the marriage contract-第3章

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them；　of　doing　all　things　for　the　sake　of　what　may　be　said　of　them；　of

wasting　my　substance　to　keep　fools　from　crying　out：　'Dear；　dear！　Paul

is　still　driving　the　same　carriage。　What　has　he　done　with　his　fortune？

Does　he　squander　it？　Does　he　gamble　at　the　Bourse？　No；　he's　a

millionaire。　Madame　such　a　one　is　mad　about　him。　He　sent　to　England

for　a　harness　which　is　certainly　the　handsomest　in　all　Paris。　The

four…horse　equipages　of　Messieurs　de　Marsay　and　de　Manerville　were

much　noticed　at　Longchamps；　the　harness　was　perfect'in　short；　the

thousand　silly　things　with　which　a　crowd　of　idiots　lead　us　by　the

nose。　Believe　me；　my　dear　Henri；　I　admire　your　power；　but　I　don't　envy

it。　You　know　how　to　judge　of　life；　you　think　and　act　as　a　statesman；

you　are　able　to　place　yourself　above　all　ordinary　laws；　received

ideas；　adopted　conventions；　and　acknowledged　prejudices；　in　short；　you

can　grasp　the　profits　of　a　situation　in　which　I　should　find　nothing

but　ill…luck。　Your　cool；　systematic；　possibly　true　deductions　are；　to

the　eyes　of　the　masses；　shockingly　immoral。　I　belong　to　the　masses。　I

must　play　my　game　of　life　according　to　the　rules　of　the　society　in

which　I　am　forced　to　live。　While　putting　yourself　above　all　human

things　on　peaks　of　ice；　you　still　have　feelings；　but　as　for　me；　I

should　freeze　to　death。　The　life　of　that　great　majority；　to　which　I

belong　in　my　commonplace　way；　is　made　up　of　emotions　of　which　I　now

have　need。　Often　a　man　coquets　with　a　dozen　women　and　obtains　none。

Then；　whatever　be　his　strength；　his　cleverness；　his　knowledge　of　the

world；　he　undergoes　convulsions；　in　which　he　is　crushed　as　between　two

gates。　For　my　part；　I　like　the　peaceful　chances　and　changes　of　life；　I

want　that　wholesome　existence　in　which　we　find　a　woman　always　at　our

side。〃



〃A　trifle　indecorous；　your　marriage！〃　exclaimed　de　Marsay。



Paul　was　not　to　be　put　out　of　countenance；　and　continued：　〃Laugh　if

you　like；　I　shall　feel　myself　a　happy　man　when　my　valet　enters　my　room

in　the　morning　and　says：　'Madame　is　awaiting　monsieur　for　breakfast'；

happier　still　at　night；　when　I　return　to　find　a　heart〃



〃Altogether　indecorous；　my　dear　Paul。　You　are　not　yet　moral　enough　to

marry。〃



〃a　heart　in　which　to　confide　my　interests　and　my　secrets。　I　wish　to

live　in　such　close　union　with　a　woman　that　our　affection　shall　not

depend　upon　a　yes　or　a　no；　or　be　open　to　the　disillusions　of　love。　In

short；　I　have　the　necessary　courage　to　become；　as　you　say；　a　worthy

husband　and　father。　I　feel　myself　fitted　for　family　joys；　I　wish　to

put　myself　under　the　conditions　prescribed　by　society；　I　desire　to

have　a　wife　and　children。〃



〃You　remind　me　of　a　hive　of　honey…bees！　But　go　your　way；　you'll　be　a

dupe　all　your　life。　Ha；　ha！　you　wish　to　marry　to　have　a　wife！　In　other

words；　you　wish　to　solve　satisfactorily　to　your　own　profit　the　most

difficult　problem　invented　by　those　bourgeois　morals　which　were

created　by　the　French　Revolution；　and；　what　is　more；　you　mean　to　begin

your　attempt　by　a　life　of　retirement。　Do　you　think　your　wife　won't

crave　the　life　you　say　you　despise？　Will　SHE　be　disgusted　with　it；　as

you　are？　If　you　won't　accept　the　noble　conjugality　just　formulated　for

your　benefit　by　your　friend　de　Marsay；　listen；　at　any　rate；　to　his

final　advice。　Remain　a　bachelor　for　the　next　thirteen　years；　amuse

yourself　like　a　lost　soul；　then；　at　forty；　on　your　first　attack　of

gout；　marry　a　widow　of　thirty…six。　Then　you　may　possibly　be　happy。　If

you　now　take　a　young　girl　to　wife；　you'll　die　a　madman。〃



〃Ah　ca！　tell　me　why！〃　cried　Paul；　somewhat　piqued。



〃My　dear　fellow；〃　replied　de　Marsay；　〃Boileau's　satire　against　women

is　a　tissue　of　poetical　commonplaces。　Why　shouldn't　women　have

defects？　Why　condemn　them　for　having　the　most　obvious　thing　in　human

nature？　To　my　mind；　the　problem　of　marriage　is　not　at　all　at　the　point

where　Boileau　puts　it。　Do　you　suppose　that　marriage　is　the　same　thing

