modeste mignon-第5节

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save　his　feudal　estate　of　La　Bastie　in　the　Comtat　from　the　claws　of

the　Revolution。　Like　all　timid　folk　of　that　day；　the　Comte　de　La

Bastie；　now　citizen　Mignon；　found　it　more　wholesome　to　cut　off　other

people's　heads　than　to　let　his　own　be　cut　off。　The　sham　terrorist

disappeared　after　the　9th　Thermidor；　and　was　then　inscribed　on　the

list　of　emigres。　The　estate　of　La　Bastie　was　sold；　the　towers　and

bastions　of　the　old　castle　were　pulled　down；　and　citizen　Mignon　was

soon　after　discovered　at　Orleans　and　put　to　death　with　his　wife　and

all　his　children　except　Charles；　whom　he　had　sent　to　find　a　refuge　for

the　family　in　the　Upper　Alps。



Horrorstruck　at　the　news；　Charles　waited　for　better　times　in　a　valley

of　Mont　Genevra；　and　there　he　remained　till　1799；　subsisting　on　a　few

louis　which　his　father　had　put　into　his　hand　at　starting。　Finally；

when　twenty…three　years　of　age；　and　without　other　fortune　than　his

fine　presence　and　that　southern　beauty　which；　when　it　reaches

perfection；　may　be　called　sublime　（of　which　Antinous；　the　favorite　of

Adrian；　is　the　type）；　Charles　resolved　to　wager　his　Provencal　audacity

taking　it；　like　many　another　youth；　for　a　vocationon　the　red　cloth

of　war。　On　his　way　to　the　base　of　the　army　at　Nice　he　met　the　Breton。

The　pair　became　intimate；　partly　from　the　contrasts　in　their

characters；　they　drank　from　the　same　cup　at　the　wayside　torrents；

broke　the　same　biscuit；　and　were　both　made　sergeants　at　the　peace

which　followed　the　battle　of　Marengo。



When　the　war　recommenced；　Charles　Mignon　was　promoted　into　the　cavalry

and　lost　sight　of　his　comrade。　In　1812　the　last　of　the　Mignon　de　La

Bastie　was　an　officer　of　the　Legion　of　honor　and　major　of　a　regiment

of　cavalry。　Taken　prisoner　by　the　Russians　he　was　sent；　like　so　many

others；　to　Siberia。　He　made　the　journey　in　company　with　another

prisoner；　a　poor　lieutenant；　in　whom　he　recognized　his　old　friend　Jean

Dumay；　brave；　neglected；　undecorated；　unhappy；　like　a　million　of　other

woollen　epaulets；　rank　and　filethat　canvas　of　men　on　which　Napoleon

painted　the　picture　of　the　Empire。　While　in　Siberia；　the　lieutenant…

colonel；　to　kill　time；　taught　writing　and　arithmetic　to　the　Breton；

whose　early　education　had　seemed　a　useless　waste　of　time　to　Pere

Scevola。　Charles　found　in　the　old　comrade　of　his　marching　days　one　of

those　rare　hearts　into　which　a　man　can　pour　his　griefs　while　telling

his　joys。



The　young　Provencal　had　met　the　fate　which　attends　all　handsome

bachelors。　In　1804；　at　Frankfort　on　the　Main；　he　was　adored　by　Bettina

Wallenrod；　only　daughter　of　a　banker；　and　he　married　her　with　all　the

more　enthusiasm　because　she　was　rich　and　a　noted　beauty；　while　he　was

only　a　lieutenant　with　no　prospects　but　the　extremely　problematical

future　of　a　soldier　of　fortune　of　that　day。　Old　Wallenrod；　a　decayed

German　baron　（there　is　always　a　baron　in　a　German　bank）　delighted　to

know　that　the　handsome　lieutenant　was　the　sole　representative　of　the

Mignon　de　La　Bastie；　approved　the　love　of　the　blonde　Bettina；　whose

beauty　an　artist　（at　that　time　there　really　was　one　in　Frankfort）　had

lately　painted　as　an　ideal　head　of　Germany。　Wallenrod　invested　enough

money　in　the　French　funds　to　give　his　daughter　thirty　thousand　francs

a　year；　and　settled　it　on　his　anticipated　grandsons；　naming　them

counts　of　La　Bastie…Wallenrod。　This　〃dot〃　made　only　a　small　hole　in

his　cash…box；　the　value　of　money　being　then　very　low。　But　the　Empire；

pursuing　a　policy　often　attempted　by　other　debtors；　rarely　paid　its

dividends；　and　Charles　was　rather　alarmed　at　this　investment；　having

less　faith　than　his　father…in…law　in　the　imperial　eagle。　The

phenomenon　of　belief；　or　of　admiration　which　is　ephemeral　belief；　is

not　so　easily　maintained　when　in　close　quarters　with　the　idol。　The

mechanic　distrusts　the　machine　which　the　traveller　admires；　and　the

officers　of　the　army　might　be　called　the　stokers　of　the　Napoleonic

engine；if；　indeed；　they　were　not　its　fuel。



However；　the　Baron　Wallenrod…Tustall…Bartenstild　promised　to　come　if

necessary　to　the　help　of　the　household。　Charles　loved　Bettina

Wallenrod　as　much　as　she　loved　him；　and　that　is　saying　a　good　deal；

but　when　a　Provencal　is　moved　to　enthusiasm　all　his　feelings　and

attachments　are　genuine　and　natural。　And　how　could　he　fail　to　adore

that　blonde　beauty；　escaping；　as　it　were；　from　the　canvas　of　Durer；

gifted　with　an　angelic　nature　and　endowed　with　Frankfort　wealth？　The

