an old maid-第3部分

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income　of　a　thousand　francs。　But　in　spite　of　this　bettering　of　his

circumstances；　he　made　no　change　in　his　life；　manners；　or　appearance；

except　that　the　red　ribbon　made　a　fine　effect　on　his　maroon…colored

coat；　and　completed；　so　to　speak；　the　physiognomy　of　a　gentleman。

After　1802；　the　chevalier　sealed　his　letters　with　a　very　old　seal；

ill…engraved　to　be　sure；　by　which　the　Casterans；　the　d'Esgrignons；　the

Troisvilles　were　enabled　to　see　that　he　bore：　Party　of　France；　two

cottises　gemelled　gules；　and　gules；　five　mascles　or；　placed　end　to

end；　on　a　chief　sable；　a　cross　argent。　For　crest；　a　knight's　helmet。

For　motto：　〃Valeo。〃　Bearing　such　noble　arms；　the　so…called　bastard　of

the　Valois　had　the　right　to　get　into　all　the　royal　carriages　of　the

world。



Many　persons　envied　the　quiet　existence　of　this　old　bachelor；　spent　on

whist；　boston；　backgammon；　reversi；　and　piquet；　all　well　played；　on

dinners　well　digested；　snuff　gracefully　inhaled；　and　tranquil　walks

about　the　town。　Nearly　all　Alencon　believed　this　life　to　be　exempt

from　ambitions　and　serious　interests；　but　no　man　has　a　life　as　simple

as　envious　neighbors　attribute　to　him。　You　will　find　in　the　most　out…


of…the　way　villages　human　mollusks；　creatures　apparently　dead；　who

have　passions　for　lepidoptera　or　for　conchology；　let　us　say；beings

who　will　give　themselves　infinite　pains　about　moths；　butterflies；　or

the　concha　Veneris。　Not　only　did　the　chevalier　have　his　own　particular

shells；　but　he　cherished　an　ambitious　desire　which　he　pursued　with　a

craft　so　profound　as　to　be　worthy　of　Sixtus　the　Fifth：　he　wanted　to

marry　a　certain　rich　old　maid；　with　the　intention；　no　doubt；　of　making

her　a　stepping…stone　by　which　to　reach　the　more　elevated　regions　of

the　court。　There；　then；　lay　the　secret　of　his　royal　bearing　and　of　his

residence　in　Alencon。







CHAPTER　II



SUSANNAH　AND　THE　ELDERS



On　a　Wednesday　morning；　early；　toward　the　middle　of　spring；　in　the

year　16；such　was　his　mode　of　reckoning；at　the　moment　when　the

chevalier　was　putting　on　his　old　green…flowered　damask　dressing…gown；

he　heard；　despite　the　cotton　in　his　ears；　the　light　step　of　a　young

girl　who　was　running　up　the　stairway。　Presently　three　taps　were

discreetly　struck　upon　the　door；　then；　without　waiting　for　any

response；　a　handsome　girl　slipped　like　an　eel　into　the　room　occupied

by　the　old　bachelor。



〃Ah！　is　it　you；　Suzanne？〃　said　the　Chevalier　de　Valois；　without

discontinuing　his　occupation；　which　was　that　of　stropping　his　razor。

〃What　have　you　come　for；　my　dear　little　jewel　of　mischief？〃



〃I　have　come　to　tell　you　something　which　may　perhaps　give　you　as　much

pleasure　as　pain？〃



〃Is　it　anything　about　Cesarine？〃



〃Cesarine！　much　I　care　about　your　Cesarine！〃　she　said　with　a　saucy

air；　half　serious；　half　indifferent。



This　charming　Suzanne；　whose　present　comical　performance　was　to

exercise　a　great　influence　in　the　principal　personages　of　our　history；

was　a　work…girl　at　Madame　Lardot's。　One　word　here　on　the　topography　of

the　house。　The　wash…rooms　occupied　the　whole　of　the　ground　floor。　The

little　courtyard　was　used　to　hang　out　on　wire　cords　embroidered

handkerchiefs；　collarets；　capes；　cuffs；　frilled　shirts；　cravats；

laces；　embroidered　dresses；in　short；　all　the　fine　linen　of　the　best

