modeste mignon-第21部分

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〃One　thing　is　evident；〃　he　said　to　himself；　〃she　hasn't　six　millions；

but　that's　not　the　point〃



Six　days　later；　Modeste　received　the　following　letter：



　　Mademoiselle；You　are　not　a　D'Este。　The　name　is　a　feigned　one　to

　　conceal　your　own。　Do　I　owe　the　revelations　which　you　solicit　to　a

　　person　who　is　untruthful　about　herself？　Question　for　question：　Are

　　you　of　an　illustrious　family？　or　a　noble　family？　or　a　middle…class

　　family？　Undoubtedly　ethics　and　morality　cannot　change；　they　are

　　one：　but　obligations　vary　in　the　different　states　of　life。　Just　as

　　the　sun　lights　up　a　scene　diversely　and　produces　differences　which

　　we　admire；　so　morality　conforms　social　duty　to　rank；　to　position。

　　The　peccadillo　of　a　soldier　is　a　crime　in　a　general；　and　vice…

　　versa。　Observances　are　not　alike　in　all　cases。　They　are　not　the

　　same　for　the　gleaner　in　the　field；　for　the　girl　who　sews　at

　　fifteen　sous　a　day；　for　the　daughter　of　a　petty　shopkeeper；　for

　　the　young　bourgoise；　for　the　child　of　a　rich　merchant；　for　the

　　heiress　of　a　noble　family；　for　a　daughter　of　the　house　of　Este。　A

　　king　must　not　stoop　to　pick　up　a　piece　of　gold；　but　a　laborer

　　ought　to　retrace　his　steps　to　find　ten　sous；　though　both　are

　　equally　bound　to　obey　the　laws　of　economy。　A　daughter　of　Este；　who

　　is　worth　six　millions；　has　the　right　to　wear　a　broad…brimmed　hat

　　and　plume；　to　flourish　her　whip；　press　the　flanks　of　her　barb；　and

　　ride　like　an　amazon　decked　in　gold　lace；　with　a　lackey　behind　her；

　　into　the　presence　of　a　poet　and　say：　〃I　love　poetry；　and　I　would

　　fain　expiate　Leonora's　cruelty　to　Tasso！〃　but　a　daughter　of　the

　　people　would　cover　herself　with　ridicule　by　imitating　her。　To　what

　　class　do　you　belong？　Answer　sincerely；　and　I　will　answer　the

　　question　you　have　put　to　me。



　　As　I　have　not　the　honor　of　knowing　you　personally；　and　yet　am

　　bound　to　you；　in　a　measure；　by　the　ties　of　poetic　communion；　I　am

　　unwilling　to　offer　any　commonplace　compliments。　Perhaps　you　have

　　already　won　a　malicious　victory　by　thus　embarrassing　a　maker　of

　　books。



The　young　man　was　certainly　not　wanting　in　the　sort　of　shrewdness

which　is　permissible　to　a　man　of　honor。　By　return　courier　he　received

an　answer：



　　To　Monsieur　de　Canalis；You　grow　more　and　more　sensible；　my　dear

　　poet。　My　father　is　a　count。　The　chief　glory　of　our　house　was　a

　　cardinal；　in　the　days　when　cardinals　walked　the　earth　by　the　side

　　of　kings。　I　am　the　last　of　our　family；　which　ends　in　me；　but　I

　　have　the　necessary　quarterings　to　make　my　entry　into　any　court　or

　　chapter…house　in　Europe。　We　are　quite　the　equals　of　the　Canalis。

　　You　will　be　so　kind　as　to　excuse　me　from　sending　you　our　arms。



　　Endeavor　to　answer　me　as　truthfully　as　I　have　now　answered　you。　I

　　await　your　response　to　know　if　I　can　then　sign　myself　as　I　do　now；



Your　servant；　　　　　　　O。　d'Este　M。





〃The　little　mischief！　how　she　abuses　her　privileges；〃　cried　La　Briere；

〃but　isn't　she　frank！〃



No　young　man　can　be　four　years　private　secretary　to　a　cabinet

minister；　and　live　in　Paris　and　observe　the　carrying　on　of　many

intrigues；　with　perfect　impunity；　in　fact；　the　purest　soul　is　more　or

less　intoxicated　by　the　heady　atmosphere　of　the　imperial　city。　Happy

in　the　thought　that　he　was　not　Canalis；　our　young　secretary　engaged　a

place　in　the　mail…coach　for　Havre；　after　writing　a　letter　in　which　he

announced　that　the　promised　answer　would　be　sent　a　few　days　later；

