the duchesse de langeais-第7章

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her　compact　in　its　organisation；　nor　consequent　in　its　action；　neither　completely　moral；　nor　frankly　dissolute；　it　did　not　corrupt；　nor　was　it　corrupted；　it　would　neither　wholly　abandon　the　disputed　points　which　damaged　its　cause；　nor　yet　adopt　the　policy　that　might　have　saved　it。　　In　short；　however　effete　individuals　might　be；　the　party　as　a　whole　was　none　the　less　armed　with　all　the　great　principles　which　lie　at　the　roots　of　national　existence。　　What　was　there　in　the　Faubourg　that　it　should　perish　in　its　strength？　

It　was　very　hard　to　please　in　the　choice　of　candidates；　the　Faubourg　had　good　taste；　it　was　scornfully　fastidious；　yet　there　was　nothing　very　glorious　nor　chivalrous　truly　about　its　fall。

In　the　Emigration　of　1789　there　were　some　traces　of　a　loftier

feeling；　but　in　the　Emigration　of　1830　from　Paris　into　the　country　there　was　nothing　discernible　but　self…interest。　　A　few　famous　men　of　letters；　a　few　oratorical　triumphs　in　the　Chambers；　M。　de　Talleyrand's　attitude　in　the　Congress；　the　taking　of　Algiers；　and　not　a　few　names　that　found　their　way　from　the　battlefield　into　the　pages　of　historyall　these　things　were　so　many　examples　set　before　the　French　noblesse　to　show　that　it　was　still　open　to　them　to　take　their　part　in　the　national　existence；　and　to　win　recognition　of　their　claims；　if；　indeed；　they　could　condescend　thus　far。　　In　every　living　organism　the　work　of　bringing　the　whole　into　harmony　within　itself　is　always　going　on。

If　a　man　is　indolent；　the　indolence　shows　itself　in　everything　that　he　does；　and；　in　the　same　manner；　the　general　spirit　of　a　class　is　pretty　plainly　manifested　in　the　face　it　turns　on　the　world；　and　the　soul　informs　the　body。

The　women　of　the　Restoration　displayed　neither　the　proud　disregard　of　public　opinion　shown　by　the　court　ladies　of　olden　time　in　their　wantonness；　nor　yet　the　simple　grandeur　of　the　tardy　virtues　by　which　they　expiated　their　sins　and　shed　so　bright　a　glory　about　their　names。　　There　was　nothing　either　very　frivolous　or　very　serious　about　the　woman　of　the　Restoration。　　She　was　hypocritical　as　a　rule　in　her　passion；　and　compounded；　so　to　speak；　with　its　pleasures。　　Some　few　families　led　the　domestic　life　of　the　Duchesse　d'Orleans；　whose　connubial　couch　was　exhibited　so　absurdly　to　visitors　at　the　Palais　Royal。　　Two　or　three　kept　up　the　traditions　of　the　Regency；　filling　cleverer　women　with　something　like　disgust。　　The　great　lady　of　the　new　school　exercised　no　influence　at　all　over　the　manners　of　the　time；　and　yet　she　might　have　done　much。　　She　might；　at　worst；　have　presented　as　dignified　a　spectacle　as　English…women　of　the　same　rank。　　But　she　hesitated　feebly　among　old　precedents；　became　a　bigot　by　force　of　circumstances；　and　allowed　nothing　of　herself　to　appear；　not　even　her　better　qualities。

Not　one　among　the　Frenchwomen　of　that　day　had　the　ability　to　create　a　salon　whither　leaders　of　fashion　might　come　to　take　lessons　in　taste　and　elegance。　　Their　voices；　which　once　laid　down　the　law　to　literature；　that　living　expression　of　a　time；　now　counted　absolutely　for　nought。　　Now　when　a　literature　lacks　a　general　system；　it　fails　to　shape　a　body　for　itself；　and　dies　out　with　its　period。

