a daughter of eve-第6节

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which　young　and　loving　hearts　desire　so　much。　From　the　start；　Marie…

Angelique　tasted　all　the　sweets　of　material　life　to　the　very　utmost。

For　two　years　her　husband　made　himself；　as　it　were；　her　purveyor。　He

explained　to　her；　by　degrees；　and　with　great　art；　the　things　of　life；

he　initiated　her　slowly　into　the　mysteries　of　the　highest　society；　he

taught　her　the　genealogies　of　noble　families；　he　showed　her　the　world；

he　guided　her　taste　in　dress；　he　trained　her　to　converse；　he　took　her

from　theatre　to　theatre；　and　made　her　study　literature　and　current

history。　This　education　he　accomplished　with　all　the　care　of　a　lover；

father；　master；　and　husband；　but　he　did　it　soberly　and　discreetly；　he

managed　both　enjoyments　and　instructions　in　such　a　manner　as　not　to

destroy　the　value　of　her　religious　ideas。　In　short；　he　carried　out　his

enterprise　with　the　wisdom　of　a　great　master。　At　the　end　of　four

years；　he　had　the　happiness　of　having　formed　in　the　Comtesse　de

Vandenesse　one　of　the　most　lovable　and　remarkable　young　women　of　our

day。



Marie…Angelique　felt　for　Felix　precisely　the　feelings　with　which　Felix

desired　to　inspire　her；true　friendship；　sincere　gratitude；　and　a

fraternal　love；　in　which　was　mingled；　at　certain　times；　a　noble　and

dignified　tenderness；　such　as　tenderness　between　husband　and　wife

ought　to　be。　She　was　a　mother；　and　a　good　mother。　Felix　had　therefore

attached　himself　to　his　young　wife　by　every　bond　without　any

appearance　of　garroting　her；relying　for　his　happiness　on　the　charms

of　habit。



None　but　men　trained　in　the　school　of　lifemen　who　have　gone　round

the　circle　of　disillusionment；　political　and　amorousare　capable　of

following　out　a　course　like　this。　Felix；　however；　found　in　his　work

the　same　pleasure　that　painters；　writers；　architects　take　in　their

creations。　He　doubly　enjoyed　both　the　work　and　its　fruition　as　he

admired　his　wife；　so　artless；　yet　so　well…informed；　witty；　but

natural；　lovable　and　chaste；　a　girl；　and　yet　a　mother；　perfectly　free；

though　bound　by　the　chains　of　righteousness。　The　history　of　all　good

homes　is　that　of　prosperous　peoples；　it　can　be　written　in　two　lines；

and　has　in　it　nothing　for　literature。　So；　as　happiness　is　only

explicable　to　and　by　itself；　these　four　years　furnish　nothing　to

relate　which　was　not　as　tender　as　the　soft　outlines　of　eternal

cherubs；　as　insipid；　alas！　as　manna；　and　about　as　amusing　as　the　tale

of　〃Astrea。〃



In　1833；　this　edifice　of　happiness；　so　carefully　erected　by　Felix　de

Vandenesse；　began　to　crumble；　weakened　at　its　base　without　his

knowledge。　The　heart　of　a　woman　of　twenty…five　is　no　longer　that　of　a

girl　of　eighteen；　any　more　than　the　heart　of　a　woman　of　forty　is　that

of　a　woman　of　thirty。　There　are　four　ages　in　the　life　of　woman；　each

age　creates　a　new　woman。　Vandenesse　knew；　no　doubt；　the　law　of　these

transformations　（created　by　our　modern　manners　and　morals）；　but　he

forgot　them　in　his　own　case；just　as　the　best　grammarian　will　forget

a　rule　of　grammar　in　writing　a　book；　or　the　greatest　general　in　the

field　under　fire；　surprised　by　some　unlooked…for　change　of　base；

forgets　his　military　tactics。　The　man　who　can　perpetually　bring　his

thought　to　bear　upon　his　facts　is　a　man　of　genius；　but　the　man　of　the

highest　genius　does　not　display　genius　at　all　times；　if　he　did；　he

would　be　like　to　God。



After　four　years　of　this　life；　with　never　a　shock　to　the　soul；　nor　a

word　that　produced　the　slightest　discord　in　this　sweet　concert　of

sentiment；　the　countess；　feeling　herself　developed　like　a　beautiful

plant　in　a　fertile　soil；　caressed　by　the　sun　of　a　cloudless　sky；　awoke

to　a　sense　of　a　new　self。　This　crisis　of　her　life；　the　subject　of　this

Scene；　would　be　incomprehensible　without　certain　explanations；　which

may　extenuate　in　the　eyes　of　women　the　wrong…doing　of　this　young

countess；　a　happy　wife；　a　happy　mother；　who　seems；　at　first　sight；

inexcusable。



Life　results　from　the　action　of　two　opposing　principles；　when　one　of

them　is　lacking　the　being　suffers。　Vandenesse；　by　satisfying　every

need；　had　suppressed　desire；　that　king　of　creation；　which　fills　an

enormous　place　in　the　moral　forces。　Extreme　heat；　extreme　sorrow；

complete　happiness；　are　all　despotic　principles　that　reign　over　spaces

devoid　of　production；　they　insist　on　being　solitary；　they　stifle　all

that　is　not　themselves。　Vandenesse　was　not　a　woman；　and　none　but　women

know　the　art　of　varying　happiness；　hence　their　coquetry；　refusals；

