the ball at sceaux-第4节

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allowing　her　to　affect　beautiful　attitudes　of　scorn　and　impertinence。

She　had　cultivated　a　large　variety　of　those　turns　of　the　head　and

feminine　gestures；　which　emphasize　so　cruelly　or　so　happily　a　hint　of

a　smile。　Fine　black　hair；　thick　and　strongly…arched　eyebrows；　lent　her

countenance　an　expression　of　pride；　to　which　her　coquettish　instincts

and　her　mirror　had　taught　her　to　add　terror　by　a　stare；　or　gentleness

by　the　softness　of　her　gaze；　by　the　set　of　the　gracious　curve　of　her

lips；　by　the　coldness　or　the　sweetness　of　her　smile。　When　Emilie　meant

to　conquer　a　heart；　her　pure　voice　did　not　lack　melody；　but　she　could

also　give　it　a　sort　of　curt　clearness　when　she　was　minded　to　paralyze

a　partner's　indiscreet　tongue。　Her　colorless　face　and　alabaster　brow

were　like　the　limpid　surface　of　a　lake；　which　by　turns　is　rippled　by

the　impulse　of　a　breeze　and　recovers　its　glad　serenity　when　the　air　is

still。　More　than　one　young　man；　a　victim　to　her　scorn；　accused　her　of

acting　a　part；　but　she　justified　herself　by　inspiring　her　detractors

with　the　desire　to　please　her；　and　then　subjecting　them　to　all　her

most　contemptuous　caprice。　Among　the　young　girls　of　fashion；　not　one

knew　better　than　she　how　to　assume　an　air　of　reserve　when　a　man　of

talent　was　introduced　to　her；　or　how　to　display　the　insulting

politeness　which　treats　an　equal　as　an　inferior；　and　to　pour　out　her

impertinence　on　all　who　tried　to　hold　their　heads　on　a　level　with

hers。　Wherever　she　went　she　seemed　to　be　accepting　homage　rather　than

compliments；　and　even　in　a　princess　her　airs　and　manner　would　have

transformed　the　chair　on　which　she　sat　into　an　imperial　throne。



Monsieur　de　Fontaine　discovered　too　late　how　utterly　the　education　of

the　daughter　he　loved　had　been　ruined　by　the　tender　devotion　of　the

whole　family。　The　admiration　which　the　world　is　at　first　ready　to

bestow　on　a　young　girl；　but　for　which；　sooner　or　later；　it　takes　its

revenge；　had　added　to　Emilie's　pride；　and　increased　her　self…

confidence。　Universal　subservience　had　developed　in　her　the

selfishness　natural　to　spoilt　children；　who；　like　kings；　make　a

plaything　of　everything　that　comes　to　hand。　As　yet　the　graces　of　youth

and　the　charms　of　talent　hid　these　faults　from　every　eye；　faults　all

the　more　odious　in　a　woman；　since　she　can　only　please　by　self…

sacrifice　and　unselfishness；　but　nothing　escapes　the　eye　of　a　good

father；　and　Monsieur　de　Fontaine　often　tried　to　explain　to　his

daughter　the　more　important　pages　of　the　mysterious　book　of　life。　Vain

effort！　He　had　to　lament　his　daughter's　capricious　indocility　and

ironical　shrewdness　too　often　to　persevere　in　a　task　so　difficult　as

that　of　correcting　an　ill…disposed　nature。　He　contented　himself　with

giving　her　from　time　to　time　some　gentle　and　kind　advice；　but　he　had

the　sorrow　of　seeing　his　tenderest　words　slide　from　his　daughter's

heart　as　if　it　were　of　marble。　A　father's　eyes　are　slow　to　be

unsealed；　and　it　needed　more　than　one　experience　before　the　old

Royalist　perceived　that　his　daughter's　rare　caresses　were　bestowed　on

him　with　an　air　of　condescension。　She　was　like　young　children；　who

seem　to　say　to　their　mother；　〃Make　haste　to　kiss　me；　that　I　may　go　to

play。〃　In　short；　Emilie　vouchsafed　to　be　fond　of　her　parents。　But

often；　by　those　sudden　whims；　which　seem　inexplicable　in　young　girls；

she　kept　aloof　and　scarcely　ever　appeared；　she　complained　of　having　to

share　her　father's　and　mother's　heart　with　too　many　people；　she　was

jealous　of　every　one；　even　of　her　brothers　and　sisters。　Then；　after

creating　a　desert　about　her；　the　strange　girl　accused　all　nature　of

her　unreal　solitude　and　her　wilful　griefs。　Strong　in　the　experience　of

her　twenty　years；　she　blamed　fate；　because；　not　knowing　that　the

mainspring　of　happiness　is　in　ourselves；　she　demanded　it　of　the

circumstances　of　life。　She　would　have　fled　to　the　ends　of　the　earth　to

escape　a　marriage　such　as　those　of　her　two　sisters；　and　nevertheless

her　heart　was　full　of　horrible　jealousy　at　seeing　them　married；　rich；

and　happy。　In　short；　she　sometimes　led　her　motherwho　was　as　much　a

victim　to　her　vagaries　as　Monsieur　de　Fontaineto　suspect　that　she

had　a　touch　of　madness。



But　such　aberrations　are　quite　inexplicable；　nothing　is　commoner　than

this　unconfessed　pride　developed　in　the　heart　of　young　girls　belonging

to　families　high　in　the　social　scale；　and　gifted　by　nature　with　great

beauty。　They　are　almost　all　convinced　that　their　mothers；　now　forty　or

