a daughter of eve-第3节

按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！



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

desire　to　excite　envy？



No　dangerous　idea；　unhealthy　or　even　equivocal；　soiled　the　pure　pulp

of　their　brain；　their　hearts　were　innocent；　their　hands　were　horribly

red；　and　they　glowed　with　health。　Eve　did　not　issue　more　innocent　from

the　hands　of　God　than　these　two　girls　from　their　mother's　home　when

they　went　to　the　mayor's　office　and　the　church　to　be　married；　after

receiving　the　simple　but　terrible　injunction　to　obey　in　all　things　two

men　with　whom　they　were　henceforth　to　live　and　sleep　by　day　and　by

night。　To　their　minds；　nothing　could　be　worse　in　the　strange　houses

where　they　were　to　go　than　the　maternal　convent。



Why　did　the　father　of　these　poor　girls；　the　Comte　de　Granville；　a　wise

and　upright　magistrate　（though　sometimes　led　away　by　politics）；

refrain　from　protecting　the　helpless　little　creatures　from　such

crushing　despotism？　Alas！　by　mutual　understanding；　about　ten　years

after　marriage；　he　and　his　wife　were　separated　while　living　under　one

roof。　The　father　had　taken　upon　himself　the　education　of　his　sons；

leaving　that　of　the　daughters　to　his　wife。　He　saw　less　danger　for

women　than　for　men　in　the　application　of　his　wife's　oppressive　system。

The　two　Maries；　destined　as　women　to　endure　tyranny；　either　of　love　or

marriage；　would　be；　he　thought；　less　injured　than　boys；　whose　minds

ought　to　have　freer　play；　and　whose　manly　qualities　would　deteriorate

under　the　powerful　compression　of　religious　ideas　pushed　to　their

utmost　consequences。　Of　four　victims　the　count　saved　two。



The　countess　regarded　her　sons　as　too　ill…trained　to　admit　of　the

slightest　intimacy　with　their　sisters。　All　communication　between　the

poor　children　was　therefore　strictly　watched。　When　the　boys　came　home

from　school；　the　count　was　careful　not　to　keep　them　in　the　house。　The

boys　always　breakfasted　with　their　mother　and　sisters；　but　after　that

the　count　took　them　off　to　museums；　theatres；　restaurants；　or；　during

the　summer　season；　into　the　country。　Except　on　the　solemn　days　of　some

family　festival；　such　as　the　countess's　birthday　or　New　Year's　day；　or

the　day　of　the　distribution　of　prizes；　when　the　boys　remained　in　their

father's　house　and　slept　there；　the　sisters　saw　so　little　of　their

brothers　that　there　was　absolutely　no　tie　between　them。　On　those　days

the　countess　never　left　them　for　an　instant　alone　together。　Calls　of

〃Where　is　Angelique？〃〃What　is　Eugenie　about？〃〃Where　are　my

daughters？〃　resounded　all　day。　As　for　the　mother's　sentiments　towards

her　sons；　the　countess　raised　to　heaven　her　cold　and　macerated　eyes；

as　if　to　ask　pardon　of　God　for　not　having　snatched　them　from　iniquity。



Her　exclamations；　and　also　her　reticences　on　the　subject　of　her　sons；

were　equal　to　the　most　lamenting　verses　in　Jeremiah；　and　completely

deceived　the　sisters；　who　supposed　their　sinful　brothers　to　be　doomed

to　perdition。



When　the　boys　were　eighteen　years　of　age；　the　count　gave　them　rooms　in

his　own　part　of　the　house；　and　sent　them　to　study　law　under　the

supervision　of　a　solicitor；　his　former　secretary。　The　two　Maries　knew

nothing　therefore　of　fraternity；　except　by　theory。　At　the　time　of　the

marriage　of　the　sisters；　both　brothers　were　practising　in　provincial

courts；　and　both　were　detained　by　important　cases。　Domestic　life　in

many　families　which　might　be　expected　to　be　intimate；　united；　and

homogeneous；　is　really　spent　in　this　way。　Brothers　are　sent　to　a

distance；　busy　with　their　own　careers；　their　own　advancement；

occupied；　perhaps；　about　the　good　of　the　country；　the　sisters　are

engrossed　in　a　round　of　other　interests。　All　the　members　of　such　a

family　live　disunited；　forgetting　one　another；　bound　together　only　by

some　feeble　tie　of　memory；　until；　perhaps；　a　sentiment　of　pride　or

self…interest　either　joins　them　or　separates　them　in　heart　as　they

already　are　in　fact。　Modern　laws；　by　multiplying　the　family　by　the

family；　has　created　a　great　evil；namely；　individualism。



In　the　depths　of　this　solitude　where　their　girlhood　was　spent；

Angelique　and　Eugenie　seldom　saw　their　father；　and　when　he　did　enter

the　grand　apartment　of　his　wife　on　the　first　floor；　he　brought　with

him　a　saddened　face。　In　his　own　home　he　always　wore　the　grave　and

solemn　look　of　a　magistrate　on　the　bench。　When　the　little　girls　had

passed　the　age　of　dolls　and　toys；　when　they　began；　about　twelve；　to

