the duchesse de langeais-第28节

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ealogies　of　every　noble　house　in　Europeprinces；　dukes；　and　countsand　could　put　her　hand　on　the　last　descendants　of　Charlemagne　in　the　direct　line。　　No　usurpation　of　title　could　escape　the　Princesse　de　Blamont…Chauvry。

Young　men　who　wished　to　stand　well　at　Court；　ambitious　men；　and　young　married　women　paid　her　assiduous　homage。　　Her　salon　set　the　tone　of　the　Faubourg　Saint…Germain。　　The　words　of　this　Talleyrand　in　petticoats　were　taken　as　final　decrees。　　People　came　to　consult　her　on　questions　of　etiquette　or　usages；　or　to　take　lessons　in　good　taste。　　And；　in　truth；　no　other　old　woman　could　put　back　her　snuff…box　in　her　pocket　as　the　Princess　could；　while　there　was　a　precision　and　a　grace　about　the　movements　of　her　skirts；　when　she　sat　down　or　crossed　her　feet；　which　drove　the　finest　ladies　of　the　young　generation　to　despair。　　Her　voice　had　remained　in　her　head　during　one…third　of　her　lifetime；　but　she　could　not　prevent　a　descent　into　the　membranes　of　the　nose；　which　lent　to　it　a　peculiar　expressiveness。　　She　still　retained　a　hundred　and　fifty　thousand　livres　of　her　great　fortune；　for　Napoleon　had　generously　returned　her　woods　to　her；　so　that　personally　and　in　the　matter　of　possessions　she　was　a　woman　of　no　little　consequence。

This　curious　antique；　seated　in　a　low　chair　by　the　fireside；　was　chatting　with　the　Vidame　de　Pamiers；　a　contemporary　ruin。　　The　Vidame　was　a　big；　tall；　and　spare　man；　a　seigneur　of　the　old　school；　and　had　been　a　Commander　of　the　Order　of　Malta。　　His　neck　had　always　been　so　tightly　compressed　by　a　strangulation　stock；　that　his　cheeks　pouched　over　it　a　little；　and　he　held　his　head　high；　to　many　people　this　would　have　given　an　air　of　self…sufficiency；　but　in　the　Vidame　it　was　justified　by　a　Voltairean　wit。　　His　wide　prominent　eyes　seemed　to　see　everything；　and　as　a　matter　of　fact　there　was　not　much　that　they　had　not　seen。　　Altogether；　his　person　was　a　perfect　model　of　aristocratic　outline；　slim　and　slender；　supple　and　agreeable。　　He　seemed　as　if　he　could　be　pliant　or　rigid　at　will；　and　twist　and　bend；　or　rear　his　head　like　a　snake。

The　Duc　de　Navarreins　was　pacing　up　and　down　the　room　with　the　Duc　de　Grandlieu。　　Both　were　men　of　fifty…six　or　thereabouts；　and　still　hale；　both　were　short；　corpulent；　flourishing；　somewhat　florid…complexioned　men　with　jaded　eyes；　and　lower　lips　that　had　begun　to　hang　already。　　But　for　an　exquisite　refinement　of　accent；　an　urbane　courtesy；　and　an　ease　of　manner　that　could　change　in　a　moment　to　insolence；　a　superficial　observer　might　have　taken　them　for　a　couple　of　bankers。　　Any　such　mistake　would　have　been　impossible；　however；　if　the　listener　could　have　heard　them　converse；　and　seen　them　on　their　guard　with　men　whom　they　feared；　vapid　and　commonplace　with　their　equals；　slippery　with　the　inferiors　whom　courtiers　and　statesmen　know　how　to　tame　by　a　tactful　word；　or　to　humiliate　with　an　unexpected　phrase。

Such　were　the　representatives　of　the　great　noblesse　that　determined　to　perish　rather　than　submit　to　any　change。　　It　was　a　noblesse　that　deserved　praise　and　blame　in　equal　measure；　a　noblesse　that　will　never　be　judged　impartially　until　some　poet　shall　arise　to　tell　how　joyfully　the　nobles　obeyed　the　King　though　their　heads　fell　under　a　Richelieu's　axe；　and　how　deeply　they　scorned　the　guillotine　of　'89　as　a　foul　revenge。

