modeste mignon-第20节

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　　only　pride　was　eaten　up　by　vanity　of　every　kind；sickly；

　　irritable　vanity　which　discouraged　friendship。　I；　a　thousand…fold

　　more　insignificant　than　he；　may　I　not　have　discordances　of

　　character；　and　make　friendship　a　burden　heavy　indeed　to　bear？　In

　　exchange　for　your　reveries；　what　will　you　gain？　The

　　dissatisfaction　of　a　life　which　will　not　be　wholly　yours。　The

　　compact　is　madness。　Let　me　tell　you　why。　In　the　first　place；　your

　　projected　poem　is　a　plagiarism。　A　young　German　girl；　who　was　not；

　　like　you；　semi…German；　but　altogether　so；　adored　Goethe　with　the

　　rash　intoxication　of　girlhood。　She　made　him　her　friend；　her

　　religion；　her　god；　knowing　at　the　same　time　that　he　was　married。

　　Madame　Goethe；　a　worthy　German　woman；　lent　herself　to　this　worship

　　with　a　sly　good…nature　which　did　not　cure　Bettina。　But　what　was

　　the　end　of　it　all？　The　young　ecstatic　married　a　man　who　was

　　younger　and　handsomer　than　Goethe。　Now；　between　ourselves；　let　us

　　admit　that　a　young　girl　who　should　make　herself　the　handmaid　of　a

　　man　of　genius；　his　equal　through　comprehension；　and　should　piously

　　worship　him　till　death；　like　one　of　those　divine　figures　sketched

　　by　the　masters　on　the　shutters　of　their　mystic　shrines；　and　who；

　　when　Germany　lost　him；　should　have　retired　to　some　solitude　away

　　from　men；　like　the　friend　of　Lord　Bolingbroke；let　us　admit；　I

　　say；　that　the　young　girl　would　have　lived　forever；　inlaid　in　the

　　glory　of　the　poet　as　Mary　Magdalene　in　the　cross　and　triumph　of

　　our　Lord。　If　that　is　sublime；　what　say　you　to　the　reverse　of　the

　　picture？　As　I　am　neither　Goethe　nor　Lord　Byron；　the　colossi　of

　　poetry　and　egotism；　but　simply　the　author　of　a　few　esteemed

　　verses；　I　cannot　expect　the　honors　of　a　cult。　Neither　am　I

　　disposed　to　be　a　martyr。　I　have　ambition；　and　I　have　a　heart；　I　am

　　still　young　and　I　have　my　career　to　make。　See　me　for　what　I　am。

　　The　bounty　of　the　king　and　the　protection　of　his　ministers　give　me

　　sufficient　means　of　living。　I　have　the　outward　bearing　of　a　very

　　ordinary　man。　I　go　to　the　soirees　in　Paris　like　any　other　empty…

　　headed　fop；　and　if　I　drive；　the　wheels　of　my　carriage　do　not　roll

　　on　the　solid　ground；　absolutely　indispensable　in　these　days；　of

　　property　invested　in　the　funds。　But　if　I　am　not　rich；　neither　do　I

　　have　the　reliefs　and　consolations　of　life　in　a　garret；　the　toil

　　uncomprehended；　the　fame　in　penury；　which　belong　to　men　who　are

　　worth　far　more　than　I；D'Arthez；　for　instance。



　　Ah！　what　prosaic　conclusions　will　your　young　enthusiasm　find　to

　　these　enchanting　visions。　Let　us　stop　here。　If　I　have　had　the

　　happiness　of　seeming　to　you　a　terrestrial　paragon；　you　have　been

　　to　me　a　thing　of　light　and　a　beacon；　like　those　stars　that　shine

　　for　　a　moment　and　disappear。　May　nothing　ever　tarnish　this　episode

　　of　our　lives。　Were　we　to　continue　it　I　might　love　you；　I　might

