juana-第10节

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those　tongues　say；　ALL　those　minds　know；　in　a　single　evening；　where

the　new…comer　who　aspires　to　honor　among　them　was　born　and　brought　up；

and　what　that　interloper　has　done；　or　has　not　done；　in　the　course　of

his　life。　There　may　be　no　court　of　assizes　for　the　upper　classes　of

society；　but　at　any　rate　they　have　the　most　cruel　of　public

prosecutors；　an　intangible　moral　being；　both　judge　and　executioner；

who　accuses　and　brands。　Do　not　hope　to　hide　anything　from　him；　tell

him　all　yourself；　he　wants　to　know　all　and　he　will　know　all。　Do　not

ask　what　mysterious　telegraph　it　was　which　conveyed　to　him　in　the

twinkling　of　an　eye；　at　any　hour；　in　any　place；　that　story；　that　bit

of　news；　that　scandal；　do　not　ask　what　prompts　him。　That　telegraph　is

a　social　mystery；　no　observer　can　report　its　effects。　Of　many

extraordinary　instances　thereof；　one　may　suffice：　The　assassination　of

the　Duc　de　Berry；　which　occurred　at　the　Opera…house；　was　related

within　ten　minutes　in　the　Ile…Saint…Louis。　Thus　the　opinion　of　the　6th

of　the　line　as　to　its　quartermaster　filtered　through　society　the　night

on　which　he　gave　his　first　ball。



Diard　was　therefore　debarred　from　succeeding　in　society。　Henceforth

his　wife　alone　had　the　power　to　make　anything　of　him。　Miracle　of　our

strange　civilization！　In　Paris；　if　a　man　is　incapable　of　being

anything　himself；　his　wife；　when　she　is　young　and　clever；　may　give　him

other　chances　for　elevation。　We　sometimes　meet　with　invalid　women；

feeble　beings　apparently；　who；　without　rising　from　sofas　or　leaving

their　chambers；　have　ruled　society；　moved　a　thousand　springs；　and

placed　their　husbands　where　their　ambition　or　their　vanity　prompted。

But　Juana；　whose　childhood　was　passed　in　her　retreat　in　Tarragona；

knew　nothing　of　the　vices；　the　meannesses；　or　the　resources　of

Parisian　society；　she　looked　at　that　society　with　the　curiosity　of　a

girl；　but　she　learned　from　it　only　that　which　her　sorrow　and　her

wounded　pride　revealed　to　her。



Juana　had　the　tact　of　a　virgin　heart　which　receives　impressions　in

advance　of　the　event；　after　the　manner　of　what　are　called

〃sensitives。〃　The　solitary　young　girl；　so　suddenly　become　a　woman　and

a　wife；　saw　plainly　that　were　she　to　attempt　to　compel　society　to

respect　her　husband；　it　must　be　after　the　manner　of　Spanish　beggars；

carbine　in　hand。　Besides；　the　multiplicity　of　the　precautions　she

would　have　to　take；　would　they　meet　the　necessity？　Suddenly　she

divined　society　as；　once　before；　she　had　divined　life；　and　she　saw

nothing　around　her　but　the　immense　extent　of　an　irreparable　disaster。

She　had；　moreover；　the　additional　grief　of　tardily　recognizing　her

husband's　peculiar　form　of　incapacity；　he　was　a　man　unfitted　for　any

purpose　that　required　continuity　of　ideas。　He　could　not　understand　a

consistent　part；　such　as　he　ought　to　play　in　the　world；　he　perceived

it　neither　as　a　whole　nor　in　its　gradations；　and　its　gradations　were

everything。　He　was　in　one　of　those　positions　where　shrewdness　and　tact

might　have　taken　the　place　of　strength；　when　shrewdness　and　tact

succeed；　they　are；　perhaps；　the　highest　form　of　strength。



Now　Diard；　far　from　arresting　the　spot　of　oil　on　his　garments　left　by

his　antecedents；　did　his　best　to　spread　it。　Incapable　of　studying　the

phase　of　the　empire　in　the　midst　of　which　he　came　to　live　in　Paris；　he

wanted　to　be　made　prefect。　At　that　time　every　one　believed　in　the

genius　of　Napoleon；　his　favor　enhanced　the　value　of　all　offices。

Prefectures；　those　miniature　empires；　could　only　be　filled　by　men　of

great　names；　or　chamberlains　of　H。M。　the　emperor　and　king。　Already　the

prefects　were　a　species　of　vizier。　The　myrmidons　of　the　great　man

scoffed　at　Diard's　pretensions　to　a　prefecture；　whereupon　he　lowered

his　demand　to　a　sub…prefecture。　There　was；　of　course；　a　ridiculous

discrepancy　between　this　latter　demand　and　the　magnitude　of　his

fortune。　To　frequent　the　imperial　salons　and　live　with　insolent

luxury；　and　then　to　abandon　that　millionaire　life　and　bury　himself　as

sub…prefect　at　Issoudun　or　Savenay　was　certainly　holding　himself　below

his　position。　Juana；　too　late　aware　of　our　laws　and　habits　and

administrative　customs；　did　not　enlighten　her　husband　soon　enough。

Diard；　desperate；　petitioned　successively　all　the　ministerial　powers；

repulsed　everywhere；　he　found　nothing　open　to　him；　and　society　then

judged　him　as　the　government　judged　him　and　as　he　judged　himself。

Diard；　grievously　wounded　on　the　battlefield；　was　nevertheless　not

