the secrets of the princesse de cadignan-第6章

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the　gayety　of　a　child；　and　a　self…conceited　air　that　was　worthy　of　a

schoolboy。　When　they　left　the　dining…room；　the　princess　took

d'Arthez's　arm；　in　the　simplest　manner；　to　return　to　Madame　d'Espard's

little　salon。　As　they　crossed　the　grand　salon　she　walked　slowly；　and

when　sufficiently　separated　from　the　marquise；　who　was　on　Blondet's

arm；　she　stopped。



〃I　do　not　wish　to　be　inaccessible　to　the　friend　of　that　poor　man；〃　she

said　to　d'Arthez；　〃and　though　I　have　made　it　a　rule　to　receive　no

visitors；　you　will　always　be　welcome　in　my　house。　Do　not　think　this　a

favor。　A　favor　is　only　for　strangers；　and　to　my　mind　you　and　I　seem

old　friends；　I　see　in　you　the　brother　of　Michel。〃



D'Arthez　could　only　press　her　arm；　unable　to　make　other　reply。



After　coffee　was　served；　Diane　de　Cadignan　wrapped　herself；　with

coquettish　motions；　in　a　large　shawl；　and　rose。　Blondet　and　Rastignac

were　too　much　men　of　the　world；　and　too　polite　to　make　the　least

remonstrance；　or　try　to　detain　her；　but　Madame　d'Espard　compelled　her

friend　to　sit　down　again；　whispering　in　her　ear：



〃Wait　till　the　servants　have　had　their　dinner；　the　carriage　is　not

ready　yet。〃



So　saying；　the　marquise　made　a　sign　to　the　footman；　who　was　taking

away　the　coffee…tray。　Madame　de　Montcornet　perceived　that　the　princess

and　Madame　d'Espard　had　a　word　to　say　to　each　other；　and　she　drew

around　her　d'Arthez；　Rastignac；　and　Blondet；　amusing　them　with　one　of

those　clever　paradoxical　attacks　which　Parisian　women　understand　so

thoroughly。



〃Well；〃　said　the　marquise　to　Diane；　〃what　do　you　think　of　him？〃



〃He　is　an　adorable　child；　just　out　of　swaddling…clothes！　This　time；

like　all　other　times；　it　will　only　be　a　triumph　without　a　struggle。〃



〃Well；　it　is　disappointing；〃　said　Madame　d'Espard。　〃But　we　might　evade

it。〃



〃How？〃



〃Let　me　be　your　rival。〃



〃Just　as　you　please；〃　replied　the　princess。　〃I've　decided　on　my

course。　Genius　is　a　condition　of　the　brain；　I　don't　know　what　the

heart　gets　out　of　it；　we'll　talk　about　that　later。〃



Hearing　the　last　few　words；　which　were　wholly　incomprehensible　to　her；

Madame　d'Espard　returned　to　the　general　conversation；　showing　neither

offence　at　that　indifferent　〃As　you　please；〃　nor　curiosity　as　to　the

outcome　of　the　interview。　The　princess　stayed　an　hour　longer；　seated

on　the　sofa　near　the　fire；　in　the　careless；　nonchalant　attitude　of

Guerin's　Dido；　listening　with　the　attention　of　an　absorbed　mind；　and

looking　at　Daniel　now　and　then；　without　disguising　her　admiration；

which　never　went；　however；　beyond　due　limits。　She　slipped　away　when

the　carriage　was　announced；　with　a　pressure　of　the　hand　to　the

marquise；　and　an　inclination　of　the　head　to　Madame　de　Montcornet。



The　evening　concluded　without　any　allusion　to　the　princess。　The　other

guests　profited　by　the　sort　of　exaltation　which　d'Arthez　had　reached；

for　he　put　forth　the　treasures　of　his　mind。　In　Blondet　and　Rastignac

he　certainly　had　two　acolytes　of　the　first　quality　to　bring　forth　the

delicacy　of　his　wit　and　the　breadth　of　his　intellect。　As　for　the　two

women；　they　had　long　been　counted　among　the　cleverest　in　society。　This

evening　was　like　a　halt　in　the　oasis　of　a　desert；a　rare　enjoyment；

and　well　appreciated　by　these　four　persons；　habitually　victimized　to

the　endless　caution　entailed　by　the　world　of　salons　and　politics。

There　are　beings　who　have　the　privilege　of　passing　among　men　like

beneficent　stars；　whose　light　illumines　the　mind；　while　its　rays　send

a　glow　to　the　heart。　D'Arthez　was　one　of　those　beings。　A　writer　who