When　in　a　nation　at　any　time　there　is　a　people　apart　thus　constituted；　the　historian　is　pretty　certain　to　find　some　representative　figure；　some　central　personage　who　embodies　the　qualities　and　the　defects　of　the　whole　party　to　which　he　belongs；　there　is　Coligny；　for　instance；　among　the　Huguenots；　the　Coadjuteur　in　the　time　of　the　Fronde；　the　Marechal　de　Richelieu　under　Louis　XV；　Danton　during　the　Terror。　　It　is　in　the　nature　of　things　that　the　man　should　be　identified　with　the　company　in　which　history　finds　him。　　How　is　it　possible　to　lead　a　party　without　conforming　to　its　ideas？　or　to　shine　in　any　epoch　unless　a　man　represents　the　ideas　of　his　time？　　The　wise　and　prudent　head　of　a　party　is　continually　obliged　to　bow　to　the　prejudices　and　follies　of　its　rear；　and　this　is　the　cause　of　actions　for　which　he　is　afterwards　criticised　by　this　or　that　historian　sitting　at　a　safer　distance　from　terrific　popular　explosions；　coolly　judging　the　passion　and　ferment　without　which　the　great　struggles　of　the　world　could　not　be　carried　on　at　all。　　And　if　this　is　true　of　the　Historical　Comedy　of　the　Centuries；　it　is　equally　true　in　a　more　restricted　sphere　in　the　detached　scenes　of　the　national　drama　known　as　the　Manners　of　the　Age。


At　the　beginning　of　that　ephemeral　life　led　by　the　Faubourg　Saint…Germain　under　the　Restoration；　to　which；　if　there　is　any　truth　in　the　above　reflections；　they　failed　to　give　stability；　the　most　perfect　type　of　the　aristocratic　caste　in　its　weakness　and　strength；　its　greatness　and　littleness；　might　have　been　found　for　a　brief　space　in　a　young　married　woman　who　belonged　to　it。　　This　was　a　woman　artificially　educated；　but　in　reality　ignorant；　a　woman　whose　instincts　and　feelings　were　lofty　while　the　thought　which　should　have　controlled　them　was　wanting。　　She　squandered　the　wealth　of　her　nature　in　obedience　to　social　conventions；　she　was　ready　to　brave　society；　yet　she　hesitated　till　her　scruples　degenerated　into　artifice。　　With　more　wilfulness　than　real　force　of　character；　impressionable　rather　than　enthusiastic；　gifted　with　more　brain　than　heart；　she　was　supremely　a　woman；　supremely　a　coquette；　and　above　all　things　a　Parisienne；　loving　a　brilliant　life　and　gaiety；　reflecting　never；　or　too　late；　imprudent　to　the　verge　of　poetry；　and　humble　in　the　depths　of　her　heart；　in　spite　of　her　charming　insolence。　　Like　some　straight…growing　reed；　she　made　a　show　of　independence；　yet；　like　the　reed；　she　was　ready　to　bend　to　a　strong　hand。　　She　talked　much　of　religion；　and　had　it　not　at　heart；　though　she　was　prepared　to　find　in　it　a　solution　of　her　life。　　How　explain　a　creature　so　complex？　　Capable　of　heroism；　yet　sinking　unconsciously　from　heroic　heights　to　utter　a　spiteful　word；　young　and　sweet…natured；　not　so　much　old　at　heart　as　aged　by　the　maxims　of　those　about　her；　versed　in　a　selfish　philosophy　in　which　she　was　all　unpractised；　she　had　all　the　vices　of　a　courtier；　all　the　nobleness　of　developing　womanhood。　　She　trusted　nothing　and　no　one；　yet　there　were　times　when　she　quitted　her　sceptical　attitude　for　a　submissive　credulity。

How　should　any　portrait　be　anything　but　incomplete　of　her；　in　whom　the　play　of　swiftly…changing　colour　made　discord　only　to　produce　a　poetic　confusion？　　For　in　her　there　shone　a　divine　brightness；　a　radiance　of　youth　that　blended　all　her　bewildering　characteristics　in　a　certain　completeness　and　unity　informed　by　her　charm。　　Nothing　was　feigned。　　The　passion　or　semi…passion；　the　ineffectual　high　aspirations；　the　actual　pettiness；　the　coolness　of　sentiment　and　warmth　of　impulse；　were　all　spontaneous　and　unaffected；　and　as　much　the　outcome　of　her　own　position　as　of　the　position　of　the　aristocracy　to　which　she　belonged。　　She　was　wholly　self…contained；　she　put　herself　proudly　above　the　world　and　beneath　the　shelter　of　her　name。　　There　was　something　of　the　egoism　of　Medea　in　her　life；　as　in　the　life　of　the　aristocracy　that　lay　a…dying；　and　would　not　so　much　as　raise　itself　or　stretch　out　a　hand　to　any　political　physician；　so　well　aware　of　its　feebleness；　or　so　conscious　that　it　was　already　dust；　that　it　refused　to　touch　or　be　touched。

