modeste mignon-第9章

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bound　to　ferret　out　a　mystery；　Madame　Latournelle；　the　deceived

chaperone；　and　Madame　Dumay；　alarmed　for　her　husband's　safety；　became

at　once　a　set　of　spies；　and　Modeste　from　this　day　forth　was　never　left

alone　for　an　instant。　Dumay　passed　nights　under　her　window　wrapped　in

his　cloak　like　a　jealous　Spaniard；　but　with　all　his　military　sagacity

he　was　unable　to　detect　the　least　suspicious　sign。　Unless　she　loved

the　nightingales　in　the　villa　park；　or　some　fairy　prince；　Modeste

could　have　seen　no　one；　and　had　neither　given　nor　received　a　signal。

Madame　Dumay；　who　never　went　to　bed　till　she　knew　Modeste　was　asleep；

watched　the　road　from　the　upper　windows　of　the　Chalet　with　a　vigilance

equal　to　her　husband's。　Under　these　eight　Argus　eyes　the　blameless

child；　whose　every　motion　was　studied　and　analyzed；　came　out　of　the

ordeal　so　fully　acquitted　of　all　criminal　conversation　that　the　four

friends　declared　to　each　other　privately　that　Madame　Mignon　was

foolishly　over…anxious。　Madame　Latournelle；　who　always　took　Modeste　to

church　and　brought　her　back　again；　was　commissioned　to　tell　the　mother

that　she　was　mistaken　about　her　daughter。



〃Modeste；〃　she　said；　〃is　a　young　girl　of　very　exalted　ideas；　she　works

herself　into　enthusiasm　for　the　poetry　of　one　writer　or　the　prose　of

another。　You　have　only　to　judge　by　the　impression　made　upon　her　by

that　scaffold　symphony；　'The　Last　Hours　of　a　Convict'〃　（the　saying　was

Butscha's；　who　supplied　wit　to　his　benefactress　with　a　lavish　hand）；

〃she　seemed　to　me　all　but　crazy　with　admiration　for　that　Monsieur　Hugo。

I'm　sure　I　don't　know　where　such　people〃　（Victor　Hugo；　Lamartine；

Byron　being　SUCH　PEOPLE　to　the　Madame　Latournelles　of　the　bourgeoisie）

〃get　their　ideas。　Modeste　kept　talking　to　me　of　Childe　Harold；　and　as

I　did　not　wish　to　get　the　worst　of　the　argument　I　was　silly　enough　to

try　to　read　the　thing。　Perhaps　it　was　the　fault　of　the　translator；　but

it　actually　turned　my　stomach；　I　was　dazed；　I　couldn't　possibly　finish

it。　Why；　the　man　talks　about　comparisons　that　howl；　rocks　that　faint；

and　waves　of　war！　However；　he　is　only　a　travelling　Englishman；　and　we

must　expect　absurdities；though　his　are　really　inexcusable。　He　takes

you　to　Spain；　and　sets　you　in　the　clouds　above　the　Alps；　and　makes　the

torrents　talk；　and　the　stars；　and　he　says　there　are　too　many　virgins！

Did　you　ever　hear　the　like？　Then；　after　Napoleon's　campaigns；　the

lines　are　full　of　sonorous　brass　and　flaming　cannon…balls；　rolling

along　from　page　to　page。　Modeste　tells　me　that　all　that　bathos　is　put

in　by　the　translator；　and　that　I　ought　to　read　the　book　in　English。

But　I　certainly　sha'n't　learn　English　to　read　Lord　Byron　when　I　didn't

learn　it　to　teach　Exupere。　I　much　prefer　the　novels　of　Ducray…Dumenil

to　all　these　English　romances。　I'm　too　good　a　Norman　to　fall　in　love

with　foreign　things；above　all　when　they　come　from　England。〃



Madame　Mignon；　notwithstanding　her　melancholy；　could　not　help　smiling

at　the　idea　of　Madame　Latournelle　reading　Childe　Harold。　The　stern

scion　of　a　parliamentary　house　accepted　the　smile　as　an　approval　of

her　doctrine。



〃And；　therefore；　my　dear　Madame　Mignon；〃　she　went　on；　〃you　have　taken

Modeste's　fancies；　which　are　nothing　but　the　results　of　her　reading；

for　a　love…affair。　Remember；　she　is　just　twenty。　Girls　fall　in　love

with　themselves　at　that　age；　they　dress　to　see　themselves　well…

dressed。　I　remember　I　used　to　make　my　little　sister；　now　dead；　put　on

a　man's　hat　and　pretend　we　were　monsieur　and　madame。　You　see；　you　had

a　very　happy　youth　in　Frankfort；　but　let　us　be　just；Modeste　is

living　here　without　the　slightest　amusement。　Although；　to　be　sure；　her

every　wish　is　attended　to；　still　she　knows　she　is　shut　up　and　watched；

and　the　life　she　leads　would　give　her　no　pleasure　at　all　if　it　were

not　for　the　amusement　she　gets　out　of　her　books。　Come；　don't　worry

yourself；　she　loves　nobody　but　you。　You　ought　to　be　very　glad　that　she

