modeste mignon- 第7部分

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

the　other　was　stationed　in　a　kennel　which　he　never　left；　and　where　he

never　barked；　but　terrible　would　have　been　the　moment　had　the　pair

made　their　teeth　meet　in　some　unknown　adventurer。



We　can　now　imagine　the　sort　of　life　led　by　mother　and　daughter　at　the

Chalet。　Monsieur　and　Madame　Latournelle；　often　accompanied　by

Gobenheim；　came　to　call　and　play　whist　with　Dumay　nearly　every

evening。　The　conversation　turned　on　the　gossip　of　Havre　and　the　petty

events　of　provincial　life。　The　little　company　separated　between　nine

and　ten　o'clock。　Modeste　put　her　mother　to　bed；　and　together　they　said

their　prayers；　kept　up　each　other's　courage；　and　talked　of　the　dear

absent　one；　the　husband　and　father。　After　kissing　her　mother　for　good…

night；　the　girl　went　to　her　own　room　about　ten　o'clock。　The　next

morning　she　prepared　her　mother　for　the　day　with　the　same　care；　the

same　prayers；　the　same　prattle。　To　her　praise　be　it　said　that　from　the

day　when　the　terrible　infirmity　deprived　her　mother　of　a　sense；

Modeste　had　been　like　a　servant　to　her；　displaying　at　all　times　the

same　solicitude；　never　wearying　of　the　duty；　never　thinking　it

monotonous。　Such　constant　devotion；　combined　with　a　tenderness　rare

among　young　girls；　was　thoroughly　appreciated　by　those　who　witnessed

it。　To　the　Latournelle　family；　and　to　Monsieur　and　Madame　Dumay；

Modeste　was；　in　soul；　the　pearl　of　price。



On　sunny　days；　between　breakfast　and　dinner；　Madame　Mignon　and　Madame

Dumay　took　a　little　walk　toward　the　sea。　Modeste　accompanied　them；　for

two　arms　were　needed　to　support　the　blind　mother。　About　a　month　before

the　scene　to　which　this　explanation　is　a　parenthesis；　Madame　Mignon

had　taken　counsel　with　her　friends；　Madame　Latournelle；　the　notary；

and　Dumay；　while　Madame　Dumay　carried　Modeste　in　another　direction　for

a　longer　walk。



〃Listen　to　what　I　have　to　say；〃　said　the　blind　woman。　〃My　daughter　is

in　love。　I　feel　it；　I　see　it。　A　singular　change　has　taken　place　within

her；　and　I　do　not　see　how　it　is　that　none　of　you　have　perceived　it。〃



〃In　the　name　of　all　that's　honorable〃　cried　the　lieutenant。



〃Don't　interrupt　me；　Dumay。　For　the　last　two　months　Modeste　has　taken

as　much　care　of　her　personal　appearance　as　if　she　expected　to　meet　a

lover。　She　has　grown　extremely　fastidious　about　her　shoes；　she　wants

to　set　off　her　pretty　feet；　she　scolds　Madame　Gobet；　the　shoemaker。　It

is　the　same　thing　with　her　milliner。　Some　days　my　poor　darling　is

absorbed　in　thought；　evidently　expectant；　as　if　waiting　for　some　one。

Her　voice　has　curt　tones　when　she　answers　a　question；　as　though　she

were　interrupted　in　the　current　of　her　thoughts　and　secret

expectations。　Then；　if　this　awaited　lover　has　come〃



〃Good　heavens！〃



〃Sit　down；　Dumay；〃　said　the　blind　woman。　〃Well；　then　Modeste　is　gay。

Oh！　she　is　not　gay　to　your　sight；　you　cannot　catch　these　gradations；

they　are　too　delicate　for　eyes　that　see　only　the　outside　of　nature。

Her　gaiety　is　betrayed　to　me　by　the　tones　of　her　voice；　by　certain

accents　which　I　alone　can　catch　and　understand。　Modeste　then；　instead

of　sitting　still　and　thoughtful；　gives　vent　to　a　wild；　inward　activity

by　impulsive　movements；in　short；　she　is　happy。　There　is　a　grace；　a

