modeste mignon-第39节

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to　think　La　Briere　too　witty　and　too　free　for　a　secretary。



The　arrival　of　an　elegant　caleche；　driven　by　a　coachman　in　the　Canalis

livery；　made　the　more　excitement　at　the　Chalet　because　the　two　suitors

were　expected；　and　all　the　personages　of　this　history　were　assembled

to　receive　them；　except　the　duke　and　Butscha。



〃Which　is　the　poet？〃　asked　Madame　Latournelle　of　Dumay　in　the

embrasure　of　a　window；　where　she　stationed　herself　as　soon　as　she

heard　the　wheels。



〃The　one　who　walks　like　a　drum…major；〃　answered　the　lieutenant。



〃Ah！〃　said　the　notary's　wife；　examining　Canalis；　who　was　swinging　his

body　like　a　man　who　knows　he　is　being　looked　at。　The　fault　lay　with

the　great　lady　who　flattered　him　incessantly　and　spoiled　him；as　all

women　older　than　their　adorers　invariably　spoil　and　flatter　them；

Canalis　in　his　moral　being　was　a　sort　of　Narcissus。　When　a　woman　of　a

certain　age　wishes　to　attach　a　man　forever；　she　begins　by　deifying　his

defects；　so　as　to　cut　off　all　possibility　of　rivalry；　for　a　rival　is

never；　at　the　first　approach；　aware　of　the　super…fine　flattery　to

which　the　man　is　accustomed。　Coxcombs　are　the　product　of　this　feminine

manoeuvre；　when　they　are　not　fops　by　nature。　Canalis；　taken　young　by

the　handsome　duchess；　vindicated　his　affectations　to　his　own　mind　by

telling　himself　that　they　pleased　that　〃grande　dame；〃　whose　taste　was

law。　Such　shades　of　character　may　be　excessively　faint；　but　it　is

improper　for　the　historian　not　to　point　them　out。　For　instance；

Melchior　possessed　a　talent　for　reading　which　was　greatly　admired；　and

much　injudicious　praise　had　given　him　a　habit　of　exaggeration；　which

neither　poets　nor　actors　are　willing　to　check；　and　which　made　people

say　of　him　（always　through　De　Marsay）　that　he　no　longer　declaimed；　he

bellowed　his　verses；　lengthening　the　sounds　that　he　might　listen　to

himself。　In　the　slang　of　the　green…room；　Canalis　〃dragged　the　time。〃

He　was　fond　of　exchanging　glances　with　his　hearers；　throwing　himself

into　postures　of　self…complacency　and　practising　those　tricks　of

demeanor　which　actors　call　〃balancoires；〃the　picturesque　phrase　of

an　artistic　people。　Canalis　had　his　imitators；　and　was　in　fact　the

head　of　a　school　of　his　kind。　This　habit　of　declamatory　chanting

slightly　affected　his　conversation；　as　we　have　seen　in　his　interview

with　Dumay。　The　moment　the　mind　becomes　finical　the　manners　follow

suit；　and　the　great　poet　ended　by　studying　his　demeanor；　inventing

attitudes；　looking　furtively　at　himself　in　mirrors；　and　suiting　his

discourse　to　the　particular　pose　which　he　happened　to　have　taken　up。

He　was　so　preoccupied　with　the　effect　he　wished　to　produce；　that　a

practical　joke；　Blondet；　had　bet　once　or　twice；　and　won　the　wager；

that　he　could　nonplus　him　at　any　moment　by　merely　looking　fixedly　at

his　hair；　or　his　boots；　or　the　tails　of　his　coats。



These　airs　and　graces；　which　started　in　life　with　a　passport　of

flowery　youth；　now　seemed　all　the　more　stale　and　old　because　Melchior

himself　was　waning。　Life　in　the　world　of　fashion　is　quite　as

exhausting　to　men　as　it　is　to　women；　and　perhaps　the　twenty　years　by

which　the　duchess　exceeded　her　lover's　age；　weighed　more　heavily　upon

him　than　upon　her；　for　to　the　eyes　of　the　world　she　was　always

handsome；without　rouge；　without　wrinkles；　and　without　heart。　Alas！

neither　men　nor　women　have　friends　who　are　friendly　enough　to　warn

them　of　the　moment　when　the　fragrance　of　their　modesty　grows　stale；

when　the　caressing　glance　is　but　an　echo　of　the　stage；　when　the

expression　of　the　face　changes　from　sentiment　to　sentimentality；　and

the　artifices　of　the　mind　show　their　rusty　edges。　Genius　alone　renews

its　skin　like　a　snake；　and　in　the　matter　of　charm；　as　in　everything

else；　it　is　only　the　heart　that　never　grows　old。　People　who　have

hearts　are　simple　in　all　their　ways。　Now　Canalis；　as　we　know；　had　a

shrivelled　heart。　He　misused　the　beauty　of　his　glance　by　giving　it；

without　adequate　reason；　the　fixity　that　comes　to　the　eyes　in

meditation。　In　short；　applause　was　to　him　a　business；　in　which　he　was

perpetually　on　the　lookout　for　gain。　His　style　of　paying　compliments；

charming　to　superficial　people；　seemed　insulting　to　others　of　more

delicacy；　by　its　triteness　and　the　cool　assurance　of　its　cut…and…

dried　flattery。　As　a　matter　of　fact；　Melchior　lied　like　a　courtier。　He

remarked　without　blushing　to　the　Duc　de　Chaulieu；　who　made　no

