modeste mignon- 第31部分

speaking　half　to　himself；　〃is　it　their　fault；　or　is　it　ours？　Ought　we

to　hold　our　children　under　an　iron　yoke？　Must　we　be　punished　for　the

tenderness　that　leads　us　to　make　them　happy；　and　teaches　our　hearts

how　to　do　so？〃



Modeste　watched　her　father　out　of　the　corner　of　her　eye　as　she

listened　to　this　species　of　invocation；　uttered　in　a　broken　voice。



〃Was　it　wrong；〃　she　said；　〃in　a　girl　whose　heart　was　free；　to　choose

for　her　husband　not　only　a　charming　companion；　but　a　man　of　noble

genius；　born　to　an　honorable　position；　a　gentleman；　the　equal　of

myself；　a　gentlewoman？〃



〃You　love　him？〃　asked　her　father。



〃Father！〃　she　said；　laying　her　head　upon　his　breast；　〃would　you　see　me

die？〃



〃Enough！〃　said　the　old　soldier。　〃I　see　your　love　is　inextinguishable。〃



〃Yes；　inextinguishable。〃



〃Can　nothing　change　it？〃



〃Nothing。〃



〃No　circumstances；　no　treachery；　no　betrayal？　You　mean　that　you　will

love　him　in　spite　of　everything；　because　of　his　personal　attractions？

Even　though　he　proved　a　D'Estourny；　would　you　love　him　still？〃



〃Oh；　my　father！　you　do　not　know　your　daughter。　Could　I　love　a　coward；

a　man　without　honor；　without　faith？〃



〃But　suppose　he　had　deceived　you？〃



〃He？　that　honest；　candid　soul；　half　melancholy？　You　are　joking；

father；　or　else　you　have　never　met　him。〃



〃But　you　see　now　that　your　love　is　not　inextinguishable；　as　you　chose

to　call　it。　I　have　already　made　you　admit　that　circumstances　could

alter　your　poem；　don't　you　now　see　that　fathers　are　good　for

something？〃



〃You　want　to　give　me　a　lecture；　papa；　it　is　positively　l'Ami　des

Enfants　over　again。〃



〃Poor　deceived　girl；〃　said　her　father；　sternly；　〃it　is　no　lecture　of

mine；　I　count　for　nothing　in　it；　indeed；　I　am　only　trying　to　soften

the　blow。〃



〃Father；　don't　play　tricks　with　my　life；〃　exclaimed　Modeste；　turning

pale。



〃Then；　my　daughter；　summon　all　your　courage。　It　is　you　who　have　been

playing　tricks　with　your　life；　and　life　is　now　tricking　you。〃



Modeste　looked　at　her　father　in　stupid　amazement。



〃Suppose　that　young　man　whom　you　love；　whom　you　saw　four　days　ago　at

church　in　Havre；　was　a　deceiver？〃



〃Never！〃　she　cried；　〃that　noble　head；　that　pale　face　full　of　poetry〃



〃was　a　lie；〃　said　the　colonel　interrupting　her。　〃He　was　no　more

Monsieur　de　Canalis　than　I　am　that　sailor　over　there　putting　out　to

sea。〃



〃Do　you　know　what　you　are　killing　in　me？〃　she　said　in　a　low　voice。



〃Comfort　yourself；　my　child；　though　accident　has　put　the　punishment　of

your　fault　into　the　fault　itself；　the　harm　done　is　not　irreparable。

The　young　man　whom　you　have　seen；　and　with　whom　you　exchanged　hearts

by　correspondence；　is　a　loyal　and　honorable　fellow；　he　came　to　me　and

confided　everything。　He　loves　you；　and　I　have　no　objection　to　him　as　a

son…in…law。〃



〃If　he　is　not　Canalis；　who　is　he　then？〃　said　Modeste　in　a　changed

voice。



〃The　secretary；　his　name　is　Ernest　de　La　Briere。　He　is　not　a　nobleman；

but　he　is　one　of　those　plain　men　with　fixed　principles　and　sound

morality　who　satisfy　parents。　However；　that　is　not　the　point；　you　have

seen　him　and　nothing　can　change　your　heart；　you　have　chosen　him；

comprehend　his　soul；　it　is　as　beautiful　as　he　himself。〃



The　count　was　interrupted　by　a　heavy　sigh　from　Modeste。　The　poor　girl