goes　into　these　enthusiasms　for　the　corsairs　of　Byron　and　the　heroes

of　Walter　Scott　and　your　own　Germans；　Egmont；　Goethe；　Werther；

Schiller；　and　all　the　other　'ers。'〃



〃Well；　madame；　what　do　you　say　to　that？〃　asked　Dumay；　respectfully；

alarmed　at　Madame　Mignon's　silence。



〃Modeste　is　not　only　inclined　to　love；　but　she　loves　some　man；〃

answered　the　mother；　obstinately。



〃Madame；　my　life　is　at　stake；　and　you　must　allow　menot　for　my　sake；

but　for　my　wife；　my　colonel；　for　all　of　usto　probe　this　matter　to

the　bottom；　and　find　out　whether　it　is　the　mother　or　the　watch…dog　who

is　deceived。〃



〃It　is　you　who　are　deceived；　Dumay。　Ah！　if　I　could　but　see　my

daughter！〃　cried　the　poor　woman。



〃But　whom　is　it　possible　for　her　to　love？〃　asked　the　notary。　〃I'll

answer　for　my　Exupere。〃



〃It　can't　be　Gobenheim；〃　said　Dumay；　〃for　since　the　colonel's

departure　he　has　not　spent　nine　hours　a　week　in　this　house。　Besides；

he　doesn't　even　notice　Modestethat　five…franc　piece　of　a　man！　His

uncle　Gobenheim…Keller　is　all　the　time　writing　him；　'Get　rich　enough

to　marry　a　Keller。'　With　that　idea　in　his　mind　you　may　be　sure　he

doesn't　know　which　sex　Modeste　belongs　to。　No　other　men　ever　come

here；for　of　course　I　don't　count　Butscha；　poor　little　fellow；　I　love

him！　He　is　your　Dumay；　madame；〃　said　the　cashier　to　Madame

Latournelle。　〃Butscha　knows　very　well　that　a　mere　glance　at　Modeste

would　cost　him　a　Breton　ducking。　Not　a　soul　has　any　communication　with

this　house。　Madame　Latournelle　who　takes　Modeste　to　church　ever　since

youryour　misfortune；　madame；　has　carefully　watched　her　on　the　way

and　all　through　the　service；　and　has　seen　nothing　suspicious。　In

short；　if　I　must　confess　the　truth；　I　have　myself　raked　all　the　paths

about　the　house　every　evening　for　the　last　month；　and　found　no　trace

of　footsteps　in　the　morning。〃



〃Rakes　are　neither　costly　nor　difficult　to　handle；〃　remarked　the

daughter　of　Germany。



〃But　the　dogs？〃　cried　Dumay。



〃Lovers　have　philters　even　for　dogs；〃　answered　Madame　Mignon。



〃If　you　are　right；　my　honor　is　lost！　I　may　as　well　blow　my　brains

out；〃　exclaimed　Dumay。



〃Why　so；　Dumay？〃　said　the　blind　woman。



〃Ah；　madame；　I　could　never　meet　my　colonel's　eye　if　he　did　not　find

his　daughternow　his　only　daughteras　pure　and　virtuous　as　she　was

when　he　said　to　me　on　the　vessel；　'Let　no　fear　of　the　scaffold　hinder

you；　Dumay；　if　the　honor　of　my　Modeste　is　at　stake。'〃



〃Ah！　I　recognize　you　both；〃　said　Madame　Mignon　in　a　voice　of　strong

emotion。



〃I'll　wager　my　salvation　that　Modeste　is　as　pure　as　she　was　in　her

cradle；〃　exclaimed　Madame　Dumay。



〃Well；　I　shall　make　certain　of　it；〃　replied　her　husband；　〃if　Madame　la

Comtesse　will　allow　me　to　employ　certain　means；　for　old　troopers

understand　strategy。〃



〃I　will　allow　you　to　do　anything　that　shall　enlighten　us；　provided　it

does　no　injury　to　my　last　child。〃



〃What　are　you　going　to　do；　Jean？〃　asked　Madame　Dumay；　〃how　can　you

discover　a　young　girl's　secret　if　she　means　to　hide　it？〃



〃Obey　me；　all！〃　cried　the　lieutenant；　〃I　shall　need　every　one　of　you。〃



If　this　rapid　sketch　were　clearly　developed　it　would　give　a　whole

picture　of　manners　and　customs　in　which　many　a　family　could　recognize

the　events　of　their　own　history；　but　it　must　suffice　as　it　is　to

explain　the　importance　of　the　few　details　heretofore　given　about

persons　and　things　on　the　memorable　evening　when　the　old　soldier　had

made　ready　his　plot　against　the　young　girl；　intending　to　wrench　from

the　recesses　of　her　heart　the　secret　of　a　love　and　a　lover　seen　only

by　a　blind　mother。







CHAPTER　V



THE　PROBLEM　STILL　UNSOLVED



An　hour　went　by　in　solemn　stillness　broken　only　by　the　cabalistic

phrases　of　the　whist…players：　〃Spades！〃　〃Trumped！〃　〃Cut！〃　〃How　are

honors？〃　〃Two　to　four。〃　〃Whose　deal？〃phrases　which　represent　in

these　days　the　higher　emotions　of　the　European　aristocracy。　Modeste

continued　to　work；　without　seeming　to　be　surprised　at　her　mother's

silence。　Madame　Mignon's