the duchesse de langeais-第30节

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〃But；　my　dear　little　girl；〃　remonstrated　the　Vidame；　〃life　is　simply　a　complication　of　interests　and　feelings；　to　be　happy；　more　particularly　in　your　position；　one　must　try　to　reconcile　one's　feelings　with　one's　interests。　　A　grisette　may　love　according　to　her　fancy；　that　is　intelligible　enough；　but　you　have　a　pretty　fortune；　a　family；　a　name　and　a　place　at　Court；　and　you　ought　not　to　fling　them　out　of　the　window。　　And　what　have　we　been　asking　you　to　do　to　keep　them　all？To　manoeuvre　carefully　instead　of　falling　foul　of　social　conventions。　　Lord！　　I　shall　very　soon　be　eighty　years　old；　and　I　cannot　recollect；　under　any　regime；　a　love　worth　the　price　that　you　are　willing　to　pay　for　the　love　of　this　lucky　young　man。〃

The　Duchess　silenced　the　Vidame　with　a　look；　if　Montriveau　could　have　seen　that　glance；　he　would　have　forgiven　all。

〃It　would　be　very　effective　on　the　stage；〃　remarked　the　Duc　de　Grandlieu；　〃but　it　all　amounts　to　nothing　when　your　jointure　and　position　and　independence　is　concerned。　　You　are　not　grateful；　my　dear　niece。　　You　will　not　find　many　families　where　the　relatives　have　courage　enough　to　teach　the　wisdom　gained　by　experience；　and　to　make　rash　young　heads　listen　to　reason。　　Renounce　your　salvation　in　two　minutes；　if　it　pleases　you　to　damn　yourself；　well　and　good；　but　reflect　well　beforehand　when　it　comes　to　renouncing　your　income。　　I　know　of　no　confessor　who　remits　the　pains　of　poverty。　　I　have　a　right；　I　think；　to　speak　in　this　way　to　you；　for　if　you　are　ruined；　I　am　the　one　person　who　can　offer　you　a　refuge。　　I　am　almost　an　uncle　to　Langeais；　and　I　alone　have　a　right　to　put　him　in　the　wrong。〃

The　Duc　de　Navarreins　roused　himself　from　painful　reflections。

〃Since　you　speak　of　feeling；　my　child；〃　he　said；　〃let　me　remind　you　that　a　woman　who　bears　your　name　ought　to　be　moved　by　sentiments　which　do　not　touch　ordinary　people。　　Can　you　wish　to　give　an　advantage　to　the　Liberals；　to　those　Jesuits　of　Robespierre's　that　are　doing　all　they　can　to　vilify　the　noblesse？

Some　things　a　Navarreins　cannot　do　without　failing　in　duty　to　his　house。　　You　would　not　be　alone　in　your　dishonour〃

〃Come；　come！〃　said　the　Princess。　　〃Dishonour？　　Do　not　make　such　a　fuss　about　the　journey　of　an　empty　carriage；　children；　and　leave　me　alone　with　Antoinette。　　Ail　three　of　you　come　and　dine　with　me。　　I　will　undertake　to　arrange　matters　suitably。　　You　men　understand　nothing；　you　are　beginning　to　talk　sourly　already；　and　I　have　no　wish　to　see　a　quarrel　between　you　and　my　dear　child。　　Do　me　the　pleasure　to　go。〃

The　three　gentlemen　probably　guessed　the　Princess's　intentions；　they　took　their　leave。　　M。　de　Navarreins　kissed　his　daughter　on　the　forehead　with；　〃Come；　be　good；　dear　child。　　It　is　not　too　late　yet　if　you　choose。〃

〃Couldn't　we　find　some　good　fellow　in　the　family　to　pick　a　quarrel　with　this　Montriveau？〃　said　the　Vidame；　as　they　went　downstairs。　

When　the　two　women　were　alone；　the　Princess　beckoned　her　niece　to　a　little　low　chair　by　her　side。

