the collection of antiquities-第3部分

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e　retrieved　their　fortunes　and　recovered　their　estates；　thanks　to　the　Emperor's　munificence；　and　these　for　the　most　part　went　to　Paris　and　stayed　there。　But　some　eight　or　nine　families　still　remained　true　to　the　proscribed　noblesse　and　loyal　to　the　fallen　monarchy。　The　La　Roche…Guyons；　Nouastres；　Verneuils；　Casterans；　Troisvilles；　and　the　rest　were　some　of　them　rich；　some　of　them　poor；　but　money；　more　or　less；　scarcely　counted　for　anything　among　them。　They　took　an　antiquarian　view　of　themselves；　for　them　the　age　and　preservation　of　the　pedigree　was　the　one　all…important　matter；　precisely　as；　for　an　amateur；　the　weight　of　metal　in　a　coin　is　a　small　matter　in　comparison　with　clean　lettering；　a　flawless　stamp；　and　high　antiquity。　Of　these　families；　the　Marquis　d'Esgrignon　was　the　acknowledged　head。　His　house　became　their　cenacle。　There　His　Majesty；　Emperor　and　King；　was　never　anything　but　〃M。　de　Bonaparte〃；　there　〃the　King〃　meant　Louis　XVIII。；　then　at　Mittau；　there　the　Department　was　still　the　Province；　and　the　prefecture　the　intendance。

The　Marquis　was　honored　among　them　for　his　admirable　behavior；　his　loyalty　as　a　noble；　his　undaunted　courage；　even　as　he　was　respected　throughout　the　town　for　his　misfortunes；　his　fortitude；　his　steadfast　adherence　to　his　political　convictions。　The　man　so　admirable　in　adversity　was　invested　with　all　the　majesty　of　ruined　greatness。　His　chivalrous　fair…mindedness　was　so　well　known；　that　litigants　many　a　time　had　referred　their　disputes　to　him　for　arbitration。　All　gently　bred　Imperalists　and　the　authorities　themselves　showed　as　much　indulgence　for　his　prejudices　as　respect　for　his　personal　character；　but　there　was　another　and　a　large　section　of　the　new　society　which　was　destined　to　be　known　after　the　Restoration　as　the　Liberal　party；　and　these；　with　du　Croisier　as　their　unacknowledged　head；　laughed　at　an　aristocratic　oasis　which　nobody　might　enter　without　proof　of　irreproachable　descent。　Their　animosity　was　all　the　more　bitter　because　honest　country　squires　and　the　higher　officials；　with　a　good　many　worthy　folk　in　the　town；　were　of　the　opinion　that　all　the　best　society　thereof　was　to　be　found　in　the　Marquis　d'Esgrignon's　salon。　The　prefect　himself；　the　Emperor's　chamberlain；　made　overtures　to　the　d'Esgrignons；　humbly　sending　his　wife　（a　Grandlieu）　as　ambassadress。

Wherefore；　those　excluded　from　the　miniature　provincial　Faubourg　Saint…Germain　nicknamed　the　salon　〃The　Collection　of　Antiquities；〃　and　called　the　Marquis　himself　〃M。　Carol。〃　The　receiver　of　taxes；　for　instance；　addressed　his　applications　to　〃M。　Carol　（ci…devant　des　Grignons）；〃　maliciously　adopting　the　obsolete　way　of　spelling。



〃For　my　own　part；〃　said　Emile　Blondet；　〃if　I　try　to　recall　my　childhood　memories；　I　remember　that　the　nickname　of　'Collection　of　Antiquities'　always　made　me　laugh；　in　spite　of　my　respectmy　love；　I　ought　to　sayfor　Mlle。　d'Esgrignon。　The　Hotel　d'Esgrignon　stood　at　the　angle　of　two　of　the　busiest　thoroughfares　in　the　town；　and　not　five　hundred　paces　away　from　the　market　place。　Two　of　the　drawing…room　windows　looked　upon　the　street　and　two　upon　the　square；　the　room　was　like　a　glass　cage；　every　one　who　came　past　could　look　through　it　from　side　to　side。　I　was　only　a　boy　of　twelve　at　the　time；　but　I　thought；　even　then；　that　the　salon　was　one　of　those　rare　curiosities　which　seem；　when　you　come　to　think　of　them　afterwards；　to　lie　just　on　the　borderland　between　reality　and　dreams；　so　that　you　can　scarcely　tell　to　which　side　they　most　belong。

