at the sign of the cat and racket-第13章

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notion　is　that！　But　he　is　mad。　All　you　tell　us　about　him　is
impossible。　A　man　cannot　leave　his　home　without　a　word；　and　never　come
back　for　ten　days。　And　then　he　tells　you　he　has　been　to　Dieppe　to
paint　the　sea。　As　if　any　one　painted　the　sea！　He　crams　you　with　a　pack
of　tales　that　are　too　absurd。〃

Augustine　opened　her　lips　to　defend　her　husband；　but　Madame　Guillaume
enjoined　silence　with　a　wave　of　her　hand；　which　she　obeyed　by　a
survival　of　habit；　and　her　mother　went　on　in　harsh　tones：　〃Don't　talk
to　me　about　the　man！　He　never　set　foot　in　church　excepting　to　see　you
and　to　be　married。　People　without　religion　are　capable　of　anything。
Did　Guillaume　ever　dream　of　hiding　anything　from　me；　of　spending　three
days　without　saying　a　word　to　me；　and　of　chattering　afterwards　like　a
blind　magpie？〃

〃My　dear　mother；　you　judge　superior　people　too　severely。　If　their
ideas　were　the　same　as　other　folks'；　they　would　not　be　men　of　genius。〃

〃Very　well；　then　let　men　of　genius　stop　at　home　and　not　get　married。
What！　A　man　of　genius　is　to　make　his　wife　miserable？　And　because　he　is
a　genius　it　is　all　right！　Genius；　genius！　It　is　not　so　very　clever　to
say　black　one　minute　and　white　the　next；　as　he　does；　to　interrupt
other　people；　to　dance　such　rigs　at　home；　never　to　let　you　know　which
foot　you　are　to　stand　on；　to　compel　his　wife　never　to　be　amused　unless
my　lord　is　in　gay　spirits；　and　to　be　dull　when　he　is　dull。〃

〃But；　mother；　the　very　nature　of　such　imaginations〃

〃What　are　such　'imaginations'？〃　Madame　Guillaume　went　on；　interrupting
her　daughter　again。　〃Fine　ones　his　are；　my　word！　What　possesses　a　man
that　all　on　a　sudden；　without　consulting　a　doctor；　he　takes　it　into
his　head　to　eat　nothing　but　vegetables？　If　indeed　it　were　from
religious　motives；　it　might　do　him　some　goodbut　he　has　no　more
religion　than　a　Huguenot。　Was　there　ever　a　man　known　who；　like　him；
loved　horses　better　than　his　fellow…creatures；　had　his　hair　curled
like　a　heathen；　laid　statues　under　muslin　coverlets；　shut　his　shutters
in　broad　day　to　work　by　lamp…light？　There；　get　along；　if　he　were　not
so　grossly　immoral；　he　would　be　fit　to　shut　up　in　a　lunatic　asylum。
Consult　Monsieur　Loraux；　the　priest　at　Saint　Sulpice；　ask　his　opinion
about　it　all；　and　he　will　tell　you　that　your　husband；　does　not　behave
like　a　Christian。〃

〃Oh；　mother；　can　you　believe？〃

〃Yes；　I　do　believe。　You　loved　him；　and　you　can　see　none　of　these
things。　But　I　can　remember　in　the　early　days　after　your　marriage。　I
met　him　in　the　Champs…Elysees。　He　was　on　horseback。　Well；　at　one
minute　he　was　galloping　as　hard　as　he　could　tear；　and　then　pulled　up
to　a　walk。　I　said　to　myself　at　that　moment；　'There　is　a　man　devoid　of
judgement。'　〃

〃Ah；　ha！〃　cried　Monsieur　Guillaume；　〃how　wise　I　was　to　have　your　money
settled　on　yourself　with　such　a　queer　fellow　for　a　husband！〃

When　Augustine　was　so　imprudent　as　to　set　forth　her　serious　grievances
against　her　husband；　the　two　old　people　were　speechless　with
indignation。　But　the　word　〃divorce〃　was　ere　long　spoken　by　Madame
Guillaume。　At　the　sound　of　the　word　divorce　the　apathetic　old　draper
seemed　to　wake　up。　Prompted　by　his　love　for　his　daughter；　and　also　by
the　excitement　which　the　proceedings　would　bring　into　his　uneventful
life；　father　Guillaume　took　up　the　matter。　He　made　himself　the　leader
of　the　application　for　a　divorce；　laid　down　the　lines　of　it；　almost
argued　the　case；　he　offered　to　be　at　all　the　charges；　to　see　the
lawyers；　the　pleaders；　the　judges；　to　move　heaven　and　earth。　Madame　de
Sommervieux　was　frightened；　she　refused　her　father's　services；　said
she　would　not　be　separated　from　her　husband　even　if　she　were　ten　times
as　unhappy；　and　talked　no　more　about　her　sorrows。　After　being
overwhelmed　by　her　parents　with　all　the　little　wordless　and　consoling
kindnesses　by　which　the　old　couple　tried　in　vain　to　make　up　to　her　for
her　distress　of　heart；　Augustine　went　away；　feeling　the　impossibility
of　making　a　superior　mind　intelligible　to　weak　intellects。　She　had
learned　that　a　wife　must　hide　from　every　one；　even　from　her　parents；
woes　for　which　it　is　so　difficult　to　find　sympathy。　The　storms　and
sufferings　of　the　upper　spheres　are　appreciated　only　by　the　lofty
spirits　who　inhabit　there。　In　any　circumstance　we　can　only　be　judged
by　our　equals。