sat　with　her　eyes　fixed　on　the　sea；　pale　and　rigid　as　death；　as　if　a

pistol　shot　had　struck　her　in　those　fatal　words；　A　PLAIN　MAN；　WITH

FIXED　PRINCIPLES　AND　SOUND　MORALITY。



〃Deceived！〃　she　said　at　last。



〃Like　your　poor　sister；　but　less　fatally。〃



〃Let　us　go　home；　father；〃　she　said；　rising　from　the　hillock　on　which

they　were　sitting。　〃Papa；　hear　me；　I　swear　before　God　to　obey　your

wishes；　whatever　they　may　be；　in　the　AFFAIR　of　my　marriage。〃



〃Then　you　don't　love　him　any　longer？〃　asked　her　father。



〃I　loved　an　honest　man；　with　no　falsehood　on　his　face；　upright　as

yourself；　incapable　of　disguising　himself　like　an　actor；　with　the

paint　of　another　man's　glory　on　his　cheeks。〃



〃You　said　nothing　could　change　you〃；　remarked　the　colonel；　ironically。



〃Ah；　do　not　trifle　with　me！〃　she　exclaimed；　clasping　her　hands　and

looking　at　her　father　in　distressful　anxiety；　〃don't　you　see　that　you

are　wringing　my　heart　and　destroying　my　beliefs　with　your　jokes。〃



〃God　forbid！　I　have　told　you　the　exact　truth。〃



〃You　are　very　kind；　father；〃　she　said　after　a　pause；　and　with　a　sort

of　solemnity。



〃He　has　kept　your　letters；〃　resumed　the　colonel；　〃now　suppose　the　rash

caresses　of　your　soul　had　fallen　into　the　hands　of　one　of　those　poets

who；　as　Dumay　says；　light　their　cigars　with　them？〃



〃Oh！you　are　going　too　far。〃



〃Canalis　told　him　so。〃



〃Has　Dumay　seen　Canalis？〃



〃Yes；〃　answered　her　father。



The　two　walked　along　in　silence。



〃So　that　is　why　that　GENTLEMAN；〃　resumed　Modeste；　〃told　me　so　much

harm　of　poets　and　poetry；　no　wonder　the　little　secretary　said　Why；〃

she　added；　interrupting　herself；　〃his　virtues；　his　noble　qualities；

his　fine　sentiments　are　nothing　but　an　epistolary　theft！　The　man　who

steals　glory　and　a　name　may　very　likely〃



〃break　locks；　steal　purses；　and　cut　people's　throats　on　the

highway；〃　cried　the　colonel。　〃Ah；　you　young　girls；　that's　just　like

you；with　your　peremptory　opinions　and　your　ignorance　of　life。　A　man

who　once　deceives　a　woman　was　born　under　the　scaffold　on　which　he

ought　to　die。〃



This　ridicule　stopped　Modeste's　effervescence　for　a　moment　and　least；

and　again　there　was　silence。



〃My　child；〃　said　the　colonel；　presently；　〃men　in　society；　as　in　nature

everywhere；　are　made　to　win　the　hearts　of　women；　and　women　must　defend

themselves。　You　have　chosen　to　invert　the　parts。　Was　that　wise？

Everything　is　false　in　a　false　position。　The　first　wrong…doing　was

yours。　No；　a　man　is　not　a　monster　because　he　seeks　to　please　a　woman；

it　is　our　right　to　win　her　by　aggression　with　all　its　consequences；

short　of　crime　and　cowardice。　A　man　may　have　many　virtues　even　if　he

does　deceive　a　woman；　if　he　deceives　her；　it　is　because　he　finds　her

wanting　in　some　of　the　treasures　that　he　sought　in　her。　None　but　a

queen；　an　actress；　or　a　woman　placed　so　far　above　a　man　that　she　seems

to　him　a　queen；　can　go　to　him　of　herself　without　incurring　blameand

for　a　young　girl　to　do　it！　Why；　she　is　false　to　all　that　God　has　given

her　that　is　sacred　and　lovely　and　noble；no　matter　with　what　grace　or

what　poetry　or　what　precautions　she　surrounds　her　fault。〃



〃To　seek　the　master　and　find　the　servant！〃　she　said　bitterly；　〃oh！　I

can　never　recover　from　it！〃



〃Nonsense！　Monsieur　Ernest　de　La　Briere　is；　to　my　thinking；　fully　the

