letters of two brides-第10章

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Clarissa　also　is　much　too　pleased　with　herself　and　her　long；　little
letter；　but　Richardson's　work　is　an　admirable　picture；　my　father　tells
me；　of　English　women。　Rousseau's　seems　to　me　a　sort　of　philosophical
sermon；　cast　in　the　form　of　letters。

Love；　as　I　conceive　it；　is　a　purely　subjective　poem。　In　all　that　books
tell　us　about　it；　there　is　nothing　which　is　not　at　once　false　and
true。　And　so；　my　pretty　one；　as　you　will　henceforth　be　an　authority
only　on　conjugal　love；　it　seems　to　me　my　dutyin　the　interest；　of
course；　of　our　common　lifeto　remain　unmarried；　and　have　a　grand
passion；　so　that　we　may　enlarge　our　experience。

Tell　me　every　detail　of　what　happens　to　you；　especially　in　the　first
few　days；　with　that　strange　animal　called　a　husband。　I　promise　to　do
the　same　for　you　if　ever　I　am　loved。

Farewell；　poor　martyred　darling。



XI

MME。　DE　L'ESTORADE　TO　MLLE。　DE　CHAULIEU
La　Crampade。

Your　Spaniard　and　you　make　me　shudder；　my　darling。　I　write　this　line
to　beg　of　you　to　dismiss　him。　All　that　you　say　of　him　corresponds　with
the　character　of　those　dangerous　adventurers　who；　having　nothing　to
lose；　will　take　any　risk。　This　man　cannot　be　your　husband；　and　must
not　be　your　lover。　I　will　write　to　you　more　fully　about　the　inner
history　of　my　married　life　when　my　heart　is　free　from　the　anxiety　your
last　letter　has　roused　in　it。



XII

MLLE。　DE　CHAULIEU　TO　MME。　DE　L'ESTORADE
February。

At　nine　o'clock　this　morning；　sweetheart；　my　father　was　announced　in
my　rooms。　I　was　up　and　dressed。　I　found　him　solemnly　seated　beside　the
fire　in　the　drawing…room；　looking　more　thoughtful　than　usual。　He
pointed　to　the　armchair　opposite　to　him。　Divining　his　meaning；　I　sank
into　it　with　a　gravity；　which　so　well　aped　his；　that　he　could　not
refrain　from　smiling；　though　the　smile　was　dashed　with　melancholy。

〃You　are　quite　a　match　for　your　grandmother　in　quick…wittedness；〃　he
said。

〃Come；　father；　don't　play　the　courtier　here；〃　I　replied；　〃you　want
something　from　me。〃

He　rose；　visibly　agitated；　and　talked　to　me　for　half　an　hour。　This
conversation；　dear；　really　ought　to　be　preserved。　As　soon　as　he　had
gone；　I　sat　down　to　my　table　and　tried　to　recall　his　words。　This　is
the　first　time　that　I　have　seen　my　father　revealing　his　inner
thoughts。

He　began　by　flattering　me；　and　he　did　not　do　it　badly。　I　was　bound　to
be　grateful　to　him　for　having　understood　and　appreciated　me。

〃Armande；〃　he　said；　〃I　was　quite　mistaken　in　you；　and　you　have
agreeably　surprised　me。　When　you　arrived　from　the　convent；　I　took　you
for　an　average　young　girl；　ignorant　and　not　particularly　intelligent；
easily　to　be　bought　off　with　gewgaws　and　ornaments；　and　with　little
turn　for　reflection。〃

〃You　are　complimentary　to　young　girls；　father。〃

〃Oh！　there　is　no　such　thing　as　youth　nowadays；〃　he　said；　with　the　air
of　a　diplomat。　〃Your　mind　is　amazingly　open。　You　take　everything　at
its　proper　worth；　your　clear…sightedness　is　extraordinary；　there　is　no
hoodwinking　you。　You　pass　for　being　blind；　and　all　the　time　you　have
laid　your　hand　on　causes；　while　other　people　are　still　puzzling　over
effects。　In　short；　you　are　a　minister　in　petticoats；　the　only　person
here　capable　of　understanding　me。　It　follows；　then；　that　if　I　have　any
sacrifice　to　ask　from　you；　it　is　only　to　yourself　I　can　turn　for　help
in　persuading　you。

〃I　am　therefore　going　to　explain　to　you；　quite　frankly；　my　former
plans；　to　which　I　still　adhere。　In　order　to　recommend　them　to　you；　I
must　show　that　they　are　connected　with　feelings　of　a　very　high　order；
and　I　shall　thus　be　obliged　to　enter　into　political　questions　of　the
greatest　importance　to　the　kingdom；　which　might　be　wearisome　to　any
one　less　intelligent　than　you　are。　When　you　have　heard　me；　I　hope　you
will　take　time　for　consideration；　six　months　if　necessary。　You　are
entirely　your　own　mistress；　and　if　you　decline　to　make　the　sacrifice　I
ask；　I　shall　bow　to　your　decision　and　trouble　you　no　further。〃

