the collection of antiquities-第13部分

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scern　through　a　pane　of　glass　in　a　little　street　in　Genoa。

A　more　chaste…eyed　madonna　than　Piola's　does　not　exist　but　compared　with　Mme。　de　Maufrigneuse；　that　heavenly　creature　was　a　Messalina。　Women　wondered　among　themselves　how　such　a　giddy　young　thing　had　been　transformed　by　a　change　of　dress　into　the　fair　veiled　seraph　who　seemed　（to　use　an　expression　now　in　vogue）　to　have　a　soul　as　white　as　new　fallen　snow　on　the　highest　Alpine　crests。　How　had　she　solved　in　such　short　space　the　Jesuitical　problem　how　to　display　a　bosom　whiter　than　her　soul　by　hiding　it　in　gauze？　How　could　she　look　so　ethereal　while　her　eyes　drooped　so　murderously？　Those　almost　wanton　glances　seemed　to　give　promise　of　untold　languorous　delight；　while　by　an　ascetic's　sigh　of　aspiration　after　a　better　life　the　mouth　appeared　to　add　that　none　of　those　promises　would　be　fulfilled。　Ingenuous　youths　（for　there　were　a　few　to　be　found　in　the　Guards　of　that　day）　privately　wondered　whether；　in　the　most　intimate　moments；　it　were　possible　to　speak　familiarly　to　this　White　Lady；　this　starry　vapor　slidden　down　from　the　Milky　Way。　This　system；　which　answered　completely　for　some　years　at　a　stretch；　was　turned　to　good　account　by　women　of　fashion；　whose　breasts　were　lined　with　a　stout　philosophy；　for　they　could　cloak　no　inconsiderable　exactions　with　these　little　airs　from　the　sacristy。　Not　one　of　the　celestial　creatures　but　was　quite　well　aware　of　the　possibilities　of　less　ethereal　love　which　lay　in　the　longing　of　every　well…conditioned　male　to　recall　such　beings　to　earth。　It　was　a　fashion　which　permitted　them　to　abide　in　a　semi…religious；　semi…Ossianic　empyrean；　they　could；　and　did；　ignore　all　the　practical　details　of　daily　life；　a　short　and　easy　method　of　disposing　of　many　questions。　De　Marsay；　foreseeing　the　future　developments　of　the　system；　added　a　last　word；　for　he　saw　that　Rastignac　was　jealous　of　Victurnien。

〃My　boy；〃　said　he；　〃stay　as　you　are。　Our　Nucingen　will　make　your　fortune；　whereas　the　Duchess　would　ruin　you。　She　is　too　expensive。〃

Rastignac　allowed　de　Marsay　to　go　without　asking　further　questions。　He　knew　Paris。　He　knew　that　the　most　refined　and　noble　and　disinterested　of　womena　woman　who　cannot　be　induced　to　accept　anything　but　a　bouquetcan　be　as　dangerous　an　acquaintance　for　a　young　man　as　any　opera　girl　of　former　days。　As　a　matter　of　fact；　the　opera　girl　is　an　almost　mythical　being。　As　things　are　now　at　the　theatres；　dancers　and　actresses　are　about　as　amusing　as　a　declaration　of　the　rights　of　woman；　they　are　puppets　that　go　abroad　in　the　morning　in　the　character　of　respected　and　respectable　mothers　of　families；　and　act　men's　parts　in　tight…fitting　garments　at　night。

Worthy　M。　Chesnel；　in　his　country　notary's　office；　was　right；　he　had　foreseen　one　of　the　reefs　on　which　the　Count　might　shipwreck。　Victurnien　was　dazzled　by　the　poetic　aureole　which　Mme。　de　Maufrigneuse　chose　to　assume；　he　was　chained　and　padlocked　from　the　first　hour　in　her　company；　bound　captive　by　that　girlish　sash；　and　caught　by　the　curls　twined　round　fairy　fingers。　Far　corrupted　the　boy　was　already；　but　he　really　believed　in　that　farrago　of　maidenliness　and　muslin；　in　sweet　looks　as　much　studied　as　an　Act　of　Parliament。　And　if　the　one　man；　who　is　in　duty　bound　to　believe　in　feminine　fibs；　is　deceived　by　them；　is　not　that　enough？

