modeste mignon-第41节

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After　a　few　consoling　remarks；　dashed　with　his　own　satisfaction　at

having　made　a　new　version　of　Caesar's　phrase；　Canalis　divulged　a

desire　to　break　with　the　Duchesse　de　Chaulieu。　La　Briere；　totally

unable　to　keep　up　the　conversation；　made　the　beauty　of　the　night　an

excuse　to　be　set　down；　and　then　rushed　like　one　possessed　to　the

seashore；　where　he　stayed　till　past　ten；　in　a　half…demented　state；

walking　hurriedly　up　and　down；　talking　aloud　in　broken　sentences；

sometimes　standing　still　or　sitting　down；　without　noticing　the

uneasiness　of　two　custom…house　officers　who　were　on　the　watch。　After

loving　Modeste's　wit　and　intellect　and　her　aggressive　frankness；　he

now　joined　adoration　of　her　beautythat　is　to　say；　love　without

reason；　love　inexplicableto　all　the　other　reasons　which　had　drawn

him　ten　days　earlier；　to　the　church　in　Havre。



He　returned　to　the　Chalet；　where　the　Pyrenees　hounds　barked　at　him

till　he　was　forced　to　relinquish　the　pleasure　of　gazing　at　Modeste's

windows。　In　love；　such　things　are　of　no　more　account　to　the　lover　than

the　work　which　is　covered　by　the　last　layer　of　color　is　to　an　artist；

yet　they　make　up　the　whole　of　love；　just　as　the　hidden　toil　is　the

whole　of　art。　Out　of　them　arise　the　great　painter　and　the　true　lover

whom　the　woman　and　the　public　end；　sometimes　too　late；　by　adoring。



〃Well　then！〃　he　cried　aloud；　〃I　will　stay；　I　will　suffer；　I　will　love

her　for　myself　only；　in　solitude。　Modeste　shall　be　my　sun；　my　life；　I

will　breathe　with　her　breath；　rejoice　in　her　joys　and　bear　her　griefs；

be　she　even　the　wife　of　that　egoist；　Canalis。〃



〃That's　what　I　call　loving；　monsieur；〃　said　a　voice　which　came　from　a

shrub　by　the　side　of　the　road。　〃Ha；　ha；　so　all　the　world　is　in　love

with　Mademoiselle　de　La　Bastie？〃



And　Butscha　suddenly　appeared　and　looked　at　La　Briere。　La　Briere

checked　his　anger　when；　by　the　light　of　the　moon；　he　saw　the　dwarf；

and　he　made　a　few　steps　without　replying。



〃Soldiers　who　serve　in　the　same　company　ought　to　be　good　comrades；〃

remarked　Butscha。　〃You　don't　love　Canalis；　neither　do　I。〃



〃He　is　my　friend；〃　replied　Ernest。



〃Ha；　you　are　the　little　secretary？〃



〃You　are　to　know；　monsieur；　that　I　am　no　man's　secretary。　I　have　the

honor　to　be　of　counsel　to　a　supreme　court　of　this　kingdom。〃



〃I　have　the　honor　to　salute　Monsieur　de　La　Briere；〃　said　Butscha。　〃I

myself　have　the　honor　to　be　head　clerk　to　Latournelle；　chief

councillor　of　Havre；　and　my　position　is　a　better　one　than　yours。　Yes；

I　have　had　the　happiness　of　seeing　Mademoiselle　Modeste　de　La　Bastie

nearly　every　evening　for　the　last　four　years；　and　I　expect　to　live

near　her；　as　a　king's　servant　lives　in　the　Tuileries。　If　they　offered

me　the　throne　of　Russia　I　should　answer；　'I　love　the　sun　too　well。'

