an old maid-第25部分

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inspect　his　works；　in　a　fine　tilbury　drawn　by　a　new　horse；　having　Rene

at　his　side　in　livery。　The　first　act　of　his　administration　had　been　to

place　his　wife's　savings　on　the　Grand…Livre；　which　was　then　quoted　at

67　fr。　50　cent。　In　the　space　of　one　year；　during　which　he　played

constantly　for　a　rise；　he　made　himself　a　personal　fortune　almost　as

considerable　as　that　of　his　wife。



But　all　these　foreboding　prophecies；　these　perturbing　innovations；

were　superseded　and　surpassed　by　an　event　connected　with　this　marriage

which　gave　a　still　more　fatal　aspect　to　it。



On　the　very　evening　of　the　ceremony；　Athanase　and　his　mother　were

sitting；　after　their　dinner；　over　a　little　fire　of　fagots；　which　the

servant　lighted　usually　at　dessert。



〃Well；　we　will　go　this　evening　to　the　du　Roncerets'；　inasmuch　as　we

have　lost　Mademoiselle　Cormon；〃　said　Madame　Granson。　〃Heavens！　how

shall　I　ever　accustom　myself　to　call　her　Madame　du　Bousquier！　that

name　burns　my　lips。〃



Athanase　looked　at　his　mother　with　a　constrained　and　melancholy　air；

he　could　not　smile；　but　he　seemed　to　wish　to　welcome　that　naive

sentiment　which　soothed　his　wound；　though　it　could　not　cure　his

anguish。



〃Mamma；〃　he　said；　in　the　voice　of　his　childhood；　so　tender　was　it；　and

using　the　name　he　had　abandoned　for　several　years；〃my　dear　mamma；　do

not　let　us　go　out　just　yet；　it　is　so　pleasant　here　before　the　fire。〃



The　mother　heard；　without　comprehending；　that　supreme　prayer　of　a

mortal　sorrow。



〃Yes；　let　us　stay；　my　child；〃　she　said。　〃I　like　much　better　to　talk

with　you　and　listen　to　your　projects　than　to　play　at　boston　and　lose

my　money。〃



〃You　are　so　handsome　to…night　I　love　to　look　at　you。　Besides；　I　am　in

a　current　of　ideas　which　harmonize　with　this　poor　little　salon　where

we　have　suffered　so　much。〃



〃And　where　we　shall　still　suffer；　my　poor　Athanase；　until　your　works

succeed。　For　myself；　I　am　trained　to　poverty；　but　you；　my　treasure！　to

see　your　youth　go　by　without　a　joy！　nothing　but　toil　for　my　poor　boy

in　life！　That　thought　is　like　an　illness　to　a　mother；　it　tortures　me

at　night；　it　wakes　me　in　the　morning。　O　God！　what　have　I　done？　for

what　crime　dost　thou　punish　me　thus？〃



She　left　her　sofa；　took　a　little　chair；　and　sat　close　to　Athanase；　so

as　to　lay　her　head　on　the　bosom　of　her　child。　There　is　always　the

grace　of　love　in　true　motherhood。　Athanase　kissed　her　on　the　eyes；　on

her　gray　hair；　on　her　forehead；　with　the　sacred　desire　of　laying　his

soul　wherever　he　applied　his　lips。



〃I　shall　never　succeed；〃　he　said；　trying　to　deceive　his　mother　as　to

the　fatal　resolution　he　was　revolving　in　his　mind。



〃Pooh！　don't　get　discouraged。　As　you　often　say；　thought　can　do　all

things。　With　ten　bottles　of　ink；　ten　reams　of　paper；　and　his　powerful

will；　Luther　upset　all　Europe。　Well；　you'll　make　yourself　famous；　you

will　do　good　things　by　the　same　means　which　he　used　to　do　evil　things。

Haven't　you　said　so　yourself？　For　my　part；　I　listen　to　you；　I

understand　you　a　great　deal　more　than　you　think　I　do；for　I　still

bear　you　in　my　bosom；　and　your　every　thought　still　stirs　me　as　your

slightest　motion　did　in　other　days。〃



〃I　shall　never　succeed　here；　mamma；　and　I　don't　want　you　to　witness

