modeste mignon-第7章

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unrivalled　love　in　return　for　her　single…minded　love　for　him；all

these　things　brought　the　woman　back　to　life。　At　the　moment　when　her

doubts　and　fears　at　last　left　her；　when　she　could　look　forward　to　the

bright　evening　of　her　stormy　life；　a　hidden　catastrophe；　buried　in　the

heart　of　the　family；　and　of　which　we　shall　presently　make　mention；

came　as　the　precursor　of　renewed　trials。



In　January；　1826；　on　the　day　when　Havre　had　unanimously　chosen　Charles

Mignon　as　its　deputy；　three　letters；　arriving　from　New　York；　Paris；

and　London；　fell　with　the　destruction　of　a　hammer　upon　the　crystal

palace　of　his　prosperity。　In　an　instant　ruin　like　a　vulture　swooped

down　upon　their　happiness；　just　as　the　cold　fell　in　1812　upon　the

grand　army　in　Russia。　One　night　sufficed　Charles　Mignon　to　decide　upon

his　course；　and　he　spent　it　in　settling　his　accounts　with　Dumay。　All

he　owned；　not　excepting　his　furniture；　would　just　suffice　to　pay　his

creditors。



〃Havre　shall　never　see　me　doing　nothing；〃　said　the　colonel　to　the

lieutenant。　〃Dumay；　I　take　your　sixty　thousand　francs　at　six　per

cent。〃



〃Three；　my　colonel。〃



〃At　nothing；　then；〃　cried　Mignon；　peremptorily；　〃you　shall　have　your

share　in　the　profits　of　what　I　now　undertake。　The　'Modeste；'　which　is

no　longer　mine；　sails　to…morrow；　and　I　sail　in　her。　I　commit　to　you　my

wife　and　daughter。　I　shall　not　write。　No　news　must　be　taken　as　good

news。〃



Dumay；　always　subordinate；　asked　no　questions　of　his　colonel。　〃I

think；〃　he　said　to　Latournelle　with　a　knowing　little　glance；　〃that　my

colonel　has　a　plan　laid　out。〃



The　following　day　at　dawn　he　accompanied　his　master　on　board　the

〃Modeste〃　bound　for　Constantinople。　There；　on　the　poop　of　the　vessel；

the　Breton　said　to　the　Provencal；



〃What　are　your　last　commands；　my　colonel？〃



〃That　no　man　shall　enter　the　Chalet；〃　cried　the　father　with　strong

emotion。　〃Dumay；　guard　my　last　child　as　though　you　were　a　bull…dog。

Death　to　the　man　who　seduces　another　daughter！　Fear　nothing；　not　even

the　scaffoldI　will　be　with　you。〃



〃My　colonel；　go　in　peace。　I　understand　you。　You　shall　find

Mademoiselle　Mignon　on　your　return　such　as　you　now　give　her　to　me；　or

I　shall　be　dead。　You　know　me；　and　you　know　your　Pyrenees　hounds。　No

man　shall　reach　your　daughter。　Forgive　me　for　troubling　you　with

words。〃



The　two　soldiers　clasped　arms　like　men　who　had　learned　to　understand

each　other　in　the　solitudes　of　Siberia。



On　the　same　day　the　Havre　〃Courier〃　published　the　following　terrible；

simple；　energetic；　and　honorable　notice：



　　〃The　house　of　Charles　Mignon　suspends　payment。　But　the

　　undersigned；　assignees　of　the　estate；　undertake　to　pay　all

　　liabilities。　On　and　after　this　date；　holders　of　notes　may　obtain

　　the　usual　discount。　The　sale　of　the　landed　estates　will　fully

　　cover　all　current　indebtedness。



　　〃This　notice　is　issued　for　the　honor　of　the　house；　and　to　prevent

　　any　disturbance　in　the　money…market　of　this　town。



　　〃Monsieur　Charles　Mignon　sailed　this　morning　on　the　'Modeste'　for

　　Asia　Minor；　leaving　full　powers　with　the　undersigned　to　sell　his

　　whole　property；　both　landed　and　personal。



　　　　DUMAY；　assignee　of　the　Bank　accounts；

　　　　LATOURNELLE；　notary；　assignee　of　the　city　and　villa　property；

　　　　GOBENHEIM；　assignee　of　the　commercial　property。〃



Latournelle　owed　his　prosperity　to　the　kindness　of　Monsieur　Mignon；

who　lent　him　one　hundred　thousand　francs　in　1817　to　buy　the　finest　law

practice　in　Havre。　The　poor　man；　who　had　no　pecuniary　means；　was

nearly　forty　years　of　age　and　saw　no　prospect　of　being　other　than

head…clerk　for　the　rest　of　his　days。　He　was　the　only　man　in　Havre

whose　devotion　could　be　compared　with　Dumay's。　As　for　Gobenheim；　he

profited　by　the　liquidation　to　get　a　part　of　Monsieur　Mignon's

business；　which　lifted　his　own　little　bank　into　prominence。



While　unanimous　regrets　for　the　disaster　were　expressed　in　counting…