〃My　pearl；〃　said　she；　〃in　this　world　below；　I　know　nothing　worse　calumniated　than　God　and　the　eighteenth　century；　for　as　I　look　back　over　my　own　young　days；　I　do　not　recollect　that　a　single　duchess　trampled　the　proprieties　underfoot　as　you　have　just　done。　　Novelists　and　scribblers　brought　the　reign　of　Louis　XV　into　disrepute。　　Do　not　believe　them。　　The　du　Barry；　my　dear；　was　quite　as　good　as　the　Widow　Scarron；　and　the　more　agreeable　woman　of　the　two。　　In　my　time　a　woman　could　keep　her　dignity　among　her　gallantries。　　Indiscretion　was　the　ruin　of　us；　and　the　beginning　of　all　the　mischief。　　The　philosophiststhe　nobodies　whom　we　admitted　into　our　salonshad　no　more　gratitude　or　sense　of　decency　than　to　make　an　inventory　of　our　hearts；　to　traduce　us　one　and　all；　and　to　rail　against　the　age　by　way　of　a　return　for　our　kindness。　　The　people　are　not　in　a　position　to　judge　of　anything　whatsoever；　they　looked　at　the　facts；　not　at　the　form。　　But　the　men　and　women　of　those　times；　my　heart；　were　quite　as　remarkable　as　at　any　other　period　of　the　Monarchy。　　Not　one　of　your　Werthers；　none　of　your　notabilities；　as　they　are　called；　never　a　one　of　your　men　in　yellow　kid　gloves　and　trousers　that　disguise　the　poverty　of　their　legs；　would　cross　Europe　in　the　dress　of　a　travelling　hawker　to　brave　the　daggers　of　a　Duke　of　Modena；　and　to　shut　himself　up　in　the　dressing…room　of　the　Regent's　daughter　at　the　risk　of　his　life。　　Not　one　of　your　little　consumptive　patients　with　their　tortoiseshell　eyeglasses　would　hide　himself　in　a　closet　for　six　weeks；　like　Lauzun；　to　keep　up　his　mistress's　courage　while　she　was　lying　in　of　her　child。　　There　was　more　passion　in　M。　de　Jaucourt's　little　finger　than　in　your　whole　race　of　higglers　that　leave　a　woman　to　better　themselves　elsewhere！　　Just　tell　me　where　to　find　the　page　that　would　be　cut　in　pieces　and　buried　under　the　floorboards　for　one　kiss　on　the　Konigsmark's　gloved　finger！

〃Really；　it　would　seem　today　that　the　roles　are　exchanged；　and　women　are　expected　to　show　their　devotion　for　men。　　These　modern　gentlemen　are　worth　less；　and　think　more　of　themselves。　　Believe　me；　my　dear；　all　these　adventures　that　have　been　made　public；　and　now　are　turned　against　our　good　Louis　XV；　were　kept　quite　secret　at　first。　　If　it　had　not　been　for　a　pack　of　poetasters；　scribblers；　and　moralists；　who　hung　about　our　waiting…women；　and　took　down　their　slanders；　our　epoch　would　have　appeared　in　literature　as　a　well…conducted　age。　　I　am　justifying　the　century　and　not　its　fringe。　　Perhaps　a　hundred　women　of　quality　were　lost；　but　for　every　one；　the　rogues　set　down　ten；　like　the　gazettes　after　a　battle　when　they　count　up　the　losses　of　the　beaten　side。　　And　in　any　case　I　do　not　know　that　the　Revolution　and　the　Empire　can　reproach　us；　they　were　coarse；　dull；　licentious　times。　　Faugh！　it　is　revolting。　　Those　are　the　brothels　of　French　history。

