the deputy of arcis-第31节

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he　/Femmes　Savantes/；　who　fancies　that　every　man　she　sees　is　fatally　in　love　with　her。

I　therefore　cheerfully　abandon　that　stupid　conclusion。　Lover　or　not；　Monsieur　Dorlange　is　a　man　of　high　character；　with　rare　distinction　of　mind；　and　if；　as　I　believe　now；　he　has　no　misplaced　pretensions；　it　is　an　honor　and　pleasure　to　count　him　among　our　friends。　Nais　is　enchanted　with　her　preserver。　After　he　left　us　that　evening；　she　said　to　me；　with　an　amusing　little　air　of　approbation；

〃Mamma；　how　well　Monsieur　Dorlange　talks。〃

Apropos　of　Nais；　here　is　one　of　her　remarks：

〃When　he　stopped　the　horses；　mamma；　and　you　did　not　seem　to　notice　him；　I　thought　he　was　only　a　man。〃

〃How　do　you　mean；only　a　man？〃

〃Well；　yes！　one　of　those　persons　to　whom　one　pays　no　attention。　But；　oh！　I　was　so　glad　when　I　found　out　he　was　a　monsieur。　Didn't　you　hear　me　cry　out；　'Ah！　you　are　the　monsieur　who　saved　me'？〃

Though　her　innocence　is　perfect；　there　was　such　pride　and　vanity　in　this　little　speech　that　I　gave　her；　as　you　may　well　suppose；　a　lecture　upon　it。　This　distinction　of　man　and　monsieur　is　dreadful；　but；　after　all；　the　child　told　the　truth。　She　only　said；　with　her　blunt　simplicity；　what　our　democratic　customs　still　allow　us　to　put　in　practice；　though　they　forbid　us　to　put　it　into　words。　The　Revolution　of　'89　has　at　least　introduced　that　virtuous　hypocrisy　into　our　social　system。

But　I　refrain　from　politics。



VIII

THE　COMTESSE　DE　L'ESTORADE　TO　MADAME　OCTAVE　DE　CAMPS

April；　1839。

For　the　last　two　weeks　we　have　heard　nothing　more　of　Monsieur　Dorlange。　Not　only　has　he　not　seen　fit　to　renew　the　conversation　so　provokingly　interrupted　by　Madame　de　la　Bastie；　but　he　has　not　even　remembered　that　it　was　proper　to　leave　his　card　at　the　house　after　a　dinner。

While　we　were　breakfasting　yesterday　morning；　I　happened　to　make　this　remark　（though　without　any　sharpness）；　and　just　then　our　Lucas；　who；　as　an　old　servant；　sometimes　allows　himself　a　little　familiarity；　had　the　door　swung　triumphantly　open　to　admit　him；　bearing　/something/；　I　knew　not　what；　wrapped　in　tissue　paper；　which　he　deposited　with　great　care　on　the　table；　giving　a　note　to　Monsieur　de　l'Estorade　at　the　same　time。

〃What　is　that？〃　I　said　to　Lucas；　on　whose　face　I　detected　the　signs　of　a　〃surprise；〃　at　the　same　time　putting　out　my　hand　to　uncover　the　mysterious　article。

〃Oh！　madame　must　be　careful！〃　cried　Lucas；　〃it　is　fragile。〃

During　this　time　my　husband　had　read　the　note；　which　he　now　passed　to　me；　saying：

〃Read　it。　Monsieur　Dorlange　sends　us　an　excuse。〃

The　note　said：

　　Monsieur　le　Comte；I　think　I　observed　that　Madame　la　comtesse　　　granted　me　rather　reluctantly　her　permission　to　profit　by　the　　　audacious　larceny　I　committed　at　her　expense。　I　have；　therefore；　　　taken　upon　myself　to　change　the　character　of　my　statue；　and；　at　　　the　present　moment；　the　/two　sisters/　no　longer　resemble　each　　　other。　Nevertheless；　as　I　did　not　wish　that　/all/　should　be　lost　　　to　the　world；　I　modelled　the　head　of　Saint…Ursula　before　　　retouching　it。　From　that　model　I　have　now　made　a　reduction；　which　　　I　place　upon　the　charming　shoulders　of　a　countess　not　yet　　　canonized；　thank　God！　The　mould　was　broken　as　soon　as　the　one　　　cast；　which　I　have　now　the　honor　of　sending　you；　was　made。　This　　　fact　may；　perhaps；　give　some　little　additional　value　to　the　bust　　　in　your　eyes。

