modeste mignon-第52部分

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Monsieur　de　Canalis　is　one　of　those　men　who　are　destined　for　the

highest　places　in　the　State。　He　has　more　than　fortune；　he　possesses

that　which　gives　fortune。〃



〃He　will　be　minister　or　ambassador；〃　said　Monsieur　Mignon。



〃That　won't　hinder　tax…payers　from　having　to　pay　the　costs　of　his

funeral；〃　remarked　the　notary。



〃How　so？〃　asked　Charles　Mignon。



〃He　strikes　me　as　a　man　who　will　waste　all　the　fortunes　with　whose

gifts　Mademoiselle　Modeste　so　liberally　endows　him；〃　answered

Latournelle。



〃Modeste　can't　avoid　being　liberal　to　a　poet　who　called　her　a

Madonna；〃　said　Dumay；　sneering；　and　faithful　to　the　repulsion　with

which　Canalis　had　originally　inspired　him。



Gobenheim　arranged　the　whist…table　with　all　the　more　persistency

because；　since　the　return　of　Monsieur　Mignon；　Latournelle　and　Dumay

had　allowed　themselves　to　play　for　ten　sous　points。



〃Well；　my　little　darling；〃　said　the　father　to　the　daughter　in　the

embrasure　of　a　window。　〃Admit　that　papa　thinks　of　everything。　If　you

send　your　orders　this　evening　to　your　former　dressmaker　in　Paris；　and

all　your　other　furnishing　people；　you　shall　show　yourself　eight　days

hence　in　all　the　splendor　of　an　heiress。　Meantime　we　will　install

ourselves　in　the　villa。　You　already　have　a　pretty　horse；　now　order　a

habit；　you　owe　that　amount　of　civility　to　the　grand　equerry。〃



〃All　the　more　because　there　will　be　a　number　of　us　to　ride；〃　said

Modeste；　who　was　recovering　the　colors　of　health。



〃The　secretary　did　not　say　much；〃　remarked　Madame　Mignon。



〃A　little　fool；〃　said　Madame　Latournelle；　〃the　poet　has　an　attentive

word　for　everybody。　He　thanked　Monsieur　Latournelle　for　his　help　in

choosing　the　house；　and　said　he　must　have　taken　counsel　with　a　woman

of　good　taste。　But　the　other　looked　as　gloomy　as　a　Spaniard；　and　kept

his　eyes　fixed　on　Modeste　as　though　he　would　like　to　swallow　her

whole。　If　he　had　even　looked　at　me　I　should　have　been　afraid　of　him。〃



〃He　had　a　pleasant　voice；〃　said　Madame　Mignon。



〃No　doubt　he　came　to　Havre　to　inquire　about　the　Mignons　in　the

interests　of　his　friend　the　poet；〃　said　Modeste；　looking　furtively　at

her　father。　〃It　was　certainly　he　whom　we　saw　in　church。〃



Madame　Dumay　and　Monsieur　and　Madame　Latournelle；　accepted　this　as　the

natural　explanation　of　Ernest's　journey。







CHAPTER　XIX



OF　WHICH　THE　AUTHOR　THINKS　A　GOOD　DEAL



〃Do　you　know；　Ernest；〃　cried　Canalis；　when　they　had　driven　a　short

distance　from　the　house；　〃I　don't　see　any　marriageable　woman　in

society　in　Paris　who　compares　with　that　adorable　girl。〃



〃Ah；　that　ends　it！〃　replied　Ernest。　〃She　loves　you；　or　she　will　love

you　if　you　desire　it。　Your　fame　won　half　the　battle。　Well；　you　may　now

have　it　all　your　own　way。　You　shall　go　there　alone　in　future。　Modeste

despises　me；　she　is　right　to　do　so；　and　I　don't　see　any　reason　why　I

should　condemn　myself　to　see；　to　love；　desire；　and　adore　that　which　I

can　never　possess。〃



After　a　few　consoling　remarks；　dashed　with　his　own　satisfaction　at

having　made　a　new　version　of　Caesar's　phrase；　Canalis　divulged　a

desire　to　break　with　the　Duchesse　de　Chaulieu。　La　Briere；　totally

unable　to　keep　up　the　conversation；　made　the　beauty　of　the　night　an

excuse　to　be　set　down；　and　then　rushed　like　one　possessed　to　the

seashore；　where　he　stayed　till　past　ten；　in　a　half…demented　state；

walking　hurriedly　up　and　down；　talking　aloud　in　broken　sentences；

