an old maid-第13节

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Mademoiselle　Cormon's　body　that　her　primitive　proportions　were

destroyed。　At　the　present　moment；　no　corset　could　restore　a　pair　of

hips　to　the　poor　lady；　who　seemed　to　have　been　cast　in　a　single　mould。

The　youthful　harmony　of　her　bosom　existed　no　longer；　and　its　excessive

amplitude　made　the　spectator　fear　that　if　she　stooped　its　heavy　masses

might　topple　her　over。　But　nature　had　provided　against　this　by　giving

her　a　natural　counterpoise；　which　rendered　needless　the　deceitful

adjunct　of　a　bustle；　in　Rose　Cormon　everything　was　genuine。　Her　chin；

as　it　doubled；　reduced　the　length　of　her　neck；　and　hindered　the　easy

carriage　of　her　head。　Rose　had　no　wrinkles；　but　she　had　folds　of

flesh；　and　jesters　declared　that　to　save　chafing　she　powdered　her　skin

as　they　do　an　infant's。



This　ample　person　offered　to　a　young　man　full　of　ardent　desires　like

Athanase　an　attraction　to　which　he　had　succumbed。　Young　imaginations；

essentially　eager　and　courageous；　like　to　rove　upon　these　fine　living

sheets　of　flesh。　Rose　was　like　a　plump　partridge　attracting　the　knife

of　a　gourmet。　Many　an　elegant　deep　in　debt　would　very　willingly　have

resigned　himself　to　make　the　happiness　of　Mademoiselle　Cormon。　But；

alas！　the　poor　girl　was　now　forty　years　old。　At　this　period；　after

vainly　seeking　to　put　into　her　life　those　interests　which　make　the

Woman；　and　finding　herself　forced　to　be　still　unmarried；　she　fortified

her　virtue　by　stern　religious　practices。　She　had　recourse　to　religion；

the　great　consoler　of　oppressed　virginity。　A　confessor　had；　for　the

last　three　years；　directed　Mademoiselle　Cormon　rather　stupidly　in　the

path　of　maceration；　he　advised　the　use　of　scourging；　which；　if　modern

medical　science　is　to　be　believed；　produces　an　effect　quite　the

contrary　to　that　expected　by　the　worthy　priest；　whose　hygienic

knowledge　was　not　extensive。



These　absurd　practices　were　beginning　to　shed　a　monastic　tint　over　the

face　of　Rose　Cormon；　who　now　saw　with　something　like　despair　her　white

skin　assuming　the　yellow　tones　which　proclaim　maturity。　A　slight　down

on　her　upper　lip；　about　the　corners；　began　to　spread　and　darken　like　a

trail　of　smoke；　her　temples　grew　shiny；　decadence　was　beginning！　It

was　authentic　in　Alencon　that　Mademoiselle　Cormon　suffered　from　rush

of　blood　to　the　head。　She　confided　her　ills　to　the　Chevalier　de

Valois；　enumerating　her　foot…baths；　and　consulting　him　as　to

refrigerants。　On　such　occasions　the　shrewd　old　gentleman　would　pull

out　his　snuff…box；　gaze　at　the　Princess　Goritza；　and　say；　by　way　of

conclusion：



〃The　right　composing　draught；　my　dear　lady；　is　a　good　and　kind

husband。〃



〃But　whom　can　one　trust？〃　she　replied。



The　chevalier　would　then　brush　away　the　snuff　which　had　settled　in　the

folds　of　his　waistcoat　or　his　paduasoy　breeches。　To　the　world　at　large

this　gesture　would　have　seemed　very　natural；　but　it　always　gave

extreme　uneasiness　to　the　poor　woman。



The　violence　of　this　hope　without　an　object　was　so　great　that　Rose　was

afraid　to　look　a　man　in　the　face　lest　he　should　perceive　in　her　eyes

the　feelings　that　filled　her　soul。　By　a　wilfulness；　which　was　perhaps

only　the　continuation　of　her　earlier　methods；　though　she　felt　herself

attracted　toward　the　men　who　might　still　suit　her；　she　was　so　afraid

of　being　accused　of　folly　that　she　treated　them　ungraciously。　Most

persons　in　her　society；　being　incapable　of　appreciating　her　motives；

which　were　always　noble；　explained　her　manner　towards　her　co…celibates

as　the　revenge　of　a　refusal　received　or　expected。　When　the　year　1815

began；　Rose　had　reached　that　fatal　age　which　she　dared　not　avow。　She

was　forty…two　years　old。　Her　desire　for　marriage　then　acquired　an

intensity　which　bordered　on　monomania；　for　she　saw　plainly　that　all

chance　of　progeny　was　about　to　escape　her；　and　the　thing　which　in　her

celestial　ignorance　she　desired　above　all　things　was　the　possession　of

children。　Not　a　person　in　all　Alencon　ever　attributed　to　this　virtuous

woman　a　single　desire　for　amorous　license。　She　loved；　as　it　were；　in

bulk　without　the　slightest　imagination　of　love。　Rose　was　a　Catholic

Agnes；　incapable　of　inventing　even　one　of　the　wiles　of　Moliere's

Agnes。



For　some　months　past　she　had　counted　on　chance。　The　disbandment　of　the

Imperial　troops　and　the　reorganization　of　the　Royal　army　caused　a

change　in　the　destination　of　many　officers；　who　returned；　some　on

half…pay；　others　with　or　without　a　pension；　to　their　native　towns；

