a prince of bohemia-第6节

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de　ballet；　she　continued　the　Guimard　dynasty。　She　owed　her　ascendency；
moreover；　to　various　well…known　protectors；　to　the　Duc　de　Rhetore　（the
Due　de　Chaulieu's　eldest　son）；　to　the　influence　of　a　famous
Superintendent　of　Fine　Arts；　and　sundry　diplomatists　and　rich
foreigners。　During　her　apogee　she　had　a　neat　little　house　in　the　Rue
Chauchat；　and　lived　as　Opera　nymphs　used　to　live　in　the　old　days。　Du
Bruel　was　smitten　with　her　about　the　time　when　the　Duke's　fancy　came
to　an　end　in　1823。　Being　a　mere　subordinate　in　the　Civil　Service；　du
Bruel　tolerated　the　Superintendent　of　Fine　Arts；　believing　that　he
himself　was　really　preferred。　After　six　years　this　connection　was
almost　a　marriage。　Tullia　has　always　been　very　careful　to　say　nothing
of　her　family；　we　have　a　vague　idea　that　she　comes　from　Nanterre。　One
of　her　uncles；　formerly　a　simple　bricklayer　or　carpenter；　is　now；　it
is　said；　a　very　rich　contractor；　thanks　to　her　influence　and　generous
loans。　This　fact　leaked　out　through　du　Bruel。　He　happened　to　say　that
Tullia　would　inherit　a　fine　fortune　sooner　or　later。　The　contractor
was　a　bachelor；　he　had　a　weakness　for　the　niece　to　whom　he　is
indebted。

〃　'He　is　not　clever　enough　to　be　ungrateful；'　said　she。

〃In　1829　Tullia　retired　from　the　stage　of　her　own　accord。　At　the　age
of　thirty　she　saw　that　she　was　growing　somewhat　stouter；　and　she　had
tried　pantomime　without　success。　Her　whole　art　consisted　in　the　trick
of　raising　her　skirts；　after　Noblet's　manner；　in　a　pirouette　which
inflated　them　balloon…fashion　and　exhibited　the　smallest　possible
quantity　of　clothing　to　the　pit。　The　aged　Vestris　had　told　her　at　the
very　beginning　that　this　/temps/；　well　executed　by　a　fine　woman；　is
worth　all　the　art　imaginable。　It　is　the　chest…note　C　of　dancing。　For
which　reason；　he　said；　the　very　greatest　dancersCamargo；　Guimard；
and　Taglioni；　all　of　them　thin；　brown；　and　plaincould　only　redeem
their　physical　defects　by　their　genius。　Tullia；　still　in　the　height　of
her　glory；　retired　before　younger　and　cleverer　dancers；　she　did
wisely。　She　was　an　aristocrat；　she　had　scarcely　stooped　below　the
noblesse　in　her　/liaisons/；　she　declined　to　dip　her　ankles　in　the
troubled　waters　of　July。　Insolent　and　beautiful　as　she　was；　Claudine
possessed　handsome　souvenirs；　but　very　little　ready　money；　still；　her
jewels　were　magnificent；　and　she　had　as　fine　furniture　as　any　one　in
Paris。

〃On　quitting　the　stage　when　she；　forgotten　to…day；　was　yet　in　the
height　of　her　fame；　one　thought　possessed　hershe　meant　du　Bruel　to
marry　her；　and　at　the　time　of　this　story；　you　must　understand　that　the
marriage　had　taken　place；　but　was　kept　a　secret。　How　do　women　of　her
class　contrive　to　make　a　man　marry　them　after　seven　or　eight　years　of
intimacy？　What　springs　do　they　touch？　What　machinery　do　they　set　in
motion？　But；　however　comical　such　domestic　dramas　may　be；　we　are　not
now　concerned　with　them。　Du　Bruel　was　secretly　married；　the　thing　was
done。