as　love；　and　that　being　a　man　suffices　to　make　a　wife　love　you？　Have

you　gathered　nothing　in　your　boudoir　experience　but　pleasant　memories？

I　tell　you　that　everything　in　our　bachelor　life　leads　to　fatal　errors

in　the　married　man　unless　he　is　a　profound　observer　of　the　human

heart。　In　the　happy　days　of　his　youth　a　man；　by　the　caprice　of　our

customs；　is　always　lucky；　he　triumphs　over　women　who　are　all　ready　to

be　triumphed　over　and　who　obey　their　own　desires。　One　thing　after

anotherthe　obstacles　created　by　the　laws；　the　sentiments　and　natural

defences　of　womenall　engender　a　mutuality　of　sensations　which

deceives　superficial　persons　as　to　their　future　relations　in　marriage；

where　obstacles　no　longer　exist；　where　the　wife　submits　to　love

instead　of　permitting　it；　and　frequently　repulses　pleasure　instead　of

desiring　it。　Then；　the　whole　aspect　of　a　man's　life　changes。　The

bachelor；　who　is　free　and　without　a　care；　need　never　fear　repulsion；

in　marriage；　repulsion　is　almost　certain　and　irreparable。　It　may　be

possible　for　a　lover　to　make　a　woman　reverse　an　unfavorable　decision；

but　such　a　change；　my　dear　Paul；　is　the　Waterloo　of　husbands。　Like

Napoleon；　the　husband　is　thenceforth　condemned　to　victories　which；　in

spite　of　their　number；　do　not　prevent　the　first　defeat　from　crushing

him。　The　woman；　so　flattered　by　the　perseverance；　so　delighted　with

the　ardor　of　a　lover；　calls　the　same　things　brutality　in　a　husband。

You；　who　talk　of　marrying；　and　who　will　marry；　have　you　ever　meditated

on　the　Civil　Code？　I　myself　have　never　muddied　my　feet　in　that　hovel

of　commentators；　that　garret　of　gossip；　called　the　Law…school。　I　have

never　so　much　as　opened　the　Code；　but　I　see　its　application　on　the

vitals　of　society。　The　Code；　my　dear　Paul；　makes　woman　a　ward；　it

considers　her　a　child；　a　minor。　Now　how　must　we　govern　children？　By

fear。　In　that　one　word；　Paul；　is　the　curb　of　the　beast。　Now；　feel　your

own　pulse！　Have　you　the　strength　to　play　the　tyrant；you；　so　gentle；

so　kind　a　friend；　so　confiding；　you；　at　whom　I　have　laughed；　but　whom

I　love；　and　love　enough　to　reveal　to　you　my　science？　For　this　is

science。　Yes；　it　proceeds　from　a　science　which　the　Germans　are　already

calling　Anthropology。　Ah！　if　I　had　not　already　solved　the　mystery　of

life　by　pleasure；　if　I　had　not　a　profound　antipathy　for　those　who

think　instead　of　act；　if　I　did　not　despise　the　ninnies　who　are　silly

enough　to　believe　in　the　truth　of　a　book；　when　the　sands　of　the

African　deserts　are　made　of　the　ashes　of　I　know　not　how　many　unknown

and　pulverized　Londons；　Romes；　Venices；　and　Parises；　I　would　write　a

book　on　modern　marriages　made　under　the　influence　of　the　Christian

system；　and　I'd　stick　a　lantern　on　that　heap　of　sharp　stones　among

which　lie　the　votaries　of　the　social　'multiplicamini。'　But　the

question　is；　Does　humanity　require　even　an　hour　of　my　time？　And

besides；　isn't　the　more　reasonable　use　of　ink　that　of　snaring　hearts

by　writing　love…letters？Well；　shall　you　bring　the　Comtesse　de

Manerville　here；　and　let　us　see　her？〃



〃Perhaps；〃　said　Paul。



〃We　shall　still　be　friends；〃　said　de　Marsay。



〃If〃　replied　Paul。



〃Don't　be　uneasy；　we　will　treat　you　politely；　as　Maison…Rouge　treated

the　English　at　Fontenoy。〃







CHAPTER　II



THE　PINK　OF　FASHION



Though　the　foregoing　conversation　affected　the　Comte　de　Manerville

somewhat；　he　made　it　a　point　of　duty　to　carry　out　his　intentions；　and

he　returned　to　Bordeaux　during　the　winter　of　the　year　1821。



The　expenses　he　incurred　in　restoring　and　furnishing　his　family

mansion　sustained　the　reputation　for　elegance　which　had　preceded　him。

Introduced　through　his　former　connections　to　the　royalist　society　of

Bordeaux；　to　which　he　belonged　as　much　by　his　personal　opinions　as　by

his　name　and　fortune；　he　soon　obtained　a　fashionable　pre…eminence。　His

knowledge　of　life；　his　manners；　his　Parisian　acquirements　enchanted

the　Faubourg　Saint…Germain　of　Bordeaux。　An　old　marquise　made　use　of　a

term　formerly　in　vogue　at　court　to　express　the　flowery