an old maid-第17节

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said　to　me：　'Now　don't　forget；　Mariette；　for　Monsieur　du　Ronceret　is

coming。'〃



〃That　good　Mademoiselle　Cormon！〃　ejaculated　the　chief　legal　authority

of　the　town。　〃Mariette；　did　you　steep　them　in　gravy　instead　of　soup…

stock？　it　is　much　richer。〃



The　chief…justice　was　not　above　entering　the　chamber　of　council　where

Mariette　held　court；　he　cast　the　eye　of　a　gastronome　around　it；　and

offered　the　advice　of　a　past　master　in　cookery。



〃Good…day；　madame；〃　said　Josette　to　Madame　Granson；　who　courted　the

maid。　〃Mademoiselle　has　thought　of　you；　and　there's　fish　for　dinner。〃



As　for　the　Chevalier　de　Valois；　he　remarked　to　Mariette；　in　the　easy

tone　of　a　great　seigneur　who　condescends　to　be　familiar：



〃Well；　my　dear　cordon…bleu；　to　whom　I　should　give　the　cross　of　the

Legion　of　honor；　is　there　some　little　dainty　for　which　I　had　better

reserve　myself？〃



〃Yes；　yes；　Monsieur　de　Valois；a　hare　sent　from　Prebaudet；　weighs

fourteen　pounds。〃



Du　Bousquier　was　not　invited。　Mademoiselle　Cormon；　faithful　to　the

system　which　we　know　of；　treated　that　fifty…year…old　suitor　extremely

ill；　although　she　felt　inexplicable　sentiments　towards　him　in　the

depths　of　her　heart。　She　had　refused　him；　yet　at　times　she　repented；

and　a　presentiment　that　she　should　yet　marry　him；　together　with　a

terror　at　the　idea　which　prevented　her　from　wishing　for　the　marriage；

assailed　her。　Her　mind；　stimulated　by　these　feelings；　was　much

occupied　by　du　Bousquier。　Without　being　aware　of　it；　she　was

influenced　by　the　herculean　form　of　the　republican。　Madame　Granson　and

the　Chevalier　de　Valois；　although　they　could　not　explain　to　themselves

Mademoiselle　Cormon's　inconsistencies；　had　detected　her　naive　glances

in　that　direction；　the　meaning　of　which　seemed　clear　enough　to　make

them　both　resolve　to　ruin　the　hopes　of　the　already　rejected　purveyor；

hopes　which　it　was　evident　he　still　indulged。



Two　guests；　whose　functions　excused　them；　kept　the　dinner　waiting。　One

was　Monsieur　du　Coudrai；　the　recorder　of　mortgages；　the　other　Monsieur

Choisnel；　former　bailiff　to　the　house　of　Esgrignon；　and　now　the　notary

of　the　upper　aristocracy；　by　whom　he　was　received　with　a　distinction

due　to　his　virtues；　he　was　also　a　man　of　considerable　wealth。　When　the

two　belated　guests　arrived；　Jacquelin　said　to　them　as　he　saw　them

about　to　enter　the　salon：



〃THEY　are　all　in　the　garden。〃



No　doubt　the　assembled　stomachs　were　impatient；　for　on　the　appearance

of　the　register　of　mortgageswho　had　no　defect　except　that　of　having

married　for　her　money　an　intolerable　old　woman；　and　of　perpetrating

endless　puns；　at　which　he　was　the　first　to　laughthe　gentle　murmur　by

which　such　late…comers　are　welcomed　arose。　While　awaiting　the　official

announcement　of　dinner；　the　company　were　sauntering　on　the　terrace

above　the　river；　and　gazing　at　the　water…plants；　the　mosaic　of　the

currents；　and　the　various　pretty　details　of　the　houses　clustering

across　the　river；　their　old　wooden　galleries；　their　mouldering　window…

frames；　their　little　gardens　where　clothes　were　drying；　the　cabinet…

maker's　shop；in　short；　the　many　details　of　a　small　community　to

which　the　vicinity　of　a　river；　a　weeping　willow；　flowers；　rose…bushes；

added　a　certain　grace；　making　the　scene　quite　worthy　of　a　landscape

painter。



The　chevalier　studied　all　faces；　for　he　knew　that　his　firebrand　had

been　very　successfully　introduced　into　the　chief　houses　of　the　place。

But　no　one　as　yet　referred　openly　to　the　great　news　of　Suzanne　and　du

Bousquier。　Provincials　possess　in　the　highest　degree　the　art　of

distilling　gossip；　the　right　moment　for　openly　discussing　this　strange

affair　had　not　arrived；　it　was　first　necessary　that　all　present　should

put　themselves　on　record。　So　the　whispers　went　round　from　ear　to

ear：



〃You　have　heard？〃



〃Yes。〃



〃Du　Bousquier？〃



〃And　that　handsome　Suzanne。〃



〃Does　Mademoiselle　Cormon　know　of　it？〃



〃No。〃



〃Ha！〃



This　was　the　PIANO　of　the　scandal；　the　RINFORZANDO　would　break　forth

as　soon　as　the　first　course　had　been　removed。　Suddenly　Monsieur　de

Valois's　eyes　lighted　on　Madame　Granson；　arrayed　in　her　green　hat　with

bunches　of　auriculas；　and　beaming　with　evident　joy。　Was　it　merely　the

joy　of　opening　the　concert？　Though　such　a　piece　of　news　was　like　a

gold　mine　to　work　in　the　monotonous　lives　of　these　personages；　the

observant　and　distrustful　chevalier　thought　he　recognized　in　the

