modeste mignon-第38节

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for　the　famous　Sunday；　but　he　now　felt　like　the　satellite　of　planet；

and　resigned　himself　to　the　uncertainties　of　his　situation。　Canalis；

on　the　other　hand；　had　carefully　attended　to　his　black　coat；　his

orders；　and　all　those　little　drawing…room　elegancies；　which　his

intimacy　with　the　Duchesse　de　Chaulieu　and　the　fashionable　world　of

the　faubourg　had　brought　to　perfection。　He　had　gone　into　the　minutiae

of　dandyism；　while　poor　La　Briere　was　about　to　present　himself　with

the　negligence　of　a　man　without　hope。　Germain；　as　he　waited　at　dinner

could　not　help　smiling　to　himself　at　the　contrast。　After　the　second

course；　however；　the　valet　came　in　with　a　diplomatic；　that　is　to　say；

uneasy　air。



〃Does　Monsieur　le　baron　know；〃　he　said　to　Canalis　in　a　low　voice；

〃that　Monsieur　the　grand　equerry　is　coming　to　Graville　to　get　cured　of

the　same　illness　which　has　brought　Monsieur　de　La　Briere　and　Monsieur

le　baron　to　the　sea…shore？〃



〃What；　the　little　Duc　d'Herouville？〃



〃Yes；　monsieur。〃



〃Is　he　coming　for　Mademoiselle　de　La　Bastie？〃　asked　La　Briere；

coloring。



〃So　it　appears；　monsieur。〃



〃We　are　cheated！〃　cried　Canalis　looking　at　La　Briere。



〃Ah！〃　retorted　Ernest　quickly；　〃that　is　the　first　time　you　have　said；

'we'　since　we　left　Paris：　it　has　been　'I'　all　along。〃



〃You　understood　me；〃　cried　Canalis；　with　a　burst　of　laughter。　〃But　we

are　not　in　a　position　to　struggle　against　a　ducal　coronet；　nor　the

duke's　title；　nor　against　the　waste　lands　which　the　Council　of　State

have　just　granted；　on　my　report；　to　the　house　of　Herouville。〃



〃His　grace；〃　said　La　Briere；　with　a　spice　of　malice　that　was

nevertheless　serious；　〃will　furnish　you　with　compensation　in　the

person　of　his　sister。〃



At　this　instant；　the　Comte　de　La　Bastie　was　announced；　the　two　young

men　rose　at　once；　and　La　Briere　hastened　forward　to　present　Canalis。



〃I　wished　to　return　the　visit　that　you　paid　me　in　Paris；〃　said　the

count　to　the　young　lawyer；　〃and　I　knew　that　by　coming　here　I　should

have　the　double　pleasure　of　greeting　one　of　our　great　living　poets。〃



〃Great！Monsieur；〃　replied　the　poet；　smiling；　〃no　one　can　be　great　in

a　century　prefaced　by　the　reign　of　a　Napoleon。　We　are　a　tribe　of

would…be　great　poets；　besides；　second…rate　talent　imitates　genius

nowadays；　and　renders　real　distinction　impossible。〃



〃Is　that　the　reason　why　you　have　thrown　yourself　into　politics？〃　asked

the　count。



〃It　is　the　same　thing　in　that　sphere；〃　said　the　poet；　〃there　are　no

statesmen　in　these　days；　only　men　who　handle　events　more　or　less。　Look

at　it；　monsieur；　under　the　system　of　government　that　we　derive　from

the　Charter；　which　makes　a　tax…list　of　more　importance　than　a　coat…of…

arms；　there　is　absolutely　nothing　solid　except　that　which　you　went　to

seek　in　China；wealth。〃



Satisfied　with　himself　and　with　the　impression　he　was　making　on　the

prospective　father…in…law；　Canalis　turned　to　Germain。



〃Serve　the　coffee　in　the　salon；〃　he　said；　inviting　Monsieur　de　La

Bastie　to　leave　the　dining…room。



〃I　thank　you　for　this　visit；　monsieur　le　comte；〃　said　La　Briere；　〃it

saves　me　from　the　embarrassment　of　presenting　my　friend　to　you　in　your

own　house。　You　have　a　heart；　and　you　have　also　a　quick　mind。〃



〃Bah！　the　ready　wit　of　Provence；　that　is　all；〃　said　Charles　Mignon。



〃Ah；　do　you　come　from　Provence？〃　cried　Canalis。



〃You　must　pardon　my　friend；〃　said　La　Briere；　〃he　has　not　studied；　as　I

have；　the　history　of　La　Bastie。〃



At　the　word　FRIEND　Canalis　threw　a　searching　glance　at　Ernest。



〃If　your　health　will　allow；〃　said　the　count　to　the　poet；　〃I　shall　hope

to　receive　you　this　evening　under　my　roof；　it　will　be　a　day　to　mark；

as　the　old　writer　said　'albo　notanda　lapillo。'　Though　we　cannot　duly

receive　so　great　a　fame　in　our　little　house；　yet　your　visit　will

gratify　my　daughter；　whose　admiration　for　your　poems　has　even　led　her

to　set　them　to　music。〃



〃You　have　something　better　than　fame　in　your　house；〃　said　Canalis；

〃you　have　beauty；　if　I　am　to　believe　Ernest。〃



〃Yes；　a　good　daughter；　but　you　will　find　her　rather　countrified；〃　said

Charles　Mignon。



〃A　country　girl　sought　by　the　Duc　d'Herouville；〃　remarked　Canalis；

dryly。



〃Oh！〃　replied　Monsieur　Mignon；　with　the　perfidious　good…humor　of　a

Southerner；　〃I　leave　my　daughter　free。　Dukes；　princes；　commoners；

they　are　all　the　same　to　me；　even　men　of　genius。　I　shall　make　no

pledges；　and　whoever　my　Modeste　chooses　will　be　my　son…in…law；　or

