two poets-第9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！



Circumstances　unusual　enough　in　out…of…the…way　places　in　the　country　had　inspired　Mme。　de　Bargeton　with　a　taste　for　music　and　reading。　During　the　Revolution　one　Abbe　Niollant；　the　Abbe　Roze's　best　pupil；　found　a　hiding…place　in　the　old　manor…house　of　Escarbas；　and　brought　with　him　his　baggage　of　musical　compositions。　The　old　country　gentleman's　hospitality　was　handsomely　repaid；　for　the　Abbe　undertook　his　daughter's　education。　Anais；　or　Nais；　as　she　was　called　must　otherwise　have　been　left　to　herself；　or；　worse　still；　to　some　coarse…　minded　servant…maid。　The　Abbe　was　not　only　a　musician；　he　was　well　and　widely　read；　and　knew　both　Italian　and　German；　so　Mlle。　de　Negrepelise　received　instruction　in　those　tongues；　as　well　as　in　counterpoint。　He　explained　the　great　masterpieces　of　the　French；　German；　and　Italian　literatures；　and　deciphered　with　her　the　music　of　the　great　composers。　Finally；　as　time　hung　heavy　on　his　hands　in　the　seclusion　enforced　by　political　storms；　he　taught　his　pupil　Latin　and　Greek　and　some　smatterings　of　natural　science。　A　mother　might　have　modified　the　effects　of　a　man's　education　upon　a　young　girl；　whose　independent　spirit　had　been　fostered　in　the　first　place　by　a　country　life。　The　Abbe　Niollant；　an　enthusiast　and　a　poet；　possessed　the　artistic　temperament　in　a　peculiarly　high　degree；　a　temperament　compatible　with　many　estimable　qualities；　but　prone　to　raise　itself　above　bourgeois　prejudices　by　the　liberty　of　its　judgments　and　breadth　of　view。　In　society　an　intellect　of　this　order　wins　pardon　for　its　boldness　by　its　depth　and　originality；　but　in　private　life　it　would　seem　to　do　positive　mischief；　by　suggesting　wanderings　from　the　beaten　track。　The　Abbe　was　by　no　means　wanting　in　goodness　of　heart；　and　his　ideas　were　therefore　the　more　contagious　for　this　high…spirited　girl；　in　whom　they　were　confirmed　by　a　lonely　life。　The　Abbe　Niollant's　pupil　learned　to　be　fearless　in　criticism　and　ready　in　judgement；　it　never　occurred　to　her　tutor　that　qualities　so　necessary　in　a　man　are　disadvantages　in　a　woman　destined　for　the　homely　life　of　a　house…　mother。　And　though　the　Abbe　constantly　impressed　it　upon　his　pupil　that　it　behoved　her　to　be　the　more　modest　and　gracious　with　the　extent　of　her　attainments；　Mlle。　de　Negrepelisse　conceived　an　excellent　opinion　of　herself　and　a　robust　contempt　for　ordinary　humanity。　All　those　about　her　were　her　inferiors；　or　persons　who　hastened　to　do　her　bidding；　till　she　grew　to　be　as　haughty　as　a　great　lady；　with　none　of　the　charming　blandness　and　urbanity　of　a　great　lady。　The　instincts　of　vanity　were　flattered　by　the　pride　that　the　poor　Abbe　took　in　his　pupil；　the　pride　of　an　author　who　sees　himself　in　his　work；　and　for　her　misfortune　she　met　no　one　with　whom　she　could　measure　herself。　Isolation　is　one　of　the　greatest　drawbacks　of　a　country　life。　We　lose　the　habit　of　putting　ourselves　to　any　inconvenience　for　the　sake　of　others　when　there　is　no　one　for　whom　to　make　the　trifling　sacrifices　of　personal　effort　required　by　dress　and　manner。　And　everything　in　us　shares　in　the　change　for　the　worse；　the　form　and　the　spirit　deteriorate　together。

With　no　social　intercourse　to　compel　self…repression；　Mlle。　de　Negrepelisse's　bold　ideas　passed　into　her　manner　and　the　expression　of　her　face。　There　was　a　cavalier　air　about　her；　a　something　that　seems　at　first　original；　but　only　suited　to　women　of　adventurous　life。　So　this　education；　and　the　consequent　asperities　of　character；　which　would　have　been　softened　down　in　a　higher　social　sphere；　could　only　serve　to　make　her　ridiculous　at　Angouleme　so　soon　as　her　adorers　should　cease　to　worship　eccentricities　that　charm　only　in　youth。

As　for　M。　de　Negrepelisse；　he　would　have　given　all　his　daughter's　books　to　save　the　life　of　a　sick　bullock；　and　so　miserly　was　he；　that　he　would　not　have　given　her　two　farthings　over　and　above　the　allowance　to　which　she　had　a　right；　even　if　it　had　been　a　question　of　some　indispensable　trifle　for　her　education。

In　1802　the　Abbe　died；　before　the　marriage　of　his　dear　child；　a　marriage　which　he；　doubtless；　would　never　have　advised。　The　old　father　found　his　daughter　a　great　care　now　that　the　Abbe　was　gone。　The　high…　spirited　girl；　with　nothing　else　to　do；　was　sure　to　break　into　rebellion　against　his　niggardliness；　and　he　felt　quite　unequal　to　the　struggle。　Like　all　young　women　who　leave　the　appointed　track　of　woman's　life；　Nais　had　her　own　opinions　about　marriage；　and　had　no　great　inclination　thereto。　She　shrank　from　submitting　herself；　body　and　soul；　to　the　feeble；　undignified　specimens　of　mankind　whom　she　had　chanced　to　meet。　She　wished　to　rule；　marriage　meant　obedience；　and　between　obedience　to　coarse　caprices　and　a　mind　without　indulgence　for　her　tastes；　and　flight　with　a　lover　who　should　please　her；　she　would　not　have　hesitated　for　a　moment。

