the secrets of the princesse de cadignan-第1节

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The　Secrets　of　the　Princesse　de　Cadignan



by　Honore　de　Balzac



Translated　by　Katharine　Prescott　Wormeley







DEDICATION



To　Theophile　Gautier









THE　SECRETS　OF　THE　PRINCESSE　DE　CADIGNAN







CHAPTER　I



THE　LAST　WORD　OF　TWO　GREAT　COQUETTES



After　the　disasters　of　the　revolution　of　July；　which　destroyed　so　many

aristocratic　fortunes　dependent　on　the　court；　Madame　la　Princesse　de

Cadignan　was　clever　enough　to　attribute　to　political　events　the　total

ruin　she　had　caused　by　her　own　extravagance。　The　prince　left　France

with　the　royal　family；　and　never　returned　to　it；　leaving　the　princess

in　Paris；　protected　by　the　fact　of　his　absence；　for　their　debts；　which

the　sale　of　all　their　salable　property　had　not　been　able　to

extinguish；　could　only　be　recovered　through　him。　The　revenues　of　the

entailed　estates　had　been　seized。　In　short；　the　affairs　of　this　great


family　were　in　as　bad　a　state　as　those　of　the　elder　branch　of　the

Bourbons。



This　woman；　so　celebrated　under　her　first　name　of　Duchesse　de

Maufrigneuse；　very　wisely　decided　to　live　in　retirement；　and　to　make

herself；　if　possible；　forgotten。　Paris　was　then　so　carried　away　by　the

whirling　current　of　events　that　the　Duchesse　de　Maufrigneuse；　buried

in　the　Princesse　de　Cadignan；　a　change　of　name　unknown　to　most　of　the

new　actors　brought　upon　the　stage　of　society　by　the　revolution　of

July；　did　really　become　a　stranger　in　her　own　city。



In　Paris　the　title　of　duke　ranks　all　others；　even　that　of　prince；

though；　in　heraldic　theory；　free　of　all　sophism；　titles　signify

nothing；　there　is　absolute　equality　among　gentlemen。　This　fine

equality　was　formerly　maintained　by　the　House　of　France　itself；　and　in

our　day　it　is　so　still；　at　least；　nominally；　witness　the　care　with

which　the　kings　of　France　give　to　their　sons　the　simple　title　of

count。　It　was　in　virtue　of　this　system　that　Francois　I。　crushed　the

splendid　titles　assumed　by　the　pompous　Charles　the　Fifth；　by　signing

his　answer：　〃Francois；　seigneur　de　Vanves。〃　Louis　XI。　did　better　still

by　marrying　his　daughter　to　an　untitled　gentleman；　Pierre　de　Beaujeu。

The　feudal　system　was　so　thoroughly　broken　up　by　Louis　XIV。　that　the

title　of　duke　became；　during　his　reign；　the　supreme　honor　of　the

aristocracy；　and　the　most　coveted。



Nevertheless　there　are　two　or　three　families　in　France　in　which　the

principality；　richly　endowed　in　former　times；　takes　precedence　of　the

duchy。　The　house　of　Cadignan；　which　possesses　the　title　of　Duc　de

Maufrigneuse　for　its　eldest　sons；　is　one　of　these　exceptional

families。　Like　the　princes　of　the　house　of　Rohan　in　earlier　days；　the

princes　of　Cadignan　had　the　right　to　a　throne　in　their　own　domain；

they　could　have　pages　and　gentlemen　in　their　service。　This　explanation

is　necessary；　as　much　to　escape　foolish　critics　who　know　nothing；　as

to　record　the　customs　of　a　world　which；　we　are　told；　is　about　to

disappear；　and　which；　evidently；　so　many　persons　are　assisting　to　push

away　without　knowing　what　it　is。



The　Cadignans　bear：　or；　five　lozenges　sable　appointed；　placed　fess…

wise；　with　the　word　〃Memini〃　for　motto；　a　crown　with　a　cap　of

maintenance；　no　supporters　or　mantle。　In　these　days　the　great　crowd　of

strangers　flocking　to　Paris；　and　the　almost　universal　ignorance　of　the

science　of　heraldry；　are　beginning　to　bring　the　title　of　prince　into

fashion。　There　are　no　real　princes　but　those　possessed　of

principalities；　to　whom　belongs　the　title　of　highness。　The　disdain

shown　by　the　French　nobility　for　the　title　of　prince；　and　the　reasons

which　caused　Louis　XIV。　to　give　supremacy　to　the　title　of　duke；　have

prevented　Frenchmen　from　claiming　the　appellation　of　〃highness〃　for

the　few　princes　who　exist　in　France；　those　of　Napoleon　excepted。　This

is　why　the　princes　of　Cadignan　hold　an　inferior　position；　nominally；

to　the　princes　of　the　continent。



The　members　of　the　society　called　the　faubourg　Saint…Germain　protected

the　princess　by　a　respectful　silence　due　to　her　name；　which　is　one　of

those　that　all　men　honor；　to　her　misfortunes；　which　they　ceased　to

discuss；　and　to　her　beauty；　the　only　thing　she　saved　of　her　departed

opulence。　Society；　of　which　she　had　once　been　the　ornament；　was

thankful　to　her　for　having；　as　it　were；　taken　the　veil；　and　cloistered

herself　in　her　own　home。　This　act　of　good　taste　was　for　her；　more　than

for　any　other　woman；　an　immense　sacrifice。　Great　deeds　are　always　so

