an old maid-第31节

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

more　intoxicated；　joyous　vengeance。　The　accession　of　the　Younger

Branch　was　the　triumph　of　the　Revolution。　To　him　the　victory　of　the

tricolor　meant　the　resurrection　of　Montagne；　which　this　time　should

surely　bring　the　nobility　down　to　the　dust　by　means　more　certain　than

that　of　the　guillotine；　because　less　violent。　The　peerage　without

heredity；　the　National　Guard；　which　puts　on　the　same　camp…bed　the

corner　grocer　and　the　marquis；　the　abolition　of　the　entails　demanded

by　a　bourgeois　lawyer；　the　Catholic　Church　deprived　of　its　supremacy；

and　all　the　other　legislative　inventions　of　August；　1830；were　to　du

Bousquier　the　wisest　possible　application　of　the　principles　of　1793。



Since　1830　this　man　has　been　a　receiver…general。　He　relied　for　his

advancement　on　his　relations　with　the　Duc　d'Orleans；　father　of　Louis

Philippe；　and　with　Monsieur　de　Folmon；　formerly　steward　to　the

Duchess…dowager　of　Orleans。　He　receives　about　eighty　thousand　francs　a

year。　In　the　eyes　of　the　people　about　him　Monsieur　du　Bousquier　is　a

man　of　means；a　respectable　man；　steady　in　his　principles；　upright；

and　obliging。　Alencon　owes　to　him　its　connection　with　the　industrial

movement　by　which　Brittany　may　possibly　some　day　be　joined　to　what　is

popularly　called　modern　civilization。　Alencon；　which　up　to　1816　could

boast　of　only　two　private　carriages；　saw；　without　amazement；　in　the

course　of　ten　years；　coupes；　landaus；　tilburies；　and　cabriolets

rolling　through　her　streets。　The　burghers　and　the　land…owners；　alarmed

at　first　lest　the　price　of　everything　should　increase；　recognized

later　that　this　increase　in　the　style　of　living　had　a　contrary　effect

upon　their　revenues。　The　prophetic　remark　of　du　Ronceret；　〃Du

Bousquier　is　a　very　strong　man；〃　was　adopted　by　the　whole　country…

side。



But；　unhappily　for　the　wife；　that　saying　has　a　double　meaning。　The

husband　does　not　in　any　way　resemble　the　public　politician。　This　great

citizen；　so　liberal　to　the　world　about　him；　so　kindly　inspired　with

love　for　his　native　place；　is　a　despot　in　his　own　house；　and　utterly

devoid　of　conjugal　affection。　This　man；　so　profoundly　astute；

hypocritical；　and　sly；　this　Cromwell　of　the　Val…Noble；behaves　in　his

home　as　he　behaves　to　the　aristocracy；　whom　he　caresses　in　hopes　to

throttle　them。　Like　his　friend　Bernadotte；　he　wears　a　velvet　glove

upon　his　iron　hand。　His　wife　has　given　him　no　children。　Suzanne's

remark　and　the　chevalier's　insinuations　were　therefore　justified。　But

the　liberal　bourgeoisie；　the　constitutional…royalist…bourgeoisie；　the

country…squires；　the　magistracy；　and　the　〃church　party〃　laid　the　blame

on　Madame　du　Bousquier。　〃She　was　too　old；〃　they　said；　〃Monsieur　du

Bousquier　had　married　her　too　late。　Besides；　it　was　very　lucky　for　the

poor　woman；　it　was　dangerous　at　her　age　to　bear　children！〃　When　Madame

du　Bousquier　confided；　weeping；　her　periodic　despair　to　Mesdames　du

Coudrai　and　du　Ronceret；　those　ladies　would　reply；



〃But　you　are　crazy；　my　dear；　you　don't　know　what　you　are　wishing　for；

a　child　would　be　your　death。〃



Many　men；　whose　hopes　were　fastened　on　du　Bousquier's　triumph；　sang

his　praises　to　their　wives；　who　in　turn　repeated　them　to　the　poor　wife

in　some　such　speech　as　this：



〃You　are　very　lucky；　dear；　to　have　married　such　an　able　man；　you'll

escape　the　misery　of　women　whose　husbands　are　men　without　energy；

incapable　of　managing　their　property；　or　bringing　up　their　children。〃



〃Your　husband　is　making　you　queen　of　the　department；　my　love。　He'll

never　leave　you　embarrassed；　not　he！　Why；　he　leads　all　Alencon。〃



〃But　I　wish；〃　said　the　poor　wife；　〃that　he　gave　less　time　to　the

public　and〃



〃You　are　hard　to　please；　my　dear　Madame　du　Bousquier。　I　assure　you

that　all　the　women　in　town　envy　you　your　husband。〃



Misjudged　by　society；　which　began　by　blaming　her；　the　pious　woman

found　ample　opportunity　in　her　home　to　display　her　virtues。　She　lived

in　tears；　but　she　never　ceased　to　present　to　others　a　placid　face。　To

so　Christian　a　soul　a　certain　thought　which　pecked　forever　at　her

heart　was　a　crime：　〃I　loved　the　Chevalier　de　Valois；〃　it　said；　〃but　I

have　married　du　Bousquier。〃　The　love　of　poor　Athanase　Granson　also

rose　like　a　phantom　of　remorse；　and　pursued　her　even　in　her　dreams。

The　death　of　her　uncle；　whose　griefs　at　the　last　burst　forth；　made　her

life　still　more　sorrowful；　for　she　now　felt　the　suffering　her　uncle

