the duchesse de langeais-第32章

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an　the　matter。〃　　In　the　eyes　of　the　poet　the　advantage　rests　with　the　lower　classes；　for　they　seldom　fail　to　give　a　certain　character　of　rude　poetry　to　their　thoughts。　　Perhaps　also　this　same　observation　may　explain　the　sterility　of　the　salons；　their　emptiness；　their　shallowness；　and　the　repugnance　felt　by　men　of　ability　for　bartering　their　ideas　for　such　pitiful　small　change。

The　Duke　suddenly　stopped　as　if　some　bright　idea　occurred　to　him；　and　remarked　to　his　neighbour

〃So　you　have　sold　Tornthon？〃

〃No；　he　is　ill。　　I　am　very　much　afraid　I　shall　lose　him；　and　I　should　be　uncommonly　sorry。　　He　is　a　very　good　hunter。　　Do　you　know　how　the　Duchesse　de　Marigny　is？〃

〃No。　　I　did　not　go　this　morning。　　I　was　just　going　out　to　call　when　you　came　in　to　speak　about　Antoinette。　　But　yesterday　she　was　very　ill　indeed；　they　had　given　her　up；　she　took　the　sacrament。〃

〃Her　death　will　make　a　change　in　your　cousin's　position。〃

〃Not　at　all。　　She　gave　away　her　property　in　her　lifetime；　only　keeping　an　annuity。　　She　made　over　the　Guebriant　estate　to　her　niece；　Mme　de　Soulanges；　subject　to　a　yearly　charge。〃

〃It　will　be　a　great　loss　for　society。　　She　was　a　kind　woman。　　Her　family　will　miss　her；　her　experience　and　advice　carried　weight。　　Her　son　Marigny　is　an　amiable　man；　he　has　a　sharp　wit；　he　can　talk。　　He　is　pleasant；　very　pleasant。　　Pleasant？　oh；　that　no　one　can　deny；　butill　regulated　to　the　last　degree。　　Well；　and　yet　it　is　an　extraordinary　thing；　he　is　very　acute。　　He　was　dining　at　the　club　the　other　day　with　that　moneyed　Chaussee…d'Antin　set。　　Your　uncle　（he　always　goes　there　for　his　game　of　cards）　found　him　there　to　his　astonishment；　and　asked　if　he　was　a　member。　　‘Yes；'　said　he；　‘I　don't　go　into　society　now；　I　am　living　among　the　bankers。'You　know　why？〃　added　the　Marquis；　with　a　meaning　smile。

〃No；〃　said　the　Duke。

〃He　is　smitten　with　that　little　Mme　Keller；　Gondreville's　daughter；　she　is　only　lately　married；　and　has　a　great　vogue；　they　say；　in　that　set。〃

〃Well；　Antoinette　does　not　find　time　heavy　on　her　hands；　it　seems；〃　remarked　the　Vidame。

〃My　affection　for　that　little　woman　has　driven　me　to　find　a　singular　pastime；〃　replied　the　Princess；　as　she　returned　her　snuff…box　to　her　pocket。

〃Dear　aunt；　I　am　extremely　vexed；〃　said　the　Duke；　stopping　short　in　his　walk。　　〃Nobody　but　one　of　Buonaparte's　men　could　ask　such　an　indecorous　thing　of　a　woman　of　fashion。　　Between　ourselves；　Antoinette　might　have　made　a　better　choice。〃

〃The　Montriveaus　are　a　very　old　family　and　very　well　connected；　my　dear；〃　replied　the　Princess；　〃they　are　related　to　all　the　noblest　houses　of　Burgundy。　　If　the　Dulmen　branch　of　the　Arschoot　Rivaudoults　should　come　to　an　end　in　Galicia；　the　Montriveaus　would　succeed　to　the　Arschoot　title　and　estates。　　They　inherit　through　their　great…grandfather。

〃Are　you　sure？〃

〃I　know　it　better　than　this　Montriveau's　father　did。　　I　told　him　about　it；　I　used　to　see　a　good　deal　of　him；　and；　Chevalier　of　several　orders　though　he　was；　he　only　laughed；　he　was　an　encyclopaedist。　　But　his　brother　turned　the　relationship　to　good　account　during　the　emigration。　　I　have　heard　it　said　that　his　northern　kinsfolk　were　most　kind　in　every　way〃

〃Yes；　to　be　sure。　　The　Comte　de　Montriveau　died　at　St。　Petersburg；〃　said　the　Vidame。　　〃I　met　him　there。　　He　was　a　big　man　with　an　incredible　passion　for　oysters。〃

〃However　many　did　he　eat？〃　asked　the　Duc　de　Grandlieu。

〃Ten　dozen　every　day。〃

〃And　did　they　not　disagree　with　him？〃

〃Not　the　least　bit　in　the　world。〃

〃Why；　that　is　extraordinary！　　Had　he　neither　the　stone　nor　gout；　nor　any　other　complaint；　in　consequence？〃

〃No；　his　health　was　perfectly　good；　and　he　died　through　an　accident。〃

〃By　accident！　　Nature　prompted　him　to　eat　oysters；　so　probably　he　required　them；　for　up　to　a　certain　point　our　predominant　tastes　are　conditions　of　our　existence。〃

〃I　am　of　your　opinion；〃　said　the　Princess；　with　a　smile。

〃Madame；　you　always　put　a　malicious　construction　on　things；〃　returned　the　Marquis。

〃I　only　want　you　to　understand　that　these　remarks　might　leave　a　wrong　impression　on　a　young　woman's　mind；〃　said　she；　and　interrupted　herself　to　exclaim；　〃But　this　niece；　this　niece　of　mine！〃