Another　noticeable　trait　in　all　the　four　was　a　thin　voice　that　agreed　peculiarly　well　with　their　ideas　and　bearing。　　Among　themselves；　at　any　rate；　they　were　on　terms　of　perfect　equality。　　None　of　them　betrayed　any　sign　of　annoyance　over　the　Duchess's　escapade；　but　all　of　them　had　learned　at　Court　to　hide　their　feelings。

And　here；　lest　critics　should　condemn　the　puerility　of　the　opening　of　the　forthcoming　scene；　it　is　perhaps　as　well　to　remind　the　reader　that　Locke；　once　happening　to　be　in　the　company　of　several　great　lords；　renowned　no　less　for　their　wit　than　for　their　breeding　and　political　consistency；　wickedly　amused　himself　by　taking　down　their　conversation　by　some　shorthand　process　of　his　own；　and　afterwards；　when　he　read　it　over　to　them　to　see　what　they　could　make　of　it；　they　all　burst　out　laughing。　　And；　in　truth；　the　tinsel　jargon　which　circulates　among　the　upper　ranks　in　every　country　yields　mighty　little　gold　to　the　crucible　when　washed　in　the　ashes　of　literature　or　philosophy。　　In　every　rank　of　society　（some　few　Parisian　salons　excepted）　the　curious　observer　finds　folly　a　constant　quantity　beneath　a　more　or　less　transparent　varnish。　　Conversation　with　any　substance　in　it　is　a　rare　exception；　and　boeotianism　is　current　coin　in　every　zone。　　In　the　higher　regions　they　must　perforce　talk　more；　but　to　make　up　for　it　they　think　the　less。　　Thinking　is　a　tiring　exercise；　and　the　rich　like　their　lives　to　flow　by　easily　and　without　effort。　　It　is　by　comparing　the　fundamental　matter　of　jests；　as　you　rise　in　the　social　scale　from　the　street…boy　to　the　peer　of　France；　that　the　observer　arrives　at　a　true　comprehension　of　M。　de　Talleyrand's　maxim；　〃The　manner　is　everything〃；　an　elegant　rendering　of　the　legal　axiom；　〃The　form　is　of　more　consequence　than　the　matter。〃　　In　the　eyes　of　the　poet　the　advantage　rests　with　the　lower　classes；　for　they　seldom　fail　to　give　a　certain　character　of　rude　poetry　to　their　thoughts。　　Perhaps　also　this　same　observation　may　explain　the　sterility　of　the　salons；　their　emptiness；　their　shallowness；　and　the　repugnance　felt　by　men　of　ability　for　bartering　their　ideas　for　such　pitiful　small　change。

The　Duke　suddenly　stopped　as　if　some　bright　idea　occurred　to　him；　and　remarked　to　his　neighbour

〃So　you　have　sold　Tornthon？〃

〃No；　he　is　ill。　　I　am　very　much　afraid　I　shall　lose　him；　and　I　should　be　uncommonly　sorry。　　He　is　a　very　good　hunter。　　Do　you　know　how　the　Duchesse　de　Marigny　is？〃

〃No。　　I　did　not　go　this　morning。　　I　was　just　going　out　to　call　when　you　came　in　to　speak　about　Antoinette。　　But　yesterday　she　was　very　ill　indeed；　they　had　given　her　up；　she　took　the　sacrament。〃

〃Her　death　will　make　a　change　in　your　cousin's　position。〃

〃Not　at　all。　　She　gave　away　her　property　in　her　lifetime；　only　keeping　an　annuity。　　She　made　over　the　Guebriant　estate　to　her　niece；　Mme　de　Soulanges；　subject　to　a　yearly　charge。〃

