modeste mignon-第46节

按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！



Madame　de　Chaulieu　has　taught　him。〃



〃You　are　a　fine　fellow；〃　said　the　hunchback；　〃but　is　he　capable　of

loving；will　he　love　her？〃



〃I　don't　know；〃　answered　La　Briere。　〃Has　she　said　anything　about　me？〃

he　asked　after　a　moment's　silence。



〃Yes；〃　said　Butscha；　and　he　repeated　Modeste's　speech　about　disguises。



Poor　Ernest　flung　himself　upon　a　bench　and　held　his　head　in　his　hands。

He　could　not　keep　back　his　tears；　and　he　did　not　wish　Butscha　to　see

them；　but　the　dwarf　was　the　very　man　to　guess　his　emotion。



〃What　troubles　you？〃　he　asked。



〃She　is　right！〃　cried　Ernest；　springing　up；　〃I　am　a　wretch。〃



And　he　related　the　deception　into　which　Canalis　had　led　him　when

Modeste's　first　letter　was　received；　carefully　pointing　out　to　Butscha

that　he　had　wished　to　undeceive　the　young　girl　before　she　herself　took

off　the　mask；　and　apostrophizing；　in　rather　juvenile　fashion；　his

luckless　destiny。　Butscha　sympathetically　understood　the　love　in　the

flavor　and　vigor　of　his　simple　language；　and　in　his　deep　and　genuine

anxiety。



〃But　why　don't　you　show　yourself　to　Mademoiselle　Modeste　for　what　you

are？〃　he　said；　〃why　do　you　let　your　rival　do　his　exercises？〃



〃Have　you　never　felt　your　throat　tighten　when　you　wished　to　speak　to

her？〃　cried　La　Briere；　〃is　there　never　a　strange　feeling　in　the　roots

of　your　hair　and　on　the　surface　of　your　skin　when　she　looks　at　you；

even　if　she　is　thinking　of　something　else？〃



〃But　you　had　sufficient　judgment　to　show　displeasure　when　she　as　good

as　told　her　excellent　father　that　he　was　a　dolt。〃



〃Monsieur；　I　love　her　too　well　not　to　have　felt　a　knife　in　my　heart

when　I　heard　her　contradicting　her　own　perfections。〃



〃Canalis　supported　her。〃



〃If　she　had　more　self…love　than　heart　there　would　be　nothing　for　a　man

to　regret　in　losing　her；〃　answered　La　Briere。



At　this　moment；　Modeste；　followed　by　Canalis；　who　had　lost　the　rubber；

came　out　with　her　father　and　Madame　Dumay　to　breathe　the　fresh　air　of

the　starry　night。　While　his　daughter　walked　about　with　the　poet；

Charles　Mignon　left　her　and　came　up　to　La　Briere。



〃Your　friend；　monsieur；　ought　to　have　been　a　lawyer；〃　he　said；　smiling

and　looking　attentively　at　the　young　man。



〃You　must　not　judge　a　poet　as　you　would　an　ordinary　man；as　you　would

me；　for　example；　Monsieur　le　comte；〃　said　La　Briere。　〃A　poet　has　a

mission。　He　is　obliged　by　his　nature　to　see　the　poetry　of　questions；

just　as　he　expresses　that　of　things。　When　you　think　him　inconsistent

with　himself　he　is　really　faithful　to　his　vocation。　He　is　a　painter

copying　with　equal　truth　a　Madonna　and　a　courtesan。　Moliere　is　as　true

to　nature　in　his　old　men　as　in　his　young　ones；　and　Moliere's　judgment

was　assuredly　a　sound　and　healthy　one。　These　witty　paradoxes　might　be

dangerous　for　second…rate　minds；　but　they　have　no　real　influence　on

the　character　of　great　men。〃



Charles　Mignon　pressed　La　Briere's　hand。



〃That　adaptability；　however；　leads　a　man　to　excuse　himself　in　his　own

eyes　for　actions　that　are　diametrically　opposed　to　each　other；　above

all；　in　politics。〃



〃Ah；　mademoiselle；〃　Canalis　was　at　this　moment　saying；　in　a　caressing

voice；　replying　to　a　roguish　remark　of　Modeste；　〃do　not　think　that　a

multiplicity　of　emotions　can　in　any　way　lessen　the　strength　of

feelings。　Poets；　even　more　than　other　men；　must　needs　love　with

constancy　and　faith。　You　must　not　be　jealous　of　what　is　called　the

Muse。　Happy　is　the　wife　of　a　man　whose　days　are　occupied。　If　you　heard

the　complaints　of　women　who　have　to　endure　the　burden　of　an　idle

husband；　either　a　man　without　duties；　or　one　so　rich　as　to　have

nothing　to　do；　you　would　know　that　the　highest　happiness　of　a　Parisian

wife　is　freedom；the　right　to　rule　in　her　own　home。　Now　we　writers

and　men　of　functions　and　occupations；　we　leave　the　sceptre　to　our

wives；　we　cannot　descend　to　the　tyranny　of　little　minds；　we　have

something　better　to　do。　If　I　ever　marry；which　I　assure　you　is　a

catastrophe　very　remote　at　the　present　moment；I　should　wish　my　wife

to　enjoy　the　same　moral　freedom　that　a　mistress　enjoys；　and　which　is

perhaps　the　real　source　of　her　attraction。〃



Canalis　talked　on；　displaying　the　warmth　of　his　fancy　and　all　his

graces；　for　Modeste's　benefit；　as　he　spoke　of　love；　marriage；　and　the

adoration　of　women；　until　Monsieur　Mignon；　who　had　rejoined　them；

seized　the　opportunity　of　a　slight　pause　to　take　his　daughter's　arm