For　a　pair　of　lovers；　the　rest　of　their　species　are　about　as　much　alive　as　figures　on　the　tapestry。　The　Duchess；　flattery　apart；　was　avowedly　and　admittedly　one　of　the　ten　handsomest　women　in　society。　〃The　loveliest　woman　in　Paris〃　is；　as　you　know；　as　often　met　with　in　the　world　of　love…making　as　〃the　finest　book　that　has　appeared　in　this　generation；〃　in　the　world　of　letters。

The　converse　which　Victurnien　held　with　the　Duchess　can　be　kept　up　at　his　age　without　too　great　a　strain。　He　was　young　enough　and　ignorant　enough　of　life　in　Paris　to　feel　no　necessity　to　be　upon　his　guard；　no　need　to　keep　a　watch　over　his　lightest　words　and　glances。　The　religious　sentimentalism；　which　finds　a　broadly　humorous　commentary　in　the　after…thoughts　of　either　speaker；　puts　the　old…world　French　chat　of　men　and　women；　with　its　pleasant　familiarity；　its　lively　ease；　quite　out　of　the　question；　they　make　love　in　a　mist　nowadays。

Victurnien　was　just　sufficient　of　an　unsophisticated　provincial　to　remain　suspended　in　a　highly　appropriate　and　unfeigned　rapture　which　pleased　the　Duchess；　for　women　are　no　more　to　be　deceived　by　the　comedies　which　men　play　than　by　their　own。　Mme。　de　Maufrigneuse　calculated；　not　without　dismay；　that　the　young　Count's　infatuation　was　likely　to　hold　good　for　six　whole　months　of　disinterested　love。　She　looked　so　lovely　in　this　dove's　mood；　quenching　the　light　in　her　eyes　by　the　golden　fringe　of　their　lashes；　that　when　the　Marquise　d'Espard　bade　her　friend　good…night；　she　whispered；　〃Good！　very　good；　dear！〃　And　with　those　farewell　words；　the　fair　Marquise　left　her　rival　to　make　the　tour　of　the　modern　Pays　du　Tendre；　which；　by　the　way；　is　not　so　absurd　a　conception　as　some　appear　to　think。　New　maps　of　the　country　are　engraved　for　each　generation；　and　if　the　names　of　the　routes　are　different；　they　still　lead　to　the　same　capital　city。

In　the　course　of　an　hour's　tete…a…tete；　on　a　corner　sofa；　under　the　eyes　of　the　world；　the　Duchess　brought　young　d'Esgrignon　as　far　as　Scipio's　Generosity；　the　Devotion　of　Amadis；　and　Chivalrous　Self…　abnegation　（for　the　Middle　Ages　were　just　coming　into　fashion；　with　their　daggers；　machicolations；　hauberks；　chain…mail；　peaked　shoes；　and　romantic　painted　card…board　properties）。　She　had　an　admirable　turn；　moreover；　for　leaving　things　unsaid；　for　leaving　ideas　in　a　discreet；　seeming　careless　way；　to　work　their　way　down；　one　by　one；　into　Victurnien's　heart；　like　needles　into　a　cushion。　She　possessed　a　marvelous　skill　in　reticence；　she　was　charming　in　hypocrisy；　lavish　of　subtle　promises；　which　revived　hope　and　then　melted　away　like　ice　in　the　sun　if　you　looked　at　them　closely；　and　most　treacherous　in　the　desire　which　she　felt　and　inspired。　At　the　close　of　this　charming　encounter　she　produced　the　running　noose　of　an　invitation　to　call；　and　flung　it　over　him　with　a　dainty　demureness　which　the　printed　page　can　never　set　forth。

〃You　will　forget　me；〃　she　said。　〃You　will　find　so　many　women　eager　to　pay　court　to　you　instead　of　enlightening　you。　。　。　。　But　you　will　come　back　to　me　undeceived。　Are　you　coming　to　me　first？　。　。　。　No。　As　you　will。For　my　own　part；　I　tell　you　frankly　that　your　visits　will　be　a　great　pleasure　to　me。　People　of　soul　are　so　rare；　and　I　think　that　you　are　one　of　them。Come；　good…bye；　people　will　begin　to　talk　about　us　if　we　talk　together　any　longer。〃

She　made　good　her　words　and　took　flight。　Victurnien　went　soon　afterwards；　but　not　before　others　had　guessed　his　ecstatic　condition；　his　face　wore　the　expression　peculiar　to　happy　men；　something　between　an　Inquisitor's　calm　discretion　and　the　self…contained　beatitude　of　a　devotee；　fresh　from　the　confessional　and　absolution。