rises　to　his　level；　accustoms　himself　to　free　thought；　and　forgets

that　in　society　all　things　cannot　be　said；　it　is　impossible　for　such　a

man　to　observe　the　restraint　of　persons　who　live　in　the　world

perpetually；　but　as　his　eccentricities　of　thought　bore　the　mark　of

originality；　no　one　felt　inclined　to　complain。　This　zest；　this

piquancy；　rare　in　mere　talent；　this　youthfulness　and　simplicity　of

soul　which　made　d'Arthez　so　nobly　original；　gave　a　delightful　charm　to

this　evening。　He　left　the　house　with　Rastignac；　who；　as　they　drove

home；　asked　him　how　he　liked　the　princess。



〃Michel　did　well　to　love　her；〃　replied　d'Arthez；　〃she　is；　indeed；　an

extraordinary　woman。〃



〃Very　extraordinary；〃　replied　Rastignac；　dryly。　〃By　the　tone　of　your

voice　I　should　judge　you　were　in　love　with　her　already。　You　will　be　in

her　house　within　three　days；　and　I　am　too　old　a　denizen　of　Paris　not

to　know　what　will　be　the　upshot　of　that。　Well；　my　dear　Daniel；　I　do

entreat　you　not　to　allow　yourself　to　be　drawn　into　any　confusion　of

interests；　so　to　speak。　Love　the　princess　if　you　feel　any　love　for　her

in　your　heart；　but　keep　an　eye　on　your　fortune。　She　has　never　taken　or

asked　a　penny　from　any　man　on　earth；　she　is　far　too　much　of　a

d'Uxelles　and　a　Cadignan　for　that；　but；　to　my　knowledge；　she　has　not

only　spent　her　own　fortune；　which　was　very　considerable；　but　she　has

made　others　waste　millions。　How？　why？　by　what　means？　No　one　knows；　she

doesn't　know　herself。　I　myself　saw　her　swallow　up；　some　thirteen　years

ago；　the　entire　fortune　of　a　charming　young　fellow；　and　that　of　an　old

notary；　in　twenty　months。〃



〃Thirteen　years　ago！〃　exclaimed　d'Arthez；〃why；　how　old　is　she　now？〃



〃Didn't　you　see；　at　dinner；〃　replied　Rastignac；　laughing；　〃her　son；

the　Duc　de　Maufrigneuse。　That　young　man　is　nineteen　years　old；

nineteen　and　seventeen　make〃



〃Thirty…six！〃　cried　the　amazed　author。　〃I　gave　her　twenty。〃



〃She'll　accept　them；〃　said　Rastignac；　〃but　don't　be　uneasy；　she　will

always　be　twenty　to　you。　You　are　about　to　enter　the　most　fantastic　of

worlds。　Good…night；　here　you　are　at　home；〃　said　the　baron；　as　they

entered　the　rue　de　Bellefond；　where　d'Arthez　lived　in　a　pretty　little

house　of　his　own。　〃We　shall　meet　at　Mademoiselle　des　Touches's　in　the

course　of　the　week。〃







CHAPTER　III



THE　PRINCESS　GOES　TO　WORK



D'Arthez　allowed　love　to　enter　his　heart　after　the　manner　of　my　Uncle

Toby；　without　making　the　slightest　resistance；　he　proceeded　by

adoration　without　criticism；　and　by　exclusive　admiration。　The

princess；　that　noble　creature；　one　of　the　most　remarkable　creations　of

our　monstrous　Paris；　where　all　things　are　possible；　good　as　well　as

evil；　becamewhatever　vulgarity　the　course　of　time　may　have　given　to

the　expressionthe　angel　of　his　dreams。　To　fully　understand　the

sudden　transformation　of　this　illustrious　author；　it　is　necessary　to

realize　the　simplicity　that　constant　work　and　solitude　leave　in　the

heart；　all　that　lovereduced　to　a　mere　need；　and　now　repugnant；

beside　an　ignoble　womanexcites　of　regret　and　longings　for　diviner

sentiments　in　the　higher　regions　of　the　soul。　D'Arthez　was；　indeed；

the　child；　the　boy　that　Madame　de　Cadignan　had　recognized。　An

illumination　something　like　his　own　had　taken　place　in　the　beautiful

Diane。　At　last　she　had　met　that　superior　man　whom　all　women　desire　and

seek；　if　only　to　make　a　plaything　of　him；that　power　which　they

consent　to　obey；　if　only　for　the　pleasure　of　subduing　it；　at　last　she

had　found　the　grandeurs　of　the　intellect　united　with　the　simplicity　of

a　heart　all　new　to　love；　and　she　saw；　with　untold　happiness；　that

these　merits　were　contained　in　a　form　that　pleased　her。　She　thought

