beatrix-第11部分

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trousers　of　gray　jean；　and　a　becoming　pair　of　gaiters。　His　white　brow
bore　the　signs　of　great　fatigue；　caused；　to　an　observer's　eye；　by　the
weight　of　painful　thoughts；　but　his　mother；　incapable　of　supposing
that　troubles　could　wring　his　heart；　attributed　his　evident　weariness
to　passing　excitement。　Calyste　was　as　handsome　as　a　Greek　god；　and
handsome　without　conceit；　in　the　first　place；　he　had　his　mother's
beauty　constantly　before　him；　and　next；　he　cared　very　little　for
personal　advantages　which　he　found　useless。

〃Those　beautiful　pure　cheeks；〃　thought　his　mother；　〃where　the　rich
young　blood　is　flowing；　belong　to　another　woman！　she　is　the　mistress
of　that　innocent　brow！　Ah！　passion　will　lead　to　many　evils；　it　will
tarnish　the　look　of　those　eyes；　moist　as　the　eyes　of　an　infant！〃

This　bitter　thought　wrung　Fanny's　heart　and　destroyed　her　pleasure。

It　may　seem　strange　to　those　who　calculate　expenses　that　in　a　family
of　six　persons　compelled　to　live　on　three　thousand　francs　a　year　the
son　should　have　a　coat　and　the　mother　a　gown　of　velvet；　but　Fanny
O'Brien　had　aunts　and　rich　relations　in　London　who　recalled　themselves
to　her　remembrance　by　many　presents。　Several　of　her　sisters；　married
to　great　wealth；　took　enough　interest　in　Calyste　to　wish　to　find　him
an　heiress；　knowing　that　he；　like　Fanny　their　exiled　favorite；　was
noble　and　handsome。

〃You　stayed　at　Les　Touches　longer　than　you　did　last　night；　my　dear
one；〃　said　the　mother　at　last；　in　an　agitated　tone。

〃Yes；　dear　mother；〃　he　answered；　offering　no　explanation。

The　curtness　of　this　answer　brought　clouds　to　his　mother's　brow；　and
she　resolved　to　postpone　the　explanation　till　the　morrow。　When　mothers
admit　the　anxieties　which　were　now　torturing　the　baroness；　they
tremble　before　their　sons；　they　feel　instinctively　the　effect　of　the
great　emancipation　that　comes　with　love；　they　perceive　what　that
sentiment　is　about　to　take　from　them；　but　they　have；　at　the　same　time；
a　sense　of　joy　in　knowing　that　their　sons　are　happy；　conflicting
feelings　battle　in　their　hearts。　Though　the　result　may　be　the
development　of　their　sons　into　superior　men；　true　mothers　do　not　like
this　forced　abdication；　they　would　rather　keep　their　children　small
and　still　requiring　protection。　Perhaps　that　is　the　secret　of　their
predilection　for　feeble；　deformed；　or　weak…minded　offspring。

〃You　are　tired；　dear　child；　go　to　bed；〃　she　said；　repressing　her
tears。

A　mother　who　does　not　know　all　that　her　son　is　doing　thinks　the　worst；
that　is；　if　a　mother　loves　as　much　and　is　as　much　beloved　as　Fanny。
But　perhaps　all　other　mothers　would　have　trembled　now　as　she　did。　The
patient　care　of　twenty　years　might　be　rendered　worthless。　This　human
masterpiece　of　virtuous　and　noble　and　religious　education；　Calyste；
might　be　destroyed；　the　happiness　of　his　life；　so　long　and　carefully
prepared　for；　might　be　forever　ruined　by　this　woman。

The　next　day　Calyste　slept　till　mid…day；　for　his　mother　would　not　have
him　wakened。　Mariotte　served　the　spoiled　child's　breakfast　in　his　bed。
The　inflexible　and　semi…conventual　rules　which　regulated　the　hours　for
meals　yielded　to　the　caprices　of　the　chevalier。　If　it　became　desirable
to　extract　from　Mademoiselle　du　Guenic　her　array　of　keys　in　order　to
obtain　some　necessary　article　of　food　outside　of　the　meal　hours；　there
was　no　other　means　of　doing　it　than　to　make　the　pretext　of　its　serving
some　fancy　of　Calyste。