charm　in　the　very　ideas　she　utters。　Ah；　my　friends；　I　know　happiness

as　well　as　I　know　sorrow；　I　know　its　signs。　By　the　kiss　my　Modeste

gives　me　I　can　guess　what　is　passing　within　her。　I　know　whether　she

has　received　what　she　was　looking　for；　or　whether　she　is　uneasy　or

expectant。　There　are　many　gradations　in　a　kiss；　even　in　that　of　an

innocent　young　girl；　and　Modeste　is　innocence　itself；　but　hers　is　the

innocence　of　knowledge；　not　of　ignorance。　I　may　be　blind；　but　my

tenderness　is　all…seeing；　and　I　charge　you　to　watch　over　my　daughter。〃



Dumay；　now　actually　ferocious；　the　notary；　in　the　character　of　a　man

bound　to　ferret　out　a　mystery；　Madame　Latournelle；　the　deceived

chaperone；　and　Madame　Dumay；　alarmed　for　her　husband's　safety；　became

at　once　a　set　of　spies；　and　Modeste　from　this　day　forth　was　never　left

alone　for　an　instant。　Dumay　passed　nights　under　her　window　wrapped　in

his　cloak　like　a　jealous　Spaniard；　but　with　all　his　military　sagacity

he　was　unable　to　detect　the　least　suspicious　sign。　Unless　she　loved

the　nightingales　in　the　villa　park；　or　some　fairy　prince；　Modeste

could　have　seen　no　one；　and　had　neither　given　nor　received　a　signal。

Madame　Dumay；　who　never　went　to　bed　till　she　knew　Modeste　was　asleep；

watched　the　road　from　the　upper　windows　of　the　Chalet　with　a　vigilance

equal　to　her　husband's。　Under　these　eight　Argus　eyes　the　blameless

child；　whose　every　motion　was　studied　and　analyzed；　came　out　of　the

ordeal　so　fully　acquitted　of　all　criminal　conversation　that　the　four

friends　declared　to　each　other　privately　that　Madame　Mignon　was

foolishly　over…anxious。　Madame　Latournelle；　who　always　took　Modeste　to

church　and　brought　her　back　again；　was　commissioned　to　tell　the　mother

that　she　was　mistaken　about　her　daughter。



〃Modeste；〃　she　said；　〃is　a　young　girl　of　very　exalted　ideas；　she　works

herself　into　enthusiasm　for　the　poetry　of　one　writer　or　the　prose　of

another。　You　have　only　to　judge　by　the　impression　made　upon　her　by

that　scaffold　symphony；　'The　Last　Hours　of　a　Convict'〃　（the　saying　was

Butscha's；　who　supplied　wit　to　his　benefactress　with　a　lavish　hand）；

〃she　seemed　to　me　all　but　crazy　with　admiration　for　that　Monsieur　Hugo。

I'm　sure　I　don't　know　where　such　people〃　（Victor　Hugo；　Lamartine；

Byron　being　SUCH　PEOPLE　to　the　Madame　Latournelles　of　the　bourgeoisie）

〃get　their　ideas。　Modeste　kept　talking　to　me　of　Childe　Harold；　and　as

I　did　not　wish　to　get　the　worst　of　the　argument　I　was　silly　enough　to

try　to　read　the　thing。　Perhaps　it　was　the　fault　of　the　translator；　but

it　actually　turned　my　stomach；　I　was　dazed；　I　couldn't　possibly　finish

it。　Why；　the　man　talks　about　comparisons　that　howl；　rocks　that　faint；

and　waves　of　war！　However；　he　is　only　a　travelling　Englishman；　and　we

must　expect　absurdities；though　his　are　really　inexcusable。　He　takes

you　to　Spain；　and　sets　you　in　the　clouds　above　the　Alps；　and　makes　the

torrents　talk；　and　the　stars；　and　he　says　there　are　too　many　virgins！

Did　you　ever　hear　the　like？　Then；　after　Napoleon's　campaigns；　the

lines　are　full　of　sonorous　brass　and　flaming　cannon…balls；　rolling

along　from　page　to　page。　Modeste　tells　me　that　all　that　bathos　is　put

in　by　the　translator；　and　that　I　ought　to　read　the　book　in　English。

But　I　certainly　sha'n't　learn　English　to　read　Lord　Byron　when　I　didn't