keenly　felt　in　France　that　the　princess　gained；　by　her　retreat；　as

much　as　she　had　lost　in　public　opinion　in　the　days　of　her　splendor。



She　now　saw　only　one　of　her　old　friends；　the　Marquise　d'Espard；　and

even　to　her　she　never　went　on　festive　occasions　or　to　parties。　The

princess　and　the　marquise　visited　each　other　in　the　forenoons；　with　a

certain　amount　of　secrecy。　When　the　princess　went　to　dine　with　her

friend；　the　marquise　closed　her　doors。　Madame　d'Espard　treated　the

princess　charmingly；　she　changed　her　box　at　the　opera；　leaving　the

first　tier　for　a　baignoire　on　the　ground…floor；　so　that　Madame　de

Cadignan　could　come　to　the　theatre　unseen；　and　depart　incognito。　Few

women　would　have　been　capable　of　a　delicacy　which　deprived　them　of　the

pleasure　of　bearing　in　their　train　a　fallen　rival；　and　of　publicly

being　her　benefactress。　Thus　relieved　of　the　necessity　for　costly

toilets；　the　princess　could　enjoy　the　theatre；　whither　she　went　in

Madame　d'Espard's　carriage；　which　she　would　never　have　accepted　openly

in　the　daytime。　No　one　has　ever　known　Madame　d'Espard's　reasons　for

behaving　thus　to　the　Princesse　de　Cadignan；　but　her　conduct　was

admirable；　and　for　a　long　time　included　a　number　of　little　acts　which；

viewed　single；　seem　mere　trifles；　but　taken　in　the　mass　become

gigantic。



In　1832；　three　years　had　thrown　a　mantle　of　snow　over　the　follies　and

adventures　of　the　Duchesse　de　Maufrigneuse；　and　had　whitened　them　so

thoroughly　that　it　now　required　a　serious　effort　of　memory　to　recall

them。　Of　the　queen　once　adored　by　so　many　courtiers；　and　whose　follies

might　have　given　a　theme　to　a　variety　of　novels；　there　remained　a

woman　still　adorably　beautiful；　thirty…six　years　of　age；　but　quite

justified　in　calling　herself　thirty；　although　she　was　the　mother　of

Duc　Georges　de　Maufrigneuse；　a　young　man　of　eighteen；　handsome　as

Antinous；　poor　as　Job；　who　was　expected　to　obtain　great　successes；　and

for　whom　his　mother　desired；　above　all　things；　to　find　a　rich　wife。

Perhaps　this　hope　was　the　secret　of　the　intimacy　she　still　kept　up

with　the　marquise；　in　whose　salon；　which　was　one　of　the　first　in

Paris；　she　might　eventually　be　able　to　choose　among　many　heiresses　for

Georges'　wife。　The　princess　saw　five　years　between　the　present　moment

and　her　son's　marriage；five　solitary　and　desolate　years；　for；　in

order　to　obtain　such　a　marriage　for　her　son；　she　knew　that　her　own

conduct　must　be　marked　in　the　corner　with　discretion。



The　princess　lived　in　the　rue　de　Miromesnil；　in　a　small　house；　of

which　she　occupied　the　ground…floor　at　a　moderate　rent。　There　she　made

the　most　of　the　relics　of　her　past　magnificence。　The　elegance　of　the

great　lady　was　still　redolent　about　her。　She　was　still　surrounded　by

beautiful　things　which　recalled　her　former　existence。　On　her　chimney…

piece　was　a　fine　miniature　portrait　of　Charles　X。；　by　Madame　Mirbel；

beneath　which　were　engraved　the　words；　〃Given　by　the　King〃；　and；　as　a

pendant；　the　portrait　of　〃Madame〃；　who　was　always　her　kind　friend。　On

a　table　lay　an　album　of　costliest　price；　such　as　none　of　the

bourgeoises　who　now　lord　it　in　our　industrial　and　fault…finding

society　would　have　dared　to　exhibit。　This　album　contained　portraits；

about　thirty　in　number；　of　her　intimate　friends；　whom　the　world；　first

and　last；　had　given　her　as　lovers。　The　number　was　a　calumny；　but　had

rumor　said　ten；　it　might　have　been；　as　her　friend　Madame　d'Espard

remarked；　good；　sound　gossip。　The　portraits　of　Maxime　de　Trailles；　de

Marsay；　Rastignac；　the　Marquis　d'Esgrignon；　General　Montriveau；　the

Marquis　de　Ronquerolles　and　d'Ajuda…Pinto；　Prince　Galathionne；　the

young　Ducs　de　Grandlieu　and　de　Rhetore；　the　Vicomte　de　Serizy；　and　the

handsome　Lucien　de　Rubempre；　had　all　been　treated　with　the　utmost

coquetry　of　brush　and　pencil　by　celebrated　artists。　As　the　princess

now　received　only　two　or　three　of　these　personages；　she　called　the

book；　jokingly；　the　collection　of　her　errors。



Misfortune　had　made　this　woman　a　good　mother。　During　the　fifteen　years

of　the　Restoration　she　had　amused　herself　far　too　much　to　think　of　her

son；　but　on　taking　refuge　in　obscurity；　this　illustrious　egoist

bethought　her　that　the　maternal　sentiment；　developed　to　its　extreme；

might　be　an　absolution　for　her　past　follies　in　the　eyes　of　sensible

persons；　who　pardon　everything　to　a　good　mother。　She　loved　her　son　all

the　more　because　she　had　nothing　else　to　love。　Georges　de　Maufrigneuse

was；　moreover；　one　of　those　children　who　flatter　the　vanities　of　a

m