the deputy of arcis-第34章

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〃So　far　from　objecting；〃　replied　Monsieur　de　Ronquerolles；　〃I　am　glad　of　the　opportunity　to　meet　a　man　of　talent；　who　in　the　affair　you　speak　of　behaved　admirably。〃　And　he　added；　after　my　husband　had　told　him　of　our　great　obligation　to　Monsieur　Dorlange；　〃Then　he　is　a　true　hero；　your　sculptor！　if　he　goes　on　this　way；　we　can't　hold　a　candle　to　him。〃

In　his　studio；　with　a　bare　throat　leaving　his　head；　which　is　rather　too　large　for　his　body；　free；　and　dressed　in　a　sort　of　Oriental　costume；　Monsieur　Dorlange　looked　to　me　a　great　deal　better　than　he　does　in　regular　evening　dress。　Though　I　must　say　that　when　he　grows　animated　in　speaking　his　face　lights　up；　a　sort　of　a　magnetic　essence　flows　from　his　eyes　which　I　had　already　noticed　in　our　preceding　encounters。　Madame　de　la　Bastie　was　as　much　struck　as　I　was　by　this　peculiarity。

I　don't　know　if　I　told　you　that　the　ambition　of　Monsieur　Dorlange　is　to　be　returned　to　the　Chamber　at　the　coming　elections。　This　was　the　reason　he　gave　for　declining　Monsieur　Gaston's　commission。　What　Monsieur　de　l'Estorade　and　I　thought；　at　first；　to　be　a　mere　excuse　was　an　actual　reason。　At　table　when　Monsieur　Joseph　Bridau　asked　him　point…blank　what　belief　was　to　be　given　to　the　report　of　his　parliamentary　intentions；　Monsieur　Dorlange　formally　announced　them；　from　that　moment；　throughout　the　dinner；　the　talk　was　exclusively　on　politics。

When　it　comes　to　topics　foreign　to　his　studies；　I　expected　to　find　our　artist；　if　not　a　novice；　at　least　very　slightly　informed。　Not　at　all。　On　men；　on　things；　on　the　past　as　on　the　future　of　parties；　he　had　very　clear　and　really　novel　views；　which　were　evidently　not　borrowed　from　the　newspapers；　and　he　put　them　forth　in　lively；　easy；　and　elegant　language；　so　that　after　his　departure　Monsieur　de　Ronquerolles　and　Monsieur　de　l'Estorade　declared　themselves　positively　surprised　at　the　strong　and　powerful　political　attitude　he　had　taken。　This　admission　was　all　the　more　remarkable　because；　as　you　know；　the　two　gentlemen　are　zealous　conservatives；　whereas　Monsieur　Dorlange　inclines　in　a　marked　degree　to　democratic　principles。

This　unexpected　superiority　in　my　problematical　follower　reassured　me　not　a　little；　still；　I　was　resolved　to　get　to　the　bottom　of　the　situation；　and　therefore；　after　dinner　I　drew　him　into　one　of　those　tete…a…tetes　which　the　mistress　of　a　house　can　always　bring　about。

After　talking　awhile　about　Monsieur　Marie…Gaston；　our　mutual　friend；　the　enthusiasms　of　my　dear　Louise　and　my　efforts　to　moderate　them；　I　asked　him　how　soon　he　intended　to　send　his　Saint…Ursula　to　her　destination。

〃Everything　is　ready　for　her　departure；〃　he　replied；　〃but　I　want　your　/exeat/；　madame；　will　you　kindly　tell　me　if　you　desire　me　to　change　her　expression？〃

〃One　question　in　the　first　place；〃　I　replied：　〃Will　your　work　suffer　by　such　a　change；　supposing　that　I　desire　it？〃

〃Probably。　If　you　cut　the　wings　of　a　bird　you　hinder　its　flight。〃

〃Another　question：　Is　it　I；　or　the　/other　person/　whom　the　statue　best　represents？〃

〃You；　madame；　that　goes　without　saying；　for　you　are　the　present；　she　the　past。〃

〃But；　to　desert　the　past　for　the　present　is　a　bad　thing　and　goes　by　a　bad　name；　monsieur；　and　yet　you　proclaim　it　with　a　very　easy　air。〃

〃True；〃　said　Monsieur　Dorlange；　laughing；　〃but　art　is　ferocious；　wherever　it　sees　material　for　its　creations；　it　pounces　upon　it　desperately。〃

〃Art；〃　I　replied；　〃is　a　great　word　under　which　a　multitude　of　things　shelter　themselves。　The　other　day　you　told　me　that　circumstances；　too　long　to　relate　at　that　moment；　had　contributed　to　fix　the　image　of　which　I　was　the　reflection　in　your　mind；　where　it　has　left　a　vivid　memory；　was　not　that　enough　to　excite　my　curiosity？〃

〃It　was　true；　madame；　that　time　did　not　allow　of　my　making　an　explanation　of　those　circumstances；　but；　in　any　case；　having　the　honor　of　speaking　to　you　for　the　first　time；　it　would　have　been　strange；　would　it　not；　had　I　ventured　to　make　you　any　confidences？〃

〃Well；　but　now？〃　I　said；　boldly。

〃Now；　unless　I　receive　more　express　encouragement；　I　am　still　unable　to　suppose　that　anything　in　my　past　can　interest　you。〃

