modeste mignon-第44节

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〃Without　utility　what　would　become　of　art？〃　said　Charles　Mignon。　〃What

would　it　rest　on？　what　would　it　live　on？　Where　would　you　lodge；　and

how　would　you　pay　the　poet？〃



〃Oh！　my　dear　papa；　such　opinions　are　fearfully　flat　and　antediluvian！

I　am　not　surprised　that　Gobenheim　and　Monsieur　de　La　Briere；　who　are

interested　in　the　solution　of　social　problems　should　think　so；　but

you；　whose　life　has　been　the　most　useless　poetry　of　the　century；

useless　because　the　blood　you　shed　all　over　Europe；　and　the　horrible

sufferings　exacted　by　your　colossus；　did　not　prevent　France　from

losing　ten　departments　acquired　under　the　Revolution；how　can　YOU

give　in　to　such　excessively　pig…tail　notions；　as　the　idealists　say？　It

is　plain　you've　just　come　from　China。〃



The　impertinence　of　Modeste's　speech　was　heightened　by　a　little　air　of

contemptuous　disdain　which　she　purposely　put　on；　and　which　fairly

astounded　Madame　Mignon；　Madame　Latournelle；　and　Dumay。　As　for　Madame

Latournelle；　she　opened　her　eyes　so　wide　she　no　longer　saw　anything。

Butscha；　whose　alert　attention　was　comparable　to　that　of　a　spy；　looked

at　Monsieur　Mignon；　expecting　to　see　him　flush　with　sudden　and　violent

indignation。



〃A　little　more；　young　lady；　and　you　will　be　wanting　in　respect　for

your　father；〃　said　the　colonel；　smiling；　and　noticing　Butscha's　look。

〃See　what　it　is　to　spoil　one's　children！〃



〃I　am　your　only　child；〃　she　said　saucily。



〃Child；　indeed；〃　remarked　the　notary；　significantly。



〃Monsieur；〃　said　Modeste；　turning　upon　him；　〃my　father　is　delighted　to

have　me　for　his　governess；　he　gave　me　life　and　I　give　him　knowledge；

he　will　soon　owe　me　something。〃



〃There　seems　occasion　for　it；〃　said　Madame　Mignon。



〃But　mademoiselle　is　right；〃　said　Canalis；　rising　and　standing　before

the　fireplace　in　one　of　the　finest　attitudes　of　his　collection。　〃God；

in　his　providence；　has　given　food　and　clothing　to　man；　but　he　has　not

directly　given　him　art。　He　says　to　man：　'To　live；　thou　must　bow

thyself　to　earth；　to　think；　thou　shalt　lift　thyself　to　Me。'　We　have　as

much　need　of　the　life　of　the　soul　as　of　the　life　of　the　body；hence；

there　are　two　utilities。　It　is　true　we　cannot　be　shod　by　books　or

clothed　by　poems。　An　epic　song　is　not；　if　you　take　the　utilitarian

view；　as　useful　as　the　broth　of　a　charity　kitchen。　The　noblest　ideas

will　not　sail　a　vessel　in　place　of　canvas。　It　is　quite　true　that　the

cotton…gin　gives　us　calicoes　for　thirty　sous　a　yard　less　than　we　ever

paid　before；　but　that　machine　and　all　other　industrial　perfections

will　not　breathe　the　breath　of　life　into　a　people；　will　not　tell

futurity　of　a　civilization　that　once　existed。　Art；　on　the　contrary；

Egyptian；　Mexican；　Grecian；　Roman　art；　with　their　masterpiecesnow

called　useless！reveal　the　existence　of　races　back　in　the　vague

immense　of　time；　beyond　where　the　great　intermediary　nations；　denuded

of　men　of　genius；　have　disappeared；　leaving　not　a　line　nor　a　trace

behind　them！　The　works　of　genius　are　the　'summum'　of　civilization；　and

presuppose　utility。　Surely　a　pair　of　boots　are　not　as　agreeable　to

your　eyes　as　a　fine　play　at　the　theatre；　and　you　don't　prefer　a

windmill　to　the　church　of　Saint…Ouen；　do　you？　Well　then；　nations　are

imbued　with　the　same　feelings　as　the　individual　man；　and　the　man's

cherished　desire　is　to　survive　himself　morally　just　as　he　propagates

himself　physically。　The　survival　of　a　people　is　the　work　of　its　men　of

genius。　At　this　very　moment　France　is　proving；　energetically；　the

truth　of　that　theory。　She　is；　undoubtedly；　excelled　by　England　in

commerce；　industry；　and　navigation；　and　yet　she　is；　I　believe；　at　the

head　of　the　world；by　reason　of　her　artists；　her　men　of　talent；　and

the　good　taste　of　her　products。　There　is　no　artist　and　no　superior

intellect　that　does　not　come　to　Paris　for　a　diploma。　There　is　no

school　of　painting　at　this　moment　but　that　of　France；　and　we　shall

reign　far　longer　and　perhaps　more　securely　by　our　books　than　by　our

swords。　In　La　Briere's　system；　on　the　other　hand；　all　that　is　glorious

and　lovely　must　be　suppressed；woman's　beauty；　music；　painting；

poetry。　Society　will　not　be　overthrown；　that　is　true；　but；　I　ask　you；

who　would　willingly　accept　such　a　life？　All　useful　things　are　ugly　and

forbidding。　A　kitchen　is　indispensable；　but　you　take　care　not　to　sit

there；　you　live　in　the　salon；　which　you　adorn；　like　this；　with

superfluous　things。　Of　what　USE；　let　me　ask　you；　are　these　charming