worthy　woman　a　far　more　extended　sentiment；　namely；　the　joy　caused　by

the　triumph　of　self…interest。　Instantly　he　turned　to　examine　Athanase；

and　detected　him　in　the　significant　silence　of　deep　meditation。

Presently；　a　look　cast　by　the　young　man　on　Mademoiselle　Cormon　carried

to　the　soul　of　the　chevalier　a　sudden　gleam。　That　momentary　flash　of

lightning　enabled　him　to　read　the　past。



〃Ha！　the　devil！〃　he　said　to　himself；　〃what　a　checkmate　I'm　exposed

to！〃



Monsieur　de　Valois　now　approached　Mademoiselle　Cormon；　and　offered　his

arm。　The　old　maid's　feeling　to　the　chevalier　was　that　of　respectful

consideration；　and　certainly　his　name；　together　with　the　position　he

occupied　among　the　aristocratic　constellations　of　the　department　made

him　the　most　brilliant　ornament　of　her　salon。　In　her　inmost　mind

Mademoiselle　Cormon　had　wished　for　the　last　dozen　years　to　become

Madame　de　Valois。　That　name　was　like　the　branch　of　a　tree；　to　which

the　ideas　which　SWARMED　in　her　mind　about　rank；　nobility；　and　the

external　qualities　of　a　husband　had　fastened。　But；　though　the

Chevalier　de　Valois　was　the　man　chosen　by　her　heart；　and　mind；　and

ambition；　that　elderly　ruin；　combed　and　curled　like　a　little　Saint…

John　in　a　procession；　alarmed　Mademoiselle　Cormon。　She　saw　the

gentleman　in　him；　but　she　could　not　see　a　husband。　The　indifference

which　the　chevalier　affected　as　to　marriage；　above　all；　the　apparent

purity　of　his　morals　in　a　house　which　abounded　in　grisettes；　did

singular　harm　in　her　mind　to　Monsieur　de　Valois　against　his

expectations。　The　worthy　man；　who　showed　such　judgment　in　the　matter

of　his　annuity；　was　at　fault　here。　Without　being　herself　aware　of　it；

the　thoughts　of　Mademoiselle　Cormon　on　the　too　virtuous　chevalier

might　be　translated　thus：



〃What　a　pity　that　he　isn't　a　trifle　dissipated！〃



Observers　of　the　human　heart　have　remarked　the　leaning　of　pious　women

toward　scamps；　some　have　expressed　surprise　at　this　taste；　considering

it　opposed　to　Christian　virtue。　But；　in　the　first　place；　what　nobler

destiny　can　you　offer　to　a　virtuous　woman　than　to　purify；　like

charcoal；　the　muddy　waters　of　vice？　How　is　it　some　observers　fail　to

see　that　these　noble　creatures；　obliged　by　the　sternness　of　their　own

principles　never　to　infringe　on　conjugal　fidelity；　must　naturally

desire　a　husband　of　wider　practical　experience　than　their　own？　The

scamps　of　social　life　are　great　men　in　love。　Thus　the　poor　woman

groaned　in　spirit　at　finding　her　chosen　vessel　parted　into　two　pieces。

God　alone　could　solder　together　a　Chevalier　de　Valois　and　a　du

Bousquier。



In　order　to　explain　the　importance　of　the　few　words　which　the

chevalier　and　Mademoiselle　Cormon　are　about　to　say　to　each　other；　it

is　necessary　to　reveal　two　serious　matters　which　agitated　the　town；

and　about　which　opinions　were　divided；　besides；　du　Bousquier　was

mysteriously　connected　with　them。



One　concerns　the　rector　of　Alencon；　who　had　formerly　taken　the

constitutional　oath；　and　who　was　now　conquering　the　repugnance　of　the

Catholics　by　a　display　of　the　highest　virtues。　He　was　Cheverus　on　a

small　scale；　and　became　in　time　so　fully　appreciated　that　when　he　died

the　whole　town　mourned　him。　Mademoiselle　Cormon　and　the　Abbe　de　Sponde

belonged　to　that　〃little　Church；〃　sublime　in　its　orthodoxy；　which　was

to　the　court　of　Rome　what　the　Ultras　were　to　be　to　Louis　XVIII。　The

abbe；　more　especially；　refused　to　recognize　a　Church　which　had

compromised　with　the　constitutionals。　The　rector　was　therefore　not

received　in　the　Cormon　household；　whose　sympathies　were　all　given　to

the　curate　of　Saint…Leonard；　the　aristocratic　parish　of　Alencon。　Du

Bousquier；　that　fanatic　liberal　now　concealed　under　the　skin　of　a

royalist；　knowing　how　necessary　rallying　points　are　to　all　discontents

（which　are　really　at　the　bottom　of　all　oppositions）；　had　drawn　the

sympathies　of　the　middle　classes　around　the　rector。　So　much　for　the

first　case；　the　second　was　this：



Under　the　secret　inspiration　of　du　Bousquier　the　idea　of　building　a

theatre　had　dawned　on　Alencon。　The　henchmen　of　the　purveyor　did　not

know　their　Mohammed；　and　they　thought　they　were　ardent　in　carrying　out

their　own　conception。　Athanase　Granson　was　one　of　the　warmest

partisans　for　the　theatre；　and　of　late　he　had　urged　at　the　mayor's

office　a　cause　which　all　the　other　young　clerks　had　eagerly　adopted。



The　chevalier；　as　we　have　said；　offered　his　arm　to　the　old　maid　for　a

turn　on　the　terrace。　She　accepted　it；　not　without　thanking　him　by　a

happy　lo