an old maid-第23部分

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great　causes　of　fortune　or　catastrophe　history　has　recorded；　but　no

one　ever　profits　by　them　to　avoid　the　small　neglects　of　their　own

life。　Consequently；　observe　what　happens：　the　Duchesse　de　Langeais

（see　〃History　of　the　Thirteen〃）　makes　herself　a　nun　for　the　lack　of

ten　minutes'　patience；　Judge　Popinot　（see　〃Commission　in　Lunacy〃）　puts

off　till　the　morrow　the　duty　of　examining　the　Marquis　d'Espard；

Charles　Grandet　（see　〃Eugenie　Grandet〃）　goes　to　Paris　from　Bordeaux

instead　of　returning　by　Nantes；　and　such　events　are　called　chance　or

fatality！　A　touch　of　rouge　carefully　applied　destroyed　the　hopes　of

the　Chevalier　de　Valois；　could　that　nobleman　perish　in　any　other　way？

He　had　lived　by　the　Graces；　and　he　was　doomed　to　die　by　their　hand。

While　the　chevalier　was　giving　this　last　touch　to　his　toilet　the　rough

du　Bousquier　was　entering　the　salon　of　the　desolate　old　maid。　This

entrance　produced　a　thought　in　Mademoiselle　Cormon's　mind　which　was

favorable　to　the　republican；　although　in　all　other　respects　the

Chevalier　de　Valois　held　the　advantages。



〃God　wills　it！〃　she　said　piously；　on　seeing　du　Bousquier。



〃Mademoiselle；　you　will　not；　I　trust；　think　my　eagerness　importunate。

I　could　not　trust　to　my　stupid　Rene　to　bring　news　of　your　condition；

and　therefore　I　have　come　myself。〃



〃I　am　perfectly　recovered；〃　she　replied；　in　a　tone　of　emotion。　〃I

thank　you；　Monsieur　du　Bousquier；〃　she　added；　after　a　slight　pause；

and　in　a　significant　tone　of　voice；　〃for　the　trouble　you　have　taken；

and　for　that　which　I　gave　you　yesterday〃



She　remembered　having　been　in　his　arms；　and　that　again　seemed　to　her

an　order　from　heaven。　She　had　been　seen　for　the　first　time　by　a　man

with　her　laces　cut；　her　treasures　violently　bursting　from　their

casket。



〃I　carried　you　with　such　joy　that　you　seemed　to　me　light。〃



Here　Mademoiselle　Cormon　looked　at　du　Bousquier　as　she　had　never　yet

looked　at　any　man　in　the　world。　Thus　encouraged；　the　purveyor　cast

upon　the　old　maid　a　glance　which　reached　her　heart。



〃I　would；〃　he　said；　〃that　that　moment　had　given　me　the　right　to　keep

you　as　mine　forever〃　＇she　listened　with　a　delighted　air＇；　〃as　you　lay

fainting　upon　that　bed；　you　were　enchanting。　I　have　never　in　my　life

seen　a　more　beautiful　person；and　I　have　seen　many　handsome　women。

Plump　ladies　have　this　advantage：　they　are　superb　to　look　upon；　they

have　only　to　show　themselves　and　they　triumph。〃



〃I　fear　you　are　making　fun　of　me；〃　said　the　old　maid；　〃and　that　is　not

kind　when　all　the　town　will　probably　misinterpret　what　happened　to　me

yesterday。〃



〃As　true　as　my　name　is　du　Bousquier；　mademoiselle；　I　have　never

changed　in　my　feelings　toward　you；　and　your　first　refusal　has　not

discouraged　me。〃



The　old　maid's　eyes　were　lowered。　There　was　a　moment　of　cruel　silence

for　du　Bousquier；　and　then　Mademoiselle　Cormon　decided　on　her　course。

She　raised　her　eyelids；　tears　flowed　from　her　eyes；　and　she　gave　du

Bousquier　a　tender　glance。



〃If　that　is　so；　monsieur；〃　she　said；　in　a　trembling　voice；　〃promise　me

to　live　in　a　Christian　manner；　and　not　oppose　my　religious　customs；

but　to　leave　me　the　right　to　select　my　confessors；　and　I　will　grant

you　my　hand〃；　as　she　said　the　words；　she　held　it　out　to　him。