and　lead　her　up　to　Ernest　de　La　Briere；　whom　he　had　been　advising　to

seek　an　open　explanation　with　her。



〃Mademoiselle；〃　said　Ernest；　in　a　voice　that　was　scarcely　his　own；　〃it

is　impossible　for　me　to　remain　any　longer　under　the　weight　of　your

displeasure。　I　do　not　defend　myself；　I　do　not　seek　to　justify　my

conduct；　I　desire　only　to　make　you　see　that　BEFORE　reading　your　most

flattering　letter；　addressed　to　the　individual　and　no　longer　to　the

poet；the　last　which　you　sent　to　me；I　wished；　and　I　told　you　in　my

note　written　at　Havre　that　I　wished；　to　correct　the　error　under　which

you　were　acting。　All　the　feelings　that　I　have　had　the　happiness　to

express　to　you　are　sincere。　A　hope　dawned　on　me　in　Paris　when　your

father　told　me　he　was　comparatively　poor；but　now　that　all　is　lost；

now　that　nothing　is　left　for　me　but　endless　regrets；　why　should　I　stay

here　where　all　is　torture？　Let　me　carry　away　with　me　one　smile　to　live

forever　in　my　heart。〃



〃Monsieur；〃　answered　Modeste；　who　seemed　cold　and　absent…minded；　〃I　am

not　the　mistress　of　this　house；　but　I　certainly　should　deeply　regret

to　retain　any　one　where　he　finds　neither　pleasure　nor　happiness。〃



She　left　La　Briere　and　took　Madame　Dumay's　arm　to　re…enter　the　house。

A　few　moments　later　all　the　actors　in　this　domestic　scene　reassembled

in　the　salon；　and　were　a　good　deal　surprised　to　see　Modeste　sitting

beside　the　Duc　d'Herouville　and　coquetting　with　him　like　an

accomplished　Parisian　woman。　She　watched　his　play；　gave　him　the　advice

he　wanted；　and　found　occasion　to　say　flattering　things　by　ranking　the

merits　of　noble　birth　with　those　of　genius　and　beauty。　Canalis　thought

he　knew　the　reason　of　this　change；　he　had　tried　to　pique　Modeste　by

calling　marriage　a　catastrophe；　and　showing　that　he　was　aloof　from　it；

but　like　others　who　play　with　fire；　he　had　burned　his　fingers。

Modeste's　pride　and　her　present　disdain　frightened　him；　and　he

endeavored　to　recover　his　ground；　exhibiting　a　jealousy　which　was　all

the　more　visible　because　it　was　artificial。　Modeste；　implacable　as　an

angel；　tasted　the　sweets　of　power；　and；　naturally　enough；　abused　it。

The　Duc　d'Herouville　had　never　known　such　a　happy　evening；　a　woman

smiled　on　him！　At　eleven　o'clock；　an　unheard…of　hour　at　the　Chalet；

the　three　suitors　took　their　leave；the　duke　thinking　Modeste

charming；　Canalis　believing　her　excessively　coquettish；　and　La　Briere

heart…broken　by　her　cruelty。



For　eight　days　the　heiress　continued　to　be　to　her　three　lovers　very

much　what　she　had　been　during　that　evening；　so　that　the　poet　appeared

to　carry　the　day　against　his　rivals；　in　spite　of　certain　freaks　and

caprices　which　from　time　to　time　gave　the　Duc　d'Herouville　a　little

hope。　The　disrespect　she　showed　to　her　father；　and　the　great　liberties

she　took　with　him；　her　impatience　with　her　blind　mother；　to　whom　she

seemed　to　grudge　the　little　services　which　had　once　been　the　delight

of　her　filial　piety；seemed　the　result　of　a　capricious　nature　and　a

heedless　gaiety　indulged　from　childhood。　When　Modeste　went　too　far；

she　turned　round　and　openly　took　herself　to　task；　ascribing　her

impertinence　and　levity　to　a　spirit　of　independence。　She　acknowledged

to　the　duke　and　Canalis　her　distaste　for　obedience；　and　professed　to

regard　it　as　an　obstacle　to　her　marriage；　thus　investigating　the

nature　of　her　suitors；　after　the　manner　of　those　who　dig　into　the

earth　in　search　of　metals；　coal；　tufa；　or　water。



〃I　shall　never；〃　she　said；　the　evening　before　the　day　on　which　the

family　were　to　move　into　the　villa；　〃find　a　husband　who　will　put　up

with　my　caprices　as　my　father　does；　his　kindness　never　flags。　I　am

sure　no　one　will　ever　be　as　indulgent　to　me　as　my　precious　mother。〃



〃They　know　that　you　love　them；　mademoiselle；〃　said　La　Briere。



〃You　may　be　very　sure；　mademoiselle；　that　your　husband　will　know　the

full　value　of　his　treasure；〃　added　the　duke。



〃You　have　spirit　and　resolution　enough　to　discipline　a　husband；〃　cried

Canalis；　laughing。



Modeste　smiled　as　Henri　IV。　must　have　smiled　after　drawing　out　the

characters　of　his　three　principal　ministers；　for　the　benefit　of　a

foreign　ambassador；　by　means　of　three　answers　to　an　insidious

question。



On　the　day　of　the　dinner；　Modeste；　led　away　by　the　preference　she

bestowed　on　Canalis；　walked　alone　with　him　up　and　down　the　gravelled

space　which　lay　between　the　house　and　the　lawn　with　its　flower…beds。

From　the　gestures　of　the　poet；　and　the　air　and　manner　of　the　young

heiress；　it　was　easy　to　see　that　she　was　liste