Isn't　that　telling　you；　monsieur；　that　I　care　more　for　her　than　for

myself？　I　am　looking　after　her　interests　with　the　most　honorable

intentions。　Do　you　believe　that　the　proud　Duchesse　de　Chaulieu　would

cast　a　favorable　eye　on　the　happiness　of　Madame　de　Canalis　if　her

waiting…woman；　who　is　in　love　with　Monsieur　Germain；　not　liking　that

charming　valet's　absence　in　Havre；　were　to　say　to　her　mistress　while

brushing　her　hair〃



〃Who　do　you　know　about　all　this？〃　said　La　Briere；　interrupting

Butscha。



〃In　the　first　place；　I　am　clerk　to　a　notary；〃　answered　Butscha。　〃But

haven't　you　seen　my　hump？　It　is　full　of　resources；　monsieur。　I　have

made　myself　cousin　to　Mademoiselle　Philoxene　Jacmin；　born　at　Honfleur；

where　my　mother　was　born；　a　Jacmin；there　are　eight　branches　of　the

Jacmins　at　Honfleur。　So　my　cousin　Philoxene；　enticed　by　the　bait　of　a

highly　improbable　fortune；　has　told　me　a　good　many　things。〃



〃The　duchess　is　vindictive？〃　said　La　Briere。



〃Vindictive　as　a　queen；　Philoxene　says；　she　has　never　yet　forgiven　the

duke　for　being　nothing　more　than　her　husband；〃　replied　Butscha。　〃She

hates　as　she　loves。　I　know　all　about　her　character；　her　tastes；　her

toilette；　her　religion；　and　her　manners；　for　Philoxene　stripped　her

for　me；　soul　and　corset。　I　went　to　the　opera　expressly　to　see　her；　and

I　didn't　grudge　the　ten　francs　it　cost　meI　don't　mean　the　play。　If

my　imaginary　cousin　had　not　told　me　the　duchess　had　seen　her　fifty

summers；　I　should　have　thought　I　was　over…generous　in　giving　her

thirty；　she　has　never　known　a　winter；　that　duchess！〃



〃Yes；〃　said　La　Briere；　〃she　is　a　cameopreserved　because　it　is　stone。

Canalis　would　be　in　a　bad　way　if　the　duchess　were　to　find　out　what　he

is　doing　here；　and　I　hope；　monsieur；　that　you　will　go　no　further　in

this　business　of　spying；　which　is　unworthy　of　an　honest　man。〃



〃Monsieur；〃　said　Butscha；　proudly；　〃for　me　Modeste　is　my　country。　I　do

not　spy；　I　foresee；　I　take　precautions。　The　duchess　will　come　here　if

it　is　desirable；　or　she　will　stay　tranquilly　where　she　is；　according

to　what　I　judge　best。〃



〃You？〃



〃I。〃



〃And　how；　pray？〃



〃Ha；　that's　it！〃　said　the　little　hunchback；　plucking　a　blade　of　grass。

〃See　here！　this　herb　believes　that　men　build　palaces　for　it　to　grow

in；　it　wedges　its　way　between　the　closest　blocks　of　marble；　and　brings

them　down；　just　as　the　masses　forced　into　the　edifice　of　feudality

have　brought　it　to　the　ground。　The　power　of　the　feeble　life　that　can

creep　everywhere　is　greater　than　that　of　the　mighty　behind　their

cannons。　I　am　one　of　three　who　have　sworn　that　Modeste　shall　be　happy；

and　we　would　sell　our　honor　for　her。　Adieu；　monsieur。　If　you　truly

love　Mademoiselle　de　La　Bastie；　forget　this　conversation　and　shake

hands　with　me；　for　I　think　you've　got　a　heart。　I　longed　to　see　the

Chalet；　and　I　got　here　just　as　SHE　was　putting　out　her　light。　I　saw

the　dogs　rush　at　you；　and　I　overheard　your　words；　and　that　is　why　I

take　the　liberty　of　saying　we　serve　in　the　same　regimentthat　of

loyal　devotion。〃



〃Monsieur；〃　said　La　Briere；　wringing　the　hunchback's　hand；　〃would　you