〃Dear　aunt；　I　still　refuse　to　believe　that　she　can　have　gone　to　M。　de　Montriveau；〃　said　the　Duc　de　Navarreins。

〃Bah！〃　returned　the　Princess。

〃What　do　you　think；　Vidame？〃　asked　the　Marquis。

〃If　the　Duchess　were　an　artless　simpleton；　I　should　think　that〃

〃But　when　a　woman　is　in　love　she　becomes　an　artless　simpleton；〃　retorted　the　Princess。　　〃Really；　my　poor　Vidame；　you　must　be　getting　older。〃

〃After　all；　what　is　to　be　done？〃　asked　the　Duke。

〃If　my　dear　niece　is　wise；〃　said　the　Princess；　〃she　will　go　to　Court　this　eveningfortunately；　today　is　Monday；　and　reception　dayand　you　must　see　that　we　all　rally　round　her　and　give　the　lie　to　this　absurd　rumour。　　There　are　hundreds　of　ways　of　explaining　things；　and　if　the　Marquis　de　Montriveau　is　a　gentleman；　he　will　come　to　our　assistance。　　We　will　bring　these　children　to　listen　to　reason〃

〃But；　dear　aunt；　it　is　not　easy　to　tell　M。　de　Montriveau　the　truth　to　his　face。　　He　is　one　of　Buonaparte's　pupils；　and　he　has　a　position。　　Why；　he　is　one　of　the　great　men　of　the　day；　he　is　high　up　in　the　Guards；　and　very　useful　there。　　He　has　not　a　spark　of　ambition。　　He　is　just　the　man　to　say；　‘Here　is　my　commission；　leave　me　in　peace；'　if　the　King　should　say　a　word　that　he　did　not　like。〃

〃Then；　pray；　what　are　his　opinions？〃

〃Very　unsound。〃

〃Really；〃　sighed　the　Princess；　〃the　King　is；　as　he　always　has　been；　a　Jacobin　under　the　Lilies　of　France。〃

〃Oh！　not　quite　so　bad；〃　said　the　Vidame。

〃Yes；　I　have　known　him　for　a　long　while。　　The　man　that　pointed　out　the　Court　to　his　wife　on　the　occasion　of　her　first　state　dinner　in　public　with；　‘These　are　our　people；'　could　only　be　a　black…hearted　scoundrel。　　I　can　see　Monsieur　exactly　the　same　as　ever　in　the　King。　　The　bad　brother　who　voted　so　wrongly　in　his　department　of　the　Constituent　Assembly　was　sure　to　compound　with　the　Liberals　and　allow　them　to　argue　and　talk。　　This　philosophical　cant　will　be　just　as　dangerous　now　for　the　younger　brother　as　it　used　to　be　for　the　elder；　this　fat　man　with　the　little　mind　is　amusing　himself　by　creating　difficulties；　and　how　his　successor　is　to　get　out　of　them　I　do　not　know；　he　holds　his　younger　brother　in　abhorrence；　he　would　be　glad　to　think　as　he　lay　dying；　‘He　will　not　reign　very　long'　〃

〃Aunt；　he　is　the　King；　and　I　have　the　honour　to　be　in　his　service〃

〃But　does　your　post　take　away　your　right　of　free　speech；　my　dear？　　You　come　of　quite　as　good　a　house　as　the　Bourbons。　　If　the　Guises　had　shown　a　little　more　resolution；　His　Majesty　would　be　a　nobody　at　this　day。　　It　is　time　I　went　out　of　this　world；　the　noblesse　is　dead。　　Yes；　it　is　all　over　with　you；　my　children；〃　she　continued；　looking　as　she　spoke　at　the　Vidame。　　〃What　has　my　niece　done　that　the　whole　town　should　be　talking　about　her？　　She　is　in　the　wrong；　I　disapprove　of　her　conduct；　a　useless　scandal　is　a　blunder；　that　is　why　I　still　have　my　doubts　about　this　want　of　regard　for　appearances；　I　brought　her　up；　and　I　know　that〃

Just　at　that　moment　the　Duchess　came　out　of　her　boudoir。　　She　had　recognised　her　aunt's　voice　and　heard　the　name　of　Montriveau。　　She　was　still　in　her　loose　morning…gown；　and　even　as　she　came　in；　M。　de　Grandlieu；　looking　carelessly　out　of　the　window；　saw　his　niece's　carriage　driving　back　along　the　street。　　The　Duke　took　his　daughter's　face　in　both　hands　and　kissed　her　on　the　forehead。

〃So；　dear　girl；〃　he　said；　〃you　do　not　know　what　is　going　on？〃

〃Has　anything　extraordinary　happened；　father　dear？〃

〃Why；　all　Paris　believes　that　you　are　with　M。　de　Montriveau。〃

〃My　dear　Antoinette；　you　were　at　home　all　the　time；　were　you　not？〃　said　the　Princess；　holding　out　a　hand；　which　the　Duchess　kissed　with　affectionate　respect。

〃Yes；　dear　mother；　I　was　at　home　all　the　time。　　And；〃　she　added；　as　she　turned　to　greet　the　Vidame　and　the　Marquis；　〃I　wished　that　all　Paris　should　think　that　I　was　with　M。　de　Montriveau。〃

The　Duke　flung　up　his　hands；　struck　them　together　in　despair；　and　folded　his　arms。

〃Then；　cannot　you　see　what　will　come　of　this　mad　freak？〃　he　asked