an old maid-第26部分

按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！





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

into　tears；　unable　to　continue。



〃I　know　what　brings　you；〃　replied　the　saintly　man。　〃I　must　trust　to

you；　madame；　and　to　your　relation；　Madame　du　Bousquier；　to　pacify

Monseigneur　the　Bishop　at　Seez。　Yes；　I　will　pray　for　your　unhappy

child；　yes；　I　will　say　the　masses。　But　we　must　avoid　all　scandal；　and

give　no　opportunity　for　evil…judging　persons　to　assemble　in　the

church。　I　alone；　without　other　clergy；　at　night〃



〃Yes；　yes；　as　you　think　best；　if　only　he　may　lie　in　consecrated

ground；〃　said　the　poor　mother；　taking　the　priest's　hand　and　kissing

it。



Toward　midnight　a　coffin　was　clandestinely　borne　to　the　parish　church

by　four　young　men；　comrades　whom　Athanase　had　liked　the　best。　A　few

friends　of　Madame　Granson；　women　dressed　in　black；　and　veiled；　were

present；　and　half　a　dozen　other　young　men　who　had　been　somewhat

intimate　with　this　lost　genius。　Four　torches　flickered　on　the　coffin；

which　was　covered　with　crape。　The　rector；　assisted　by　one　discreet

choirboy；　said　the　mortuary　mass。　Then　the　body　of　the　suicide　was

noiselessly　carried　to　a　corner　of　the　cemetery；　where　a　black　wooden

cross；　without　inscription；　was　all　that　indicated　its　place　hereafter

to　the　mother。　Athanase　lived　and　died　in　shadow。　No　voice　was　raised

to　blame　the　rector；　the　bishop　kept　silence。　The　piety　of　the　mother

redeemed　the　impiety　of　the　son's　last　act。



Some　months　later；　the　poor　woman；　half　beside　herself　with　grief；　and

moved　by　one　of　those　inexplicable　thirsts　which　misery　feels　to　steep

its　lips　in　the　bitter　chalice；　determined　to　see　the　spot　where　her

son　was　drowned。　Her　instinct　may　have　told　her　that　thoughts　of　his

could　be　recovered　beneath　that　poplar；　perhaps；　too；　she　desired　to

see　what　his　eyes　had　seen　for　the　last　time。　Some　mothers　would　die

of　the　sight；　others　give　themselves　up　to　it　in　saintly　adoration。

Patient　anatomists　of　human　nature　cannot　too　often　enunciate　the

truths　before　which　all　educations；　laws；　and　philosophical　systems

must　give　way。　Let　us　repeat　continually：　it　is　absurd　to　force

sentiments　into　one　formula：　appearing　as　they　do；　in　each　individual

man；　they　combine　with　the　elements　that　form　his　nature　and　take　his

own　physiognomy。



Madame　Granson；　as　she　stood　on　that　fatal　spot；　saw　a　woman　approach

it；　who　exclaimed；



〃Was　it　here？〃



That　woman　wept　as　the　mother　wept。　It　was　Suzanne。　Arriving　that

morning　at　the　hotel　du　More；　she　had　been　told　of　the　catastrophe。　If

poor　Athanase　had　been　living；　she　meant　to　do　as　many　noble　souls；

who　are　moneyless；　dream　of　doing；　and　as　the　rich　never　think　of

doing；she　meant　to　have　sent　him　several　thousand　francs；　writing　up

the　envelope　the　words：　〃Money　due　to　your　father　from　a　comrade　who

makes　restitution　to　you。〃　This　tender　scheme　had　been　arranged　by

Suzanne　during　her　journey。



The　courtesan　caught　sight　of　Madame　Granson　and　moved　rapidly　away；

whispering　as　she　passed　her；　〃I　loved　him！〃



Suzanne；　faithful　to　her　nature；　did　not　leave　Alencon　on　this

occasion　without　changing　the　orange…blossoms　of　the　bride　to　rue。　She

was　the　first　to　declare　that　Madame　du　Bousquier　would　never　be

anything　but　Mademoiselle　Cormon。　With　one　stab　of　her　tongue　she

