a second home-第12节

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When　Granville　took　his　wife　into　society　she　never　declined　solemn　functions；　such　as　dinners；　concerts；　or　parties　given　by　the　Judges　superior　to　her　husband　in　the　legal　profession；　but　for　a　long　time　she　constantly　excused　herself　on　the　plea　of　a　sick　headache　when　they　were　invited　to　a　ball。　One　day　Granville；　out　of　patience　with　these　assumed　indispositions；　destroyed　a　note　of　invitation　to　a　ball　at　the　house　of　a　Councillor　of　State；　and　gave　his　wife　only　a　verbal　invitation。　Then；　on　the　evening；　her　health　being　quite　above　suspicion；　he　took　her　to　a　magnificent　entertainment。

〃My　dear；〃　said　he；　on　their　return　home；　seeing　her　wear　an　offensive　air　of　depression；　〃your　position　as　a　wife；　the　rank　you　hold　in　society；　and　the　fortune　you　enjoy；　impose　on　you　certain　duties　of　which　no　divine　law　can　relieve　you。　Are　you　not　your　husband's　pride？　You　are　required　to　go　to　balls　when　I　go；　and　to　appear　in　a　becoming　manner。〃

〃And　what　is　there；　my　dear；　so　disastrous　in　my　dress？〃

〃It　is　your　manner；　my　dear。　When　a　young　man　comes　up　to　speak　to　you；　you　look　so　serious　that　a　spiteful　person　might　believe　you　doubtful　of　your　own　virtue。　You　seem　to　fear　lest　a　smile　should　undo　you。　You　really　look　as　if　you　were　asking　forgiveness　of　God　for　the　sins　that　may　be　committed　around　you。　The　world；　my　dearest；　is　not　a　convent。But；　as　you　mentioned　your　dress；　I　may　confess　to　you　that　it　is　no　less　a　duty　to　conform　to　the　customs　and　fashions　of　Society。〃

〃Do　you　wish　that　I　should　display　my　shape　like　those　indecent　women　who　wear　gowns　so　low　that　impudent　eyes　can　stare　at　their　bare　shoulders　and　their〃

〃There　is　a　difference；　my　dear；〃　said　her　husband；　interrupting　her；　〃between　uncovering　your　whole　bust　and　giving　some　grace　to　your　dress。　You　wear　three　rows　of　net　frills　that　cover　your　throat　up　to　your　chin。　You　look　as　if　you　had　desired　your　dressmaker　to　destroy　the　graceful　line　of　your　shoulders　and　bosom　with　as　much　care　as　a　coquette　would　devote　to　obtaining　from　hers　a　bodice　that　might　emphasize　her　covered　form。　Your　bust　is　wrapped　in　so　many　folds　that　every　one　was　laughing　at　your　affectation　of　prudery。　You　would　be　really　grieved　if　I　were　to　repeat　the　ill…natured　remarks　made　on　your　appearance。〃

〃Those　who　admire　such　obscenity　will　not　have　to　bear　the　burthen　if　we　sin；〃　said　the　lady　tartly。

〃And　you　did　not　dance？〃　asked　Granville。

〃I　shall　never　dance；〃　she　replied。

〃If　I　tell　you　that　you　ought　to　dance！〃　said　her　husband　sharply。　〃Yes；　you　ought　to　follow　the　fashions；　to　wear　flowers　in　your　hair；　and　diamonds。　Remember；　my　dear；　that　rich　peopleand　we　are　rich　are　obliged　to　keep　up　luxury　in　the　State。　Is　it　not　far　better　to　encourage　manufacturers　than　to　distribute　money　in　the　form　of　alms　through　the　medium　of　the　clergy？〃