　　conceive　one　of　those　mad　passions　which　rend　all　obstacles；　which

　　light　fires　in　the　heart　whose　violence　is　greater　than　their

　　duration。　And　suppose　I　succeeded　in　pleasing　you？　we　should　end

　　our　tale　in　the　common　vulgar　way；marriage；　a　household；

　　children；　Belise　and　Henriette　Chrysale　together！could　it　be？

　　Therefore；　adieu。







CHAPTER　X



THE　MARRIAGE　OF　SOULS



　　To　Monsieur　de　Canalis：



　　My　Friend；Your　letter　gives　me　as　much　pain　as　pleasure。　But

　　perhaps　some　day　we　shall　find　nothing　but　pleasure　in　writing　to

　　each　other。　Understand　me　thoroughly。　The　soul　speaks　to　God　and

　　asks　him　for　many　things；　he　is　mute。　I　seek　to　obtain　in　you　the

　　answers　that　God　does　not　make　to　me。　Cannot　the　friendship　of

　　Mademoiselle　de　Gournay　and　Montaigne　be　revived　in　us？　Do　you　not

　　remember　the　household　of　Sismonde　de　Sismondi　in　Geneva？　The　most

　　lovely　home　ever　known；　as　I　have　been　told；　something　like　that

　　of　the　Marquis　de　Pescaire　and　his　wife；happy　to　old　age。　Ah！

　　friend；　is　it　impossible　that　two　hearts；　two　harps；　should　exist

　　as　in　a　symphony；　answering　each　other　from　a　distance；　vibrating

　　with　delicious　melody　in　unison？　Man　alone　of　all　creation　is　in

　　himself　the　harp；　the　musician；　and　the　listener。　Do　you　think　to

　　find　me　uneasy　and　jealous　like　ordinary　women？　I　know　that　you　go

　　into　the　world　and　meet　the　handsomest　and　the　wittiest　women　in

　　Paris。　May　I　not　suppose　that　some　one　of　those　mermaids　has

　　deigned　to　clasp　you　in　her　cold　and　scaly　arms；　and　that　she　has

　　inspired　the　answer　whose　prosaic　opinions　sadden　me？　There　is

　　something　in　life　more　beautiful　than　the　garlands　of　Parisian

　　coquetry；　there　grows　a　flower　far　up　those　Alpine　peaks　called

　　men　of　genius；　the　glory　of　humanity；　which　they　fertilize　with

　　the　dews　their　lofty　heads　draw　from　the　skies。　I　seek　to

　　cultivate　that　flower　and　make　it　bloom；　for　its　wild　yet　gentle

　　fragrance　can　never　fail；it　is　eternal。



　　Do　me　the　honor　to　believe　that　there　is　nothing　low　or

　　commonplace　in　me。　Were　I　Bettina；　for　I　know　to　whom　you　allude；

　　I　should　never　have　become　Madame　von　Arnim；　and　had　I　been　one　of

　　Lord　Byron's　many　loves；　I　should　be　at　this　moment　in　a　cloister。

　　You　have　touched　me　to　the　quick。　You　do　not　know　me；　but　you

　　shall　know　me。　I　feel　within　me　something　that　is　sublime；　of

　　which　I　dare　speak　without　vanity。　God　has　put　into　my　soul　the

　　roots　of　that　Alpine　flower　born　on　the　summits　of　which　I　speak；

　　and　I　cannot　plant　it　in　an　earthen　pot　upon　my　window…sill　and

　　see　it　die。　No；　that　glorious　flower…cup；　single　in　its　beauty；

　　intoxicating　in　its　fragrance；　shall　not　be　dragged　through　the

　　vulgarities　of　life！　it　is　yoursyours；　before　any　eye　has

　　blighted　it；　yours　forever！　Yes；　my　poet；　to　you　belong　my

　　thoughts；all；　those　that　are　secret；　those　that　are　gayest；　my

　　heart　is　yours　without　reserve　and　with　its　infinite　affection。　If

　　you　should　personally　not　please　me；　I　shall　never　marry。　I　can