fears；　quarrels；　and　the　all…wise　clever　foolery　with　which　they　put

in　doubt　the　things　that　seemed　to　be　without　a　cloud　the　night

before。　Men　may　weary　by　their　constancy；　but　women　never。　Vandenesse

was　too　thoroughly　kind　by　nature　to　worry　deliberately　the　woman　he

loved；　on　the　contrary；　he　kept　her　in　the　bluest　and　least　cloudy

heaven　of　love。　The　problem　of　eternal　beatitude　is　one　of　those　whose

solution　is　known　only　to　God。　Here；　below；　the　sublimest　poets　have

simply　harassed　their　readers　when　attempting　to　picture　paradise。

Dante's　reef　was　that　of　Vandenesse；　all　honor　to　such　courage！



Felix's　wife　began　to　find　monotony　in　an　Eden　so　well　arranged；　the

perfect　happiness　which　the　first　woman　found　in　her　terrestrial

paradise　gave　her　at　length　a　sort　of　nausea　of　sweet　things；　and　made

the　countess　wish；　like　Rivarol　reading　Florian；　for　a　wolf　in　the

fold。　Such；　judging　by　the　history　of　ages；　appears　to　be　the　meaning

of　that　emblematic　serpent　to　which　Eve　listened；　in　all　probability；

out　of　ennui。　This　deduction　may　seem　a　little　venturesome　to

Protestants；　who　take　the　book　of　Genesis　more　seriously　than　the　Jews

themselves。



The　situation　of　Madame　de　Vandenesse　can；　however；　be　explained

without　recourse　to　Biblical　images。　She　felt　in　her　soul　an　enormous

power　that　was　unemployed。　Her　happiness　gave　her　no　suffering；　it

rolled　along　without　care　or　uneasiness；　she　was　not　afraid　of　losing

it；　each　morning　it　shone　upon　her；　with　the　same　blue　sky；　the　same

smile；　the　same　sweet　words。　That　clear；　still　lake　was　unruffled　by

any　breeze；　even　a　zephyr；　she　would　fain　have　seen　a　ripple　on　its

glassy　surface。　Her　desire　had　something　so　infantine　about　it　that　it

ought　to　be　excused；　but　society　is　not　more　indulgent　than　the　God　of

Genesis。　Madame　de　Vandenesse；　having　now　become　intelligently　clever；

was　aware　that　such　sentiments　were　not　permissible；　and　she　refrained

from　confiding　them　to　her　〃dear　little　husband。〃　Her　genuine

simplicity　had　not　invented　any　other　name　for　him；　for　one　can't　call

up　in　cold　blood　that　delightfully　exaggerated　language　which　love

imparts　to　its　victims　in　the　midst　of　flames。



Vandenesse；　glad　of　this　adorable　reserve；　kept　his　wife；　by

deliberate　calculations；　in　the　temperate　regions　of　conjugal

affection。　He　never　condescended　to　seek　a　reward　or　even　an

acknowledgment　of　the　infinite　pains　which　he　gave　himself；　his　wife

thought　his　luxury　and　good　taste　her　natural　right；　and　she　felt　no

gratitude　for　the　fact　that　her　pride　and　self…love　had　never

suffered。　It　was　thus　in　everything。　Kindness　has　its　mishaps；　often

it　is　attributed　to　temperament；　people　are　seldom　willing　to

recognize　it　as　the　secret　effort　of　a　noble　soul。



About　this　period　of　her　life；　Madame　Felix　de　Vandenesse　had　attained

to　a　degree　of　worldly　knowledge　which　enabled　her　to　quit　the

insignificant　role　of　a　timid；　listening；　and　observing　supernumerary；

a　part　played；　they　say；　for　some　time；　by　Giulia　Grisi　in　the

chorus　at　La　Scala。　The　young　countess　now　felt　herself　capable　of

attempting　the　part　of　prima…donna；　and　she　did　so　on　several

occasions。　To　the　great　satisfaction　of　her　husband；　she　began　to

mingle　in　conversations。　Intelligent　ideas　and　delicate　observations

put　into　her　mind　by　her　intercourse　with　her　husband；　made　her

remarked　upon；　and　success　emboldened　her。　Vandenesse；　to　whom　the

world　admitted　that　his　wife　was　beautiful；　was　delighted　when　the

same　assurance　was　given　that　she　was　clever　and　witty。　On　their

return　from　a　ball；　concert；　or　rout　where　Marie　had　shone

brilliantly；　she　would　turn　to　her　husband；　as　she　took　off　her

ornaments；　and　say；　with　a　joyous；　self…assured　air；



〃Were　you　pleased　with　me　this　evening？〃



The　countess　excited　jealousies；　among　others　that　of　her　husband's

sister；　Madame　de　Listomere；　who　until　now　had　patronized　her；

thinking　that　she　protected　a　foil　to　her　own　merits。　A　countess；

beautiful；　witty　and　virtuous！what　a　prey　for　the　tongues　of　the

world！　Felix　had　broken　with　too　many　women；　and　too　many　women　had

broken　with　him；　to　leave　them　indifferent　to　his　marriage。　When　these

women　beheld　in　Madame　de　Vandenesse　a　small　woman　with　red　hands；　and

rather　awkward　manner；　saying　little；　and　apparently　not　thinking

much；　they　thought　themselves　sufficiently　avenged。　The　disasters　of

July；　1830；　supervened；　society　was　dissolved　for　two　years；　the　rich

evaded　the　turmoil　an