modeste mignon-第76部分

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mountain…tops　still　gilded　by　the　sun　when　all　is　twilight　in　the

valley。



Ernest　was　at　last　able　to　slip　a　word　into　Modeste's　ear；　and　she

rose　immediately。



〃My　dear；〃　said　the　duchesse；　thinking　she　was　going　to　dress；　and

pulling　a　bell…rope；　〃they　shall　show　you　your　apartment。〃



Ernest　accompanied　Modeste　to　the　foot　of　the　grand　staircase；

presenting　the　request　of　the　luckless　poet；　and　endeavoring　to　touch

her　feelings　by　describing　Melchior's　agony。



〃You　see；　he　loveshe　is　a　captive　who　thought　he　could　break　his

chain。〃



〃Love　in　such　a　rapid　seeker　after　fortune！〃　retorted　Modeste。



〃Mademoiselle；　you　are　at　the　entrance　of　life；　you　do　not　know　its

defiles。　The　inconsistencies　of　a　man　who　falls　under　the　dominion　of

a　woman　much　older　than　himself　should　be　forgiven；　for　he　is　really

not　accountable。　Think　how　many　sacrifices　Canalis　has　made　to　her。　He

has　sown　too　much　seed　of　that　kind　to　resign　the　harvest；　the　duchess

represents　to　him　ten　years　of　devotion　and　happiness。　You　made　him

forget　all　that；　and　unfortunately；　he　has　more　vanity　than　pride；　he

did　not　reflect　on　what　he　was　losing　until　he　met　Madame　Chaulieu

here　to…day。　If　you　really　understood　him；　you　would　help　him。　He　is　a

child；　always　mismanaging　his　life。　You　call　him　a　seeker　after

fortune；　but　he　seeks　very　badly；　like　all　poets；　he　is　a　victim　of

sensations；　he　is　childish；　easily　dazzled　like　a　child　by　anything

that　shines；　and　pursuing　its　glitter。　He　used　to　love　horses　and

pictures；　and　he　craved　fame；well；　he　sold　his　pictures　to　buy　armor

and　old　furniture　of　the　Renaissance　and　Louis　XV。；　just　now　he　is

seeking　political　power。　Admit　that　his　hobbies　are　noble　things。〃



〃You　have　said　enough；〃　replied　Modeste；　〃come；〃　she　added；　seeing　her

father；　whom　she　called　with　a　motion　of　her　head　to　give　her　his　arm；

〃come　with　me；　and　I　will　give　you　that　scrap　of　paper；　you　shall

carry　it　to　the　great　man　and　assure　him　of　my　condescension　to　his

wishes；　but　on　one　condition；you　must　thank　him　in　my　name　for　the

pleasure　I　have　taken　in　seeing　one　of　the　finest　of　the　German　plays

performed　in　my　honor。　I　have　learned　that　Goethe's　masterpiece　is

neither　Faust　nor　Egmont〃　and　then；　as　Ernest　looked　at　the

malicious　girl　with　a　puzzled　air；　she　added：　〃It　is　Torquato　Tasso！

Tell　Monsieur　de　Canalis　to　re…read　it；〃　she　added　smiling；　〃I

particularly　desire　that　you　will　repeat　to　your　friend　word　for　word

what　I　say；　for　it　is　not　an　epigram；　it　is　the　justification　of　his

conduct；with　this　trifling　difference；　that　he　will；　I　trust；　become

more　and　more　reasonable；　thanks　to　the　folly　of　his　Eleonore。〃



The　duchess's　head…woman　conducted　Modeste　and　her　father　to　their

apartment；　where　Francoise　Cochet　had　already　put　everything　in　order；

and　the　choice　elegance　of　which　astounded　the　colonel；　more

especially　after　he　heard　from　Francoise　that　there　were　thirty　other

apartments　in　the　chateau　decorated　with　the　same　taste。



〃This　is　what　I　call　a　proper　country…house；〃　said　Modeste。



〃The　Comte　de　La　Bastie　must　build　you　one　like　it；〃　replied　her

father。



〃Here；　monsieur；〃　said　Modeste；　giving　the　bit　of　paper　to　Ernest；

〃carry　it　to　our　friend　and　put　him　out　of　his　misery。〃



The　word　OUR　friend　struck　the　young　man's　heart。　He　looked　at　Modeste

to　see　if　there　was　anything　real　in　the　community　of　interests　which

