〃It shows what women have lost by the Revolution； which has levelled
all social ranks。 Passions of this kind are no longer met with except
in men who still feel an enormous distance between themselves and
their mistresses。〃
〃You saddle love with many vanities；〃 remarked the Abbe Dutheil。
〃What does Madame Graslin think？〃 asked the prefect。
〃What do you expect her to think？〃 said Monsieur de Grandville。 〃Her
child was born； as she predicted to me； on the morning of the
execution； she has not seen any one since then； for she is dangerously
ill。〃
A scene took place in another salon in Limoges which was almost
comical。 The friends of the des Vanneaulx came to congratulate them on
the recovery of their property。
〃Yes； but they ought to have pardoned that poor man；〃 said Madame des
Vanneaulx。 〃Love； and not greed； made him steal the money； he was
neither vicious nor wicked。〃
〃He was full of consideration for us；〃 said Monsieur des Vanneaulx；
〃and if I knew where his family had gone I would do something for
them。 They are very worthy people； those Tascherons。〃
X
THIRD PHASE OF VERONIQUE'S LIFE
When Madame Graslin recovered from the long illness that followed the
birth of her child； which was not till the close of 1829； an illness
which forced her to keep her bed and remain in absolute retirement；
she heard her husband talking of an important piece of business he was
anxious to concede。 The ducal house of Navarreins had offered for sale
the forest of Montegnac and the uncultivated lands around it。
Graslin had never yet executed the clause in his marriage contract
with his wife which obliged him to invest his wife's fortune in lands；
up to this time he had preferred to employ the money in his bank；
where he had fully doubled it。 He now began to speak of this
investment。 Hearing him discuss it Veronique appeared to remember the
name of Montegnac； and asked her husband to fulfil his engagement
about her property by purchasing these lands。 Monsieur Graslin then
proposed to see the rector； Monsieur Bonnet； and inquire of him about
the estate； which the Duc de Navarreins was desirous of selling
because he foresaw the struggle which the Prince de Polignac was
forcing on between liberalism and the house of Bourbon； and he augured
ill of it； in fact； the duke was one of the boldest opposers of the
/coup…d'Etat/。
The duke had sent his agent to Limoges to negotiate the matter；
telling him to accept any good sum of money； for he remembered the
Revolution of 1789 too well not to profit by the lessons it had taught
the aristocracy。 This agent had now been a month laying siege to
Graslin； the shrewdest and wariest business head in the Limousin；the
only man； he was told by practical persons； who was able to purchase
so large a property and pay for it on the spot。 The Abbe Dutheil wrote
a line to Monsieur Bonnet； who came to Limoges at once； and was taken
to the hotel Graslin。
Veronique determined to ask the rector to dinner； but the banker would
not let him go up to his wife's apartment until he had talked to him
in his office for over an hour and obtained such information as fully
satisfied him； and made him resolve to buy the forest and domains of
Montegnac at once for the sum of five hundred thousand francs。 He
acquiesced readily in his wife's wish that this purchase and all
others connected with it should be in fulfilment of the clause of the
marriage contract relative to the investment of her dowry。 Graslin was
all the more ready to do so because this act of justice cost him
nothing； he having doubled the original sum。
At this time； when Graslin was negotiating the purchase； the
Navarreins domains comprised the forest of Montegnac which contained
about thirty thousand acres of unused land； the ruins of the castle；
the gardens； park； and about five thousand acres of uncultivated land
on the plain beyond Montegnac。 Graslin immediately bought other lands
in order to make himself master of the first peak in the chain of the
Correzan mountains on which the vast forest of Montegnac ended。 Since
the imposition of taxes the Duc de Navarreins had never received more
than fifteen thousand francs per annum from this manor； once among the
richest tenures of the kingdom； the lands of which had escaped the
sale of 〃public domain〃 ordered by the Convention； on account probably
of their barrenness and the known difficulty of reclaiming them。
When the rector went at last to Madame Graslin's apartment； and saw
the woman noted for her piety and for her intellect of whom he had
heard speak； he could not restrain a gesture of amazement。 Veronique
had now reached the third phase of her life； that in which she was to
rise into grandeur by the exercise of the highest virtues；a phase in
which she became another woman。 To the Little Virgin of Titian； hidden
at eleven years of age beneath a spotted mantle of small…pox； had
succeeded a beautiful woman； noble and passionate； and from that
woman； now wrung by inward sorrows； came forth a saint。
Her skin bore the yellow tinge which colors the austere faces of