families　of　the　town。　The　chevalier　assumed　to　know　from　the　number　of

her　capes　in　the　wash　how　the　love…affairs　of　the　wife　of　the　prefect

were　going　on。　Though　he　guessed　much　from　observations　of　this　kind；

the　chevalier　was　discretion　itself；　he　was　never　betrayed　into　an

epigram　（he　had　plenty　of　wit）　which　might　have　closed　to　him　an

agreeable　salon。　You　are　therefore　to　consider　Monsieur　de　Valois　as　a

man　of　superior　manners；　whose　talents；　like　those　of　many　others；

were　lost　in　a　narrow　sphere。　Onlyfor；　after　all；　he　was　a　manhe

permitted　himself　certain　penetrating　glances　which　could　make　some

women　tremble；　although　they　all　loved　him　heartily　as　soon　as　they

discovered　the　depth　of　his　discretion　and　the　sympathy　that　he　felt

for　their　little　weaknesses。



The　head　woman；　Madame　Lardot's　factotum；　an　old　maid　of　forty…six；

hideous　to　behold；　lived　on　the　opposite　side　of　the　passage　to　the

chevalier。　Above　them　were　the　attics　where　the　linen　was　dried　in

winter。　Each　apartment　had　two　rooms；one　lighted　from　the　street；

the　other　from　the　courtyard。　Beneath　the　chevalier's　room　there　lived

a　paralytic；　Madame　Lardot's　grandfather；　an　old　buccaneer　named

Grevin；　who　had　served　under　Admiral　Simeuse　in　India；　and　was　now

stone…deaf。　As　for　Madame　Lardot；　who　occupied　the　other　lodging　on

the　first　floor；　she　had　so　great　a　weakness　for　persons　of　condition

that　she　may　well　have　been　thought　blind　to　the　ways　of　the

chevalier。　To　her；　Monsieur　de　Valois　was　a　despotic　monarch　who　did

right　in　all　things。　Had　any　of　her　workwomen　been　guilty　of　a

happiness　attributed　to　the　chevalier　she　would　have　said；　〃He　is　so

lovable！〃　Thus；　though　the　house　was　of　glass；　like　all　provincial

houses；　it　was　discreet　as　a　robber's　cave。



A　born　confidant　to　all　the　little　intrigues　of　the　work…rooms；　the

chevalier　never　passed　the　door；　which　usually　stood　open；　without

giving　something　to　his　little　ducks；chocolate；　bonbons；　ribbons；

laces；　gilt　crosses；　and　such　like　trifles　adored　by　grisettes；

consequently；　the　kind　old　gentleman　was　adored　in　return。　Women　have

an　instinct　which　enables　them　to　divine　the　men　who　love　them；　who

like　to　be　near　them；　and　exact　no　payment　for　gallantries。　In　this

respect　women　have　the　instinct　of　dogs；　who　in　a　mixed　company　will

go　straight　to　the　man　to　whom　animals　are　sacred。



The　poor　Chevalier　de　Valois　retained　from　his　former　life　the　need　of

bestowing　gallant　protection；　a　quality　of　the　seigneurs　of　other

days。　Faithful　to　the　system　of　the　〃petite　maison；〃　he　liked　to

enrich　women；the　only　beings　who　know　how　to　receive；　because　they

can　always　return。　But　the　poor　chevalier　could　no　longer　ruin　himself

for　a　mistress。　Instead　of　the　choicest　bonbons　wrapped　in　bank…bills；

he　gallantly　presented　paper…bags　full　of　toffee。　Let　us　say　to　the

glory　of　Alencon　that　the　toffee　was　accepted　with　more　joy　than　la

Duthe　ever　showed　at　a　gilt　service　or　a　fine　equipage　offered　by　the

Comte　d'Artois。　All　these　grisettes　fully　understood　the　fallen

majesty　of　the　Chevalier　de　Valois；　and　they　kept　their　private

familiarities　with　him　a　profound　secret　for　his　sake。　If　they　were

questioned　about　him　in　certain　houses　when　they　carried　home　the

linen；　they　always　spoke　respectfully　of　the　chevalier；　and　made　him

