an old maid-第18部分

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maid's　esteem　after　the　revelation　of　that　evening。



Soon　the　four　tables　were　filled　with　their　sixteen　players。　Four

persons　were　playing　piquet；an　expensive　game；　at　which　the　most

money　was　lost。　Monsieur　Choisnel；　the　procureur…du…roi；　and　two

ladies　went　into　the　boudoir　for　a　game　at　backgammon。　The　glass

lustres　were　lighted；　and　then　the　flower　of　Mademoiselle　Cormon's

company　gathered　before　the　fireplace；　on　sofas；　and　around　the

tables；　and　each　couple　said　to　her　as　they　arrived；



〃So　you　are　going　to…morrow　to　Prebaudet？〃



〃Yes；　I　really　must；〃　she　replied。



On　this　occasion　the　mistress　of　the　house　appeared　preoccupied。

Madame　Granson　was　the　first　to　perceive　the　quite　unnatural　state　of

the　old　maid's　mind；Mademoiselle　Cormon　was　thinking！



〃What　are　you　thinking　of；　cousin？〃　she　said　at　last；　finding　her

seated　in　the　boudoir。



〃I　am　thinking；〃　she　replied；　〃of　that　poor　girl。　As　the　president　of

the　Maternity　Society；　I　will　give　you　fifty　francs　for　her。〃



〃Fifty　francs！〃　cried　Madame　Granson。　〃But　you　have　never　given　as

much　as　that。〃



〃But；　my　dear　cousin；　it　is　so　natural　to　have　children。〃



That　immoral　speech　coming　from　the　heart　of　the　old　maid　staggered

the　treasurer　of　the　Maternity　Society。　Du　Bousquier　had　evidently

advanced　in　the　estimation　of　Mademoiselle　Cormon。



〃Upon　my　word；〃　said　Madame　Granson；　〃du　Bousquier　is　not　only　a

monster；　he　is　a　villain。　When　a　man　has　done　a　wrong　like　that；　he

ought　to　pay　the　indemnity。　Isn't　it　his　place　rather　than　ours　to

look　after　the　girl？who；　to　tell　you　the　truth；　seems　to　me　rather

questionable；　there　are　plenty　of　better　men　in　Alencon　than　that

cynic　du　Bousquier。　A　girl　must　be　depraved；　indeed；　to　go　after　him。〃



〃Cynic！　Your　son　teaches　you　to　talk　Latin；　my　dear；　which　is　wholly

incomprehensible。　Certainly　I　don't　wish　to　excuse　Monsieur　du

Bousquier；　but　pray　explain　to　me　why　a　woman　is　depraved　because　she

prefers　one　man　to　another。〃



〃My　dear　cousin；　suppose　you　married　my　son　Athanase；　nothing　could　be

more　natural。　He　is　young　and　handsome；　full　of　promise；　and　he　will

be　the　glory　of　Alencon；　and　yet　everybody　will　exclaim　against　you：

evil　tongues　will　say　all　sorts　of　things；　jealous　women　will　accuse

you　of　depravity；but　what　will　that　matter？　you　will　be　loved；　and

loved　truly。　If　Athanase　seemed　to　you　an　idiot；　my　dear；　it　is　that

he　has　too　many　ideas；　extremes　meet。　He　lives　the　life　of　a　girl　of

fifteen；　he　has　never　wallowed　in　the　impurities　of　Paris；　not　he！

Well；　change　the　terms；　as　my　poor　husband　used　to　say；　it　is　the　same

thing　with　du　Bousquier　in　connection　with　Suzanne。　YOU　would　be

calumniated；　but　in　the　case　of　du　Bousquier；　the　charge　would　be

true。　Don't　you　understand　me？〃



〃No　more　than　if　you　were　talking　Greek；〃　replied　Mademoiselle　Cormon；

who　opened　her　eyes　wide；　and　strained　all　the　forces　of　her

intellect。



〃Well；　cousin；　if　I　must　dot　all　the　i's；　it　is　impossible　for　Suzanne

to　love　du　Bousquier。　And　if　the　heart　counts　for　nothing　in　this

affair〃



〃But；　cousin；　what　do　people　love　with　if　not　their　hearts？〃



Here　Madame　Granson　said　to　herself；　as　the　chevalier　had　previously

