the collection of antiquities-第31部分

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〃Monsieur；　you　forget　yourself　strangely；〃　the　Duchess　retorted　coolly；　as　she　laid　aside　her　role　of　man　and　mistress；　and　became　not　merely　an　angel　again；　but　a　duchess；　and　not　only　a　duchess；　but　Moliere's　Celimene。

The　Duchesse　de　Maufrigneuse　made　a　stately　bow　to　these　four　personages；　and　drew　from　the　Chevalier　his　last　tear　of　admiration　at　the　service　of　le　beau　sexe。

〃How　like　she　is　to　the　Princess　Goritza！〃　he　exclaimed　in　a　low　voice。

Diane　had　disappeared。　The　crack　of　the　postilion's　whip　told　Victurnien　that　the　fair　romance　of　his　first　love　was　over。　While　peril　lasted；　Diane　could　still　see　her　lover　in　the　young　Count；　but　out　of　danger；　she　despised　him　for　the　weakling　that　he　was。



Six　months　afterwards；　Camusot　received　the　appointment　of　assistant　judge　at　Paris；　and　later　he　became　an　examining　magistrate。　Goodman　Blondet　was　made　a　councillor　to　the　Royal…Court；　he　held　the　post　just　long　enough　to　secure　a　retiring　pension；　and　then　went　back　to　live　in　his　pretty　little　house。　Joseph　Blondet　sat　in　his　father's　seat　at　the　court　till　the　end　of　his　days；　there　was　not　the　faintest　chance　of　promotion　for　him；　but　he　became　Mlle。　Blandereau's　husband；　and　she；　no　doubt；　is　leading　to…day；　in　the　little　flower…covered　brick　house；　as　dull　a　life　as　any　carp　in　a　marble　basin。　Michu　and　Camusot　also　received　the　Cross　of　the　Legion　of　Honor；　while　Blondet　became　an　Officer。　As　for　M。　Sauvager；　deputy　public　prosecutor；　he　was　sent　to　Corsica；　to　du　Croisier's　great　relief；　he　had　decidedly　no　mind　to　bestow　his　niece　upon　that　functionary。

Du　Croisier　himself；　urged　by　President　du　Ronceret；　appealed　from　the　finding　of　the　Tribunal　to　the　Court…Royal；　and　lost　his　cause。　The　Liberals　throughout　the　department　held　that　little　d'Esgrignon　was　guilty；　while　the　Royalists；　on　the　other　hand；　told　frightful　stories　of　plots　woven　by　〃that　abominable　du　Croisier〃　to　compass　his　revenge。　A　duel　was　fought　indeed；　the　hazard　of　arms　favored　du　Croisier；　the　young　Count　was　dangerously　wounded；　and　his　antagonist　maintained　his　words。　This　affair　embittered　the　strife　between　the　two　parties；　the　Liberals　brought　it　forward　on　all　occasions。　Meanwhile　du　Croisier　never　could　carry　his　election；　and　saw　no　hope　of　marrying　his　niece　to　the　Count；　especially　after　the　duel。

A　month　after　the　decision　of　the　Tribunal　was　confirmed　in　the　Court…　Royal；　Chesnel　died；　exhausted　by　the　dreadful　strain；　which　had　weakened　and　shaken　him　mentally　and　physically。　He　died　in　the　hour　of　victory；　like　some　old　faithful　hound　that　has　brought　the　boar　to　bay；　and　gets　his　death　on　the　tusks。　He　died　as　happily　as　might　be；　seeing　that　he　left　the　great　House　all　but　ruined；　and　the　heir　in　penury；　bored　to　death　by　an　idle　life；　and　without　a　hope　of　establishing　himself。　That　bitter　thought　and　his　own　exhaustion；　no　doubt；　hastened　the　old　man's　end。　One　great　comfort　came　to　him　as　he　lay　amid　the　wreck　of　so　many　hopes；　sinking　under　the　burden　of　so　many　caresthe　old　Marquis；　at　his　sister's　entreaty；　gave　him　back　all　the　old　friendship。　The　great　lord　came　to　the　little　house　in　the　Rue　du　Bercail；　and　sat　by　his　old　servant's　bedside；　all　unaware　how　much　that　servant　had　done　and　sacrificed　for　him。　Chesnel　sat　upright；　and　repeated　Simeon's　cry。The　Marquis　allowed　them　to　bury　Chesnel　in　the　castle　chapel；　they　laid　him　crosswise　at　the　foot　of　the　tomb　which　was　waiting　for　the　Marquis　himself；　the　last；　in　a　sense；　of　the　d'Esgrignons。

