the ball at sceaux-第3节

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change　in　the　ideas　of　a　noble　on　the　verge　of　his　sixtieth　yearan

age　when　men　rarely　renounce　their　convictionswas　due　not　merely　to

his　unfortunate　residence　in　the　modern　Babylon；　where；　sooner　or

later；　country　folks　all　get　their　corners　rubbed　down；　the　Comte　de

Fontaine's　new　political　conscience　was　also　a　result　of　the　King's

advice　and　friendship。　The　philosophical　prince　had　taken　pleasure　in

converting　the　Vendeen　to　the　ideas　required　by　the　advance　of　the

nineteenth　century；　and　the　new　aspect　of　the　Monarchy。　Louis　XVIII。

aimed　at　fusing　parties　as　Napoleon　had　fused　things　and　men。　The

legitimate　King；　who　was　not　less　clever　perhaps　than　his　rival；　acted

in　a　contrary　direction。　The　last　head　of　the　House　of　Bourbon　was

just　as　eager　to　satisfy　the　third　estate　and　the　creations　of　the

Empire；　by　curbing　the　clergy；　as　the　first　of　the　Napoleons　had　been

to　attract　the　grand　old　nobility；　or　to　endow　the　Church。　The　Privy

Councillor；　being　in　the　secret　of　these　royal　projects；　had

insensibly　become　one　of　the　most　prudent　and　influential　leaders　of

that　moderate　party　which　most　desired　a　fusion　of　opinion　in　the

interests　of　the　nation。　He　preached　the　expensive　doctrines　of

constitutional　government；　and　lent　all　his　weight　to　encourage　the

political　see…saw　which　enabled　his　master　to　rule　France　in　the　midst

of　storms。　Perhaps　Monsieur　de　Fontaine　hoped　that　one　of　the　sudden

gusts　of　legislation；　whose　unexpected　efforts　then　startled　the

oldest　politicians；　might　carry　him　up　to　the　rank　of　peer。　One　of　his

most　rigid　principles　was　to　recognize　no　nobility　in　France　but　that

of　the　peeragethe　only　families　that　might　enjoy　any　privileges。



〃A　nobility　bereft　of　privileges；〃　he　would　say；　〃is　a　tool　without　a

handle。〃



As　far　from　Lafayette's　party　as　he　was　from　La　Bourdonnaye's；　he

ardently　engaged　in　the　task　of　general　reconciliation；　which　was

to　result　in　a　new　era　and　splendid　fortunes　for　France。　He

strove　to　convince　the　families　who　frequented　his　drawing…room；

or　those　whom　he　visited；　how　few　favorable　openings　would

henceforth　be　offered　by　a　civil　or　military　career。　He　urged

mothers　to　give　their　boys　a　start　in　independent　and　industrial

professions；　explaining　that　military　posts　and　high　Government

appointments　must　at　last　pertain；　in　a　quite　constitutional

order；　to　the　younger　sons　of　members　of　the　peerage。　According

to　him；　the　people　had　conquered　a　sufficiently　large　share　in

practical　government　by　its　elective　assembly；　its　appointments

to　law…offices；　and　those　of　the　exchequer；　which；　said　he；　would

always；　as　heretofore；　be　the　natural　right　of　the　distinguished

men　of　the　third　estate。



These　new　notions　of　the　head　of　the　Fontaines；　and　the　prudent

matches　for　his　eldest　girls　to　which　they　had　led；　met　with　strong

resistance　in　the　bosom　of　his　family。　The　Comtesse　de　Fontaine

remained　faithful　to　the　ancient　beliefs　which　no　woman　could　disown；

who；　through　her　mother；　belonged　to　the　Rohans。　Although　she　had　for

a　while　opposed　the　happiness　and　fortune　awaiting　her　two　eldest

girls；　she　yielded　to　those　private　considerations　which　husband　and

wife　confide　to　each　other　when　their　heads　are　resting　on　the　same

pillow。　Monsieur　de　Fontaine　calmly　pointed　out　to　his　wife；　by　exact

arithmetic　that　their　residence　in　Paris；　the　necessity　for

entertaining；　the　magnificence　of　the　house　which　made　up　to　them　now

for　the　privations　so　bravely　shared　in　La　Vendee；　and　the　expenses　of

their　sons；　swallowed　up　the　chief　part　of　their　income　from　salaries。

They　must　therefore　seize；　as　a　boon　from　heaven；　the　opportunities

which　offered　for　settling　their　girls　with　such　wealth。　Would　they

not　some　day　enjoy　sixtyeightya　hundred　thousand　francs　a　year？

Such　advantageous　matches　were　not　to　be　met　with　every　day　for　girls

without　a　portion。　Again；　it　was　time　that　they　should　begin　to　think

of　economizing；　to　add　to　the　estate　of　Fontaine；　and　re…establish　the

old　territorial　fortune　of　the　family。　The　Countess　yielded　to　such

cogent　arguments；　as　every　mother　would　have　done　in　her　place；　though

perhaps　with　a　better　grace；　but　she　declared　that　Emilie；　at　any

rate；　should　marry　in　such　a　way　as　to　satisfy　the　pride　she　had

unfortunately　contributed　to　foster　in　the　girl's　young　soul。



Thus　events；　which　ought　to　have　brought　joy　into　the　family；　had

