modeste mignon-第65章

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the　Duchesse　de　Verneuil；　〃Eleonore　receives　her　Melchior　very

ungraciously。〃



〃The　Duchesse　de　Maufrigneuse　thinks　there　is　a　coolness　between

them；〃　said　Laure　de　Verneuil；　with　simplicity。



Charming　phrase！　so　often　used　in　the　world　of　society；how　the　north

wind　blows　through　it。



〃Why　so？〃　asked　Modeste　of　the　pretty　young　girl　who　had　lately　left

the　Sacre…Coeur。



〃The　great　poet；〃　said　the　pious　duchessmaking　a　sign　to　her

daughter　to　be　silent〃left　Madame　de　Chaulieu　without　a　letter　for

more　than　two　weeks　after　he　went　to　Havre；　having　told　her　that　he

went　there　for　his　health〃



Modeste　made　a　hasty　movement；　which　caught　the　attention　of　Laure；

Helene；　and　Mademoiselle　d'Herouville。



〃and　during　that　time；〃　continued　the　devout　duchess；　〃she　was

endeavoring　to　have　him　appointed　commander　of　the　Legion　of　honor；

and　minister　at　Baden。〃



〃Oh；　that　was　shameful　in　Canalis；　he　owes　everything　to　her；〃

exclaimed　Mademoiselle　d'Herouville。



〃Why　did　not　Madame　de　Chaulieu　come　to　Havre？〃　asked　Modeste　of

Helene；　innocently。



〃My　dear；〃　said　the　Duchesse　de　Verneuil；　〃she　would　let　herself　be

cut　in　little　pieces　without　saying　a　word。　Look　at　her；she　is

regal；　her　head　would　smile；　like　Mary　Stuart's；　after　it　was　cut　off；

in　fact；　she　has　some　of　that　blood　in　her　veins。〃



〃Did　she　not　write　to　him？〃　asked　Modeste。



〃Diane　tells　me；〃　answered　the　duchess；　prompted　by　a　nudge　from

Mademoiselle　d'Herouville；　〃that　in　answer　to　Canalis's　first　letter

she　made　a　cutting　reply　a　few　days　ago。〃



This　explanation　made　Modeste　blush　with　shame　for　the　man　before　her；

she　longed；　not　to　crush　him　under　her　feet；　but　to　revenge　herself　by

one　of　those　malicious　acts　that　are　sharper　than　a　dagger's　thrust。

She　looked　haughtily　at　the　Duchesse　de　Chaulieu



〃Monsieur　Melchior！〃　she　said。



All　the　women　snuffed　the　air　and　looked　alternately　at　the　duchess；

who　was　talking　in　an　undertone　to　Canalis　over　the　embroidery…frame；

and　then　at　the　young　girl　so　ill　brought　up　as　to　disturb　a　lovers'

