the deputy of arcis-第27节

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nclined　to　think；　with　Joseph　Bridau；　that　such　mistakes　are　venial。　But　a　fault　to　be　forever　regretted；　according　to　my　ideas；　will　be　that　of　abandoning　his　present　career　to　fling　himself　into　the　maelstrom　of　politics。　You　are　yourself　interested　in　turning　him　from　this　idea；　if　you　strongly　desire　to　entrust　that　work　to　his　hands。　Preach　to　him　as　strongly　as　you　can　the　wisdom　of　abiding　by　his　art。

On　the　subject　of　the　explanation　I　advised　you　to　have　with　him；　I　must　tell　you　that　your　task　is　greatly　simplified。　You　need　not　enter　into　any　of　the　details　which　would　be　to　you　so　painful。　Madame　de　l'Estorade；　to　whom　I　spoke　of　the　role　of　mediator　which　I　wanted　her　to　play；　accepted　the　part　very　willingly。　She　feels　confident　of　being　able；　after　half　an　hour's　conversation；　to　remove　the　painful　feeling　from　your　friend's　mind；　and　drive　away　the　clouds　between　you。

While　writing　this　long　letter；　I　have　sent　for　news　of　his　condition。　He　is　going　on　favorably；　and　the　physicians　say　that；　barring　all　unforeseen　accidents；　his　friends　need　have　no　anxiety　as　to　his　state。　It　seems　he　is　an　object　of　general　interest；　for；　to　use　the　expression　of　my　valet；　people　are　〃making　cue〃　to　leave　their　names　at　his　door。　It　must　be　added　that　the　Duke　de　Rhetore　is　not　liked；　which　may　partly　account　for　this　sympathy。　The　duke　is　stiff　and　haughty；　but　there　is　little　in　him。　What　a　contrast　the　brother　is　to　her　who　lives　in　our　tenderest　memory。　She　was　simple　and　kind；　yet　she　never　derogated　from　her　dignity；　nothing　equalled　the　lovable　qualities　of　her　heart　but　the　charms　of　her　mind。



IV

THE　COMTESSE　DE　L'ESTORAADE　TO　MADAME　OCTAVE　DE　CAMPS

Paris；　February；　1839。

Nothing　could　be　more　judicious　than　what　you　have　written　me；　my　dear　friend。　It　was　certainly　to　have　been　expected　that　my　〃bore〃　would　have　approached　me　on　the　occasion　of　our　next　meeting。　His　heroism　gave　him　the　right　to　do　so；　and　politeness　made　it　a　duty。　Under　pain　of　being　thought　unmannerly　he　was　bound　to　make　inquiries　as　to　the　results　of　the　accident　on　my　health　and　that　of　Nais。　But　if；　contrary　to　all　these　expectations；　he　did　not　descend　from　his　cloud；　my　resolution；　under　your　judicious　advice；　was　taken。　If　the　mountain　did　not　come　to　me；　I　should　go　to　the　mountain；　like　Hippolyte　in　the　tale　of　Theramene；　I　would　rush　upon　the　monster　and　discharge　my　gratitude　upon　him　at　short　range。　I　have　come　to　think　with　you　that　the　really　dangerous　side　of　this　foolish　obsession　on　his　part　is　its　duration　and　the　inevitable　gossip　in　which；　sooner　or　later；　it　would　involve　me。

Therefore；　I　not　only　accepted　the　necessity　of　speaking　to　my　shadow　first；　but　under　pretence　that　my　husband　wished　to　call　upon　him　and　thank　him　in　person；　I　determined　to　ask　him　his　name　and　address；　and　if　I　found　him　a　suitable　person　I　intended　to　ask　him　to　dinner　on　the　following　day；　believing　that　if　he　had　but　a　shadow　of　common…　sense；　he　would；　when　he　saw　the　manner　in　which　I　live　with　my　husband；　my　frantic　passion；　as　you　call　it；　for　my　children；　in　short；　the　whole　atmosphere　of　my　well…ordered　home；　he　would；　as　I　say；　certainly　see　the　folly　of　persisting　in　his　present　course。　At　any　rate　half　the　danger　of　his　pursuit　was　over　if　it　were　carried　on　openly。　If　I　was　still　to　be　persecuted；　it　would　be　in　my　own　home；　where　we　are　all；　more　or　less；　exposed　to　such　annoyances；　which　an　honest　woman　possessing　some　resources　of　mind　can　always　escape　with　honor。

