ferragus-第13节

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who　have　gone　to　a　ball　in　a　carriage；　but　are　obliged；　for　whatever
cause　it　may　be；　to　return　on　foot。　It　was　the　first　time　that　Jules
and　Clemence　had　been　together　thus；each　in　a　corner；　usually　the
husband　pressed　close　to　his　wife。

〃It　is　very　cold；〃　remarked　Madame　Jules。

But　her　husband　did　not　hear　her；　he　was　studying　the　signs　above　the
shop　windows。

〃Clemence；〃　he　said　at　last；　〃forgive　me　the　question　I　am　about　to
ask　you。〃

He　came　closer；　took　her　by　the　waist；　and　drew　her　to　him。

〃My　God；　it　is　coming！〃　thought　the　poor　woman。　〃Well；〃　she　said
aloud；　anticipating　the　question；　〃you　want　to　know　what　Monsieur　de
Maulincour　said　to　me。　I　will　tell　you；　Jules；　but　not　without　fear。
Good　God！　how　is　it　possible　that　you　and　I　should　have　secrets　from
one　another？　For　the　last　few　moments　I　have　seen　you　struggling
between　a　conviction　of　our　love　and　vague　fears。　But　that　conviction
is　clear　within　us；　is　it　not？　And　these　doubts　and　fears；　do　they　not
seem　to　you　dark　and　unnatural？　Why　not　stay　in　that　clear　light　of
love　you　cannot　doubt？　When　I　have　told　you　all；　you　will　still　desire
to　know　more；　and　yet　I　myself　do　not　know　what　the　extraordinary
words　of　that　man　meant。　What　I　fear　is　that　this　may　lead　to　some
fatal　affair　between　you。　I　would　rather　that　we　both　forget　this
unpleasant　moment。　But；　in　any　case；　swear　to　me　that　you　will　let
this　singular　adventure　explain　itself　naturally。　Here　are　the　facts。
Monsieur　de　Maulincour　declared　to　me　that　the　three　accidents　you
have　heard　mentionedthe　falling　of　a　stone　on　his　servant；　the
breaking　down　of　his　cabriolet；　and　his　duel　about　Madame　de　Serizy
were　the　result　of　some　plot　I　had　laid　against　him。　He　also
threatened　to　reveal　to　you　the　cause　of　my　desire　to　destroy　him。　Can
you　imagine　what　all　this　means？　My　emotion　came　from　the　sight　of　his
face　convulsed　with　madness；　his　haggard　eyes；　and　also　his　words；
broken　by　some　violent　inward　emotion。　I　thought　him　mad。　That　is　all
that　took　place。　Now；　I　should　be　less　than　a　woman　if　I　had　not
perceived　that　for　over　a　year　I　have　become；　as　they　call　it；　the
passion　of　Monsieur　de　Maulincour。　He　has　never　seen　me　except　at　a
ball；　and　our　intercourse　has　been　most　insignificant；merely　that
which　every　one　shares　at　a　ball。　Perhaps　he　wants　to　disunite　us；　so
that　he　may　find　me　at　some　future　time　alone　and　unprotected。　There；
see！　already　you　are　frowning！　Oh；　how　cordially　I　hate　society！　We
were　so　happy　without　him；　why　take　any　notice　of　him？　Jules；　I
entreat　you；　forget　all　this！　To…morrow　we　shall；　no　doubt；　hear　that
Monsieur　de　Maulincour　has　gone　mad。〃

〃What　a　singular　affair！〃　thought　Jules；　as　the　carriage　stopped　under
the　peristyle　of　their　house。　He　gave　his　arm　to　his　wife　and　together
they　went　up　to　their　apartments。

To　develop　this　history　in　all　its　truth　of　detail；　and　to　follow　its
course　through　many　windings；　it　is　necessary　here　to　divulge　some　of
love's　secrets；　to　glide　beneath　the　ceilings　of　a　marriage　chamber；
not　shamelessly；　but　like　Trilby；　frightening　neither　Dougal　nor
Jeannie；　alarming　no　one；being　as　chaste　as　our　noble　French
language　requires；　and　as　bold　as　the　pencil　of　Gerard　in　his　picture
of　Daphnis　and　Chloe。

The　bedroom　of　Madame　Jules　was　a　sacred　plot。　Herself；　her　husband；
and　her　maid　alone　entered　it。　Opulence　has　glorious　privileges；　and
the　most　enviable　are　those　which　enable　the　development　of　sentiments
to　their　fullest　extent；fertilizing　them　by　the　accomplishment　of
even　their　caprices；　and　surrounding　them　with　a　brilliancy　that
enlarges　them；　with　refinements　that　purify　them；　with　a　thousand
delicacies　that　make　them　still　more　alluring。　If　you　hate　dinners　on
the　grass；　and　meals　ill…served；　if　you　feel　a　pleasure　in　seeing　a
damask　cloth　that　is　dazzlingly　white；　a　silver…gilt　dinner　service；
and　porcelain　of　exquisite　purity；　lighted　by　transparent　candles；
where　miracles　of　cookery　are　served　under　silver　covers　bearing　coats
of　arms；　you　must；　to　be　consistent；　leave　the　garrets　at　the　tops　of
the　houses；　and　the　grisettes　in　the　streets；　abandon　garrets；
grisettes；　umbrellas；　and　overshoes　to　men　who　pay　for　their　dinners
with　tickets；　and　you　must　also　comprehend　Love　to　be　a　principle
which　develops　in　all　its　grace　only　on　Savonnerie　carpets；　beneath
the　opal　gleams　of　an　alabaster　lamp；　between　guarded　walls　silk…hung；
before　gilded　hearths　in　chambers　deadened　to　all　outward　sounds　by
shutters　and　billowy　curtains。　Mirrors　must　be　there　to　show　the　play
of　form　and　repeat　the　woman　we　would　multiply　as　love　itself
multiplies　and　magnifies　her；　next　low　divans；　and　a　bed　which；　like　a
secret；　is　divined；　not　shown。　In　this　coquettish　chamber　are　fur…
lined　slippers　for　pretty　feet；　wax…candles　under　glass　with　muslin
draperies；　by　which　to　read　at　all　hours　of　the　night；　and　flowers；
not　those　oppressive　to　the　head；　and　linen；　the　fineness　of　which
might　have　satisfied　Anne　of　Austria。