meeting；a　think　not　permissible　in　any　society。　Diane　de

Maufrigneuse　nodded；　however；　as　much　as　to　say；　〃The　child　is　in　the

right　of　it。〃　All　the　women　ended　by　smiling　at　each　other；　they　were

enraged　with　a　woman　who　was　fifty…six　years　old　and　still　handsome

enough　to　put　her　fingers　into　the　treasury　and　steal　the　dues　of

youth。　Melchior　looked　at　Modeste　with　feverish　impatience；　and　made

the　gesture　of　a　master　to　a　valet；　while　the　duchess　lowered　her　head

with　the　movement　of　a　lioness　disturbed　at　a　meal；　her　eyes；　fastened

on　the　canvas；　emitted　red　flames　in　the　direction　of　the　poet；　which

stabbed　like　epigrams；　for　each　word　revealed　to　her　a　triple　insult。



〃Monsieur　Melchior！〃　said　Modeste　again　in　a　voice　that　asserted　its

right　to　be　heard。



〃What；　mademoiselle？〃　demanded　the　poet。



Forced　to　rise；　he　remained　standing　half…way　between　the　embroidery

frame；　which　was　near　a　window；　and　the　fireplace　where　Modeste　was

seated　with　the　Duchesse　de　Verneuil　on　a　sofa。　What　bitter

reflections　came　into　his　ambitious　mind；　as　he　caught　a　glance　from

Eleonore。　If　he　obeyed　Modeste　all　was　over；　and　forever；　between

himself　and　his　protectress。　Not　to　obey　her　was　to　avow　his　slavery；

to　lose　the　chances　of　his　twenty…five　days　of　base　manoeuvring；　and

to　disregard　the　plainest　laws　of　decency　and　civility。　The　greater

the　folly；　the　more　imperatively　the　duchess　exacted　it。　Modeste's

beauty　and　money　thus　pitted　against　Eleonore's　rights　and　influence

made　this　hesitation　between　the　man　and　his　honor　as　terrible　to

witness　as　the　peril　of　a　matador　in　the　arena。　A　man　seldom　feels

such　palpitations　as　those　which　now　came　near　causing　Canalis　an

aneurism；　except；　perhaps；　before　the　green　table；　where　his　fortune

or　his　ruin　is　about　to　be　decided。



〃Mademoiselle　d'Herouville　hurried　me　from　the　carriage；　and　I　left

behind　me；〃　said　Modeste　to　Canalis；　〃my　handkerchief〃



Canalis　shrugged　his　shoulders　significantly。



〃And；〃　continued　Modeste；　taking　no　notice　of　his　gesture；　〃I　had　tied

into　one　corner　of　it　the　key　of　a　desk　which　contains　the　fragment　of

an　important　letter；　have　the　kindness；　Monsieur　Melchior；　to　get　it

for　me。〃



Between　an　angel　and　a　tiger　equally　enraged　Canalis；　who　had　turned

livid；　no　longer　hesitated；the　tiger　seemed　to　him　the　least

dangerous　of　the　two；　and　he　was　about　to　do　as　he　was　told；　and

commit　himself　irretrievably；　when　La　Briere　appeared　at　the　door　of

the　salon；　seeming　to　his　anguished　mind　like　the　archangel　Gabriel

tumbling　from　heaven。



〃Ernest；　here；　Mademoiselle　de　La　Bastie　wants　you；〃　said　the　poet；

hastily　returning　to　his　chair　by　the　embroidery　frame。



Ernest　rushed　to　Modeste　without　bowing　to　any　one；　he　saw　only　her；

took　his　commission　with　undisguised　joy；　and　darted　from　the　room；

with　the　secret　approbation　of　every　woman　present。



〃What　an　occupation　for　a　poet！〃　said　Modeste　to　Helene　d'Herouville；

glancing　toward　the　embroidery　at　which　the　duchess　was　now　working

savagely。



〃If　you　speak　to　her；　if　you　ever　look　at　her；　all　is　over　between

us；〃　said　the　duchess　to　the　poet　in　a　low　voice；　not　at　all　satisfied

with　the　very　doubtful　termination　which　Ernest's　arrival　had　put　to

the　scene；　〃and　remember；　if　I　am　not　present；　I　leave　behind　me　eyes

that　will　watch　you。〃



So　saying；　the　duchess；　a　woman　of　medium　height；　but　a　little　too

stout；　like　all　women　over　fifty　who　retain　their　beauty；　rose　and

walked　toward　the　group　which　surrounded　Diane　de　Maufrigneuse；

stepping　daintily　on　little　feet　that　were　as　slender　and　nervous　as　a

deer's。　Beneath　her　plumpness　could　be　seen　the　exquisite　delicacy　of

such　women；　which　comes　from　the　vigor　of　their　nervous　systems

controlling　and　vitalizing　the　development　of　flesh。　There　is　no　other

way　to　explain　the　lightness　of　her　step；　and　the　incomparable

nobility　of　her　bearing。　None　but　the　women　whose　quarterings　begin

with　Noah　know；　as　Eleonore　did；　how　to　be　majestic　in　spite　of　a

buxom　tendency。　A　philosopher　might　have　pitied　Philoxene；　while

admiring　the　graceful　lines　of　the　bust　and　the　minute　care　bestowed

upon　a　morning　dress；　which　was　worn　with　the　elegance　of　a　queen　and

the　easy　grace　of　a　young　girl。　Her　abundant　hair；　still　undyed；　was

simply　wound　about　her　head　in　plaits；　she　bared　her　snowy　throat　and

shoulders；　exquisitely　modelled；　and　her　celebrated　hand　and　arm；　with

pardonable　pride。　Modeste；　together　with　all　other　antagonists　of　the

duchess；　recognized　in　her　a　woman　of　whom　they　were　forced　to　say；

〃She　eclipses　us。〃　In　fact；　Eleonore　was　one　of　the　〃grandes　dames〃

now　so　rare。　To　endeavor　to　explain　what　august　quality　there　was　in

the　carriage　of　the　head；　what　refinement　and　delicacy　in　the　curve　of

the　throat；　what　harmony　in　her　movements；　and　nobility　in　her

bearing；　what　grandeur　in　the　perfect　accord　of　details　with　the　whole

being；　and　in　the　arts；　now　a　second　nature；　which　render　a　woman

grand　and　even　sacred；to　explain　all　these　things　would　simply　be　to

attempt　to　analyze　the　sublime。　People　enjoy　such　poetry　as　they　enjoy

that　of　Paganini；　they　do　not　explain　to　themselves　the　medium；　they

know　the　cause　is　in　the　spirit　that　remains　invisible。



Madame　de　Chaulieu　bowed　her　head　in　salutation　of　Helene　and　her

aunt；　then；　saying　to　Diane；　in　a　pure　and　equable　tone　of　voice；

without　a　trace　of　emotion；　〃Is　it　not　time　to　dress；　duchess？〃　she

made　her　exit；　accompanied　by　her　daughter…in…law　and　Mademoiselle

d'Herouville。　As　she　left　the　room　she　spoke　in　an　undertone　to　the

old　maid；　who　pressed　her　arm；　saying；　〃You　are　charming；〃which

meant；　〃I　am　all　gratitude　for　the　service　you　have　just　done　us。〃

After　that；　Mademoiselle　d'Herouville　returned　to　the　salon　to　play

her　part　of　spy；　and　her　first　glance　apprised　Canalis　that　the

d