sometimes　standing　still　or　sitting　down；　without　noticing　the

uneasiness　of　two　custom…house　officers　who　were　on　the　watch。　After

loving　Modeste's　wit　and　intellect　and　her　aggressive　frankness；　he

now　joined　adoration　of　her　beautythat　is　to　say；　love　without

reason；　love　inexplicableto　all　the　other　reasons　which　had　drawn

him　ten　days　earlier；　to　the　church　in　Havre。



He　returned　to　the　Chalet；　where　the　Pyrenees　hounds　barked　at　him

till　he　was　forced　to　relinquish　the　pleasure　of　gazing　at　Modeste's

windows。　In　love；　such　things　are　of　no　more　account　to　the　lover　than

the　work　which　is　covered　by　the　last　layer　of　color　is　to　an　artist；

yet　they　make　up　the　whole　of　love；　just　as　the　hidden　toil　is　the

whole　of　art。　Out　of　them　arise　the　great　painter　and　the　true　lover

whom　the　woman　and　the　public　end；　sometimes　too　late；　by　adoring。



〃Well　then！〃　he　cried　aloud；　〃I　will　stay；　I　will　suffer；　I　will　love

her　for　myself　only；　in　solitude。　Modeste　shall　be　my　sun；　my　life；　I

will　breathe　with　her　breath；　rejoice　in　her　joys　and　bear　her　griefs；

be　she　even　the　wife　of　that　egoist；　Canalis。〃



〃That's　what　I　call　loving；　monsieur；〃　said　a　voice　which　came　from　a

shrub　by　the　side　of　the　road。　〃Ha；　ha；　so　all　the　world　is　in　love

with　Mademoiselle　de　La　Bastie？〃



And　Butscha　suddenly　appeared　and　looked　at　La　Briere。　La　Briere

checked　his　anger　when；　by　the　light　of　the　moon；　he　saw　the　dwarf；

and　he　made　a　few　steps　without　replying。



〃Soldiers　who　serve　in　the　same　company　ought　to　be　good　comrades；〃

remarked　Butscha。　〃You　don't　love　Canalis；　neither　do　I。〃



〃He　is　my　friend；〃　replied　Ernest。



〃Ha；　you　are　the　little　secretary？〃



〃You　are　to　know；　monsieur；　that　I　am　no　man's　secretary。　I　have　the

honor　to　be　of　counsel　to　a　supreme　court　of　this　kingdom。〃



〃I　have　the　honor　to　salute　Monsieur　de　La　Briere；〃　said　Butscha。　〃I

myself　have　the　honor　to　be　head　clerk　to　Latournelle；　chief

councillor　of　Havre；　and　my　position　is　a　better　one　than　yours。　Yes；

I　have　had　the　happiness　of　seeing　Mademoiselle　Modeste　de　La　Bastie

nearly　every　evening　for　the　last　four　years；　and　I　expect　to　live

near　her；　as　a　king's　servant　lives　in　the　Tuileries。　If　they　offered

me　the　throne　of　Russia　I　should　answer；　'I　love　the　sun　too　well。'

Isn't　that　telling　you；　monsieur；　that　I　care　more　for　her　than　for

myself？　I　am　looking　after　her　interests　with　the　most　honorable

intentions。　Do　you　believe　that　the　proud　Duchesse　de　Chaulieu　would

cast　a　favorable　eye　on　the　happiness　of　Madame　de　Canalis　if　her

waiting…woman；　who　is　in　love　with　Monsieur　Germain；　not　liking　that

charming　valet's　absence　in　Havre；　were　to　say　to　her　mistress　while

brushing　her　hair〃



〃Who　do　you　know　about　all　this？〃　said　La　Briere；　interrupting

Butscha。



〃In　the　first　place；　I　am　clerk　to　a　notary；〃　answered　Butscha。　〃But

haven't　you　seen　my　hump？　It　is　full　of　resources；　monsieur。　I　have

made　myself　cousin　to　Mademoiselle　Philoxene　Jacmin；　born　at　Honfleur；

where　my　mother　was　born；　a　Jacmin；there　are　eight　branches　of　the

Jacmins　at　Honfleur。　So　my　cousin　Philoxene；　enticed　by　the　bait　of　a

highly　improbable　fortune；　has　told　me　a　good　many　things。〃



〃The　duchess　is　vindictive？〃　said　La　Briere。



〃Vindictive　as　a　queen；　Philoxene　says；　she　has　never　yet　forgiven　the

duke　for　being　nothing　more　than　her　husband；〃　replied　Butscha。　〃She

hates　as　she　loves。　I　know　all　about　her　character；　her　tastes；　her

toilette；　her　religion；　and　her　manners；　for　Philoxene　stripped