the girl with the golden eyes-第5章

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class　families；　to　a　mother　of　twenty；　still　full　of　illusions；　as　she
suckles　her　first…born；　to　a　young　man　newly　embarked　from　the
provinces；　and　intrusted　to　the　care　of　some　devout　dowager　who　keeps
him　without　a　sou；　or；　perhaps；　to　some　shop　assistant　who　goes　to　bed
at　midnight　wearied　out　with　folding　and　unfolding　calico；　and　rises
at　seven　o'clock　to　arrange　the　window；　often　again　to　some　man　of
science　or　poetry；　who　lives　monastically　in　the　embrace　of　a　fine
idea；　who　remains　sober；　patient；　and　chaste；　else　to　some　self…
contented　fool；　feeding　himself　on　folly；　reeking　of　health；　in　a
perpetual　state　of　absorption　with　his　own　smile；　or　to　the　soft　and
happy　race　of　loungers；　the　only　folk　really　happy　in　Paris；　which
unfolds　for　them　hour　by　hour　its　moving　poetry。

Nevertheless；　there　is　in　Paris　a　proportion　of　privileged　beings　to
whom　this　excessive　movement　of　industries；　interests；　affairs；　arts；
and　gold　is　profitable。　These　beings　are　women。　Although　they　also
have　a　thousand　secret　causes　which；　here　more　than　elsewhere；　destroy
their　physiognomy；　there　are　to　be　found　in　the　feminine　world　little
happy　colonies；　who　live　in　Oriental　fashion　and　can　preserve　their
beauty；　but　these　women　rarely　show　themselves　on　foot　in　the　streets；
they　lie　hid　like　rare　plants　who　only　unfold　their　petals　at　certain
hours；　and　constitute　veritable　exotic　exceptions。　However；　Paris　is
essentially　the　country　of　contrasts。　If　true　sentiments　are　rare
there；　there　also　are　to　be　found；　as　elsewhere；　noble　friendships　and
unlimited　devotion。　On　this　battlefield　of　interests　and　passions；
just　as　in　the　midst　of　those　marching　societies　where　egoism
triumphs；　where　every　one　is　obliged　to　defend　himself；　and　which　we
call　/armies/；　it　seems　as　though　sentiments　liked　to　be　complete　when
they　showed　themselves；　and　are　sublime　by　juxtaposition。　So　it　is
with　faces。　In　Paris　one　sometimes　sees　in　the　aristocracy；　set　like
stars；　the　ravishing　faces　of　young　people；　the　fruit　of　quite
exceptional　manners　and　education。　To　the　youthful　beauty　of　the
English　stock　they　unite　the　firmness　of　Southern　traits。　The　fire　of
their　eyes；　a　delicious　bloom　on　their　lips；　the　lustrous　black　of
their　soft　locks；　a　white　complexion；　a　distinguished　caste　of
features；　render　them　the　flowers　of　the　human　race；　magnificent　to
behold　against　the　mass　of　other　faces；　worn；　old；　wrinkled；　and
grimacing。　So　women；　too；　admire　such　young　people　with　that　eager
pleasure　which　men　take　in　watching　a　pretty　girl；　elegant；　gracious；
and　embellished　with　all　the　virginal　charms　with　which　our
imagination　pleases　to　adorn　the　perfect　woman。　If　this　hurried　glance
at　the　population　of　Paris　has　enabled　us　to　conceive　the　rarity　of　a
Raphaelesque　face；　and　the　passionate　admiration　which　such　an　one
must　inspire　at　the　first　sight；　the　prime　interest　of　our　history
will　have　been　justified。　/Quod　erat　demonstrandum/if　one　may　be
permitted　to　apply　scholastic　formulae　to　the　science　of　manners。

