modeste mignon-第16部分

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　　this　great　genius　from　drawing　an　annuity　out　of　the　fund　for　the

　　encouragement　of　the　arts　and　belles　letters。



　　The　last　edition　of　the　works　of　Canalis；　printed　on　vellum；　royal

　　8vo；　from　the　press　of　Didot；　with　illustrations　by　Bixiou；　Joseph

　　Bridau；　Schinner；　Sommervieux；　etc。；　is　in　five　volumes；　price；

　　nine　francs　post…paid。



This　letter　fell　like　a　cobble…stone　on　a　tulip。　A　poet；　secretary　of

claims；　getting　a　stipend　in　a　public　office；　drawing　an　annuity；

seeking　a　decoration；　adored　by　the　women　of　the　faubourg　Saint…

Germainwas　that　the　muddy　minstrel　lingering　along　the　quays；　sad；

dreamy；　worn　with　toil；　and　re…entering　his　garret　fraught　with

poetry？　However；　Modeste　perceived　the　irony　of　the　envious

bookseller；　who　dared　to　say；　〃I　invented　Canalis；　I　made　Nathan！〃

Besides；　she　re…read　her　hero's　poems；verses　extremely　seductive；

insincere；　and　hypocritical；　which　require　a　word　of　analysis；　were　it

only　to　explain　her　infatuation。



Canalis　may　be　distinguished　from　Lamartine；　chief　of　the　angelic

school；　by　a　wheedling　tone　like　that　of　a　sick…nurse；　a　treacherous

sweetness；　and　a　delightful　correctness　of　diction。　If　the　chief　with

his　strident　cry　is　an　eagle；　Canalis；　rose　and　white；　is　a　flamingo。

In　him　women　find　the　friend　they　seek；　their　interpreter；　a　being　who

understands　them；　who　explains　them　to　themselves；　and　a　safe

confidant。　The　wide　margins　given　by　Didot　to　the　last　edition　were

crowded　with　Modeste's　pencilled　sentiments；　expressing　her　sympathy

with　this　tender　and　dreamy　spirit。　Canalis　does　not　possess　the　gift

of　life；　he　cannot　breathe　existence　into　his　creations；　but　he　knows

how　to　calm　vague　sufferings　like　those　which　assailed　Modeste。　He

speaks　to　young　girls　in　their　own　language；　he　can　allay　the　anguish

of　a　bleeding　wound　and　lull　the　moans；　even　the　sobs　of　woe。　His　gift

lies　not　in　stirring　words；　nor　in　the　remedy　of　strong　emotions；　he

contents　himself　with　saying　in　harmonious　tones　which　compel　belief；

〃I　suffer　with　you；　I　understand　you；　come　with　me；　let　us　weep

together　beside　the　brook；　beneath　the　willows。〃　And　they　follow　him！

They　listen　to　his　empty　and　sonorous　poetry　like　infants　to　a　nurse's

lullaby。　Canalis；　like　Nodier；　enchants　the　reader　by　an　artlessness

which　is　genuine　in　the　prose　writer　and　artificial　in　the　poet；　by

his　tact；　his　smile；　the　shedding　of　his　rose…leaves；　in　short　by　his

infantile　philosophy。　He　imitates　so　well　the　language　of　our　early

youth　that　he　leads　us　back　to　the　prairie…land　of　our　illusions。　We

can　be　pitiless　to　the　eagles；　requiring　from　them　the　quality　of　the

diamond；　incorruptible　perfection；　but　as　for　Canalis；　we　take　him　for

what　he　is　and　let　the　rest　go。　He　seems　a　good　fellow；　the

affectations　of　the　angelic　school　have　answered　his　purpose　and

succeeded；　just　as　a　woman　succeeds　when　she　plays　the　ingenue

cleverly；　and　simulates　surprise；　youth；　innocence　betrayed；　in　short；

the　wounded　angel。



Modeste；　recovering　her　first　impression；　renewed　her　confidence　in

that　soul；　in　that　countenance　as　ravishing　as　the　face　of　Bernadin　de

Saint…Pierre。　She　paid　no　further　attention　to　the　publisher。　And　so；

about　the　beginning　of　the　month　of　August　she　wrote　the　following

letter　to　this　Dorat　of　the　sacristy；　who　still　ranks　as　a　star　of　the

modern　Pleiades。



　　To　Monsieur　de　Canalis；Many　a　time；　monsieur；　I　have　wished　to