abbesses who have been famous for their macerations。 The attenuated
temples were almost golden。 The lips had paled； the red of an opened
pomegranate was no longer on them； their color had changed to the pale
pink of a Bengal rose。 At the corners of the eyes； close to the nose；
sorrows had made two shining tracks like mother…of…pearl； where tears
had flowed； tears which effaced the marks of small…pox and glazed the
skin。 Curiosity was invincibly attracted to that pearly spot； where
the blue threads of the little veins throbbed precipitately； as though
they were swelled by an influx of blood brought there； as it were； to
feed the tears。 The circle round the eyes was now a dark…brown that
was almost black above the eyelids； which were horribly wrinkled。 The
cheeks were hollow； in their folds lay the sign of solemn thoughts。
The chin； which in youth was full and round； the flesh covering the
muscles； was now shrunken； to the injury of its expression； which told
of an implacable religious severity exercised by this woman upon
herself。
At twenty…nine years of age Veronique's hair was scanty and already
whitening。 Her thinness was alarming。 In spite of her doctor's advice
she insisted on suckling her son。 The doctor triumphed in the result；
and as he watched the changes he had foretold in Veronique's
appearance； he often said：
〃See the effects of childbirth on a woman！ She adores that child； I
have often noticed that mothers are fondest of the children who cost
them most。〃
Veronique's faded eyes were all that retained even a memory of her
youth。 The dark blue of the iris still cast its passionate fires； to
which the woman's life seemed to have retreated； deserting the cold；
impassible face； and glowing with an expression of devotion when the
welfare of a fellow…being was concerned。
Thus the surprise； the dread of the rector ceased by degrees as he
went on explaining to Madame Graslin all the good that a large owner
of property could do at Montegnac provided he lived there。 Veronique's
beauty came back to her for a moment as her eyes glowed with the light
of an unhoped…for future。
〃I will live there；〃 she said。 〃It shall be my work。 I will ask
Monsieur Graslin for money； and I will gladly share in your religious
enterprise。 Montegnac shall be fertilized； we will find some means to
water those arid plains。 Like Moses； you have struck a rock from which
the waters will gush。〃
The rector of Montegnac； when questioned by his friends in Limoges
about Madame Graslin； spoke of her as a saint。
The day after the purchase was concluded Monsieur Graslin sent an
architect to Montegnac。 The banker intended to restore the chateau；
gardens； terrace； and park； and also to connect the castle grounds
with the forest by a plantation。 He set himself to make these
improvements with vainglorious activity。
A few months later Madame Graslin met with a great misfortune。 In
August； 1830； Graslin； overtaken by the commercial and banking
disasters of that period； became involved by no fault of his own。 He
could not endure the thought of bankruptcy； nor that of losing a
fortune of three millions acquired by forty years of incessant toil。
The moral malady which resulted from this anguish of mind aggravated
the inflammatory disease always ready to break forth in his blood。 He
took to his bed。 Since her confinement Veronique's regard for her
husband had developed； and had overthrown all the hopes of her
admirer； Monsieur de Grandville。 She strove to save her husband's life
by unremitting care； with no result but that of prolonging for a few
months the poor man's tortures； but the respite was very useful to
Grossetete； who； foreseeing the end of his former clerk and partner；
obtained from him all the information necessary for the prompt
liquidation of the assets。
Graslin died in April； 1831； and the widow's grief yielded only to
Christian resignation。 Veronique's first words； when the condition of
Monsieur Graslin's affairs were made known to her； were that she
abandoned her own fortune to pay the creditors； but it was found that
Graslin's own property was more than sufficient。 Two months later； the
liquidation； of which Grossetete took charge； left to Madame Graslin
the estate of Montegnac and six hundred thousand francs； her whole
personal fortune。 The son's name remained untainted； for Graslin had
injured no one's property； not even that of his wife。 Francis Graslin；
the son； received about one hundred thousand francs。
Monsieur de Grandville； to whom Veronique's grandeur of soul and noble
qualities were well known； made her an offer of marriage； but； to the
surprise of all Limoges； Madame Graslin declined； under pretext that
the Church discouraged second marriages。 Grossetete； a man of strong
common…sense and sure grasp of a situation； advised Veronique to
invest her property and what remained of Monsieur Graslin's in the
Funds； and he made the investment himself in one of the government
securities which offered special advantages at that time； namely； the
Three…per…cents； which were then quoted at fifty。 The child