pair　had　four　children；　of　whom　only　two　daughters　survived　at　the

time　when　he　poured　his　griefs　into　the　Breton's　heart。　Dumay　loved

these　little　ones　without　having　seen　them；　solely　through　the

sympathy　so　well　described　by　Charlet；　which　makes　a　soldier　the

father　of　every　child。　The　eldest；　named　Bettina　Caroline；　was　born　in

1805；　the　other；　Marie　Modeste；　in　1808。　The　unfortunate　lieutenant…

colonel；　long　without　tidings　of　these　cherished　darlings；　was　sent；

at　the　peace　of　1814；　across　Russia　and　Prussia　on　foot；　accompanied

by　the　lieutenant。　No　difference　of　epaulets　could　count　between　the

two　friends；　who　reached　Frankfort　just　as　Napoleon　was　disembarking

at　Cannes。



Charles　found　his　wife　in　Frankfort；　in　mourning　for　her　father；　who

had　always　idolized　her　and　tried　to　keep　a　smile　upon　her　lips；　even

by　his　dying　bed。　Old　Wallenrod　was　unable　to　survive　the　disasters　of

the　Empire。　At　seventy　years　of　age　he　speculated　in　cottons；　relying

on　the　genius　of　Napoleon　without　comprehending　that　genius　is　quite

as　often　beyond　as　at　the　bottom　of　current　events。　The　old　man　had

purchased　nearly　as　many　bales　of　cotton　as　the　Emperor　had　lost　men

during　his　magnificent　campaign　in　France。　〃I　tie　in　goddon；〃　said　the

father　to　the　daughter；　a　father　of　the　Goriot　type；　striving　to　quiet

a　grief　which　distressed　him。　〃I　owe　no　mann　anything〃　and　he　died；

still　trying　to　speak　to　his　daughter　in　the　language　that　she　loved。



Thankful　to　have　saved　his　wife　and　daughters　from　the　general　wreck；

Charles　Mignon　returned　to　Paris；　where　the　Emperor　made　him

lieutenant…colonel　in　the　cuirassiers　of　the　Guard　and　commander　of

the　Legion　of　honor。　The　colonel　dreamed　of　being　count　and　general

after　the　first　victory。　Alas！　that　hope　was　quenched　in　the　blood　of

Waterloo。　The　colonel；　slightly　wounded；　retired　to　the　Loire；　and

left　Tours　before　the　disbandment　of　the　army。



In　the　spring　of　1816　Charles　sold　his　wife's　property　out　of　the

funds　to　the　amount　of　nearly　four　hundred　thousand　francs；　intending

to　seek　his　fortune　in　America；　and　abandon　his　own　country　where

persecution　was　beginning　to　lay　a　heavy　hand　on　the　soldiers　of

Napoleon。　He　went　to　Havre　accompanied　by　Dumay；　whose　life　he　had

saved　at　Waterloo　by　taking　him　on　the　crupper　of　his　saddle　in　the

hurly…burly　of　the　retreat。　Dumay　shared　the　opinions　and　the

anxieties　of　his　colonel；　the　poor　fellow　idolized　the　two　little

girls　and　followed　Charles　like　a　spaniel。　The　latter；　confidence　that

the　habit　of　obedience；　the　discipline　of　subordination；　and　the

honesty　and　affection　of　the　lieutenant　would　make　him　a　useful　as

well　as　a　faithful　retainer；　proposed　to　take　him　with　him　in　a　civil

capacity。　Dumay　was　only　too　happy　to　be　adopted　into　the　family；　to

which　he　resolved　to　cling　like　the　mistletoe　to　an　oak。



While　waiting　for　an　opportunity　to　embark；　at　the　same　time　making

choice　of　a　ship　and　reflecting　on　the　chances　offered　by　the　various

ports　for　which　they　sailed；　the　colonel　heard　much　talk　about　the

brilliant　future　which　the　peace　seemed　to　promise　to　Havre。　As　he

listened　to　these　conversations　among　the　merchants；　he　foresaw　the

means　of　fortune；　and　without　loss　of　time　he　set　about　making　himself

the　owner　of　landed　property；　a　banker；　and　a　shipping…merchant。　He

bought　land　and　houses　in　the　town；　and　despatched　a　vessel　to　New

York　freighted　with　silks　purchased　in　Lyons　at　reduced　prices。　He

sent　Dumay　on　the　ship　as　his　agent；　and　when　the　latter　returned；

after　making　a　double　profit　by　the　sale　of　the　silks　and　the　purchase

of　cottons　at　a　low　valuation；　he　found　the　colonel　installed　with　his

family　in　the　handsomest　house　in　the　rue　Royale；　and　studying　the

principles　of　banking　with　the　prodigious　activity　and　intelligence　of

a　native　of　Provence。



This　double　operation　of　Dumay's　was　worth　a　fortune　to　the　house　of

Mignon。　The　colonel　purchased　the　villa　at　Ingouville　and　rewarded　his

agent　with　the　gift　of　a　modest　little　house　in　the　rue　Royale。　The

poor　toiler　had　brought　back　from　New　York；　together　with　his　cottons；

a　pretty　little　wife；　attracted　it　would　seem　by　his　French　nature。

Miss　Grummer　was　worth　about　four　thousand　dollars　（twenty　thousand

francs）；　which　sum　Dumay　placed　with　his　colonel；　to　whom　he　now

became　an　alter　ego。　In　a　short　time　he　learned　to　keep　his　patron's

books；　a　science　which；　to　use　his　own　expression；　pertains　to　the

sergeant…majors　of　commerce。　The　simple…heart