the secrets of the princesse de cadignan-第8节

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quenched　by　successes。　The　thoughts　with　which　that　brow　once　teemed

had　flowered；　the　lines　of　the　hollow　face　were　filling　out。　Ease　now

spread　its　golden　tints　where；　in　youth；　poverty　had　laid　the　yellow

tones　of　the　class　of　temperament　whose　forces　band　together　to

support　a　crushing　and　long…continued　struggle。　If　you　observe

carefully　the　noble　faces　of　ancient　philosophers；　you　will　always

find　those　deviations　from　the　type　of　a　perfect　human　face　which　show

the　characteristic　to　which　each　countenance　owes　its　originality；

chastened　by　the　habit　of　meditation；　and　by　the　calmness　necessary

for　intellectual　labor。　The　most　irregular　features；　like　those　of

Socrates；　for　instance；　become；　after　a　time；　expressive　of　an　almost

divine　serenity。



To　the　noble　simplicity　which　characterized　his　head；　d'Arthez　added　a

naive　expression；　the　naturalness　of　a　child；　and　a　touching

kindliness。　He　did　not　have　that　politeness　tinged　with　insincerity

with　which；　in　society；　the　best…bred　persons　and　the　most　amiable

assume　qualities　in　which　they　are　often　lacking；　leaving　those　they

have　thus　duped　wounded　and　distressed。　He　might；　indeed；　fail　to

observe　certain　rules　of　social　life；　owing　to　his　isolated　mode　of

living；　but　he　never　shocked　the　sensibilities；　and　therefore　this

perfume　of　savagery　made　the　peculiar　affability　of　a　man　of　great

talent　the　more　agreeable；　such　men　know　how　to　leave　their

superiority　in　their　studies；　and　come　down　to　the　social　level；

lending　their　backs；　like　Henry　IV。；　to　the　children's　leap…frog；　and

their　minds　to　fools。



If　d'Arthez　did　not　brace　himself　against　the　spell　which　the　princess

had　cast　about　him；　neither　did　she　herself　argue　the　matter　in　her

own　mind；　on　returning　home。　It　was　settled　for　her。　She　loved　with

all　her　knowledge　and　all　her　ignorance。　If　she　questioned　herself　at

all；　it　was　to　ask　whether　she　deserved　so　great　a　happiness；　and　what

she　had　done　that　Heaven　should　send　her　such　an　angel。　She　wanted　to

be　worthy　of　that　love；　to　perpetuate　it；　to　make　it　her　own　forever；

and　to　gently　end　her　career　of　frivolity　in　the　paradise　she　now

foresaw。　As　for　coquetting；　quibbling；　resisting；　she　never　once

thought　of　it。　She　was　thinking　of　something　very　different！of　the

grandeur　of　men　of　genius；　and　the　certainty　which　her　heart　divined

that　they　would　never　subject　the　woman　they　chose　to　ordinary　laws。



Here　begins　one　of　those　unseen　comedies；　played　in　the　secret　regions

of　the　consciousness　between　two　beings　of　whom　one　will　be　the　dupe

of　the　other；　though　it　keeps　on　this　side　of　wickedness；　one　of　those

dark　and　comic　dramas　to　which　that　of　Tartuffe　is　mere　child's　play；

dramas　that　do　not　enter　the　scenic　domain；　although　they　are

natural；　conceivable；　and　even　justifiable　by　necessity；　dramas　which

may　be　characterized　as　not　vice；　only　the　other　side　of　it。



The　princess　began　by　sending　for　d'Arthez's　books；　of　which　she　had

never；　as　yet；　read　a　single　word；　although　she　had　managed　to

maintain　a　twenty　minutes'　eulogism　and　discussion　of　them　without　a

blunder。　She　now　read　them　all。　Then　she　wanted　to　compare　these　books

with　the　best　that　contemporary　literature　had　produced。　By　the　time

d'Arthez　came　to　see　her　she　was　having　an　indigestion　of　mind。

Expecting　this　visit；　she　had　daily　made　a　toilet　of　what　may　be

called　the　superior　order；　that　is；　a　toilet　which　expresses　an　idea；

and　makes　it　accepted　by　the　eye　without　the　owner　of　the　eye　knowing

why　or　wherefore。　She　presented　an　harmonious　combination　of　shades　of

gray；　a　sort　of　semi…mourning；　full　of　graceful　renunciation；the

garments　of　a　woman　who　holds　to　life　only　through　a　few　natural　ties；

her　child；　for　instance；but　who　is　weary　of　life。　Those　garments

bore　witness　to　an　elegant　disgust；　not　reaching；　however；　as　far　as

suicide；　no；　she　would　live　out　her　days　in　these　earthly　galleys。



She　received　d'Arthez　as　a　woman　who　expected　him；　and　as　if　he　had

already　been　to　see　her　a　hundred　times；　she　did　him　the　honor　to

treat　him　like　an　old　acquaintance；　and　she　put　him　at　his　ease　by

pointing　to　a　seat　on　a　sofa；　while　she　finished　a　note　she　was　then

writing。　The　conversation　began　in　a　commonplace　manner：　the　weather；

the　ministry；　de　Marsay's　illness；　the　hopes　of　the　legitimists。

D'Arthez　was　an　absolutist；　the　princess　could　not　be　ignorant　of　the

