modeste mignon- 第6部分

Death　to　the　man　who　seduces　another　daughter！　Fear　nothing；　not　even

the　scaffoldI　will　be　with　you。〃



〃My　colonel；　go　in　peace。　I　understand　you。　You　shall　find

Mademoiselle　Mignon　on　your　return　such　as　you　now　give　her　to　me；　or

I　shall　be　dead。　You　know　me；　and　you　know　your　Pyrenees　hounds。　No

man　shall　reach　your　daughter。　Forgive　me　for　troubling　you　with

words。〃



The　two　soldiers　clasped　arms　like　men　who　had　learned　to　understand

each　other　in　the　solitudes　of　Siberia。



On　the　same　day　the　Havre　〃Courier〃　published　the　following　terrible；

simple；　energetic；　and　honorable　notice：



　　〃The　house　of　Charles　Mignon　suspends　payment。　But　the

　　undersigned；　assignees　of　the　estate；　undertake　to　pay　all

　　liabilities。　On　and　after　this　date；　holders　of　notes　may　obtain

　　the　usual　discount。　The　sale　of　the　landed　estates　will　fully

　　cover　all　current　indebtedness。



　　〃This　notice　is　issued　for　the　honor　of　the　house；　and　to　prevent

　　any　disturbance　in　the　money…market　of　this　town。



　　〃Monsieur　Charles　Mignon　sailed　this　morning　on　the　'Modeste'　for

　　Asia　Minor；　leaving　full　powers　with　the　undersigned　to　sell　his

　　whole　property；　both　landed　and　personal。



　　　　DUMAY；　assignee　of　the　Bank　accounts；

　　　　LATOURNELLE；　notary；　assignee　of　the　city　and　villa　property；

　　　　GOBENHEIM；　assignee　of　the　commercial　property。〃



Latournelle　owed　his　prosperity　to　the　kindness　of　Monsieur　Mignon；

who　lent　him　one　hundred　thousand　francs　in　1817　to　buy　the　finest　law

practice　in　Havre。　The　poor　man；　who　had　no　pecuniary　means；　was

nearly　forty　years　of　age　and　saw　no　prospect　of　being　other　than

head…clerk　for　the　rest　of　his　days。　He　was　the　only　man　in　Havre

whose　devotion　could　be　compared　with　Dumay's。　As　for　Gobenheim；　he

profited　by　the　liquidation　to　get　a　part　of　Monsieur　Mignon's

business；　which　lifted　his　own　little　bank　into　prominence。



While　unanimous　regrets　for　the　disaster　were　expressed　in　counting…

rooms；　on　the　wharves；　and　in　private　houses；　where　praises　of　a　man

so　irreproachable；　honorable；　and　beneficent　filled　every　mouth；

Latournelle　and　Dumay；　silent　and　active　as　ants；　sold　land；　turned

property　into　money；　paid　the　debts；　and　settled　up　everything。

Vilquin　showed　a　good　deal　of　generosity　in　purchasing　the　villa；　the

town…house；　and　a　farm；　and　Latournelle　made　the　most　of　his

liberality　by　getting　a　good　price　out　of　him。　Society　wished　to　show

civilities　to　Madame　and　Mademoiselle　Mignon；　but　they　had　already

obeyed　the　father's　last　wishes　and　taken　refuge　in　the　Chalet；　where

they　went　on　the　very　morning　of　his　departure；　the　exact　hour　of

which　had　been　concealed　from　them。　Not　to　be　shaken　in　his　resolution

by　his　grief　at　parting；　the　brave　man　said　farewell　to　his　wife　and

daughter　while　they　slept。　Three　hundred　visiting　cards　were　left　at

the　house。　A　fortnight　later；　just　as　Charles　had　predicted；　complete

forgetfulness　settled　down　upon　the　Chalet；　and　proved　to　these　women

the　wisdom　and　dignity　of　his　command。



Dumay　sent　agents　to　represent　his　master　in　New　York；　Paris；　and

London；　and　followed　up　the　assignments　of　the　three　banking…houses

whose　failure　had　caused　the　ruin　of　the　Havre　house；　thus　realizing

five　hundred　thousand　francs　between　1826　and　1828；　an　eighth　of