use　their　minds　（an　epoch　at　which　they　ceased　to　laugh　at　Schmucke）

they　divined　the　secret　of　the　cares　that　lined　their　father's

forehead；　and　they　recognized　beneath　that　mask　of　sternness　the

relics　of　a　kind　heart　and　a　fine　character。　They　vaguely　perceived

how　he　had　yielded　to　the　forces　of　religion　in　his　household；

disappointed　as　he　was　in　his　hopes　of　a　husband；　and　wounded　in　the

tenderest　fibres　of　paternity；the　love　of　a　father　for　his

daughters。　Such　griefs　were　singularly　moving　to　the　hearts　of　the　two

young　girls；　who　were　themselves　deprived　of　all　tenderness。

Sometimes；　when　pacing　the　garden　between　his　daughters；　with　an　arm

round　each　little　waist；　and　stepping　with　their　own　short　steps；　the

father　would　stop　short　behind　a　clump　of　trees；　out　of　sight　of　the

house；　and　kiss　them　on　their　foreheads；　his　eyes；　his　lips；　his　whole

countenance　expressing　the　deepest　commiseration。



〃You　are　not　very　happy；　my　dear　little　girls；〃　he　said　one　day；　〃but

I　shall　marry　you　early。　It　will　comfort　me　to　have　you　leave　home。〃



〃Papa；〃　said　Eugenie；　〃we　have　decided　to　take　the　first　man　who

offers。〃



〃Ah！〃　he　cried；　〃that　is　the　bitter　fruit　of　such　a　system。　They　want

to　make　saints；　and　they　make〃　he　stopped　without　ending　his

sentence。



Often　the　two　girls　felt　an　infinite　tenderness　in　their　father's

〃Adieu；〃　or　in　his　eyes；　when；　by　chance；　he　dined　at　home。　They

pitied　that　father　so　seldom　seen；　and　love　follows　often　upon　pity。



This　stern　and　rigid　education　was　the　cause　of　the　marriages　of　the

two　sisters　welded　together　by　misfortune；　as　Rita…Christina　by　the

hand　of　Nature。　Many　men；　driven　to　marriage；　prefer　a　girl　taken　from

a　convent；　and　saturated　with　piety；　to　a　girl　brought　up　to　worldly

ideas。　There　seems　to　be　no　middle　course。　A　man　must　marry　either　an

educated　girl；　who　reads　the　newspapers　and　comments　upon　them；　who

waltzes　with　a　dozen　young　men；　goes　to　the　theatre；　devours　novels；

cares　nothing　for　religion；　and　makes　her　own　ethics；　or　an　ignorant

and　innocent　young　girl；　like　either　of　the　two　Maries。　Perhaps　there

may　be　as　much　danger　with　the　one　kind　as　with　the　other。　Yet　the

vast　majority　of　men　who　are　not　so　old　as　Arnolphe；　prefer　a

religious　Agnes　to　a　budding　Celimene。



The　two　Maries；　who　were　small　and　slender；　had　the　same　figure；　the

same　foot；　the　same　hand。　Eugenie；　the　younger；　was　fair…haired；　like

her　mother；　Angelique　was　dark…haired；　like　the　father。　But　they　both

had　the　same　complexion；a　skin　of　the　pearly　whiteness　which　shows

the　richness　and　purity　of　the　blood；　where　the　color　rises　through　a

tissue　like　that　of　the　jasmine；　soft；　smooth；　and　tender　to　the

touch。　Eugenie's　blue　eyes　and　the　brown　eyes　of　Angelique　had　an

expression　of　artless　indifference；　of　ingenuous　surprise；　which　was

rendered　by　the　vague　manner　with　which　the　pupils　floated　on　the

fluid　whiteness　of　the　eyeball。　They　were　both　well…made；　the　rather

thin　shoulders　would　develop　later。　Their　throats；　long　veiled；

delighted　the　eye　when　their　husbands　requested　them　to　wear　low

dresses　to　a　ball；　on　which　occasion　they　both　felt　a　pleasing　shame；

which　made　them　first　blush　behind　closed　doors；　and　afterwards；

through　a　whole　evening　in　company。



On　the　occasion　when　this　scene　opens；　and　the　eldest；　Angelique；　was

weeping；　while　the　younger；　Eugenie；　was　consoling　her；　their　hands

and　arms　were　white　as　milk。　Each　had　nursed　a　child；one　a　boy；　the

other　a　daughter。　Eugenie；　as　a　girl；　was　thought　very　giddy　by　her

mother；　who　had　therefore　treated　her　with　especial　watchfulness　and

severity。　In　the　eyes　of　that　much…feared　mother；　Angelique；　noble　and

proud；　appeared　to　have　a　soul　so　lofty　that　it　would　guard　itself；

whereas；　the　more　lively　Eugenie　needed　restraint。　There　are　many

charming　beings　misused　by　fate；beings　who　ought　by　rights　to

prosper　in　this　life；　but　who　live　and　die　unhappy；　tortured　by　some

evil　genius；　the　victims　of　unfortunate　circumstances。　The　innocent

and　naturally　light…hearted　Eugenie　had　fallen　into　the　hands　and

beneath　the　malicious　despotism　of　a　self…made　man　on　leaving　the

maternal　prison。　Angelique；　whose　nature　inclined　her　to　deeper

sentiments；　was　thrown　into　the　upper　spheres　of　Parisian　social　life；

with　the　bridle　lying　loose　upon　her　neck。







CHAPTER　II



A　CONFIDENCE　BETWEEN　SISTERS



Madame　de　Vandenesse；　Marie…Angelique；　who　seemed　to　have　broken　down

under　a　weight　of　troubles　too　heavy　for　her　soul　to　bear；　was　l