modeste mignon-第42部分

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the　poor　reality　which　the　irony　of　fate　has　flung　at　her　feet。　Ought

she　not　to　choose　between　Canalis　and　yourself？　I　rely　upon　your　honor

not　to　repeat　what　I　have　told　you　as　to　the　state　of　my　affairs。　You

may　each　come；　I　mean　you　and　your　friend　the　Baron　de　Canalis；　to

Havre　for　the　last　two　weeks　of　October。　My　house　will　be　open　to　both

of　you；　and　my　daughter　must　have　an　opportunity　to　study　you。　You

must　yourself　bring　your　rival；　and　not　disabuse　him　as　to　the　foolish

tales　he　will　hear　about　the　wealth　of　the　Comte　de　La　Bastie。　I　go　to

Havre　to…morrow；　and　I　shall　expect　you　three　days　later。　Adieu；

monsieur。〃



Poor　La　Briere　went　back　to　Canalis　with　a　dragging　step。　The　poet；

meantime；　left　to　himself；　had　given　way　to　a　current　of　thought　out

of　which　had　come　that　secondary　impulse　which　Monsieur　de　Talleyrand

valued　so　much。　The　first　impulse　is　the　voice　of　nature；　the　second

that　of　society。



〃A　girl　worth　six　millions；〃　he　thought　to　himself；　〃and　my　eyes　were

not　able　to　see　that　gold　shining　in　the　darkness！　With　such　a　fortune

I　could　be　peer　of　France；　count；　marquis；　ambassador。　I've　replied　to

middle…class　women　and　silly　women；　and　crafty　creatures　who　wanted

autographs；　I've　tired　myself　to　death　with　masked…ball　intrigues；at

the　very　moment　when　God　was　sending　me　a　soul　of　price；　an　angel　with

golden　wings！　Bah！　I'll　make　a　poem　on　it；　and　perhaps　the　chance　will

come　again。　Heavens！　the　luck　of　that　little　La　Briere；strutting

about　in　my　lustreplagiarism！　I'm　the　cast　and　he's　to　be　the

statue；　is　he？　It　is　the　old　fable　of　Bertrand　and　Raton。　Six

millions；　a　beauty；　a　Mignon　de　La　Bastie；　an　aristocratic　divinity

loving　poetry　and　the　poet！　And　I；　who　showed　my　muscle　as　man　of　the

world；　who　did　those　Alcide　exercises　to　silence　by　moral　force　the

champion　of　physical　force；　that　old　soldier　with　a　heart；　that　friend

of　this　very　young　girl；　whom　he'll　now　go　and　tell　that　I　have　a

heart　of　iron！I；　to　play　Napoleon　when　I　ought　to　have　been

seraphic！　Good　heavens！　True；　I　shall　have　my　friend。　Friendship　is　a

beautiful　thing。　I　have　kept　him；　but　at　what　a　price！　Six　millions；

that's　the　cost　of　it；　we　can't　have　many　friends　if　we　pay　all　that

for　them。〃



La　Briere　entered　the　room　as　Canalis　reached　this　point　in　his

meditations。　He　was　gloom　personified。



〃Well；　what's　the　matter？〃　said　Canalis。



〃The　father　exacts　that　his　daughter　shall　choose　between　the　two

Canalis〃



〃Poor　boy！〃　cried　the　poet；　laughing；　〃he's　a　clever　fellow；　that

father。〃



〃I　have　pledged　my　honor　that　I　will　take　you　to　Havre；〃　said　La

Briere；　piteously。



〃My　dear　fellow；〃　said　Canalis；　〃if　it　is　a　question　of　your　honor　you

may　count　on　me。　I'll　ask　for　leave　of　absence　for　a　month。〃



〃Modeste　is　so　beautiful！〃　exclaimed　La　Briere；　in　a　despairing　tone。

〃You　will　crush　me　out　of　sight。　I　wondered　all　along　that　fate　should

be　so　kind　to　me；　I　knew　it　was　all　a　mistake。〃



〃Bah！　we　will　see　about　that；〃　said　Canalis　with　inhuman　gaiety。



That　evening；　after　dinner；　Charles　Mignon　and　Dumay；　were　flying；　by

virtue　of　three　francs　to　each　postilion；　from　Paris　to　Havre。　The

father　had　eased　the　watch…dog's　mind　as　to　Modeste　and　her　love

affairs；　the　guard　was　relieved；　and　Butscha's　innocence　established。



〃It　is　all　for　the　best；　my　old　Dumay；〃　said　the　count；　who　had　been

making　certain　inquiries　of　Mongenod　respecting　Canalis　and　La　Briere。

