a prince of bohemia-第8部分

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nor　a　Rhetore'

〃Du　Bruel　looked　ghastly　at　this。　Two　days　afterwards　we　met　in　the
/foyer/　at　the　Opera；　and　took　a　few　turns　together。　The　conversation
fell　on　Tullia。

〃　'Do　not　take　my　ravings　on　the　boulevard　too　seriously；'　said　he；　'I
have　a　violent　temper。'

〃For　two　winters　I　was　a　tolerably　frequent　visitor　at　du　Bruel's
house；　and　I　followed　Claudine's　tactics　closely。　She　had　a　splendid
carriage。　Du　Bruel　entered　public　life；　she　made　him　abjure　his
Royalist　opinions。　He　rallied　himself；　he　took　his　place　again　in　the
administration；　the　National　Guard　was　discreetly　canvassed；　du　Bruel
was　elected　major；　and　behaved　so　valorously　in　a　street　riot；　that　he
was　decorated　with　the　rosette　of　an　officer　of　the　Legion　of　Honor。
He　was　appointed　Master　of　Requests　and　head　of　a　department。　Uncle
Chaffaroux　died　and　left　his　niece　forty　thousand　francs　per　annum；
three…fourths　of　his　fortune。　Du　Bruel　became　a　deputy；　but
beforehand；　to　save　the　necessity　of　re…election；　he　secured　his
nomination　to　the　Council　of　State。　He　reprinted　divers　archaeological
treatises；　a　couple　of　political　pamphlets；　and　a　statistical　work；　by
way　of　pretext　for　his　appointment　to　one　of　the　obliging　academies　of
the　Institut。　At　this　moment　he　is　a　Commander　of　the　Legion；　and
（after　fishing　in　the　troubled　waters　of　political　intrigue）　has　quite
recently　been　made　a　peer　of　France　and　a　count。　As　yet　our　friend
does　not　venture　to　bear　his　honors；　his　wife　merely　puts　'La　Comtesse
du　Bruel'　on　her　cards。　The　sometime　playwright　has　the　Order　of
Leopold；　the　Order　of　Isabella；　the　cross　of　Saint…Vladimir；　second
class；　the　Order　of　Civil　Merit　of　Bavaria；　the　Papal　Order　of　the
Golden　Spur；all　the　lesser　orders；　in　short；　besides　the　Grand
Cross。

〃Three　months　ago　Claudine　drove　to　La　Palferine's　door　in　her
splendid　carriage　with　its　armorial　bearings。　Du　Bruel's　grandfather
was　a　farmer　of　taxes　ennobled　towards　the　end　of　Louis　Quatorze's
reign。　Cherin　composed　his　coat…of…arms　for　him；　so　the　Count's
coronet　looks　not　amiss　above　a　scutcheon　innocent　of　Imperial
absurdities。　In　this　way；　in　the　short　space　of　three　years；　Claudine
had　carried　out　the　programme　laid　down　for　her　by　the　charming；
light…hearted　La　Palferine。

〃One　day；　just　above　a　month　ago；　she　climbed　the　miserable　staircase
to　her　lover's　lodging；　climbed　in　her　glory；　dressed　like　a　real
countess　of　the　Faubourg　Saint…Germain；　to　our　friend's　garret。　La
Palferine；　seeing　her；　said；　'You　have　made　a　peeress　of　yourself　I
know。　But　it　is　too　late；　Claudine；　every　one　is　talking　just　now
about　the　Southern　Cross；　I　should　like　it　see　it！'

〃　'I　will　get　it　for　you。'

〃La　Palferine　burst　into　a　peal　of　Homeric　laughter。

〃　'Most　distinctly；'　he　returned；　'I　do　/not/　wish　to　have　a　woman　as
ignorant　as　a　carp　for　my　mistress；　a　woman　that　springs　like　a　flying
fish　from　the　green…room　of　the　Opera　to　Court；　for　I　should　like　to
see　you　at　the　Court　of　the　Citizen　King。'

〃She　turned　to　me。

〃　'What　is　the　Southern　Cross？'　she　asked；　in　a　sad；　downcast　voice。

〃I　was　struck　with　admiration　for　this　indomitable　love；　outdoing　the
most　ingenious　marvels　of　fairy　tales　in　real　lifea　love　that　would
spring　over　a　precipice　to　find　a　roc's　egg；　or　to　gather　the　singing
flower。　I　explained　that　the　Southern　Cross　was　a　nebulous
constellation　even　brighter　than　the　Milky　Way；　arranged　in　the　form
of　a　cross；　and　that　it　could　only　be　seen　in　southern　latitudes。

〃　'Very　well；　Charles；　let　us　go；'　said　she。

〃La　Palferine；　ferocious　though　he　was；　had　tears　in　his　eyes；　but
what　a　look　there　was　in　Claudine's　face；　what　a　note　in　her　voice！　I
have　seen　nothing　like　the　thing　that　followed；　not　even　in　the
supreme　touch　of　a　great　actor's　art；　nothing　to　compare　with　her
movement　when　she　saw　the　hard　eyes　softened　in　tears；　Claudine　sank
upon　her　knees　and　kissed　La　Palferine's　pitiless　hand。　He　raised　her
with　his　grand　manner；　his　'Rusticoli　air；'　as　he　calls　it'There；
child！'　he　said；　'I　will　do　something　for　you；　I　will　put　youin　my
will。'

〃Well；〃　concluded　Nathan；　〃I　ask　myself　sometimes　whether　du　Bruel　is
really　deceived。　Truly　there　is　nothing　more　comic；　nothing　stranger
than　the　sight　of　a　careless　young　fellow　ruling　a　married　couple；　his
slightest　whims　received　as　law；　the　weightiest　decisions　revoked　at　a
word　from　him。　That　dinner　incident；　as　you　can　see；　is　repeated　times
without　number；　it　interferes　with　important　matters。　Still；　but　for
Claudine's　caprices；　du　Bruel　would　be　de　Cursy　still；　one
vaudevillist　among　five　hundred；　whereas　he　is　in　the　House　of　Peers。〃



〃You　will　change　the　names；　I　hope！〃　said　Nathan；　addressing　Mme。　de
la　Baudraye。

〃I　should　think　so！　I　have　only　set　names　to　the　masks　for　you。　My
dear　Nathan；〃　she　added　in　the　poet's　ear；　〃I　know　another　case　on
which　the　wife　takes　du　Bruel's　place。〃

〃And　the　catastrophe？〃　queried　Lousteau；　returning　just　at　the　end　of
Mme。　de　la　Baudraye's　story。

〃I　do　not　believe　in　catastrophes。　One　has　to　invent　such　good　ones　to
show　that　art　is　quite　a　match　for　chance；　and　nobody　reads　a　book
twice；　my　friend；　except　for　the　details。〃

〃But　there　is　a　catastrophe；〃　persisted　Nathan。

〃What　is　it？〃

〃The　Marquise　de　Rochefide　is　infatuated　with　Charles　Edward。　My　story
excited　her　curiosity。〃

〃Oh；　unhappy　woman！〃　cried　Mme。　de　la　Baudraye。

〃Not　so　unhappy；〃　said　Nathan；　〃for　Maxime　de　Trailles　and　La
Palferine　have　brought　about　a　rupture　between　the　Marquis　and　Mme。
Schontz；　and　they　mean　to　make　it　up　between　Arthur　and　Beatrix。〃



1839　…　1845。








End