The　Duchesse　de　Langeais　（for　that　was　her　name）　had　been　married　for　about　four　years　when　the　Restoration　was　finally　consummated；　which　is　to　say；　in　1816。　　By　that　time　the　revolution　of　the　Hundred　Days　had　let　in　the　light　on　the　mind　of　Louis　XVIII。　　In　spite　of　his　surroundings；　he　comprehended　the　situation　and　the　age　in　which　he　was　living；　and　it　was　only　later；　when　this　Louis　XI；　without　the　axe；　lay　stricken　down　by　disease；　that　those　about　him　got　the　upper　hand。　　The　Duchesse　de　Langeais；　a　Navarreins　by　birth；　came　of　a　ducal　house　which　had　made　a　point　of　never　marrying　below　its　rank　since　the　reign　of　Louis　XIV。　　Every　daughter　of　the　house　must　sooner　or　later　take　a　tabouret　at　Court。　　So；　Antoinette　de　Navarreins；　at　the　age　of　eighteen；　came　out　of　the　profound　solitude　in　which　her　girlhood　had　been　spent　to　marry　the　Duc　de　Langeais's　eldest　son。　　The　two　families　at　that　time　were　living　quite　out　of　the　world；　but　after　the　invasion　of　France；　the　return　of　the　Bourbons　seemed　to　every　Royalist　mind　the　only　possible　way　of　putting　an　end　to　the　miseries　of　the　war。

The　Ducs　de　Navarreins　and　de　Langeais　had　been　faithful　throughout　to　the　exiled　Princes；　nobly　resisting　all　the　temptations　of　glory　under　the　Empire。　　Under　the　circumstances　they　naturally　followed　out　the　old　family　policy；　and　Mlle　Antoinette；　a　beautiful　and　portionless　girl；　was　married　to　M。　le　Marquis　de　Langeais　only　a　few　months　before　the　death　of　the　Duke　his　father。

After　the　return　of　the　Bourbons；　the　families　resumed　their　rank；　offices；　and　dignity　at　Court；　once　more　they　entered　public　life；　from　which　hitherto　they　held　aloof；　and　took　their　place　high　on　the　sunlit　summits　of　the　new　political　world。　　In　that　time　of　general　baseness　and　sham　political　conversions；　the　public　conscience　was　glad　to　recognise　the　unstained　loyalty　of　the　two　houses；　and　a　consistency　in　political　and　private　life　for　which　all　parties　involuntarily　respected　them。　　But；　unfortunately；　as　so　often　happens　in　a　time　of　transition；　the　most　disinterested　persons；　the　men　whose　loftiness　of　view　and　wise　principles　would　have　gained　the　confidence　of　the　French　nation　and　led　them　to　believe　in　the　generosity　of　a　novel　and　spirited　policythese　men；　to　repeat；　were　taken　out　of　affairs；　and　public　business　was　allowed　to　fall　into　the　hands　of　others；　who　found　it　to　their　interest　to　push　principles　to　their　extreme　consequences　by　way　of　proving　their　devotion。

The　families　of　Langeais　and　Navarreins　remained　about　the　Court；　condemned　to　perform　the　duties　required　by　Court　ceremonial　amid　the　reproaches　and　sneers　of　the　Liberal　party。　　They　were　accused　of　gorging　themselves　with　riches　and　honours；　and　all　the　while　their　family　estates　were　no　larger　than　before；　and　liberal　allowances　from　the　civil　list　were　wholly　expended　in　keeping　up　the　state　necessary　for　any　European　government；　even　if　it　be　a　Republic。

In　1818；　M。　le　Duc　de　Langeais　commanded　a　division　of　the　army；　and　the　Duchess　held　a　post　about　one　of　the　Princesses；　in　virtue　of　which　she　was　free　to　live　in　Paris　and　apart　from　her　husband　without　scandal。　　The　Duke；　moreover；　besides　his　military　duties；　had　a　place　at　Court；　to　which　he　came　during　his　term　of　waiting；　leaving　his　major…general　in　command。　　The　Duke　and　Duchess　were　leading　lives　entirely　apart；　the　world　none　the　wiser。　　Their　marriage　of　convention　shared　the　fate　of　nearly　all　family　arrangements　of　the　kind。　　Two　more　antipathetic　dispositions　could　not　well　have　been　found；　they　were　brought　together；　they　jarred　upon　each　other；　there　was　soreness　on　either　side；　then　they　were　divided　once　for　all。　　Then　they　went　their　separate　ways；　with　a　due　regard　for　appearances。　　The　Duc　de　Langeais；　by　nature　as　methodical　as　the　Chevalier　de　Folard　himself；　gave　himself　up　methodically　to　his　own　tastes　and　amusements；　and　left　his　wife　at　liberty　to　do　as　she　pleased　so　soon　as　he　felt　sur