〃Mme。　de　Maufrigneuse　went　pretty　briskly　to　the　point　this　evening；〃　said　the　Duchesse　de　Grandlieu；　when　only　half…a…dozen　persons　were　left　in　Mlle。　des　Touches'　little　drawing…roomto　wit；　des　Lupeaulx；　a　Master　of　Requests；　who　at　that　time　stood　very　well　at　court；　Vandenesse；　the　Vicomtesse　de　Grandlieu；　Canalis；　and　Mme。　de　Serizy。

〃D'Esgrignon　and　Maufrigneuse　are　two　names　that　are　sure　to　cling　together；〃　said　Mme。　de　Serizy；　who　aspired　to　epigram。

〃For　some　days　past　she　has　been　out　at　grass　on　Platonism；〃　said　des　Lupeaulx。

〃She　will　ruin　that　poor　innocent；〃　added　Charles　de　Vandenesse。

〃What　do　you　mean？〃　asked　Mlle。　des　Touches。

〃Oh；　morally　and　financially；　beyond　all　doubt；〃　said　the　Vicomtesse；　rising。

The　cruel　words　were　cruelly　true　for　young　d'Esgrignon。

Next　morning　he　wrote　to　his　aunt　describing　his　introduction　into　the　high　world　of　the　Faubourg　Saint…Germain　in　bright　colors　flung　by　the　prism　of　love；　explaining　the　reception　which　met　him　everywhere　in　a　way　which　gratified　his　father's　family　pride。　The　Marquis　would　have　the　whole　long　letter　read　to　him　twice；　he　rubbed　his　hands　when　he　heard　of　the　Vidame　de　Pamiers'　dinnerthe　Vidame　was　an　old　acquaintanceand　of　the　subsequent　introduction　to　the　Duchess；　but　at　Blondet's　name　he　lost　himself　in　conjectures。　What　could　the　younger　son　of　a　judge；　a　public　prosecutor　during　the　Revolution；　have　been　doing　there？

There　was　joy　that　evening　among　the　Collection　of　Antiquities。　They　talked　over　the　young　Count's　success。　So　discreet　were　they　with　regard　to　Mme。　de　Maufrigneuse；　that　the　one　man　who　heard　the　secret　was　the　Chevalier。　There　was　no　financial　postscript　at　the　end　of　the　letter；　no　unpleasant　reference　to　the　sinews　of　war；　which　every　young　man　makes　in　such　a　case。　Mlle。　Armande　showed　it　to　Chesnel。　Chesnel　was　pleased　and　raised　not　a　single　objection。　It　was　clear；　as　the　Marquis　and　the　Chevalier　agreed；　that　a　young　man　in　favor　with　the　Duchesse　de　Maufrigneuse　would　shortly　be　a　hero　at　court；　where　in　the　old　days　women　were　all…powerful。　The　Count　had　not　made　a　bad　choice。　The　dowagers　told　over　all　the　gallant　adventures　of　the　Maufrigneuses　from　Louis　XIII。　to　Louis　XVI。they　spared　to　inquire　into　preceding　reignsand　when　all　was　done　they　were　enchanted。　Mme。　de　Maufrigneuse　was　much　praised　for　interesting　herself　in　Victurnien。　Any　writer　of　plays　in　search　of　a　piece　of　pure　comedy　would　have　found　it　well　worth　his　while　to　listen　to　the　Antiquities　in　conclave。



Victurnien　received　charming　letters　from　his　father　and　aunt；　and　also　from　the　Chevalier。　That　gentleman　recalled　himself　to　the　Vidame's　memory。　He　had　been　at　Spa　with　M。　de　Pamiers　in　1778；　after　a　certain　journey　made　by　a　celebrated　Hungarian　princess。　And　Chesnel　also　wrote。　The　fond　flattery　to　which　the　unhappy　boy　was　only　too　well　accustomed　shone　out　of　every　page；　and　Mlle。　Armande　seemed　to　share　half　of　Mme。　de　Maufrigneuse's　happiness。

Thus　happy　in　the　approval　of　his　family；　the　young　Count　made　a　spirited　beginning　in　the　perilous　and　costly　ways　of　dandyism。　He　had　five　horseshe　was　moderatede　Marsay　had　fourteen！　He　returned　the　Vidame's　hospitality；　even　including　Blondet　in　the　invitation；　as　well　as　de　Marsay　and　Ras