wall…paintings；　this　carved　wood…work？　There　is　nothing　beautiful　but

that　which　seems　to　us　useless。　We　called　the　sixteenth　century　the

Renascence　with　admirable　truth　of　language。　That　century　was　the　dawn

of　a　new　era。　Men　will　continue　to　speak　of　it　when　all　remembrance　of

anterior　centuries　had　passed　away；their　only　merit　being　that　they

once　existed；　like　the　million　beings　who　count　as　the　rubbish　of　a

generation。〃



〃Rubbish！　yes；　that　may　be；　but　my　rubbish　is　dear　to　me；〃　said　the

Duc　d'Herouville；　laughing；　during　the　silent　pause　which　followed　the

poet's　pompous　oration。



〃Let　me　ask；〃　said　Butscha；　attacking　Canalis；　〃does　art；　the　sphere

in　which；　according　to　you；　genius　is　required　to　evolve　itself；　exist

at　all？　Is　it　not　a　splendid　lie；　a　delusion；　of　the　social　man？　Do　I

want　a　landscape　scene　of　Normandy　in　my　bedroom　when　I　can　look　out

and　see　a　better　one　done　by　God　himself？　Our　dreams　make　poems　more

glorious　than　Iliads。　For　an　insignificant　sum　of　money　I　can　find　at

Valogne；　at　Carentan；　in　Provence；　at　Arles；　many　a　Venus　as　beautiful

as　those　of　Titian。　The　police　gazette　publishes　tales；　differing

somewhat　from　those　of　Walter　Scott；　but　ending　tragically　with　blood；

not　ink。　Happiness　and　virtue　exist　above　and　beyond　both　art　and

genius。〃



〃Bravo；　Butscha！〃　cried　Madame　Latournelle。



〃What　did　he　say？〃　asked　Canalis　of　La　Briere；　failing　to　gather　from

the　eyes　and　attitude　of　Mademoiselle　Mignon　the　usual　signs　of

artless　admiration。



The　contemptuous　indifference　which　Modeste　had　exhibited　toward　La

Briere；　and　above　all；　her　disrespectful　speeches　to　her　father；　so

depressed　the　young　man　that　he　made　no　answer　to　Canalis；　his　eyes；

fixed　sorrowfully　on　Modeste；　were　full　of　deep　meditation。　The　Duc

d'Herouville　took　up　Butscha's　argument　and　reproduced　it　with　much

intelligence；　saying　finally　that　the　ecstasies　of　Saint…Theresa　were

far　superior　to　the　creations　of　Lord　Byron。



〃Oh；　Monsieur　le　duc；〃　exclaimed　Modeste；　〃hers　was　a　purely　personal

poetry；　whereas　the　genius　of　Lord　Byron　and　Moliere　benefit　the

world。〃



〃How　do　you　square　that　opinion　with　those　of　Monsieur　le　baron？〃

cried　Charles　Mignon；　quickly。　〃Now　you　are　insisting　that　genius　must

be　useful；　and　benefit　the　world　as　though　it　were　cotton；but

perhaps　you　think　logic　as　antediluvian　as　your　poor　old　father。〃



Butscha；　La　Briere；　and　Madame　Latournelle　exchanged　glances　that　were

more　than　half　derisive；　and　drove　Modeste　to　a　pitch　of　irritation

that　kept　her　silent　for　a　moment。



〃Mademoiselle；　do　not　mind　them；〃　said　Canalis；　smiling　upon　her；　〃we

are　neither　beaten；　nor　caught　in　a　contradiction。　Every　work　of　art；

let　it　be　in　literature；　music；　painting；　sculpture；　or　architecture；

implies　a　positive　social　utility；　equal　to　that　of　all　other

commercial　products。　Art　is　pre…eminently　commerce；　presupposes　it；　in

short。　An　author　pockets　ten　thousand　francs　for　his　book；　the　making

of　books　means　the　manufactory　of　paper；　a　foundry；　a　printing…office；

a　bookseller；in　other　words；　the　employment　of　thousands　of　men。　The

execution　of　a　symphony　of　Beethoven　or　an　opera　by　Rossini　requires

human　arms　and　machinery　and　manufactures。　The　cost　of　a　monument　is

an　almost　brutal　case　in　point。　In　short；　I　may　say　that　the　works　of

genius　have　an　extremely　costly　basis　and　are；　necessarily；　useful　to

the　workingman。〃



Astride　of　that　theme；　Canalis　spoke　for　some　minutes　with　a　fine

luxury　of　metaphor；　and　much　inward　complacency　as　to　his　phrases；　but

it　happened　with　him；　as　with　many　another　great　speaker；　that　he

found　himself　at　last　at　the　point　from　which　the　conversation

started；　and　in　full　agreement　with　La　Briere　without　perceiving　it。



〃I　see　with　much　pleasure；　my　dear　baron；〃　said　the　little　duke；

slyly；　〃that　you　will　make　an　admirable　constitutional　minister。〃



〃Oh！〃　said　Canalis；　with　the　gesture　of　a　great　man；　〃what　is　the　use

of　all　these　discussions？　What　do　they　prove？the　eternal　verity　of

one　axiom：　All　things　are　true；　all　things　are　false。　Moral　truths　as

well　as　human　beings　change　their　aspect　according　to　their

surroundings；　to　the　point　of　being　actually　unrecognizable。〃



〃Society　exists　through　settled　opinions；〃　said　the　Duc　d'Herouville。



〃What　laxity！〃　whispered　Madame　Latournelle　to　her　husband。



〃He　is　a　poet；〃　said　Gobenheim；　who　overheard　her。



Canalis；　who　was　ten　leagues　above　the　heads　of　his　audience；