〃Cursy　before　his　marriage　was　supposed　to　be　a　jolly　companion；　now
and　again　he　stayed　out　all　night；　and　to　some　extent　led　the　life　of
a　Bohemian；　he　would　unbend　at　a　supper…party。　He　went　out　to　all
appearance　to　a　rehearsal　at　the　Opera…Comique；　and　found　himself　in
some　unaccountable　way　at　Dieppe；　or　Baden；　or　Saint…Germain；　he　gave
dinners；　led　the　Titanic　thriftless　life　of　artists；　journalists；　and
writers；　levied　his　tribute　on　all　the　greenrooms　of　Paris；　and；　in
short；　was　one　of　us。　Finot；　Lousteau；　du　Tillet；　Desroches；　Bixiou；
Blondet；　Couture；　and　des　Lupeaulx　tolerated　him　in　spite　of　his
pedantic　manner　and　ponderous　official　attitude。　But　once　married；
Tullia　made　a　slave　of　du　Bruel。　There　was　no　help　for　it。　He　was　in
love　with　Tullia；　poor　devil。

〃　'Tullia'　（so　he　said）　'had　left　the　stage　to　be　his　alone；　to　be　a
good　and　charming　wife。'　And　somehow　Tullia　managed　to　induce　the　most
Puritanical　members　of　du　Bruel's　family　to　accept　her。　From　the　very
first；　before　any　one　suspected　her　motives；　she　assiduously　visited
old　Mme。　de　Bonfalot；　who　bored　her　horribly；　she　made　handsome
presents　to　mean　old　Mme。　de　Chisse；　du　Bruel's　great…aunt；　she　spent
a　summer　with　the　latter　lady；　and　never　missed　a　single　mass。　She
even　went　to　confession；　received　absolution；　and　took　the　sacrament；
but　this；　you　must　remember；　was　in　the　country；　and　under　the　aunt's
eyes。

〃　'I　shall　have　real　aunts　now；　do　you　understand？'　she　said　to　us
when　she　came　back　in　the　winter。

〃She　was　so　delighted　with　her　respectability；　so　glad　to　renounce　her
independence；　that　she　found　means　to　compass　her　end。　She　flattered
the　old　people。　She　went　on　foot　every　day　to　sit　for　a　couple　of
hours　with　Mme。　du　Bruel　the　elder　while　that　lady　was　illa
Maintenon's　stratagem　which　amazed　du　Bruel。　And　he　admired　his　wife
without　criticism；　he　was　so　fast　in　the　toils　already　that　he　did　not
feel　his　bonds。

〃Claudine　succeeded　in　making　him　understand　that　only　under　the
elastic　system　of　a　bourgeois　government；　only　at　the　bourgeois　court
of　the　Citizen…King；　could　a　Tullia；　now　metamorphosed　into　a　Mme。　du
Bruel；　be　accepted　in　the　society　which　her　good　sense　prevented　her
from　attempting　to　enter。　Mme。　de　Bonfalot；　Mme。　de　Chisse；　and　Mme。
du　Bruel　received　her；　she　was　satisfied。　She　took　up　the　position　of
a　well…conducted；　simple；　and　virtuous　woman；　and　never　acted　out　of
character。　In　three　years'　time　she　was　introduced　to　the　friends　of
these　ladies。

〃　'And　still　I　cannot　persuade　myself　that　young　Mme。　du　Bruel　used　to
display　her　ankles；　and　the　rest；　to　all　Paris；　with　the　light　of　a
hundred　gas…jets　pouring　upon　her；'　Mme。　Anselme　Popinot　remarked
naively。