〃This　preamble；　my　dear　child；〃　she　continued　after　a　pause；　〃brings　me　to　the　thing　that　I　have　to　say。　　If　you　care　for　Montriveau；　you　are　quite　at　liberty　to　love　him　at　your　ease；　and　as　much　as　you　can。　　I　know　by　experience　that；　unless　you　are　locked　up　（but　locking　people　up　is　out　of　fashion　now）；　you　will　do　as　you　please；　I　should　have　done　the　same　at　your　age。　　Only；　sweetheart；　I　should　not　have　given　up　my　right　to　be　the　mother　of　future　Ducs　de　Langeais。　　So　mind　appearances。　　The　Vidame　is　right。　　No　man　is　worth　a　single　one　of　the　sacrifices　which　we　are　foolish　enough　to　make　for　their　love。　　Put　yourself　in　such　a　position　that　you　may　still　be　M。　de　Langeais's　wife；　in　case　you　should　have　the　misfortune　to　repent。　　When　you　are　an　old　woman；　you　will　be　very　glad　to　hear　mass　said　at　Court；　and　not　in　some　provincial　convent。　　Therein　lies　the　whole　question。　　A　single　imprudence　means　an　allowance　and　a　wandering　life；　it　means　that　you　are　at　the　mercy　of　your　lover；　it　means　that　you　must　put　up　with　insolence　from　women　that　are　not　so　honest；　precisely　because　they　have　been　very　vulgarly　sharp…witted。　　It　would　be　a　hundred　times　better　to　go　to　Montriveau's　at　night　in　a　cab；　and　disguised；　instead　of　sending　your　carriage　in　broad　daylight。　　You　are　a　little　fool；　my　dear　child！　　Your　carriage　flattered　his　vanity；　your　person　would　have　ensnared　his　heart。　　All　this　that　I　have　said　is　just　and　true；　but；　for　my　own　part；　I　do　not　blame　you。　　You　are　two　centuries　behind　the　times　with　your　false　ideas　of　greatness。　　There；　leave　us　to　arrange　your　affairs；　and　say　that　Montriveau　made　your　servants　drunk　to　gratify　his　vanity　and　to　compromise　you〃

The　Duchess　rose　to　her　feet　with　a　spring。　　〃In　Heaven's　name；　aunt；　do　not　slander　him！〃

The　old　Princess's　eyes　flashed。

〃Dear　child；〃　she　said；　〃I　should　have　liked　to　spare　such　of　your　illusions　as　were　not　fatal。　　But　there　must　be　an　end　of　all　illusions　now。　　You　would　soften　me　if　I　were　not　so　old。　　Come；　now；　do　not　vex　him；　or　us；　or　anyone　else。　　I　will　undertake　to　satisfy　everybody；　but　promise　me　not　to　permit　yourself　a　single　step　henceforth　until　you　have　consulted　me。　　Tell　me　all；　and　perhaps　I　may　bring　it　all　right　again。〃

〃Aunt；　I　promise〃

〃To　tell　me　everything？〃

〃Yes；　everything。　　Everything　that　can　be　told。〃

〃But；　my　sweetheart；　it　is　precisely　what　cannot　be　told　that　I　want　to　know。　　Let　us　understand　each　other　thoroughly。　　Come；　let　me　put　my　withered　old　lips　on　your　beautiful　forehead。　　No；　let　me　do　as　I　wish。　　I　forbid　you　to　kiss　my　bones。　　Old　people　have　a　courtesy　of　their　own。　。　。　。　　There；　take　me　down　to　my　carriage；〃　she　added；　when　she　had　kissed　her　niece。

〃Then　may　I　go　to　him　in　disguise；　dear　aunt？〃

〃Whyyes。　　The　story　can　always　be　denied；〃　said　the　old　Princess。

This　was　the　one　idea　which　the　Duchess　had　clearly　grasped　in　the　sermon。　　When　Mme　de　Chauvry　was　seated　in　the　corner　of　her　carriage；　Mme　de　Langeais　bade　her　a　graceful　adieu　and　went　up　to　her　room。　　She　was　quite　happy　again。　

〃My　person　would　have　snared　his　heart；　my　aunt　is　right；　a　man　cannot　surely　refuse　a　pretty　woman　when　she　understands　how　to　offer　herself。〃

That　evening；　at　the　Elysee…Bourbon；　the　Duc　de　Navarreins；　M。　de　Pamiers；　M。　de　Marsay；　M。　de　Grandlieu；　and　the　Duc　de　Maufrigneuse　triumphantly　refuted　the　sca