the marriage contract-第4章

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

term　formerly　in　vogue　at　court　to　express　the　flowery　beauty　of　the

fops　and　beaux　of　the　olden　time；　whose　language　and　demeanor　were

social　laws：　she　called　him　〃the　pink　of　fashion。〃　The　liberal　clique

caught　up　the　word　and　used　it　satirically　as　a　nickname；　while　the

royalist　party　continued　to　employ　it　in　good　faith。



Paul　de　Manerville　acquitted　himself　gloriously　of　the　obligations

imposed　by　his　flowery　title。　It　happened　to　him；　as　to　many　a

mediocre　actor；　that　the　day　when　the　public　granted　him　their　full

attention　he　became；　one　may　almost　say；　superior。　Feeling　at　his

ease；　he　displayed　the　fine　qualities　which　accompanied　his　defects。

His　wit　had　nothing　sharp　or　bitter　in　it；　his　manners　were　not

supercilious；　his　intercourse　with　women　expressed　the　respect　they

like；it　was　neither　too　deferential；　nor　too　familiar；　his　foppery

went　no　farther　than　a　care　for　his　personal　appearance　which　made　him

agreeable；　he　showed　consideration　for　rank；　he　allowed　young　men　a

certain　freedom；　to　which　his　Parisian　experience　assigned　due　limits；

though　skilful　with　sword　and　pistol；　he　was　noted　for　a　feminine

gentleness　for　which　others　were　grateful。　His　medium　height　and

plumpness　（which　had　not　yet　increased　into　obesity；　an　obstacle　to

personal　elegance）　did　not　prevent　his　outer　man　from　playing　the　part

of　a　Bordelais　Brummell。　A　white　skin　tinged　with　the　hues　of　health；

handsome　hands　and　feet；　blue　eyes　with　long　lashes；　black　hair；

graceful　motions；　a　chest　voice　which　kept　to　its　middle　tones　and

vibrated　in　the　listener's　heart；　harmonized　well　with　his　sobriquet。

Paul　was　indeed　that　delicate　flower　which　needs　such　careful　culture；

the　qualities　of　which　display　themselves　only　in　a　moist　and　suitable

soil；a　flower　which　rough　treatment　dwarfs；　which　the　hot　sun　burns；

and　a　frost　lays　low。　He　was　one　of　those　men　made　to　receive

happiness；　rather　than　to　give　it；　who　have　something　of　the　woman　in

their　nature；　wishing　to　be　divined；　understood；　encouraged；　in　short；

a　man　to　whom　conjugal　love　ought　to　come　as　a　providence。



If　such　a　character　creates　difficulties　in　private　life；　it　is

gracious　and　full　of　attraction　for　the　world。　Consequently；　Paul　had

great　success　in　the　narrow　social　circle　of　the　provinces；　where　his

mind；　always；　so　to　speak；　in　half…tints；　was　better　appreciated　than

in　Paris。



The　arrangement　of　his　house　and　the　restoration　of　the　chateau　de

Lanstrac；　where　he　introduced　the　comfort　and　luxury　of　an　English

country…house；　absorbed　the　capital　saved　by　the　notary　during　the

preceding　six　years。　Reduced　now　to　his　strict　income　of　forty…odd

thousand　a　year；　he　thought　himself　wise　and　prudent　in　so　regulating

his　household　as　not　to　exceed　it。



After　publicly　exhibiting　his　equipages；　entertaining　the　most

distinguished　young　men　of　the　place；　and　giving　various　hunting

parties　on　the　estate　at　Lanstrac；　Paul　saw　very　plainly　that

provincial　life　would　never　do　without　marriage。　Too　young　to　employ

his　time　in　miserly　occupations；　or　in　trying　to　interest　himself　in

the　speculative　improvements　in　which　provincials　sooner　or　later

engage　（compelled　thereto　by　the　necessity　of　establishing　their

children）；　he　soon　felt　the　need　of　that　variety　of　distractions　a

habit　of　which　becomes　at　last　the　very　life　of　a　Parisian。　A　name　to

preserve；　property　to　transmit　to　heirs；　social　relations　to　be

created　by　a　household　where　the　principal　families　of　the

neighborhood　could　assemble；　and　a　weariness　of　all　irregular

connections；　were　not；　however；　the　determining　reasons　of　his

matrimonial　desires。　From　the　time　he　first　returned　to　the　provinces

he　had　been　secretly　in　love　with　the　queen　of　Bordeaux；　the　great

beauty；　Mademoiselle　Evangelista。



About　the　beginning　of　the　century；　a　rich　Spaniard；　named

Evangelista；　established　himself　in　Bordeaux；　where　his　letters　of