equal　of　the　Baron　de　Canalis。　He　was　private　secretary　of　a　cabinet

minister；　and　he　is　now　counsel　for　the　Court　of　Claims；　he　has　a

heart；　and　he　adores　you；　buthe　DOES　NOT　WRITE　VERSES。　No；　I　admit；

he　is　not　a　poet；　but　for　all　that　he　may　have　a　heart　full　of　poetry。

At　any　rate；　my　dear　girl；〃　added　her　father；　as　Modeste　made　a

gesture　of　disgust；　〃you　are　to　see　both　of　them；　the　sham　and　the

true　Canalis〃



〃Oh；　papa！〃



〃Did　you　not　swear　just　now　to　obey　me　in　everything；　even　in　the

AFFAIR　of　your　marriage？　Well；　I　allow　you　to　choose　which　of　the　two

you　like　best　for　a　husband。　You　have　begun　by　a　poem；　you　shall

finish　with　a　bucolic；　and　try　if　you　can　discover　the　real　character

of　these　gentlemen　here；　in　the　country；　on　a　few　hunting　or　fishing

excursions。〃



Modeste　bowed　her　head　and　walked　home　with　her　father；　listening　to

what　he　said　but　replying　only　in　monosyllables。







CHAPTER　XVI



DISENCHANTED



The　poor　girl　had　fallen　humiliated　from　the　alp　she　had　scaled　in

search　of　her　eagle's　nest；　into　the　mud　of　the　swamp　below；　where　（to

use　the　poetic　language　of　an　author　of　our　day）　〃after　feeling　the

soles　of　her　feet　too　tender　to　tread　the　broken　glass　of　reality；

Imaginationwhich　in　that　delicate　bosom　united　the　whole　of

womanhood；　from　the　violet…hidden　reveries　of　a　chaste　young　girl　to

the　passionate　desires　of　the　sexhad　led　her　into　enchanted　gardens

where；　oh；　bitter　sight！　she　now　saw；　springing　from　the　ground；　not

the　sublime　flower　of　her　fancy；　but　the　hairy；　twisted　limbs　of　the

black　mandragora。〃　Modeste　suddenly　found　herself　brought　down　from

the　mystic　heights　of　her　love　to　a　straight；　flat　road　bordered　with

ditches；in　short　the　work…day　path　of　common　life。　What　ardent；

aspiring　soul　would　not　have　been　bruised　and　broken　by　such　a　fall？

Whose　feet　were　these　at　which　she　had　shed　her　thoughts？　The　Modeste

who　re…entered　the　Chalet　was　no　more　the　Modeste　who　had　left　it　two

hours　earlier　than　an　actress　in　the　street　is　like　an　actress　on　the

boards。　She　fell　into　a　state　of　numb　depression　that　was　pitiful　to

see。　The　sun　was　darkened；　nature　veiled　itself；　even　the　flowers　no

longer　spoke　to　her。　Like　all　young　girls　with　a　tendency　to　extremes；

she　drank　too　deeply　of　the　cup　of　disillusion。　She　fought　against

reality；　and　would　not　bend　her　neck　to　the　yoke　of　family　and

conventions；　it　was；　she　felt；　too　heavy；　too　hard；　too　crushing。　She

would　not　listen　to　the　consolations　of　her　father　and　mother；　and

tasted　a　sort　of　savage　pleasure　in　letting　her　soul　suffer　to　the

utmost。



〃Poor　Butscha　was　right；〃　she　said　one　evening。



The　words　indicate　the　distance　she　travelled　in　a　short　space　of　time

and　in　gloomy　sadness　across　the　barren　plain　of　reality。　Sadness；

when　caused　by　the　overgrowth　of　hope；　is　a　disease；sometimes　a

fatal　one。　It　would　be　no　mean　object　for　physiology　to　search　out　in

what　ways　and　by　what　means　Thought　produces　the　same　internal

disorganization　as　poison；　and　how　it　is　that　despair　affects　the

appetite；　destroys　the　pylorus；　and　changes　all　the　physical

conditions　of　the　strongest　life。　Such　was　the　case　with　Modeste。　In

three　short　days　she　became　the　image　of　morbid　melancholy；　she