impression　whatever　when　he　was　obliged　to　address　the　Chamber　as

minister　of　foreign　affairs；　〃Your　excellency　was　truly　sublime！〃　Many

men　like　Canalis　are　purged　of　their　affectations　by　the

administration　of　non…success　in　little　doses。



These　defects；　slight　in　the　gilded　salons　of　the　faubourg　Saint…

Germain；　where　every　one　contributes　his　or　her　quota　of　absurdity；

and　where　these　particular　forms　of　exaggerated　speech　and　affected

dictionmagniloquence；　if　you　please　to　call　it　soare　surrounded　by

excessive　luxury　and　sumptuous　toilettes；　which　are　to　some　extent

their　excuse；　were　certain　to　be　far　more　noticed　in　the　provinces；

whose　own　absurdities　are　of　a　totally　different　type。　Canalis；　by

nature　over…strained　and　artificial；　could　not　change　his　form；　in

fact；　he　had　had　time　to　grow　stiff　in　the　mould　into　which　the

duchess　had　poured　him；　moreover；　he　was　thoroughly　Parisian；　or；　if

you　prefer　it；　truly　French。　The　Parisian　is　amazed　that　everything

everywhere　is　not　as　it　in　Paris；　the　Frenchman；　as　it　is　in　France。

Good　taste；　on　the　contrary；　demands　that　we　adapt　ourselves　to　the

customs　of　foreigners　without　losing　too　much　of　our　own　character；

as　did　Alcibiades；　that　model　of　a　gentleman。　True　grace　is　elastic；

it　lends　itself　to　circumstances；　it　is　in　harmony　with　all　social

centres；　it　wears　a　robe　of　simple　material　in　the　streets；　noticeable

only　by　its　cut；　in　preference　to　the　feathers　and　flounces　of　middle…

class　vulgarity。　Now　Canalis；　instigated　by　a　woman　who　loved　herself

much　more　than　she　loved　him；　wished　to　lay　down　the　law　and　be；

everywhere；　such　as　he　himself　might　see　fit　to　be。　He　believed　he

carried　his　own　public　with　him　wherever　he　went；an　error　shared　by

several　of　the　great　men　of　Paris。



While　the　poet　made　a　studied　and　effective　entrance　into　the　salon　of

the　Chalet；　La　Briere　slipped　in　behind　him　like　a　person　of　no

account。



〃Ha！　do　I　see　my　soldier？〃　said　Canalis；　perceiving　Dumay；　after

addressing　a　compliment　to　Madame　Mignon；　and　bowing　to　the　other

women。　〃Your　anxieties　are　relieved；　are　they　not？〃　he　said；　offering

his　hand　effusively；　〃I　comprehend　them　to　their　fullest　extent　after

seeing　mademoiselle。　I　spoke　to　you　of　terrestrial　creatures；　not　of

angels。〃



All　present　seemed　by　their　attitudes　to　ask　the　meaning　of　this

speech。



〃I　shall　always　consider　it　a　triumph；〃　resumed　the　poet；　observing

that　everybody　wished　for　an　explanation；　〃to　have　stirred　to　mention

on　of　those　men　of　iron　whom　Napoleon　had　the　eye　to　find　and　make　the

supporting　piles　on　which　he　tried　to　build　an　empire；　too　colossal　to

be　lasting：　for　such　structures　time　alone　is　the　cement。　But　this

triumphwhy　should　I　be　proud　of　it？I　count　for　nothing。　It　was　the

triumph　of　ideas　over　facts。　Your　battles；　my　dear　Monsieur　Dumay；

your　heroic　charges；　Monsieur　le　comte；　nay；　war　itself　was　the　form

in　which　Napoleon's　idea　clothed　itself。　Of　all　of　these　things；　what

remains？　The　sod　that　covers　them　knows　nothing；　harvests　come　and　go

without　revealing　their　resting…place；　were　it　not　for　the　historian；

the　writer；　futurity　would　have　no　knowledge　of　those　heroic　days。

Therefore　your　fifteen　years　of　war　are　now　ideas　and　nothing　more；

that　which　preserves　the　Empire　forever　is　the　poem　that　the　poets

make　of　them。　A　nation　that　can　win　such　battles　must　know　how　to　sing

them。〃



Canalis　paused；　to　gather　by　a　glance　that　ran　round　the　circle　the

tribute　of　amazement　which　he　expected　of　provincials。



〃You　must　be　aware；　monsieur；　of　the　regret　I　feel　at　not　seeing　you；〃

said　Madame　Mignon；　〃since　you　compensate　me　with　the　pleasure　of

hearing　you。〃



Modeste；　determined　to　think　Canalis　sublime；　sat　motionless　with

amazement；　the　embroidery　slipped　from　her　fingers；　which　held　it　only

by　the　needleful　of　thread。



〃Modeste；　this　is　Monsieur　Ernest　de　La　Briere。　Monsieur　Ernest；　my

daughter；〃　said　the　count；　thinking　the　secretary　too　much　in　the

background。



The　young　girl　bowed　coldly；　giving　Ernest　a　glance　that　was　meant　to

prove　to　every　one　present　that　she　saw　him　for　the　first　time。



〃Pardon　me；　monsieur；〃　she　said　without　blushing；　〃the　great

admiration　I　feel　for　the　greatest　of　our　poets　is；　in　the　eyes　of　my

friends；　a　sufficient　excuse　for　seeing　only　him。〃



The　pure；　fresh　voice；　with　accents　like　that　of　Mademoiselle　Mars；

charmed　the　poor　secretary；　already　dazzled　by　Modeste's　beauty；　and

in　his　sudden　surprise　he　answered　by　a　phrase　that　wou