opinions　of　a　man　who　sat　in　the　Chamber　among　the　fifteen　or　twenty

persons　who　represented　the　legitimist　party；　she　found　means　to　tell

him　how　she　had　fooled　de　Marsay　to　the　top　of　his　bent；　then；　by　an

easy　transition　to　the　royal　family　and　to　〃Madame；〃　and　the　devotion

of　the　Prince　de　Cadignan　to　their　service；　she　drew　d'Arthez's

attention　to　the　prince：



〃There　is　this　to　be　said　for　him：　he　loved　his　masters；　and　was

faithful　to　them。　His　public　character　consoles　me　for　the　sufferings

his　private　life　has　inflicted　upon　me　Have　you　never　remarked；〃　she

went　on；　cleverly　leaving　the　prince　aside；　〃you　who　observe　so　much；

that　men　have　two　natures：　one　of　their　homes；　their　wives；　their

private　lives；this　is　their　true　self；　here　no　mask；　no

dissimulation；　they　do　not　give　themselves　the　trouble　to　disguise　a

feeling；　they　are　what　they　ARE；　and　it　is　often　horrible！　The　other

man　is　for　others；　for　the　world；　for　salons；　the　court；　the

sovereign；　the　public　often　see　them　grand；　and　noble；　and　generous；

embroidered　with　virtues；　adorned　with　fine　language；　full　of

admirable　qualities。　What　a　horrible　jest　it　is！and　the　world　is

surprised；　sometimes；　at　the　caustic　smile　of　certain　women；　at　their

air　of　superiority　to　their　husbands；　and　their　indifference〃



She　let　her　hand　fall　along　the　arm　of　her　chair；　without　ending　her

sentence；　but　the　gesture　admirably　completed　the　speech。　She　saw

d'Arthez　watching　her　flexible　figure；　gracefully　bending　in　the

depths　of　her　easy…chair；　noting　the　folds　of　her　gown；　and　the　pretty

little　ruffle　which　sported　on　her　breast；one　of　those　audacities　of

the　toilet　that　are　suited　only　to　slender　waists；and　she　resumed

the　thread　of　her　thoughts　as　if　she　were　speaking　to　herself：



〃But　I　will　say　no　more。　You　writers　have　ended　by　making　ridiculous

all　women　who　think　they　are　misunderstood；　or　ill…mated；　and　who　try

to　make　themselves　dramatically　interesting；attempts　which　seem　to

me；　I　must　say；　intolerably　vulgar。　There　are　but　two　things　for　women

in　that　plight　to　do；yield；　and　all　is　over；　resist；　and　amuse

themselves；　in　either　case　they　should　keep　silence。　It　is　true　that　I

neither　yielded　wholly；　nor　resisted　wholly；　but；　perhaps；　that　was

only　the　more　reason　why　I　should　be　silent。　What　folly　for　women　to

complain！　If　they　have　not　proved　the　stronger；　they　have　failed　in

sense；　in　tact；　in　capacity；　and　they　deserve　their　fate。　Are　they　not

queens　in　France？　They　can　play　with　you　as　they　like；　when　they　like；

and　as　much　as　they　like。〃　Here　she　danced　her　vinaigrette　with　an

airy　movement　of　feminine　impertinence　and　mocking　gayety。　〃I　have

often　heard　miserable　little　specimens　of　my　sex　regretting　that　they

were　women；　wishing　they　were　men；　I　have　always　regarded　them　with

pity。　If　I　had　to　choose；　I　should　still　elect　to　be　a　woman。　A　fine

pleasure；　indeed；　to　owe　one's　triumph　to　force；　and　to　all　those

powers　which　you　give　yourselves　by　the　laws　you　make！　But　to　see　you

at　our　feet；　saying　and　doing　foolish　things；ah！　it　is　an

intoxicating　pleasure　to　feel　within　our　souls　that　weakness　triumphs！

But　when　we　triumph；　we　ought　to　keep　silence；　under　pain　of　losing

our　empire。　Beaten；　a　woman's　pride　should　gag　her。　The　slave's

silence　alarms　the　master。〃



This　chatter　was　uttered　in　a　voice　so　softly　sarcastic；　so　dainty；

and　with　such　coquettish　motions　of　the　head；　that　d'Arthez；　to　whom

this　style　of　woman　was　totally　unknown；　sat　before　her　exactly　like　a

partridge　charmed　by　a　setter。



〃I　entreat　you；　madame；〃　he　said；　at　last；　〃to　tell　me　how　it　was

possible　that　a　man　could　make　you　suffer？　Be　assured　that　where；　as

you　say；　other　women　are　common　and　vulgar；　you　can　only　seem

distinguished；　your　manner　of　saying　things　would　make　a　cook…book

interesting。〃



〃You　go　fast　in　friendship；〃　she　said；　in　a　grave　voice　which　made

d'Arthez　extremely　uneasy。



The　conversation　changed；　the　hour　was　late；　and　the　poor　man　of

genius　went　away　contrite　for　having　seemed　curious；　and　for　wounding

the　sensitive　heart　of　that　rare　woman　who　had　so　strangely　suffered。

As　for　her；　she　had　passed　her　life　in　amusing　herself　with　men；　and

was　another　Don　Juan　in　female　attire；　with　this　difference：　she　would

certainly　not　have　invited　the　Commander　to　supper；　and　would　have　got

the　better　of　any　statue。



It　is　impossible　to　continue　this　tale　without　saying　a　word　about　the

Prince　de　Cadignan；　better　known　under　the　name　of　the　Duc　de

Maufrigneus