an old maid-第30节

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seemed　unparalleled；　but　a　few　months　later　the　community　was　proud　of

it；　and　several　rich　manufacturers　restored　their　houses　and　set　up

fine　salons。　Modern　furniture　came　into　the　town；　and　astral　lamps

were　seen！



The　Abbe　de　Sponde　was　among　the　first　to　perceive　the　secret

unhappiness　this　marriage　now　brought　to　the　private　life　of　his

beloved　niece。　The　character　of　noble　simplicity　which　had　hitherto

ruled　their　lives　was　lost　during　the　first　winter；　when　du　Bousquier

gave　two　balls　every　month。　Oh；　to　hear　violins　and　profane　music　at

these　worldly　entertainments　in　the　sacred　old　house！　The　abbe　prayed

on　his　knees　while　the　revels　lasted。　Next　the　political　system　of　the

sober　salon　was　slowly　perverted。　The　abbe　fathomed　du　Bousquier；　he

shuddered　at　his　imperious　tone；　he　saw　the　tears　in　his　niece's　eyes

when　she　felt　herself　losing　all　control　over　her　own　property；　for

her　husband　now　left　nothing　in　her　hands　but　the　management　of　the

linen；　the　table；　and　things　of　a　kind　which　are　the　lot　of　women。

Rose　had　no　longer　any　orders　to　give。　Monsieur's　will　was　alone

regarded　by　Jacquelin；　now　become　coachman；　by　Rene；　the　groom；　and　by

the　chef；　who　came　from　Paris；　Mariette　being　reduced　to　kitchen　maid。

Madame　du　Bousquier　had　no　one　to　rule　but　Josette。　Who　knows　what　it

costs　to　relinquish　the　delights　of　power？　If　the　triumph　of　the　will

is　one　of　the　intoxicating　pleasures　in　the　lives　of　great　men；　it　is

the　ALL　of　life　to　narrow　minds。　One　must　needs　have　been　a　minister

dismissed　from　power　to　comprehend　the　bitter　pain　which　came　upon

Madame　du　Bousquier　when　she　found　herself　reduced　to　this　absolute

servitude。　She　often　got　into　the　carriage　against　her　will；　she　saw

herself　surrounded　by　servants　who　were　distasteful　to　her；　she　no

longer　had　the　handling　of　her　dear　money；she　who　had　known　herself

free　to　spend　money；　and　did　not　spend　it。



All　imposed　limits　make　the　human　being　desire　to　go　beyond　them。　The

keenest　sufferings　come　from　the　thwarting　of　self…will。　The　beginning

of　this　state　of　things　was；　however；　rose…colored。　Every　concession

made　to　marital　authority　was　an　effect　of　the　love　which　the　poor

woman　felt　for　her　husband。　Du　Bousquier　behaved；　in　the　first

instance；　admirably　to　his　wife：　he　was　wise；　he　was　excellent；　he

gave　her　the　best　of　reasons　for　each　new　encroachment。　So　for　the

first　two　years　of　her　marriage　Madame　du　Bousquier　appeared　to　be

satisfied。　She　had　that　deliberate；　demure　little　air　which

distinguishes　young　women　who　have　married　for　love。　The　rush　of　blood

to　her　head　no　longer　tormented　her。　This　appearance　of　satisfaction

routed　the　scoffers；　contradicted　certain　rumors　about　du　Bousquier；

and　puzzled　all　observers　of　the　human　heart。　Rose…Marie…Victoire　was

so　afraid　that　if　she　displeased　her　husband　or　opposed　him；　she　would

lose　his　affection　and　be　deprived　of　his　company；　that　she　would

willingly　have　sacrificed　all　to　him；　even　her　uncle。　Her　silly　little

forms　of　pleasure　deceived　even　the　poor　abbe　for　a　time；　who　endured

his　own　trials　all　the　better　for　thinking　that　his　niece　was　happy；

after　all。



Alencon　at　first　thought　the　same。　But　there　was　one　man　more

difficult　to　deceive　than　the　whole　town　put　together。　The　Chevalier

de　Valois；　who　had　taken　refuge　on　the　Sacred　Mount　of　the　upper

aristocracy；　now　passed　his　life　at　the　d'Esgrignons。　He　listened　to

the　gossip　and　the　gabble；　and　he　thought　day　and　night　upon　his

vengeance。　He　meant　to　strike　du　Bousquier　to　the　heart。



The　poor　abbe　fully　understood　the　baseness　of　this　first　and　last

love　of　his　niece；　he　shuddered　as；　little　by　little；　he　perceived　the

hypocritical　nature　of　his　nephew　and　his　treacherous　manoeuvres。

Though　du　Bousquier　restrained　himself；　as　he　thought　of　the　abbe's

property；　and　wished　not　to　cause　him　vexation；　it　was　his　hand　that

dealt　the　blow　that　sent　the　old　priest　to　his　grave。　If　you　will

interpret　the　word　INTOLERANCE　as　FIRMNESS　OF　PRINCIPLE；　if　you　do　not

wish　to　condemn　in　the　catholic　soul　of　the　Abbe　de　Sponde　the

stoicism　which　Walter　Scott　has　made　you　admire　in　the　puritan　soul　of

Jeanie　Deans'　father；　if　you　are　willing　to　recognize　in　the　Roman

Church　the　Potius　mori　quam　foedari　that　you　admire　in　republican

tenets；you　will　understand　the　sorrow　of　the　Abbe　de　Sponde　when　he

saw　in　his　niece's　salon　the　apostate　priest；　the　renegade；　the

