the secrets of the princesse de cadignan-第6节

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she　had　sought　him。　Persons　of　taste；　like　the　princess；　are

especially　distinguished　for　their　manner　of　listening；　for　an

affability　without　superciliousness；　which　is　to　politeness　what

practice　is　to　virtue。　When　the　celebrated　man　spoke；　she　took　an

attentive　attitude；　a　thousand　times　more　flattering　than　the　best…

seasoned　compliments。　The　mutual　presentation　was　made　quietly；

without　emphasis；　and　in　perfectly　good　taste；　by　the　marquise。



At　dinner　d'Arthez　was　placed　beside　the　princess；　who；　far　from

imitating　the　eccentricities　of　diet　which　many　affected　women

display；　ate　her　dinner　with　a　very　good　appetite；　making　it　a　point

of　honor　to　seem　a　natural　woman；　without　strange　ways　or　fancies。

Between　two　courses　she　took　advantage　of　the　conversation　becoming

general　to　say　to　d'Arthez；　in　a　sort　of　aside：



〃The　secret　of　the　pleasure　I　take　in　finding　myself　beside　you；　is

the　desire　I　feel　to　learn　something　of　an　unfortunate　friend　of

yours；　monsieur。　He　died　for　another　cause　greater　than　ours；　but　I

was　under　the　greatest　obligations　to　him；　although　unable　to

acknowledge　or　thank　him　for　them。　I　know　that　you　were　one　of　his

best　friends。　Your　mutual　friendship；　pure　and　unalterable；　is　a　claim

upon　me。　You　will　not；　I　am　sure；　think　it　extraordinary；　that　I　have

wished　to　know　all　you　could　tell　me　of　a　man　so　dear　to　you。　Though　I

am　attached　to　the　exiled　family；　and　bound；　of　course；　to　hold

monarchical　opinions；　I　am　not　among　those　who　think　it　is　impossible

to　be　both　republican　and　noble　in　heart。　Monarchy　and　the　republic

are　two　forms　of　government　which　do　not　stifle　noble　sentiments。〃



〃Michel　Chrestien　was　an　angel；　madame；〃　replied　Daniel；　in　a　voice　of

emotion。　〃I　don't　know　among　the　heroes　of　antiquity　a　greater　than

he。　Be　careful　not　to　think　him　one　of　those　narrow…minded　republicans

who　would　like　to　restore　the　Convention　and　the　amenities　of　the

Committee　of　Public　Safety。　No；　Michel　dreamed　of　the　Swiss　federation

applied　to　all　Europe。　Let　us　own；　between　ourselves；　that　AFTER　the

glorious　government　of　one　man　only；　which；　as　I　think；　is

particularly　suited　to　our　nation；　Michel's　system　would　lead　to　the

suppression　of　war　in　this　old　world；　and　its　reconstruction　on　bases

other　than　those　of　conquest；　which　formerly　feudalized　it。　From　this

point　of　view　the　republicans　came　nearest　to　his　idea。　That　is　why　he

lent　them　his　arm　in　July；　and　was　killed　at　Saint…Merri。　Though

completely　apart　in　opinion；　he　and　I　were　closely　bound　together　as

friends。〃



〃That　is　noble　praise　for　both　natures；〃　said　Madame　de　Cadignan；

timidly。



〃During　the　last　four　years　of　his　life；〃　continued　Daniel；　〃he　made

to　me　alone　a　confidence　of　his　love　for　you；　and　this　confidence

knitted　closer　than　ever　the　already　strong　ties　of　brotherly

affection。　He　alone；　madame；　can　have　loved　you　as　you　ought　to　be

loved。　Many　a　time　I　have　been　pelted　with　rain　as　we　accompanied　your

carriage　at　the　pace　of　the　horses；　to　keep　at　a　parallel　distance；

and　see　youadmire　you。〃



〃Ah！　monsieur；〃　said　the　princess；　〃how　can　I　repay　such　feelings！〃



〃Why　is　Michel　not　here！〃　exclaimed　Daniel；　in　melancholy　accents。



〃Perhaps　he　would　not　have　loved　me　long；〃　said　the　princess；　shaking

her　head　sadly。　〃Republicans　are　more　absolute　in　their　ideas　than　we

absolutists；　whose　fault　is　indulgence。　No　doubt　he　imagined　me

perfect；　and　society　would　have　cruelly　undeceived　him。　We　are

pursued；　we　women；　by　as　many　calumnies　as　you　authors　are　compelled

to　endure　in　your　literary　life；　but　we；　alas！　cannot　defend　ourselves

either　by　our　works　or　by　our　fame。　The　world　will　not　believe　us　to

be　what　we　are；　but　what　it　thinks　us　to　be。　It　would　soon　have　hidden

from　his　eyes　the　real　but　unknown　woman　that　is　in　me；　behind　the

false　portrait　of　the　imaginary　woman　which　the　world　considers　true。

He　would　have　come　to　think　me　unworthy　of　the　noble　feelings　he　had

for　me；　and　incapable　of　comprehending　him。〃



Here　the　princess　shook　her　head；　swaying　the　beautiful　blond　curls；

full　of　heather；　with　a　touching　gesture。　This　plaintive　expression　of

grievous　doubts　and　hidden　sorrows　is　indescribable。　Daniel　understood

them　all；　and　he　looked　at　the　princess　with　keen　emotion。



〃And　yet；　the　night　on　which　I　last　saw　him；　after　the　revolution　of

July；　I　was　on　the　point　of　giving　way　to　the　desire　I　felt　to　take

