the secrets of the princesse de cadignan-第7章

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

maintain　a　twenty　minutes'　eulogism　and　discussion　of　them　without　a

blunder。　She　now　read　them　all。　Then　she　wanted　to　compare　these　books

with　the　best　that　contemporary　literature　had　produced。　By　the　time

d'Arthez　came　to　see　her　she　was　having　an　indigestion　of　mind。

Expecting　this　visit；　she　had　daily　made　a　toilet　of　what　may　be

called　the　superior　order；　that　is；　a　toilet　which　expresses　an　idea；

and　makes　it　accepted　by　the　eye　without　the　owner　of　the　eye　knowing

why　or　wherefore。　She　presented　an　harmonious　combination　of　shades　of

gray；　a　sort　of　semi…mourning；　full　of　graceful　renunciation；the

garments　of　a　woman　who　holds　to　life　only　through　a　few　natural　ties；

her　child；　for　instance；but　who　is　weary　of　life。　Those　garments

bore　witness　to　an　elegant　disgust；　not　reaching；　however；　as　far　as

suicide；　no；　she　would　live　out　her　days　in　these　earthly　galleys。



She　received　d'Arthez　as　a　woman　who　expected　him；　and　as　if　he　had

already　been　to　see　her　a　hundred　times；　she　did　him　the　honor　to

treat　him　like　an　old　acquaintance；　and　she　put　him　at　his　ease　by

pointing　to　a　seat　on　a　sofa；　while　she　finished　a　note　she　was　then

writing。　The　conversation　began　in　a　commonplace　manner：　the　weather；

the　ministry；　de　Marsay's　illness；　the　hopes　of　the　legitimists。

D'Arthez　was　an　absolutist；　the　princess　could　not　be　ignorant　of　the

opinions　of　a　man　who　sat　in　the　Chamber　among　the　fifteen　or　twenty

persons　who　represented　the　legitimist　party；　she　found　means　to　tell

him　how　she　had　fooled　de　Marsay　to　the　top　of　his　bent；　then；　by　an

easy　transition　to　the　royal　family　and　to　〃Madame；〃　and　the　devotion

of　the　Prince　de　Cadignan　to　their　service；　she　drew　d'Arthez's

attention　to　the　prince：



〃There　is　this　to　be　said　for　him：　he　loved　his　masters；　and　was

faithful　to　them。　His　public　character　consoles　me　for　the　sufferings

his　private　life　has　inflicted　upon　me　Have　you　never　remarked；〃　she

went　on；　cleverly　leaving　the　prince　aside；　〃you　who　observe　so　much；

that　men　have　two　natures：　one　of　their　homes；　their　wives；　their

private　lives；this　is　their　true　self；　here　no　mask；　no

dissimulation；　they　do　not　give　themselves　the　trouble　to　disguise　a

feeling；　they　are　what　they　ARE；　and　it　is　often　horrible！　The　other

man　is　for　others；　for　the　world；　for　salons；　the　court；　the

sovereign；　the　public　often　see　them　grand；　and　noble；　and　generous；

embroidered　with　virtues；　adorned　with　fine　language；　full　of

admirable　qualities。　What　a　horrible　jest　it　is！and　the　world　is

surprised；　sometimes；　at　the　caustic　smile　of　certain　women；　at　their

air　of　superiority　to　their　husbands；　and　their　indifference〃



She　let　her　hand　fall　along　the　arm　of　her　chair；　without　ending　her

sentence；　but　the　gesture　admirably　completed　the　speech。　She　saw

d'Arthez　watching　her　flexible　figure；　gracefully　bending　in　the

depths　of　her　easy…chair；　noting　the　folds　of　her　gown；　and　the　pretty

little　ruffle　which　sported　on　her　breast；one　of　those　audacities　of

the　toilet　that　are　suited　only　to　slender　waists；and　she　resumed

the　thread　of　her　thoughts　as　if　she　were　speaking　to　herself：



〃But　I　will　say　no　more。　You　writers　have　ended　by　making　ridiculous

all　women　who　think　they　are　misunderstood；　or　ill…mated；　and　who　try

to　make　themselves　dramatically　interesting；attempts　which　seem　to

me；　I　must　say；　intolerably　vulgar。　There　are　but　two　things　for　women

in　that　plight　to　do；yield；　and　all　is　over；　resist；　and　amuse

themselves；　in　either　case　they　should　keep　silence。　It　is　true　that　I

