a woman of thirty-第7章

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　（Victor）　believed　that　the　road　was　still　open。

〃You　have　not　a　moment　to　lose；　madame；〃　said　the　man。　〃The　Prussians；　Austrians；　and　English　are　about　to　effect　a　junction　either　at　Blois　or　at　Orleans。〃

A　few　hours　later；　Julie's　preparations　were　made；　and　she　started　out　upon　her　journey　in　an　old　traveling　carriage　lent　by　her　aunt。

〃Why　should　you　not　come　with　us　to　Paris？〃　she　asked；　as　she　put　her　arms　about　the　Marquise。　〃Now　that　the　Bourbons　have　come　back　you　would　be〃

〃Even　if　there　had　not　been　this　unhoped…for　return；　I　should　still　have　gone　to　Paris；　my　poor　child；　for　my　advice　is　only　too　necessary　to　both　you　and　Victor。　So　I　shall　make　all　my　preparations　for　rejoining　you　there。〃

Julie　set　out。　She　took　her　maid　with　her；　and　the　old　soldier　galloped　beside　the　carriage　as　escort。　At　nightfall；　as　they　changed　horses　for　the　last　stage　before　Blois；　Julie　grew　uneasy。　All　the　way　from　Amboise　she　had　heard　the　sound　of　wheels　behind　them；　a　carriage　following　hers　had　kept　at　the　same　distance。　She　stood　on　the　step　and　looked　out　to　see　who　her　traveling　companions　might　be；　and　in　the　moonlight　saw　Arthur　standing　three　paces　away；　gazing　fixedly　at　the　chaise　which　contained　her。　Again　their　eyes　met。　The　Countess　hastily　flung　herself　back　in　her　seat；　but　a　feeling　of　dread　set　her　pulses　throbbing。　It　seemed　to　her；　as　to　most　innocent　and　inexperienced　young　wives；　that　she　was　herself　to　blame　for　this　love　which　she　had　all　unwittingly　inspired。　With　this　thought　came　an　instinctive　terror；　perhaps　a　sense　of　her　own　helplessness　before　aggressive　audacity。　One　of　a　man's　strongest　weapons　is　the　terrible　power　of　compelling　a　woman　to　think　of　him　when　her　naturally　lively　imagination　takes　alarm　or　offence　at　the　thought　that　she　is　followed。

The　Countess　bethought　herself　of　her　aunt's　advice；　and　made　up　her　mind　that　she　would　not　stir　from　her　place　during　the　rest　of　the　journey；　but　every　time　the　horses　were　changed　she　heard　the　Englishman　pacing　round　the　two　carriages；　and　again　upon　the　road　heard　the　importunate　sound　of　the　wheels　of　his　caleche。　Julie　soon　began　to　think　that；　when　once　reunited　to　her　husband；　Victor　would　know　how　to　defend　her　against　this　singular　persecution。

〃Yet　suppose　that　in　spite　of　everything；　this　young　man　does　not　love　me？〃　This　was　the　thought　that　came　last　of　all。

No　sooner　did　she　reach　Orleans　than　the　Prussians　stopped　the　chaise。　It　was　wheeled　into　an　inn…yard　and　put　under　a　guard　of　soldiers。　Resistance　was　out　of　the　question。　The　foreign　soldiers　made　the　three　travelers　understand　by　signs　that　they　were　obeying　orders；　and　that　no　one　could　be　allowed　to　leave　the　carriage。　For　about　two　hours　the　Countess　sat　in　tears；　a　prisoner　surrounded　by　the　guard；　who　smoked；　laughed；　and　occasionally　stared　at　her　with　insolent　curiosity。　At　last；　however；　she　saw　her　captors　fall　away　from　the　carriage　with　a　sort　of　respect；　and　heard　at　the　same　time　the　sound　of　horses　entering　the　yard。　Another　moment；　and　a　little　group　of　foreign　officers；　with　an　Austrian　general　at　their　head；　gathered　about　the　door　of　the　traveling　carriage。

〃Madame；〃　said　the　General；　〃pray　accept　our　apologies。　A　mistake　has　been　made。　You　may　continue　your　journey　without　fear；　and　here　is　a　passport　which　will　spare　you　all　further　annoyance　of　any　kind。〃

Trembling　the　Countess　took　the　paper；　and　faltered　out　some　vague　words　of　thanks。　She　saw　Arthur；　now　wearing　an　English　uniform；　standing　beside　the　General；　and　could　not　doubt　that　this　prompt　deliverance　was　due　to　him。　The　young　Englishman　himself　looked　half　glad；　half　melancholy；　his　face　was　turned　away；　and　he　only　dared　to　steal　an　occasional　glance　at　Julie's　face。