About　one　o'clock　the　baron；　his　wife；　and　Mademoiselle　were　seated　in
the　salon；　for　they　dined　at　three　o'clock。　The　baroness　was　again
reading　the　〃Quotidienne〃　to　her　husband；　who　was　always　more　awake
before　the　dinner　hour。　As　she　finished　a　paragraph　she　heard　the
steps　of　her　son　on　the　upper　floor；　and　she　dropped　the　paper；
saying：

〃Calyste　must　be　going　to　dine　again　at　Les　Touches；　he　has　dressed
himself。〃

〃He　amuses　himself；　the　dear　boy；〃　said　the　old　sister；　taking　a
silver　whistle　from　her　pocket　and　whistling　once。

Mariotte　came　through　the　tower　and　appeared　at　the　door　of
communication　which　was　hidden　by　a　silken　curtain　like　the　other
doors　of　the　room。

〃What　is　it？〃　she　said；　〃anything　wanted？〃

〃The　chevalier　dines　at　Les　Touches；　don't　cook　the　fish。〃

〃But　we　are　not　sure　as　yet；〃　said　the　baroness。

〃You　seem　annoyed；　sister；　I　know　it　by　the　tone　of　your　voice。〃

〃Monsieur　Grimont　has　heard　some　very　grave　charges　against
Mademoiselle　des　Touches；　who　for　the　last　year　has　so　changed　our
dear　Calyste。〃

〃Changed　him；　how？〃　asked　the　baron。

〃He　reads　all　sorts　of　books。〃

〃Ah！　ah！〃　exclaimed　the　baron；　〃so　that's　why　he　has　given　up　hunting
and　riding。〃

〃Her　morals　are　very　reprehensible；　and　she　has　taken　a　man's　name；〃
added　Madame　du　Guenic。

〃A　war　name；　I　suppose；〃　said　the　old　man。　〃I　was　called　'l'Intime；'
the　Comte　de　Fontaine　'Grand…Jacques；'　the　Marquis　de　Montauran　the
'Gars。'　I　was　the　friend　of　Ferdinand；　who　never　submitted；　any　more
than　I　did。　Ah！　those　were　the　good　times；　people　shot　each　other；　but
what　of　that？　we　amused　ourselves　all　the　same；　here　and　there。〃

This　war　memory；　pushing　aside　paternal　anxiety；　saddened　Fanny　for　a
moment。　The　rector's　revelations；　the　want　of　confidence　shown　to　her
by　Calyste；　had　kept　her　from　sleeping。

〃Suppose　Monsieur　le　chevalier　does　love　Mademoiselle　des　Touches；
where's　the　harm？〃　said　Mariotte。　〃She　has　thirty　thousand　francs　a
year　and　she　is　very　handsome。〃

〃What　is　that　you　say；　Mariotte？〃　exclaimed　the　old　baron。　〃A　Guenic
marry　a　des　Touches！　The　des　Touches　were　not　even　grooms　in　the　days
when　du　Guesclin　considered　our　alliance　a　signal　honor。〃

〃A　woman　who　takes　a　man's　name；Camille　Maupin！〃　said　the　baroness。

〃The　Maupins　are　an　old　family；〃　said　the　baron；　〃they　bear：　gules；
three〃　He　stopped。　〃But　she　cannot　be　a　Maupin　and　a　des　Touches
both；〃　he　added。

〃She　is　called　Maupin　on　the　stage。〃

〃A　des　Touches　could　hardly　be　an　actress；〃　said　the　old　man。　〃Really；
Fanny；　if　I　did　not　know　you；　I　should　think　you　were　out　of　your
head。〃

〃She　writes　plays；　and　books；〃　continued　the　baroness。

〃Books？〃　said　the　baron；　looking　at　his　wife　with　an　air　of　as　much
surprise　as　though　she　were　telling　of　a　miracle。　〃I　have　heard　that
Mademoiselle　Scudery　and　Madame　de　Sevigne　wrote　books；　but　it　was　not
the　best　thing　they　did。〃

〃Are　you　going　to　dine　at　Les　Touches；　monsieur？〃　said　Mariotte；　when
Calyste　entered。

〃Probably；〃　replied　the　young　man。

Mariotte　was　not　inquisitive；　she　was　part　of　the　family；　and　she　left
the　room　without　waiting　to　hear　what　the　baroness　would　say　to　her
son。

〃Are　you　going　again　to　Les　Touches；　my　Calyste？〃　The　baroness
emphasized　the　/my/。　〃Les　Touches　is　not　a　respectable　or　decent
house。　Its　mistress　leads　an　irregular　life；　she　will　corrupt　our
Calyste。　Already　Camille　Maupin　has　made　him　read　many　books；　he　has
had　adventuresYou　knew　all　that；　my　naughty　child；　and　you　never
said　one　word　to　your　best　friends！〃