Well；　all　these　fine　schemes　and　all　your　excellent　advice　have　come　to　nothing。　Since　the　accident；　or　rather　since　the　day　when　my　physician　first　allowed　me　to　go　out；　nothing；　absolutely　nothing　have　I　seen　of　my　unknown　lover。　But；　strange　to　say；　although　his　presence　was　intolerably　annoying；　I　am　conscious　that　he　still　exercises　a　sort　of　magnetism　over　me。　Without　seeing　him；　I　feel　him　near　me；　his　eyes　weigh　upon　me；　though　I　do　not　meet　them。　He　is　ugly；　but　his　ugliness　has　something　energetic　and　powerfully　marked；　which　makes　one　remember　him　as　a　man　of　strong　and　energetic　faculties。　In　fact；　it　is　impossible　not　to　think　about　him；　and　now　that　he　appears　to　have　relieved　me　of　his　presence；　I　an　conscious　of　a　voidthat　sort　of　void　the　ear　feels　when　a　sharp　and　piercing　noise　which　has　long　annoyed　it　ceases。　What　I　am　going　to　add　may　seem　to　you　great　foolishness；　but　are　we　always　mistress　of　such　mirages　of　the　imagination？

I　have　often　told　you　of　my　arguments　with　Louise　de　Chaulieu　in　relation　to　the　manner　in　which　women　ought　to　look　at　life。　I　used　to　tell　her　that　the　passion　with　which　she　never　ceased　to　pursue　the　ideal　was　ill…regulated　and　fatal　to　happiness。　To　this　she　answered：　〃You　have　never　loved；　my　dearest；　love　has　this　rare　phenomenon　about　it：　we　may　live　all　our　lives　without　ever　meeting　the　being　to　whom　nature　has　assigned　the　power　of　making　us　happy。　But　if　the　day　of　splendor　comes　when　that　being　unexpectedly　awakes　your　heart　from　sleep；　what　will　you　do　then？〃　＇See　〃Memoirs　of　Two　Young　Married　Women。〃＇

The　words　of　those　about　to　die　are　often　prophetic。　What　if　this　man　were　to　be　the　tardy　serpent　with　whom　Louise　threatened　me？　That　he　could　ever　be　really　dangerous　to　me；　that　he　could　make　me　fail　in　my　duty；　that　is　certainly　not　what　I　fear；　I　am　strong　against　all　such　extremes。　But　I　did　not；　like　you；　my　dear　Madame　de　Camps；　marry　a　man　whom　my　heart　had　chosen。　It　was　only　by　dint　of　patience；　determination；　and　reason　that　I　was　able　to　build　up　the　solid　and　serious　attachment　which　binds　me　to　Monsieur　de　l'Estorade。　Ought　I　not；　therefore；　to　be　doubly　cautious　lest　anything　distract　me　from　that　sentiment；　be　it　only　the　diversion　of　my　thoughts　in　this　annoying　manner；　to　another　man？

I　shall　say　to　you；　as；　MONSIEUR；　Louis　XIV。's　brother；　said　to　his　wife；　to　whom　he　was　in　the　habit　of　showing　what　he　had　written　and　asking　her　to　decipher　it：　See　into　my　heart　and　mind；　dear　friend；　disperse　the　mists；　quiet　the　worries；　and　the　flux　and　reflux　of　will　which　this　affair　stirs　up　in　me。　My　poor　Louise　was　mistaken；　was　she　not？　I　am　not　a　woman；　am　I；　on　whom　the　passion　of　love　could　gain　a　foothold？　The　man　who；　on　some　glorious　day；　will　render　me　happy　is　my　Armand；　my　Rene；　my　Nais；　three　angels　for　whom　I　have　hitherto　livedthere　can　never　be　for　me；　I　feel　it　deeply；　another　passion！



