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Monsieur　de　Chessel　fully　understood　this。　They　always　met　politely；

but　there　was　none　of　that　daily　intercourse　or　that　agreeable

intimacy　which　ought　to　have　existed　between　Clochegourde　and

Frapesle；　two　estates　separated　only　by　the　Indre；　and　whose

mistresses　could　have　beckoned　to　each　other　from　their　windows。



Jealousy；　however；　was　not　the　sole　reason　for　the　solitude　in　which

the　Count　de　Mortsauf　lived。　His　early　education　was　that　of　the

children　of　great　families；an　incomplete　and　superficial　instruction

as　to　knowledge；　but　supplemented　by　the　training　of　society；　the

habits　of　a　court　life；　and　the　exercise　of　important　duties　under　the

crown　or　in　eminent　offices。　Monsieur　de　Mortsauf　had　emigrated　at　the

very　moment　when　the　second　stage　of　his　education　was　about　to　begin；

and　accordingly　that　training　was　lacking　to　him。　He　was　one　of　those

who　believed　in　the　immediate　restoration　of　the　monarchy；　with　that

conviction　in　his　mind；　his　exile　was　a　long　and　miserable　period　of

idleness。　When　the　army　of　Conde；　which　his　courage　led　him　to　join

with　the　utmost　devotion；　was　disbanded；　he　expected　to　find　some

other　post　under　the　white　flag；　and　never　sought；　like　other

emigrants；　to　take　up　an　industry。　Perhaps　he　had　not　the　sort　of

courage　that　could　lay　aside　his　name　and　earn　his　living　in　the　sweat

of　a　toil　he　despised。　His　hopes；　daily　postponed　to　the　morrow；　and

possibly　a　scruple　of　honor；　kept　him　from　offering　his　services　to

foreign　powers。　Trials　undermined　his　courage。　Long　tramps　afoot　on

insufficient　nourishment；　and　above　all；　on　hopes　betrayed；　injured

his　health　and　discouraged　his　mind。　By　degrees　he　became　utterly

destitute。　If　to　some　men　misery　is　a　tonic；　on　others　it　acts　as　a

dissolvent；　and　the　count　was　of　the　latter。



Reflecting　on　the　life　of　this　poor　Touraine　gentleman；　tramping　and

sleeping　along　the　highroads　of　Hungary；　sharing　the　mutton　of　Prince

Esterhazy's　shepherds；　from　whom　the　foot…worn　traveller　begged　the

food　he　would　not；　as　a　gentleman；　have　accepted　at　the　table　of　the

master；　and　refusing　again　and　again　to　do　service　to　the　enemies　of

France；　I　never　found　it　in　my　heart　to　feel　bitterness　against　him；

even　when　I　saw　him　at　his　worst　in　after　days。　The　natural　gaiety　of

a　Frenchman　and　a　Tourangean　soon　deserted　him；　he　became　morose；　fell

ill；　and　was　charitably　cared　for　in　some　German　hospital。　His　disease

was　an　inflammation　of　the　mesenteric　membrane；　which　is　often　fatal；

and　is　liable；　even　if　cured；　to　change　the　constitution　and　produce

hypochondria。　His　love　affairs；　carefully　buried　out　of　sight　and

which　I　alone　discovered；　were　low…lived；　and　not　only　destroyed　his

health　but　ruined　his　future。



After　twelve　years　of　great　misery　he　made　his　way　to　France；　under

the　decree　of　the　Emperor　which　permitted　the　return　of　the　emigrants。

As　the　wretched　wayfarer　crossed　the　Rhine　and　saw　the　tower　of

Strasburg　against　the　evening　sky；　his　strength　gave　way。　〃'France！

France！'　I　cried。　'I　see　France！'〃　（he　said　to　me）　〃as　a　child　cries

'Mother！'　when　it　is　hurt。〃　Born　to　wealth；　he　was　now　poor；　made　to

command　a　regiment　or　govern　a　province；　he　was　now　without　authority

and　without　a　future；　constitutionally　healthy　and　robust；　he　returned

infirm　and　utterly　worn　out。　Without　enough　education　to　take　part

among　men　and　affairs；　now　broadened　and　enlarged　by　the　march　of

events；　necessarily　without　influence　of　any　kind；　he　lived　despoiled

of　everything；　of　his　moral　strength　as　well　as　his　physical。　Want　of

money　made　his　name　a　burden。　His　unalterable　opinions；　his

antecedents　with　the　army　of　Conde；　his　trials；　his　recollections；　his

wasted　health；　gave　him　susceptibilities　which　are　but　little　spared

in　France；　that　land　of　jest　and　sarcasm。　Half　dead　he　reached　Maine；

where；　by　some　accident　of　the　civil　war；　the　revolutionary　government

had　forgotten　to　sell　one　of　his　farms　of　considerable　extent；　which

his　farmer　had　held　for　him　by　giving　out　that　he　himself　was　the

owner　of　it。



When　the　Lenoncourt　family；　living　at　Givry；　an　estate　not　far　from

this　farm；　heard　of　the　arrival　of　the　Comte　de　Mortsauf；　the　Duc　de

Lenoncourt　invited　him　to　stay　at　Givry　while　a　house　was　being

prepared　for　him。　The　Lenoncourt　family　were　nobly　generous　to　him；

and　with　them　he　remained　some　months；　struggling　to　hide　his

sufferings　during　that　first　period　of　rest。　The　Lenoncourts　had