〃The　chevalier　is　discreet；〃　said　his　father；〃a　virtue　of　the　olden
time。〃

〃Too　discreet；〃　said　the　jealous　mother；　observing　the　red　flush　on
her　son's　forehead。

〃My　dear　mother；〃　said　Calyste；　kneeling　down　beside　the　baroness；　〃I
didn't　think　it　necessary　to　publish　my　defeat。　Mademoiselle　des
Touches；　or；　if　you　choose　to　call　her　so；　Camille　Maupin；　rejected　my
love　more　than　eighteen　months　ago；　during　her　last　stay　at　Les
Touches。　She　laughed　at　me；　gently；　saying　she　might　very　well　be　my
mother；　that　a　woman　of　forty　committed　a　sort　of　crime　against　nature
in　loving　a　minor；　and　that　she　herself　was　incapable　of　such
depravity。　She　made　a　thousand　little　jokes；　which　hurt　mefor　she　is
witty　as　an　angel；　but　when　she　saw　me　weep　hot　tears　she　tried　to
comfort　me；　and　offered　me　her　friendship　in　the　noblest　manner。　She
has　more　heart　than　even　talent；　she　is　as　generous　as　you　are
yourself。　I　am　now　her　child。　On　her　return　here　lately；　hearing　from
her　that　she　loves　another；　I　have　resigned　myself。　Do　not　repeat　the
calumnies　that　have　been　said　of　her。　Camille　is　an　artist；　she　has
genius；　she　leads　one　of　those　exceptional　existences　which　cannot　be
judged　like　ordinary　lives。〃

〃My　child；〃　said　the　religious　Fanny；　〃nothing　can　excuse　a　woman　for
not　conducting　herself　as　the　Church　requires。　She　fails　in　her　duty
to　God　and　to　society　by　abjuring　the　gentle　tenets　of　her　sex。　A
woman　commits　a　sin　in　even　going　to　a　theatre；　but　to　write　the
impieties　that　actors　repeat；　to　roam　about　the　world；　first　with　an
enemy　to　the　Pope；　and　then　with　a　musician；　ah！　Calyste；　you　can
never　persuade　me　that　such　acts　are　deeds　of　faith；　hope；　or　charity。
Her　fortune　was　given　her　by　God　to　do　good；　and　what　good　does　she　do
with　hers？〃

Calyste　sprang　up　suddenly；　and　looked　at　his　mother。

〃Mother；〃　he　said；　〃Camille　is　my　friend；　I　cannot　hear　her　spoken　of
in　this　way；　I　would　give　my　very　life　for　her。〃

〃Your　life！〃　said　the　baroness；　looking　at　her　son；　with　startled
eyes。　〃Your　life　is　our　life；　the　life　of　all　of　us。〃

〃My　nephew　has　just　said　many　things　I　do　not　understand；〃　said　the
old　woman；　turning　toward　him。

〃Where　did　he　learn　them？〃　said　the　mother；　〃at　Les　Touches。〃

〃Yes；　my　darling　mother；　she　found　me　ignorant　as　a　carp；　and　she　has
taught　me。〃

〃You　knew　the　essential　things　when　you　learned　the　duties　taught　us
by　religion；〃　replied　the　baroness。　〃Ah！　this　woman　is　fated　to
destroy　your　noble　and　sacred　beliefs。〃

The　old　maid　rose；　and　solemnly　stretched　forth　her　hands　toward　her
brother；　who　was　dozing　in　his　chair。

〃Calyste；〃　she　said；　in　a　voice　that　came　from　her　heart；　〃your　father
has　never　opened　books；　he　speaks　Breton；　he　fought　for　God　and　for
the　king。　Educated　people　did　the　evil；　educated　noblemen　deserted
their　land；be　educated　if　you　choose！〃

So　saying；　she　sat　down　and　began　to　knit　with　a　rapidity　which
betrayed　her　inward　emotion。

〃My　angel；〃　said　the　mother；　weeping；　〃I　foresee　some　evil　coming　down
upon　you　in　that　house。〃

〃Who　is　making　Fanny　weep？〃　cried　the　old　man；　waking　with　a　start　at
the　sound　of　his　wife's　voice。　He　looked　round　upon　his　sister；　his
son；　and　the　baroness。