rather　my　son；〃　he　added；　looking　at　La　Briere。　〃It　could　not　be

otherwise。　Madame　de　La　Bastie　is　German。　She　has　never　adopted　our

etiquette；　and　I　let　my　two　women　lead　me　their　own　way。　I　have　always

preferred　to　sit　in　the　carriage　rather　than　on　the　box。　I　can　make　a

joke　of　all　this　at　present；　for　we　have　not　yet　seen　the　Duc

d'Herouville；　and　I　do　not　believe　in　marriages　arranged　by　proxy；　any

more　than　I　believe　in　choosing　my　daughter's　husband。〃



〃That　declaration　is　equally　encouraging　and　discouraging　to　two　young

men　who　are　searching　for　the　philosopher's　stone　of　happiness　in

marriage；〃　said　Canalis。



〃Don't　you　consider　it　useful；　necessary；　and　even　politic　to

stipulate　for　perfect　freedom　of　action　for　parents；　daughters；　and

suitors？〃　asked　Charles　Mignon。



Canalis；　at　a　sign　from　La　Briere；　kept　silence。　The　conversation

presently　became　unimportant；　and　after　a　few　turns　round　the　garden

the　count　retired；　urging　the　visit　of　the　two　friends。



〃That's　our　dismissal；〃　cried　Canalis；　〃you　saw　it　as　plainly　as　I

did。　Well；　in　his　place；　I　should　not　hesitate　between　the　grand

equerry　and　either　of　us；　charming　as　we　are。〃



〃I　don't　think　so；〃　said　La　Briere。　〃I　believe　that　frank　soldier　came

here　to　satisfy　his　desire　to　see　you；　and　to　warn　us　of　his

neutrality　while　receiving　us　in　his　house。　Modeste；　in　love　with　your

fame；　and　misled　by　my　person；　stands；　as　it　were；　between　the　real

and　the　ideal；　between　poetry　and　prose。　I　am；　unfortunately；　the

prose。〃



〃Germain；〃　said　Canalis　to　the　valet；　who　came　to　take　away　the

coffee；　〃order　the　carriage　in　half　an　hour。　We　will　take　a　drive

before　we　go　to　the　Chalet。〃







CHAPTER　XVIII



A　SPLENDID　FIRST　APPEARANCE



The　two　young　men　were　equally　impatient　to　see　Modeste；　but　La　Briere

dreaded　the　interview；　while　Canalis　approached　it　with　the　confidence

of　self…conceit。　The　eagerness　with　which　La　Briere　had　met　the

father；　and　the　flattery　of　his　attention　to　the　family　pride　of　the

ex…merchant；　showed　Canalis　his　own　maladroitness；　and　determined　him

to　select　a　special　role。　The　great　poet　resolved　to　pretend

indifference；　though　all　the　while　displaying　his　seductive　powers；　to

appear　to　disdain　the　young　lady；　and　thus　pique　her　self…love。

Trained　by　the　handsome　Duchesse　de　Chaulieu；　he　was　bound　to　be

worthy　of　his　reputation　as　a　man　who　knew　women；　when；　in　fact；　he

did　not　know　them　at　all；which　is　often　the　case　with　those　who　are

the　happy　victims　of　an　exclusive　passion。　While　poor　Ernest；　gloomily

ensconced　in　his　corner　of　the　caleche；　gave　way　to　the　terrors　of

genuine　love；　and　foresaw　instinctively　the　anger；　contempt；　and

disdain　of　an　injured　and　offended　young　girl；　Canalis　was　preparing

himself；　not　less　silently；　like　an　actor　making　ready　for　an

important　part　in　a　new　play；　certainly　neither　of　them　presented　the

appearance　of　a　happy　man。　Important　interests　were　involved　for

Canalis。　The　mere　suggestion　of　his　desire　to　marry　would　bring　about

a　rupture　of　the　tie　which　had　bound　him　for　the　last　ten　years　to　the

Duchesse　de　Chaulieu。　Though　he　had　covered　the　purpose　of　his　journey

with　the　vulgar　pretext　of　needing　rest；in　which；　by　the　bye；　women

never　believe；　even　when　it　is　true；his　conscience　troubled　him

somewhat；　but　the　word　〃conscience〃　seemed　so　Jesuitical　to　La　Briere

that　he　shrugged　his　shoulders　when　the　poet　mentioned　his　scruples。



〃Your　conscience；　my　friend；　strikes　me　as　nothing　more　nor　less　than

a　dread　of　losing　the　pleasures　of　vanity；　and　some　very　real

advantages　and　habits　by　sacrificing　the　affections　of　Madame　de

Chaulieu；　for；　if　you　were　sure　of　succeeding　with　Modeste；　you　would

renounce　without　the　slightest　compunction　the　wilted　aftermath　of　a

passion　that　has　been　mown　and　well…raked　for　the　last　eight　years。　If

you　simply　mean　that　you　are　afraid　of　displeasing　your　protectress；

should　she　find　out　the　object　of　your　stay　here；　I　believe　you。　To

renounce　the　duchess　and　yet　not　succeed　at　the　Chalet　is　too　heavy　a

risk。　You　take　the　anxiety　of　this　alternative　for　remorse。〃



〃You　have　no　comprehension　of　feelings；〃　said　the　poet；　irritably；

like　a　man　who　hears　truth　when　he　expects　a　compliment。



〃That　is　what　a　bigamist　should　tell　the　jury；〃　retorted　La　Briere；

laughing。



This　epigram　made　another　disagreeable　impression　on　Canalis。　He　began

to　think　La　Briere　too　witty　and　to