thought：　〃My　poor　cousin　is　altogether　too　innocent；　such　stupidity

passes　all　bounds！Dear　child；〃　she　continued　aloud；　〃it　seems　to　me

that　children　are　not　conceived　by　the　spirit　only。〃



〃Why；　yes；　my　dear；　the　Holy　Virgin　herself〃



〃But；　my　love；　du　Bousquier　isn't　the　Holy　Ghost！〃



〃True；〃　said　the　old　maid；　〃he　is　a　man！a　man　whose　personal

appearance　makes　him　dangerous　enough　for　his　friends　to　advise　him　to

marry。〃



〃You　could　yourself　bring　about　that　result；　cousin。〃



〃How　so？〃　said　the　old　maid；　with　the　meekness　of　Christian　charity。



〃By　not　receiving　him　in　your　house　until　he　marries。　You　owe　it　to

good　morals　and　to　religion　to　manifest　under　such　circumstances　an

exemplary　displeasure。〃



〃On　my　return　from　Prebaudet　we　will　talk　further　of　this；　my　dear

Madame　Granson。　I　will　consult　my　uncle　and　the　Abbe　Couturier；〃　said

Mademoiselle　Cormon；　returning　to　the　salon；　where　the　animation　was

now　at　its　height。



The　lights；　the　group　of　women　in　their　best　clothes；　the　solemn　tone；

the　dignified　air　of　the　assembly；　made　Mademoiselle　Cormon　not　a

little　proud　of　her　company。　To　many　persons　nothing　better　could　be

seen　in　Paris　in　the　highest　society。



At　this　moment　du　Bousquier；　who　was　playing　whist　with　the　chevalier

and　two　old　ladies；Madame　du　Coudrai　and　Madame　du　Ronceret；was

the　object　of　deep　but　silent　curiosity。　A　few　young　women　arrived；

who；　under　pretext　of　watching　the　game；　gazed　fixedly　at　him　in　so

singular　a　manner；　though　slyly；　that　the　old　bachelor　began　to　think

that　there　must　be　some　deficiency　in　his　toilet。



〃Can　my　false　front　be　crooked？〃　he　asked　himself；　seized　by　one　of

those　anxieties　which　beset　old　bachelors。



He　took　advantage　of　a　lost　trick；　which　ended　a　seventh　rubber；　to

rise　and　leave　the　table。



〃I　can't　touch　a　card　without　losing；〃　he　said。　〃I　am　decidedly　too

unlucky。〃



〃But　you　are　lucky　in　other　ways；〃　said　the　chevalier；　giving　him　a

sly　look。



That　speech　naturally　made　the　rounds　of　the　salon；　where　every　one

exclaimed　on　the　exquisite　taste　of　the　chevalier；　the　Prince　de

Talleyrand　of　the　province。



〃There's　no　one　like　Monsieur　de　Valois　for　such　wit。〃



Du　Bousquier　went　to　look　at　himself　in　a　little　oblong　mirror；　placed

above　the　〃Deserter；〃　but　he　saw　nothing　strange　in　his　appearance。



After　innumerable　repetitions　of　the　same　text；　varied　in　all　keys；

the　departure　of　the　company　took　place　about　ten　o'clock；　through　the

long　antechamber；　Mademoiselle　Cormon　conducting　certain　of　her

favorite　guests　to　the　portico。　There　the　groups　parted；　some　followed

the　Bretagne　road　towards　the　chateau；　the　others　went　in　the

direction　of　the　river　Sarthe。　Then　began　the　usual　conversation；

which　for　twenty　years　had　echoed　at　that　hour　through　this　particular

street　of　Alencon。　It　was　invariably：



〃Mademoiselle　Cormon　looked　very　well　to…night。〃



〃Mademoiselle　Cormon？　why；　I　thought　her　rather　strange。〃



〃How　that　poor　abbe　fails！　Did　you　notice　that　he　slept？　He　does　not

know　what　cards　he　holds；　he　is　getting　very　absent…minded。〃



〃We　shall　soon　have　the　grief　of　losing　him。〃



〃What　a　fine　night！　It　will　be　a　fine　day　to…morrow。〃



〃Good　weather　for　the　apple…blossoms。〃



〃You　beat　us；　but　when　you　play　with　Monsieur　de　Valois　you　never　do