neither　yielded　wholly；　nor　resisted　wholly；　but；　perhaps；　that　was

only　the　more　reason　why　I　should　be　silent。　What　folly　for　women　to

complain！　If　they　have　not　proved　the　stronger；　they　have　failed　in

sense；　in　tact；　in　capacity；　and　they　deserve　their　fate。　Are　they　not

queens　in　France？　They　can　play　with　you　as　they　like；　when　they　like；

and　as　much　as　they　like。〃　Here　she　danced　her　vinaigrette　with　an

airy　movement　of　feminine　impertinence　and　mocking　gayety。　〃I　have

often　heard　miserable　little　specimens　of　my　sex　regretting　that　they

were　women；　wishing　they　were　men；　I　have　always　regarded　them　with

pity。　If　I　had　to　choose；　I　should　still　elect　to　be　a　woman。　A　fine

pleasure；　indeed；　to　owe　one's　triumph　to　force；　and　to　all　those

powers　which　you　give　yourselves　by　the　laws　you　make！　But　to　see　you

at　our　feet；　saying　and　doing　foolish　things；ah！　it　is　an

intoxicating　pleasure　to　feel　within　our　souls　that　weakness　triumphs！

But　when　we　triumph；　we　ought　to　keep　silence；　under　pain　of　losing

our　empire。　Beaten；　a　woman's　pride　should　gag　her。　The　slave's

silence　alarms　the　master。〃



This　chatter　was　uttered　in　a　voice　so　softly　sarcastic；　so　dainty；

and　with　such　coquettish　motions　of　the　head；　that　d'Arthez；　to　whom

this　style　of　woman　was　totally　unknown；　sat　before　her　exactly　like　a

partridge　charmed　by　a　setter。



〃I　entreat　you；　madame；〃　he　said；　at　last；　〃to　tell　me　how　it　was

possible　that　a　man　could　make　you　suffer？　Be　assured　that　where；　as

you　say；　other　women　are　common　and　vulgar；　you　can　only　seem

distinguished；　your　manner　of　saying　things　would　make　a　cook…book

interesting。〃



〃You　go　fast　in　friendship；〃　she　said；　in　a　grave　voice　which　made

d'Arthez　extremely　uneasy。



The　conversation　changed；　the　hour　was　late；　and　the　poor　man　of

genius　went　away　contrite　for　having　seemed　curious；　and　for　wounding

the　sensitive　heart　of　that　rare　woman　who　had　so　strangely　suffered。

As　for　her；　she　had　passed　her　life　in　amusing　herself　with　men；　and

was　another　Don　Juan　in　female　attire；　with　this　difference：　she　would

certainly　not　have　invited　the　Commander　to　supper；　and　would　have　got

the　better　of　any　statue。



It　is　impossible　to　continue　this　tale　without　saying　a　word　about　the

Prince　de　Cadignan；　better　known　under　the　name　of　the　Duc　de

Maufrigneuse；　otherwise　the　spice　of　the　princess's　confidences　would

be　lost；　and　strangers　would　not　understand　the　Parisian　comedy　she

was　about　to　play　for　her　man　of　genius。



The　Duc　de　Maufrigneuse；　like　a　true　son　of　the　old　Prince　de

Cadignan；　is　a　tall；　lean　man；　of　elegant　shape；　very　graceful；　a

sayer　of　witty　things；　colonel　by　the　grace　of　God；　and　a　good　soldier

by　accident；　brave　as　a　Pole；　which　means　without　sense　or

discernment；　and　hiding　the　emptiness　of　his　mind　under　the　jargon　of

good　society。　After　the　age　of　thirty…six　he　was　forced　to　be　as

absolutely　indifferent　to　the　fair　sex　as　his　master　Charles　X。；

punished；　like　that　master；　for　having　pleased　it　too　well。　For

eighteen　years　the　idol　of　the　faubourg　Saint…Germain；　he　had；　like

other　heirs　of　great　families　led　a　dissipated　life；　spent　solely　on

pleasure。　His　father；　ruined　by　the　revolution；　had　somewhat　recovered

his　position　on　the　return　of　the　Bourbons；　as　governor　of　a　royal

domain；　with　salary　and　perquisites；　but　this　uncertain　fortune　the

old　prince　spent；　as　it　came；　in　keeping　up　the　traditions　of　a　great

seigneur　before　the　revolution；　so　that　when　the　law　of　indemnity　was

passed；　the　sums　he　received　were　all　swallowed　up　in　the　luxury　he

displayed　in　his　vast　hotel。