revenged　poor　Athanase　and　her　dear　chevalier。



Alencon　now　witnessed　a　suicide　that　was　slower　and　quite　differently

pitiful　from　that　of　poor　Athanase；　who　was　quickly　forgotten　by

society；　which　always　makes　haste　to　forget　its　dead。　The　poor

Chevalier　de　Valois　died　in　life；　his　suicide　was　a　daily　occurrence

for　fourteen　years。　Three　months　after　the　du　Bousquier　marriage

society　remarked；　not　without　astonishment；　that　the　linen　of　the

chevalier　was　frayed　and　rusty；　that　his　hair　was　irregularly　combed

and　brushed。　With　a　frowsy　head　the　Chevalier　de　Valois　could　no

longer　be　said　to　exist！　A　few　of　his　ivory　teeth　deserted；　though　the

keenest　observers　of　human　life　were　unable　to　discover　to　what　body

they　had　hitherto　belonged；　whether　to　a　foreign　legion　or　whether

they　were　indigenous；　vegetable　or　animal；　whether　age　had　pulled　them

from　the　chevalier's　mouth；　or　whether　they　were　left　forgotten　in　the

drawer　of　his　dressing…table。　The　cravat　was　crooked；　indifferent　to

elegance。　The　negroes'　heads　grew　pale　with　dust　and　grease。　The

wrinkles　of　the　face　were　blackened　and　puckered；　the　skin　became

parchment。　The　nails；　neglected；　were　often　seen；　alas！　with　a　black

velvet　edging。　The　waistcoat　was　tracked　and　stained　with　droppings

which　spread　upon　its　surface　like　autumn　leaves。　The　cotton　in　the

ears　was　seldom　changed。　Sadness　reigned　upon　that　brow；　and　slipped

its　yellowing　tints　into　the　depths　of　each　furrow。　In　short；　the

ruins；　hitherto　so　cleverly　hidden；　now　showed　through　the　cracks　and

crevices　of　that　fine　edifice；　and　proved　the　power　of　the　soul　over

the　body；　for　the　fair　and　dainty　man；　the　cavalier；　the　young　blood；

died　when　hope　deserted　him。　Until　then　the　nose　of　the　chevalier　was

ever　delicate　and　nice；　never　had　a　damp　black　blotch；　nor　an　amber

drop　fall　from　it；　but　now　that　nose；　smeared　with　tobacco　around　the

nostrils；　degraded　by　the　driblets　which　took　advantage　of　the　natural

gutter　placed　between　itself　and　the　upper　lip；that　nose；　which　no

longer　cared　to　seem　agreeable；　revealed　the　infinite　pains　which　the

chevalier　had　formerly　taken　with　his　person；　and　made　observers

comprehend；　by　the　extent　of　its　degradation；　the　greatness　and

persistence　of　the　man's　designs　upon　Mademoiselle　Cormon。



Alas；　too；　the　anecdotes　went　the　way　of　the　teeth；　the　clever　sayings

grew　rare。　The　appetite；　however；　remained；　the　old　nobleman　saved

nothing　but　his　stomach　from　the　wreck　of　his　hopes；　though　he

languidly　prepared　his　pinches　of　snuff；　he　ate　alarming　dinners。

Perhaps　you　will　more　fully　understand　the　disaster　that　this　marriage

was　to　the　mind　and　heart　of　the　chevalier　when　you　learn　that　his

intercourse　with　the　Princess　Goritza　became　less　frequent。



One　day　he　appeared　in　Mademoiselle　Armande's　salon　with　the　calf　of

his　leg　on　the　shin…bone。　This　bankruptcy　of　the　graces　was；　I　do

assure　you；　terrible；　and　struck　all　Alencon　with　horror。　The　late

young　man　had　become　an　old　one；　this　human　being；　who；　by　the

breaking…down　of　his　spirit；　had　passed　at　once　from　fifty　to　ninety

years　of　age；　frightened　society。　Besides；　his　secret　was　betrayed；　he

had　waited　and　watched　for　Mademoiselle　Cormon；　he　had；　like　a　patient

hunter；　adjusted　his　aim　for　ten　whole　years；　and　finally　had　missed