decorated；　the　quartermaster；　rich　as　he　was；　was　allowed　no　place　in

public　life；　and　society　logically　refused　him　that　to　which　he

pretended　in　its　midst。



Finally；　to　cap　all；　the　luckless　man　felt　in　his　own　home　the

superiority　of　his　wife。　Though　she　used　great　tactwe　might　say

velvet　softness　if　the　term　were　admissibleto　disguise　from　her

husband　this　supremacy；　which　surprised　and　humiliated　herself；　Diard

ended　by　being　affected　by　it。



At　a　game　of　life　like　this　men　are　either　unmanned；　or　they　grow　the

stronger；　or　they　give　themselves　to　evil。　The　courage　or　the　ardor　of

this　man　lessened　under　the　reiterated　blows　which　his　own　faults

dealt　to　his　self…appreciation；　and　fault　after　fault　he　committed。　In

the　first　place　he　had　to　struggle　against　his　own　habits　and

character。　A　passionate　Provencal；　frank　in　his　vices　as　in　his

virtues；　this　man　whose　fibres　vibrated　like　the　strings　of　a　harp；

was　all　heart　to　his　former　friends。　He　succored　the　shabby　and

spattered　man　as　readily　as　the　needy　of　rank；　in　short；　he　accepted

everybody；　and　gave　his　hand　in　his　gilded　salons　to　many　a　poor

devil。　Observing　this　on　one　occasion；　a　general　of　the　empire；　a

variety　of　the　human　species　of　which　no　type　will　presently　remain；

refused　his　hand　to　Diard；　and　called　him；　insolently；　〃my　good

fellow〃　when　he　met　him。　The　few　persons　of　really　good　society　whom

Diard　knew；　treated　him　with　that　elegant；　polished　contempt　against

which　a　new…made　man　has　seldom　any　weapons。　The　manners；　the　semi…

Italian　gesticulations；　the　speech　of　Diard；　his　style　of　dress；all

contributed　to　repulse　the　respect　which　careful　observation　of

matters　of　good　taste　and　dignity　might　otherwise　obtain　for　vulgar

persons；　the　yoke　of　such　conventionalities　can　only　be　cast　off　by

great　and　unthinkable　powers。　So　goes　the　world。



These　details　but　faintly　picture　the　many　tortures　to　which　Juana　was

subjected；　they　came　upon　her　one　by　one；　each　social　nature　pricked

her　with　its　own　particular　pin；　and　to　a　soul　which　preferred　the

thrust　of　a　dagger；　there　could　be　no　worse　suffering　than　this

struggle　in　which　Diard　received　insults　he　did　not　feel　and　Juana

felt　those　she　did　not　receive。　A　moment　came；　an　awful　moment；　when

she　gained　a　clear　and　lucid　perception　of　society；　and　felt　in　one

instant　all　the　sorrows　which　were　gathering　themselves　together　to

fall　upon　her　head。　She　judged　her　husband　incapable　of　rising　to　the

honored　ranks　of　the　social　order；　and　she　felt　that　he　would　one　day

descend　to　where　his　instincts　led　him。　Henceforth　Juana　felt　pity　for

him。



The　future　was　very　gloomy　for　this　young　woman。　She　lived　in　constant

apprehension　of　some　disaster。　This　presentiment　was　in　her　soul　as　a

contagion　is　in　the　air；　but　she　had　strength　of　mind　and　will　to

disguise　her　anguish　beneath　a　smile。　Juana　had　ceased　to　think　of

herself。　She　used　her　influence　to　make　Diard　resign　his　various

pretensions　and　to　show　him；　as　a　haven；　the　peaceful　and　consoling

life　of　home。　Evils　came　from　societywhy　not　banish　it？　In　his　home

Diard　found　peace　and　respect；　he　reigned　there。　She　felt　herself

strong　to　accept　the　trying　task　of　making　him　happy；he；　a　man

dissatisfied　with　himself。　Her　energy　increased　with　the　difficulties

of　life；　she　had　all　the　secret　heroism　necessary　to　her　position；

religion　inspired　her　with　those　desires　which　support　the　angel

appointed　to　protect　a　Christian　souloccult　poesy；　allegorical　image

of　our　two　natures！



Diard　abandoned　his　projects；　closed　his　house　to　the　world；　and　lived

in　his　home。　But　here　he　found　another　reef。　The　poor　soldier　had　one

of　those　eccentric　souls　which　need　perpetual　motion。　Diard　was　one　of

the　men　who　are　instinctively　compelled　to　start　again　the　moment　they

arrive；　and　whose　vital　object　seems　to　be　to　come　and　go　incessantly；

like　the　wheels　mentioned　in　Holy　Writ。　Perhaps　he　felt　the　need　of

flying　from　himself。　Without　wearying　of　Juana；　without　blaming　Juana；

his　passion　for　her；　rendered　tranquil　by　time；　allowed　his　natural

character　to　assert　itself。　Henceforth　his　days　of　gloom　were　more

frequent；　and　he　often　gave　way　to　southern　excitement。　The　more

virtuous　a　woman　is　and　the　more　irreproachable；　the　more　a　man　likes

to　find　fault　with　her；　if　only　to　assert　by　that　act　his　legal

superiority。　But　if　by　chance　she　seems　really　imposing　to　him；　he

feels　the　need　of　foisting　faults　upon　her。　A