the village rector-第31章

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〃It　shows　what　women　have　lost　by　the　Revolution；　which　has　levelled
all　social　ranks。　Passions　of　this　kind　are　no　longer　met　with　except
in　men　who　still　feel　an　enormous　distance　between　themselves　and
their　mistresses。〃

〃You　saddle　love　with　many　vanities；〃　remarked　the　Abbe　Dutheil。

〃What　does　Madame　Graslin　think？〃　asked　the　prefect。

〃What　do　you　expect　her　to　think？〃　said　Monsieur　de　Grandville。　〃Her
child　was　born；　as　she　predicted　to　me；　on　the　morning　of　the
execution；　she　has　not　seen　any　one　since　then；　for　she　is　dangerously
ill。〃

A　scene　took　place　in　another　salon　in　Limoges　which　was　almost
comical。　The　friends　of　the　des　Vanneaulx　came　to　congratulate　them　on
the　recovery　of　their　property。

〃Yes；　but　they　ought　to　have　pardoned　that　poor　man；〃　said　Madame　des
Vanneaulx。　〃Love；　and　not　greed；　made　him　steal　the　money；　he　was
neither　vicious　nor　wicked。〃

〃He　was　full　of　consideration　for　us；〃　said　Monsieur　des　Vanneaulx；
〃and　if　I　knew　where　his　family　had　gone　I　would　do　something　for
them。　They　are　very　worthy　people；　those　Tascherons。〃



X

THIRD　PHASE　OF　VERONIQUE'S　LIFE

When　Madame　Graslin　recovered　from　the　long　illness　that　followed　the
birth　of　her　child；　which　was　not　till　the　close　of　1829；　an　illness
which　forced　her　to　keep　her　bed　and　remain　in　absolute　retirement；
she　heard　her　husband　talking　of　an　important　piece　of　business　he　was
anxious　to　concede。　The　ducal　house　of　Navarreins　had　offered　for　sale
the　forest　of　Montegnac　and　the　uncultivated　lands　around　it。

Graslin　had　never　yet　executed　the　clause　in　his　marriage　contract
with　his　wife　which　obliged　him　to　invest　his　wife's　fortune　in　lands；
up　to　this　time　he　had　preferred　to　employ　the　money　in　his　bank；
where　he　had　fully　doubled　it。　He　now　began　to　speak　of　this
investment。　Hearing　him　discuss　it　Veronique　appeared　to　remember　the
name　of　Montegnac；　and　asked　her　husband　to　fulfil　his　engagement
about　her　property　by　purchasing　these　lands。　Monsieur　Graslin　then
proposed　to　see　the　rector；　Monsieur　Bonnet；　and　inquire　of　him　about
the　estate；　which　the　Duc　de　Navarreins　was　desirous　of　selling
because　he　foresaw　the　struggle　which　the　Prince　de　Polignac　was
forcing　on　between　liberalism　and　the　house　of　Bourbon；　and　he　augured
ill　of　it；　in　fact；　the　duke　was　one　of　the　boldest　opposers　of　the
/coup…d'Etat/。

The　duke　had　sent　his　agent　to　Limoges　to　negotiate　the　matter；
telling　him　to　accept　any　good　sum　of　money；　for　he　remembered　the
Revolution　of　1789　too　well　not　to　profit　by　the　lessons　it　had　taught
the　aristocracy。　This　agent　had　now　been　a　month　laying　siege　to
Graslin；　the　shrewdest　and　wariest　business　head　in　the　Limousin；the
only　man；　he　was　told　by　practical　persons；　who　was　able　to　purchase
so　large　a　property　and　pay　for　it　on　the　spot。　The　Abbe　Dutheil　wrote
a　line　to　Monsieur　Bonnet；　who　came　to　Limoges　at　once；　and　was　taken
to　the　hotel　Graslin。

Veronique　determined　to　ask　the　rector　to　dinner；　but　the　banker　would
not　let　him　go　up　to　his　wife's　apartment　until　he　had　talked　to　him
in　his　office　for　over　an　hour　and　obtained　such　information　as　fully
satisfied　him；　and　made　him　resolve　to　buy　the　forest　and　domains　of
Montegnac　at　once　for　the　sum　of　five　hundred　thousand　francs。　He
acquiesced　readily　in　his　wife's　wish　that　this　purchase　and　all
others　connected　with　it　should　be　in　fulfilment　of　the　clause　of　the
marriage　contract　relative　to　the　investment　of　her　dowry。　Graslin　was
all　the　more　ready　to　do　so　because　this　act　of　justice　cost　him
nothing；　he　having　doubled　the　original　sum。

At　this　time；　when　Graslin　was　negotiating　the　purchase；　the
Navarreins　domains　comprised　the　forest　of　Montegnac　which　contained
about　thirty　thousand　acres　of　unused　land；　the　ruins　of　the　castle；
the　gardens；　park；　and　about　five　thousand　acres　of　uncultivated　land
on　the　plain　beyond　Montegnac。　Graslin　immediately　bought　other　lands
in　order　to　make　himself　master　of　the　first　peak　in　the　chain　of　the
Correzan　mountains　on　which　the　vast　forest　of　Montegnac　ended。　Since
the　imposition　of　taxes　the　Duc　de　Navarreins　had　never　received　more
than　fifteen　thousand　francs　per　annum　from　this　manor；　once　among　the
richest　tenures　of　the　kingdom；　the　lands　of　which　had　escaped　the
sale　of　〃public　domain〃　ordered　by　the　Convention；　on　account　probably
of　their　barrenness　and　the　known　difficulty　of　reclaiming　them。