Charles's　whole　fortune；　then；　according　to　the　latter's　directions

given　on　the　night　of　his　departure；　he　sent　that　sum　to　New　York

through　the　house　of　Mongenod　to　the　credit　of　Monsieur　Charles

Mignon。　All　this　was　done　with　military　obedience；　except　in　a　matter

of　withholding　thirty　thousand　francs　for　the　personal　expenses　of

Madame　and　Mademoiselle　Mignon　as　the　colonel　had　ordered　him　to　do；

but　which　Dumay　did　not　do。　The　Breton　sold　his　own　little　house　for

twenty　thousand　francs；　which　sum　he　gave　to　Madame　Mignon；　believing

that　the　more　capital　he　sent　to　his　colonel　the　sooner　the　latter

would　return。



〃He　might　perish　for　the　want　of　thirty　thousand　francs；〃　Dumay

remarked　to　Latournelle；　who　bought　the　little　house　at　its　full

value；　where　an　apartment　was　always　kept　ready　for　the　inhabitants　of

the　Chalet。







CHAPTER　IV



A　SIMPLE　STORY



Such　was　the　result　to　the　celebrated　house　of　Mignon　at　Havre　of　the

crisis　of　1825…26；　which　convulsed　many　of　the　principal　business

centres　in　Europe　and　caused　the　ruin　of　several　Parisian　bankers；

among　them　（as　those　who　remember　that　crisis　will　recall）　the

president　of　the　chamber　of　commerce。



We　can　now　understand　how　this　great　disaster；　coming　suddenly　at　the

close　of　ten　years　of　domestic　happiness；　might　well　have　been　the

death　of　Bettina　Mignon；　again　separated　from　her　husband　and　ignorant

of　his　fate；to　her　as　adventurous　and　perilous　as　the　exile　to

Siberia。　But　the　grief　which　was　dragging　her　to　the　grave　was　far

other　than　these　visible　sorrows。　The　caustic　that　was　slowly　eating

into　her　heart　lay　beneath　a　stone　in　the　little　graveyard　of

Ingouville；　on　which　was　inscribed：



BETTINA　CAROLINE　MIGNON



Died　aged　twenty…two。



　　　Pray　for　her。



This　inscription　is　to　the　young　girl　whom　it　covered　what　many

another　epitaph　has　been　for　the　dead　lying　beneath　them；a　table　of

contents　to　a　hidden　book。　Here　is　the　book；　in　its　dreadful　brevity；

and　it　will　explain　the　oath　exacted　and　taken　when　the　colonel　and

the　lieutenant　bade　each　other　farewell。



A　young　man　of　charming　appearance；　named　Charles　d'Estourny；　came　to

Havre　for　the　commonplace　purpose　of　being　near　the　sea；　and　there　he

saw　Bettina　Mignon。　A　〃soi…disant〃　fashionable　Parisian　is　never

without　introductions；　and　he　was　invited　at　the　instance　of　a　friend

of　the　Mignons　to　a　fete　given　at　Ingouville。　He　fell　in　love　with

Bettina　and　with　her　fortune；　and　in　three　months　he　had　done　the　work

of　seduction　and　enticed　her　away。　The　father　of　a　family　of　daughters

should　no　more　allow　a　young　man　whom　he　does　not　know　to　enter　his

home　than　he　should　leave　books　and　papers　lying　about　which　he　has

not　read。　A　young　girl's　innocence　is　like　milk；　which　a　small　matter

turns　sour；a　clap　of　thunder；　an　evil　odor；　a　hot　day；　a　mere

breath。



When　Charles　Mignon　read　his　daughter's　letter　of　farewell　he

instantly　despatched　Madame　Dumay　to　Paris。　The　family　gave　out　that　a

journey　to　another　climate　had　suddenly　been　advised　for　Caroline　by

their　physician；　and　the　physician　himself　sustained　the　excuse；

though　unable　to　prevent　some　gossip　in　the　society　of　Havre。　〃Such　a

vigorous　young　girl！　with　the　complexion　of　a　Spaniard；　and　that　black

