modeste mignon-第29节

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　　the　lavishness　of　the　sun　itself。　No　more　veils；　no　more

　　disguises；　my　beloved。　Come　back　to　me；　oh；　come　back　soon。　With

　　joy　I　now　unmask。



　　You　have　no　doubt　heard　of　the　house　of　Mignon　in　Havre？　Well；　I

　　am；　through　an　irreparable　misfortune；　its　sole　heiress。　But　you

　　are　not　to　look　down　upon　us；　descendant　of　an　Auvergne　knight；

　　the　arms　of　the　Mignon　de　La　Bastie　will　do　no　dishonor　to　those

　　of　Canalis。　We　bear　gules；　on　a　bend　sable　four　bezants　or；

　　quarterly　four　crosses　patriarchal　or；　a　cardinal's　hat　as　crest；

　　and　the　fiocchi　for　supports。　Dear；　I　will　be　faithful　to　our

　　motto：　〃Una　fides；　unus　Dominus！〃the　true　faith；　and　one　only

　　Master。



　　Perhaps；　my　friend；　you　will　find　some　irony　in　my　name；　after　all

　　that　I　have　done；　and　all　that　I　herein　avow。　I　am　named　Modeste。

　　Therefore　I　have　not　deceived　you　by　signing　〃O。　d'Este　M。〃

　　Neither　have　I　misled　you　about　our　fortune；　it　will　amount；　I

　　believe；　to　the　sum　which　rendered　you　so　virtuous。　I　know　that　to

　　you　money　is　a　consideration　of　small　importance；　therefore　I

　　speak　of　it　without　reserve。　Let　me　tell　you　how　happy　it　makes　me

　　to　give　freedom　of　action　to　our　happiness；to　be　able　to　say；

　　when　the　fancy　for　travel　takes　us；　〃Come；　let　us　go　in　a

　　comfortable　carriage；　sitting　side　by　side；　without　a　thought　of

　　money〃happy；　in　short；　to　tell　the　king；　〃I　have　the　fortune

　　which　you　require　in　your　peers。〃　Thus　Modeste　Mignon　can　be　of

　　service　to　you；　and　her　gold　will　have　the　noblest　of　uses。



　　As　to　your　servant　herself；you　did　see　her　once；　at　her　window。

　　Yes；　〃the　fairest　daughter　of　Eve　the　fair〃　was　indeed　your

　　unknown　damozel；　but　how　little　the　Modeste　of　to…day　resembles

　　her　of　that　long　past　era！　That　one　was　in　her　shroud；　this　one

　　have　I　made　you　know　it？has　received　from　you　the　life　of　life。

　　Love；　pure；　and　sanctioned；　the　love　my　father；　now　returning

　　rich　and　prosperous；　will　authorize；　has　raised　me　with　its

　　powerful　yet　childlike　hand　from　the　grave　in　which　I　slept。　You

　　have　wakened　me　as　the　sun　wakens　the　flowers。　The　eyes　of　your

　　beloved　are　no　longer　those　of　the　little　Modeste　so　daring　in　her

　　ignorance；no；　they　are　dimmed　with　the　sight　of　happiness；　and

　　the　lids　close　over　them。　To…day　I　tremble　lest　I　can　never

　　deserve　my　fate。　The　king　has　come　in　his　glory；　my　lord　has　now　a

　　subject　who　asks　pardon　for　the　liberties　she　has　taken；　like　the

　　gambler　with　loaded　dice　after　cheating　Monsieur　de　Grammont。



　　My　cherished　poet！　I　will　be　thy　Mignonhappier　far　than　the

　　Mignon　of　Goethe；　for　thou　wilt　leave　me　in　mine　own　land；in　thy

　　heart。　Just　as　I　write　this　pledge　of　our　betrothal　a　nightingale

　　in　the　Vilquin　park　answers　for　thee。　Ah；　tell　me　quick　that　his

　　note；　so　pure；　so　clear；　so　full；　which　fills　my　heart　with　joy　

　　and　love　like　an　Annunciation；　does　not　lie　to　me。



