the secrets of the princesse de cadignan-第9节

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

Maufrigneuse；　otherwise　the　spice　of　the　princess's　confidences　would

be　lost；　and　strangers　would　not　understand　the　Parisian　comedy　she

was　about　to　play　for　her　man　of　genius。



The　Duc　de　Maufrigneuse；　like　a　true　son　of　the　old　Prince　de

Cadignan；　is　a　tall；　lean　man；　of　elegant　shape；　very　graceful；　a

sayer　of　witty　things；　colonel　by　the　grace　of　God；　and　a　good　soldier

by　accident；　brave　as　a　Pole；　which　means　without　sense　or

discernment；　and　hiding　the　emptiness　of　his　mind　under　the　jargon　of

good　society。　After　the　age　of　thirty…six　he　was　forced　to　be　as

absolutely　indifferent　to　the　fair　sex　as　his　master　Charles　X。；

punished；　like　that　master；　for　having　pleased　it　too　well。　For

eighteen　years　the　idol　of　the　faubourg　Saint…Germain；　he　had；　like

other　heirs　of　great　families　led　a　dissipated　life；　spent　solely　on

pleasure。　His　father；　ruined　by　the　revolution；　had　somewhat　recovered

his　position　on　the　return　of　the　Bourbons；　as　governor　of　a　royal

domain；　with　salary　and　perquisites；　but　this　uncertain　fortune　the

old　prince　spent；　as　it　came；　in　keeping　up　the　traditions　of　a　great

seigneur　before　the　revolution；　so　that　when　the　law　of　indemnity　was

passed；　the　sums　he　received　were　all　swallowed　up　in　the　luxury　he

displayed　in　his　vast　hotel。



The　old　prince　died　some　little　time　before　the　revolution　of　July

aged　eighty…seven。　He　had　ruined　his　wife；　and　had　long　been　on　bad

terms　with　the　Duc　de　Navarreins；　who　had　married　his　daughter　for　a

first　wife；　and　to　whom　he　very　reluctantly　rendered　his　accounts。　The

Duc　de　Maufrigneuse；　early　in　life；　had　had　relations　with　the

Duchesse　d'Uxelles。　About　the　year　1814；　when　Monsieur　de　Maufrigneuse

was　forty…six　years　of　age；　the　duchess；　pitying　his　poverty；　and

seeing　that　he　stood　very　well　at　court；　gave　him　her　daughter　Diane；

then　in　her　seventeenth　year；　and　possessing；　in　her　own　right；　some

fifty　or　sixty　thousand　francs　a　year；　not　counting　her　future

expectations。　Mademoiselle　d'Uxelles　thus　became　a　duchess；　and；　as

her　mother　very　well　knew；　she　enjoyed　the　utmost　liberty。　The　duke；

after　obtaining　the　unexpected　happiness　of　an　heir；　left　his　wife

entirely　to　her　own　devices；　and　went　off　to　amuse　himself　in　the

various　garrisons　of　France；　returning　occasionally　to　Paris；　where　he

made　debts　which　his　father　paid。　He　professed　the　most　entire

conjugal　indulgence；　always　giving　the　duchess　a　week's　warning　of　his

return；　he　was　adored　by　his　regiment；　beloved　by　the　Dauphin；　an

adroit　courtier；　somewhat　of　a　gambler；　and　totally　devoid　of

affectation。　Having　succeeded　to　his　father's　office　as　governor　of

one　of　the　royal　domains；　he　managed　to　please　the　two　kings；　Louis

XVIII。　and　Charles　X。；　which　proves　he　made　the　most　of　his　nonentity；

and　even　the　liberals　liked　him；　but　his　conduct　and　life　were　covered

with　the　finest　varnish；　language；　noble　manners；　and　deportment　were

brought　by　him　to　a　state　of　perfection。　But；　as　the　old　prince　said；

it　was　impossible　for　him　to　continue　the　traditions　of　the　Cadignans；

who　were　all　well　known　to　have　ruined　their　wives；　for　the　duchess

was　running　through　her　property　on　her　own　account。



These　particulars　were　so　well　understood　in　the　court　circles　and　in

the　faubourg　Saint…Germain；　that　during　the　last　five　years　of　the

Restoration　they　were　considered　ancient　history；　and　any　one　who

mentioned　them　would　have　been　laughed　at。　Women　never　spoke　of　the

charming　duke　without　praising　him；　he　was　excellent；　they　said；　to

his　wife；　could　a　man　be　better？　He　had　left　her　the　entire　disposal

of　her　own　property；　and　had　always　defended　her　on　every　occasion。　It

is　true　that；　whether　from　pride；　kindliness；　or　chivalry；　Monsieur　de

Maufrigneuse　had　saved　the　duchess　under　various　circumstances　which

might　have　ruined　other　women；　in　spite　of　Diane's　surroundings；　and

the　influence　of　her　mother　and　that　of　the　Duc　de　Navarreins；　her

father…in…law；　and　her　husband's　aunt。



For　several　ensuing　days　the　princess　revealed　herself　to　d'Arthez　as

remarkable　for　her　knowledge　of　literature。　She　discussed　with　perfect

fearlessness　the　most　difficult　questions；　thanks　to　her　daily　and

nightly　reading；　pursued　with　an　intrepidity　worthy　of　the　highest

praise。　D'Arthez；　amazed；　and　incapable　of　suspecting　that　Diane

d'Uxelles　merely　repeated　at　night　that　which　she　read　in　the　morning