all　having　a　desire　to　counteract　their　luckless　fate；　and　to　end

their　life　in　a　way　which　might　to　Rose　Cormon　be　a　happy　beginning　of

hers。　It　would　surely　be　strange　if；　among　those　who　returned　to

Alencon　or　its　neighborhood；　no　brave；　honorable；　and；　above　all；

sound　and　healthy　officer　of　suitable　age　could　be　found；　whose

character　would　be　a　passport　among　Bonaparte　opinions；　or　some　ci…

devant　noble　who；　to　regain　his　lost　position；　would　join　the　ranks　of

the　royalists。　This　hope　kept　Mademoiselle　Cormon　in　heart　during　the

early　months　of　that　year。　But；　alas！　all　the　soldiers　who　thus

returned　were　either　too　old　or　too　young；　too　aggressively

Bonapartist；　or　too　dissipated；　in　short；　their　several　situations

were　out　of　keeping　with　the　rank；　fortune；　and　morals　of　Mademoiselle

Cormon；　who　now　grew　daily　more　and　more　desperate。　The　poor　woman　in

vain　prayed　to　God　to　send　her　a　husband　with　whom　she　could　be

piously　happy：　it　was　doubtless　written　above　that　she　should　die　both

virgin　and　martyr；　no　man　suitable　for　a　husband　presented　himself。

The　conversations　in　her　salon　every　evening　kept　her　informed　of　the

arrival　of　all　strangers　in　Alencon；　and　of　the　facts　of　their

fortunes；　rank；　and　habits。　But　Alencon　is　not　a　town　which　attracts

visitors；　it　is　not　on　the　road　to　any　capital；　even　sailors；

travelling　from　Brest　to　Paris；　never　stop　there。　The　poor　woman　ended

by　admitting　to　herself　that　she　was　reduced　to　the　aborigines。　Her

eye　now　began　to　assume　a　certain　savage　expression；　to　which　the

malicious　chevalier　responded　by　a　shrewd　look　as　he　drew　out　his

snuff…box　and　gazed　at　the　Princess　Goritza。　Monsieur　de　Valois　was

well　aware　that　in　the　feminine　ethics　of　love　fidelity　to　a　first

attachment　is　considered　a　pledge　for　the　future。



But　Mademoiselle　Cormonwe　must　admit　itwas　wanting　in　intellect；

and　did　not　understand　the　snuff…box　performance。　She　redoubled　her

vigilance　against　〃the　evil　spirit〃；　her　rigid　devotion　and　fixed

principles　kept　her　cruel　sufferings　hidden　among　the　mysteries　of

private　life。　Every　evening；　after　the　company　had　left　her；　she

thought　of　her　lost　youth；　her　faded　bloom；　the　hopes　of　thwarted

nature；　and；　all　the　while　immolating　her　passions　at　the　feet　of　the

Cross　（like　poems　condemned　to　stay　in　a　desk）；　she　resolved　firmly

that　if；　by　chance；　any　suitor　presented　himself；　to　subject　him　to　no

tests；　but　to　accept　him　at　once　for　whatever　he　might　be。　She　even

went　so　far　as　to　think　of　marrying　a　sub…lieutenant；　a　man　who　smoked

tobacco；　whom　she　proposed　to　render；　by　dint　of　care　and　kindness；

one　of　the　best　men　in　the　world；　although　he　was　hampered　with　debts。



But　it　was　only　in　the　silence　of　night　watches　that　these　fantastic

marriages；　in　which　she　played　the　sublime　role　of　guardian　angel；

took　place。　The　next　day；　though　Josette　found　her　mistress'　bed　in　a

tossed　and　tumbled　condition；　Mademoiselle　Cormon　had　recovered　her

dignity；　and　could　only　think　of　a　man　of　forty；　a　land…owner；　well

preserved；　and　a　quasi…young　man。



The　Abbe　de　Sponde　was　incapable　of　giving　his　niece　the　slightest　aid

in　her　matrimonial　manoeuvres。　The　worthy　soul；　now　seventy　years　of

age；　attributed　the　disasters　of　the　French　Revolution　to　the　design

of　Providence；　eager　to　punish　a　dissolute　Church。　He　had　therefore

flung　himself　into　the　path；　long　since　abandoned；　which　anchorites

once　followed　in　order　to　reach　heaven：　he　led　an　ascetic　life　without

proclaiming　it；　and　without　external　credit。　He　hid　from　the　world　his

works　of　charity；　his　continual　prayers；　his　penances；　he　thought　that

all　priests　should　have　acted　thus　during　the　days　of　wrath　and

terror；　and　he　preached　by　example。　While　presenting　to　the　world　a

calm　and　smiling　face；　he　had　ended　by　detaching　himself　utterly　from

earthly　interests；　his　mind　turned　exclusively　to　sufferers；　to　the

needs　of　the　Church；　and　to　his　own　salvation。　He　left　the　management

of　his　property　to　his　niece；　who　gave　him　the　income　of　it；　and　to

whom　he　paid　a　slender　board　in　order　to　spend　the　surplus　in　secret

alms　and　gifts　to　the　Church。



All　the　abbe's　affections　were　concentrated　on　his　niece；　who　regarded

him　as　a　father；　but　an　abstracted　father；　unable　to　conceive　the

agitations　of　the　flesh；　and　thanking　God　for　maintaining　his　dear

daughter　in　a　state　of　celibacy；　for　he　had；　from　his　youth　up；

adopted　the　principles　of　Saint　John　Chrysostom；　who　wrote　that　〃the

v