honorine-第1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！





Honorine

by　Honore　de　Balzac

Translated　by　Clara　Bell





DEDICATION

To　Monsieur　Achille　Deveria

An　affectionate　remembrance　from　the　Author。




HONORINE



If　the　French　have　as　great　an　aversion　for　traveling　as　the　English
have　a　propensity　for　it；　both　English　and　French　have　perhaps
sufficient　reasons。　Something　better　than　England　is　everywhere　to　be
found；　whereas　it　is　excessively　difficult　to　find　the　charms　of
France　outside　France。　Other　countries　can　show　admirable　scenery；　and
they　frequently　offer　greater　comfort　than　that　of　France；　which　makes
but　slow　progress　in　that　particular。　They　sometimes　display　a
bewildering　magnificence；　grandeur；　and　luxury；　they　lack　neither
grace　nor　noble　manners；　but　the　life　of　the　brain；　the　talent　for
conversation；　the　〃Attic　salt〃　so　familiar　at　Paris；　the　prompt
apprehension　of　what　one　is　thinking；　but　does　not　say；　the　spirit　of
the　unspoken；　which　is　half　the　French　language；　is　nowhere　else　to　be
met　with。　Hence　a　Frenchman；　whose　raillery；　as　it　is；　finds　so　little
comprehension；　would　wither　in　a　foreign　land　like　an　uprooted　tree。
Emigration　is　counter　to　the　instincts　of　the　French　nation。　Many
Frenchmen；　of　the　kind　here　in　question；　have　owned　to　pleasure　at
seeing　the　custom…house　officers　of　their　native　land；　which　may　seem
the　most　daring　hyperbole　of　patriotism。

This　preamble　is　intended　to　recall　to　such　Frenchmen　as　have　traveled
the　extreme　pleasure　they　have　felt　on　occasionally　finding　their
native　land；　like　an　oasis；　in　the　drawing…room　of　some　diplomate：　a
pleasure　hard　to　be　understood　by　those　who　have　never　left　the
asphalt　of　the　Boulevard　des　Italiens；　and　to　whom　the　Quais　of　the
left　bank　of　the　Seine　are　not　really　Paris。　To　find　Paris　again！　Do
you　know　what　that　means；　O　Parisians？　It　is　to　findnot　indeed　the
cookery　of　the　/Rocher　de　Cancale/　as　Borel　elaborates　it　for　those
who　can　appreciate　it；　for　that　exists　only　in　the　Rue　Montorgueil
but　a　meal　which　reminds　you　of　it！　It　is　to　find　the　wines　of　France；
which　out　of　France　are　to　be　regarded　as　myths；　and　as　rare　as　the
woman　of　whom　I　write！　It　is　to　findnot　the　most　fashionable
pleasantry；　for　it　loses　its　aroma　between　Paris　and　the　frontierbut
the　witty　understanding；　the　critical　atmosphere　in　which　the　French
live；　from　the　poet　down　to　the　artisan；　from　the　duchess　to　the　boy
in　the　street。

In　1836；　when　the　Sardinian　Court　was　residing　at　Genoa；　two
Parisians；　more　or　less　famous；　could　fancy　themselves　still　in　Paris
when　they　found　themselves　in　a　palazzo；　taken　by　the　French　Consul…
General；　on　the　hill　forming　the　last　fold　of　the　Apennines　between
the　gate　of　San　Tomaso　and　the　well…known　lighthouse；　which　is　to　be
seen　in　all　the　keepsake　views　of　Genoa。　This　palazzo　is　one　of　the
magnificent　villas　on　which　Genoese　nobles　were　wont　to　spend　millions
at　the　time　when　the　aristocratic　republic　was　a　power。

If　the　early　night　is　beautiful　anywhere；　it　surely　is　at　Genoa；　after
it　has　rained　as　it　can　rain　there；　in　torrents；　all　the　morning；　when
the　clearness　of　the　sea　vies　with　that　of　the　sky；　when　silence
reigns　on　the　quay　and　in　the　groves　of　the　villa；　and　over　the　marble
heads　with　yawning　jaws；　from　which　water　mysteriously　flows；　when　the
stars　are　beaming；　when　the　waves　of　the　Mediterranean　lap　one　after
another　like　the　avowal　of　a　woman；　from　whom　you　drag　it　word　by
word。　It　must　be　confessed；　that　the　moment　when　the　perfumed　air
brings　fragrance　to　the　lungs　and　to　our　day…dreams；　when
voluptuousness；　made　visible　and　ambient　as　the　air；　holds　you　in　your
easy…chair；　when；　a　spoon　in　your　hand；　you　sip　an　ice　or　a　sorbet；
the　town　at　your　feet　and　fair　woman　oppositesuch　Boccaccio　hours
can　be　known　only　in　Italy　and　on　the　shores　of　the　Mediterranean。

Imagine　to　yourself；　round　the　table；　the　Marquis　di　Negro；　a　knight
hospitaller　to　all　men　of　talent　on　their　travels；　and　the　Marquis
Damaso　Pareto；　two　Frenchmen　disguised　as　Genoese；　a　Consul…General
with　a　wife　as　beautiful　as　a　Madonna；　and　two　silent　childrensilent
because　sleep　has　fallen　on　themthe　French　Ambassador　and　his　wife；
a　secretary　to　the　Embassy　who　believes　himself　to　be　crushed　and
mischievous；　finally；　two　Parisians；　who　have　come　to　take　leave　of
the　Consul's　wife　at　a　splendid　dinner；　and　you　will　have　the　picture
presented　by　the　terrace　of　the　villa　about　the　middle　of　Maya
picture　in　which　the　predominant　figure　was　that　of　a　celebrated
woman；　on　whom　all　eyes　centered　now　and　again；　the　heroine　of　this
improvised　festival。