And　so　died　one　of　the　last　representatives　of　that　great　and　beautiful　thing；　Service；　giving　to　that　often　discredited　word　its　original　meaning；　the　relation　between　feudal　lord　and　servitor。　That　relation；　only　to　be　found　in　some　out…of…the…way　province；　or　among　a　few　old　servants　of　the　King；　did　honor　alike　to　a　noblesse　that　could　call　forth　such　affection；　and　to　a　bourgeoisie　that　could　conceive　it。　Such　noble　and　magnificent　devotion　is　no　longer　possible　among　us。　Noble　houses　have　no　servitors　left；　even　as　France　has　no　longer　a　King；　nor　an　hereditary　peerage；　nor　lands　that　are　bound　irrevocably　to　an　historic　house；　that　the　glorious　names　of　the　nation　may　be　perpetuated。　Chesnel　was　not　merely　one　of　the　obscure　great　men　of　private　life；　he　was　something　morehe　was　a　great　fact。　In　his　sustained　self…devotion　is　there　not　something　indefinably　solemn　and　sublime；　something　that　rises　above　the　one　beneficent　deed；　or　the　heroic　height　which　is　reached　by　a　moment's　supreme　effort？　Chesnel's　virtues　belong　essentially　to　the　classes　which　stand　between　the　poverty　of　the　people　on　the　one　hand；　and　the　greatness　of　the　aristocracy　on　the　other；　for　these　can　combine　homely　burgher　virtues　with　the　heroic　ideals　of　the　noble；　enlightening　both　by　a　solid　education。

Victurnien　was　not　well　looked　upon　at　Court；　there　was　no　more　chance　of　a　great　match　for　him；　nor　a　place。　His　Majesty　steadily　refused　to　raise　the　d'Esgrignons　to　the　peerage；　the　one　royal　favor　which　could　rescue　Victurnien　from　his　wretched　position。　It　was　impossible　that　he　should　marry　a　bourgeoise　heiress　in　his　father's　lifetime；　so　he　was　bound　to　live　on　shabbily　under　the　paternal　roof　with　memories　of　his　two　years　of　splendor　in　Paris；　and　the　lost　love　of　a　great　lady　to　bear　him　company。　He　grew　moody　and　depressed；　vegetating　at　home　with　a　careworn　aunt　and　a　half　heart…broken　father；　who　attributed　his　son's　condition　to　a　wasting　malady。　Chesnel　was　no　longer　there。

The　Marquis　died　in　1830。　The　great　d'Esgrignon；　with　a　following　of　all　the　less　infirm　noblesse　from　the　Collection　of　Antiquities；　went　to　wait　upon　Charles　X。　at　Nonancourt；　he　paid　his　respects　to　his　sovereign；　and　swelled　the　meagre　train　of　the　fallen　king。　It　was　an　act　of　courage　which　seems　simple　enough　to…day；　but；　in　that　time　of　enthusiastic　revolt；　it　was　heroism。

〃The　Gaul　has　conquered！〃　These　were　the　Marquis'　last　words。

By　that　time　du　Croisier's　victory　was　complete。　The　new　Marquis　d'Esgrignon　accepted　Mlle。　Duval　as　his　wife　a　week　after　his　old　father's　death。　His　bride　brought　him　three　millions　of　francs　for　du　Croisier　and　his　wife　settled　the　reversion　of　their　fortunes　upon　her　in　the　marriage…contract。　Du　Croisier　took　occasion　to　say　during　the　ceremony　that　the　d'Esgrignon　family　was　the　most　honorable　of　all　the　ancient　houses　in　France。

Some　day　the　present　Marquis　d'Esgrignon　will　have　an　income　of　more　than　a　hundred　thousand　crowns。　You　may　see　him　in　Paris；　for　he　comes　to　town　every　winter　and　leads　a　jolly　bachelor　life；　while　he　treats　his　wife　with　something　more　than　the　indifference　of　the　grand　seigneur　of　olden　times；　he　takes　no　thought　whatever　for　her。

〃As　for　Mlle。　d'Esgrignon；〃　said　Emile　Blondet；　to　whom　all　the　detail　of　the　story　is　due；　〃if　she　is　no　longer　like　the　divinely　fair　woman　whom　I　saw　by　glimpses　in　my　childhood；　she　is　decidedly；　at　the　age　of　sixty…seven；　the　most　pathetic　and　interesting　figure　in　the　Collection　of　Antiquities。　She　queens　it　among　them　still。　I　saw　her　when　I　made　my　last　journey　to　my　native　place　in　search　of　the　necessary　papers　for　my　marriage。　When　my　father　knew　who　it　was　that　I　had　married；　he　was　struck　dumb　with　amazement；　he　had　not　a　word　to　say　until　I　told　him　that　I　was　a　prefect。

