modeste mignon-第7部分

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Thankful　to　have　saved　his　wife　and　daughters　from　the　general　wreck；

Charles　Mignon　returned　to　Paris；　where　the　Emperor　made　him

lieutenant…colonel　in　the　cuirassiers　of　the　Guard　and　commander　of

the　Legion　of　honor。　The　colonel　dreamed　of　being　count　and　general

after　the　first　victory。　Alas！　that　hope　was　quenched　in　the　blood　of

Waterloo。　The　colonel；　slightly　wounded；　retired　to　the　Loire；　and

left　Tours　before　the　disbandment　of　the　army。



In　the　spring　of　1816　Charles　sold　his　wife's　property　out　of　the

funds　to　the　amount　of　nearly　four　hundred　thousand　francs；　intending

to　seek　his　fortune　in　America；　and　abandon　his　own　country　where

persecution　was　beginning　to　lay　a　heavy　hand　on　the　soldiers　of

Napoleon。　He　went　to　Havre　accompanied　by　Dumay；　whose　life　he　had

saved　at　Waterloo　by　taking　him　on　the　crupper　of　his　saddle　in　the

hurly…burly　of　the　retreat。　Dumay　shared　the　opinions　and　the

anxieties　of　his　colonel；　the　poor　fellow　idolized　the　two　little

girls　and　followed　Charles　like　a　spaniel。　The　latter；　confidence　that

the　habit　of　obedience；　the　discipline　of　subordination；　and　the

honesty　and　affection　of　the　lieutenant　would　make　him　a　useful　as

well　as　a　faithful　retainer；　proposed　to　take　him　with　him　in　a　civil

capacity。　Dumay　was　only　too　happy　to　be　adopted　into　the　family；　to

which　he　resolved　to　cling　like　the　mistletoe　to　an　oak。



While　waiting　for　an　opportunity　to　embark；　at　the　same　time　making

choice　of　a　ship　and　reflecting　on　the　chances　offered　by　the　various

ports　for　which　they　sailed；　the　colonel　heard　much　talk　about　the

brilliant　future　which　the　peace　seemed　to　promise　to　Havre。　As　he

listened　to　these　conversations　among　the　merchants；　he　foresaw　the

means　of　fortune；　and　without　loss　of　time　he　set　about　making　himself

the　owner　of　landed　property；　a　banker；　and　a　shipping…merchant。　He

bought　land　and　houses　in　the　town；　and　despatched　a　vessel　to　New

York　freighted　with　silks　purchased　in　Lyons　at　reduced　prices。　He

sent　Dumay　on　the　ship　as　his　agent；　and　when　the　latter　returned；

after　making　a　double　profit　by　the　sale　of　the　silks　and　the　purchase

of　cottons　at　a　low　valuation；　he　found　the　colonel　installed　with　his

family　in　the　handsomest　house　in　the　rue　Royale；　and　studying　the

principles　of　banking　with　the　prodigious　activity　and　intelligence　of

a　native　of　Provence。



This　double　operation　of　Dumay's　was　worth　a　fortune　to　the　house　of

Mignon。　The　colonel　purchased　the　villa　at　Ingouville　and　rewarded　his

agent　with　the　gift　of　a　modest　little　house　in　the　rue　Royale。　The

poor　toiler　had　brought　back　from　New　York；　together　with　his　cottons；

a　pretty　little　wife；　attracted　it　would　seem　by　his　French　nature。

Miss　Grummer　was　worth　about　four　thousand　dollars　（twenty　thousand

francs）；　which　sum　Dumay　placed　with　his　colonel；　to　whom　he　now

became　an　alter　ego。　In　a　short　time　he　learned　to　keep　his　patron's

books；　a　science　which；　to　use　his　own　expression；　pertains　to　the

sergeant…majors　of　commerce。　The　simple…hearted　soldier；　whom　fortune

had　forgotten　for　twenty　years；　thought　himself　the　happiest　man　in

the　world　as　the　owner　of　the　little　house　（which　his　master's

liberality　had　furnished）；　with　twelve　hundred　francs　a　year　from

money　in　the　funds；　and　a　salary　of　three　thousand　six　hundred。　Never

in　his　dreams　had　Lieutenant　Dumay　hoped　for　a　situation　so　good　as

this；　but　greater　still　was　the　satisfaction　he　derived　from　the

