an old maid-第3节

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this　action；　which　is　certainly　within　the　rights　of　a　man's　own　will；

in　what　way　was　it　contrary　to　the　ethics　of　a　gentleman？　When　so

many　persons　are　forced　to　pay　annuities　to　others；　what　more　natural

than　to　pay　one　to　his　own　best　friend？　But　Laius　is　dead



To　return　to　the　period　of　which　we　are　writing：　after　about　fifteen

years　of　this　way　of　life　the　chevalier　had　amassed　ten　thousand　and

some　odd　hundred　francs。　On　the　return　of　the　Bourbons；　one　of　his　old

friends；　the　Marquis　de　Pombreton；　formerly　lieutenant　in　the　Black

mousquetaires；　returned　to　himso　he　saidtwelve　hundred　pistoles

which　he　had　lent　to　the　marquis　for　the　purpose　of　emigrating。　This

event　made　a　sensation；　it　was　used　later　to　refute　the　sarcasms　of

the　〃Constitutionnel；〃　on　the　method　employed　by　some　emigres　in

paying　their　debts。　When　this　noble　act　of　the　Marquis　de　Pombreton

was　lauded　before　the　chevalier；　the　good　man　reddened　even　to　his

right　cheek。　Every　one　rejoiced　frankly　at　this　windfall　for　Monsieur

de　Valois；　who　went　about　consulting　moneyed　people　as　to　the　safest

manner　of　investing　this　fragment　of　his　past　opulence。　Confiding　in

the　future　of　the　Restoration；　he　finally　placed　his　money　on　the

Grand…Livre　at　the　moment　when　the　funds　were　at　fifty…six　francs　and

twenty…five　centimes。　Messieurs　de　Lenoncourt；　de　Navarreins；　de

Verneuil；　de　Fontaine；　and　La　Billardiere；　to　whom　he　was　known；　he

said；　obtained　for　him；　from　the　king's　privy　purse；　a　pension　of

three　hundred　francs；　and　sent　him；　moreover；　the　cross　of　Saint…

Louis。　Never　was　it　known　positively　by　what　means　the　old　chevalier

obtained　these　two　solemn　consecrations　of　his　title　and　merits。　But

one　thing　is　certain；　the　cross　of　Saint…Louis　authorized　him　to　take

the　rank　of　retired　colonel　in　view　of　his　service　in　the　Catholic

armies　of　the　West。



Besides　his　fiction　of　an　annuity；　about　which　no　one　at　the　present

time　knew　anything；　the　chevalier　really　had；　therefore；　a　bona　fide

income　of　a　thousand　francs。　But　in　spite　of　this　bettering　of　his

circumstances；　he　made　no　change　in　his　life；　manners；　or　appearance；

except　that　the　red　ribbon　made　a　fine　effect　on　his　maroon…colored

coat；　and　completed；　so　to　speak；　the　physiognomy　of　a　gentleman。

After　1802；　the　chevalier　sealed　his　letters　with　a　very　old　seal；

ill…engraved　to　be　sure；　by　which　the　Casterans；　the　d'Esgrignons；　the

Troisvilles　were　enabled　to　see　that　he　bore：　Party　of　France；　two

cottises　gemelled　gules；　and　gules；　five　mascles　or；　placed　end　to

end；　on　a　chief　sable；　a　cross　argent。　For　crest；　a　knight's　helmet。

For　motto：　〃Valeo。〃　Bearing　such　noble　arms；　the　so…called　bastard　of

the　Valois　had　the　right　to　get　into　all　the　royal　carriages　of　the

world。



Many　persons　envied　the　quiet　existence　of　this　old　bachelor；　spent　on

whist；　boston；　backgammon；　reversi；　and　piquet；　all　well　played；　on

dinners　well　digested；　snuff　gracefully　inhaled；　and　tranquil　walks

about　the　town。　Nearly　all　Alencon　believed　this　life　to　be　exempt

from　ambitions　and　serious　interests；　but　no　man　has　a　life　as　simple

as　envious　neighbors　attribute　to　him。　You　will　find　in　the　most　out…


of…the　way　villages　human　mollusks；　creatures　apparently　dead；　who

have　passions　for　lepidoptera　or　for　conchology；　let　us　say；beings

who　will　give　themselves　infinite　pains　about　moths；　butterflies；　or

the　concha　Veneris。　Not　only　did　the　chevalier　have　his　own　particular

shells；　but　he　cherished　an　ambitious　desire　which　he　pursued　with　a

craft　so　profound　as　to　be　worthy　of　Sixtus　the　Fifth：　he　wanted　to

marry　a　certain　rich　old　maid；　with　the　intention；　no　doubt；　of　making

her　a　stepping…stone　by　which　to　reach　the　more　elevated　regions　of

the　court。　There；　then；　lay　the　secret　of　his　royal　bearing　and　of　his

residence　in　Alencon。







CHAPTER　II



SUSANNAH　AND　THE　ELDERS



On　a　Wednesday　morning；　early；　toward　the　middle　of　spring；　in　the

year　16；such　was　his　mode　of　reckoning；at　the　moment　when　the

chevalier　was　putting　on　his　old　green…flowered　damask　dressing…gown；

he　heard；　despite　the　cotton　in　his　ears；　the　light　step　of　a　young

girl　who　was　running　up　the　stairway。　Presently　three　taps　were

discreetly　struck　upon　the　door；　then；　without　waiting　for　any

response；　a　handsome　girl　slipped　like　an　eel　into　the　room　occupied

by　the　old　bachelor。



〃Ah！　is　it　you；　Suzanne？〃　said　the　Chevalier　de　Valois；　without