〃You　talk　as　a　statesman！〃　said　Angelique。

〃And　you　as　a　priest；〃　he　retorted。

The　discussion　was　bitter。　Madame　de　Granville's　answers；　though　spoken　very　sweetly　and　in　a　voice　as　clear　as　a　church　bell；　showed　an　obstinacy　that　betrayed　priestly　influence。　When　she　appealed　to　the　rights　secured　to　her　by　Granville's　promise；　she　added　that　her　director　specially　forbade　her　going　to　balls；　then　her　husband　pointed　out　to　her　that　the　priest　was　overstepping　the　regulations　of　the　Church。

This　odious　theological　dispute　was　renewed　with　great　violence　and　acerbity　on　both　sides　when　Granville　proposed　to　take　his　wife　to　the　play。　Finally；　the　lawyer；　whose　sole　aim　was　to　defeat　the　pernicious　influence　exerted　over　his　wife　by　her　old　confessor；　placed　the　question　on　such　a　footing　that　Madame　de　Granville；　in　a　spirit　of　defiance；　referred　it　by　writing　to　the　Court　of　Rome；　asking　in　so　many　words　whether　a　woman　could　wear　low　gowns　and　go　to　the　play　and　to　balls　without　compromising　her　salvation。

The　reply　of　the　venerable　Pope　Pius　VII。　came　at　once；　strongly　condemning　the　wife's　recalcitrancy　and　blaming　the　priest。　This　letter；　a　chapter　on　conjugal　duties；　might　have　been　dictated　by　the　spirit　of　Fenelon；　whose　grace　and　tenderness　pervaded　every　line。

〃A　wife　is　right　to　go　wherever　her　husband　may　take　her。　Even　if　she　sins　by　his　command；　she　will　not　be　ultimately　held　answerable。〃　These　two　sentences　of　the　Pope's　homily　only　made　Madame　de　Granville　and　her　director　accuse　him　of　irreligion。

But　before　this　letter　had　arrived；　Granville　had　discovered　the　strict　observance　of　fast　days　that　his　wife　forced　upon　him；　and　gave　his　servants　orders　to　serve　him　with　meat　every　day　in　the　year。　However　much　annoyed　his　wife　might　be　by　these　commands；　Granville；　who　cared　not　a　straw　for　such　indulgence　or　abstinence；　persisted　with　manly　determination。

Is　it　not　an　offence　to　the　weakest　creature　that　can　think　at　all　to　be　compelled　to　do；　by　the　will　of　another；　anything　that　he　would　otherwise　have　done　simply　of　his　own　accord？　Of　all　forms　of　tyranny；　the　most　odious　is　that　which　constantly　robs　the　soul　of　the　merit　of　its　thoughts　and　deeds。　It　has　to　abdicate　without　having　reigned。　The　word　we　are　readiest　to　speak；　the　feelings　we　most　love　to　express；　die　when　we　are　commanded　to　utter　them。

Ere　long　the　young　man　ceased　to　invite　his　friends；　to　give　parties　or　dinners；　the　house　might　have　been　shrouded　in　crape。　A　house　where　the　mistress　is　a　bigot　has　an　atmosphere　of　its　own。　The　servants；　who　are；　of　course；　under　her　immediate　control；　are　chosen　among　a　class　who　call　themselves　pious；　and　who　have　an　unmistakable　physiognomy。　Just　as　the　jolliest　fellow　alive；　when　he　joins　the　/gendarmerie/；　has　the　countenance　of　a　gendarme；　so　those　who　give　themselves　over　to　the　habit　of　lowering　their　eyes　and　preserving　a　sanctimonious　mien　clothes　them　in　a　livery　of　hypocrisy　which　rogues　can　affect　to　perfection。