the　sight　of　my　struggles；　my　misery；　my　anguish。　Oh；　mother；　let　me

leave　Alencon！　I　want　to　suffer　away　from　you。〃



〃And　I　wish　to　be　at　your　side；〃　replied　his　mother；　proudly。　〃Suffer

without　your　mother！that　poor　mother　who　would　be　your　servant　if

necessary；　who　will　efface　herself　rather　than　injure　you；　your

mother；　who　will　never　shame　you。　No；　no；　Athanase；　we　must　not　part。〃



Athanase　clung　to　his　mother　with　the　ardor　of　a　dying　man　who　clings

to　life。



〃But　I　wish　it；　nevertheless。　If　not；　you　will　lose　me；　this　double

grief；　yours　and　mine；　is　killing　me。　You　would　rather　I　lived　than

died？〃



Madame　Granson　looked　at　her　son　with　a　haggard　eye。



〃So　this　is　what　you　have　been　brooding？〃　she　said。　〃They　told　me

right。　Do　you　really　mean　to　go？〃



〃Yes。〃



〃You　will　not　go　without　telling　me；　without　warning　me？　You　must　have

an　outfit　and　money。　I　have　some　louis　sewn　into　my　petticoat；　I　shall

give　them　to　you。〃



Athanase　wept。



〃That's　all　I　wanted　to　tell　you；〃　he　said。　〃Now　I'll　take　you　to　the

du　Roncerets'。　Come。〃



The　mother　and　the　son　went　out。　Athanase　left　his　mother　at　the　door

of　the　house　where　she　intended　to　pass　the　evening。　He　looked　long　at

the　light　which　came　through　the　shutters；　he　clung　closely　to　the

wall；　and　a　frenzied　joy　came　over　him　when　he　presently　heard　his

mother　say；　〃He　has　great　independence　of　heart。〃



〃Poor　mother！　I　have　deceived　her；〃　he　cried；　as　he　made　his　way　to

the　Sarthe。



He　reached　the　noble　poplar　beneath　which　he　had　meditated　so　much　for

the　last　forty　days；　and　where　he　had　placed　two　heavy　stones　on　which

he　now　sat　down。　He　contemplated　that　beautiful　nature　lighted　by　the

moon；　he　reviewed　once　more　the　glorious　future　he　had　longed　for；　he

passed　through　towns　that　were　stirred　by　his　name；　he　heard　the

applauding　crowds；　he　breathed　the　incense　of　his　fame；　he　adored　that

life　long　dreamed　of；　radiant；　he　sprang　to　radiant　triumphs；　he

raised　his　stature；　he　evoked　his　illusions　to　bid　them　farewell　in　a

last　Olympic　feast。　The　magic　had　been　potent　for　a　moment；　but　now　it

vanished　forever。　In　that　awful　hour　he　clung　to　the　beautiful　tree　to

which；　as　to　a　friend；　he　had　attached　himself；　then　he　put　the　two

stones　into　the　pockets　of　his　overcoat；　which　he　buttoned　across　his

breast。　He　had　come　intentionally　without　a　hat。　He　now　went　to　the

deep　pool　he　had　long　selected；　and　glided　into　it　resolutely；　trying

to　make　as　little　noise　as　possible；　and；　in　fact；　making　scarcely

any。



When；　at　half…past　nine　o'clock；　Madame　Granson　returned　home；　her

servant　said　nothing　of　Athanase；　but　gave　her　a　letter。　She　opened　it

and　read　these　few　words；



〃My　good　mother；　I　have　departed；　don't　be　angry　with　me。〃



〃A　pretty　trick　he　has　played　me！〃　she　thought。　〃And　his　linen！　and

the　money！　Well；　he　will　write　to　me；　and　then　I'll　follow　him。　These

poor　children　think　they　are　so　much　cleverer　than　their　fathers　and

mothers。〃



And　she　went　to　bed　in　peace。



During　the　preceding　morning　the　Sarthe　had　risen　to　a　height　foreseen

by　the　fisherman。　These　sudden　rises　of　muddy　water　brought　eels　from

their　various　runlets。　It　so　happened　that　a　fisherman　had　spread　his

net　at　the　very　place　where　poor　Athanase　had　flung　himself；　believing

that　no　one　would　ever　find　him。　About　six　o'clock　in　the　morning　the