When　the　rector　went　at　last　to　Madame　Graslin's　apartment；　and　saw
the　woman　noted　for　her　piety　and　for　her　intellect　of　whom　he　had
heard　speak；　he　could　not　restrain　a　gesture　of　amazement。　Veronique
had　now　reached　the　third　phase　of　her　life；　that　in　which　she　was　to
rise　into　grandeur　by　the　exercise　of　the　highest　virtues；a　phase　in
which　she　became　another　woman。　To　the　Little　Virgin　of　Titian；　hidden
at　eleven　years　of　age　beneath　a　spotted　mantle　of　small…pox；　had
succeeded　a　beautiful　woman；　noble　and　passionate；　and　from　that
woman；　now　wrung　by　inward　sorrows；　came　forth　a　saint。

Her　skin　bore　the　yellow　tinge　which　colors　the　austere　faces　of
abbesses　who　have　been　famous　for　their　macerations。　The　attenuated
temples　were　almost　golden。　The　lips　had　paled；　the　red　of　an　opened
pomegranate　was　no　longer　on　them；　their　color　had　changed　to　the　pale
pink　of　a　Bengal　rose。　At　the　corners　of　the　eyes；　close　to　the　nose；
sorrows　had　made　two　shining　tracks　like　mother…of…pearl；　where　tears
had　flowed；　tears　which　effaced　the　marks　of　small…pox　and　glazed　the
skin。　Curiosity　was　invincibly　attracted　to　that　pearly　spot；　where
the　blue　threads　of　the　little　veins　throbbed　precipitately；　as　though
they　were　swelled　by　an　influx　of　blood　brought　there；　as　it　were；　to
feed　the　tears。　The　circle　round　the　eyes　was　now　a　dark…brown　that
was　almost　black　above　the　eyelids；　which　were　horribly　wrinkled。　The
cheeks　were　hollow；　in　their　folds　lay　the　sign　of　solemn　thoughts。
The　chin；　which　in　youth　was　full　and　round；　the　flesh　covering　the
muscles；　was　now　shrunken；　to　the　injury　of　its　expression；　which　told
of　an　implacable　religious　severity　exercised　by　this　woman　upon
herself。

At　twenty…nine　years　of　age　Veronique's　hair　was　scanty　and　already
whitening。　Her　thinness　was　alarming。　In　spite　of　her　doctor's　advice
she　insisted　on　suckling　her　son。　The　doctor　triumphed　in　the　result；
and　as　he　watched　the　changes　he　had　foretold　in　Veronique's
appearance；　he　often　said：

〃See　the　effects　of　childbirth　on　a　woman！　She　adores　that　child；　I
have　often　noticed　that　mothers　are　fondest　of　the　children　who　cost
them　most。〃

Veronique's　faded　eyes　were　all　that　retained　even　a　memory　of　her
youth。　The　dark　blue　of　the　iris　still　cast　its　passionate　fires；　to
which　the　woman's　life　seemed　to　have　retreated；　deserting　the　cold；
impassible　face；　and　glowing　with　an　expression　of　devotion　when　the
welfare　of　a　fellow…being　was　concerned。

Thus　the　surprise；　the　dread　of　the　rector　ceased　by　degrees　as　he
went　on　explaining　to　Madame　Graslin　all　the　good　that　a　large　owner
of　property　could　do　at　Montegnac　provided　he　lived　there。　Veronique's
beauty　came　back　to　her　for　a　moment　as　her　eyes　glowed　with　the　light
of　an　unhoped…for　future。

〃I　will　live　there；〃　she　said。　〃It　shall　be　my　work。　I　will　ask
Monsieur　Graslin　for　money；　and　I　will　gladly　share　in　your　religious
enterprise。　Montegnac　shall　be　fertilized；　we　will　find　some　means　to
water　those　arid　plains。　Like　Moses；　you　have　struck　a　rock　from　which
the　waters　will　gush。〃

The　rector　of　Montegnac；　when　questioned　by　his　friends　in　Limoges
about　Madame　Graslin；　spoke　of　her　as　a　saint。

The　day　after　the　purchase　was　concluded　Monsieur　Graslin　sent　an
architect　to　Montegnac。　The　banker　intended　to　restore　the　chateau；
gardens；　terrace；　and　park；　and　also　to　connect　the　castle　grounds
with　the　forest　by　a　plantation。　He　set　himself　to　make　these
improvements　with　vainglorious　activity。

A　few　months　later　Madame　Graslin　met　with　a　great　misfortune。　In
August；　1830；　Graslin；　overtaken　by　the　commercial　and　banking
disasters　of　that　period；　became　involved　by　no　fault　of　his　own。　He
could　not　endure　the　thought　of　b