hair！she　consumptive！〃　〃Yes；　they　say　she　committed　some

imprudence。〃　〃Ah；　ah！〃　cried　a　Vilquin。　〃I　am　told　she　came　back

bathed　in　perspiration　after　riding　on　horseback；　and　drank　iced

water；　at　least；　that　is　what　Dr。　Troussenard　says。〃



By　the　time　Madame　Dumay　returned　to　Havre　the　catastrophe　of　the

failure　had　taken　place；　and　society　paid　no　further　attention　to　the

absence　of　Bettina　or　the　return　of　the　cashier's　wife。　At　the

beginning　of　1827　the　newspapers　rang　with　the　trial　of　Charles

d'Estourny；　who　was　found　guilty　of　cheating　at　cards。　The　young

corsair　escaped　into　foreign　parts　without　taking　thought　of

Mademoiselle　Mignon；　who　was　of　little　value　to　him　since　the　failure

of　the　bank。　Bettina　heard　of　his　infamous　desertion　and　of　her

father's　ruin　almost　at　the　same　time。　She　returned　home　struck　by

death；　and　wasted　away　in　a　short　time　at　the　Chalet。　Her　death　at

least　protected　her　reputation。　The　illness　that　Monsieur　Mignon

alleged　to　be　the　cause　of　her　absence；　and　the　doctor's　order　which

sent　her　to　Nice　were　now　generally　believed。　Up　to　the　last　moment

the　mother　hoped　to　save　her　daughter's　life。　Bettina　was　her　darling

and　Modeste　was　the　father's。　There　was　something　touching　in　the　two

preferences。　Bettina　was　the　image　of　Charles；　just　as　Modeste　was　the

reproduction　of　her　mother。　Both　parents　continued　their　love　for　each

other　in　their　children。　Bettina；　a　daughter　of　Provence；　inherited

from　her　father　the　beautiful　hair；　black　as　a　raven's　wing；　which

distinguishes　the　women　of　the　South；　the　brown　eye；　almond…shaped　and

brilliant　as　a　star；　the　olive　tint；　the　velvet　skin　as　of　some　golden

fruit；　the　arched　instep；　and　the　Spanish　waist　from　which　the　short

basque　skirt　fell　crisply。　Both　mother　and　father　were　proud　of　the

charming　contrast　between　the　sisters。　〃A　devil　and　an　angel！〃　they

said　to　each　other；　laughing；　little　thinking　it　prophetic。



After　weeping　for　a　month　in　the　solitude　of　her　chamber；　where　she

admitted　no　one；　the　mother　came　forth　at　last　with　injured　eyes。

Before　losing　her　sight　altogether　she　persisted；　against　the　wishes

of　her　friends；　in　visiting　her　daughter's　grave；　on　which　she　riveted

her　gaze　in　contemplation。　That　image　remained　vivid　in　the　darkness

which　now　fell　upon　her；　just　as　the　red　spectrum　of　an　object　shines

in　our　eyes　when　we　close　them　in　full　daylight。　This　terrible　and

double　misfortune　made　Dumay；　not　less　devoted；　but　more　anxious　about

Modeste；　now　the　only　daughter　of　the　father　who　was　unaware　of　his

loss。　Madame　Dumay；　idolizing　Modeste；　like　other　women　deprived　of

their　children；　cast　her　motherliness　about　the　girl；yet　without

disregarding　the　commands　of　her　husband；　who　distrusted　female

intimacies。　Those　commands　were　brief。　〃If　any　man；　of　any　age；　or　any

rank；〃　Dumay　said；　〃speaks　to　Modeste；　ogles　her；　makes　love　to　her；

he　is　a　dead　man。　I'll　blow　his　brains　out　and　give　myself　to　the

authorities；　my　death　may　save　her。　If　you　don't　wish　to　see　my　head

cut　off；　do　you　take　my　place　in　watching　her　when　I　am　obliged　to　go

out。〃



For　the　last　three　years　Dumay　had　examined　his　pistols　every　night。

He　seemed　to　have　put　half　the　burden　of　his　oath　upon　the　Pyrenean

hounds；　two　animals　of　uncommon　sagacity。　One　slept　inside　the　Ch