the collection of antiquities-第14节

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g　which　was　remarkably　fulfilled。

The　Duchesse　de　Maufrigneuse　had　lost　her　heart　to　Victurnien　after　first　giving　her　mind　to　a　serious　study　of　him。　Any　lover　who　should　have　caught　the　glance　by　which　she　expressed　her　gratitude　to　the　Vidame　might　well　have　been　jealous　of　such　friendship。　Women　are　like　horses　let　loose　on　a　steppe　when　they　feel；　as　the　Duchess　felt　with　the　Vidame　de　Pamiers；　that　the　ground　is　safe；　at　such　moments　they　are　themselves；　perhaps　it　pleases　them　to　give；　as　it　were；　samples　of　their　tenderness　in　intimacy　in　this　way。　It　was　a　guarded　glance；　nothing　was　lost　between　eye　and　eye；　there　was　no　possibility　of　reflection　in　any　mirror。　Nobody　intercepted　it。

〃See　how　she　has　prepared　herself；〃　Rastignac　said；　turning　to　de　Marsay。　〃What　a　virginal　toilette；　what　swan's　grace　in　that　snow…　white　throat　of　hers！　How　white　her　gown　is；　and　she　is　wearing　a　sash　like　a　little　girl；　she　looks　round　like　a　madonna　inviolate。　Who　would　think　that　you　had　passed　that　way？〃

〃The　very　reason　why　she　looks　as　she　does；〃　returned　de　Marsay；　with　a　triumphant　air。

The　two　young　men　exchanged　a　smile。　Mme。　de　Maufrigneuse　saw　the　smile　and　guessed　at　their　conversation；　and　gave　the　pair　a　broadside　of　her　eyes；　an　art　acquired　by　Frenchwomen　since　the　Peace；　when　Englishwomen　imported　it　into　this　country；　together　with　the　shape　of　their　silver　plate；　their　horses　and　harness；　and　the　piles　of　insular　ice　which　impart　a　refreshing　coolness　to　the　atmosphere　of　any　room　in　which　a　certain　number　of　British　females　are　gathered　together。　The　young　men　grew　serious　as　a　couple　of　clerks　at　the　end　of　a　homily　from　headquarters　before　the　receipt　of　an　expected　bonus。

The　Duchess　when　she　lost　her　heart　to　Victurnien　had　made　up　her　mind　to　play　the　part　of　romantic　Innocence；　a　role　much　understudied　subsequently　by　other　women；　for　the　misfortune　of　modern　youth。　Her　Grace　of　Maufrigneuse　had　just　come　out　as　an　angel　at　a　moment's　notice；　precisely　as　she　meant　to　turn　to　literature　and　science　somewhere　about　her　fortieth　year　instead　of　taking　to　devotion。　She　made　a　point　of　being　like　nobody　else。　Her　parts；　her　dresses；　her　caps；　opinions；　toilettes；　and　manner　of　acting　were　all　entirely　new　and　original。　Soon　after　her　marriage；　when　she　was　scarcely　more　than　a　girl；　she　had　played　the　part　of　a　knowing　and　almost　depraved　woman；　she　ventured　on　risky　repartees　with　shallow　people；　and　betrayed　her　ignorance　to　those　who　knew　better。　As　the　date　of　that　marriage　made　it　impossible　to　abstract　one　little　year　from　her　age　without　the　knowledge　of　Time；　she　had　taken　it　into　her　head　to　be　immaculate。　She　scarcely　seemed　to　belong　to　earth；　she　shook　out　her　wide　sleeves　as　if　they　had　been　wings。　Her　eyes　fled　to　heaven　at　too　warm　a　glance；　or　word；　or　thought。

There　is　a　madonna　painted　by　Piola；　the　great　Genoese　painter；　who　bade　fair　to　bring　out　a　second　edition　of　Raphael　till　his　career　was　cut　short　by　jealousy　and　murder；　his　madonna；　however；　you　may　dimly　discern　through　a　pane　of　glass　in　a　little　street　in　Genoa。

