the marriage contract-第6章

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it　was　said；　in　love　with　a　man　who　recovered　his　titles　and　property

under　the　Restoration。　This　man；　desirous　of　marrying　her　in　1814　had

discreetly　severed　the　connection　in　1816。　Madame　Evangelista；　to　all

appearance　the　best…hearted　woman　in　the　world；　had；　in　the　depths　of

her　nature；　a　fearful　quality；　explainable　only　by　Catherine　de

Medici's　device：　〃Odiate　e　aspettate〃〃Hate　and　wait。〃　Accustomed　to

rule；　having　always　been　obeyed；　she　was　like　other　royalties；

amiable；　gentle；　easy　and　pleasant　in　ordinary　life；　but　terrible；

implacable；　if　the　pride　of　the　woman；　the　Spaniard；　and　the　Casa…

Reale　was　touched。　She　never　forgave。　This　woman　believed　in　the　power

of　her　hatred；　she　made　an　evil　fate　of　it　and　bade　it　hover　above　her

enemy。　This　fatal　power　she　employed　against　the　man　who　had　jilted

her。　Events　which　seemed　to　prove　the　influence　of　her　〃jettatura〃

the　casting　of　an　evil　eyeconfirmed　her　superstitious　faith　in

herself。　Though　a　minister　and　peer　of　France；　this　man　began　to　ruin

himself；　and　soon　came　to　total　ruin。　His　property；　his　personal　and

public　honor　were　doomed　to　perish。　At　this　crisis　Madame　Evangelista

in　her　brilliant　equipage　passed　her　faithless　lover　walking　on　foot

in　the　Champes　Elysees；　and　crushed　him　with　a　look　which　flamed　with

triumph。　This　misadventure；　which　occupied　her　mind　for　two　years；　was

the　original　cause　of　her　not　remarrying。　Later；　her　pride　had　drawn

comparisons　between　the　suitors　who　presented　themselves　and　the

husband　who　had　loved　her　so　sincerely　and　so　well。



She　had　thus　reached；　through　mistaken　calculations　and　disappointed

hopes；　that　period　of　life　when　women　have　no　other　part　to　take　in

life　than　that　of　mother；　a　part　which　involves　the　sacrifice　of

themselves　to　their　children；　the　placing　of　their　interests　outside

of　self　upon　another　household；the　last　refuge　of　human　affections。



Madame　Evangelista　divined　Paul's　nature　intuitively；　and　hid　her　own

from　his　perception。　Paul　was　the　very　man　she　desired　for　a　son…in…

law；　for　the　responsible　editor　of　her　future　power。　He　belonged；

through　his　mother；　to　the　family　of　Maulincour；　and　the　old　Baronne

de　Maulincour；　the　friend　of　the　Vidame　de　Pamiers；　was　then　living　in

the　centre　of　the　faubourg　Saint…Germain。　The　grandson　of　the

baroness；　Auguste　de　Maulincour；　held　a　fine　position　in　the　army。

Paul　would　therefore　be　an　excellent　introducer　for　the　Evangelistas

into　Parisian　society。　The　widow　had　known　something　of　the　Paris　of

the　Empire；　she　now　desired　to　shine　in　the　Paris　of　the　Restoration。

There　alone　were　the　elements　of　political　fortune；　the　only　business

in　which　women　of　the　world　could　decently　co…operate。　Madame

Evangelista；　compelled　by　her　husband's　affairs　to　reside　in　Bordeaux；

disliked　the　place。　She　desired　a　wider　field；　as　gamblers　rush　to

higher　stakes。　For　her　own　personal　ends；　therefore；　she　looked　to

Paul　as　a　means　of　destiny；　she　proposed　to　employ　the　resources　of

her　own　talent　and　knowledge　of　life　to　advance　her　son…in…law；　in

order　to　enjoy　through　him　the　delights　of　power。　Many　men　are　thus

made　the　screens　of　secret　feminine　ambitions。　Madame　Evangelista　had；

however；　more　than　one　interest；　as　we　shall　see；　in　laying　hold　of

her　daughter's　husband。



Paul　was　naturally　captivated　by　this　woman；　who　charmed　him　all　the

more　because　she　seemed　to　seek　no　influence　over　him。　In　reality　she

was　using　her　ascendancy　to　magnify　herself；　her　daughter；　and　all　her

surroundings　in　his　eyes；　for　the　purpose　of　ruling　from　the　start　the

man　in　whom　she　saw　a　means　of　gratifying　her　social　longings。　Paul；

on　the　other　hand；　began　to　value　himself　more　highly　when　he　felt

himself　appreciated　by　the　mother　and　daughter。　He　thought　himself

much　cleverer　than　he　really　was　when　he　found　his　reflections　and

sayings　accepted　and　understood　by　Mademoiselle　Nataliewho　raised

