a daughter of eve-第6部分

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simply　harassed　their　readers　when　attempting　to　picture　paradise。

Dante's　reef　was　that　of　Vandenesse；　all　honor　to　such　courage！



Felix's　wife　began　to　find　monotony　in　an　Eden　so　well　arranged；　the

perfect　happiness　which　the　first　woman　found　in　her　terrestrial

paradise　gave　her　at　length　a　sort　of　nausea　of　sweet　things；　and　made

the　countess　wish；　like　Rivarol　reading　Florian；　for　a　wolf　in　the

fold。　Such；　judging　by　the　history　of　ages；　appears　to　be　the　meaning

of　that　emblematic　serpent　to　which　Eve　listened；　in　all　probability；

out　of　ennui。　This　deduction　may　seem　a　little　venturesome　to

Protestants；　who　take　the　book　of　Genesis　more　seriously　than　the　Jews

themselves。



The　situation　of　Madame　de　Vandenesse　can；　however；　be　explained

without　recourse　to　Biblical　images。　She　felt　in　her　soul　an　enormous

power　that　was　unemployed。　Her　happiness　gave　her　no　suffering；　it

rolled　along　without　care　or　uneasiness；　she　was　not　afraid　of　losing

it；　each　morning　it　shone　upon　her；　with　the　same　blue　sky；　the　same

smile；　the　same　sweet　words。　That　clear；　still　lake　was　unruffled　by

any　breeze；　even　a　zephyr；　she　would　fain　have　seen　a　ripple　on　its

glassy　surface。　Her　desire　had　something　so　infantine　about　it　that　it

ought　to　be　excused；　but　society　is　not　more　indulgent　than　the　God　of

Genesis。　Madame　de　Vandenesse；　having　now　become　intelligently　clever；

was　aware　that　such　sentiments　were　not　permissible；　and　she　refrained

from　confiding　them　to　her　〃dear　little　husband。〃　Her　genuine

simplicity　had　not　invented　any　other　name　for　him；　for　one　can't　call

up　in　cold　blood　that　delightfully　exaggerated　language　which　love

imparts　to　its　victims　in　the　midst　of　flames。



Vandenesse；　glad　of　this　adorable　reserve；　kept　his　wife；　by

deliberate　calculations；　in　the　temperate　regions　of　conjugal

affection。　He　never　condescended　to　seek　a　reward　or　even　an

acknowledgment　of　the　infinite　pains　which　he　gave　himself；　his　wife

thought　his　luxury　and　good　taste　her　natural　right；　and　she　felt　no

gratitude　for　the　fact　that　her　pride　and　self…love　had　never

suffered。　It　was　thus　in　everything。　Kindness　has　its　mishaps；　often

it　is　attributed　to　temperament；　people　are　seldom　willing　to

recognize　it　as　the　secret　effort　of　a　noble　soul。



About　this　period　of　her　life；　Madame　Felix　de　Vandenesse　had　attained

to　a　degree　of　worldly　knowledge　which　enabled　her　to　quit　the

insignificant　role　of　a　timid；　listening；　and　observing　supernumerary；

a　part　played；　they　say；　for　some　time；　by　Giulia　Grisi　in　the

chorus　at　La　Scala。　The　young　countess　now　felt　herself　capable　of

attempting　the　part　of　prima…donna；　and　she　did　so　on　several

occasions。　To　the　great　satisfaction　of　her　husband；　she　began　to

mingle　in　conversations。　Intelligent　ideas　and　delicate　observations

put　into　her　mind　by　her　intercourse　with　her　husband；　made　her

remarked　upon；　and　success　emboldened　her。　Vandenesse；　to　whom　the

world　admitted　that　his　wife　was　beautiful；　was　delighted　when　the

same　assurance　was　given　that　she　was　clever　and　witty。　On　their

return　from　a　ball；　concert；　or　rout　where　Marie　had　shone

brilliantly；　she　would　turn　to　her　husband；　as　she　took　off　her

ornaments；　and　say；　with　a　joyous；　self…assured　air；



