modeste mignon-第9节

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continued　to　work；　without　seeming　to　be　surprised　at　her　mother's

silence。　Madame　Mignon's　handkerchief　slipped　from　her　lap　to　the

floor；　Butscha　precipitated　himself　upon　it；　picked　it　up；　and　as　he

returned　it　whispered　in　Modeste's　ear；　〃Take　care！〃　Modeste　raised　a

pair　of　wondering　eyes；　whose　puzzled　glance　filled　the　poor　cripple

with　joy　unspeakable。　〃She　is　not　in　love！〃　he　whispered　to　himself；

rubbing　his　hands　till　the　skin　was　nearly　peeled　off。　At　this　moment

Exupere　tore　through　the　garden　and　the　house；　plunged　into　the　salon

like　an　avalanche；　and　said　to　Dumay　in　an　audible　whisper；　〃The　young

man　is　here！〃　Dumay　sprang　for　his　pistols　and　rushed　out。



〃Good　God！　suppose　he　kills　him！〃　cried　Madame　Dumay；　bursting　into

tears。



〃What　is　the　matter？〃　asked　Modeste；　looking　innocently　at　her　friends

and　not　betraying　the　slightest　fear。



〃It　is　all　about　a　young　man　who　is　hanging　round　the　house；〃　cried

Madame　Latournelle。



〃Well！〃　said　Modeste；　〃why　should　Dumay　kill　him？〃



〃Sancta　simplicita！〃　ejaculated　Butscha；　looking　at　his　master　as

proudly　as　Alexander　is　made　to　contemplate　Babylon　in　Lebrun's　great

picture。



〃Where　are　you　going；　Modeste？〃　asked　the　mother　as　her　daughter　rose

to　leave　the　room。



〃To　get　ready　for　your　bedtime；　mamma；〃　answered　Modeste；　in　a　voice

as　pure　as　the　tones　of　an　instrument。



〃You　haven't　paid　your　expenses；〃　said　the　dwarf　to　Dumay　when　he

returned。



〃Modeste　is　as　pure　as　the　Virgin　on　our　altar；〃　cried　Madame

Latournelle。



〃Good　God！　such　excitements　wear　me　out；〃　said　Dumay；　〃and　yet　I'm　a

strong　man。〃



〃May　I　lose　that　twenty…five　sous　if　I　have　the　slightest　idea　what

you　are　about；〃　remarked　Gobenheim。　〃You　seem　to　me　to　be　crazy。〃



〃And　yet　it　is　all　about　a　treasure；〃　said　Butscha；　standing　on　tiptoe

to　whisper　in　Gobenheim's　ear。



〃Dumay；　I　am　sorry　to　say　that　I　am　still　almost　certain　of　what　I

told　you；〃　persisted　Madame　Mignon。



〃The　burden　of　proof　is　now　on　you；　madame；〃　said　Dumay；　calmly；　〃it

is　for　you　to　prove　that　we　are　mistaken。〃



Discovering　that　the　matter　in　question　was　only　Modeste's　honor；

Gobenheim　took　his　hat；　made　his　bow；　and　walked　off；　carrying　his　ten

sous　with　him；there　being　evidently　no　hope　of　another　rubber。



〃Exupere；　and　you　too；　Butscha；　may　leave　us；〃　said　Madame

Latournelle。　〃Go　back　to　Havre；　you　will　get　there　in　time　for　the

last　piece　at　the　theatre。　I'll　pay　for　your　tickets。〃



When　the　four　friends　were　alone　with　Madame　Mignon；　Madame

Latournelle；　after　looking　at　Dumay；　who　being　a　Breton　understood　the

mother's　obstinacy；　and　at　her　husband　who　was　fingering　the　cards；

felt　herself　authorized　to　speak　up。



〃Madame　Mignon；　come　now；　tell　us　what　decisive　thing　has　struck　your

mind。〃



〃Ah；　my　good　friend；　if　you　were　a　musician　you　would　have　heard；　as　I

have；　the　language　of　love　that　Modeste　speaks。〃



The　piano　of　the　demoiselles　Mignon　was　among　the　few　articles　of

furniture　which　had　been　moved　from　the　town…house　to　the　Chalet。

Modeste　often　conjured　away　her　troubles　by　practising；　without　a

master。　Born　a　musician；　she　played　to　enliven　her　mother。　She　sang　by

nature；　and　loved　the　German　airs　which　her　mother　taught　her。　From

these　lessons　and　these　attempts　at　self…instruction　came　a　phenomenon

not　uncommon　to　natures　with　a　musical　vocation；　Modeste　composed；　as

far　as　a　person　ignorant　of　the　laws　of　harmony　can　be　said　to

compose；　tender　little　lyric　melodies。　Melody　is　to　music　what　imagery

and　sentiment　are　to　poetry；　a　flower　that　blossoms　spontaneously。

Consequently；　nations　have　had　melodies　before　harmony；botany　comes

later　than　the　flower。　In　like　manner；　Modeste；　who　knew　nothing　of

the　painter's　art　except　what　she　had　seen　her　sister　do　in　the　way　of

water…color；　would　have　stood　subdued　and　fascinated　before　the

pictures　of　Raphael；　Titian；　Rubens；　Murillo；　Rembrandt；　Albert　Durer；

Holbein；in　other　words；　before　the　great　ideals　of　many　lands。

Lately；　for　at　least　a　month；　Modeste　had　warbled　the　songs　of

nightingales；　musical　rhapsodies　whose　poetry　and　meaning　had　roused

the　attention　of　her　mother；　already　surprised　by　her　sudden　eagerness

for　composition　and　her　fancy　for　putting　airs　into　certain　verses。



〃If　your　suspicions　have　no　other　foundation；〃　said　Latournelle　to

Madame　Mignon；　〃I　pity　your　susceptibilities。〃