This　preface；　my　sweetheart；　made　me　really　serious；　and　I　said：

〃Speak；　father。〃

Here；　then；　is　the　deliverance　of　the　statesman：

〃My　child；　France　is　in　a　very　critical　position；　which　is　understood
only　by　the　King　and　a　few　superior　minds。　But　the　King　is　a　head
without　arms；　the　great　nobles；　who　are　in　the　secret　of　the　danger；
have　no　authority　over　the　men　whose　co…operation　is　needful　in　order
to　bring　about　a　happy　result。　These　men；　cast　up　by　popular　election；
refuse　to　lend　themselves　as　instruments。　Even　the　able　men　among　them
carry　on　the　work　of　pulling　down　society；　instead　of　helping　us　to
strengthen　the　edifice。

〃In　a　word；　there　are　only　two　partiesthe　party　of　Marius　and　the
party　of　Sulla。　I　am　for　Sulla　against　Marius。　This；　roughly　speaking；
is　our　position。　To　go　more　into　details：　the　Revolution　is　still
active；　it　is　embedded　in　the　law　and　written　on　the　soil；　it　fills
people's　minds。　The　danger　is　all　the　greater　because　the　greater
number　of　the　King's　counselors；　seeing　it　destitute　of　armed　forces
and　of　money；　believe　it　completely　vanquished。　The　King　is　an　able
man；　and　not　easily　blinded；　but　from　day　to　day　he　is　won　over　by　his
brother's　partisans；　who　want　to　hurry　things　on。　He　has　not　two　years
to　live；　and　thinks　more　of　a　peaceful　deathbed　than　of　anything　else。

〃Shall　I　tell　you；　my　child；　which　is　the　most　destructive　of　all　the
consequences　entailed　by　the　Revolution？　You　would　never　guess。　In
Louis　XVI。　the　Revolution　has　decapitated　every　head　of　a　family。　The
family　has　ceased　to　exist；　we　have　only　individuals。　In　their　desire
to　become　a　nation；　Frenchmen　have　abandoned　the　idea　of　empire；　in
proclaiming　the　equal　rights　of　all　children　to　their　father's
inheritance；　they　have　killed　the　family　spirit　and　created　the　State
treasury。　But　all　this　has　paved　the　way　for　weakened　authority；　for
the　blind　force　of　the　masses；　for　the　decay　of　art　and　the　supremacy
of　individual　interests；　and　has　left　the　road　open　to　the　foreign
invader。

〃We　stand　between　two　policieseither　to　found　the　State　on　the　basis
of　the　family；　or　to　rest　it　on　individual　interestin　other　words；
between　democracy　and　aristocracy；　between　free　discussion　and
obedience；　between　Catholicism　and　religious　indifference。　I　am　among
the　few　who　are　resolved　to　oppose　what　is　called　the　people；　and　that
in　the　people's　true　interest。　It　is　not　now　a　question　of　feudal
rights；　as　fools　are　told；　nor　of　rank；　it　is　a　question　of　the　State
and　of　the　existence　of　France。　The　country　which　does　not　rest　on　the
foundation　of　paternal　authority　cannot　be　stable。　That　is　the　foot　of
the　ladder　of　responsibility　and　subordination；　which　has　for　its
summit　the　King。

〃The　King　stands　for　us　all。　To　die　for　the　King　is　to　die　for
oneself；　for　one's　family；　which；　like　the　kingdom；　cannot　die。　All
animals　have　certain　instincts；　the　instinct　of　man　is　for　family
life。　A　country　is　strong　which　consists　of　wealthy　families；　every
member　of　whom　is　interested　in　defending　a　common　treasure；　it　is
weak　when　composed　of　scattered　individuals；　to　whom　it　matters　little
whether　they　obey　seven　or　one；　a　Russian　or　a　Corsican；　so　long　as
each　keeps　his　own　plot　of　land；　blind；　in　their　wretched　egotism；　to
the　fact　that　the　day　is　coming　when　this　too　will　be　torn　from　them。