A　more　chaste…eyed　madonna　than　Piola's　does　not　exist　but　compared　with　Mme。　de　Maufrigneuse；　that　heavenly　creature　was　a　Messalina。　Women　wondered　among　themselves　how　such　a　giddy　young　thing　had　been　transformed　by　a　change　of　dress　into　the　fair　veiled　seraph　who　seemed　（to　use　an　expression　now　in　vogue）　to　have　a　soul　as　white　as　new　fallen　snow　on　the　highest　Alpine　crests。　How　had　she　solved　in　such　short　space　the　Jesuitical　problem　how　to　display　a　bosom　whiter　than　her　soul　by　hiding　it　in　gauze？　How　could　she　look　so　ethereal　while　her　eyes　drooped　so　murderously？　Those　almost　wanton　glances　seemed　to　give　promise　of　untold　languorous　delight；　while　by　an　ascetic's　sigh　of　aspiration　after　a　better　life　the　mouth　appeared　to　add　that　none　of　those　promises　would　be　fulfilled。　Ingenuous　youths　（for　there　were　a　few　to　be　found　in　the　Guards　of　that　day）　privately　wondered　whether；　in　the　most　intimate　moments；　it　were　possible　to　speak　familiarly　to　this　White　Lady；　this　starry　vapor　slidden　down　from　the　Milky　Way。　This　system；　which　answered　completely　for　some　years　at　a　stretch；　was　turned　to　good　account　by　women　of　fashion；　whose　breasts　were　lined　with　a　stout　philosophy；　for　they　could　cloak　no　inconsiderable　exactions　with　these　little　airs　from　the　sacristy。　Not　one　of　the　celestial　creatures　but　was　quite　well　aware　of　the　possibilities　of　less　ethereal　love　which　lay　in　the　longing　of　every　well…conditioned　male　to　recall　such　beings　to　earth。　It　was　a　fashion　which　permitted　them　to　abide　in　a　semi…religious；　semi…Ossianic　empyrean；　they　could；　and　did；　ignore　all　the　practical　details　of　daily　life；　a　short　and　easy　method　of　disposing　of　many　questions。　De　Marsay；　foreseeing　the　future　developments　of　the　system；　added　a　last　word；　for　he　saw　that　Rastignac　was　jealous　of　Victurnien。

〃My　boy；〃　said　he；　〃stay　as　you　are。　Our　Nucingen　will　make　your　fortune；　whereas　the　Duchess　would　ruin　you。　She　is　too　expensive。〃

Rastignac　allowed　de　Marsay　to　go　without　asking　further　questions。　He　knew　Paris。　He　knew　that　the　most　refined　and　noble　and　disinterested　of　womena　woman　who　cannot　be　induced　to　accept　anything　but　a　bouquetcan　be　as　dangerous　an　acquaintance　for　a　young　man　as　any　opera　girl　of　former　days。　As　a　matter　of　fact；　the　opera　girl　is　an　almost　mythical　being。　As　things　are　now　at　the　theatres；　dancers　and　actresses　are　about　as　amusing　as　a　declaration　of　the　rights　of　woman；　they　are　puppets　that　go　abroad　in　the　morning　in　the　character　of　respected　and　respectable　mothers　of　families；　and　act　men's　parts　in　tight…fitting　garments　at　night。

Worthy　M。　Chesnel；　in　his　country　notary's　office；　was　right；　he　had　foreseen　one　of　the　reefs　on　which　the　Count　might　shipwreck。　Victurnien　was　dazzled　by　the　poetic　aureole　which　Mme。　de　Maufrigneuse　chose　to　assume；　he　was　chained　and　padlocked　from　the　first　hour　in　her　company；　bound　captive　by　that　girlish　sash；　and　caught　by　the　curls　twined　round　fairy　fingers。　Far　corrupted　the　boy　was　already；　but　he　really　believed　in　that　farrago　of　maidenliness　and　muslin；　in　sweet　looks　as　much　studied　as　an　Act　of　Parliament。　And　if　the　one　man；　who　is　in　duty　bound　to　believe　in　feminine　fibs；　is　deceived　by　them；　is　not　that　enough？

