but　after　I　have　had　a　glimpse　of　court

life　at　Rosembray　I　will　tell　you　my　secret。〃



〃Ah！　Monsieur　de　La　Briere；〃　cried　the　colonel；　as　the　young　man

approached　them　along　the　garden　path　in　which　they　were　walking；　〃I

hope　you　are　going　to　this　hunt？〃



〃No；　colonel；〃　answered　Ernest。　〃I　have　come　to　take　leave　of　you　and

of　mademoiselle；　I　return　to　Paris〃



〃You　have　no　curiosity；〃　said　Modeste；　interrupting；　and　looking　at

him。



〃A　wishthat　I　cannot　expectwould　suffice　to　keep　me；〃　he　replied。



〃If　that　is　all；　you　must　stay　to　please　me；　I　wish　it；〃　said　the

colonel；　going　forward　to　meet　Canalis；　and　leaving　his　daughter　and

La　Briere　together　for　a　moment。



〃Mademoiselle；〃　said　the　young　man；　raising　his　eyes　to　hers　with　the

boldness　of　a　man　without　hope；　〃I　have　an　entreaty　to　make　to　you。〃



〃To　me？〃



〃Let　me　carry　away　with　me　your　forgiveness。　My　life　can　never　be

happy；　it　must　be　full　of　remorse　for　having　lost　my　happinessno

doubt　by　my　own　fault；　but；　at　least；〃



〃Before　we　part　forever；〃　said　Modeste；　interrupting　a　la　Canalis；　and

speaking　in　a　voice　of　some　emotion；　〃I　wish　to　ask　you　one　thing；　and

though　you　once　disguised　yourself；　I　think　you　cannot　be　so　base　as

to　deceive　me　now。〃



The　taunt　made　him　turn　pale；　and　he　cried　out；　〃Oh；　you　are

pitiless！〃



〃Will　you　be　frank？〃



〃You　have　the　right　to　ask　me　that　degrading　question；〃　he　said；　in　a

voice　weakened　by　the　violent　palpitation　of　his　heart。



〃Well；　then；　did　you　read　my　letters　to　Monsieur　de　Canalis？〃



〃No；　mademoiselle；　and　I　allowed　your　father　to　read　them　it　was　to

justify　my　love　by　showing　him　how　it　was　born；　and　how　sincere　my

efforts　were　to　cure　you　of　your　fancy。〃



〃But　how　came　the　idea　of　that　unworthy　masquerade　ever　to　arise？〃　she

said；　with　a　sort　of　impatience。



La　Briere　related　truthfully　the　scene　in　the　poet's　study　which

Modeste's　first　letter　had　occasioned；　and　the　sort　of　challenge　that

resulted　from　his　expressing　a　favorable　opinion　of　a　young　girl　thus

led　toward　a　poet's　fame；　as　a　plant　seeks　its　share　of　the　sun。



〃You　have　said　enough；〃　said　Modeste；　restraining　some　emotion。　〃If

you　have　not　my　heart；　monsieur；　you　have　at　least　my　esteem。〃



These　simple　words　gave　the　young　man　a　violent　shock；　feeling　himself

stagger；　he　leaned　against　a　tree；　like　a　man　deprived　for　a　moment　of

reason。　Modest；　who　had　left　him；　turned　her　head　and　came　hastily

back。



〃What　is　the　matter？〃　she　asked；　taking　his　hand　to　prevent　him　from

falling。



〃Forgive　meI　thought　you　despised　me。〃



〃But；〃　she　answered；　with　a　distant　and　disdainful　manner；　〃I　did　not

say　that　I　loved　you。〃



And　she　left　him　again。　But　this　time；　in　spite　of　her　harshness；　La

Briere　thought　he　walked　on　air；　the　earth　softened　under　his　feet；

the　trees　bore　flowers；　the　skies　were　rosy；　the　air　cerulean；　as　they

are　in　the　temples　of　Hymen　in　those　fairy　pantomimes　which　finish

happily。　In　such　situations　every　woman　is　a　Janus；　and　sees　behind

her　without　turning　round；　and　thus　Modeste　perceived　on　the　face　of

her　lover　the　indubitable　symptoms　of　a　love　like　Butscha's；surely

the　〃ne　plus　ultra〃　of　a　woman's　hope。　Moreover；　the　great　value　which

La　Briere　attached　to　her　opinion　filled　Modeste　with　an　emotion　that

was　inestimably　sweet。



〃Mademoiselle；〃　said　Canalis；　leaving　the　colonel　and　waylaying

Modeste；　〃in　spite　of　the　little　value　you　attach　to　my　sentiments；　my

honor　is　concerned　in　effacing　a　stain　under　which　I　have　suffered　too

long。　Here　is　a　letter　which　I　received　from　the　Duchesse　de　Chaulieu

five　days　after　my　arrival　in　Havre。〃



He　let　Modeste　read　the　first　lines　of　the　letter　we　have　seen；　which

the　duchess　began　by　saying　that　she　had　seen　Mongenod；　and　now　wished

to　marry　her　poet　to　Modeste；　then　he　tore　that　passage　from　the　body

of　the　letter；　and　placed　the　fragment　in　her　hand。



〃I　cannot　let　you　read　the　rest；〃　he　said；　putting　the　paper　in　his

pocket；　〃but　I　confide　these　few　lines　to　your　discretion；　so　that　you

may　verify　the　writing。　A　young　girl　who　could　accuse　me　of　ignoble

sentiments　is　quite　capable　of　suspecting　some　collusion；　some

trickery。　Ah；　Modeste；〃　he　said；　with　tears　in　his　voice；　〃your　poet；

the　poet　of　Madame　de　Chaulieu；　has　no　less　poetry　in　his　heart　than

in　his　mind。　You　are　about　to　see　the　duchess；　suspend　your　judgment

of　me　till　then。〃



He　left　Modeste　half　bewildered。



〃Oh；　dear！〃　she　said　to　herself；　〃it　seems　they　are　all　angelsand

not　marriageable；　the　duke　is　the　only　one　that　belongs　to　humanity。〃



〃Mademoiselle　Modeste；〃　said　Butscha；　appearing　with　a　parcel　under

his　arm；　〃this　hunt　makes　me　very　uneasy。　I　dreamed　your　horse　ran

away　with　you；　and　I　have　been　to　Rouen　to　see　if　I　could　get　a

Spanish　bit　which；　they　tell　me；　a　horse　can't　take　between　his　teeth。

I　entreat　you　to　use　it。　I　have　shown　it　to　the　colonel；　and　he　has

thanked　me　more　than　there　is　any　occasion　for。〃



〃Poor；　dear　Butscha！〃　cried　Modeste；　moved　to　tears　by　this　maternal

care。



Butscha　went　skipping　off　like　a　man　who　has　just　heard　of　the　death

of　a　rich　uncle。



〃My　dear　father；〃　said　Modeste；　returning　to　the　salon；　〃I　sh