the deputy of arcis-第30章

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　of　the　clergy　and　the　Congregation。　Can　any　of　you　guess　the　great　party　which　he　proposes　to　create　in　the　Chamber；　and　of　which　he　intends　to　be　the　leader？　That　of　the　righteous　man；　the　impartial　man；　the　honest　man！　as　if　any　such　thing　could　live　and　breathe　in　the　parliamentary　cook…shops；　and　as　if；　moreover；　all　opinions；　to　hide　their　ugly　nothingness；　had　not；　from　time　immemorial；　wrapped　themselves　in　that　banner。〃

〃Does　he　mean　to　renounce　sculpture　absolutely？〃　asked　Joseph　Bridau。

〃Not　yet；　he　is　just　finishing　the　statue　of　some　saint；　I　don't　know　which；　but　he　lets　no　one　see　it；　and　says　he　does　not　intend　to　send　it　to　the　Exhibition　this　yearhe　has　ideas　about　it。〃

〃What　ideas？〃　asked　Emile　Blondet。

〃Oh！　that　religious　works　ought　not　to　be　delivered　over　to　the　judgment　of　critics；　or　to　the　gaze　of　a　public　rotten　with　scepticism；　they　ought；　he　thinks；　to　go；　without　passing　through　the　uproar　of　the　world；　piously　and　modestly　to　the　niches　for　which　they　are　intended。〃

〃/Ah　ca/！〃　exclaimed　Emile　Blondet；　〃and　it　is　this　fervent　Catholic　who　fights　a　duel！〃

〃Better　or　worse　than　that。　This　Catholic　lives　with　a　woman　whom　he　brought　back　from　Italy；a　species　of　Goddess　of　Liberty；　who　serves　him　as　model　and　housekeeper。〃

〃What　a　tongue　that　Bixiou　has；　he　keeps　a　regular　intelligence　office；〃　said　some　of　the　little　group　as　it　broke　up　at　the　offer　of　tea　from　Madame　de　Montcornet。

You　see　from　this；　my　dear　Monsieur　Gaston；　that　the　political　aspirations　of　Monsieur　Dorlange　are　not　regarded　seriously　by　his　friends。　I　do　not　doubt　that　you　will　write　to　him　soon　to　thank　him　for　the　warmth　with　which　he　defended　you　from　calumny。　That　courageous　devotion　has　given　me　a　true　sympathy　for　him；　and　I　shall　hope　that　you　will　use　the　influence　of　early　friendship　to　turn　his　mind　from　the　deplorable　path　he　seems　about　to　enter。　I　make　no　judgment　on　the　other　peculiarities　attributed　to　him　by　Monsieur　Bixiou；　who　has　a　cutting　and　a　flippant　tongue；　I　am　more　inclined　to　think；　with　Joseph　Bridau；　that　such　mistakes　are　venial。　But　a　fault　to　be　forever　regretted；　according　to　my　ideas；　will　be　that　of　abandoning　his　present　career　to　fling　himself　into　the　maelstrom　of　politics。　You　are　yourself　interested　in　turning　him　from　this　idea；　if　you　strongly　desire　to　entrust　that　work　to　his　hands。　Preach　to　him　as　strongly　as　you　can　the　wisdom　of　abiding　by　his　art。

On　the　subject　of　the　explanation　I　advised　you　to　have　with　him；　I　must　tell　you　that　your　task　is　greatly　simplified。　You　need　not　enter　into　any　of　the　details　which　would　be　to　you　so　painful。　Madame　de　l'Estorade；　to　whom　I　spoke　of　the　role　of　mediator　which　I　wanted　her　to　play；　accepted　the　part　very　willingly。　She　feels　confident　of　being　able；　after　half　an　hour's　conversation；　to　remove　the　painful　feeling　from　your　friend's　mind；　and　drive　away　the　clouds　between　you。

While　writing　this　long　letter；　I　have　sent　for　news　of　his　condition。　He　is　going　on　favorably；　and　the　physicians　say　that；　barring　all　unforeseen　accidents；　his　friends　need　have　no　anxiety　as　to　his　state。　It　seems　he　is　an　object　of　general　interest；　for；　to　use　the　expression　of　my　valet；　people　are　〃making　cue〃　to　leave　their　names　at　his　door。　It　must　be　added　that　the　Duke　de　Rhetore　is　not　liked；　which　may　partly　account　for　this　sympathy。　The　duke　is　stiff　and　haughty；　but　there　is　little　in　him。　What　a　contrast　the　brother　is　to　her　who　lives　in　our　tenderest　memory。　She　was　simple　and　kind；　yet　she　never　derogated　from　her　dignity；　nothing　equalled　the　lovable　qualities　of　her　heart　but　the　charms　of　her　mind。