M。　de　Negrepelisse　maintained　sufficient　of　the　tradition　of　birth　to　dread　a　mesalliance。　Like　many　another　parent；　he　resolved　to　marry　his　daughter；　not　so　much　on　her　account　as　for　his　own　peace　of　mind。　A　noble　or　a　country　gentleman　was　the　man　for　him；　somebody　not　too　clever；　incapable　of　haggling　over　the　account　of　the　trust；　stupid　enough　and　easy　enough　to　allow　Nais　to　have　her　own　way；　and　disinterested　enough　to　take　her　without　a　dowry。　But　where　to　look　for　a　son…in…law　to　suit　father　and　daughter　equally　well；　was　the　problem。　Such　a　man　would　be　the　phoenix　of　sons…in…law。

To　M。　de　Negrepelisse　pondering　over　the　eligible　bachelors　of　the　province　with　these　double　requirements　in　his　mind。　M。　de　Bargeton　seemed　to　be　the　only　one　who　answered　to　this　description。　M。　de　Bargeton；　aged　forty；　considerably　shattered　by　the　amorous　dissipations　of　his　youth；　was　generally　held　to　be　a　man　of　remarkably　feeble　intellect；　but　he　had　just　the　exact　amount　of　commonsense　required　for　the　management　of　his　fortune；　and　breeding　sufficient　to　enable　him　to　avoid　blunders　or　blatant　follies　in　society　in　Angouleme。　In　the　bluntest　manner　M。　de　Negrepelisse　pointed　out　the　negative　virtues　of　the　model　husband　designed　for　his　daughter；　and　made　her　see　the　way　to　manage　him　so　as　to　secure　her　own　happiness。　So　Nais　married　the　bearer　of　arms；　two　hundred　years　old　already；　for　the　Bargeton　arms　are　blazoned　thus：　the　first　or；　three　attires　gules；　the　second；　three　ox's　heads　cabossed；　two　and　one；　sable；　the　third；　barry　of　six；　azure　and　argent；　in　the　first；　six　shells　or；　three；　two；　and　one。　Provided　with　a　chaperon；　Nais　could　steer　her　fortunes　as　she　chose　under　the　style　of　the　firm；　and　with　the　help　of　such　connections　as　her　wit　and　beauty　would　obtain　for　her　in　Paris。　Nais　was　enchanted　by　the　prospect　of　such　liberty。　M。　de　Bargeton　was　of　the　opinion　that　he　was　making　a　brilliant　marriage；　for　he　expected　that　in　no　long　while　M。　de　Negrepelisse　would　leave　him　the　estates　which　he　was　rounding　out　so　lovingly；　but　to　an　unprejudiced　spectator　it　certainly　seemed　as　though　the　duty　of　writing　the　bridegroom's　epitaph　might　devolve　upon　his　father…in…law。

By　this　time　Mme。　de　Bargeton　was　thirty…six　years　old　and　her　husband　fifty…eight。　The　disparity　in　age　was　the　more　startling　since　M。　de　Bargeton　looked　like　a　man　of　seventy；　whereas　his　wife　looked　scarcely　half　her　age。　She　could　still　wear　rose…color；　and　her　hair　hanging　loose　upon　her　shoulders。　Although　their　income　did　not　exceed　twelve　thousand　francs；　they　ranked　among　the　half…dozen　largest　fortunes　in　the　old　city；　merchants　and　officials　excepted；　for　M。　and　Mme。　de　Bargeton　were　obliged　to　live　in　Angouleme　until　such　time　as　Mme。　de　Bargeton's　inheritance　should　fall　in　and　they　could　go　to　Paris。　Meanwhile　they　were　bound　to　be　attentive　to　old　M。　de　Negrepelisse　（who　kept　them　waiting　so　long　that　his　son…in…law　in　fact　predeceased　him）；　and　Nais'　brilliant　intellectual　gifts；　and　the　wealth　that　lay　like　undiscovered　ore　in　her　nature；　profited　her　nothing；　underwent　the　transforming　operation　of　Time　and　changed　to　absurdities。　For　our　absurdities　spring；　in　fact；　for　the　most　part；　from　the　good　in　us；　from　some　faculty　or　quality　abnormally　developed。　Pride；　untempered　by　intercourse　with　the　great　world　becomes　stiff　and　starched　by　contact　with　petty　things；　in　a　loftier　moral　atmosphere　it　would　have　grown　to　noble　magnanimity。　Enthusiasm；　that　virtue　within　a　virtue；　forming　the　saint；　inspiring　the　devotion　hidden　from　all　eyes　and　glowing　out　upon　the　world　in　verse；　turns　to　exaggeration；　with　the　trifles　of　a　narrow　existence　for　its　object。　Far　away　from　the　centres　of　light　shed　by　great　minds；　where　the　air　is　quick　with　thought；　knowledge　stands　still；　taste　is　corrupted　like　stagnant　water；　and　passion　dwindles；　frittered　away　upon　the　infinitely　small　objects　which　it　strives　to　exalt。　Herein　lies　the　secret　of　the　avarice　and　tittle…tattle　that　poison　provincial　life。　The　contagion　of　narrow…mindedness　and　meanness　affects　the　noblest　natures；　and　in　such　ways　as　these；　men　born　to　be　great；　and　women　who　would　have　been　charming　if　they　had　fallen　under　the　forming　influence　of　greater　minds；　are　balked　of　their　lives。

Here　was　Mme。　de　Bargeton；　for　instance；　smiting　the　lyre　for　every　trifle；　and　publishing　her　emotions　indiscriminately　to　her　circle。　As　a　matt