her　head　and　smiled　in　response　to　themand　by　the　mother；　whose

flattery　always　seemed　involuntary。　The　two　women　were　so　kind　and

friendly　to　him；　he　was　so　sure　of　pleasing　them；　they　ruled　him　so

delightfully　by　holding　the　thread　of　his　self…love；　that　he　soon

passed　all　his　time　at　the　hotel　Evangelista。



A　year　after　his　return　to　Bordeaux；　Comte　Paul；　without　having

declared　himself；　was　so　attentive　to　Natalie　that　the　world

considered　him　as　courting　her。　Neither　mother　nor　daughter　appeared

to　be　thinking　of　marriage。　Mademoiselle　Evangelista　preserved　towards

Paul　the　reserve　of　a　great　lady　who　can　make　herself　charming　and

converse　agreeably　without　permitting　a　single　step　into　intimacy。

This　reserve；　so　little　customary　among　provincials；　pleased　Paul

immensely。　Timid　men　are　shy；　sudden　proposals　alarm　them。　They

retreat　from　happiness　when　it　comes　with　a　rush；　and　accept

misfortune　if　it　presents　itself　mildly　with　gentle　shadows。　Paul

therefore　committed　himself　in　his　own　mind　all　the　more　because　he

saw　no　effort　on　Madame　Evangelista's　part　to　bind　him。　She　fairly

seduced　him　one　evening　by　remarking　that　to　superior　women　as　well　as

men　there　came　a　period　of　life　when　ambition　superseded　all　the

earlier　emotions　of　life。



〃That　woman　is　fitted；〃　thought　Paul；　as　he　left　her；　〃to　advance　me

in　diplomacy　before　I　am　even　made　a　deputy。〃



If；　in　all　the　circumstances　of　life　a　man　does　not　turn　over　and　over

both　things　and　ideas　in　order　to　examine　them　thoroughly　under　their

different　aspects　before　taking　action；　that　man　is　weak　and

incomplete　and　in　danger　of　fatal　failure。　At　this　moment　Paul　was　an

optimist；　he　saw　everything　to　advantage；　and　did　not　tell　himself

than　an　ambitious　mother…in…law　might　prove　a　tyrant。　So；　every

evening　as　he　left　the　house；　he　fancied　himself　a　married　man；

allured　his　mind　with　its　own　thought；　and　slipped　on　the　slippers　of

wedlock　cheerfully。　In　the　first　place；　he　had　enjoyed　his　freedom　too

long　to　regret　the　loss　of　it；　he　was　tired　of　a　bachelor's　life；

which　offered　him　nothing　new；　he　now　saw　only　its　annoyances；　whereas

if　he　thought　at　times　of　the　difficulties　of　marriage；　its　pleasures；

in　which　lay　novelty；　came　far　more　prominently　before　his　mind。



〃Marriage；〃　he　said　to　himself；　〃is　disagreeable　for　people　without

means；　but　half　its　troubles　disappear　before　wealth。〃



Every　day　some　favorable　consideration　swelled　the　advantages　which　he

now　saw　in　this　particular　alliance。



〃No　matter　to　what　position　I　attain；　Natalie　will　always　be　on　the

level　of　her　part；〃　thought　he；　〃and　that　is　no　small　merit　in　a

woman。　How　many　of　the　Empire　men　I've　seen　who　suffered　horribly

through　their　wives！　It　is　a　great　condition　of　happiness　not　to　feel

one's　pride　or　one's　vanity　wounded　by　the　companion　we　have　chosen。　A

man　can　never　be　really　unhappy　with　a　well…bred　wife；　she　will　never

make　him　ridiculous；　such　a　woman　is　certain　to　be　useful　to　him。

Natalie　will　receive　in　her　own　house　admirably。〃



So　thinking；　he　taxed　his　memory　as　to　the　most　distinguished　women　of

the　faubourg　Saint…Germain；　in　order　to　convince　himself　that　Natalie

could；　if　not　eclipse　them；　at　any　rate　stand　among　them　on　a　footing

of　perfect　equality。　All　comparisons　were　to　her　advantage；　for　they

rested　on　his　own　imagination；　which　followed　his　desires。　Paris　would

have　shown　him　daily　other　natures；　young　girls　of　other　styles　of

beauty　and　charm；　and　the　multiplicity　of　impressions　would　have

balanced　his　mind；　whereas　in　Bordeaux　Natalie　had　no　rivals；　she　was

the　solitary　flower；　moreover；　she　appeared　to　him　at　a　moment　when

Paul　was　under　the　tyranny　of　an　idea　to　which　most　men　succumb　at　his

age。



Thus　these　reasons　of　propinquity；　joined　to　reasons　of　self…love　and

a　real　passion　which　had　no　means　of　satisfaction　except　by　marriage；

led　Paul　on　to　an　irrational　love；　which　he　had；　however；　the　good

sense　to　keep　to　himself。　He　even　endeavored　to　study　Mademoiselle

Eva