pervert；　the　heretic；　that　enemy　of　the　Church；　the　guilty　taker　of

the　Constitutional　oath。　Du　Bousquier；　whose　secret　ambition　was　to

lay　down　the　law　to　the　town；　wished；　as　a　first　proof　of　his　power；

to　reconcile　the　minister　of　Saint…Leonard　with　the　rector　of　the

parish；　and　he　succeeded。　His　wife　thought　he　had　accomplished　a　work

of　peace　where　the　immovable　abbe　saw　only　treachery。　The　bishop　came

to　visit　du　Bousquier；　and　seemed　glad　of　the　cessation　of

hostilities。　The　virtues　of　the　Abbe　Francois　had　conquered　prejudice；

except　that　of　the　aged　Roman　Catholic；　who　exclaimed　with　Cornelle；

〃Alas！　what　virtues　do　you　make　me　hate！〃



The　abbe　died　when　orthodoxy　thus　expired　in　the　diocese。



In　1819；　the　property　of　the　Abbe　de　Sponde　increased　Madame　du

Bousquier's　income　from　real　estate　to　twenty…five　thousand　francs

without　counting　Prebaudet　or　the　house　in　the　Val…Noble。　About　this

time　du　Bousquier　returned　to　his　wife　the　capital　of　her　savings

which　she　had　yielded　to　him；　and　he　made　her　use　it　in　purchasing

lands　contiguous　to　Prebaudet；　which　made　that　domain　one　of　the　most

considerable　in　the　department；　for　the　estates　of　the　Abbe　de　Sponde

also　adjoined　it。　Du　Bousquier　thus　passed　for　one　of　the　richest　men

of　the　department。　This　able　man；　the　constant　candidate　of　the

liberals；　missing　by　seven　or　eight　votes　only　in　all　the　electoral

battles　fought　under　the　Restoration；　and　who　ostensibly　repudiated

the　liberals　by　trying　to　be　elected　as　a　ministerial　royalist

（without　ever　being　able　to　conquer　the　aversion　of　the

administration）；this　rancorous　republican；　mad　with　ambition；

resolved　to　rival　the　royalism　and　aristocracy　of　Alencon　at　the

moment　when　they　once　more　had　the　upper　hand。　He　strengthened　himself

with　the　Church　by　the　deceitful　appearance　of　a　well…feigned　piety：

he　accompanied　his　wife　to　mass；　he　gave　money　for　the　convents　of　the

town；　he　assisted　the　congregation　of　the　Sacre…Coeur；　he　took　sides

with　the　clergy　on　all　occasions　when　the　clergy　came　into　collision

with　the　town；　the　department；　or　the　State。　Secretly　supported　by　the

liberals；　protected　by　the　Church；　calling　himself　a　constitutional

royalist；　he　kept　beside　the　aristocracy　of　the　department　in　the　one

hope　of　ruining　it；and　he　did　ruin　it。　Ever　on　the　watch　for　the

faults　and　blunders　of　the　nobility　and　the　government；　he　laid　plans

for　his　vengeance　against　the　〃chateau…people；〃　and　especially　against

the　d'Esgrignons；　in　whose　bosom　he　was　one　day　to　thrust　a　poisoned

dagger。



Among　other　benefits　to　the　town　he　gave　money　liberally　to　revive　the

manufacture　of　point　d'Alencon；　he　renewed　the　trade　in　linens；　and

the　town　had　a　factory。　Inscribing　himself　thus　upon　the　interests　and

heart　of　the　masses；　by　doing　what　the　royalists　did　not　do；　du

Bousquier　did　not　really　risk　a　farthing。　Backed　by　his　fortune；　he

could　afford　to　wait　results　which　enterprising　persons　who　involve

themselves　are　forced　to　abandon　to　luckier　successors。



Du　Bousquier　now　posed　as　a　banker。　This　miniature　Lafitte　was　a

partner　in　all　new　enterprises；　taking　good　security。　He　served

himself　while　apparently　serving　the　interests　of　the　community。　He

was　the　prime　mover　of　insurance　companies；　the　protector　of　new

enterprises　for　public　conveyance；　he　suggested　petitions　for　asking

the　administration　for　the　necessary　roads　and　bridges。　Thus　warned；

the　government　considered　this　action　an　encroachment　of　its　own

authority。　A　struggle　was　begun　injudiciously；　for　the　good　of　the

community　compelled　the　authorities　to　yield　in　the　end。　Du　Bousquier

embittered　the　provincial　nobility　against　the　court　nobility　and　the

peerage；　and　finally　he　brought　about　the　shocking　adhesion　of　a

strong　party　of　constitutional　royalists　to　the　warfare　sustained　by

the　〃Journal　des　Debats；〃　and　M。　de　Chateaubriand　against　the　throne；

an　ungrateful　opposition　based　on　ignoble　interests；　which　was　one

cause　of　the　triumph　of　the　bourgeoisie　and　journalism　in　1830。



Thus　du　Bousquier；　in　common　with　the　class　he　represented；　had　the

satisfaction　of　beholding　the　funeral　of　royalty。　The　old　republican；

smothered　with　masses；　who　for　fifteen　years　had　played　that　comedy　to

satisfy　his　vendetta；　himself　threw　down　with　his　own　hand　the　white

flag　of　the　mayoralty　to　the　applause　of　the　multitude。　No　man　in

France　cast　upon　the　new　throne　raised　in　August；　1830；　a　glance　of

more　intoxicated；　joyous　vengeance。　The　accessi