〃Why　not？　Some　acquaintances　ripen　fast。　Your　devotion　to　my　Nais　has　advanced　our　friendship　rapidly。　Besides；〃　I　added；　with　affected　levity；　〃I　am　passionately　fond　of　stories。〃

〃But　mine　has　no　conclusion　to　it；　it　is　an　enigma　even　to　myself。〃

〃All　the　better；　perhaps　between　us　we　might　find　the　key　to　it。〃

Monsieur　Dorlange　appeared　to　take　counsel　with　himself；　then；　after　a　short　pause　he　said：

〃It　is　true　that　women　are　admirably　fitted　to　seize　the　lighter　shades　of　meaning　in　acts　and　sentiments　which　we　men　are　unable　to　decipher。　But　this　confidence　does　not　concern　myself　alone；　I　should　have　to　request　that　it　remain　absolutely　between　ourselves；　not　even　excepting　Monsieur　de　l'Estorade　from　this　restriction。　A　secret　is　never　safe　beyond　the　person　who　confides　it；　and　the　person　who　hears　it。〃

I　was　much　puzzled；　as　you　can　well　suppose；　about　what　might　follow；　still；　continuing　my　explorations；　I　replied：

〃Monsieur　de　l'Estorade　is　so　little　in　the　habit　of　hearing　everything　from　me；　that　he　never　even　read　a　line　of　my　correspondence　with　Madame　Marie…Gaston。〃

Until　then；　Monsieur　Dorlange　had　stood　before　the　fireplace；　at　one　corner　of　which　I　was　seated；　but　he　now　took　a　chair　beside　me　and　said；　by　way　of　preamble：

〃I　mentioned　to　you；　madame；　the　family　of　Lanty〃

At　that　instantprovoking　as　rain　in　the　midst　of　a　picnicMadame　de　la　Bastie　came　up　to　ask　me　if　I　had　been　to　see　Nathan's　last　drama。　Monsieur　Dorlange　was　forced　to　give　up　his　seat　beside　me；　and　no　further　opportunity　for　renewing　the　conversation　occurred　during　the　evening。

I　have　really；　as　you　see　now；　no　light　upon　the　matter；　and　yet　when　I　recall　the　whole　manner　and　behavior　of　Monsieur　Dorlange；　whom　I　studied　carefully；　my　opinion　inclines　to　his　perfect　innocence。　Nothing　proves　that　the　love　I　suspected　plays　any　part　in　this　curious　affair；　and　I　will　allow　you　to　think　that　I　and　my　terrors；　with　which　I　tormented　you；　were　terribly　absurd；in　short；　that　I　have　played　the　part　of　Belise　in　the　/Femmes　Savantes/；　who　fancies　that　every　man　she　sees　is　fatally　in　love　with　her。

I　therefore　cheerfully　abandon　that　stupid　conclusion。　Lover　or　not；　Monsieur　Dorlange　is　a　man　of　high　character；　with　rare　distinction　of　mind；　and　if；　as　I　believe　now；　he　has　no　misplaced　pretensions；　it　is　an　honor　and　pleasure　to　count　him　among　our　friends。　Nais　is　enchanted　with　her　preserver。　After　he　left　us　that　evening；　she　said　to　me；　with　an　amusing　little　air　of　approbation；

〃Mamma；　how　well　Monsieur　Dorlange　talks。〃

Apropos　of　Nais；　here　is　one　of　her　remarks：

〃When　he　stopped　the　horses；　mamma；　and　you　did　not　seem　to　notice　him；　I　thought　he　was　only　a　man。〃

〃How　do　you　mean；only　a　man？〃

〃Well；　yes！　one　of　those　persons　to　whom　one　pays　no　attention。　But；　oh！　I　was　so　glad　when　I　found　out　he　was　a　monsieur。　Didn't　you　hear　me　cry　out；　'Ah！　you　are　the　monsieur　who　saved　me'？〃

Though　her　innocence　is　perfect；　there　was　such　pride　and　vanity　in　this　little　speech　that　I　gave　her；　as　you　may　well　suppose；　a　lecture　upon　it。　This　distinction　of　man　and　monsieur　is　dreadful；　but；　after　all；　the　child　told　the　truth。　She　only　said；　with　her　blunt　simplicity；　what　our　democratic　customs　still　allow　us　to　put　in　practice；　though　they　forbid　us　to　put　it　into　words。　The　Revolution　of　'89　has　at　least　introduced　that　virtuous　hypocrisy　into　our　social　system。

But　I　refrain　from　politics。



VIII

THE　COMTESSE　DE　L'ESTORADE　TO　MADAME　OCTAVE　DE　CAMPS

April；　1839。

For　the　last　two　weeks　we　have　heard　nothing　more　of　Monsieur　Dorlange。　Not　only　has　he　not　seen　fit　to　renew　the　conversation　so　provokingly　interrupted　by　Madame　de　la　Bastie；　but　he　has　not　even　remembered　that　it　was　proper　to　leave　his　card　at　the　house　after　a　dinner。

While　we　were　breakfasting　yesterday　morning；　I　happened　to　make　this　remark　（though　without　any　sharpness）；　and　just　then　our　Lucas；　who；　as　an　old　servant；　sometimes　allows　himself　a　little　familiarity；　had　the　door　swung　triumphantly　open　to　admit　him；　bearing