Madame　Jules　had　realized　this　charming　programme；　but　that　was
nothing。　All　women　of　taste　can　do　as　much；　though　there　is　always　in
the　arrangement　of　these　details　a　stamp　of　personality　which　gives　to
this　decoration　or　that　detail　a　character　that　cannot　be　imitated。
To…day；　more　than　ever；　reigns　the　fanaticism　of　individuality。　The
more　our　laws　tend　to　an　impossible　equality；　the　more　we　shall　get
away　from　it　in　our　manners　and　customs。　Thus；　rich　people　are
beginning；　in　France；　to　become　more　exclusive　in　their　tastes　and
their　belongings；　than　they　have　been　for　the　last　thirty　years。
Madame　Jules　knew　very　well　how　to　carry　out　this　programme；　and
everything　about　her　was　arranged　in　harmony　with　a　luxury　that　suits
so　well　with　love。　Love　in　a　cottage；　or　〃Fifteen　hundred　francs　and
my　Sophy；〃　is　the　dream　of　starvelings　to　whom　black　bread　suffices　in
their　present　state；　but　when　love　really　comes；　they　grow　fastidious
and　end　by　craving　the　luxuries　of　gastronomy。　Love　holds　toil　and
poverty　in　horror。　It　would　rather　die　than　merely　live　on　from　hand
to　mouth。

Many　women；　returning　from　a　ball；　impatient　for　their　beds；　throw　off
their　gowns；　their　faded　flowers；　their　bouquets；　the　fragrance　of
which　has　now　departed。　They　leave　their　little　shoes　beneath　a　chair；
the　white　strings　trailing；　they　take　out　their　combs　and　let　their
hair　roll　down　as　it　will。　Little　they　care　if　their　husbands　see　the
puffs；　the　hairpins；　the　artful　props　which　supported　the　elegant
edifices　of　the　hair；　and　the　garlands　or　the　jewels　that　adorned　it。
No　more　mysteries！　all　is　over　for　the　husband；　no　more　painting　or
decoration　for　him。　The　corsethalf　the　time　it　is　a　corset　of　a
reparative　kindlies　where　it　is　thrown；　if　the　maid　is　too　sleepy　to
take　it　away　with　her。　The　whalebone　bustle；　the　oiled…silk
protections　round　the　sleeves；　the　pads；　the　hair　bought　from　a
coiffeur；　all　the　false　woman　is　there；　scattered　about　in　open　sight。
/Disjecta　membra　poetae/；　the　artificial　poesy；　so　much　admired　by
those　for　whom　it　is　conceived　and　elaborated；　the　fragments　of　a
pretty　woman；　litter　every　corner　of　the　room。　To　the　love　of　a
yawning　husband；　the　actual　presents　herself；　also　yawning；　in　a
dishabille　without　elegance；　and　a　tumbled　night…cap；　that　of　last
night　and　that　of　to…morrow　night　also；〃For　really；　monsieur；　if　you
want　a　pretty　cap　to　rumple　every　night；　increase　my　pin…money。〃

There's　life　as　it　is！　A　woman　makes　herself　old　and　unpleasing　to　her
husband；　but　dainty　and　elegant　and　adorned　for　others；　for　the　rival
of　all　husbands；for　that　world　which　calumniates　and　tears　to　shreds
her　sex。

Inspired　by　true　love；　for　Love　has；　like　other　creations；　its
instinct　of　preservation；　Madame　Jules　did　very　differently；　she　found
in　the　constant　blessing　of　her　love　the　necessary　impulse　to　fulfil
all　those　minute　personal　cares　which　ought　never　to　be　relaxed；
because　they　perpetuate　love。　Besides；　such　personal　cares　and　duties
proceed　from　a　personal　dignity　which　becomes　all　women；　and　are　among
the　sweetest　of　flatteries；　for　is　it　not　respecting　in　themselves　the
man　they　love？

So　Madame　Jules　denied　to　her　husband　all　access　to　her　dressing…room；
where　she　left　the　accessories　of　her　toilet；　and　whence　she　issued
mysteriously　adorned　for　the　mysterious　fetes　of　her　heart。　Entering
their　chamber；　which　was　always　graceful　and　elegant；　Jules　found　a
woman　coquettishly　wrapped　in　a　charming　/peignoir/；　her　hair　simply
wound　in　heavy　coils　around　her　head；　a　woman　always　more　simple；　more
beautiful　there　than　she　was　before　the　world；　a　woman　just　refreshed
in　water；　whose　only　artifice　consisted　in　being　whiter　than　her
muslins；　sweeter　than　all　perfumes；　more　seductive　than　any　siren；
always　loving　and　therefore　always　loved。　This　admirable　understanding
of　a　wife's　business　was　the　secret　of　Josephine's　charm　for　Napoleon；
as　in　former　times　it　was　that　of　Caesonia　for　Caius　Caligula；　of
Diane　de　Poitiers　for　Henri　II。　If　it　was　largely　productive　to　women
of　seven　or　eight　lustres　what　a　weapon　is　it　in　the　hands　of　young
women！　A　husband　gathers　with　delight　the　rewards　of　h