The　old　prince　died　some　little　time　before　the　revolution　of　July

aged　eighty…seven。　He　had　ruined　his　wife；　and　had　long　been　on　bad

terms　with　the　Duc　de　Navarreins；　who　had　married　his　daughter　for　a

first　wife；　and　to　whom　he　very　reluctantly　rendered　his　accounts。　The

Duc　de　Maufrigneuse；　early　in　life；　had　had　relations　with　the

Duchesse　d'Uxelles。　About　the　year　1814；　when　Monsieur　de　Maufrigneuse

was　forty…six　years　of　age；　the　duchess；　pitying　his　poverty；　and

seeing　that　he　stood　very　well　at　court；　gave　him　her　daughter　Diane；

then　in　her　seventeenth　year；　and　possessing；　in　her　own　right；　some

fifty　or　sixty　thousand　francs　a　year；　not　counting　her　future

expectations。　Mademoiselle　d'Uxelles　thus　became　a　duchess；　and；　as

her　mother　very　well　knew；　she　enjoyed　the　utmost　liberty。　The　duke；

after　obtaining　the　unexpected　happiness　of　an　heir；　left　his　wife

entirely　to　her　own　devices；　and　went　off　to　amuse　himself　in　the

various　garrisons　of　France；　returning　occasionally　to　Paris；　where　he

made　debts　which　his　father　paid。　He　professed　the　most　entire

conjugal　indulgence；　always　giving　the　duchess　a　week's　warning　of　his

return；　he　was　adored　by　his　regiment；　beloved　by　the　Dauphin；　an

adroit　courtier；　somewhat　of　a　gambler；　and　totally　devoid　of

affectation。　Having　succeeded　to　his　father's　office　as　governor　of

one　of　the　royal　domains；　he　managed　to　please　the　two　kings；　Louis

XVIII。　and　Charles　X。；　which　proves　he　made　the　most　of　his　nonentity；

and　even　the　liberals　liked　him；　but　his　conduct　and　life　were　covered

with　the　finest　varnish；　language；　noble　manners；　and　deportment　were

brought　by　him　to　a　state　of　perfection。　But；　as　the　old　prince　said；

it　was　impossible　for　him　to　continue　the　traditions　of　the　Cadignans；

who　were　all　well　known　to　have　ruined　their　wives；　for　the　duchess

was　running　through　her　property　on　her　own　account。



These　particulars　were　so　well　understood　in　the　court　circles　and　in

the　faubourg　Saint…Germain；　that　during　the　last　five　years　of　the

Restoration　they　were　considered　ancient　history；　and　any　one　who

mentioned　them　would　have　been　laughed　at。　Women　never　spoke　of　the

charming　duke　without　praising　him；　he　was　excellent；　they　said；　to

his　wife；　could　a　man　be　better？　He　had　left　her　the　entire　disposal

of　her　own　property；　and　had　always　defended　her　on　every　occasion。　It

is　true　that；　whether　from　pride；　kindliness；　or　chivalry；　Monsieur　de

Maufrigneuse　had　saved　the　duchess　under　various　circumstances　which

might　have　ruined　other　women；　in　spite　of　Diane's　surroundings；　and

the　influence　of　her　mother　and　that　of　the　Duc　de　Navarreins；　her

father…in…law；　and　her　husband's　aunt。



For　several　ensuing　days　the　princess　revealed　herself　to　d'Arthez　as

remarkable　for　her　knowledge　of　literature。　She　discussed　with　perfect

fearlessness　the　most　difficult　questions；　thanks　to　her　daily　and

nightly　reading；　pursued　with　an　intrepidity　worthy　of　the　highest

praise。　D'Arthez；　amazed；　and　incapable　of　suspecting　that　Diane

d'Uxelles　merely　repeated　at　night　that　which　she　read　in　the　morning

（as　some　writers　do）；　regarded　her　as　a　most　superior　woman。　These

conversations；　however；　led　away　from　Diane's　object；　and　she　tried　to

get　back　to　the　region　of　confidences　from　which　d'Arthez　had

prudently　retired　after　her　coquettish　rebuff；　but　it　was　not　as　easy

as　she　expected　to　bring　back　a　man　of　his　nature　who　had　once　been

startled　away。



However；　after　a　month　of　literary　campaigning　and　the　finest　platonic

discourses；　d'Arthez　grew　bolder；　and　arrived　every　day　at　three

o'clock。　He　retired　at　six；　and　returned　at　nine；　to　r