〃The　room；　the　ancient　Hall　of　Audience；　stood　above　a　row　of　cellars　with　grated　air…holes；　once　the　prison　cells　of　the　old　court…house；　now　converted　into　a　kitchen。　I　do　not　know　that　the　magnificent　lofty　chimney…piece　of　the　Louvre；　with　its　marvelous　carving；　seemed　more　wonderful　to　me　than　the　vast　open　hearth　of　the　salon　d'Esgrignon　when　I　saw　it　for　the　first　time。　It　was　covered　like　a　melon　with　a　network　of　tracery。　Over　it　stood　an　equestrian　portrait　of　Henri　III。；　under　whom　the　ancient　duchy　of　appanage　reverted　to　the　crown；　it　was　a　great　picture　executed　in　low　relief；　and　set　in　a　carved　and　gilded　frame。　The　ceiling　spaces　between　the　chestnut　cross…beams　in　the　fine　old　roof　were　decorated　with　scroll…work　patterns；　there　was　a　little　faded　gilding　still　left　along　the　angles。　The　walls　were　covered　with　Flemish　tapestry；　six　scenes　from　the　Judgment　of　Solomon；　framed　in　golden　garlands；　with　satyrs　and　cupids　playing　among　the　leaves。　The　parquet　floor　had　been　laid　down　by　the　present　Marquis；　and　Chesnel　had　picked　up　the　furniture　at　sales　of　the　wreckage　of　old　chateaux　between　1793　and　1795；　so　that　there　were　Louis　Quatorze　consoles；　tables；　clock…cases；　andirons；　candle…sconces　and　tapestry…covered　chairs；　which　marvelously　completed　a　stately　room；　large　out　of　all　proportion　to　the　house。　Luckily；　however；　there　was　an　equally　lofty　ante…chamber；　the　ancient　Salle　des　Pas　Perdus　of　the　presidial；　which　communicated　likewise　with　the　magistrate's　deliberating　chamber；　used　by　the　d'Esgrignons　as　a　dining…room。

〃Beneath　the　old　paneling；　amid　the　threadbare　braveries　of　a　bygone　day；　some　eight　or　ten　dowagers　were　drawn　up　in　state　in　a　quavering　line；　some　with　palsied　heads；　others　dark　and　shriveled　like　mummies；　some　erect　and　stiff；　others　bowed　and　bent；　but　all　of　them　tricked　out　in　more　or　less　fantastic　costumes　as　far　as　possible　removed　from　the　fashion　of　the　day；　with　be…ribboned　caps　above　their　curled　and　powdered　'heads；'　and　old　discolored　lace。　No　painter　however　earnest；　no　caricature　however　wild；　ever　caught　the　haunting　fascination　of　0those　aged　women；　they　come　back　to　me　in　dreams；　their　puckered　faces　shape　themselves　in　my　memory　whenever　I　meet　an　old　woman　who　puts　me　in　mind　of　them　by　some　faint　resemblance　of　dress　or　feature。　And　whether　it　is　that　misfortune　has　initiated　me　into　the　secrets　of　irremediable　and　overwhelming　disaster；　whether　that　I　have　come　to　understand　the　whole　range　of　human　feelings；　and；　best　of　all；　the　thoughts　of　Old　Age　and　Regret；　whatever　the　reason；　nowhere　and　never　again　have　I　seen　among　the　living　or　in　the　faces　of　the　dying　the　wan　look　of　certain　gray　eyes　that　I　remember；　nor　the　dreadful　brightness　of　others　that　were　black。

〃Neither　Hoffmann　nor　Maturin；　the　two　weirdest　imaginations　of　our　time；　ever　gave　me　such　a　thrill　of　terror　as　I　used　to　feel　when　I　watched　the　automaton　movements　of　those　bodies　sheathed　in　whalebone。　The　paint　on　actors'　faces　never　caused　me　a　shock；　I　could　see　below　it　the　rouge　in　grain；　the　rouge　de　naissance；　to　quote　a　comrade　at　least　as　malicious　as　I　can　be。　Years　had　leveled　those　women's　faces；　and　at　the　same　time　furrowed　them　with　wrinkles；　till　they　looked　like　the　heads　on　wooden　nutcrackers　carved　in　Germany。　Peeping　in　through　the　window…panes；　I　gazed　at　the　battered　bodies；　and　ill…　jointed　limbs　（how　they　were　fastened　together；　and；　indeed；　their　whole　anatomy　was　a　mystery　I　never　attempted　to　explain）；　I　saw　the　lantern　jaws；　the　protuberant　bones；　the　abnormal　development　of　the　hips；　and　the　movements　of　these　figures　as　they　came　and　went　seemed　to　me　no　whit　less　extraordinary　than　their　sepulchral　immobility　as　they　sat　round　the　card…tables。