〃　'You　were　born　to　it；'　he　said；　with　a　smile。

〃As　I　took　a　walk　around　the　town；　I　met　Mlle。　Armande。　She　looked　taller　than　ever。　I　looked　at　her；　and　thought　of　Marius　among　the　ruins　of　Carthage。　Had　she　not　outlived　her　creed；　and　the　beliefs　that　had　been　destroyed？　She　is　a　sad　and　silent　woman；　with　nothing　of　her　old　beauty　left　except　the　eyes；　that　shine　with　an　unearthly　light。　I　watched　her　on　her　way　to　mass；　with　her　book　in　her　hand；　and　could　not　help　thinking　that　she　prayed　to　God　to　take　her　out　of　the　world。〃



LES　JARDIES；　July　1837。




ADDENDUM

The　following　personages　appear　in　other　stories　of　the　Human　Comedy。

Note：　The　Old　Maid　is　a　companion　piece　to　The　Collection　of　Antiquities。　In　other　Addendum　appearances　they　are　combined　under　the　title　of　The　Jealousies　of　a　Country　Town。

Blondet　（Judge）　　　Beatrix

Blondet；　Emile　　　A　Distinguished　Provincial　at　Paris　　　Scenes　from　a　Courtesan's　Life　　　Modeste　Mignon　　　Another　Study　of　Woman　　　The　Secrets　of　a　Princess　　　A　Daughter　of　Eve　　　The　Firm　of　Nucingen　　　The　Peasantry

Blondet；　Virginie　　　The　Secrets　of　a　Princess　　　The　Peasantry　　　A　Distinguished　Provincial　at　Paris　　　Another　Study　of　Woman　　　The　Member　for　Arcis　　　A　Daughter　of　Eve

Bousquier；　Du　（or　Du　Croisier　or　Du　Bourguier）　　　The　Old　Maid　　　The　Middle　Classes

Bousquier；　Madame　du　（or　du　Croisier）　　　The　Old　Maid

Camusot　de　Marville　　　Cousin　Pons　　　The　Commission　in　Lunacy　　　Scenes　from　a　Cuortesan's　Life

Camusot　de　Marville；　Madame　　　The　Vendetta　　　Cesar　Birotteau　　　Scenes　from　a　Courtesan's　Life　　　Cousin　Pons

Cardot　（Parisian　notary）　　　The　Muse　of　the　Department　　　A　Man　of　Business　　　Pierre　Grassou　　　The　Middle　Classes　　　Cousin　Pons

Casteran；　De　　　The　Chouans　　　The　Seamy　Side　of　History　　　The　Old　Maid　　　Beatrix　　　The　Peasantry

Chesnel　（or　Choisnel）　　　The　Seamy　Side　of　History　　　The　Old　Maid

Coudrai；　Du　　　The　Old　Maid

Esgrignon；　Charles…Marie…Victor…Ange…Carol；　Marquis　d'　（or　Des　Grignons）　　　The　Chouans　　　The　Old　Maid

Esgrignon；　Victurnien；　Comte　（then　Marquis　d'）　　　Letters　of　Two　Brides　　　A　Man　of　Business　　　The　Secrets　of　a　Princess　　　Cousin　Betty

Esgrignon；　Marie…Armande…Claire　d'　　　The　Old　Maid

Herouville；　Duc　d'　　　The　Hated　Son　　　Modeste　Mignon　　　Cousin　Betty

Lenoncourt；　Duc　de　　　The　Lily　of　the　Valley　　　Cesar　Birotteau　　　The　Old　Maid　　　The　Gondreville　Mystery　　　Beatrix

Leroi；　Pierre　　　The　Chouans　　　The　Seamy　Side　of　History

Marsay；　Henri　de　　　The　Thirteen　　　The　Unconscious　Humorists　　　Another　Study　of　Woman　　　The　Lily　of　the　Valley　　　Father　Goriot　　　Ursule　Mirouet　　　A　Marriage　Settlement　　　Lost　Illusions　　　A　Distinguished　Provincial　at　Paris　　　Letters　of　Two　Brides　　　The　Ball　at　Sceaux　　　Modest　Mignon　　　The　Secrets　of　a　Princess　　　The　Gondreville　Mystery　　　A　Daughter　of　Eve

Maufrigneuse；　Duchesse　de　　　The　Secrets　of　a　Princess　　　Modeste　Mignon　　　The　Muse　of　the　Department　　　Scenes　from　a　Co