Thanks　to　the　passport；　Mme。　d'Aiglemont　reached　Paris　without　further　misadventure；　and　there　she　found　her　husband。　Victor　d'Aiglemont；　released　from　his　oath　of　allegiance　to　the　Emperor；　had　met　with　a　most　flattering　reception　from　the　Comte　d'Artois；　recently　appointed　Lieutenant…General　of　the　kingdom　by　his　brother　Louis　XVIII。　D'Aiglemont　received　a　commission　in　the　Life　Guards；　equivalent　to　the　rank　of　general。　But　amid　the　rejoicings　over　the　return　of　the　Bourbons；　fate　dealt　poor　Julie　a　terrible　blow。　The　death　of　the　Marquise　de　Listomere…Landon　was　an　irreparable　loss。　The　old　lady　died　of　joy　and　of　an　accession　of　gout　to　the　heart　when　the　Duc　d'Angouleme　came　back　to　Tours；　and　the　one　living　being　entitled　by　her　age　to　enlighten　Victor；　the　woman　who；　by　discreet　counsels；　might　have　brought　about　perfect　unanimity　of　husband　and　wife；　was　dead；　and　Julie　felt　the　full　extent　of　her　loss。　Henceforward　she　must　stand　alone　between　herself　and　her　husband。　But　she　was　young　and　timid；　there　could　be　no　doubt　of　the　result；　or　that　from　the　first　she　would　elect　to　bear　her　lot　in　silence。　The　very　perfections　of　her　character　forbade　her　to　venture　to　swerve　from　her　duties；　or　to　attempt　to　inquire　into　the　cause　of　her　sufferings；　for　to　put　an　end　to　them　would　have　been　to　venture　on　delicate　ground；　and　Julie's　girlish　modesty　shrank　from　the　thought。

A　word　as　to　M。　d'Aiglemont's　destinies　under　the　Restoration。

How　many　men　are　there　whose　utter　incapacity　is　a　secret　kept　from　most　of　their　acquaintance。　For　such　as　these　high　rank；　high　office；　illustrious　birth；　a　certain　veneer　of　politeness；　and　considerable　reserve　of　manner；　or　the　/prestige/　of　great　fortunes；　are　but　so　many　sentinels　to　turn　back　critics　who　would　penetrate　to　the　presence　of　the　real　man。　Such　men　are　like　kings；　in　that　their　real　figure；　character；　and　life　can　never　be　known　nor　justly　appreciated；　because　they　are　always　seen　from　too　near　or　too　far。　Factitious　merit　has　a　way　of　asking　questions　and　saying　little；　and　understands　the　art　of　putting　others　forward　to　save　the　necessity　of　posing　before　them；　then；　with　a　happy　knack　of　its　own；　it　draws　and　attaches　others　by　the　thread　of　the　ruling　passion　of　self…interest；　keeping　men　of　far　greater　abilities　to　play　like　puppets；　and　despising　those　whom　it　has　brought　down　to　its　own　level。　The　petty　fixed　idea　naturally　prevails；　it　has　the　advantage　of　persistence　over　the　plasticity　of　great　thoughts。

The　observer　who　should　seek　to　estimate　and　appraise　the　negative　values　of　these　empty　heads　needs　subtlety　rather　than　superior　wit　for　the　task；　patience　is　a　more　necessary　part　of　his　judicial　outfit　than　great　mental　grasp；　cunning　and　tact　rather　than　any　elevation　or　greatness　of　ideas。　Yet　skilfully　as　such　usurpers　can　cover　and　defend　their　weak　points；　it　is　difficult　to　delude　wife　and　mother　and　children　and　the　house…friend　of　the　family；　fortunately　for　them；　however；　these　persons　almost　always　keep　a　secret　which　in　a　manner　touches　the　honor　of　all；　and　not　unfrequently　go　so　far　as　to　help　to　foist　the　imposture　upon　the　public。　And　if；　thanks　to　such　domestic　conspiracy；　many　a　noodle　passes　current　for　a　man　of　ability；　on　the　other　hand　many　another　who　has　real　ability　is　taken　for　a　noodle　to　redress　the　balance；　and　the　total　average　of　this　kind　of　false　coin　in　circulation　in　the　state　is　a　pretty　constant　quantity。

Bethink　yourself　now　of　the　part　to　be　played　by　a　clever　woman　quick　to　think　and　feel；　mated　with　a　husband　of　this　kind；　and　can　you　not　see　a　vision　of　lives　full　of　sorrow　and　self…sacrifice？　Nothing　upon　earth　can　repay　such　hearts　so　full　of　love　and　tender　tact。　Put　a　strong…willed　woman　in　this　wretched　situation；　and　she　will　force　a　way　out　of　it　for　herself　by　a　crime；　like　Catherine　II。；　whom　men　nevertheless　style　〃the　Great。〃　But　these　women　are　not　all　seated　upon　thrones；　they　are　for　the　most　part　doomed　to　domestic　unhappiness　none　the　less　terrible　because　obscure。