〃The　men　looked　gray　and　faded　like　the　ancient　tapestries　on　the　wall；　in　dress　they　were　much　more　like　the　men　of　the　day；　but　even　they　were　not　altogether　convincingly　alive。　Their　white　hair；　their　withered　waxen…hued　faces；　their　devastated　foreheads　and　pale　eyes；　revealed　their　kinship　to　the　women；　and　neutralized　any　effects　of　reality　borrowed　from　their　costume。

〃The　very　certainty　of　finding　all　these　folk　seated　at　or　among　the　tables　every　day　at　the　same　hours　invested　them　at　length　in　my　eyes　with　a　sort　of　spectacular　interest　as　it　were；　there　was　something　theatrical；　something　unearthly　about　them。

〃Whenever；　in　after　times；　I　have　gone　through　museums　of　old　furniture　in　Paris；　London；　Munich；　or　Vienna；　with　the　gray…headed　custodian　who　shows　you　the　splendors　of　time　past；　I　have　peopled　the　rooms　with　figures　from　the　Collection　of　Antiquities。　Often；　as　little　schoolboys　of　eight　or　ten　we　used　to　propose　to　go　and　take　a　look　at　the　curiosities　in　their　glass　cage；　for　the　fun　of　the　thing。　But　as　soon　as　I　caught　sight　of　Mlle。　Armande's　sweet　face；　I　used　to　tremble；　and　there　was　a　trace　of　jealousy　in　my　admiration　for　the　lovely　child　Victurnien；　who　belonged；　as　we　all　instinctively　felt；　to　a　different　and　higher　order　of　being　from　our　own。　It　struck　me　as　something　indescribably　strange　that　the　young　fresh　creature　should　be　there　in　that　cemetery　awakened　before　the　time。　We　could　not　have　explained　our　thoughts　to　ourselves；　yet　we　felt　that　we　were　bourgeois　and　insignificant　in　the　presence　of　that　proud　court。〃



The　disasters　of　1813　and　1814；　which　brought　about　the　downfall　of　Napoleon；　gave　new　life　to　the　Collection　of　Antiquities；　and　what　was　more　than　life；　the　hope　of　recovering　their　past　importance；　but　the　events　of　1815；　the　troubles　of　the　foreign　occupation；　and　the　vacillating　policy　of　the　Government　until　the　fall　of　M。　Decazes；　all　contributed　to　defer　the　fulfilment　of　the　expectations　of　the　personages　so　vividly　described　by　Blondet。　This　story；　therefore；　only　begins　to　shape　itself　in　1822。

In　1822　the　Marquis　d'Esgrignon's　fortunes　had　not　improved　in　spite　of　the　changes　worked　by　the　Restoration　in　the　condition　of　emigres。　Of　all　the　nobles　hardly　hit　by　Revolutionary　legislation；　his　case　was　the　hardest。　Like　other　great　families；　the　d'Esgrignons　before　1789　derived　the　greater　part　of　their　income　from　their　rights　as　lords　of　the　manor　in　the　shape　of　dues　paid　by　those　who　held　of　them；　and；　naturally；　the　old　seigneurs　had　reduced　the　size　of　the　holdings　in　order　to　swell　the　amounts　paid　in　quit…rents　and　heriots。　Families　in　this　position　were　hopelessly　ruined。　They　were　not　affected　by　the　ordinance　by　which　Louis　XVIII。　put　the　emigres　into　possession　of　such　of　their　lands　as　had　not　been　sold；　and　at　a　later　date　it　was　impossible　that　the　law　of　indemnity　should　indemnify　them。　Their　suppressed　rights；　as　everybody　knows；　were　revived　in　the　shape　of　a　land　tax　known　by　the