And　besides；　bigots　constitute　a　sort　of　republic；　they　all　know　each　other；　the　servants　they　recommend　and　hand　on　from　one　to　another　are　a　race　apart；　and　preserved　by　them；　as　horse…breeders　will　admit　no　animal　into　their　stables　that　has　not　a　pedigree。　The　more　the　impiousas　they　are　thoughtcome　to　understand　a　household　of　bigots；　the　more　they　perceive　that　everything　is　stamped　with　an　indescribable　squalor；　they　find　there；　at　the　same　time；　an　appearance　of　avarice　and　mystery；　as　in　a　miser's　home；　and　the　dank　scent　of　cold　incense　which　gives　a　chill　to　the　stale　atmosphere　of　a　chapel。　This　methodical　meanness；　this　narrowness　of　thought；　which　is　visible　in　every　detail；　can　only　be　expressed　by　one　wordBigotry。　In　these　sinister　and　pitiless　houses　Bigotry　is　written　on　the　furniture；　the　prints；　the　pictures；　speech　is　bigoted；　the　silence　is　bigoted；　the　faces　are　those　of　bigots。　The　transformation　of　men　and　things　into　bigotry　is　an　inexplicable　mystery；　but　the　fact　is　evident。　Everybody　can　see　that　bigots　do　not　walk；　do　not　sit；　do　not　speak；　as　men　of　the　world　walk；　sit；　and　speak。　Under　their　roof　every　one　is　ill　at　ease；　no　one　laughs；　stiffness　and　formality　infect　everything；　from　the　mistress'　cap　down　to　her　pincushion；　eyes　are　not　honest；　the　folks　are　more　like　shadows；　and　the　lady　of　the　house　seems　perched　on　a　throne　of　ice。

One　morning　poor　Granville　discerned　with　grief　and　pain　that　all　the　symptoms　of　bigotry　had　invaded　his　home。　There　are　in　the　world　different　spheres　in　which　the　same　effects　are　seen　though　produced　by　dissimilar　causes。　Dulness　hedges　such　miserable　homes　round　with　walls　of　brass；　enclosing　the　horrors　of　the　desert　and　the　infinite　void。　The　home　is　not　so　much　a　tomb　as　that　far　worse　thinga　convent。　In　the　center　of　this　icy　sphere　the　lawyer　could　study　his　wife　dispassionately。　He　observed；　not　without　keen　regret；　the　narrow…mindedness　that　stood　confessed　in　the　very　way　that　her　hair　grew；　low　on　the　forehead；　which　was　slightly　depressed；　he　discovered　in　the　perfect　regularity　of　her　features　a　certain　set　rigidity　which　before　long　made　him　hate　the　assumed　sweetness　that　had　bewitched　him。　Intuition　told　him　that　one　day　of　disaster　those　thin　lips　might　say；　〃My　dear；　it　is　for　your　good！〃

Madame　de　Granville's　complexion　was　acquiring　a　dull　pallor　and　an　austere　expression　that　were　a　kill…joy　to　all　who　came　near　her。　Was　this　change　wrought　by　the　ascetic　habits　of　a　pharisaism　which　is　not　piety　any　more　than　avarice　is　economy？　It　would　be　hard　to　say。　Beauty　without　expression　is　perhaps　an　imposture。　This　imperturbable　set　smile　that　the　young　wife　always　wore　when　she　looked　at　Granville　seemed　to　be　a　sort　of　Jesuitical　formula　of　happiness；　by　which　she　thought　to　satisfy　all　the　requirements　of　married　life。　Her　charity　was　an　offence；　her　soulless　beauty　was　monstrous　to　those　who　knew　her；　the　mildness　of　her　speech　was　an　irritation：　she　acted；　not　on　feeling；　but　on　duty。

There　are　faults　which　may　yield　in　a　wife　to　the　stern　lessons　of　experience；　or　to　a　husband's　warnings；　but　nothing　can　counteract　false　ideas　of　religion。　An　eternity　of　happiness　to　be　won；　set　in　the　scale　against　worldly　enjoyment；　triumphs　over　everything　and　makes　every　pang　endurable。　Is　it　not　the　apotheosis　of　egotism；　of　Self　beyond　the　grave？　Thus　even　the　Pope