d'Arthez　handsome；　and　perhaps　he　was。　Though　he　had　reached　the　age

of　gravity　（for　he　was　now　thirty…eight）；　he　still　preserved　a　flower

of　youth；　due　to　the　sober　and　ascetic　life　which　he　had　led。　Like　all

men　of　sedentary　habits；　and　statesmen；　he　had　acquired　a　certainly

reasonable　embonpoint。　When　very　young；　he　bore　some　resemblance　to

Bonaparte；　and　the　likeness　still　continued；　as　much　as　a　man　with

black　eyes　and　thick；　dark　hair　could　resemble　a　sovereign　with　blue

eyes　and　scanty；　chestnut　hair。　But　whatever　there　once　was　of　ardent

and　noble　ambition　in　the　great　author's　eyes　had　been　somewhat

quenched　by　successes。　The　thoughts　with　which　that　brow　once　teemed

had　flowered；　the　lines　of　the　hollow　face　were　filling　out。　Ease　now

spread　its　golden　tints　where；　in　youth；　poverty　had　laid　the　yellow

tones　of　the　class　of　temperament　whose　forces　band　together　to

support　a　crushing　and　long…continued　struggle。　If　you　observe

carefully　the　noble　faces　of　ancient　philosophers；　you　will　always

find　those　deviations　from　the　type　of　a　perfect　human　face　which　show

the　characteristic　to　which　each　countenance　owes　its　originality；

chastened　by　the　habit　of　meditation；　and　by　the　calmness　necessary

for　intellectual　labor。　The　most　irregular　features；　like　those　of

Socrates；　for　instance；　become；　after　a　time；　expressive　of　an　almost

divine　serenity。



To　the　noble　simplicity　which　characterized　his　head；　d'Arthez　added　a

naive　expression；　the　naturalness　of　a　child；　and　a　touching

kindliness。　He　did　not　have　that　politeness　tinged　with　insincerity

with　which；　in　society；　the　best…bred　persons　and　the　most　amiable

assume　qualities　in　which　they　are　often　lacking；　leaving　those　they

have　thus　duped　wounded　and　distressed。　He　might；　indeed；　fail　to

observe　certain　rules　of　social　life；　owing　to　his　isolated　mode　of

living；　but　he　never　shocked　the　sensibilities；　and　therefore　this

perfume　of　savagery　made　the　peculiar　affability　of　a　man　of　great

talent　the　more　agreeable；　such　men　know　how　to　leave　their

superiority　in　their　studies；　and　come　down　to　the　social　level；

lending　their　backs；　like　Henry　IV。；　to　the　children's　leap…frog；　and

their　minds　to　fools。



If　d'Arthez　did　not　brace　himself　against　the　spell　which　the　princess

had　cast　about　him；　neither　did　she　herself　argue　the　matter　in　her

own　mind；　on　returning　home。　It　was　settled　for　her。　She　loved　with

all　her　knowledge　and　all　her　ignorance。　If　she　questioned　herself　at

all；　it　was　to　ask　whether　she　deserved　so　great　a　happiness；　and　what

she　had　done　that　Heaven　should　send　her　such　an　angel。　She　wanted　to

be　worthy　of　that　love；　to　perpetuate　it；　to　make　it　her　own　forever；

and　to　gently　end　her　career　of　frivolity　in　the　paradise　she　now

foresaw。　As　for　coquetting；　quibbling；　resisting；　she　never　once

thought　of　it。　She　was　thinking　of　something　very　different！of　the

grandeur　of　men　of　genius；　and　the　certainty　which　her　heart　divined

that　they　would　never　subject　the　woman　they　chose　to　ordinary　laws。



Here　begins　one　of　those　unseen　comedies；　played　in　the　secret　regions

of　the　consciousness　between　two　beings　of　whom　one　will　be　the　dupe

of　the　other；　though　it　keeps　on　this　side　of　wickedness；　one　of　those

dark　and　comic　dramas　to　which　that　of　Tartuffe　is　mere　child's　play；

dramas　that　do　not　enter　the　scenic　domain；　although　they　are

natural；　conceivable；　and　even　justifiable　by　necessity；　dramas　which

may　be　characterized　as　not　vice；　only　the　other　side　of　it。



The　princess　began　by　sending　for　d'Arthez's　books；　of　which　she　had

never；　as　yet；　read　a　single　word；　although　she　had　managed