the　game！　In　short；　the　impotent　Republic　had　won　the　day　from　Valiant

Chivalry；　and　that；　too；　under　the　Restoration！　Form　triumphed；　mind

was　vanquished　by　matter；　diplomacy　by　insurrection。　And；　O　final

blow！　a　mortified　grisette　revealed　the　secret　of　the　chevalier's

mornings；　and　he　now　passed　for　a　libertine。　The　liberals　cast　at　his

door　all　the　foundlings　hitherto　attributed　to　du　Bousquier。　But　the

faubourg　Saint…Germain　of　Alencon　accepted　them　proudly：　it　even　said；

〃That　poor　chevalier；　what　else　could　he　do？〃　The　faubourg　pitied　him；

gathered　him　closer　to　their　circle；　and　brought　back　a　few　rare

smiles　to　his　face；　but　frightful　enmity　was　piled　upon　the　head　of　du

Bousquier。　Eleven　persons　deserted　the　Cormon　salon；　and　passed　to

that　of　the　d'Esgrignons。



The　old　maid's　marriage　had　a　signal　effect　in　defining　the　two

parties　in　Alencon。　The　salon　d'Esgrignon　represented　the　upper

aristocracy　（the　returning　Troisvilles　attached　themselves　to　it）；　the

Cormon　salon　represented；　under　the　clever　influence　of　du　Bousquier；

that　fatal　class　of　opinions　which；　without　being　truly　liberal　or

resolutely　royalist；　gave　birth　to　the　221　on　that　famous　day　when　the

struggle　openly　began　between　the　most　august；　grandest；　and　only　true

power；　ROYALTY；　and　the　most　false；　most　changeful；　most　oppressive　of

all　powers；the　power　called　PARLIAMENTARY；　which　elective　assemblies

exercise。　The　salon　du　Ronceret；　secretly　allied　to　the　Cormon　salon；

was　boldly　liberal。



The　Abbe　de　Sponde；　after　his　return　from　Prebaudet；　bore　many　and

continual　sufferings；　which　he　kept　within　his　breast；　saying　no　word

of　them　to　his　niece。　But　to　Mademoiselle　Armande　he　opened　his　heart；

admitting　that；　folly　for　folly；　he　would　much　have　preferred　the

Chevalier　de　Valois　to　Monsieur　du　Bousquier。　Never　would　the　dear

chevalier　have　had　the　bad　taste　to　contradict　and　oppose　a　poor　old

man　who　had　but　a　few　days　more　to　live；　du　Bousquier　had　destroyed

everything　in　the　good　old　home。　The　abbe　said；　with　scanty　tears

moistening　his　aged　eyes；



〃Mademoiselle；　I　haven't　even　the　little　grove　where　I　have　walked　for

fifty　years。　My　beloved　lindens　are　all　cut　down！　At　the　moment　of　my

death　the　Republic　appears　to　me　more　than　ever　under　the　form　of　a

horrible　destruction　of　the　Home。〃



〃You　must　pardon　your　niece；〃　said　the　Chevalier　de　Valois。

〃Republican　ideas　are　the　first　error　of　youth　which　seeks　for

liberty；　later　it　finds　it　the　worst　of　despotisms；that　of　an

impotent　canaille。　Your　poor　niece　is　punished　where　she　sinned。〃



〃What　will　become　of　me　in　a　house　where　naked　women　are　painted　on

the　walls？〃　said　the　poor　abbe。　〃Where　shall　I　find　other　lindens

beneath　which　to　read　my　breviary？〃



Like　Kant；　who　was　unable　to　collect　his　thoughts　after　the　fir…tree

at　which　he　was　accustomed　to　gaze　while　meditating　was　cut　down；　so

the　poor　abbe　could　never　attain　the　ardor　of　his　former　prayers　while

walking　up　and　down　the　shadeless　paths。　Du　Bousquier　had　planted　an

English　garden。



〃It　was　best；〃　said　Madame　du　Bousquier；　without　thinking　so；　but　the

Abbe　Couterier　had　authorized　her　to　commit　many　wrongs　to　please　her

husband。



These　restorations　destroyed　all　the　venerable　dignity；　cordiality；

and　patriarchal　air