〃We　are　going　to　have　two　actors　for　one　part！〃　he　cried　gaily。



Nevertheless；　he　requested　his　old　comrade　to　be　absolutely　silent

about　the　comedy　which　was　now　to　be　played　at　the　Chalet；a　comedy

it　might　be；　but　also　a　gentle　punishment；　or；　if　you　prefer　it；　a

lesson　given　by　the　father　to　the　daughter。



The　two　friends　kept　up　a　long　conversation　all　the　way　from　Paris　to

Havre；　which　put　the　colonel　in　possession　of　the　facts　relating　to

his　family　during　the　past　four　years；　and　informing　Dumay　that

Desplein；　the　great　surgeon；　was　coming　to　Havre　at　the　end　of　the

present　month　to　examine　the　cataract　on　Madame　Mignon's　eyes；　and

decide　if　it　were　possible　to　restore　her　sight。



A　few　moments　before　the　breakfast…hour　at　the　Chalet；　the　clacking　of

a　postilion's　whip　apprised　the　family　that　the　two　soldiers　were

arriving；　only　a　father's　joy　at　returning　after　long　absence　could　be

heralded　with　such　clatter；　and　it　brought　all　the　women　to　the　garden

gate。　There　is　many　a　father　and　many　a　childperhaps　more　fathers

than　childrenwho　will　understand　the　delights　of　such　an　arrival；

and　that　happy　fact　shows　that　literature　has　no　need　to　depict　it。

Perhaps　all　gentle　and　tender　emotions　are　beyond　the　range　of

literature。



Not　a　word　that　could　trouble　the　peace　of　the　family　was　uttered　on

this　joyful　day。　Truce　was　tacitly　established　between　father；　mother；

and　child　as　to　the　so…called　mysterious　love　which　had　paled

Modeste's　cheeks；for　this　was　the　first　day　she　had　left　her　bed

since　Dumay's　departure　for　Paris。　The　colonel；　with　the　charming

delicacy　of　a　true　soldier；　never　left　his　wife's　side　nor　released

her　hand；　but　he　watched　Modeste　with　delight；　and　was　never　weary　of

noting　her　refined；　elegant；　and　poetic　beauty。　Is　it　not　by　such

seeming　trifles　that　we　recognize　a　man　of　feeling？　Modeste；　who

feared　to　interrupt　the　subdued　joy　of　the　husband　and　wife　kept　at　a

little　distance；　coming　from　time　to　time　to　kiss　her　father's

forehead；　and　when　she　kissed　it　overmuch　she　seemed　to　mean　that　she

was　kissing　it　for　two；for　Bettina　and　herself。



〃Oh；　my　darling；　I　understand　you；〃　said　the　colonel；　pressing　her

hand　as　she　assailed　him　with　kisses。



〃Hush！〃　whispered　the　young　girl；　glancing　at　her　mother。



Dumay's　rather　sly　and　pregnant　silence　made　Modeste　somewhat　uneasy

as　to　the　upshot　of　his　journey　to　Paris。　She　looked　at　him　furtively

every　now　and　then；　without　being　able　to　get　beneath　his　epidermis。

The　colonel；　like　a　prudent　father；　wanted　to　study　the　character　of

his　only　daughter；　and　above　all　consult　his　wife；　before　entering　on

a　conference　upon　which　the　happiness　of　the　whole　family　depended。



〃To…morrow；　my　precious　child；〃　he　said　as　they　parted　for　the　night；

〃get　up　early；　and　we　will　go　and　take　a　walk　on　the　seashore。　We　have

to　talk　about　your　poems；　Mademoiselle　de　La　Bastie。〃



His　last　words；　accompanied　by　a　smile；　which　reappeared　like　an　echo

on　Dumay's　lips；　were　all　that　gave　Modeste　any　clew　to　what　was

coming；　but　it　was　enough　to　calm　her　uneasiness　and　keep　her　awake

far　into　the　night　with　her　head　full　of　suppositions；　this；　however；

did　not　prevent　her　from　being　dressed　and　ready　in　the　morning　long

before　the　colonel。



〃You　know　all；　my　kind　papa？〃　she　said　as　soon　as　they　were　on　the

road　to　the　beach。



〃I　know　all；　and　a　good　deal　more　than　you　do；〃　he　replied。



After　that　remark　father　and　daughter　went　some　littl