〃From　this　point　of　view；　July　1830　inaugurated　an　era　not　unlike　the
time　of　the　Empire；　when　a　waiting　woman　was　received　at　Court　in　the
person　of　Mme。　Garat；　a　chief…justice's　'lady。'　Tullia　had　completely
broken；　as　you　may　guess；　with　all　her　old　associates；　of　her　former
acquaintances；　she　only　recognized　those　who　could　not　compromise　her。
At　the　time　of　her　marriage　she　had　taken　a　very　charming　little　hotel
between　a　court　and　a　garden；　lavishing　money　on　it　with　wild
extravagance　and　putting　the　best　part　of　her　furniture　and　du　Bruel's
into　it。　Everything　that　she　thought　common　or　ordinary　was　sold。　To
find　anything　comparable　to　her　sparkling　splendor；　you　could　only
look　back　to　the　days　when　Sophie　Arnould；　a　Guimard；　or　a　Duthe；　in
all　her　glory；　squandered　the　fortunes　of　princes。

〃How　far　did　this　sumptuous　existence　affect　du　Bruel？　It　is　a
delicate　question　to　ask；　and　a　still　more　delicate　one　to　answer。　A
single　incident　will　suffice　to　give　you　an　idea　of　Tullia's
crotchets。　Her　bed…spread　of　Brussels　lace　was　worth　ten　thousand
francs。　A　famous　actress　had　another　like　it。　As　soon　as　Claudine
heard　this；　she　allowed　her　cat；　a　splendid　Angora；　to　sleep　on　the
bed。　That　trait　gives　you　the　woman。　Du　Bruel　dared　not　say　a　word；　he
was　ordered　to　spread　abroad　that　challenge　in　luxury；　so　that　it
might　reach　the　other。　Tullia　was　very　fond　of　this　gift　from　the　Duc
de　Rhetore；　but　one　day；　five　years　after　her　marriage；　she　played
with　her　cat　to　such　purpose　that　the　coverletfurbelows；　flounces；
and　allwas　torn　to　shreds；　and　replaced　by　a　sensible　quilt；　a　quilt
that　was　a　quilt；　and　not　a　symptom　of　the　peculiar　form　of　insanity
which　drives　these　women　to　make　up　by　an　insensate　luxury　for　the
childish　days　when　they　lived　on　raw　apples；　to　quote　the　expression
of　a　journalist。　The　day　when　the　bed…spread　was　torn　to　tatters
marked　a　new　epoch　in　her　married　life。

〃Cursy　was　remarkable　for　his　ferocious　industry。　Nobody　suspects　the
source　to　which　Paris　owes　the　patch…and…powder　eighteenth　century
vaudevilles　that　flooded　the　stage。　Those　thousand…and…one
vaudevilles；　which　raised　such　an　outcry　among　the　/feuilletonistes/；
were　written　at　Mme。　du　Bruel's　express　desire。　She　insisted　that　her
husband　should　purchase　the　hotel　on　which　she　had　spent　so　much；
where　she　had　housed　five　hundred　thousand　francs'　worth　of　furniture。
Wherefore　Tullia　never　enters　into　explanations；　she　understands　the
sovereign　woman's　reason　to　admiration。

〃　'People　made　a　good　deal　of　fun　of　Cursy；'　said　she；　'but；　as　a
matter　of　fact；　he　found　this　house　in　the　eighteenth　century　rouge…
box；　powder；　puffs；　and　spangles。　He　would　never　have　thought　of　it
but　for　me；'　she　added；　burying　herself　in　the　cushions　in　her
fireside　corner。

〃She　delivered　herself　thus　on　her　return　from　a　first　night。　Du
Bruel's　piece　had　succeeded；　and　she　foresaw　an　avalanche　of
criticisms。　Tullia　had　her　At　Homes。　Every　Monday　she　gave　a　tea…
party；　her　society　was　as　select　as　might　be；　and　she　neglected
nothing　that　could　make　her　house　pleasant。　There　was　a　bouillotte　in
one　room；　conversation　in　another；　and　sometimes　a　concert　（always
short）　in　the　large　drawing…room。　None　but　the　most　eminent　artists
performed　in　the　house。　Tullia　had　so　much　good　sense；　that　she
attained　to　the　most　exquisite　tact；　and　herein；　in　all　probability；
lay　the　secret　of　her　ascendency　over　du　Bruel；　at　any　rate；　he　loved
her　with　the　love　which　use　and　wont　at　length