his　hand　and　press　it　before　all　the　world；　under　the　peristyle　of　the

opera…house。　But　the　thought　came　to　me　that　such　a　proof　of　gratitude

might　be　misinterpreted；　like　so　many　other　little　things　done　from

noble　motives　which　are　called　to…day　the　follies　of　Madame　de

Maufrigneusethings　which　I　can　never　explain；　for　none　but　my　son

and　God　have　understood　me。〃



These　words；　breathed　into　the　ear　of　the　listener；　in　tones　inaudible

to　the　other　guests；　and　with　accents　worthy　of　the　cleverest　actress；

were　calculated　to　reach　the　heart；　and　they　did　reach　that　of

d'Arthez。　There　was　no　question　of　himself　in　the　matter；　this　woman

was　seeking　to　rehabilitate　herself　in　favor　of　the　dead。　She　had　been

calumniated；　and　she　evidently　wanted　to　know　if　anything　had

tarnished　her　in　the　eyes　of　him　who　had　loved　her；　had　he　died　with

all　his　illusions？



〃Michel；〃　replied　d'Arthez；　〃was　one　of　those　men　who　love　absolutely；

and　who；　if　they　choose　ill；　can　suffer　without　renouncing　the　woman

they　have　once　elected。〃



〃Was　I　loved　thus？〃　she　said；　with　an　air　of　exalted　beatitude。



〃Yes；　madame。〃



〃I　made　his　happiness？〃



〃For　four　years。〃



〃A　woman　never　hears　of　such　a　thing　without　a　sentiment　of　proud

satisfaction；〃　she　said；　turning　her　sweet　and　noble　face　to　d'Arthez

with　a　movement　full　of　modest　confusion。



One　of　the　most　skilful　manoeuvres　of　these　actresses　is　to　veil　their

manner　when　words　are　too　expressive；　and　speak　with　their　eyes　when

language　is　restrained。　These　clever　discords；　slipped　into　the　music

of　their　love；　be　it　false　or　true；　produce　irresistible　attractions。



〃Is　it　not；〃　she　said；　lowering　her　voice　and　her　eyes；　after　feeling

well　assured　they　had　produced　her　effect；〃is　it　not　fulfilling

one's　destiny　to　have　rendered　a　great　man　happy？〃



〃Did　he　not　write　that　to　you？〃



〃Yes；　but　I　wanted　to　be　sure；　quite　sure；　for；　believe　me；　monsieur；

in　putting　me　so　high　he　was　not　mistaken。〃



Women　know　how　to　give　a　peculiar　sacredness　to　their　words；　they

communicate　something　vibrant　to　them；　which　extends　the　meaning　of

their　ideas；　and　gives　them　depth；　though　later　their　fascinated

listener　may　not　remember　precisely　what　they　said；　their　end　has　been

completely　attained；which　is　the　object　of　all　eloquence。　The

princess　might　at　that　moment　have　been　wearing　the　diadem　of　France；

and　her　brow　could　not　have　seemed　more　imposing　than　it　was　beneath

that　crown　of　golden　hair；　braided　like　a　coronet；　and　adorned　with

heather。　She　was　simple　and　calm；　nothing　betrayed　a　sense　of　any

necessity　to　appear　so；　nor　any　desire　to　seem　grand　or　loving。

D'Arthez；　the　solitary　toiler；　to　whom　the　ways　of　the　world　were

unknown；　whom　study　had　wrapped　in　its　protecting　veils；　was　the　dupe

of　her　tones　and　words。　He　was　under　the　spell　of　those　exquisite

manners；　he　admired　that　perfect　beauty；　ripened　by　misfortune；　placid

in　retirement；　he　adored　the　union　of　so　rare　a　mind　and　so　noble　a

soul；　and　he　longed　to　become；　himself；　the　heir　of　Michel　Chrestien。



The　beginning　of　this　passion　was；　as　in　the　case　of　almost　all　deep

thinkers；　an　idea。　Looking　at　the　princess；　studying　the　shape　of　her

head；　the　arrangement　of　those　sweet　features；　her　figure；　her　hand；

so　finely　modelled；　closer　than　when　he　accompanied　his　friend　in

their　wild　rush　through　the　streets；　he　was　struck　by　the　surprising

phenomenon　of　the　moral　second…sight　which　a　man　exalted　by　love

invariably　finds　within　him。　With　what　lucidity　had　Michel　Chrestien

read　into　that　soul；　that　heart；　illumined　by　the　fires　of　love！　Thus

the　princess　acquired；　in　d'Arthez's　eyes；　another　charm；　a　halo　of

poesy　surrounded　her。



As　the　dinner　proceeded；　Daniel　called　to　mind　the　various　confidences

of　his　friend；　his　despair；　his　hopes；　the　noble　poems　of　a　true

sentiment　sung　to　his　ear　alone；　in　honor　of　this　woman。　It　is　rare

that　a　man　passes　without　remorse　from　the　position　of　confidant　to

that　of　rival；　and　d'Arthez　was　free　to　do　so　without　dishonor。　He　had

suddenly；　in　a　moment；　perceived　the　enormous　differences　existing

between　a　well…bred　woman；　that　flower　of　the　great　world；　and　common

women；　though　of　the　latter　he　did　not　know　beyond　one　specimen。　He

was　thus　captured　on　the　most　accessible　and　sensitive　sides　of　his

soul　and　of　his　genius。　Impelled　by　his　simplicity；　and　by　the

impetuosity　of　his　ideas；　to　lay　immediate　claim　to　this　woman；　he

found　himself　res