〃Were　you　pleased　with　me　this　evening？〃



The　countess　excited　jealousies；　among　others　that　of　her　husband's

sister；　Madame　de　Listomere；　who　until　now　had　patronized　her；

thinking　that　she　protected　a　foil　to　her　own　merits。　A　countess；

beautiful；　witty　and　virtuous！what　a　prey　for　the　tongues　of　the

world！　Felix　had　broken　with　too　many　women；　and　too　many　women　had

broken　with　him；　to　leave　them　indifferent　to　his　marriage。　When　these

women　beheld　in　Madame　de　Vandenesse　a　small　woman　with　red　hands；　and

rather　awkward　manner；　saying　little；　and　apparently　not　thinking

much；　they　thought　themselves　sufficiently　avenged。　The　disasters　of

July；　1830；　supervened；　society　was　dissolved　for　two　years；　the　rich

evaded　the　turmoil　and　left　Paris　either　for　foreign　travel　or　for

their　estates　in　the　country；　and　none　of　the　salons　reopened　until

1833。　When　that　time　came；　the　faubourg　Saint…Germain　still　sulked；

but　it　held　intercourse　with　a　few　houses；　regarding　them　as　neutral

ground；among　others　that　of　the　Austrian　ambassador；　where　the

legitimist　society　and　the　new　social　world　met　together　in　the

persons　of　their　best　representatives。



Attached　by　many　ties　of　the　heart　and　by　gratitude　to　the　exiled

family；　and　strong　in　his　personal　convictions；　Vandenesse　did　not

consider　himself　obliged　to　imitate　the　silly　behavior　of　his　party。

In　times　of　danger；　he　had　done　his　duty　at　the　risk　of　his　life；　his

fidelity　had　never　been　compromised；　and　he　determined　to　take　his

wife　into　general　society　without　fear　of　its　becoming　so。　His　former

mistresses　could　scarcely　recognize　the　bride　they　had　thought　so

childish　in　the　elegant；　witty；　and　gentle　countess；　who　now　appeared

in　society　with　the　exquisite　manners　of　the　highest　female

aristocracy。　Mesdames　d'Espard；　de　Manerville；　and　Lady　Dudley；　with

others　less　known；　felt　the　serpent　waking　up　in　the　depths　of　their

hearts；　they　heard　the　low　hissings　of　angry　pride；　they　were　jealous

of　Felix's　happiness；　and　would　gladly　have　given　their　prettiest

jewel　to　do　him　some　harm；　but　instead　of　being　hostile　to　the

countess；　these　kind；　ill…natured　women　surrounded　her；　showed　her　the

utmost　friendship；　and　praised　her　to　me。　Sufficiently　aware　of　their

intentions；　Felix　watched　their　relations　with　Marie；　and　warned　her

to　distrust　them。　They　all　suspected　the　uneasiness　of　the　count　at

their　intimacy　with　his　wife；　and　they　redoubled　their　attentions　and

flatteries；　so　that　they　gave　her　an　enormous　vogue　in　society；　to　the

great　displeasure　of　her　sister…in…law；　the　Marquise　de　Listomere；　who

could　not　understand　it。　The　Comtesse　Felix　de　Vandenesse　was　cited　as

the　most　charming　and　the　cleverest　woman　in　Paris。　Marie's　other

sister…in…law；　the　Marquise　Charles　de　Vandenesse；　was　consumed　with

vexation　at　the　confusion　of　names　and　the　comparisons　it　sometimes

brought　about。　Though　the　marquise　was　a　handsome　and　clever　woman；

her　rivals　took　delight　in　comparing　her　with　her　sister…in…law；　with

all　the　more　point　because　the　countess　was　a　dozen　years　younger。

These　women　knew　very　well　what　bitterness　Marie's　social　vogue　would

bring　into　her　intercourse　with　both　of　her　sisters…in…law；　who；　in

fact；　became　cold　and　disobliging　in　proportion　to　her　triumph　in