rooms；　on　the　wharves；　and　in　private　houses；　where　praises　of　a　man

so　irreproachable；　honorable；　and　beneficent　filled　every　mouth；

Latournelle　and　Dumay；　silent　and　active　as　ants；　sold　land；　turned

property　into　money；　paid　the　debts；　and　settled　up　everything。

Vilquin　showed　a　good　deal　of　generosity　in　purchasing　the　villa；　the

town…house；　and　a　farm；　and　Latournelle　made　the　most　of　his

liberality　by　getting　a　good　price　out　of　him。　Society　wished　to　show

civilities　to　Madame　and　Mademoiselle　Mignon；　but　they　had　already

obeyed　the　father's　last　wishes　and　taken　refuge　in　the　Chalet；　where

they　went　on　the　very　morning　of　his　departure；　the　exact　hour　of

which　had　been　concealed　from　them。　Not　to　be　shaken　in　his　resolution

by　his　grief　at　parting；　the　brave　man　said　farewell　to　his　wife　and

daughter　while　they　slept。　Three　hundred　visiting　cards　were　left　at

the　house。　A　fortnight　later；　just　as　Charles　had　predicted；　complete

forgetfulness　settled　down　upon　the　Chalet；　and　proved　to　these　women

the　wisdom　and　dignity　of　his　command。



Dumay　sent　agents　to　represent　his　master　in　New　York；　Paris；　and

London；　and　followed　up　the　assignments　of　the　three　banking…houses

whose　failure　had　caused　the　ruin　of　the　Havre　house；　thus　realizing

five　hundred　thousand　francs　between　1826　and　1828；　an　eighth　of

Charles's　whole　fortune；　then；　according　to　the　latter's　directions

given　on　the　night　of　his　departure；　he　sent　that　sum　to　New　York

through　the　house　of　Mongenod　to　the　credit　of　Monsieur　Charles

Mignon。　All　this　was　done　with　military　obedience；　except　in　a　matter

of　withholding　thirty　thousand　francs　for　the　personal　expenses　of

Madame　and　Mademoiselle　Mignon　as　the　colonel　had　ordered　him　to　do；

but　which　Dumay　did　not　do。　The　Breton　sold　his　own　little　house　for

twenty　thousand　francs；　which　sum　he　gave　to　Madame　Mignon；　believing

that　the　more　capital　he　sent　to　his　colonel　the　sooner　the　latter

would　return。



〃He　might　perish　for　the　want　of　thirty　thousand　francs；〃　Dumay

remarked　to　Latournelle；　who　bought　the　little　house　at　its　full

value；　where　an　apartment　was　always　kept　ready　for　the　inhabitants　of

the　Chalet。







CHAPTER　IV



A　SIMPLE　STORY



Such　was　the　result　to　the　celebrated　house　of　Mignon　at　Havre　of　the

crisis　of　1825…26；　which　convulsed　many　of　the　principal　business

centres　in　Europe　and　caused　the　ruin　of　several　Parisian　bankers；

among　them　（as　those　who　remember　that　crisis　will　recall）　the

president　of　the　chamber　of　commerce。



We　can　now　understand　how　this　great　disaster；　coming　suddenly　at　the

close　of　ten　years　of　domestic　happiness；　might　well　have　been　the

death　of　Bettina　Mignon；　again　separated　from　her　husband　and　ignorant

of　his　fate；to　her　as　adventurous　and　perilous　as　the　exile　to

Siberia。　But　the　grief　which　was　dragging　her　to　the　grave　was　far

other　than　these　visible　sorrows。　The　caustic　that　was　slowly　eating

into　her　heart　lay　beneath　a　stone　in　the　little　graveyard　of

Ingouville；　on　which　was　inscribed：



BETTINA　CAROLINE　MIGNON



Died　aged　twenty…two。



　　　Pray　for　her。



This　inscription　is　to　the　young　girl　whom　it　covered　what　many

another　epitaph　has　been　for　the　dead　lying　beneath　them；a　table　of

contents　to　a　hidden　book。　Here　is　the　book；　in　its　dreadful　brevity；

and　it　will　explain　the　oath　exacted　and　taken　when　the　colonel　and

the　lieutenant　bade　each　other　farewell。



A　young　man　of　charming　appearance；　named　Charles　d'Estourny；　came　to

Havre　for　the　commonplace　purpose　of　being　near　the　sea；　and　there　he

saw　Bettina　Mignon。　A　〃soi…disant〃　fashionable　Parisian　is　never

without　introductions；　and　he　was　invited　at　the　instance　of　a　friend

of　the　Mignons　to　a　fete　given　at　Ingouville。　He　fell　in　love　with

Bettina　and　with　her　fortune；　and　in　three　months　he　had　done　the　work

of　seduction　and　enticed　her　away。　The　father　of　a　family　of　daughters

should　no　more　allow　a　young　man　whom　he　does　not　know　to　enter　his

home　than　he　should　leav