modeste mignon-第62部分

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have　made　an　angel　swear。



〃Good　God！〃　exclaimed　Butscha；　letting　fall　his　hands；　which　struck

the　marble　steps。



〃Well！　and　isn't　he　worth　more　than　that　spiteful　and　gloomy　secretary

in　whom　you　take　such　an　interest？〃　she　retorted；　assuming；　at　the

mere　thought　of　Ernest；　the　haughty　manner　whose　secret　belongs

exclusively　to　young　girls；as　if　their　virginity　lent　them　wings　to

fly　to　heaven。　〃Pray；　would　your　little　La　Briere　accept　me　without　a

fortune？〃　she　said；　after　a　pause。



〃Ask　your　father；〃　replied　Butscha；　who　walked　a　few　steps　from　the

house；　to　get　Modeste　at　a　safe　distance　from　the　windows。　〃Listen　to

me；　mademoiselle。　You　know　that　he　who　speaks　to　you　is　ready　to　give

not　only　his　life　but　his　honor　for　you；　at　any　moment；　and　at　all

times。　Therefore　you　may　believe　in　him；　you　can　confide　to　him　that

which　you　may　not；　perhaps；　be　willing　to　say　to　your　father。　Tell　me；

has　that　sublime　Canalis　been　making　you　the　disinterested　offer　that

you　now　fling　as　a　reproach　at　poor　Ernest？〃



〃Yes。〃



〃Do　you　believe　it？〃



〃That　question；　my　manikin；〃　she　replied；　giving　him　one　of　the　ten　or

a　dozen　nicknames　she　had　invented　for　him；　〃strikes　me　as

undervaluing　the　strength　of　my　self…love。〃



〃Ah；　you　are　laughing；　my　dear　Mademoiselle　Modeste；　then　there's　no

danger：　I　hope　you　are　only　making　a　fool　of　him。〃



〃Pray　what　would　you　think　of　me；　Monsieur　Butscha；　if　I　allowed

myself　to　make　fun　of　those　who　do　me　the　honor　to　wish　to　marry　me？

You　ought　to　know；　master　Jean；　that　even　if　a　girl　affects　to　despise

the　most　despicable　attentions；　she　is　flattered　by　them。〃



〃Then　I　flatter　you？〃　said　the　young　man；　looking　up　at　her　with　a

face　that　was　illuminated　like　a　city　for　a　festival。



〃You？〃　she　said；　〃you　give　me　the　most　precious　of　all　friendships；a

feeling　as　disinterested　as　that　of　a　mother　for　her　child。　Compare

yourself　to　no　one；　for　even　my　father　is　obliged　to　be　devoted　to

me。〃　She　paused。　〃I　cannot　say　that　I　love　you；　in　the　sense　which　men

give　to　that　word；　but　what　I　do　give　you　is　eternal　and　can　know　no

change。〃



〃Then；〃　said　Butscha；　stooping　to　pick　up　a　pebble　that　he　might　kiss

the　hem　of　her　garment；　〃suffer　me　to　watch　over　you　as　a　dragon

guards　a　treasure。　The　poet　was　covering　you　just　now　with　the　lace…

work　of　his　precious　phrases；　the　tinsel　of　his　promises；　he　chanted

his　love　on　the　best　strings　of　his　lyre；　I　know　he　did。　If；　as　soon

as　this　noble　lover　finds　out　how　small　your　fortune　is；　he　makes　a

sudden　change　in　his　behavior；　and　is　cold　and　embarrassed；　will　you

still　marry　him？　shall　you　still　esteem　him？〃



〃He　would　be　another　Francisque　Althor；〃　she　said；　with　a　gesture　of

bitter　disgust。



〃Let　me　have　the　pleasure　of　producing　that　change　of　scene；〃　said

Butscha。　〃Not　only　shall　it　be　sudden；　but　I　believe　I　can　change　it

back　and　make　your　poet　as　loving　as　before；nay；　it　is　possible　to

make　him　blow　alternately　hot　and　cold　upon　your　heart；　just　as

gracefully　as　he　has　talked　on　both　sides　of　an　argument　in　one

evening　without　ever　finding　it　out。〃



〃If　you　are　right；〃　she　said；　〃who　can　be　trusted？〃



〃One　who　truly　loves　you。〃



〃The　little　duke？〃



Butscha　looked　at　Modeste。　The　pair　walked　some　distance　in　silence；

the　girl　was　impenetrable　and　not　an　eyelash　quivered。



〃Mademoiselle；　permit　me　to　be　the　exponent　of　the　thoughts　that　are

