a daughter of eve-第2节

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girls　themselves　would　have　preferred　a　less　virtuous　and　more　amiable

mother。　This　education　bore　its　natural　fruits。　Religion；　imposed　as　a

yoke　and　presented　under　its　sternest　aspect；　wearied　with　formal

practice　these　innocent　young　hearts；　treated　as　sinful。　It　repressed

their　feelings；　and　was　never　precious　to　them；　although　it　struck　its

roots　deep　down　into　their　natures。　Under　such　training　the　two　Maries

would　either　have　become　mere　imbeciles；　or　they　must　necessarily　have

longed　for　independence。　Thus　it　came　to　pass　that　they　looked　to

marriage　as　soon　as　they　saw　anything　of　life　and　were　able　to　compare

a　few　ideas。　Of　their　own　tender　graces　and　their　personal　value　they

were　absolutely　ignorant。　They　were　ignorant；　too；　of　their　own

innocence；　how；　then；　could　they　know　life？　Without　weapons　to　meet

misfortune；　without　experience　to　appreciate　happiness；　they　found　no

comfort　in　the　maternal　jail；　all　their　joys　were　in　each　other。　Their

tender　confidences　at　night　in　whispers；　or　a　few　short　sentences

exchanged　if　their　mother　left　them　for　a　moment；　contained　more　ideas

than　the　words　themselves　expressed。　Often　a　glance；　concealed　from

other　eyes；　by　which　they　conveyed　to　each　other　their　emotions；　was

like　a　poem　of　bitter　melancholy。　The　sight　of　a　cloudless　sky；　the

fragrance　of　flowers；　a　turn　in　the　garden；　arm　in　arm；these　were

their　joys。　The　finishing　of　a　piece　of　embroidery　was　to　them　a

source　of　enjoyment。



Their　mother's　social　circle；　far　from　opening　resources　to　their

hearts　or　stimulating　their　minds；　only　darkened　their　ideas　and

depressed　them；　it　was　made　up　of　rigid　old　women；　withered　and

graceless；　whose　conversation　turned　on　the　differences　which

distinguished　various　preachers　and　confessors；　on　their　own　petty

indispositions；　on　religious　events　insignificant　even　to　the

〃Quotidienne〃　or　〃l'Ami　de　la　Religion。〃　As　for　the　men　who　appeared

in　the　Comtesse　de　Granville's　salon；　they　extinguished　any　possible

torch　of　love；　so　cold　and　sadly　resigned　were　their　faces。　They　were

all　of　an　age　when　mankind　is　sulky　and　fretful；　and　natural

sensibilities　are　chiefly　exercised　at　table　and　on　the　things

relating　to　personal　comfort。　Religious　egotism　had　long　dried　up

those　hearts　devoted　to　narrow　duties　and　entrenched　behind　pious

practices。　Silent　games　of　cards　occupied　the　whole　evening；　and　the

two　young　girls　under　the　ban　of　that　Sanhedrim　enforced　by　maternal

severity；　came　to　hate　the　dispiriting　personages　about　them　with

their　hollow　eyes　and　scowling　faces。



On　the　gloom　of　this　life　one　sole　figure　of　a　man；　that　of　a　music…

master；　stood　vigorously　forth。　The　confessors　had　decided　that　music

was　a　Christian　art；　born　of　the　Catholic　Church　and　developed　within

her。　The　two　Maries　were　therefore　permitted　to　study　music。　A

spinster　in　spectacles；　who　taught　singing　and　the　piano　in　a

neighboring　convent；　wearied　them　with　exercises；　but　when　the　eldest

girl　was　ten　years　old；　the　Comte　de　Granville　insisted　on　the

importance　of　giving　her　a　master。　Madame　de　Granville　gave　all　the

value　of　conjugal　obedience　to　this　needed　concession；it　is　part　of

a　devote's　character　to　make　a　merit　of　doing　her　duty。



The　master　was　a　Catholic　German；　one　of　those　men　born　old；　who　seem

all　their　lives　fifty　years　of　age；　even　at　eighty。　And　yet；　his

brown；　sunken；　wrinkled　face　still　kept　something　infantile　and

artless　in　its　dark　creases。　The　blue　of　innocence　was　in　his　eyes；

and　a　gay　smile　of　springtide　abode　upon　his　lips。　His　iron…gray　hair；

falling　naturally　like　that　of　the　Christ　in　art；　added　to　his

ecstatic　air　a　certain　solemnity　which　was　absolutely　deceptive　as　to

his　real　nature；　for　he　was　capable　of　committing　any　silliness　with

the　most　exemplary　gravity。　His　clothes　were　a　necessary　envelope；　to

which　he　paid　not　the　slightest　attention；　for　his　eyes　looked　too

high　among　the　clouds　to　concern　themselves　with　such　materialities。

This　great　unknown　artist　belonged　to　the　kindly　class　of　the　self…

forgetting；　who　give　their　time　and　their　soul　to　others；　just　as　they

leave　their　gloves　on　every　table　and　their　umbrella　at　all　doors。　His

hands　were　of　the　kind　that　are　dirty　as　soon　as　washed。　In　short；　his

old　body；　badly　poised　on　its　knotted　old　legs；　proving　to　what　degree

a　man　can　make　it　the　mere　accessory　of　his　soul；　belonged　to　those