themselves　lost　an　immense　property。　By　birth　Monsieur　de　Mortsauf　was

a　suitable　husband　for　their　daughter。　Mademoiselle　de　Lenoncourt；

instead　of　rejecting　a　marriage　with　a　feeble　and　worn…out　man　of

thirty…five；　seemed　satisfied　to　accept　it。　It　gave　her　the

opportunity　of　living　with　her　aunt；　the　Duchesse　de　Verneuil；　sister

of　the　Prince　de　Blamont…Chauvry；　who　was　like　a　mother　to　her。



Madame　de　Verneuil；　the　intimate　friend　of　the　Duchesse　de　Bourbon；

was　a　member　of　the　devout　society　of　which　Monsieur　Saint…Martin

（born　in　Touraine　and　called　the　Philosopher　of　Mystery）　was　the　soul。

The　disciples　of　this　philosopher　practised　the　virtues　taught　them　by

the　lofty　doctrines　of　mystical　illumination。　These　doctrines　hold　the

key　to　worlds　divine；　they　explain　existence　by　reincarnations　through

which　the　human　spirit　rises　to　its　sublime　destiny；　they　liberate

duty　from　its　legal　degradation；　enable　the　soul　to　meet　the　trials　of

life　with　the　unalterable　serenity　of　the　Quaker；　ordain　contempt　for

the　sufferings　of　this　life；　and　inspire　a　fostering　care　of　that

angel　within　us　who　allies　us　to　the　divine。　It　is　stoicism　with　an

immortal　future。　Active　prayer　and　pure　love　are　the　elements　of　this

faith；　which　is　born　of　the　Roman　Church　but　returns　to　the

Christianity　of　the　primitive　faith。　Mademoiselle　de　Lenoncourt

remained；　however；　in　the　Catholic　communion；　to　which　her　aunt　was

equally　bound。　Cruelly　tried　by　revolutionary　horrors；　the　Duchesse　de

Verneuil　acquired　in　the　last　years　of　her　life　a　halo　of　passionate

piety；　which；　to　use　the　phraseology　of　Saint…Martin；　shed　the　light

of　celestial　love　and　the　chrism　of　inward　joy　upon　the　soul　of　her

cherished　niece。



After　the　death　of　her　aunt；　Madame　de　Mortsauf　received　several

visits　at　Clochegourde　from　Saint…Martin；　a　man　of　peace　and　of

virtuous　wisdom。　It　was　at　Clochegourde　that　he　corrected　his　last

books；　printed　at　Tours　by　Letourmy。　Madame　de　Verneuil；　wise　with　the

wisdom　of　an　old　woman　who　has　known　the　stormy　straits　of　life；　gave

Clochegourde　to　the　young　wife　for　her　married　home；　and　with　the

grace　of　old　age；　so　perfect　where　it　exists；　the　duchess　yielded

everything　to　her　niece；　reserving　for　herself　only　one　room　above　the

one　she　had　always　occupied；　and　which　she　now　fitted　up　for　the

countess。　Her　sudden　death　threw　a　gloom　over　the　early　days　of　the

marriage；　and　connected　Clochegourde　with　ideas　of　sadness　in　the

sensitive　mind　of　the　bride。　The　first　period　of　her　settlement　in

Touraine　was　to　Madame　de　Mortsauf；　I　cannot　say　the　happiest；　but　the

least　troubled　of　her　life。



After　the　many　trials　of　his　exile；　Monsieur　de　Mortsauf；　taking

comfort　in　the　thought　of　a　secure　future；　had　a　certain　recovery　of

mind；　he　breathed　anew　in　this　sweet　valley　the　intoxicating　essence

of　revived　hope。　Compelled　to　husband　his　means；　he　threw　himself　into

agricultural　pursuits　and　began　to　find　some　happiness　in　life。　But

the　birth　of　his　first　child；　Jacques；　was　a　thunderbolt　which　ruined

both　the　past　and　the　future。　The　doctor　declared　the　child　had　not

vitality　enough　to　live。　The　count　concealed　this　sentence　from　the

mother；　but　he　sought　other　advice；　and　received　the　same　fatal

answer；　the　truth　of　which　was　confirmed　at　the　subsequent　birth　of

Madeleine。　These　events　and　a　certain　inward　consciousness　of　the

cause　of　this　disaster　increased　the　diseased　tendencies　of　the　man

himself。　His　name　doomed　to　extinction；　a　pure　and　irreproachable

young　woman　made　miserable　beside　him　and　doomed　to　the　anguish　of

maternity　without　its　joysthis　uprising　of　his　former　into　his

present　life；　with　its　growth　of　new　sufferings；　crushed　his　spirit


and　completed　its　destruction。



The　countess　guessed　the　past　from　the　present；　and　read　the　future。

Though　nothing　is　so　difficult　as　to　make　a　man　happy　when　he　knows

himself　to　blame；　she　set　herself　to　that　task；　which　is　worthy　of　an

angel。　She　became　stoical。　Descending　into　an　abyss；　whence　she　still

could　see　the　sky；　she　devoted　herself　to　the　care　of　one　man　as　the

sister　of　charity　devotes　herself　to　many。　To　reconcile　him　with

himself；　she　forgave　him　that　for　which　he　had　no　forgiveness。　The

count　grew　miserly；　she　accepted　the　privations　he　imposed。　Like　all

who　have　known　the　world　only　to　acquire　its　suspiciousness；　he　feared

betrayal；　she　lived　in　solitude　and　yielded　without　a　murmur　to　his

mistrust。　With　a　woman's　tact　s