learn　it　to　teach　Exupere。　I　much　prefer　the　novels　of　Ducray…Dumenil

to　all　these　English　romances。　I'm　too　good　a　Norman　to　fall　in　love

with　foreign　things；above　all　when　they　come　from　England。〃



Madame　Mignon；　notwithstanding　her　melancholy；　could　not　help　smiling

at　the　idea　of　Madame　Latournelle　reading　Childe　Harold。　The　stern

scion　of　a　parliamentary　house　accepted　the　smile　as　an　approval　of

her　doctrine。



〃And；　therefore；　my　dear　Madame　Mignon；〃　she　went　on；　〃you　have　taken

Modeste's　fancies；　which　are　nothing　but　the　results　of　her　reading；

for　a　love…affair。　Remember；　she　is　just　twenty。　Girls　fall　in　love

with　themselves　at　that　age；　they　dress　to　see　themselves　well…

dressed。　I　remember　I　used　to　make　my　little　sister；　now　dead；　put　on

a　man's　hat　and　pretend　we　were　monsieur　and　madame。　You　see；　you　had

a　very　happy　youth　in　Frankfort；　but　let　us　be　just；Modeste　is

living　here　without　the　slightest　amusement。　Although；　to　be　sure；　her

every　wish　is　attended　to；　still　she　knows　she　is　shut　up　and　watched；

and　the　life　she　leads　would　give　her　no　pleasure　at　all　if　it　were

not　for　the　amusement　she　gets　out　of　her　books。　Come；　don't　worry

yourself；　she　loves　nobody　but　you。　You　ought　to　be　very　glad　that　she

goes　into　these　enthusiasms　for　the　corsairs　of　Byron　and　the　heroes

of　Walter　Scott　and　your　own　Germans；　Egmont；　Goethe；　Werther；

Schiller；　and　all　the　other　'ers。'〃



〃Well；　madame；　what　do　you　say　to　that？〃　asked　Dumay；　respectfully；

alarmed　at　Madame　Mignon's　silence。



〃Modeste　is　not　only　inclined　to　love；　but　she　loves　some　man；〃

answered　the　mother；　obstinately。



〃Madame；　my　life　is　at　stake；　and　you　must　allow　menot　for　my　sake；

but　for　my　wife；　my　colonel；　for　all　of　usto　probe　this　matter　to

the　bottom；　and　find　out　whether　it　is　the　mother　or　the　watch…dog　who

is　deceived。〃



〃It　is　you　who　are　deceived；　Dumay。　Ah！　if　I　could　but　see　my

daughter！〃　cried　the　poor　woman。



〃But　whom　is　it　possible　for　her　to　love？〃　asked　the　notary。　〃I'll

answer　for　my　Exupere。〃



〃It　can't　be　Gobenheim；〃　said　Dumay；　〃for　since　the　colonel's

departure　he　has　not　spent　nine　hours　a　week　in　this　house。　Besides；

he　doesn't　even　notice　Modestethat　five…franc　piece　of　a　man！　His

uncle　Gobenheim…Keller　is　all　the　time　writing　him；　'Get　rich　enough

to　marry　a　Keller。'　With　that　idea　in　his　mind　you　may　be　sure　he

doesn't　know　which　sex　Modeste　belongs　to。　No　other　men　ever　come

here；for　of　course　I　don't　count　Butscha；　poor　little　fellow；　I　love

him！　He　is　your　Dumay；　madame；〃　said　the　cashier　to　Madame

Latournelle。　〃Butscha　knows　very　well　that　a　mere　glance　at　Modeste

would　cost　him　a　Breton　ducking。　Not　a　soul　has　any　communication　with

this　house。　Madame　Latournelle　who　takes　Modeste　to　church　ever　since

youryour　misfortune；　madame；　has　carefully　watched　her　on　the　way

and　all　through　the　service；　and　has　seen　nothing　suspicious。　In

short；　if　I　must　confess　the　truth；　I　have　myself　raked　all　the　paths

about　the　house　every　evening　for　the　last　month；　and　found　no　trace

of　footsteps　in　the　morning。〃



〃Rakes　are　neither　costly　nor　difficult　to　handle；〃　remarked　the

daughter　of　Germany。



〃But　the　dogs？〃　cried　Dumay。



〃Lovers　have　philters　even　for　dogs；〃　answered　Madame　Mignon。



〃If　you　are　right；　my　honor　is　lost！　I　may　as　we