strange　creations　which　have　been　properly　depicted　only　by　a　German；

by　Hoffman；　the　poet　of　that　which　seems　not　to　exist　but　yet　has

life。



Such　was　Schmucke；　formerly　chapel…master　to　the　Margrave　of　Anspach；

a　musical　genius；　who　was　now　examined　by　a　council　of　devotes；　and

asked　if　he　kept　the　fasts。　The　master　was　much　inclined　to　answer；

〃Look　at　me！〃　but　how　could　he　venture　to　joke　with　pious　dowagers　and

Jansenist　confessors？　This　apocryphal　old　fellow　held　such　a　place　in

the　lives　of　the　two　Maries；　they　felt　such　friendship　for　the　grand

and　simple…minded　artist；　who　was　happy　and　contented　in　the　mere

comprehension　of　his　art；　that　after　their　marriage；　they　each　gave

him　an　annuity　of　three　hundred　francs　a　year；a　sum　which　sufficed

to　pay　for　his　lodging；　beer；　pipes；　and　clothes。　Six　hundred　francs　a

year　and　his　lessons　put　him　in　Eden。　Schmucke　had　never　found　courage

to　confide　his　poverty　and　his　aspirations　to　any　but　these　two

adorable　young　girls；　whose　hearts　were　blooming　beneath　the　snow　of

maternal　rigor　and　the　ice　of　devotion。　This　fact　explains　Schmucke

and　the　girlhood　of　the　two　Maries。



No　one　knew　then；　or　later；　what　abbe　or　pious　spinster　had　discovered

the　old　German　then　vaguely　wandering　about　Paris；　but　as　soon　as

mothers　of　families　learned　that　the　Comtesse　de　Granville　had　found　a

music…master　for　her　daughters；　they　all　inquired　for　his　name　and

address。　Before　long；　Schmucke　had　thirty　pupils　in　the　Marais。　This

tardy　success　was　manifested　by　steel　buckles　to　his　shoes；　which　were

lined　with　horse…hair　soles；　and　by　a　more　frequent　change　of　linen。

His　artless　gaiety；　long　suppressed　by　noble　and　decent　poverty；

reappeared。　He　gave　vent　to　witty　little　remarks　and　flowery　speeches

in　his　German…Gallic　patois；　very　observing　and　very　quaint　and　said

with　an　air　which　disarmed　ridicule。　But　he　was　so　pleased　to　bring　a

laugh　to　the　lips　of　his　two　pupils；　whose　dismal　life　his　sympathy

had　penetrated；　that　he　would　gladly　have　made　himself　wilfully

ridiculous　had　he　failed　in　being　so　by　nature。



According　to　one　of　the　nobler　ideas　of　religious　education；　the　young

girls　always　accompanied　their　master　respectfully　to　the　door。　There

they　would　make　him　a　few　kind　speeches；　glad　to　do　anything　to　give

him　pleasure。　Poor　things！　all　they　could　do　was　to　show　him　their

womanhood。　Until　their　marriage；　music　was　to　them　another　life　within

their　lives；　just　as；　they　say；　a　Russian　peasant　takes　his　dreams　for

reality　and　his　actual　life　for　a　troubled　sleep。　With　the　instinct　of

protecting　their　souls　against　the　pettiness　that　threatened　to

overwhelm　them；　against　the　all…pervading　asceticism　of　their　home；

they　flung　themselves　into　the　difficulties　of　the　musical　art；　and

spent　themselves　upon　it。　Melody；　harmony；　and　composition；　three

daughters　of　heaven；　whose　choir　was　led　by　an　old　Catholic　faun　drunk

with　music；　were　to　these　poor　girls　the　compensation　of　their　trials；

they　made　them；　as　it　were；　a　rampart　against　their　daily　lives。

Mozart；　Beethoven；　Gluck；　Paesiello；　Cimarosa；　Haydn；　and　certain

secondary　geniuses；　developed　in　their　souls　a　passionate　emotion

which　never　passed　beyond　the　chaste　enclosure　of　their　breasts；

though　it　permeated　that　other　creation　through　which；　in　spirit；　they

winged　their　flight。　When　they　had　executed　some　great　work　in　a

manner　that　their　master　declared　was　almost　faultless；　they　embraced

each　other　in　ecstasy　and　the　old　man　called　them　his　Saint　Cecilias。



The　two　Maries　were　not　taken　to　a　ball　until　they　were　sixteen　years

of　age；　and　then　only　four　times　a　year　in　special　houses。　They　were

not　allowed　to　leave　their　mother's　side　without　instructions　as　to

their　behavior　with　their　partners；　and　so　severe　were　those

instructions　that　they　dared　say　only　yes　or　no　during　a　dance。　The

eye　of　the　countess　never　left　them；　and　she　seemed　to　know　from　the

mere　movement　of　their　lips　the　words　they　uttered。　Even　the　ball…

dresses　of　these　poor　little　things　were　piously　irreproachable；　their

muslin　gowns　came　up　to　their　chins　with　an　endless　number　of　thick

ruches；　and　the　sleeves　came　down　to　their　wrists。　Swathing　in　this

way　their　natural　charms；　this　costume　gave　them　a　vague　resemblance

to　Egyptian　hermae；　though　from　these　blocks　of　muslin　rose　enchanting

little　heads　of　tender　melancholy。　They　felt　themselves　the　objects　of

pity；　and　inwardly　resented　it。　What　woman；　however　innocent；　does　not

desire　to　excite　envy？



No