　　My　father　will　pass　through　Paris　on　his　way　from　Marseilles；　the

　　house　of　Mongenod；　with　whom　he　corresponds；　will　know　his

　　address。　Go　to　him；　my　Melchior；　tell　him　that　you　love　me；　but　do

　　not　try　to　tell　him　how　I　love　you；let　that　be　forever　between

　　ourselves　and　God。　I；　my　dear　one；　am　about　to　tell　everything　to

　　my　mother。　Her　heart　will　justify　my　conduct；　she　will　rejoice　in

　　our　secret　poem；　so　romantic；　human　and　divine　in　one。



　　You　have　the　confession　of　the　daughter；　you　must　now　obtain　the

　　consent　of　the　Comte　de　La　Bastie；　father　of　your



Modeste。





　　P。S。Above　all；　do　not　come　to　Havre　without　having　first

　　obtained　my　father's　consent。　If　you　love　me　you　will　not　fail　to

　　find　him　on　his　way　through　Paris。





〃What　are　you　doing；　up　at　this　hour；　Mademoiselle　Modeste？〃　said　the

voice　of　Dumay　at　her　door。



〃Writing　to　my　father；〃　she　answered；　〃did　you　not　tell　me　you　should

start　in　the　morning？〃



Dumay　had　nothing　to　say　to　that；　and　he　went　to　bed；　while　Modeste

wrote　another　long　letter；　this　time　to　her　father。



On　the　morrow；　Francois　Cochet；　terrified　at　seeing　the　Havre　postmark

on　the　envelope　which　Ernest　had　mailed　the　night　before；　brought　her

young　mistress　the　following　letter　and　took　away　the　one　which

Modeste　had　written：



　　To　Mademoiselle　O。　d'Este　M。；My　heart　tells　me　that　you　were　the

　　woman　so　carefully　veiled　and　disguised；　and　seated　between

　　Monsieur　and　Madame　Latournelle；　who　have　but　one　child；　a　son。

　　Ah；　my　love；　if　you　have　only　a　modest　station；　without　

　　distinction；　without　importance；　without　money　even；　you　do　not

　　know　how　happy　that　would　make　me。　You　ought　to　understand　me　by

　　this　time；　why　will　you　not　tell　me　the　truth？　I　am　no　poet；

　　except　in　heart；　through　love；　through　you。　Oh！　what　power　of

　　affection　there　is　in　me　to　keep　me　here　in　this　hotel；　instead　of

　　mounting　to　Ingouville　which　I　can　see　from　my　windows。　Will　you

　　ever　love　me　as　I　love　you？　To　leave　Havre　in　such　uncertainty！　Am

　　I　not　punished　for　loving　you　as　if　I　had　committed　a　crime？　But　I

　　obey　you　blindly。　Let　me　have　a　letter　quickly；　for　if　you　have

　　been　mysterious；　I　have　returned　you　mystery　for　mystery；　and　I

　　must　at　last　throw　off　my　disguise；　show　you　the　poet　that　I　am；

　　and　abdicate　my　borrowed　glory。



This　letter　made　Modeste　terribly　uneasy。　She　could　not　get　back　the

one　which　Francoise　had　carried　away　before　she　came　to　the　last

words；　whose　meaning　she　now　sought　by　reading　them　again　and　again；

but　she　went　to　her　own　room　and　wrote　an　answer　in　which　she　demanded

an　immediate　explanation。







CHAPTER　XIV



MATTERS　GROWN　COMPLICATED



During　these　little　events　other　little　events　were　going　on　in　Havre；

which　caused　Modeste　to　forget　her　present　uneasiness。　Dumay　went　down

to　Havre　early　in　the　morning；　and　soon　discovered　that　no　architect

had　been　in　town　the　day　before。　Furious　at　Butscha's　lie；　which