Upon　one　of　those　fine　spring　mornings；　when　the　leaves；　although
unfolded；　are　not　yet　green；　when　the　sun　begins　to　gild　the　roofs；
and　the　sky　is　blue；　when　the　population　of　Paris　issues　from　its
cells　to　swarm　along　the　boulevards；　glides　like　a　serpent　of　a
thousand　coils　through　the　Rue　de　la　Paix　towards　the　Tuileries；
saluting　the　hymeneal　magnificence　which　the　country　puts　on；　on　one
of　these　joyous　days；　then；　a　young　man　as　beautiful　as　the　day
itself；　dressed　with　taste；　easy　of　mannerto　let　out　the　secret　he
was　a　love…child；　the　natural　son　of　Lord　Dudley　and　the　famous
Marquise　de　Vordacwas　walking　in　the　great　avenue　of　the　Tuileries。
This　Adonis；　by　name　Henri　de　Marsay；　was　born　in　France；　when　Lord
Dudley　had　just　married　the　young　lady；　already　Henri's　mother；　to　an
old　gentleman　called　M。　de　Marsay。　This　faded　and　almost　extinguished
butterfly　recognized　the　child　as　his　own　in　consideration　of　the　life
interest　in　a　fund　of　a　hundred　thousand　francs　definitively　assigned
to　his　putative　son；　a　generosity　which　did　not　cost　Lord　Dudley　too
dear。　French　funds　were　worth　at　that　time　seventeen　francs；　fifty
centimes。　The　old　gentleman　died　without　having　ever　known　his　wife。
Madame　de　Marsay　subsequently　married　the　Marquis　de　Vordac；　but
before　becoming　a　marquise　she　showed　very　little　anxiety　as　to　her
son　and　Lord　Dudley。　To　begin　with；　the　declaration　of　war　between
France　and　England　had　separated　the　two　lovers；　and　fidelity　at　all
costs　was　not；　and　never　will　be；　the　fashion　of　Paris。　Then　the
successes　of　the　woman；　elegant；　pretty；　universally　adored；　crushed
in　the　Parisienne　the　maternal　sentiment。　Lord　Dudley　was　no　more
troubled　about　his　offspring　than　was　the　mother；the　speedy
infidelity　of　a　young　girl　he　had　ardently　loved　gave　him；　perhaps；　a
sort　of　aversion　for　all　that　issued　from　her。　Moreover；　fathers　can；
perhaps；　only　love　the　children　with　whom　they　are　fully　acquainted；　a
social　belief　of　the　utmost　importance　for　the　peace　of　families；
which　should　be　held　by　all　the　celibate；　proving　as　it　does　that
paternity　is　a　sentiment　nourished　artificially　by　woman；　custom；　and
the　law。

Poor　Henri　de　Marsay　knew　no　other　father　than　that　one　of　the　two　who
was　not　compelled　to　be　one。　The　paternity　of　M。　de　Marsay　was
naturally　most　incomplete。　In　the　natural　order；　it　is　but　for　a　few
fleeting　instants　that　children　have　a　father；　and　M。　de　Marsay
imitated　nature。　The　worthy　man　would　not　have　sold　his　name　had　he
been　free　from　vices。　Thus　he　squandered　without　remorse　in　gambling
hells；　and　drank　elsewhere；　the　few　dividends　which　the　National
Treasury　paid　to　its　bondholders。　Then　he　handed　over　the　child　to　an
aged　sister；　a　Demoiselle　de　Marsay；　who　took　much　care　of　him；　and
provided　him；　out　of　the　meagre　sum　allowed　by　her　brother；　with　a
tutor；　an　abbe　without　a　farthing；　who　took　the　measure　of　the　youth's
future；　and　determined　to　pay　himself　out　of　the　hundred　thousand
livres　for　the　care　given　to　his　pupil；　for　whom　he　conceived　an
affection。　As　chance　had　it；　this　tutor　was　a　true　priest；　one　of
those　ecclesiastics　cut　out　to　become　cardinals　in　France；　or　Borgias
beneath　the　tiara。　He　taught　the　child　in　three　years　what　he　might
have　learned　at　college　in　ten。　Then　the　great　man；　by　name　the　Abbe
de　Maronis；　completed　the　education　of　his　pupil　by　making　him　study
civilization　under　all　its　aspects：　he　nourished　him　on　his
experience；　led　him　little　into　churches；　which　at　that　time　were
closed；　introduced　him　sometimes　behind　the　scenes　of　theatres；　more
often　into　the　houses　of　courtesans；　he　exhibited　human　emotions　to
him　one　by　one；　taught　him　politics　in　the　drawing…rooms；　where　they
simmered　at　the　time；　explained　to　him　the　machinery　of　government；
and　endeavored　out　of　attraction　towards　a　fine　nature；　deserted；　yet
rich　in　promise；　virilely　to　replace　a　mother：　is　not　the　Church　the
mother　of　orphans？　The　pupil　was　responsive　to　so　much　care。　The
worthy　priest　died　in　1812；　a　bishop；　with　the　satisfaction　of　having
left　in　this　world　a　child　whose　heart　and　mind　were　so　well　moulded
that　he　could　outwit　a　man　of　forty。　Who　would　have　expected　to　have
found　a　heart　of　bronze；　a　brain　of　steel；　beneath　external　traits　as
seductive　as　ever　the　old　painters；　those　naive　artists；　had　given　to
the　serpent　in　the　terrestrial　paradise？　Nor　was　that　all。　In
addition；　the　good…natured　prelate　had　procured　for　the　child　of　his
choice　certain　acquaintances　in　the　best　Parisian　society；　which　might
equal　in　value；　in　the　young　man's　hand；　another　hundred　thousand
invested　livres。　In　fine；　this　priest；　vicious　but　politic；　sceptical
yet　learned；　treacherous　yet　amiable；　weak　in　appearance　yet　as
vigorous　physically　as　intellectually；　was　so　genuinely　useful　to　his
pupil；　so　complacent　to　his　vices；　so　fine　a　calculator　of　all　kinds
of　strength；　so　profound　when　it　was　needful　to　make　some　human
reckoning；　so　youthful　at　table；　at　Frascati；　atI　know　not　where；
that　the　grateful　Henri　de　Marsay　was　hardly　moved　at　aught　in　1814；
except　when　he　looked　at　the　portrait　of　his　beloved　bishop；　the