V

THE　COMTESSE　DE　L'ESTORADE　TO　MADAME　OCTAVE　DE　CAMPS

Paris；　March；　1839。

About　the　year　1820　in　the　course　of　the　same　week　two　/news/　（to　use　the　schoolboy　phrase　of　my　son　Armand）　entered　the　college　of　Tours。　One　had　a　charming　face；　the　other　would　have　been　thought　ugly　if　health；　frankness；　and　intelligence　beaming　on　his　features　had　not　compensated　for　their　irregularity　and　inelegance。

Here　you　will　stop　me；　and　ask　whether　I　have　come　to　the　end　of　my　own　adventure；　that　I　should　now　be　writing　this　feuilleton…story。　No；　this　tale　is　really　a　continuation　of　that　adventure；　though　it　seems　little　like　it；　so；　give　it　your　best　attention　and　do　not　interrupt　me　again。

One　of　these　lads；　the　handsome　one；　was　dreamy；　contemplative；　and　a　trifle　/elegaic/；　the　other；　ardent；　impetuous；　and　always　in　action。　They　were　two　natures　which　completed　each　other；　a　priceless　blessing　to　every　friendship　that　is　destined　to　last。　Both　had　the　same　bar…　sinister　on　them　at　their　birth。　The　dreamer　was　the　natural　son　of　the　unfortunate　Lady　Brandon。　His　name　was　Marie…Gaston；　which；　indeed；　seems　hardly　an　actual　name。　The　other；　born　of　wholly　unknown　parents；　was　named　Dorlange；　which　is　certainly　no　name　at　all。　Dorlange；　Valmon；　Volmar；　Melcourt；　are　heard　upon　the　stage　and　nowhere　else；　already　they　belong　to　a　past　style；　and　will　soon　rejoin　Alceste；　Arnolphe；　Clitandre；　Damis；　Eraste；　Philinte；　and　Arsinoe。

Another　reason　why　the　poor　ill…born　lads　should　cling　together　was　the　cruel　abandonment　to　which　they　were　consigned。　For　the　seven　years　their　studies　lasted　there　was　not　a　day；　even　during　the　holidays；　when　the　door　of　their　prison　opened。　Now　and　then　Marie…　Gaston　received　a　visit　from　an　old　woman　who　had　served　his　mother；　through　her　the　quarterly　payment　for　his　schooling　was　regularly　made。　That　of　Dorlange　was　also　made　with　great　punctuality　through　a　banker　in　Tours。　A　point　to　be　remarked　is　that　the　price　paid　for　the　schooling　of　the　latter　was　the　highest　which　the　rules　of　the　establishment　allowed；　hence　the　conclusion　that　his　unknown　parents　were　persons　in　easy　circumstances。　Among　his　comrades；　Dorlange　attained　to　a　certain　respect　which；　had　it　been　withheld；　he　would　very　well　have　known　how　to　enforce　with　his　fists。　But　under　their　breaths；　his　comrades　remarked　that　he　was　never　sent　for　to　see　friends　in　the　parlor；　and　that　outside　the　college　walls　no　one　appeared　to　take　an　interest　in　him。

The　two　lads；　who　were　both　destined　to　become　distinguished　men；　were　poor　scholars；　though　each　had　his　own　way　of　studying。　By　the　time　he　was　fifteen　Marie…Gaston　had　written　a　volume　of　verses；　satires；　elegies；　meditations；　not　to　speak　of　two　tragedies。　The　favorite　studies　of　Dorlange　led　him　to　steal　logs　of　wood；　o