IV

THE　COMTESSE　DE　L'ESTORAADE　TO　MADAME　OCTAVE　DE　CAMPS

Paris；　February；　1839。

Nothing　could　be　more　judicious　than　what　you　have　written　me；　my　dear　friend。　It　was　certainly　to　have　been　expected　that　my　〃bore〃　would　have　approached　me　on　the　occasion　of　our　next　meeting。　His　heroism　gave　him　the　right　to　do　so；　and　politeness　made　it　a　duty。　Under　pain　of　being　thought　unmannerly　he　was　bound　to　make　inquiries　as　to　the　results　of　the　accident　on　my　health　and　that　of　Nais。　But　if；　contrary　to　all　these　expectations；　he　did　not　descend　from　his　cloud；　my　resolution；　under　your　judicious　advice；　was　taken。　If　the　mountain　did　not　come　to　me；　I　should　go　to　the　mountain；　like　Hippolyte　in　the　tale　of　Theramene；　I　would　rush　upon　the　monster　and　discharge　my　gratitude　upon　him　at　short　range。　I　have　come　to　think　with　you　that　the　really　dangerous　side　of　this　foolish　obsession　on　his　part　is　its　duration　and　the　inevitable　gossip　in　which；　sooner　or　later；　it　would　involve　me。

Therefore；　I　not　only　accepted　the　necessity　of　speaking　to　my　shadow　first；　but　under　pretence　that　my　husband　wished　to　call　upon　him　and　thank　him　in　person；　I　determined　to　ask　him　his　name　and　address；　and　if　I　found　him　a　suitable　person　I　intended　to　ask　him　to　dinner　on　the　following　day；　believing　that　if　he　had　but　a　shadow　of　common…　sense；　he　would；　when　he　saw　the　manner　in　which　I　live　with　my　husband；　my　frantic　passion；　as　you　call　it；　for　my　children；　in　short；　the　whole　atmosphere　of　my　well…ordered　home；　he　would；　as　I　say；　certainly　see　the　folly　of　persisting　in　his　present　course。　At　any　rate　half　the　danger　of　his　pursuit　was　over　if　it　were　carried　on　openly。　If　I　was　still　to　be　persecuted；　it　would　be　in　my　own　home；　where　we　are　all；　more　or　less；　exposed　to　such　annoyances；　which　an　honest　woman　possessing　some　resources　of　mind　can　always　escape　with　honor。

Well；　all　these　fine　schemes　and　all　your　excellent　advice　have　come　to　nothing。　Since　the　accident；　or　rather　since　the　day　when　my　physician　first　allowed　me　to　go　out；　nothing；　absolutely　nothing　have　I　seen　of　my　unknown　lover。　But；　strange　to　say；　although　his　presence　was　intolerably　annoying；　I　am　conscious　that　he　still　exercises　a　sort　of　magnetism　over　me。　Without　seeing　him；　I　feel　him　near　me；　his　eyes　weigh　upon　me；　though　I　do　not　meet　them。　He　is　ugly；　but　his　ugliness　has　something　energetic　and　powerfully　marked；　which　makes　one　remember　him　as　a　man　of　strong　and　energetic　faculties。　In　fact；　it　is　impossible　not　to　think　about　him；　and　now　that　he　appears　to　have　relieved　me　of　his　presence；　I　an　conscious　of　a　voidthat　sort　of　void　the　ear　feels　when　a　sharp　and　piercing　noise　which　has　long　annoyed　it　ceases。　What　I　am　going　to　add　may　seem　to　you　great　foolishness；　but　are　we　always　mistress　of　such　mirages　of　the　imagination？

I　have　often　told　you　of　my　arguments　with　Louise　de　Chaulieu　in　relation　to　the　manner　in　which　women　ought　to　look　at　life。　I　used　to　tell　her　that　the　passion　with　which　she　never　ceased　to　pursue　the　ideal　was　ill…regulated　and　fatal　to　happiness。　To　this　she　answered：　〃You　have　never　loved；　my　dearest；　love　has　this　rare　phenomenon　about　it：　we　may　live　all　our　lives　without　ever　meeting　the　being　to　whom　nature　has　assigned　the　power　of　making　us　happy。　But　if　the　day　of　splendor　comes　when　that　being　unexpectedly　awakes　your　heart　from　sleep；　what　will　you　do　then？〃　＇See　〃Memoirs　of　Two　Young　Married　Women。〃＇

The　words　of　those　about　to　die　are　often　prophetic。　What　if　this　man　were　to　be　the　tardy　serpent　with　whom　Louise　threatened　me？　That　he　could　ever　be　really　dangerous　to　me；　that　he　could　make　me　fail　in　my　duty；　that　is　certainly　not　what　I　fear；　I　am　strong　against　all　such　extremes。　But　I　did　not；　like　you；　my　dear　Madame　de　Camps；　marry　a　man　whom　my　heart　had　chosen。　It　was　only　by　dint　of　patience；　determination；　and　reason　that　I　was　able　to　build　up　the　solid　and　serious　attachment　which　binds　me　to　Monsieur　de　l'Estorade。　Ought　I　not；　therefore；　to　be　doubly　cautious　lest　anything　distract　me　from　that　sentiment；　be　it　only　the　diversion　of　my　thoughts　in　this　annoying　manner；　to　another　man？

I　shall　say　to　you；　as；　MONSIEUR；　Louis　XIV。's　brother；　said　to　his　wife；　to　whom　he　was　in　the　habit　of　showing　what　he　had　written　and　asking　her　to　decipher　it：　See　into　my　heart　and　mind；　dear　friend；　disperse　the　mists；　quiet　the　worries；　and　the　flux　and　reflux　of　will　which　this　affair　stirs　up　in　me。　My　poor　Louise　was　mistaken；　was　she　not？　I　am　not　a　woman；　am　I；　on　whom