（as　some　writers　do）；　regarded　her　as　a　most　superior　woman。　These

conversations；　however；　led　away　from　Diane's　object；　and　she　tried　to

get　back　to　the　region　of　confidences　from　which　d'Arthez　had

prudently　retired　after　her　coquettish　rebuff；　but　it　was　not　as　easy

as　she　expected　to　bring　back　a　man　of　his　nature　who　had　once　been

startled　away。



However；　after　a　month　of　literary　campaigning　and　the　finest　platonic

discourses；　d'Arthez　grew　bolder；　and　arrived　every　day　at　three

o'clock。　He　retired　at　six；　and　returned　at　nine；　to　remain　until

midnight；　or　one　in　the　morning；　with　the　regularity　of　an　ardent　and

impatient　lover。　The　princess　was　always　dressed　with　more　or　less

studied　elegance　at　the　hour　when　d'Arthez　presented　himself。　This

mutual　fidelity；　the　care　they　each　took　of　their　appearance；　in　fact；

all　about　them　expressed　sentiments　that　neither　dared　avow；　for　the

princess　discerned　very　plainly　that　the　great　child　with　whom　she　had

to　do　shrank　from　the　combat　as　much　as　she　desired　it。　Nevertheless

d'Arthez　put　into　his　mute　declarations　a　respectful　awe　which　was

infinitely　pleasing　to　her。　Both　felt；　every　day；　all　the　more　united

because　nothing　acknowledged　or　definite　checked　the　course　of　their

ideas；　as　occurs　between　lovers　when　there　are　formal　demands　on　one

side；　and　sincere　or　coquettish　refusals　on　the　other。



Like　all　men　younger　than　their　actual　age；　d'Arthez　was　a　prey　to

those　agitating　irresolutions　which　are　caused　by　the　force　of　desires

and　the　terror　of　displeasing；a　situation　which　a　young　woman　does

not　comprehend　when　she　shares　it；　but　which　the　princess　had　too

often　deliberately　produced　not　to　enjoy　its　pleasures。　In　fact；　Diane

enjoyed　these　delightful　juvenilities　all　the　more　keenly　because　she

knew　that　she　could　put　an　end　to　them　at　any　moment。　She　was　like　a

great　artist　delighting　in　the　vague；　undecided　lines　of　his　sketch；

knowing　well　that　in　a　moment　of　inspiration　he　can　complete　the

masterpiece　still　waiting　to　come　to　birth。　Many　a　time；　seeing

d'Arthez　on　the　point　of　advancing；　she　enjoyed　stopping　him　short；

with　an　imposing　air　and　manner。　She　drove　back　the　hidden　storms　of

that　still　young　heart；　raised　them　again；　and　stilled　them　with　a

look；　holding　out　her　hand　to　be　kissed；　or　saying　some　trifling

insignificant　words　in　a　tender　voice。



These　manoeuvres；　planned　in　cold　blood；　but　enchantingly　executed；

carved　her　image　deeper　and　deeper　on　the　soul　of　that　great　writer

and　thinker　whom　she　revelled　in　making　childlike；　confiding；　simple；

and　almost　silly　beside　her。　And　yet　she　had　moments　of　repulsion

against　her　own　act；　moments　in　which　she　could　not　help　admiring　the

grandeur　of　such　simplicity。　This　game　of　choicest　coquetry　attached

her；　insensibly；　to　her　slave。　At　last；　however；　Diane　grew　impatient

with　an　Epictetus　of　love；　and　when　she　thought　she　had　trained　him　to

the　utmost　credulity；　she　set　to　work　to　tie　a　thicker　bandage　still

over　his　eyes。







CHAPTER　IV



THE　CONFESSION　OF　A　PRETTY　WOMAN



One　evening　Daniel　found　the　princess　thoughtful；　one　elbow　resting　on

a　little　table；　her　beautiful　blond　head　bathed　in　light　from　the

lamp。　She　was　toying　with　a　letter　which　lay　on　the　table…cloth。　When

d'Arthez　had　seen　the　paper　distinctly；　she　folded　it　up；　and　stuck　it

in　her　belt。



〃What　is　the　matter？〃　asked　d'Arthez；　〃you　seem　distressed。〃



〃I　have　received　a　letter　from　Monsieur　de　Cadignan；〃　she　replied。

〃However　great　the　wrongs　he　has　done　me；　I　cannot　help　thinking　of

his　exilewithout　family；　without　sonfrom　his　native　land。〃



These　words；　said　in　a　soulful　voice；　betrayed　angelic　sensibility。

D'Arthez　was　deeply　moved。　The　curiosity　of　the　lover　became；　so　to

speak；　a　psychological　and　literary　curiosity。　He　wanted　to　know　the

height　that　woman　had　attained；　and　what　were　the　injuries　she　thus

forgave；　he　longed　to　know　how　these　women　of　the　world；　taxed　with

frivolity；　cold…heartedness；　and　egotism；　could　be　such　angels。

Remembering　how　the　princess　had　already　repulsed　him　when　he　first

tried　to　read　that　celestial　heart；　his　voice；　and　he　himself；

trembled　as　he　took　the　transparent；　slender　hand　of　the　beautiful

Diane　with　its　curving　finger…tips；　and　said；



〃Are　we　now　such　friends　that　you　will　tell　me　what　you　have

suffered？〃



〃Yes；〃　she　said；　breathing　forth　the　syllable　like　the　most

mellifluous　note　that　Tulou's　flute