out　older　than　he　really　was；　they　talked　of　him　as　a　most　respectable

monsieur；　whose　life　was　a　flower　of　sanctity；　but　once　in　their　own

regions　they　perched　on　his　shoulders　like　so　many　parrots。　He　liked

to　be　told　the　secrets　which　washerwomen　discover　in　the　bosom　of

households；　and　day　after　day　these　girls　would　tell　him　the　cancans

which　were　going　the　round　of　Alencon。　He　called　them　his　〃petticoat

gazettes；〃　his　〃talking　feuilletons。〃　Never　did　Monsieur　de　Sartines

have　spies　more　intelligent　and　less　expensive；　or　minions　who　showed

more　honor　while　displaying　their　rascality　of　mind。　So　it　may　be　said

that　in　the　mornings；　while　breakfasting；　the　chevalier　usually　amused

himself　as　much　as　the　saints　in　heaven。



Suzanne　was　one　of　his　favorites；　a　clever；　ambitious　girl；　made　of

the　stuff　of　a　Sophie　Arnold；　and　handsome　withal；　as　the　handsomest

courtesan　invited　by　Titian　to　pose　on　black　velvet　for　a　model　of

Venus；　although　her　face；　fine　about　the　eyes　and　forehead；

degenerated；　lower　down；　into　commonness　of　outline。　Hers　was　a　Norman

beauty；　fresh；　high…colored；　redundant；　the　flesh　of　Rubens　covering

the　muscles　of　the　Farnese　Hercules；　and　not　the　slender　articulations

of　the　Venus　de'　Medici；　Apollo's　graceful　consort。



〃Well；　my　child；　tell　me　your　great　or　your　little　adventure；　whatever

it　is。〃



The　particular　point　about　the　chevalier　which　would　have　made　him

noticeable　from　Paris　to　Pekin；　was　the　gentle　paternity　of　his　manner

to　grisettes。　They　reminded　him　of　the　illustrious　operatic　queens　of

his　early　days；　whose　celebrity　was　European　during　a　good　third　of

the　eighteenth　century。　It　is　certain　that　the　old　gentleman；　who　had

lived　in　days　gone　by　with　that　feminine　nation　now　as　much　forgotten

as　many　other　great　things；like　the　Jesuits；　the　Buccaneers；　the

Abbes；　and　the　Farmers…General；had　acquired　an　irresistible　good…

humor；　a　kindly　ease；　a　laisser…aller　devoid　of　egotism；　the　self…

effacement　of　Jupiter　with　Alcmene；　of　the　king　intending　to　be　duped；

who　casts　his　thunderbolts　to　the　devil；　wants　his　Olympus　full　of

follies；　little　suppers；　feminine　profusionsbut　with　Juno　out　of　the

way；　be　it　understood。



In　spite　of　his　old　green　damask　dressing…gown　and　the　bareness　of　the

room　in　which　he　sat；　where　the　floor　was　covered　with　a　shabby

tapestry　in　place　of　carpet；　and　the　walls　were　hung　with　tavern…paper

presenting　the　profiles　of　Louis　XVI。　and　members　of　his　family；

traced　among　the　branches　of　a　weeping　willow　with　other


sentimentalities　invented　by　royalism　during　the　Terror；in　spite　of

his　ruins；　the　chevalier；　trimming　his　beard　before　a　shabby　old

toilet…table；　draped　with　trumpery　lace；　exhaled　an　essence　of　the

eighteenth　century。　All　the　libertine　graces　of　his　youth　reappeared；

he　seemed　to　have　the　wealth　of　three　hundred　thousand　francs　of　debt；

while　his　vis…a…vis　waited　before　the　door。　He　was　grand；like

Berthier　on　the　retreat　from　Moscow；　issuing　orders　to　an　army　that

existed　no　longer。



〃Monsieur　le　chevalier；〃　replied　Suzanne；　drolly；　〃seems　to　me　I

needn't　tell　you　anything；　you've　only　to　look。〃



And　Suzanne　presented　a　side　view　of　herself　which　gave　a　sort　of

lawyer's　comment　to　her　words。　The　chevalier；　who；　you　must　know；　was

a　sly　old　bi