discontinuing　his　occupation；　which　was　that　of　stropping　his　razor。

〃What　have　you　come　for；　my　dear　little　jewel　of　mischief？〃



〃I　have　come　to　tell　you　something　which　may　perhaps　give　you　as　much

pleasure　as　pain？〃



〃Is　it　anything　about　Cesarine？〃



〃Cesarine！　much　I　care　about　your　Cesarine！〃　she　said　with　a　saucy

air；　half　serious；　half　indifferent。



This　charming　Suzanne；　whose　present　comical　performance　was　to

exercise　a　great　influence　in　the　principal　personages　of　our　history；

was　a　work…girl　at　Madame　Lardot's。　One　word　here　on　the　topography　of

the　house。　The　wash…rooms　occupied　the　whole　of　the　ground　floor。　The

little　courtyard　was　used　to　hang　out　on　wire　cords　embroidered

handkerchiefs；　collarets；　capes；　cuffs；　frilled　shirts；　cravats；

laces；　embroidered　dresses；in　short；　all　the　fine　linen　of　the　best

families　of　the　town。　The　chevalier　assumed　to　know　from　the　number　of

her　capes　in　the　wash　how　the　love…affairs　of　the　wife　of　the　prefect

were　going　on。　Though　he　guessed　much　from　observations　of　this　kind；

the　chevalier　was　discretion　itself；　he　was　never　betrayed　into　an

epigram　（he　had　plenty　of　wit）　which　might　have　closed　to　him　an

agreeable　salon。　You　are　therefore　to　consider　Monsieur　de　Valois　as　a

man　of　superior　manners；　whose　talents；　like　those　of　many　others；

were　lost　in　a　narrow　sphere。　Onlyfor；　after　all；　he　was　a　manhe

permitted　himself　certain　penetrating　glances　which　could　make　some

women　tremble；　although　they　all　loved　him　heartily　as　soon　as　they

discovered　the　depth　of　his　discretion　and　the　sympathy　that　he　felt

for　their　little　weaknesses。



The　head　woman；　Madame　Lardot's　factotum；　an　old　maid　of　forty…six；

hideous　to　behold；　lived　on　the　opposite　side　of　the　passage　to　the

chevalier。　Above　them　were　the　attics　where　the　linen　was　dried　in

winter。　Each　apartment　had　two　rooms；one　lighted　from　the　street；

the　other　from　the　courtyard。　Beneath　the　chevalier's　room　there　lived

a　paralytic；　Madame　Lardot's　grandfather；　an　old　buccaneer　named

Grevin；　who　had　served　under　Admiral　Simeuse　in　India；　and　was　now

stone…deaf。　As　for　Madame　Lardot；　who　occupied　the　other　lodging　on

the　first　floor；　she　had　so　great　a　weakness　for　persons　of　condition

that　she　may　well　have　been　thought　blind　to　the　ways　of　the

chevalier。　To　her；　Monsieur　de　Valois　was　a　despotic　monarch　who　did

right　in　all　things。　Had　any　of　her　workwomen　been　guilty　of　a

happiness　attributed　to　the　chevalier　she　would　have　said；　〃He　is　so

lovable！〃　Thus；　though　the　house　was　of　glass；　like　all　provincial

houses；　it　was　discreet　as　a　robber's　cave。



A　born　confidant　to　all　the　little　intrigues　of　the　work…rooms；　the

chevalier　never　passed　the　door；　which　usually　stood　open；　without

giving　something　to　his　little　ducks；chocolate；　bonbons；　ribbons；

laces；　gilt　crosses；　and　such　like　trifles　adored　by　grisettes；

consequently；　the　kind　old　gentleman　was　adored　in　return。　Women　have

an　instinct　which　enables　them　to　divine　the　men　who　love　them；　who

like　to　be　near　them；　and　exact　no　payment　for　gallantries。　In　this

respect　women　have　the　instinct　of　dogs；　who　in　a　mixed　company　will

go　straight　to　the　man　to　whom　animals　are　sacred。



The　poor　Chevalier　de　Valois　retained　from　his　former　life　the　need　of

bestowing　gallant　protection；　a　quality　of　the　seigneurs　of　other

days。　Faithful　to　the　system　of　the　〃petite　maison；〃　he　liked　to

enrich　women；the　only　beings　who　know　how　to　receive；　because　they

can　always　return。　But　the　poor　chevalier　could　no　longer　ruin　himself

for　a　mistress。　Instead　of　the　choicest　bonbons　wrapped　in　bank…bills；

he　gallantly　presented　paper…bags　full　of　toffee。　Let　us　say　to　the

glory　of　Alencon　that　the　toffee　was　accepted　with　more　joy　than　la

Duthe　ever　showed　at　a　gilt　service　or　a　fine　equipage　offered　by　the

Comte　d'Artois。　All　these　grisettes　fully　understood　the　fallen

majesty　of　the　Chevalier　de　Valois；　and　they　kept　their　private

familiarities　with　him　a　profound　secret　for　his　sake。　If　they　were

questioned　about　him　in　certain　houses　when　they　carried　home　the

linen；　they　always　spoke　respectfully　of　the　chevalier；　and　made　him

out　older　than　he　really　was；　they　talked　of　him　as　a　most　respectable

monsieur；　whose　life　was　a　flower　of　sanctity；　but　once　in　their　own

regions　they　perched　on　his　shoulders　like　so　many　parrots。　He　liked

to　be　told　the　secrets　which　washerwomen　discover　in　the　bosom　of

households；　and　day　after　day　these　girls　would　te