〃When　a　Breton　girl　sings；〃　said　Dumay　gloomily；　〃the　lover　is　not　far

off。〃



〃I　will　let　you　hear　Modeste　when　she　is　improvising；〃　said　the

mother；　〃and　you　shall　judge　for　yourselves〃



〃Poor　girl！〃　said　Madame　Dumay；　〃If　she　only　knew　our　anxiety　she

would　be　deeply　distressed；　she　would　tell　us　the　truth；especially

if　she　thought　it　would　save　Dumay。〃



〃My　friends；　I　will　question　my　daughter　to…morrow；〃　said　Madame

Mignon；　〃perhaps　I　shall　obtain　more　by　tenderness　than　you　have

discovered　by　trickery。〃



Was　the　comedy　of　the　〃Fille　mal　Gardee〃　being　played　here；as　it　is

everywhere　and　forever；under　the　noses　of　these　faithful　spies；

these　honest　Bartholos；　these　Pyrenean　hounds；　without　their　being

able　to　ferret　out；　detect；　nor　even　surmise　the　lover；　the　love…

affair；　or　the　smoke　of　the　fire？　At　any　rate　it　was　certainly　not　the

result　of　a　struggle　between　the　jailers　and　the　prisoner；　between　the

despotism　of　a　dungeon　and　the　liberty　of　a　victim；it　was　simply　the

never…ending　repetition　of　the　first　scene　played　by　man　when　the

curtain　of　the　Creation　rose；　it　was　Eve　in　Paradise。



And　now；　which　of　the　two；　the　mother　or　the　watch…dog；　had　the　right

of　it？



None　of　the　persons　who　were　about　Modeste　could　understand　that

maiden　heartfor　the　soul　and　the　face　we　have　described　were　in

harmony。　The　girl　had　transported　her　existence　into　another　world；　as

much　denied　and　disbelieved　in　in　these　days　of　ours　as　the　new　world

of　Christopher　Columbus　in　the　sixteenth　century。　Happily；　she　kept

her　own　counsel；　or　they　would　have　thought　her　crazy。　But　first　we

must　explain　the　influence　of　the　past　upon　her　nature。



Two　events　had　formed　the　soul　and　developed　the　mind　of　this　young

girl。　Monsieur　and　Madame　Mignon；　warned　by　the　fate　that　overtook

Bettina；　had　resolved；　just　before　the　failure；　to　marry　Modeste。　They

chose　the　son　of　a　rich　banker；　formerly　of　Hamburg；　but　established

in　Havre　since　1815；a　man；　moreover；　who　was　under　obligations　to

them。　The　young　man；　whose　name　was　Francois　Althor；　the　dandy　of

Havre；　blessed　with　a　certain　vulgar　beauty　in　which　the　middle

classes　delight；　well…made；　well…fleshed；　and　with　a　fine　complexion；

abandoned　his　betrothed　so　hastily　on　the　day　of　her　father's　failure

that　neither　Modeste　nor　her　mother　nor　either　of　the　Dumays　had　seen

him　since。　Latournelle　ventured　a　question　on　the　subject　to　Jacob

Althor；　the　father；　but　he　only　shrugged　his　shoulders　and　replied；　〃I

really　don't　know　what　you　mean。〃



This　answer；　told　to　Modeste　to　give　her　some　experience　of　life；　was

a　lesson　which　she　learned　all　the　more　readily　because　Latournelle

and　Dumay　made　many　and　long　comments　on　the　cowardly　desertion。　The

daughters　of　Charles　Mignon；　like　spoiled　children；　had　all　their

wishes　gratified；　they　rode　on　horseback；　kept　their　own　horses　and

grooms；　and　otherwise　enjoyed　a　perilous　liberty。　Seeing　herself　in

possession　of　an　official　lover；　Modeste　had　allowed　Francisque　to

kiss　her　hand；　and　take　her　by　the　waist　to　mount　her。　She　accepted

his　flowers　and　all　the　little　proofs　of　tenderness　with　which　it　is

proper　to　surround　the　lady　of　our　choice；　she　even　worked　him　a

purse；　believing　in　such　ties；strong　indeed　to　noble　souls；　but

cobwebs　for　the　Gobenheims；　the　Vilquins；　and　the　Althors。



Some　time　during　the　spring　which　followed　the　removal　of　Madame

Mignon　and　her　daughter　to　the　Chalet；　Francisque　Althor　came　to　dine

with　the　Vilquins。　Happening　to　see　Modeste　over　the　wall　at　the　foot

of　the　lawn；　he　turned　away　his　head。　Six　weeks　later　he　married　the

eldest　Mademoiselle　Vilquin。　In　this　way　Modeste；　young；　beautiful；

and　of　high　birth；　learned　the　lesson　that　for　three　whole　months　of

her　engagement　she　had　been　nothing　more　than　Mademoiselle　Million。

Her　poverty；　well　known　to　all；　became　a　sentinel　defending　the

approaches　to　the　Chalet　fully　as　well　as　the　prudence　of　the

Latournelles　or　the　vigilance　of　Dumay。　The　talk　of　the　town　ran　for　a

time　on　Mademoiselle　Mignon's　position　only　to　insult　her。



〃Poor　girl！　what　will　become　of　her？an　old　maid；　of　course。〃



〃What　a　fate！　to　have　had　the　world　at　her　feet；　to　have　had　the

chance　to　marry　Francisque　Althor；and　now；　nobody　willing　to　take

her！〃



〃After　a　life　of　luxury；　to　come　down　to　such　poverty〃



And　these　insults　were　not　uttered　in　secret　or　left　to　Modeste's

imagination；　she　heard　them　spoken　more　than　once　by　the　young　men　and

th