Those　who　seek　consolation　in　this　present　world　for　their　woes　often　effect　nothing　but　a　change　of　ills　if　they　remain　faithful　to　their　duties；　or　they　commit　a　sin　if　they　break　the　laws　for　their　pleasure。　All　these　reflections　are　applicable　to　Julie's　domestic　life。

Before　the　fall　of　Napoleon　nobody　was　jealous　of　d'Aiglemont。　He　was　one　colonel　among　many；　an　efficient　orderly　staff…officer；　as　good　a　man　as　you　could　find　for　a　dangerous　mission；　as　unfit　as　well　could　be　for　an　important　command。　D'Aiglemont　was　looked　upon　as　a　dashing　soldier　such　as　the　Emperor　liked；　the　kind　of　man　whom　his　mess　usually　calls　〃a　good　fellow。〃　The　Restoration　gave　him　back　his　title　of　Marquis；　and　did　not　find　him　ungrateful；　he　followed　the　Bourbons　into　exile　at　Ghent；　a　piece　of　logical　loyalty　which　falsified　the　horoscope　drawn　for　him　by　his　late　father…in…law；　who　predicted　that　Victor　would　remain　a　colonel　all　his　life。　After　the　Hundred　Days　he　received　the　appointment　of　Lieutenant…General；　and　for　the　second　time　became　a　marquis；　but　it　was　M。　d'Aiglemont's　ambition　to　be　a　peer　of　France。　He　adopted；　therefore；　the　maxims　and　the　politics　of　the　/Conservateur/；　cloaked　himself　in　dissimulation　which　hid　nothing　（there　being　nothing　to　hide）；　cultivated　gravity　of　countenance　and　the　art　of　asking　questions　and　saying　little；　and　was　taken　for　a　man　of　profound　wisdom。　Nothing　drew　him　from　his　intrenchments　behind　the　forms　of　politeness；　he　laid　in　a　provision　of　formulas；　and　made　lavish　use　of　his　stock　of　the　catch…words　coined　at　need　in　Paris　to　give　fools　the　small　change　for　the　ore　of　great　ideas　and　events。　Among　men　of　the　world　he　was　reputed　a　man　of　taste　and　discernment；　and　as　a　bigoted　upholder　of　aristocratic　opinions　he　was　held　up　for　a　noble　character。　If　by　chance　he　slipped　now　and　again　into　his　old　light…heartedness　or　levity；　others　were　ready　to　discover　an　undercurrent　of　diplomatic　intention　beneath　his　inanity　and　silliness。　〃Oh！　he　only　says　exactly　as　much　as　he　means　to　say；〃　thought　these　excellent　people。

So　d'Aiglemont's　defects　and　good　qualities　stood　him　alike　in　good　stead。　He　did　nothing　to　forfeit　a　high　military　reputation　gained　by　his　dashing　courage；　for　he　had　never　been　a　commander…in…chief。　Great　thoughts　surely　were　engraven　upon　that　manly　aristocratic　countenance；　which　imposed　upon　every　one　but　his　own　wife。　And　when　everybody　else　believed　in　the　Marquis　d'Aiglemont's　imaginary　talents；　the　Marquis　persuaded　himself　before　he　had　done　that　he　was　one　of　the　most　remarkable　men　at　Court；　where；　thanks　to　his　purely　external　qualifications；　he　was　in　favor　and　taken　at　his　own　valuation。

At　home；　however；　M。　d'Aiglemont　was　modest。　Instinctively　he　felt　that　his　wife；　young　though　she　was；　was　his　superior；　and　out　of　this　involuntary　respect　there　grew　an　occult　power　which　the　Marquise　was　obliged　to　wield　in　spite　of　all　her　efforts　to　shake　off　the　burden。　She　became　her　husband's　adviser；　the　director　of　his　actions　and　his　fortunes。　It　was　an　unnatural　position；　she　felt　it　as　something　of　a　humiliation；　a　source　of　pain　to　be　buried　in　the　depths　of　her　heart。　From　the　first　her　delicately　feminine　instinct　told　her　that　it　is　a　far　better　thing　to　obey　a　man　of　talent　than　to　lead　a　fool；　and　that　a　young　wife　compelled　to　act　and　think　like　a　man　is　neither　man　nor　woman；　but　a　being　who　lays　aside　all　the　charms　of　her　womanhood　along　wit