For　a　pair　of　lovers；　the　rest　of　their　species　are　about　as　much　alive　as　figures　on　the　tapestry。　The　Duchess；　flattery　apart；　was　avowedly　and　admittedly　one　of　the　ten　handsomest　women　in　society。　〃The　loveliest　woman　in　Paris〃　is；　as　you　know；　as　often　met　with　in　the　world　of　love…making　as　〃the　finest　book　that　has　appeared　in　this　generation；〃　in　the　world　of　letters。

The　converse　which　Victurnien　held　with　the　Duchess　can　be　kept　up　at　his　age　without　too　great　a　strain。　He　was　young　enough　and　ignorant　enough　of　life　in　Paris　to　feel　no　necessity　to　be　upon　his　guard；　no　need　to　keep　a　watch　over　his　lightest　words　and　glances。　The　religious　sentimentalism；　which　finds　a　broadly　humorous　commentary　in　the　after…thoughts　of　either　speaker；　puts　the　old…world　French　chat　of　men　and　women；　with　its　pleasant　familiarity；　its　lively　ease；　quite　out　of　the　question；　they　make　love　in　a　mist　nowadays。

Victurnien　was　just　sufficient　of　an　unsophisticated　provincial　to　remain　suspended　in　a　highly　appropriate　and　unfeigned　rapture　which　pleased　the　Duchess；　for　women　are　no　more　to　be　deceived　by　the　comedies　which　men　play　than　by　their　own。　Mme。　de　Maufrigneuse　calculated；　not　without　dismay；　that　the　young　Count's　infatuation　was　likely　to　hold　good　for　six　whole　months　of　disinterested　love。　She　looked　so　lovely　in　this　dove's　mood；　quenching　the　light　in　her　eyes　by　the　golden　fringe　of　their　lashes；　that　when　the　Marquise　d'Espard　bade　her　friend　good…night；　she　whispered；　〃Good！　very　good；　dear！〃　And　with　those　farewell　words；　the　fair　Marquise　left　her　rival　to　make　the　tour　of　the　modern　Pays　du　Tendre；　which；　by　the　way；　is　not　so　absurd　a　conception　as　some　appear　to　think。　New　maps　of　the　country　are　engraved　for　each　generation；　and　if　the　names　of　the　routes　are　different；　they　still　lead　to　the　same　capital　city。

In　the　course　of　an　hour's　tete…a…tete；　on　a　corner　sofa；　under　the　eyes　of　the　world；　the　Duchess　brought　young　d'Esgrignon　as　far　as　Scipio's　Generosity；　the　Devotion　of　Amadis；　and　Chivalrous　Self…　abnegation　（for　the　Middle　Ages　were　just　coming　into　fashion；　with　their　daggers；　machicolations；　hauberks；　chain…mail；　peaked　shoes；　and　romantic　painted　card…board　properties）。　She　had　an　admirable　turn；　moreover；　for　leaving　things　unsaid；　for　leaving　ideas　in　a　discreet；　seeming　careless　way；　to　work　their　way　down；　one　by　one；　into　Victurnien's　heart；　like　needles　into　a　cushion。　She　possessed　a　marvelous　skill　in　reticence；　she　was　charming　in　hypocrisy；　lavish　of　subtle　promises；　which　revived　hope　and　then　melted　away　like　ice　in　the　sun　if　you　looked　at　them　closely；　and　most　treacherous　in　the　desire　which　she　felt　and　inspired。　At　the　close　of　this　charming　encounter　she　produced　the　running　noose　of　an　invitation　to　call；　and　flung　it　over　him　with　a　dainty　demureness　which　the　printed　page　can　never　set　f