〃Terrible　calamities　are　in　store　for　us；　in　case　our　party　fails。
Nothing　will　be　left　but　penal　or　fiscal　lawsyour　money　or　your
life。　The　most　generous　nation　on　the　earth　will　have　ceased　to　obey
the　call　of　noble　instincts。　Wounds　past　curing　will　have　been
fostered　and　aggravated；　an　all　pervading　jealousy　being　the　first。
Then　the　upper　classes　will　be　submerged；　equality　of　desire　will　be
taken　for　equality　of　strength；　true　distinction；　even　when　proved　and
recognized；　will　be　threatened　by　the　advancing　tide　of　middle…class
prejudice。　It　was　possible　to　choose　one　man　out　of　a　thousand；　but；
amongst　three　millions；　discrimination　becomes　impossible；　when　all
are　moved　by　the　same　ambitions　and　attired　in　the　same　livery　of
mediocrity。　No　foresight　will　warn　this　victorious　horde　of　that　other
terrible　horde；　soon　to　be　arrayed　against　them　in　the　peasant
proprietors；　in　other　words；　twenty　million　acres　of　land；　alive；
stirring；　arguing；　deaf　to　reason；　insatiable　of　appetite；　obstructing
progress；　masters　in　their　brute　force〃

〃But；〃　said　I；　interrupting　my　father；　〃what　can　I　do　to　help　the
State。　I　feel　no　vocation　for　playing　Joan　of　Arc　in　the　interests　of
the　family；　or　for　finding　a　martyr's　block　in　the　convent。〃

〃You　are　a　little　hussy；〃　cried　my　father。　〃If　I　speak　sensibly　to
you；　you　are　full　of　jokes；　when　I　jest；　you　talk　like　an
ambassadress。〃

〃Love　lives　on　contrasts；〃　was　my　reply。

And　he　laughed　till　the　tears　stood　in　his　eyes。

〃You　will　reflect　on　what　I　have　told　you；　you　will　do　justice　to　the
large　and　confiding　spirit　in　which　I　have　broached　the　matter；　and
possibly　events　may　assist　my　plans。　I　know　that；　so　far　as　you　are
concerned；　they　are　injurious　and　unfair；　and　this　is　the　reason　why　I
appeal　for　your　sanction　of　them　less　to　your　heart　and　your
imagination　than　to　your　reason。　I　have　found　more　judgment　and
commonsense　in　you　than　in　any　one　I　know〃

〃You　flatter　yourself；〃　I　said；　with　a　smile；　〃for　I　am　every　inch
your　child！〃

〃In　short；〃　he　went　on；　〃one　must　be　logical。　You　can't　have　the　end
without　the　means；　and　it　is　our　duty　to　set　an　example　to　others。
From　all　this　I　deduce　that　you　ought　not　to　have　money　of　your　own
till　your　younger　brother　is　provided　for；　and　I　want　to　employ　the
whole　of　your　inheritance　in　purchasing　an　estate　for　him　to　go　with
the　title。〃

〃But；〃　I　said；　〃you　won't　interfere　with　my　living　in　my　own　fashion
and　enjoying　life　if　I　leave　you　my　fortune？〃

〃Provided；〃　he　replied；　〃that　your　view　of　life　does　not　conflict　with
the　family　honor；　reputation；　and；　I　may　add；　glory。〃

〃Come；　come；〃　I　cried；　〃what　has　become　of　my　excellent　judgment？〃

〃There　is　not　in　all　France；〃　he　said　with　bitterness；　〃a　man　who
would　take　for　wife　a　daughter　of　one　of　our　noblest　families　without
a　dowry　and　bestow　one　on　her。　If　such　a　husband　could　be　found；　it
would　be　among　the　class　of　rich　/parvenus/；　on　this　point　I　belong　to
the　eleventh　century。〃

〃And　I　also；〃　I　said。　〃But　why　despair？　Are　there　no　aged　peers？〃

〃You　are　an　apt　scholar；　Louise！〃　he　exclaimed。

Then　he　left　me；　smiling　and　kissing　my　hand。

I　received　your　letter　this　very　morning；　and　it　led　me　to　contemplate
that　abyss　into　which　you　say　that　I　may　fall。　A　voice　within　seemed
to　utter　the　same　warning。　So　I　took　my　precautions。　Henarez；　my　dear；
dares　to　look　at　me；　and　his　eyes　are　disquieting。　They　inspire　me
with　what　I　can　only　call　an　unreasoning　dread。　Such　a　man　ought　no
more　to　be　looked　at　than　a　frog；　he　is　ugly　and　fascinating。

For　two　days　I　have　been　hesitating　whether　to　tell　my　father　point…
blank　that　I　want　no　more　Spanish　lessons　and　have　Henarez　sent　about
his　business。　But　in　spite　of　all　my　brave　resolutions；　I　feel　that
the　horrible　sensation　which　comes　over　me　when　I　see　that　man　has
become　necessary　to　me。　I　say　to　myself；　〃Once　more；　and