recommendation；　as　well　as　his　large　fortune；　gave　him　an　entrance　to

the　salons　of　the　nobility。　His　wife　contributed　greatly　to　maintain

him　in　the　good　graces　of　an　aristocracy　which　may　perhaps　have

adopted　him　in　the　first　instance　merely　to　pique　the　society　of　the

class　below　them。　Madame　Evangelista；　who　belonged　to　the　Casa…Reale；

an　illustrious　family　of　Spain；　was　a　Creole；　and；　like　all　women

served　by　slaves；　she　lived　as　a　great　lady；　knew　nothing　of　the　value

of　money；　repressed　no　whims；　even　the　most　expensive；　finding　them

ever　satisfied　by　an　adoring　husband　who　generously　concealed　from　her

knowledge　the　running…gear　of　the　financial　machine。　Happy　in　finding

her　pleased　with　Bordeaux；　where　his　interests　obliged　him　to　live；

the　Spaniard　bought　a　house；　set　up　a　household；　received　in　much

style；　and　gave　many　proofs　of　possessing　a　fine　taste　in　all　things。

Thus；　from　1800　to　1812；　Monsieur　and　Madame　Evangelista　were　objects

of　great　interest　to　the　community　of　Bordeaux。



The　Spaniard　died　in　1813；　leaving　his　wife　a　widow　at　thirty…two

years　of　age；　with　an　immense　fortune　and　the　prettiest　little　girl　in

the　world；　a　child　of　eleven；　who　promised　to　be；　and　did　actually

become；　a　most　accomplished　young　woman。　Clever　as　Madame　Evangelista

was；　the　Restoration　altered　her　position；　the　royalist　party　cleared

its　ranks　and　several　of　the　old　families　left　Bordeaux。　Though　the

head　and　hand　of　her　husband　were　lacking　in　the　direction　of　her

affairs；　for　which　she　had　hitherto　shown　the　indifference　of　a　Creole

and　the　inaptitude　of　a　lackadaisical　woman；　she　was　determined　to

make　no　change　in　her　manner　of　living。　At　the　period　when　Paul

resolved　to　return　to　his　native　town；　Mademoiselle　Natalie

Evangelista　was　a　remarkably　beautiful　young　girl；　and；　apparently；

the　richest　match　in　Bordeaux；　where　the　steady　diminution　of　her

mother's　capital　was　unknown。　In　order　to　prolong　her　reign；　Madame

Evangelista　had　squandered　enormous　sums。　Brilliant　fetes　and　the

continuation　of　an　almost　regal　style　of　living　kept　the　public　in　its

past　belief　as　to　the　wealth　of　the　Spanish　family。



Natalie　was　now　in　her　nineteenth　year；　but　no　proposal　of　marriage

had　as　yet　reached　her　mother's　ear。　Accustomed　to　gratify　her

fancies；　Mademoiselle　Evangelista　wore　cashmeres　and　jewels；　and　lived

in　a　style　of　luxury　which　alarmed　all　speculative　suitors　in　a　region

and　at　a　period　when　sons　were　as　calculating　as　their　parents。　The

fatal　remark；　〃None　but　a　prince　can　afford　to　marry　Mademoiselle

Evangelista；〃　circulated　among　the　salons　and　the　cliques。　Mothers　of

families；　dowagers　who　had　granddaughters　to　establish；　young　girls

jealous　of　Natalie；　whose　elegance　and　tyrannical　beauty　annoyed　them；

took　pains　to　envenom　this　opinion　with　treacherous　remarks。　When　they

heard　a　possible　suitor　say　with　ecstatic　admiration；　as　Natalie

entered　a　ball…room；　〃Heavens；　how　beautiful　she　is！〃　〃Yes；〃　the

mammas　would　answer；　〃but　expensive。〃　If　some　new…comer　thought

Mademoiselle　Evangelista　bewitching　and　said　to　a　marriageable　man

that　he　couldn't　do　it　better；　〃Who　would　be　bold　enough；〃　some　woman

would　reply；　〃to　marry　a　girl　whose　mother　gives　her　a　thousand　francs

a　month　for　her　toilet；a　girl　who　has　horses　and　a　maid　of　her　own；

and　wears　laces？　Yes；　her　'peignoirs'　are　trimmed　with　mechlin。　The

price　of　her　washing　would　support　the　household　of　a　clerk。　She　wears

pelerines　in　the　morning　which　actually　cost　six　francs　to　get　up。〃



These；　and　other　speeches　said　occasionally　in　the　form　of　praise

extinguished　the　desires　that　some　men　might　have　had　to　marry　the

beautiful　Spanish　girl。　Queen　of　every　ball；　accustomed　to　flattery；

〃blasee〃　with　the　smiles　and　the　admiration　which　followed　her　every

step；　Natalie；　nevertheless；　knew　nothing　of　life。　She　lived　as　the

bird　which　flies；　as　the　flower　that　blooms；　finding　every　one　about

her　eager　to　do　her　will。　She　was　ig