revealed　a　conspiracy　of　which　he　was　resolved　to　know　the　meaning；　he

rushed　from　the　mayor's　office　to　his　friend　Latournelle。



〃Where's　your　Master　Butscha？〃　he　demanded　of　the　notary；　when　he　saw

that　the　clerk　was　not　in　his　place。



〃Butscha；　my　dear　fellow；　has　gone　to　Paris。　He　heard　some　news　of　his

father　this　morning　on　the　quays；　from　a　Swedish　sailor。　It　seems　the

father　went　to　the　Indies　and　served　a　prince；　or　something；　and　he　is

now　in　Paris。〃



〃Lies！　it's　all　a　trick！　infamous！　I'll　find　that　damned　cripple　if

I've　got　to　go　express　to　Paris　for　him；〃　cried　Dumay。　〃Butscha　is

deceiving　us；　he　knows　something　about　Modeste；　and　hasn't　told　us。　If

he　meddles　in　this　thing　he　shall　never　be　a　notary。　I'll　roll　him　in

the　mud　from　which　he　came；　I'll〃



〃Come；　come；　my　friend；　never　hang　a　man　before　you　try　him；〃　said

Latournelle；　frightened　at　Dumay's　rage。



After　stating　the　facts　on　which　his　suspicions　were　founded；　Dumay

begged　Madame　Latournelle　to　go　and　stay　at　the　Chalet　during　his

absence。



〃You　will　find　the　colonel　in　Paris；〃　said　the　notary。　〃In　the

shipping　news　quoted　this　morning　in　the　Journal　of　Commerce；　I　found

under　the　head　of　Marseilleshere；　see　for　yourself；〃　he　said；

offering　the　paper。　〃'The　Bettina　Mignon；　Captain　Mignon；　arrived

October　6'；　it　is　now　the　17th；　and　the　colonel　is　sure　to　be　in

Paris。〃



Dumay　requested　Gobenheim　to　do　without　him　in　future；　and　then　went

back　to　the　Chalet；　which　he　reached　just　as　Modeste　was　sealing　her

two　letters；　to　her　father　and　Canalis。　Except　for　the　address　the

letters　were　precisely　alike　both　in　weight　and　appearance。　Modeste

thought　she　had　laid　that　to　her　father　over　that　to　her　Melchior；　but

had；　in　fact；　done　exactly　the　reverse。　This　mistake；　so　often　made　in

the　little　things　of　life；　occasioned　the　discovery　of　her　secret　by

Dumay　and　her　mother。　The　former　was　talking　vehemently　to　Madame

Mignon　in　the　salon；　and　revealing　to　her　his　fresh　fears　caused　by

Modeste's　duplicity　and　Butscha's　connivance。



〃Madame；〃　he　cried；　〃he　is　a　serpent　whom　we　have　warmed　in　our

bosoms；　there's　no　place　in　his　contorted　little　body　for　a　soul！〃



Modeste　put　the　letter　for　her　father　into　the　pocket　of　her　apron；

supposing　it　to　be　that　for　Canalis；　and　came　downstairs　with　the

letter　for　her　lover　in　her　hand；　to　see　Dumay　before　he　started　for

Paris。



〃What　has　happened　to　my　Black　Dwarf？　why　are　you　talking　so　loud！〃

she　said；　appearing　at　the　door。



〃Mademoiselle；　Butscha　has　gone　to　Paris；　and　you；　no　doubt；　know　why；

to　carry　on　that　affair　of　the　little　architect　with　the　sulphur

waistcoat；　who；　unluckily　for　the　hunchback's　lies；　has　never　been

here。〃



Modeste　was　struck　dumb；　feeling　sure　that　the　dwarf　had　departed　on　a

mission　of　inquiry　as　to　her　poet's　morals；　she　turned　pale；　and　sat

down。



〃I'm　going　after　him；　I　shall　find　him；〃　continued　Dumay。　〃Is　that　the

letter　for　your　father；　mademoisel