society。　She　was　thus　surrounded　by　dangerous　relations　and　intimate

enemies。



Every　one　knows　that　French　literature　at　that　particular　period　was

endeavoring　to　defend　itself　against　an　apathetic　indifference　（the

result　of　the　political　drama）　by　producing　works　more　or　less

Byronian；　in　which　the　only　topics　really　discussed　were　conjugal

delinquencies。　Infringements　of　the　marriage　tie　formed　the　staple　of

reviews；　books；　and　dramas。　This　eternal　subject　grew　more　and　more

the　fashion。　The　lover；　that　nightmare　of　husbands；　was　everywhere；

except　perhaps　in　homes；　where；　in　point　of　fact；　under　the　bourgeois

regime；　he　was　less　seen　than　formerly。　It　is　not　when　every　one

rushes　to　their　window　and　cries　〃Thief！〃　and　lights　the　streets；　that

robbers　abound。　It　is　true　that　during　those　years　so　fruitful　of

turmoilurban；　political；　and　morala　few　matrimonial　catastrophes

took　place；　but　these　were　exceptional；　and　less　observed　than　they

would　have　been　under　the　Restoration。　Nevertheless；　women　talked　a

great　deal　together　about　books　and　the　stage；　then　the　two　chief

forms　of　poesy。　The　lover　thus　became　one　of　their　leading　topics；a

being　rare　in　point　of　act　and　much　desired。　The　few　affairs　which

were　known　gave　rise　to　discussions；　and　these　discussions　were；　as

usually　happens；　carried　on　by　immaculate　women。



A　fact　worthy　of　remark　is　the　aversion　shown　to　such　conversations　by

women　who　are　enjoying　some　illicit　happiness；　they　maintain　before

the　eyes　of　the　world　a　reserved；　prudish；　and　even　timid　countenance；

they　seem　to　ask　silence　on　the　subject；　or　some　condonation　of　their

pleasure　from　society。　When；　on　the　contrary；　a　woman　talks　freely　of

such　catastrophes；　and　seems　to　take　pleasure　in　doing　so；　allowing

herself　to　explain　the　emotions　that　justify　the　guilty　parties；　we

may　be　sure　that　she　herself　is　at　the　crossways　of　indecision；　and

does　not　know　what　road　she　might　take。



During　this　winter；　the　Comtesse　de　Vandenesse　heard　the　great　voice

of　the　social　world　roaring　in　her　ears；　and　the　wind　of　its　stormy

gusts　blew　round　her。　Her　pretended　friends；　who　maintained　their

reputations　at　the　height　of　their　rank　and　their　positions；　often

produced　in　her　presence　the　seductive　idea　of　the　lover；　they　cast

into　her　soul　certain　ardent　talk　of　love；　the　〃mot　d'enigme〃　which

life　propounds　to　woman；　the　grand　passion；　as　Madame　de　Stael　called

it；preaching　by　example。　When　the　countess　asked　naively；　in　a　small

and　select　circle　of　these　friends；　what　difference　there　was　between

a　lover　and　a　husband；　all　those　who　wished　evil　to　Felix　took　care　to

reply　in　a　way　to　pique　her　curiosity；　or　fire　her　imagination；　or

touch　her　heart；　or　interest　her　mind。



〃Oh！　my　dear；　we　vegetate　with　a　husband；　but　we　live　with　a　lover；〃

said　her　sister…in…law；　the　marquise。



〃Marriage；　my　dear；　is　our　purgatory；　love　is　paradise；〃　said　Lady

Dudley。



〃Don't　believe　her；〃　cried　Mademoiselle　des　Touches；　〃it　is　hell。〃



〃But　a　hell　we　like；〃　remarked　Madame　de　Rochefide。　〃There　is　often

more　pleasure　in　suffering　than　in　happiness；　look　at　the　martyrs！〃



〃With　a　husband；　my　dear　innocent；　we　live；　as　it　were；　in　our　own

life；　but　to　love；　is　to　live　in　the　life　of　another；〃　said　the

Marquise　d'Espard。



〃A　lover　is　forbidden　fruit；　and　that　to　me；　says　all！