lying　at　the　bottom　of　your　heart　like　sea…mosses　under　the　waves；　and

which　you　do　not　choose　to　gather　up。〃



〃Eh！〃　said　Modeste；　〃so　my　intimate　friend　and　counsellor　thinks

himself　a　mirror；　does　he？〃



〃No；　an　echo；〃　he　answered；　with　a　gesture　of　sublime　humility。　〃The

duke　loves　you；　but　he　loves　you　too　much。　If　I；　a　dwarf；　have

understood　the　infinite　delicacy　of　your　heart；　it　would　be　repugnant

to　you　to　be　worshipped　like　a　saint　in　her　shrine。　You　are　eminently

a　woman；　you　neither　want　a　man　perpetually　at　your　feet　of　whom　you

are　eternally　sure；　nor　a　selfish　egoist　like　Canalis；　who　will　always

prefer　himself　to　you。　Why？　ah；　that　I　don't　know。　But　I　will　make

myself　a　woman；　an　old　woman；　and　find　out　the　meaning　of　the　plan

which　I　have　read　in　your　eyes；　and　which　perhaps　is　in　the　heart　of

every　girl。　Nevertheless；　in　your　great　soul　you　feel　the　need　of

worshipping。　When　a　man　is　at　your　knees；　you　cannot　put　yourself　at

his。　You　can't　advance　in　that　way；　as　Voltaire　might　say。　The　little

duke　has　too　many　genuflections　in　his　moral　being　and　the　poet　has

too　few；indeed；　I　might　say；　none　at　all。　Ha；　I　have　guessed　the

mischief　in　your　smiles　when　you　talk　to　the　grand　equerry；　and　when

he　talks　to　you　and　you　answer　him。　You　would　never　be　unhappy　with

the　duke；　and　everybody　will　approve　your　choice；　if　you　do　choose

him；　but　you　will　never　love　him。　The　ice　of　egotism；　and　the　burning

heat　of　ecstasy　both　produce　indifference　in　the　heart　of　every　woman。

It　is　evident　to　my　mind　that　no　such　perpetual　worship　will　give　you

the　infinite　delights　which　you　are　dreaming　of　in　marriage；in　some

marriage　where　obedience　will　be　your　pride；　where　noble　little

sacrifices　can　be　made　and　hidden；　where　the　heart　is　full　of

anxieties　without　a　cause；　and　successes　are　awaited　with　eager　hope；

where　each　new　chance　for　magnanimity　is　hailed　with　joy；　where　souls

are　comprehended　to　their　inmost　recesses；　and　where　the　woman

protects　with　her　love　the　man　who　protects　her。〃



〃You　are　a　sorcerer！〃　exclaimed　Modeste。



〃Neither　will　you　find　that　sweet　equality　of　feeling；　that　continual

sharing　of　each　other's　life；　that　certainty　of　pleasing　which　makes

marriage　tolerable；　if　you　take　Canalis；a　man　who　thinks　of　himself

only；　whose　'I'　is　the　one　string　to　his　lute；　whose　mind　is　so　fixed

on　himself　that　he　has　hitherto　taken　no　notice　of　your　father　or　the

duke；a　man　of　second…rate　ambitions；　to　whom　your　dignity　and　your

devotion　will　matter　nothing；　who　will　make　you　a　mere　appendage　to

his　household；　and　who　already　insults　you　by　his　indifference　to　your

behavior；　yes；　if　you　permitted　yourself　to　go　so　far　as　to　box　your

mother's　ears　Canalis　would　shut　his　eyes　to　it；　and　deny　your　crime

even　to　himself；　because　he　thirsts　for　your　money。　And　so；

mademoiselle；　when　I　spoke　of　the　man　who　truly　loves　you　I　was　not

thinking　of　the　great　poet　who　is　nothing　but　a　little　comedian；　nor

of　the　duke；　who　might　be　a　good　marriage　for　you；　but　never　a

husband〃



〃Butscha；　my　heart　is　a　blank　page　on　which　you　are　yourself　writing

all　that　you　read　there；〃　cried　Modeste；　interrupting　him。　〃You　are

carried　away　by　your　provincial　hatred　for　everything　that　obliges　you

to　look　higher　than　your　own　head。　You　can't　forgive　a　poet　for　being

a　statesman；　for　possessing　the　gift　of　speech；　for　having　a　noble

future　before　him；and　you　calumniate　his　intentions。〃



〃His！mademoiselle；　he　will　turn　his　back　upon　you　with　the　baseness

o