Du　Bousquier　seized　the　good　fat　hand　so　full　of　money；　and　kissed　it

solemnly。



〃But；〃　she　said；　allowing　him　to　kiss　it；　〃one　thing　more　I　must

require　of　you。〃



〃If　it　is　a　possible　thing；　it　is　granted；〃　replied　the　purveyor。



〃Alas！〃　returned　the　old　maid。　〃For　my　sake；　I　must　ask　you　to　take

upon　yourself　a　sin　which　I　feel　to　be　enormous；for　to　lie　is　one　of

the　capital　sins。　But　you　will　confess　it；　will　you　not？　We　will　do

penance　for　it　together〃　＇they　looked　at　each　other　tenderly＇。

〃Besides；　it　may　be　one　of　those　lies　which　the　Church　permits　as

necessary〃



〃Can　she　be　as　Suzanne　says　she　is？〃　thought　du　Bousquier。　〃What　luck！

Well；　mademoiselle；　what　is　it？〃　he　said　aloud。



〃That　you　will　take　upon　yourself　to〃



〃What？〃



〃To　say　that　this　marriage　has　been　agreed　upon　between　us　for　the

last　six　months。〃



〃Charming　woman；〃　said　the　purveyor；　in　the　tone　of　a　man　willing　to

devote　himself；　〃such　sacrifices　can　be　made　only　for　a　creature

adored　these　ten　years。〃



〃In　spite　of　my　harshness？〃　she　said。



〃Yes；　in　spite　of　your　harshness。〃



〃Monsieur　du　Bousquier；　I　have　misjudged　you。〃



Again　she　held　out　the　fat　red　hand；　which　du　Bousquier　kissed　again。



At　this　moment　the　door　opened；　the　betrothed　pair；　looking　round　to

see　who　entered；　beheld　the　delightful；　but　tardy　Chevalier　de　Valois。



〃Ah！〃　he　said；　on　entering；　〃I　see　you　are　about　to　be　up；　fair

queen。〃



She　smiled　at　the　chevalier；　feeling　a　weight　upon　her　heart。　Monsieur

de　Valois；　remarkably　young　and　seductive；　had　the　air　of　a　Lauzun　re…

entering　the　apartments　of　the　Grande　Mademoiselle　in　the　Palais…

Royal。



〃Hey！　dear　du　Bousquier；〃　said　he；　in　a　jaunty　tone；　so　sure　was　he　of

success；　〃Monsieur　de　Troisville　and　the　Abbe　de　Sponde　are　examining

your　house　like　appraisers。〃



〃Faith！〃　said　du　Bousquier；　〃if　the　Vicomte　de　Troisville　wants　it；　it

it　is　his　for　forty　thousand　francs。　It　is　useless　to　me　now。　If

mademoiselle　will　permitit　must　soon　be　known　Mademoiselle；　may　I

tell　it？　Yes！　Well；　then；　be　the　first；　MY　DEAR　CHEVALIER；　to　hear〃

＇Mademoiselle　Cormon　dropped　her　eyes＇　〃of　the　honor　that　mademoiselle

has　done　me；　the　secret　of　which　I　have　kept　for　some　months。　We　shall

be　married　in　a　few　days；　the　contract　is　already　drawn；　and　we　shall

sign　it　to…morrow。　You　see；　therefore；　that　my　house　in　the　rue　du

Cygne　is　useless　to　me。　I　have　been　privately　looking　for　a　purchaser

for　some　time；　and　the　Abbe　de　Sponde；　who　knew　that　fact；　has

naturally　taken　Monsieur　de　Troisville　to　see　the　house。〃



This　falsehood　bore　such　an　appearance　of　truth　that　the　chevalier　was

taken　in　by　it。　That　〃my　dear　chevalier〃　was　like　the　revenge　taken　by

Peter　the　Great　on　Charles　XII。　at　Pultawa　for　all　his　past　defeats。

Du　Bousquier　revenged　himself　deliciously　for　the　thousand　little

shafts　he　had　long　borne　in　silence；　but　in　his　triumph　he　made　a

lively　youthful　gesture　by　running　his　hands　through　his　hair；　and　in

so　doing　heknocked　aside　his　false　front。



〃I　congratulate　you　both；〃　said　the　chevalier；　with　an　agreeable　air；

〃and　I　wish　that　the　marriage　may　end　like　a　fairy　tale：　THEY　WERE

HAPPY　EVER　AFTER；　AND　HADMANYCHILDREN！〃　So　saying；　he　took　a　pinch

of　snuff。　〃But；　monsieur；〃　he　added　satirically；　〃you　forgetthat　you