〃It　will　be　a　great　loss　for　society。　　She　was　a　kind　woman。　　Her　family　will　miss　her；　her　experience　and　advice　carried　weight。　　Her　son　Marigny　is　an　amiable　man；　he　has　a　sharp　wit；　he　can　talk。　　He　is　pleasant；　very　pleasant。　　Pleasant？　oh；　that　no　one　can　deny；　butill　regulated　to　the　last　degree。　　Well；　and　yet　it　is　an　extraordinary　thing；　he　is　very　acute。　　He　was　dining　at　the　club　the　other　day　with　that　moneyed　Chaussee…d'Antin　set。　　Your　uncle　（he　always　goes　there　for　his　game　of　cards）　found　him　there　to　his　astonishment；　and　asked　if　he　was　a　member。　　‘Yes；'　said　he；　‘I　don't　go　into　society　now；　I　am　living　among　the　bankers。'You　know　why？〃　added　the　Marquis；　with　a　meaning　smile。

〃No；〃　said　the　Duke。

〃He　is　smitten　with　that　little　Mme　Keller；　Gondreville's　daughter；　she　is　only　lately　married；　and　has　a　great　vogue；　they　say；　in　that　set。〃

〃Well；　Antoinette　does　not　find　time　heavy　on　her　hands；　it　seems；〃　remarked　the　Vidame。

〃My　affection　for　that　little　woman　has　driven　me　to　find　a　singular　pastime；〃　replied　the　Princess；　as　she　returned　her　snuff…box　to　her　pocket。

〃Dear　aunt；　I　am　extremely　vexed；〃　said　the　Duke；　stopping　short　in　his　walk。　　〃Nobody　but　one　of　Buonaparte's　men　could　ask　such　an　indecorous　thing　of　a　woman　of　fashion。　　Between　ourselves；　Antoinette　might　have　made　a　better　choice。〃

〃The　Montriveaus　are　a　very　old　family　and　very　well　connected；　my　dear；〃　replied　the　Princess；　〃they　are　related　to　all　the　noblest　houses　of　Burgundy。　　If　the　Dulmen　branch　of　the　Arschoot　Rivaudoults　should　come　to　an　end　in　Galicia；　the　Montriveaus　would　succeed　to　the　Arschoot　title　and　estates。　　They　inherit　through　their　great…grandfather。

〃Are　you　sure？〃

〃I　know　it　better　than　this　Montriveau's　father　did。　　I　told　him　about　it；　I　used　to　see　a　good　deal　of　him；　and；　Chevalier　of　several　orders　though　he　was；　he　only　laughed；　he　was　an　encyclopaedist。　　But　his　brother　turned　the　relationship　to　good　account　during　the　emigration。　　I　have　heard　it　said　that　his　northern　kinsfolk　were　most　kind　in　every　way〃

〃Yes；　to　be　sure。　　The　Comte　de　Montriveau　died　at　St。　Petersburg；〃　said　the　Vidame。　　〃I　met　him　there。　　He　was　a　big　man　with　an　incredible　passion　for　oysters。〃

〃However　many　did　he　eat？〃　asked　the　Duc　de　Grandlieu。

〃Ten　dozen　every　day。〃

〃And　did　they　not　disagree　with　him？〃

〃Not　the　least　bit　in　the　world。〃

〃Why；　that　is　extraordinary！　　Had　he　neither　the　stone　nor　gout；　nor　any　other　complaint；　in　consequence？〃

〃No；　his　health　was　perfectly　good；　and　he　died　through　an　accident。〃

〃By　accident！　　Nature　prompted　him　to　eat　oysters；　so　probably　he　required　them；　for　up　to　a　certain　point　our　predominant　tastes　are　conditions　of　our　existence。〃

〃I　am　of　your　opinion；〃　said　the　Princess；　with　a　smile。

〃Madame；　you　always　put　a　malicious　construction　on　things；〃　returned　the　Marquis。

〃I　only　want　you　to　understand　that　these　remarks　might　leave　a　wrong　impression　on　a　young　woman's　mind；〃　said　she；　and　interrupted　herself　to　exclaim；　〃B