fifty　years　of　age；　can　neither　sympathize　with　their　young　souls；　nor

conceive　of　their　imaginings。　They　fancy　that　most　mothers；　jealous　of

their　girls；　want　to　dress　them　in　their　own　way　with　the　premeditated

purpose　of　eclipsing　them　or　robbing　them　of　admiration。　Hence；　often；

secret　tears　and　dumb　revolt　against　supposed　tyranny。　In　the　midst　of

these　woes；　which　become　very　real　though　built　on　an　imaginary　basis；

they　have　also　a　mania　for　composing　a　scheme　of　life；　while　casting

for　themselves　a　brilliant　horoscope；　their　magic　consists　in　taking

their　dreams　for　reality；　secretly；　in　their　long　meditations；　they

resolve　to　give　their　heart　and　hand　to　none　but　the　man　possessing

this　or　the　other　qualification；　and　they　paint　in　fancy　a　model　to

which；　whether　or　no；　the　future　lover　must　correspond。　After　some

little　experience　of　life；　and　the　serious　reflections　that　come　with

years；　by　dint　of　seeing　the　world　and　its　prosaic　round；　by　dint　of

observing　unhappy　examples；　the　brilliant　hues　of　their　ideal　are

extinguished。　Then；　one　fine　day；　in　the　course　of　events；　they　are

quite　astonished　to　find　themselves　happy　without　the　nuptial　poetry

of　their　day…dreams。　It　was　on　the　strength　of　that　poetry　that

Mademoiselle　Emilie　de　Fontaine；　in　her　slender　wisdom；　had　drawn　up　a

programme　to　which　a　suitor　must　conform　to　be　excepted。　Hence　her

disdain　and　sarcasm。



〃Though　young　and　of　an　ancient　family；　he　must　be　a　peer　of　France；〃

said　she　to　herself。　〃I　could　not　bear　not　to　see　my　coat…of…arms　on

the　panels　of　my　carriage　among　the　folds　of　azure　mantling；　not　to

drive　like　the　princes　down　the　broad　walk　of　the　Champs…Elysees　on

the　days　of　Longchamps　in　Holy　Week。　Besides；　my　father　says　that　it

will　someday　be　the　highest　dignity　in　France。　He　must　be　a　soldier

but　I　reserve　the　right　of　making　him　retire；　and　he　must　bear　an

Order；　that　the　sentries　may　present　arms　to　us。〃



And　these　rare　qualifications　would　count　for　nothing　if　this　creature

of　fancy　had　not　the　most　amiable　temper；　a　fine　figure；　intelligence；

and；　above　all；　if　he　were　not　slender。　To　be　lean；　a　personal　grace

which　is　but　fugitive；　especially　under　a　representative　government；

was　an　indispensable　condition。　Mademoiselle　de　Fontaine　had　an　ideal

standard　which　was　to　be　the　model。　A　young　man　who　at　the　first

glance　did　not　fulfil　the　requisite　conditions　did　not　even　get　a

second　look。



〃Good　Heavens！　see　how　fat　he　is！〃　was　with　her　the　utmost　expression

of　contempt。



To　hear　her；　people　of　respectable　corpulence　were　incapable　of

sentiment；　bad　husbands；　and　unfit　for　civilized　society。　Though　it　is

esteemed　a　beauty　in　the　East；　to　be　fat　seemed　to　her　a　misfortune

for　a　woman；　but　in　a　man　it　was　a　crime。　These　paradoxical　views　were

amusing；　thanks　to　a　certain　liveliness　of　rhetoric。　The　Count　felt

nevertheless　that　by…and…by　his　daughter's　affections；　of　which　the

absurdity　would　be　evident　to　some　women　who　were　not　less　clear…

sighted　than　merciless；　would　inevitably　become　a　subject　of　constant

ridicule。　He　feared　lest　her　eccentric　notions　should　deviate　into　bad

style。　He　trembled　to　think　that　the　pitiless　world　might　already　be

laughing　at　a　young　woman　who　remained　so　long　on　the　stage　without

arriving　at　any　conclusion　of　the　drama　she　was　playing。　More　than　one

actor　in　it；　disgusted　by　a　refusal；　seemed　to　be　waiting　for　the

slightest　turn　of　ill…luck　to　take　his　revenge。　The　indifferent；　the

lookers…on　were　beginning　to　weary　of　it；　admiration　is　always

exhausting　to　human　beings。　The　old　Vendeen　knew　better　than　any　one

that　if　there　is　an　art　in　choosing　the　right　moment　for　coming

forward　on　the　boards　of　the　world；　on　those　of　the　Court；　in　a

drawing…room　or　on　the　stage；　it　is　still　more　difficult　to　quit　them

in　the　nick　of　time。　So　during　the　first　winter　after　the　accession　of

Charles　X。；　he　redoubled　his　efforts；　seconded　by　his　three　sons　and

his　sons…in…law；　to　assemble　in　the　rooms　of　his　official　residence

the　best　matches　which　Paris　and　the　various　deputations　from

departments　could　offer。　The　splendor　of　his　entertainments；　the

luxury　of　his　dining…room；　and　his　dinners；　fragrant　with　truffles；

rivaled　the　famous　banquets　by　which　the　ministers　of　that　time

secured　the　vote　of　their　parliamentary　recruits。



The　Honorable　Deputy　was　consequently　pointed　at　as　a　most　influential

corrupter　of　the　legislative　honesty　of　the　illustrious　Chambe