she　seemed　to　admit；　and　she；　understanding　perfectly　what　his　look

meant；　added；　〃Come；　go　at　once；　your　friend　is　waiting。〃



La　Briere　colored　excessively；　and　left　the　room　in　a　state　of　doubt

and　anxiety　less　endurable　than　despair。　The　path　that　approaches

happiness　is；　to　the　true　lover；　like　the　narrow　way　which　Catholic

poetry　has　called　the　entrance　to　Paradise；expressing　thus　a　dark

and　gloomy　passage；　echoing　with　the　last　cries　of　earthly　anguish。



An　hour　later　this　illustrious　company　were　all　assembled　in　the

salon；　some　were　playing　whist；　others　conversing；　the　women　had　their

embroideries　in　hand；　and　all　were　waiting　the　announcement　of　dinner。

The　Prince　de　Cadignan　was　drawing　Monsieur　Mignon　out　upon　China；　and

his　campaigns　under　the　empire；　and　making　him　talk　about　the

Portendueres；　the　L'Estorades；　and　the　Maucombes；　Provencal　families；

he　blamed　him　for　not　seeking　service；　and　assured　him　that　nothing

would　be　easier　than　to　restore　him　to　his　rank　as　colonel　of　the

Guard。



〃A　man　of　your　birth　and　your　fortune　ought　not　to　belong　to　the

present　Opposition；〃　said　the　prince；　smiling。



This　society　of　distinguished　persons　not　only　pleased　Modeste；　but　it

enabled　her　to　acquire；　during　her　stay；　a　perfection　of　manners　which

without　this　revelation　she　would　have　lacked　all　her　life。　Show　a

clock　to　an　embryo　mechanic；　and　you　reveal　to　him　the　whole

mechanism；　he　thus　develops　the　germs　of　his　faculty　which　lie　dormant

within　him。　In　like　manner　Modeste　had　the　instinct　to　appropriate　the

distinctive　qualities　of　Madame　de　Maufrigneuse　and　Madame　de

Chaulieu。　For　her；　the　sight　of　these　women　was　an　education；　whereas

a　bourgeois　would　merely　have　ridiculed　their　ways　or　made　them　absurd

by　clumsy　imitation。　A　well…born；　well…educated；　and　right…minded

young　woman　like　Modeste　fell　naturally　into　connection　with　these

people；　and　saw　at　once　the　differences　that　separate　the　aristocratic

world　from　the　bourgeois　world；　the　provinces　from　the　faubourg　Saint…

Germain；　she　caught　the　almost　imperceptible　shadings；　in　short；　she

perceived　the　grace　of　the　〃grande　dame〃　without　doubting　that　she

could　herself　acquire　it。　She　noticed　also　that　her　father　and　La

Briere　appeared　infinitely　better　in　this　Olympus　than　Canalis。　The

great　poet；　abdicating　his　real　and　incontestable　power；　that　of　the

mind；　became　nothing　more　than　a　courtier　seeking　a　ministry；

intriguing　for　an　order；　and　forced　to　please　the　whole　galaxy。　Ernest

de　La　Briere；　without　ambitions；　was　able　to　be　himself；　while

Melchior　became；　to　use　a　vulgar　expression；　a　mere　toady；　and　courted

the　Prince　de　Loudon；　the　Duc　de　Rhetore；　the　Vicomte　de　Serizy；　or

the　Duc　de　Maufrigneuse；　like　a　man　not　free　to　assert　himself；　as　did

Colonel　Mignon；　who　was　justly　proud　of　his　campaigns；　and　of　the

confidence　of　the　Emperor　Napoleon。　Modeste　took　note　of　the　strained

efforts　of　the　man　of　real　talent；　seeking　some　witticism　that　should

raise　a　laugh；　some　clever　speech；　some　compliment　with　which　to

flatter　these　grand　personages；　whom　it　was　his　interest　to　please。　In

a　word；　to　Modeste's　eyes　the　peacock　plucked　out　his　tail…feathers。



Toward　the　middle　of　the　evening　the　young　girl　sat　down　with　the

grand　equerry　in　a　corner　of　the　salon。　She　led　him　there　purposely　to

end　a　suit　which　she　could　no　longer　encourage　if　she　wished　to　retain

her　self…respect。



〃Monsieur　le　duc；　if　you　really　knew　me；〃　she　said；　〃you　would

understand　how　deeply　I　am　touched　by　your　attention