　　Accept；　Monsieur　le　comte；　etc。；　etc。

While　I　was　reading　the　note；　my　husband；　Lucas；　Rene；　and　Nais　had　eagerly　extracted　me　from　my　swathings；　and　then；　in　truth；　I　appeared　no　longer　a　saint；　but　a　woman　of　the　world。　I　really　thought　my　husband　and　children　would　go　out　of　their　minds　with　admiration　and　pleasure。　The　news　of　this　masterpiece　spread　about　the　house；　and　all　our　servants；　whom　we　rather　spoil；　came　flocking；　one　after　another；　as　if　sent　for；　crying　out；　〃Oh；　it　is　madame's　own　self！〃　I　alone　did　not　share　in　the　general　enthusiasm。　As　for　Monsieur　de　l'Estorade；　after　working　for　an　hour　to　find　a　place　in　his　study　where　the　bust　could　be　seen　in　its　best　light；　he　came　in　to　say　to　me：

〃On　my　way　to　the　Treasury　to…day　I　shall　go　and　see　Monsieur　Dorlange；　and　if　he　is　at　liberty　this　evening　I　shall　ask　him　to　dine　with　us。　To…day　is　Armand's　half…holiday；　and　I　would　like　him　to　see　the　boy。　The　assembled　family　can　then　thank　him　for　his　gift。〃

Monsieur　Dorlange　accepted　the　invitation。　At　dinner　Monsieur　de　l'Estorade　inquired　further　about　his　candidacy；　giving　it　however；　no　approval。　This　led　straight　to　politics。　Armand；　whose　mind　is　naturally　grave　and　reflective　and　who　reads　the　newspapers；　mingled　in　the　conversation。　Against　the　practice　of　youths　of　the　present　day；　he　thinks　like　his　father；　that　is；　he　is　very　conservative；　though　perhaps　less　just　and　wise；　as　might　well　be　expected　in　a　lad　of　fifteen。　He　was　consequently　led　to　contradict　Monsieur　Dorlange；　whose　inclination　as　I　told　you；　is　somewhat　jacobin。　And　I　must　say　I　thought　the　arguments　of　my　little　man　neither　bad　nor　ill…expressed。　Without　ceasing　to　be　polite；　Monsieur　Dorlange　had　an　air　of　disdaining　a　discussion　with　the　poor　boy；　so　much　so　that　I　saw　Armand　on　the　point　of　losing　patience　and　replying　sharply。　However；　as　he　has　been　well　brought　up；　I　had　only　to　make　him　a　sign　and　he　controlled　himself；　but　seeing　him　turn　scarlet　and　shut　himself　up　in　gloomy　silence；　I　felt　that　his　pride　had　received　a　blow；　and　I　thought　it　little　generous　in　Monsieur　Dorlange　to　crush　a　young　lad　in　that　way。

I　know　very　well　that　children　in　these　days　make　the　mistake　of　wishing　to　be　personages　before　their　time；　and　that　it　often　does　them　good　to　suppress　such　conceit。　But　really；　Armand　has　an　intellectual　development　and　a　power　of　reasoning　beyond　his　age。　Do　you　want　a　proof　of　it？　Until　last　year；　I　had　never　consented　to　part　with　him；　and　it　was　only　as　a　day　scholar　that　he　followed　his　course　of　study　at　the　College　Henri　IV。　Well；　he　himself；　for　the　sake　of　his　studies；　which　were　hindered　by　going　and　coming　to　and　fro；　asked　to　be　placed　in　the　regular　manner　in　the　school；　and　he　employed　more　entreaties　and　arguments　with　me　to　put　him　under　that　discipline　than　an　ordinary　boy　would　have　used　to　escape　it。　Therefore　this　manly　air　and　manner；　which　in　most　schoolboys　would；　of　course；　be　intolerably　ridiculous；　seems　in　him　the　result　of　his　natural　precocity；　and　this　precocity　ought　to　be　forgiven　him；　inasmuch　as　it　comes　to　him　from　God。