man　drew　in　his　net；　and　with　it　the　young　body。　The　few　friends　of

the　poor　mother　took　every　precaution　in　preparing　her　to　receive　the

dreadful　remains。　The　news　of　this　suicide　made；　as　may　well　be

supposed；　a　great　excitement　in　Alencon。　The　poor　young　man　of　genius

had　no　protector　the　night　before；　but　on　the　morrow　of　his　death　a

thousand　voices　cried　aloud；　〃I　would　have　helped　him。〃　It　is　so　easy

and　convenient　to　be　charitable　gratis！



The　suicide　was　explained　by　the　Chevalier　de　Valois。　He　revealed；　in

a　spirit　of　revenge；　the　artless；　sincere；　and　genuine　love　of

Athanase　for　Mademoiselle　Cormon。　Madame　Granson；　enlightened　by　the

chevalier；　remembered　a　thousand　little　circumstances　which　confirmed

the　chevalier's　statement。　The　story　then　became　touching；　and　many

women　wept　over　it。　Madame　Granson's　grief　was　silent；　concentrated；

and　little　understood。　There　are　two　forms　of　mourning　for　mothers。

Often　the　world　can　enter　fully　into　the　nature　of　their　loss：　their

son；　admired；　appreciated；　young；　perhaps　handsome；　with　a　noble　path

before　him；　leading　to　fortune；　possibly　to　fame；　excites　universal

regret；　society　joins　in　the　grief；　and　alleviates　while　it　magnifies

it。　But　there　is　another　sorrow　of　mothers　who　alone　know　what　their

child　was　really；　who　alone　have　received　his　smiles　and　observed　the

treasures　of　a　life　too　soon　cut　short。　That　sorrow　hides　its　woe；　the

blackness　of　which　surpasses　all　other　mourning；　it　cannot　be

described；　happily　there　are　but　few　women　whose　heart…strings　are

thus　severed。



Before　Madame　du　Bousquier　returned　to　town；　Madame　du　Ronceret；　one

of　her　good　friends；　had　driven　out　to　Prebaudet　to　fling　this　corpse

upon　the　roses　of　her　joy；　to　show　her　the　love　she　had　ignored；　and

sweetly　shed　a　thousand　drops　of　wormwood　into　the　honey　of　her　bridal

month。　As　Madame　du　Bousquier　drove　back　to　Alencon；　she　chanced　to

meet　Madame　Granson　at　the　corner　of　the　rue　Val…Noble。　The　glance　of

the　mother；　dying　of　her　grief；　struck　to　the　heart　of　the　poor　woman。

A　thousand　maledictions；　a　thousand　flaming　reproaches；　were　in　that

look：　Madame　du　Bousquier　was　horror…struck；　that　glance　predicted　and

called　down　evil　upon　her　head。



The　evening　after　the　catastrophe；　Madame　Granson；　one　of　the　persons

most　opposed　to　the　rector　of　the　town；　and　who　had　hitherto　supported

the　minister　of　Saint…Leonard；　began　to　tremble　as　she　thought　of　the

inflexible　Catholic　doctrines　professed　by　her　own　party。　After

placing　her　son's　body　in　its　shroud　with　her　own　hands；　thinking　of

the　mother　of　the　Saviour；　she　went；　with　a　soul　convulsed　by　anguish；

to　the　house　of　the　hated　rector。　There　she　found　the　modest　priest　in

an　outer　room；　engaged　in　putting　away　the　flax　and　yarns　with　which

he　supplied　poor　women；　in　order　that　they　might　never　be　wholly　out

of　work；a　form　of　charity　which　saved　many　who　were　incapable　of

begging　from　actual　penury。　The　rector　left　his　yarns　and　hastened　to

take　Madame　Granson　into　his　dining…room；　where　the　wretched　mother

noticed；　as　she　looked　at　his　supper；　the　frugal　method　of　his　own

living。



〃Monsieur　l'abbe；〃　she　said；　〃I　have　come　to　implore　you〃　She　burst

into　tears；　unable　to　continue。



〃I　know　what　brings　you；〃　replie