　　write　to　you；　and　why？　Surely　you　guess　why；to　tell　you　how　much

　　I　admire　your　genius。　Yes；　I　feel　the　need　of　expressing　to　you

　　the　admiration　of　a　poor　country　girl；　lonely　in　her　little

　　corner；　whose　only　happiness　is　to　read　your　thoughts。　I　have　read

　　Rene；　and　I　come　to　you。　Sadness　leads　to　reverie。　How　many　other

　　women　are　sending　you　the　homage　of　their　secret　thoughts？　What

　　chance　have　I　for　notice　among　so　many？　This　paper；　filled　with　my

　　soul；can　it　be　more　to　you　than　the　perfumed　letters　which

　　already　beset　you。　I　come　to　you　with　less　grace　than　others；　for

　　I　wish　to　remain　unknown　and　yet　to　receive　your　entire　confidence

　　as　though　you　had　long　known　me。



　　Answer　my　letter　and　be　friendly　with　me。　I　cannot　promise　to　make

　　myself　known　to　you；　though　I　do　not　positively　say　I　will　not

　　some　day　do　so。



　　What　shall　I　add？　Read　between　the　lines　of　this　letter；　monsieur；

　　the　great　effort　which　I　am　making：　permit　me　to　offer　you　my

　　hand；that　of　a　friend；　ah！　a　true　friend。



Your　servant；　　　　　　　O。　d'Este　M。





　　P。S。If　you　do　me　the　favor　to　answer　this　letter　address　your

　　reply；　if　you　please；　to　Mademoiselle　F。　Cochet；　〃poste　restante；〃

　　Havre。







CHAPTER　VII



A　POET　OF　THE　ANGELIC　SCHOOL



All　young　girls；　romantic　or　otherwise；　can　imagine　the　impatience　in

which　Modeste　lived　for　the　next　few　days。　The　air　was　full　of　tongues

of　fire。　The　trees　were　like　a　plumage。　She　was　not　conscious　of　a

body；　she　hovered　in　space；　the　earth　melted　away　under　her　feet。　Full

of　admiration　for　the　post…office；　she　followed　her　little　sheet　of

paper　on　its　way；　she　was　happy；　as　we　all　are　happy　at　twenty　years

of　age；　in　the　first　exercise　of　our　will。　She　was　possessed；　as　in

the　middle　ages。　She　made　pictures　in　her　mind　of　the　poet's　abode；　of

his　study；　she　saw　him　unsealing　her　letter；　and　then　followed　myriads

of　suppositions。



After　sketching　the　poetry　we　cannot　do　less　than　give　the　profile　of

the　poet。　Canalis　is　a　short；　spare　man；　with　an　air　of　good…breeding；

a　dark…complexioned；　moon…shaped　face；　and　a　rather　mean　head　like

that　of　a　man　who　has　more　vanity　than　pride。　He　loves　luxury；　rank；

and　splendor。　Money　is　of　more　importance　to　him　than　to　most　men。

Proud　of　his　birth；　even　more　than　of　his　talent；　he　destroys　the

value　of　his　ancestors　by　making　too　much　of　them　in　the　present　day；

after　all；　the　Canalis　are　not　Navarreins；　nor　Cadignans；　nor

Grandlieus。　Nature；　however；　helps　him　out　in　his　pretensions。　He　has

those　eyes　of　Eastern　effulgence　which　we　demand　in　a　poet；　a　delicate

charm　of　manner；　and　a　vibrant　voice；　yet　a　taint　of　natural

charlatanism　destroys　the　effect　of　nearly　all　these　advantages；　he　is

a　born　comedian。　If　he　puts　forward　his　well…shaped　foot；　it　is

because　the　attitude　has　become　a　habit；　if　he　uses　exclamatory　terms

they　are　part　of　himself；　if　he　poses　with　high　dramatic　action　he　has

made　that　deportment　his　second　nature。　Such　defects　as　these　are　not

incompatible　with　a　general　benevolence　and　a　certain　quality　of

errant　and　purely　ideal　chivalry；　which　distinguishes　the　paladin　from

the　knight。　Canalis　has　not　devotion　enough　for　a　Don　Quixote；　but　he

has　too　much　elevation　of　thought　not　to　put　himself　on　the　nobler

side　of　questions　and　things。　His　poetry；　which　takes　the　town　by

storm　on　all　profitable　occasions；　really　injures　the　man　as　a　poet；

for　he　is　not　without　mind；　but　his　talent　prevents　him　from

developing　it；　he　is　over