One　of　the　two　Frenchmen　was　the　famous　landscape　painter；　Leon　de
Lora；　the　other　a　well　known　critic　Claude　Vignon。　They　had　both　come
with　this　lady；　one　of　the　glories　of　the　fair　sex；　Mademoiselle　des
Touches；　known　in　the　literary　world　by　the　name　of　Camille　Maupin。

Mademoiselle　des　Touches　had　been　to　Florence　on　business。　With　the
charming　kindness　of　which　she　is　prodigal；　she　had　brought　with　her
Leon　de　Lora　to　show　him　Italy；　and　had　gone　on　as　far　as　Rome　that　he
might　see　the　Campagna。　She　had　come　by　Simplon；　and　was　returning　by
the　Cornice　road　to　Marseilles。　She　had　stopped　at　Genoa；　again　on　the
landscape　painter's　account。　The　Consul…General　had；　of　course；　wished
to　do　the　honors　of　Genoa；　before　the　arrival　of　the　Court；　to　a　woman
whose　wealth；　name；　and　position　recommend　her　no　less　than　her
talents。　Camille　Maupin；　who　knew　her　Genoa　down　to　its　smallest
chapels；　had　left　her　landscape　painter　to　the　care　of　the　diplomate
and　the　two　Genoese　marquises；　and　was　miserly　of　her　minutes。　Though
the　ambassador　was　a　distinguished　man　of　letters；　the　celebrated　lady
had　refused　to　yield　to　his　advances；　dreading　what　the　English　call
an　exhibition；　but　she　had　drawn　in　the　claws　of　her　refusals　when　it
was　proposed　that　they　should　spend　a　farewell　day　at　the　Consul's
villa。　Leon　de　Lora　had　told　Camille　that　her　presence　at　the　villa
was　the　only　return　he　could　make　to　the　Ambassador　and　his　wife；　the
two　Genoese　noblemen；　the　Consul　and　his　wife。　So　Mademoiselle　des
Touches　had　sacrificed　one　of　those　days　of　perfect　freedom；　which　are
not　always　to　be　had　in　Paris　by　those　on　whom　the　world　has　its　eye。

Now；　the　meeting　being　accounted　for；　it　is　easy　to　understand　that
etiquette　had　been　banished；　as　well　as　a　great　many　women　even　of　the
highest　rank；　who　were　curious　to　know　whether　Camille　Maupin's　manly
talent　impaired　her　grace　as　a　pretty　woman；　and　to　see；　in　a　word；
whether　the　trousers　showed　below　her　petticoats。　After　dinner　till
nine　o'clock；　when　a　collation　was　served；　though　the　conversation　had
been　gay　and　grave　by　turns；　and　constantly　enlivened　by　Leon　de
Lora's　salliesfor　he　is　considered　the　most　roguish　wit　of　Paris
to…dayand　by　the　good　taste　which　will　surprise　no　one　after　the
list　of　guests；　literature　had　scarcely　been　mentioned。　However；　the
butterfly　flittings　of　this　French　tilting　match　were　certain　to　come
to　it；　were　it　only　to　flutter　over　this　essentially　French　subject。
But　before　coming　to　the　turn　in　the　conversation　which　led　the
Consul…General　to　speak；　it　will　not　be　out　of　place　to　give　some
account　of　him　and　his　family。

This　diplomate；　a　man　of　four…and…thirty；　who　had　been　married　about
six　years；　was　the　living　portrait　of　Lord　Byron。　The　familiarity　of
that　face　makes　a　description　of　the　Consul's　unnecessary。　It　may；
however；　be　noted　that　there　was　no　affectation　in　his　dreamy
expression。　Lord　Byron　was　a　poet；　and　the　Consul　was　poetical；　women
know　and　recognize　the　difference；　which　explains　without　justifying
some　of　their　attachments。　His　handsome　face；　thrown　into　relief　by　a
delightful　nature；　had　captivated　a　Genoese　heiress。　A　Genoese
heiress！　the　expression　might　raise　a　smile　at　Genoa；　where；　in
consequence　of　the　inability　of　daughters　to　inherit；　a　woman　is
rarely　rich；　but　Onorina　Pedrotti；　the　only　child　of　a　banker　without
heirs　male；　was　an　exception。　Notwithstanding　all　the　flattering
advances　prompted　by　a　spontaneous　passion；　the　Consul…General　had　not
seemed　to　wish　to　marry。　Nevertheless；　after　living　in　the　town　for
two　years；　and　after　certain　steps　taken　by　the　Ambassador　during　his
visits　to　the　Genoese　Court；　the　marriage　was　decided　on。　The　young
man　withdrew　his　former　refusal；　less　on　account　of　the　touching
affection　of　Onorina　Petrotti　than　by　reason　of　an　unknown　incident；
one　of　those　crises　of　private　life　which　are　so　instantly　buried
under　the　daily　tide　of　interests　that；　at　a　subsequent　date；　the　most
natural　actions　seem　inexplicable。

This　involution　of　causes　sometimes　affects　the　most　serious　events　of
history。　This；　at　any　rate；　was　the　opinion　of　the　town　of　Genoa；
where；　to　some　women；　the　extreme　reserve；　the　melancholy　of　the
French　Consul　could　be　explained　only　by　the　word　passion。　It　may　be
remarked；　in　passing；　that　women　never　complain　of　being　the　victims
of　a　preference；　they　are　very　ready　to　immolate　themselves　for　the
common　weal。　Onorina　Pedrotti；　who　might　have　hated　the　Consul　if　she
had　been　altogether　scorned；　loved　her　/sposo/　no　less；　and　perhaps
more