an old maid-第11节

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what　tranquillity！　nothing　pretentious；　but　nothing　transitory；　all

seems　eternal　there！



The　ground…floor　is　devoted　wholly　to　the　reception…rooms。　The　old；

unchangeable　provincial　spirit　pervades　them。　The　great　square　salon

has　four　windows；　modestly　cased　in　woodwork　painted　gray。　A　single

oblong　mirror　is　placed　above　the　fireplace；　the　top　of　its　frame

represented　the　Dawn　led　by　the　Hours；　and　painted　in　camaieu　（two

shades　of　one　color）。　This　style　of　painting　infested　the　decorative

art　of　the　day；　especially　above　door…frames；　where　the　artist

displayed　his　eternal　Seasons；　and　made　you；　in　most　houses　in　the

centre　of　France；　abhor　the　odious　Cupids；　endlessly　employed　in

skating；　gleaning；　twirling；　or　garlanding　one　another　with　flowers。

Each　window　was　draped　in　green　damask　curtains；　looped　up　by　heavy

cords；　which　made　them　resemble　a　vast　dais。　The　furniture；　covered

with　tapestry；　the　woodwork；　painted　and　varnished；　and　remarkable　for

the　twisted　forms　so　much　the　fashion　in　the　last　century；　bore　scenes

from　the　fables　of　La　Fontaine　on　the　chair…backs；　some　of　this

tapestry　had　been　mended。　The　ceiling　was　divided　at　the　centre　of　the

room　by　a　huge　beam；　from　which　depended　an　old　chandelier　of　rock…

crystal　swathed　in　green　gauze。　On　the　fireplace　were　two　vases　in

Sevres　blue；　and　two　old　girandoles　attached　to　the　frame　of　the

mirror；　and　a　clock；　the　subject　of　which；　taken　from　the　last　scene

of　the　〃Deserteur；〃　proved　the　enormous　popularity　of　Sedaine's　work。

This　clock；　of　bronze…gilt；　bore　eleven　personages　upon　it；　each　about

four　inches　tall。　At　the　back　the　Deserter　was　seen　issuing　from

prison　between　the　soldiers；　in　the　foreground　the　young　woman　lay

fainting；　and　pointing　to　his　pardon。　On　the　walls　of　this　salon　were

several　of　the　more　recent　portraits　of　the　family；one　or　two　by

Rigaud；　and　three　pastels　by　Latour。　Four　card　tables；　a　backgammon

board；　and　a　piquet　table　occupied　the　vast　room；　the　only　one　in　the

house；　by　the　bye；　which　was　ceiled。



The　dining…room；　paved　in　black　and　white　stone；　not　ceiled；　and　its

beams　painted；　was　furnished　with　one　of　those　enormous　sideboards

with　marble　tops；　required　by　the　war　waged　in　the　provinces　against

the　human　stomach。　The　walls；　painted　in　fresco；　represented　a　flowery

trellis。　The　seats　were　of　varnished　cane；　and　the　doors　of　natural

wood。　All　things　about　the　place　carried　out　the　patriarchal　air　which

emanated　from　the　inside　as　well　as　the　outside　of　the　house。　The

genius　of　the　provinces　preserved　everything；　nothing　was　new　or　old；

neither　young　nor　decrepit。　A　cold　precision　made　itself　felt

throughout。



Tourists　in　Normandy；　Brittany；　Maine；　and　Anjou　must　all　have　seen　in

the　capitals　of　those　provinces　many　houses　which　resemble　more　or

less　that　of　the　Cormons；　for　it　is；　in　its　way；　an　archetype　of　the

burgher　houses　in　that　region　of　France；　and　it　deserves　a　place　in

this　history　because　it　serves　to　explain　manners　and　customs；　and

represents　ideas。　Who　does　not　already　feel　that　life　must　have　been

calm　and　monotonously　regular　in　this　old　edifice？　It　contained　a

library；　but　that　was　placed　below　the　level　of　the　river。　The　books

were　well　bound　and　shelved；　and　the　dust；　far　from　injuring　them；

only　made　them　valuable。　They　were　preserved　with　the　care　given　in

these　provinces　deprived　of　vineyards　to　other　native　products；

desirable　for　their　antique　perfume；　and　issued　by　the　presses　of

Bourgogne；　Touraine；　Gascogne；　and　the　South。　The　cost　of

transportation　was　too　great　to　allow　any　but　the　best　products　to　be

imported。



The　basis　of　Mademoiselle　Cormon's　society　consisted　of　about　one

hundred　and　fifty　persons；　some　went　at　times　to　the　country；　others

were　occasionally　ill；　a　few　travelled　about　the　department　on

business；　but　certain　of　the　faithful　came　every　night　（unless　invited

elsewhere）；　and　so　did　certain　others　compelled　by　duties　or　by　habit

to　live　permanently　in　the　town。　All　the　personages　were　of　ripe　age；

few　among　them　had　ever　travelled；　nearly　all　had　spent　their　lives　in

the　provinces；　and　some　had　taken　part　in　the　chouannerie。　The　latter

were　beginning　to　speak　fearlessly　of　that　war；　now　that　rewards　were

being　showered　on　the　defenders　of　the　good　cause。　Monsieur　de　Valois；

one　of　the　movers　in　the　last　uprising　（during　which　the　Marquis　de

Montauran；　betrayed　by　his　mistress；　perished　in　spite　of　the　devotion