excusing　the　delay　on　the　ground　of　the　importance　of　the　confession

and　the　pressure　of　his　duties　at　the　ministry。



He　took　care　to　get　from　the　director…general　of　the　post…office　a

note　to　the　postmaster　at　Havre；　requesting　secrecy　and　attention　to

his　wishes。　Ernest　was　thus　enabled　to　see　Francoise　Cochet　when　she

came　for　the　letters；　and　to　follow　her　without　exciting　observation。

Guided　by　her；　he　reached　Ingouville　and　saw　Modeste　Mignon　at　the

window　of　the　Chalet。



〃Well；　Francoise？〃　he　heard　the　young　girl　say；　to　which　the　maid

responded；



〃Yes；　mademoiselle；　I　have　one。〃



Struck　by　the　girl's　great　beauty；　Ernest　retraced　his　steps　and　asked

a　man　on　the　street　the　name　of　the　owner　of　that　magnificent　estate。



〃That？〃　said　the　man；　nodding　to　the　villa。



〃Yes；　my　friend。〃



〃Oh；　that　belongs　to　Monsieur　Vilquin；　the　richest　shipping　merchant

in　Havre；　so　rich　he　doesn't　know　what　he　is　worth。〃



〃There　is　no　Cardinal　Vilquin　that　I　know　of　in　history；〃　thought

Ernest；　as　he　walked　back　to　Havre　for　the　night　mail　to　Paris。

Naturally　he　questioned　the　postmaster　about　the　Vilquin　family；　and

learned　that　it　possessed　an　enormous　fortune。　Monsieur　Vilquin　had　a

son　and　two　daughters；　one　of　whom　was　married　to　Monsieur　Althor；

junior。　Prudence　kept　La　Briere　from　seeming　anxious　about　the

Vilquins；　the　postmaster　was　already　looking　at　him　slyly。



〃Is　there　there　any　one　staying　with　them　at　the　present　moment；〃　he

asked；　〃besides　the　family？〃



〃The　d'Herouville　family　is　there　just　now。　They　do　talk　of　a　marriage

between　the　young　duke　and　the　remaining　Mademoiselle　Vilquin。〃



〃Ha！〃　thought　Ernest；　〃there　was　a　celebrated　Cardinal　d'Herouville

under　the　Valois；　and　a　terrible　marshal　whom　they　made　a　duke　in　the

time　of　Henri　IV。〃



Ernest　returned　to　Paris　having　seen　enough　of　Modeste　to　dream　of

her；　and　to　think　that；　whether　she　were　rich　or　whether　she　were

poor；　if　she　had　a　noble　soul　he　would　like　to　make　her　Madame　de　La

Briere；　and　so　thinking；　he　resolved　to　continue　the　correspondence。



Ah！　you　poor　women　of　France；　try　to　remain　hidden　if　you　can；　try　to

weave　the　least　little　romance　about　your　lives　in　the　midst　of　a

civilization　which　posts　in　the　public　streets　the　hours　when　the

coaches　arrive　and　depart；　which　counts　all　letters　and　stamps　them

twice　over；　first　with　the　hour　when　they　are　thrown　into　the　boxes；

and　next　with　that　of　their　delivery；　which　numbers　the　houses；　prints

the　tax　of　every　tenant　on　a　metal　register　at　the　doors　（after

verifying　its　particulars）；　and　will　soon　possess　one　vast　register　of

every　inch　of　its　territory　down　to　the　smallest　parcel　of　land；　and

the　most　insignificant　features　of　it；a　giant　work　ordained　by　a

giant。　Try；　imprudent　young　ladies；　to　escape　not　only　the　eye　of　the

police；　but　the　incessant　chatter　which　takes　place　in　a　country　town

about　the　veriest　trifles；how　many　dishes　the　prefect　has　at　his

dessert；　how　many　slices　of　melon　are　left　at　the　door　of　some　small

householder；which　strains　its　ear　to　catch　the　chink　of　the　gold　a

thrifty　man　lays　by；　and　spends　its　evenings　in　calculating　the

incomes　of　the　village　and　the　town　and　the　department。　It　was　mere

chance　that　enabled　Modeste　to　escape　discovery　through　Ernest's

reconnoitring　expedition；a　step　which　he　already　regretted；　but　what

Parisian　can　allow　himself　to　be　the　dupe　of　a　little　country　girl？

Incapable　of　being　duped！　that　horrid　maxim　is