must　have　endured　in　witnessing　the　change　of　political　and　religious

opinion　in　the　old　house。　Sorrow　often　falls　like　a　thunderbolt；　as　it

did　on　Madame　Granson；　but　in　this　old　maid　it　slowly　spread　like　a

drop　of　oil；　which　never　leaves　the　stuff　that　slowly　imbibes　it。



The　Chevalier　de　Valois　was　the　malicious　manipulator　who　brought

about　the　crowning　misfortune　of　Madame　du　Bousquier's　life。　His　heart

was　set　on　undeceiving　her　pious　simplicity；　for　the　chevalier；　expert

in　love；　divined　du　Bousquier；　the　married　man；　as　he　had　divined　du

Bousquier；　the　bachelor。　But　the　wary　republican　was　difficult　of

attack。　His　salon　was；　of　course；　closed　to　the　Chevalier　de　Valois；

as　to　all　those　who；　in　the　early　days　of　his　marriage；　had　slighted

the　Cormon　mansion。　He　was；　moreover；　impervious　to　ridicule；　he

possessed　a　vast　fortune；　he　reigned　in　Alencon；　he　cared　as　little

for　his　wife　as　Richard　III。　cared　for　the　dead　horse　which　had　helped

him　win　a　battle。　To　please　her　husband；　Madame　du　Bousquier　had

broken　off　relations　with　the　d'Esgrignon　household；　where　she　went　no

longer；　except　that　sometimes　when　her　husband　left　her　during　his

trips　to　Paris；　she　would　pay　a　brief　visit　to　Mademoiselle　Armande。



About　three　years　after　her　marriage；　at　the　time　of　the　Abbe　de

Sponde's　death；　Mademoiselle　Armande　joined　Madame　du　Bousquier　as

they　were　leaving　Saint…Leonard's；　where　they　had　gone　to　hear　a

requiem　said　for　him。　The　generous　demoiselle　thought　that　on　this

occasion　she　owed　her　sympathy　to　the　niece　in　trouble。　They　walked

together；　talking　of　the　dear　deceased；　until　they　reached　the

forbidden　house；　into　which　Mademoiselle　Armande　enticed　Madame　du

Bousquier　by　the　charm　of　her　manner　and　conversation。　The　poor

desolate　woman　was　glad　to　talk　of　her　uncle　with　one　whom　he　truly

loved。　Moreover；　she　wanted　to　receive　the　condolences　of　the　old

marquis；　whom　she　had　not　seen　for　nearly　three　years。　It　was　half…

past　one　o'clock；　and　she　found　at　the　hotel　d'Esgrignon　the　Chevalier

de　Valois；　who　had　come　to　dinner。　As　he　bowed　to　her；　he　took　her　by

the　hands。



〃Well；　dear；　virtuous；　and　beloved　lady；〃　he　said；　in　a　tone　of

emotion；　〃we　have　lost　our　sainted　friend；　we　share　your　grief。　Yes；

your　loss　is　as　keenly　felt　here　as　in　your　own　home；more　so；〃　he

added；　alluding　to　du　Bousquier。



After　a　few　more　words　of　funeral　oration；　in　which　all　present　spoke

from　the　heart；　the　chevalier　took　Madame　du　Bousquier's　arm；　and；

gallantly　placing　it　within　his　own；　pressed　it　adoringly　as　he　led

her　to　the　recess　of　a　window。



〃Are　you　happy？〃　he　said　in　a　fatherly　voice。



〃Yes；〃　she　said；　dropping　her　eyes。



Hearing　that　〃Yes；〃　Madame　de　Troisville；　the　daughter　of　the　Princess

Scherbellof；　and　the　old　Marquise　de　Casteran　came　up　and　joined　the

chevalier；　together　with　Mademoiselle　Armande。　They　all　went　to　walk

in　the　garden　until　dinner　was　served；　without　any　perception　on　the

part　of　Madame　du　Bousquier　that　a　little　conspiracy　was　afoot。　〃We

have　her！　now　let　us　find　out　the　secret　of　the　case；〃　were　the　words

written　in　the　eyes　of　all　present。



〃To　make　your　happiness　complete；〃　said　Mademoiselle　Armande；　〃you

ought　to　have　children；a　fine　lad　like　my　nephew〃



Tears　seemed　to　start　in　Madame　du　Bousquier's　eyes。



〃I　have　heard　it　said　that　you　were　the　one　to　blame　in　the　matter；

and　that　you　feared　the　dangers　of　a　pregnancy；〃　said　the　chevalier。



〃I！〃　she　said　artlessly。　〃I　would　buy　a　child　with　a　hundred　years　of

purgatory　if　I　could。〃



On　the　question　thus　started　a　discussion　arose；　conducted　by　Madame

de　Troisville　and　the　old　Marquise　de　Casteran　with　such　delicacy　and

adroitness　that　the　poor　victim　revealed；　without　being　aware　of　it；

the　secrets　of　her　house。　Mademoiselle　Armande　had　taken　the

chevalier's　arm；　and　walked　away　so　as　to　leave　the　three　women　free

to　discuss　wedlock。　Madame　du　Bousquier　was　then　enlightened　on　the

various　deceptions　of　her　marriage；　and　as　she　was　still　the　same

simpleton　she　had　always　been；　she　amused　her　advisers　by　delightful

naivetes。



Although　at　first　the　deceptive　marriage　of　Mademoiselle　Cormon　made　a

laugh　throughout　the　town；　which　was　soon　initiated　into　the　story　of

the　case；　before　long　Madame　du　Bousquier　won　the　esteem　and　sympathy

of　all　the　women。　The　fact　that　Mademoiselle　Cormon　had　flung　herself

headlong　into　marriage　without　succeeding　in　being　married；　made

eve