of　Marche…a…Terre；　now　tranquilly　raising　cattle　for　the　market　near

Mayenne）；Monsieur　de　Valois　had；　during　the　last　six　months；　given

the　key　to　several　choice　stratagems　practised　upon　an　old　republican

named　Hulot；　the　commander　of　a　demi…brigade　stationed　at　Alencon　from

1798　to　1800；　who　had　left　many　memories　in　the　place。　＇See　〃The

Chouans。〃＇



The　women　of　this　society　took　little　pains　with　their　dress；　except

on　Wednesdays；　when　Mademoiselle　Cormon　gave　a　dinner；　on　which

occasion　the　guests　invited　on　the　previous　Wednesday　paid　their

〃visit　of　digestion。〃　Wednesdays　were　gala　days：　the　assembly　was

numerous；　guests　and　visitors　appeared　in　fiocchi；　some　women　brought

their　sewing；　knitting；　or　worsted　work；　the　young　girls　were　not

ashamed　to　make　patterns　for　the　Alencon　point　lace；　with　the　proceeds

of　which　they　paid　for　their　personal　expenses。　Certain　husbands

brought　their　wives　out　of　policy；　for　young　men　were　few　in　that

house；　not　a　word　could　be　whispered　in　any　ear　without　attracting　the

attention　of　all；　there　was　therefore　no　danger；　either　for　young

girls　or　wives；　of　love…making。



Every　evening；　at　six　o'clock；　the　long　antechamber　received　its

furniture。　Each　habitue　brought　his　cane；　his　cloak；　his　lantern。　All

these　persons　knew　each　other　so　well；　and　their　habits　and　ways　were

so　familiarly　patriarchal；　that　if　by　chance　the　old　Abbe　de　Sponde

was　lying　down；　or　Mademoiselle　Cormon　was　in　her　chamber；　neither

Josette；　the　maid；　nor　Jacquelin；　the　man…servant；　nor　Mariette；　the

cook；　informed　them。　The　first　comer　received　the　second；　then；　when

the　company　were　sufficiently　numerous　for　whist；　piquet；　or　boston；

they　began　the　game　without　awaiting　either　the　Abbe　de　Sponde　or

mademoiselle。　If　it　was　dark；　Josette　or　Jacquelin　would　hasten　to

light　the　candles　as　soon　as　the　first　bell　rang。　Seeing　the　salon

lighted　up；　the　abbe　would　slowly　hurry　to　come　down。　Every　evening

the　backgammon　and　the　piquet　tables；　the　three　boston　tables；　and　the

whist　table　were　filled；which　gave　occupation　to　twenty…five　or

thirty　persons；　but　as　many　as　forty　were　usually　present。　Jacquelin

would　then　light　the　candles　in　the　other　rooms。



Between　eight　and　nine　o'clock　the　servants　began　to　arrive　in　the

antechamber　to　accompany　their　masters　home；　and；　short　of　a

revolution；　no　one　remained　in　the　salon　at　ten　o'clock。　At　that　hour

the　guests　were　departing　in　groups　along　the　street；　discoursing　on

the　game；　or　continuing　conversations　on　the　land　they　were　covetous

of　buying；　on　the　terms　of　some　one's　will；　on　quarrels　among　heirs；

on　the　haughty　assumption　of　the　aristocratic　portion　of　the

community。　It　was　like　Paris　when　the　audience　of　a　theatre　disperses。



Certain　persons　who　talk　much　of　poesy　and　know　nothing　about　it；

declaim　against　the　habits　of　life　in　the　provinces。　But　put　your

forehead　in　your　left　hand；　rest　one　foot　on　the　fender；　and　your

elbow　on　your　knee；　then；　if　you　compass　the　idea　of　this　quiet　and

uniform　scene；　this　house　and　its　interior；　this　company　and　its

interests；　heightened　by　the　pettiness　of　its　intellect　like　goldleaf

beaten　between　sheets　of　parchment；　ask　yourself；　What　is　human　life？

Try　to　decide　between　him　who　scribbles　jokes　on　Egyptian　obelisks；

and　him　who　has　〃bostoned〃　for　twenty　years　with　Du　Bousquier；

Monsieur　de　Valois；　Mademoiselle　Cormon；　the　judge　of　the　court；　the

king's　attorney；　the　Abbe　de　Sponde；　Madame　Granson；　and　tutti　quanti。

If　the　daily　and　punctual　return　of　the　same　steps　to　the　same　path　is

not　happiness；　it　imitates　happiness　so　well　that　men　driven　by　the

storms　of　an　agitated　life　to　reflect　upon　the　blessings　of

tranquillity　would　say　that　here　was　happiness　ENOUGH。



To　reckon　the　importance　of　Mademoiselle　Cormon's　salon　at　its　true

value；　it　will　suffice　to　say　that　the　born　statistician　of　the

society；　du　Bousquier；　had　estimated　that　the　persons　who　frequented

it　controlled　one　hundred　and　thirty…one　votes　in　the　electoral

college；　and　mustered　among　themselves　eighteen　hundred　thousand

francs　a　year　from　landed　estate　in　the　neighborhood。



The　town　of　Alencon；　however；　was　not　entirely　represented　by　this

salon。　The　higher　aristocracy　had　a　salon　of　their　own；　moreover；　that

of　the　receiver…general　was　like　an　administration　inn　kept　by　the

government；　where　society　danced；　plotted；　fluttered；　loved；　and

supped。　These　two　salons　communicated　by　means　of　certain　mix