otherwise。〃



〃How　much　did　he　win？〃



〃Well；　to…night；　three　or　four　francs；　he　never　loses。〃



〃True；　and　don't　you　know　there　are　three　hundred　and　sixty…five　days

a　year？　At　that　price　his　gains　are　the　value　of　a　farm。〃



〃Ah！　what　hands　we　had　to…night！〃



〃Here　you　are　at　home；　monsieur　and　madame；　how　lucky　you　are；　while

we　have　half　the　town　to　cross！〃



〃I　don't　pity　you；　you　could　afford　a　carriage；　and　dispense　with　the

fatigue　of　going　on　foot。〃



〃Ah；　monsieur！　we　have　a　daughter　to　marry；　which　takes　off　one　wheel；

and　the　support　of　our　son　in　Paris　carries　off　another。〃



〃You　persist　in　making　a　magistrate　of　him？〃



〃What　else　can　be　done　with　a　young　man？　Besides；　there's　no　shame　in

serving　the　king。〃



Sometimes　a　discussion　on　ciders　and　flax；　always　couched　in　the　same

terms；　and　returning　at　the　same　time　of　year；　was　continued　on　the

homeward　way。　If　any　observer　of　human　customs　had　lived　in　this

street；　he　would　have　known　the　months　and　seasons　by　simply

overhearing　the　conversations。



On　this　occasion　it　was　exclusively　jocose；　for　du　Bousquier；　who

chanced　to　march　alone　in　front　of　the　groups；　was　humming　the　well…

known　air；little　thinking　of　its　appropriateness；〃Tender　woman！

hear　the　warble　of　the　birds；〃　etc。　To　some；　du　Bousquier　was　a　strong

man　and　a　misjudged　man。　Ever　since　he　had　been　confirmed　in　his

present　office　by　a　royal　decree；　Monsieur　du　Ronceret　had　been　in

favor　of　du　Bousquier。　To　others　the　purveyor　seemed　dangerous；a　man

of　bad　habits；　capable　of　anything。　In　the　provinces；　as　in　Paris；　men

before　the　public　eye　are　like　that　statue　in　the　fine　allegorical

tale　of　Addison；　for　which　two　knights　on　arriving　near　it　fought；　for

one　saw　it　white；　the　other　saw　it　black。　Then；　when　they　were　both

off　their　horses；　they　saw　it　was　white　one　side　and　black　the　other。

A　third　knight　coming　along　declared　it　red。



When　the　chevalier　went　home　that　night；　he　made　many　reflections；　as

follows：



〃It　is　high　time　now　to　spread　a　rumor　of　my　marriage　with

Mademoiselle　Cormon。　It　will　leak　out　from　the　d'Esgrignon　salon；　and

go　straight　to　the　bishop　at　Seez；　and　so　get　round　through　the　grand

vicars　to　the　curate　of　Saint…Leonard's；　who　will　be　certain　to　tell

it　to　the　Abbe　Couturier；　and　Mademoiselle　Cormon　will　get　the　shot　in

her　upper　works。　The　old　Marquis　d'Esgrignon　shall　invite　the　Abbe　de

Sponde　to　dinner；　so　as　to　stop　all　gossip　about　Mademoiselle　Cormon

if　I　decide　against　her；　or　about　me　if　she　refuses　me。　The　abbe　shall

be　well　cajoled；　and　Mademoiselle　Cormon　will　certainly　not　hold　out

against　a　visit　from　Mademoiselle　Armande；　who　will　show　her　the

grandeur　and　future　chances　of　such　an　alliance。　The　abbe's　property

is　undoubtedly　as　much　as　three　hundred　thousand；　her　own　savings　must

amount　to　more　than　two　hundred　thousand；　she　has　her　house　and

Prebaudet　and　fifteen　thousand　francs　a　year。　A　word　to　my　friend　the

Comte　de　Fontaine；　and　I　should　be　mayor　of　Alencon　to…morrow；　and

deputy。　Then；　once　seated　on　the　Right　benches；　we　shall　reach　the

peerage；　shouting；　'Cloture！'　'Ordre！'〃



As　soon　as　she　reached　home　Madame　Granson　had　a　lively　argument　with

her　son；　who　could　not　be　made　to　see　the　connection　which　existed

between　his　love　and　hi