In　consequence　of　his　unfortunate　birth　Monsieur　Dorlange　is　less　fitted　than　most　men　to　judge　of　children　in　their　homes；　and　he　therefore；　necessarily；　shows　a　want　of　indulgence。　But　he　had　better　take　care；　if　he　wishes　to　pay　court　to　me　merely　as　a　friend　he　has　chosen　a　very　bad　method　of　doing　so。

Of　course　an　evening　in　the　midst　of　the　family　did　not　allow　of　his　returning　to　the　subject　of　his　private　history；　but　I　thought　he　did　not　show　any　particular　desire　to　do　so。　In　fact；　he　occupied　himself　much　more　with　Nais　than　with　me；　cutting　out　silhouettes　in　black　paper　for　her　during　nearly　the　whole　evening。　I　must　also　mention　that　Madame　de　Rastignac　came　in　and　I；　on　my　side；　was　obliged　to　give　my　company　to　her。　While　we　were　conversing　near　the　fire；　Monsieur　Dorlange　at　the　other　end　of　the　room　was　posing　the　two　children　Nais　and　Rene；　who　presently　brought　me　their　likenesses　snipped　out　with　scissors；　Nais　whispering　triumphantly　in　my　ear：

〃You　don't　know；　but　Monsieur　Dorlange　is　going　to　make　my　bust　in　marble。〃

Since　this　family　dinner；　civil　war　has　been　declared　among　my　children。　Nais　extols　to　the　skies　her　〃dear　preserver；〃　as　she　calls　him；　and　is　supported　in　her　opinion　by　Rene；　who　is　delivered　over　to　the　sculptor　body　and　soul　in　return　for　a　superb　lancer　on　horseback　which　Monsieur　Dorlange　cut　out　for　him。　Armand；　on　the　contrary；　thinks　him　ugly；　which　is　undeniable；　he　says　he　resembles　the　portraits　of　Danton　which　he　has　seen　in　the　illustrated　histories　of　the　Revolution；　in　which　remark　there　is　some　truth。　He　says　also　that　Monsieur　Dorlange　has　given　me　in　my　bust　the　air　of　a　grisette；　which　is　not　true　at　all。　Hence；　disputes　among　my　darlings　which　are　endless。



IX

DORLANGE　TO　MARIE…GASTON

Paris；　April；　1839。

Why　do　I　desert　my　art；　and　what　do　I　intend　to　do　in　this　cursed　galley　of　politics？　This　shows　what　it　is；　my　dear　romantic　friend；　to　shut　one's　self　up　for　years　in　a　conjugal　convent。　During　that　time　the　world　has　progressed。　To　friends　forgotten　at　the　gate　life　brings　new　combinations；　and　the　more　they　are　ignored；　the　more　disposed　the　forgetter　is　to　cast　the　blame　upon　those　forgotten；　it　is　so　easy　to　preach　to　others！

Learn；　then；　my　dear　inquisitor；　that　I　do　not　enter　politics　of　my　own　volition。　In　pushing　myself　in　this　unexpected　manner　into　the　electoral　breach；　I　merely　follow　an　inspiration　that　has　been　made　to　me。　A　ray　of　light　has　come　into　my　darkness；　a　father　has　partly　revealed　himself；　and；　if　I　may　believe　appearances；　he　holds　a　place　in　the　world　which　ought　to　satisfy　the　most　exacting　ambition。　This　revelation；　considering　the　very　ordinary　course　of　my　life；　has　come　to　me　surrounded　by　fantastic　and　romantic