knowledge　that　his　lucky　enterprise　had　been　the　pivot　of　good　fortune

to　the　richest　commercial　house　in　Havre。



Madame　Dumay；　a　rather　pretty　little　American；　had　the　misfortune　to

lose　all　her　children　at　their　birth；　and　her　last　confinement　was　so

disastrous　as　to　deprive　her　of　the　hope　of　any　other。　She　therefore

attached　herself　to　the　two　little　Mignons；　whom　Dumay　himself　loved；

or　would　have　loved；　even　better　than　his　own　children　had　they　lived。

Madame　Dumay；　whose　parents　were　farmers　accustomed　to　a　life　of

economy；　was　quite　satisfied　to　receive　only　two　thousand　four　hundred

francs　of　her　own　and　her　household　expenses；　so　that　every　year　Dumay

laid　by　two　thousand　and　some　extra　hundreds　with　the　house　of　Mignon。

When　the　yearly　accounts　were　made　up　the　colonel　always　added

something　to　this　little　store　by　way　of　acknowledging　the　cashier's

services；　until　in　1824　the　latter　had　a　credit　of　fifty…eight

thousand　francs。　In　was　then　that　Charles　Mignon；　Comte　de　La　Bastie；

a　title　he　never　used；　crowned　his　cashier　with　the　final　happiness　of

residing　at　the　Chalet；　where　at　the　time　when　this　story　begins

Madame　Mignon　and　her　daughter　were　living　in　obscurity。



The　deplorable　state　of　Madame　Mignon's　health　was　caused　in　part　by

the　catastrophe　to　which　the　absence　of　her　husband　was　due。　Grief　had

taken　three　years　to　break　down　the　docile　German　woman；　but　it　was　a

grief　that　gnawed　at　her　heart　like　a　worm　at　the　core　of　a　sound

fruit。　It　is　easy　to　reckon　up　its　obvious　causes。　Two　children；　dying

in　infancy；　had　a　double　grave　in　a　soul　that　could　never　forget。　The

exile　of　her　husband　to　Siberia　was　to　such　a　woman　a　daily　death。　The

failure　of　the　rich　house　of　Wallenrod；　and　the　death　of　her　father；

leaving　his　coffers　empty；　was　to　Bettina；　then　uncertain　about　the

fate　of　her　husband；　a　terrible　blow。　The　joy　of　Charles's　return　came

near　killing　the　tender　German　flower。　After　that　the　second　fall　of

the　Empire　and　the　proposed　expatriation　acted　on　her　feelings　like　a

renewed　attack　of　the　same　fever。　At　last；　however；　after　ten　years　of

continual　prosperity；　the　comforts　of　her　house；　which　was　the　finest

in　Havre；　the　dinners；　balls；　and　fetes　of　a　prosperous　merchant；　the

splendors　of　the　villa　Mignon；　the　unbounded　respect　and　consideration

enjoyed　by　her　husband；　his　absolute　affection；　giving　her　an

unrivalled　love　in　return　for　her　single…minded　love　for　him；all

these　things　brought　the　woman　back　to　life。　At　the　moment　when　her

doubts　and　fears　at　last　left　her；　when　she　could　look　forward　to　the

bright　evening　of　her　stormy　life；　a　hidden　catastrophe；　buried　in　the

heart　of　the　family；　and　of　which　we　shall　presently　make　mention；

came　as　the　precursor　of　renewed　trials。



In　January；　1826；　on　the　day　when　Havre　had　unanimously　chosen　Charles

Mignon　as　its　deputy；　three　letters；　arriving　from　New　York；　Paris；

and　London；　fell　with　the　destruction　of　a　hammer　upon　the　crystal

palace　of　his　prosperity。　In　an　instant　ruin　like　a　vulture　swooped

down　upon　their　happiness；　just　as　the　cold　fell　in　1812　upon　the

grand　army　in　Russia。　One　night　sufficed　Charles　Mignon　to　decide　upon

his　course；　and　he　spent　it　in　settling　his　accounts　with　Dumay。　All

he　owned；　not　excepting　his　furniture；　would　just　suffice　to　pay　his

creditors。



〃Havre　shall　never　see　me　doing　nothing；〃　said　the　colonel　to　the

lieutenant。　〃Dumay；　I　take　your　sixty　thousand　francs　at　six　per

cent。〃



〃Three；　my