Thus　poor　Augustine　found　herself　thrown　back　on　the　horror　of　her
meditations；　in　the　cold　atmosphere　of　her　home。　Study　was　indifferent
to　her；　since　study　had　not　brought　her　back　her　husband's　heart。
Initiated　into　the　secret　of　these　souls　of　fire；　but　bereft　of　their
resources；　she　was　compelled　to　share　their　sorrows　without　sharing
their　pleasures。　She　was　disgusted　with　the　world；　which　to　her　seemed
mean　and　small　as　compared　with　the　incidents　of　passion。　In　short；
her　life　was　a　failure。

One　evening　an　idea　flashed　upon　her　that　lighted　up　her　dark　grief
like　a　beam　from　heaven。　Such　an　idea　could　never　have　smiled　on　a
heart　less　pure；　less　virtuous　than　hers。　She　determined　to　go　to　the
Duchesse　de　Carigliano；　not　to　ask　her　to　give　her　back　her　husband's
heart；　but　to　learn　the　arts　by　which　it　had　been　captured；　to　engage
the　interest　of　this　haughty　fine　lady　for　the　mother　of　her　lover's
children；　to　appeal　to　her　and　make　her　the　instrument　of　her　future
happiness；　since　she　was　the　cause　of　her　present　wretchedness。

So　one　day　Augustine；　timid　as　she　was；　but　armed　with　supernatural
courage；　got　into　her　carriage　at　two　in　the　afternoon　to　try　for
admittance　to　the　boudoir　of　the　famous　coquette；　who　was　never
visible　till　that　hour。　Madame　de　Sommervieux　had　not　yet　seen　any　of
the　ancient　and　magnificent　mansions　of　the　Faubourg　Saint…Germain。　As
she　made　her　way　through　the　stately　corridors；　the　handsome
staircases；　the　vast　drawing…roomsfull　of　flowers；　though　it　was　in
the　depth　of　winter；　and　decorated　with　the　taste　peculiar　to　women
born　to　opulence　or　to　the　elegant　habits　of　the　aristocracy；
Augustine　felt　a　terrible　clutch　at　her　heart；　she　coveted　the　secrets
of　an　elegance　of　which　she　had　never　had　an　idea；　she　breathed　in　an
air　of　grandeur　which　explained　the　attraction　of　the　house　for　her
husband。　When　she　reached　the　private　rooms　of　the　Duchess　she　was
filled　with　jealousy　and　a　sort　of　despair；　as　she　admired　the
luxurious　arrangement　of　the　furniture；　the　draperies　and　the
hangings。　Here　disorder　was　a　grace；　here　luxury　affected　a　certain
contempt　of　splendor。　The　fragrance　that　floated　in　the　warm　air
flattered　the　sense　of　smell　without　offending　it。　The　accessories　of
the　rooms　were　in　harmony　with　a　view；　through　plate…glass　windows；　of
the　lawns　in　a　garden　planted　with　evergreen　trees。　It　was　all
bewitching；　and　the　art　of　it　was　not　perceptible。　The　whole　spirit　of
the　mistress　of　these　rooms　pervaded　the　drawing…room　where　Augustine
awaited　her。　She　tried　to　divine　her　rival's　character　from　the　aspect
of　the　scattered　objects；　but　there　was　here　something　as　impenetrable
in　the　disorder　as　in　the　symmetry；　and　to　the　simple…minded　young
wife　all　was　a　sealed　letter。　All　that　she　could　discern　was　that；　as
a　woman；　the　Duchess　was　a　superior　person。　Then　a　painful　thought
came　over　her。

〃Alas！　And　is　it　true；〃　she　wondered；　〃that　a　simple　and　loving　heart
is　not　all…sufficient　to　an　artist；　that　to　balance　the　weight　of
these　powerful　souls　they　need　a　union　with　feminine　souls　of　a
strength　equal　to　their　own？　If　I　had　been　brought　up　like　this　siren；
our　weapons　at　least　might　have　been　equal　in　the　hour　of　struggle。〃

〃But　I　am　not　at　home！〃　The　sharp；　harsh　words；　though　spoken　in　an
undertone　in　the　adjoining　boudoir；　were　heard　by　Augustine；　and　her
heart　beat　violently。

〃The　lady　is　in　there；〃　replied　the　maid。

〃You　are　an　idiot！　Show　her　in；〃　replied　the　Duchess；　whose　voice　was
sweeter；　and　had　assumed　the　dulcet　tones　of　politeness。　She　evidently
now　meant　to　be　heard。

Augustine　shyly　entered　the　room。　At　the　end　of　the　dainty　boudoir　she
saw　the　Duchess　lounging　luxuriously　on　an　ottoman　covered　with　brown
velvet　and　placed　in　the　centre　of　a　sort　of　apse　outlined　by　soft
folds　of　white　muslin　over　a　yellow　lining。　Ornaments　of　gilt　bronze；