introduced　a　small　leaven　of　discord。　The　Receiver…General　and　the

young　lawyer　were　the　objects　of　a　ceremonious　formality　which　the

Countess　and　Emilie　contrived　to　create。　This　etiquette　soon　found

even　ampler　opportunity　for　the　display　of　domestic　tyranny；　for

Lieutenant…General　de　Fontaine　married　Mademoiselle　Mongenod；　the

daughter　of　a　rich　banker；　the　President　very　sensibly　found　a　wife　in

a　young　lady　whose　father；　twice　or　thrice　a　millionaire；　had　traded

in　salt；　and　the　third　brother；　faithful　to　his　plebeian　doctrines；

married　Mademoiselle　Grossetete；　the　only　daughter　of　the　Receiver…

General　at　Bourges。　The　three　sisters…in…law　and　the　two　brothers…in…

law　found　the　high　sphere　of　political　bigwigs；　and　the　drawing…rooms

of　the　Faubourg　Saint…Germain；　so　full　of　charm　and　of　personal

advantages；　that　they　united　in　forming　a　little　court　round　the

overbearing　Emilie。　This　treaty　between　interest　and　pride　was　not；

however；　so　firmly　cemented　but　that　the　young　despot　was；　not

unfrequently；　the　cause　of　revolts　in　her　little　realm。　Scenes；　which

the　highest　circles　would　not　have　disowned；　kept　up　a　sarcastic

temper　among　all　the　members　of　this　powerful　family；　and　this；

without　seriously　diminishing　the　regard　they　professed　in　public；

degenerated　sometimes　in　private　into　sentiments　far　from　charitable。

Thus　the　Lieutenant…General's　wife；　having　become　a　Baronne；　thought

herself　quite　as　noble　as　a　Kergarouet；　and　imagined　that　her　good

hundred　thousand　francs　a　year　gave　her　the　right　to　be　as　impertinent

as　her　sister…in…law　Emilie；　whom　she　would　sometimes　wish　to　see

happily　married；　as　she　announced　that　the　daughter　of　some　peer　of

France　had　married　Monsieur　So…and…So　with　no　title　to　his　name。　The

Vicomtesse　de　Fontaine　amused　herself　by　eclipsing　Emilie　in　the　taste

and　magnificence　that　were　conspicuous　in　her　dress；　her　furniture；

and　her　carriages。　The　satirical　spirit　in　which　her　brothers　and

sisters　sometimes　received　the　claims　avowed　by　Mademoiselle　de

Fontaine　roused　her　to　wrath　that　a　perfect　hailstorm　of　sharp　sayings

could　hardly　mitigate。　So　when　the　head　of　the　family　felt　a　slight

chill　in　the　King's　tacit　and　precarious　friendship；　he　trembled　all

the　more　because；　as　a　result　of　her　sisters'　defiant　mockery；　his

favorite　daughter　had　never　looked　so　high。



In　the　midst　of　these　circumstances；　and　at　a　moment　when　this　petty

domestic　warfare　had　become　serious；　the　monarch；　whose　favor　Monsieur

de　Fontaine　still　hoped　to　regain；　was　attacked　by　the　malady　of　which

he　was　to　die。　The　great　political　chief；　who　knew　so　well　how　to

steer　his　bark　in　the　midst　of　tempests；　soon　succumbed。　Certain　then

of　favors　to　come；　the　Comte　de　Fontaine　made　every　effort　to　collect

the　elite　of　marrying　men　about　his　youngest　daughter。　Those　who　may

have　tried　to　solve　the　difficult　problem　of　settling　a　haughty　and

capricious　girl；　will　understand　the　trouble　taken　by　the　unlucky

father。　Such　an　affair；　carried　out　to　the　liking　of　his　beloved

child；　would　worthily　crown　the　career　the　Count　had　followed　for

these　ten　years　at　Paris。　From　the　way　in　which　his　family　claimed

salaries　under　every　department；　it　might　be　compared　with　the　House

of　Austria；　which；　by　intermarriage；　threatens　to　pervade　Europe。　The

old　Vendeen　was　not　to　be　discouraged　in　bringing　forward　suitors；　so

much　had　he　his　daughter's　happiness　at　heart；　but　nothing　could　be

more　absurd　than　the　way　in　which　the　impertinent　young　thing

pronounced　her　verdicts　and　judged　the　merits　of　her　adorers。　It　might

have　been　supposed　that；　like　a　princess　in　the　Arabian　Nights；　Emilie

was　rich　enough　and　beautiful　enough　to　choose　from　among　all　the

princes　in　the　world。　Her　objections　were　each　more　preposterous　than

the　last：　one　had　too　thick　knees　and　was　bow…legged；　another　was

short…sighted；　this　one's　name　was　Durand；　that　one　limped；　and　almost

all　were　too　fat。　Livelier；　more　attractive；　and　gayer　than　ever　after

dismissing　two　or　three　suitors；　she　rushed　into　the　festivities　of

the　winter　season；　and　to　balls；　where　her　keen　eyes　criticised　the

celebrities　of　the　day；　delighted　in　encouraging　proposals　which　she

invariably　rejected。



Nature　had　bestowed　on　her　all　the　advantages　needed　for　playing　the

part　of　Celimene。　Tall　and　slight；　Emilie　de　Fontaine　could　assume　a

dignified　or　a　frolicsome　mien　at　her　will。　Her　neck　was　rather　long；

allowing　her　to　affect　beautiful　attitudes　of　scorn　and　impertinence。

She　had　cultivated　a　l