　　live　in　the　life　of　the　heart；　I　can　exist　on　your　mind；　your

　　sentiments；　they　please　me；　and　I　will　always　be　what　I　am；　your

　　friend。　Yours　is　a　noble　moral　nature；　I　have　recognized　it；　I

　　have　appreciated　it；　and　that　suffices　me。　In　that　is　all　my

　　future。　Do　not　laugh　at　a　young　and　pretty　handmaiden　who　shrinks

　　not　from　the　thought　of　being　some　day　the　old　companion　of　a

　　poet；a　sort　of　mother　perhaps；　or　a　housekeeper；　the　guide　of

　　his　judgment　and　a　source　of　his　wealth。　This　handmaidenso

　　devoted；　so　precious　to　the　lives　of　such　as　youis　Friendship；

　　pure；　disinterested　friendship；　to　whom　you　will　tell　all；　who

　　listens　and　sometimes　shakes　her　head；　who　knits　by　the　light　of

　　the　lamp　and　waits　to　be　present　when　the　poet　returns　home　soaked

　　with　rain；　or　vexed　in　mind。　Such　shall　be　my　destiny　if　I　do　not

　　find　that　of　a　happy　wife　attached　forever　to　her　husband；　I　smile

　　alike　at　the　thought　of　either　fate。　Do　you　believe　France　will　be

　　any　the　worse　if　Mademoiselle　d'Este　does　not　give　it　two　or　three

　　sons；　and　never　becomes　a　Madame　Vilquin…something…or…other？　As

　　for　me；　I　shall　never　be　an　old　maid。　I　shall　make　myself　a

　　mother；　by　taking　care　of　others　and　by　my　secret　co…operation　in

　　the　existence　of　a　great　man；　to　whom　also　I　shall　carry　all　my

　　thoughts　and　all　my　earthly　efforts。



　　I　have　the　deepest　horror　of　commonplaceness。　If　I　am　free；　if　I

　　am　rich　（and　I　know　that　I　am　young　and　pretty）；　I　will　never

　　belong　to　any　ninny　just　because　he　is　the　son　of　a　peer　of

　　France；　nor　to　a　merchant　who　could　ruin　himself　and　me　in　a　day；

　　nor　to　a　handsome　creature　who　would　be　a　sort　of　woman　in　the

　　household；　nor　to　a　man　of　any　kind　who　would　make　me　blush　twenty

　　times　a　day　for　being　his。　Make　yourself　easy　on　that　point。　My

　　father　adores　my　wishes；　he　will　never　oppose　them。　If　I　please　my

　　poet；　and　he　pleases　me；　the　glorious　structure　of　our　love　shall

　　be　built　so　high　as　to　be　inaccessible　to　any　kind　of　misfortune。

　　I　am　an　eaglet；　and　you　will　see　it　in　my　eyes。



　　I　shall　not　repeat　what　I　have　already　said；　but　I　will　put　its

　　substance　in　the　least　possible　number　of　words；　and　confess　to

　　you　that　I　should　be　the　happiest　of　women　if　I　were　imprisoned　by

　　love　as　I　am　now　imprisoned　by　the　wish　and　will　of　a　father。　Ah！

　　my　friend；　may　we　bring　to　a　real　end　the　romance　that　has　come　to

　　us　through　the　first　exercise　of　my　will：　listen　to　its

　　argument：



　　A　young　girl　with　a　lively　imagination；　locked　up　in　a　tower；　is

　　weary　with　longing　to　run　loose　in　the　park　where　her　eyes　only

　　are　allowed　to　rove。　She　invents　a　way　to　loosen　her　bars；　she

　　jumps　from　the　casement；　she　scales　the　park　wall；　she　frolics

　　along　the　neighbor's　swardit　is　the　Everlasting　comedy。　Well；

　　that　young　girl　is　my　soul；　the　neighbor's　park　is　your　genius。　Is

　　it　not　all　very　natural？　Was　there　ever　a　neighbor　that　did　not

　　complain　that