are　wearing　a　false　front。〃



Du　Bousquier　blushed。　The　false　front　was　hanging　half　a　dozen　inches

from　his　skull。　Mademoiselle　Cormon　raised　her　eyes；　saw　that　skull　in

all　its　nudity；　and　lowered　them；　abashed。　Du　Bousquier　cast　upon　the

chevalier　the　most　venomous　look　that　toad　ever　darted　on　its　prey。



〃Dogs　of　aristocrats　who　despise　me；〃　thought　he；　〃I'll　crush　you　some

day。〃



The　chevalier　thought　he　had　recovered　his　advantage。　But　Mademoiselle

Cormon　was　not　a　woman　to　understand　the　connection　which　the

chevalier　intimated　between　his　congratulatory　wish　and　the　false

front。　Besides；　even　if　she　had　comprehended　it；　her　word　was　passed；

her　hand　given。　Monsieur　de　Valois　saw　at　once　that　all　was　lost。　The

innocent　woman；　with　the　two　now　silent　men　before　her；　wished；　true

to　her　sense　of　duty；　to　amuse　them。



〃Why　not　play　a　game　of　piquet　together？〃　she　said　artlessly；　without

the　slightest　malice。



Du　Bousquier　smiled；　and　went；　as　the　future　master　of　the　house；　to

fetch　the　piquet　table。　Whether　the　Chevalier　de　Valois　lost　his　head；

or　whether　he　wanted　to　stay　and　study　the　causes　of　his　disaster　and

remedy　it；　certain　it　is　that　he　allowed　himself　to　be　led　like　a　lamb

to　the　slaughter。　He　had　received　the　most　violent　knock…down　blow

that　ever　struck　a　man；　any　nobleman　would　have　lost　his　senses　for

less。



The　Abbe　de　Sponde　and　the　Vicomte　de　Troisville　soon　returned。

Mademoiselle　Cormon　instantly　rose；　hurried　into　the　antechamber；　and

took　her　uncle　apart　to　tell　him　her　resolution。　Learning　that　the

house　in　the　rue　du　Cygne　exactly　suited　the　viscount；　she　begged　her

future　husband　to　do　her　the　kindness　to　tell　him　that　her　uncle　knew

it　was　for　sale。　She　dared　not　confide　that　lie　to　the　abbe；　fearing

his　absent…mindedness。　The　lie；　however；　prospered　better　than　if　it

had　been　a　virtuous　action。　In　the　course　of　that　evening　all　Alencon

heard　the　news。　For　the　last　four　days　the　town　had　had　as　much　to

think　of　as　during　the　fatal　days　of　1814　and　1815。　Some　laughed；

others　admitted　the　marriage。　These　blamed　it；　those　approved　it。　The

middle　classes　of　Alencon　rejoiced；　they　regarded　it　as　a　victory。　The

next　day；　among　friends；　the　Chevalier　de　Valois　said　a　cruel　thing：



〃The　Cormons　end　as　they　began；　there's　only　a　hand's　breadth　between

a　steward　and　a　purveyor。〃







CHAPTER　VII



OTHER　RESULTS



The　news　of　Mademoiselle　Cormon's　choice　stabbed　poor　Athanase　Granson

to　the　heart；　but　he　showed　no　outward　sign　of　the　terrible　agitation

within　him。　When　he　first　heard　of　the　marriage　he　was　at　the　house　of

the　chief…justice；　du　Ronceret；　where　his　mother　was　playing　boston。

Madame　Granson　looked　at　her　son　in　a　mirror；　and　thought　him　pale；

but　he　had　been　so　all　day；　for　a　vague　rumor　of　the　matter　had

already　reached　him。



Mademoiselle　Cormon　was　the　card　on　which　Athanase　had　staked　his

life；　and　the　cold　presentiment　of　a　catastrophe　was　already　upon　him。

When　the　soul　and　the　imagination　have　magnified　a　misfortune　and　made

it　too　heavy　for　the　shoulders　and　the　brain　to　bear；　when　a　hope　long

cherished；　the　realization　of　which　would　pacify　the　vulture　feeding

on　the　heart；　is　balked；　and　the　man　has　faith　neither　in　himself；

despite　his　powers；　nor　in　the　future；　despite　o