have　the　friendliness　to　tell　me　if　Mademoiselle　Modeste　ever　loved

any　one　WITH　LOVE　before　she　wrote　to　Canalis？〃



〃Oh！〃　exclaimed　Butscha　in　an　altered　voice；　〃that　thought　is　an

insult。　And　even　now；　who　knows　if　she　really　loves？　does　she　know

herself？　She　is　enamored　of　genius；　of　the　soul　and　intellect　of　that

seller　of　verses；　that　literary　quack；　but　she　will　study　him；　we

shall　all　study　him；　and　I　know　how　to　make　the　man's　real　character

peep　out　from　under　that　turtle…shell　of　fine　manners；we'll　soon　see

the　petty　little　head　of　his　ambition　and　his　vanity！〃　cried　Butscha；

rubbing　his　hands。　〃So；　unless　mademoiselle　is　desperately　taken　with

him〃



〃Oh！　she　was　seized　with　admiration　when　she　saw　him；　as　if　he　were

something　marvellous；〃　exclaimed　La　Briere；　letting　the　secret　of　his

jealousy　escape　him。



〃If　he　is　a　loyal；　honest　fellow；　and　loves　her；　if　he　is　worthy　of

her；　if　he　renounces　his　duchess；〃　said　Butscha；〃then　I'll　manage

the　duchess！　Here；　my　dear　sir；　take　this　road；　and　you　will　get　home

in　ten　minutes。〃



But　as　they　parted；　Butscha　turned　back　and　hailed　poor　Ernest；　who；

as　a　true　lover；　would　gladly　have　stayed　there　all　night　talking　of

Modeste。



〃Monsieur；〃　said　Butscha；　〃I　have　not　yet　had　the　honor　of　seeing　our

great　poet。　I　am　very　curious　to　observe　that　magnificent　phenomenon

in　the　exercise　of　his　functions。　Do　me　the　favor　to　bring　him　to　the

Chalet　to…morrow　evening；　and　stay　as　long　as　possible；　for　it　takes

more　than　an　hour　for　a　man　to　show　himself　for　what　he　is。　I　shall　be

the　first　to　see　if　he　loves；　if　he　can　love；　or　if　he　ever　will　love

Mademoiselle　Modeste。〃



〃You　are　very　young　to〃



〃to　be　a　professor；〃　said　Butscha；　cutting　short　La　Briere。　〃Ha；

monsieur；　deformed　folks　are　born　a　hundred　years　old。　And　besides；　a

sick　man　who　has　long　been　sick；　knows　more　than　his　doctor；　he　knows

the　disease；　and　that　is　more　than　can　be　said　for　the　best　of

doctors。　Well；　so　it　is　with　a　man　who　cherishes　a　woman　in　his　heart

when　the　woman　is　forced　to　disdain　him　for　his　ugliness　or　his

deformity；　he　ends　by　knowing　so　much　of　love　that　he　becomes

seductive；　just　as　the　sick　man　recovers　his　health；　stupidity　alone

is　incurable。　I　have　had　neither　father　nor　mother　since　I　was　six

years　old；　I　am　now　twenty…five。　Public　charity　has　been　my　mother；

the　procureur　du　roi　my　father。　Oh！　don't　be　troubled；〃　he　added；

seeing　Ernest's　gesture；　〃I　am　much　more　lively　than　my　situation。

Well；　for　the　last　six　years；　ever　since　a　woman's　eye　first　told　me　I

had　no　right　to　love；　I　do　love；　and　I　study　women。　I　began　with　the

ugly　ones；　for　it　is　best　to　take　the　bull　by　the　horns。　So　I　took　my

master's　wife；　who　has　certainly　been　an　angel　to　me；　for　my　first

study。　Perhaps　I　did　wrong；　but　I　couldn't　help　it。　I　passed　her

through　my　alembic　and　what　did　I　find？　this　thought；　crouching　at　the

bottom　of　her　heart；　'I　am　not　so　ugly　as　they　think　me'；　and　if　a　man

were　to　work　upon　that　thought　he　could　bring　her　to　the　edge