beatrix-第13部分

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especially　was　she　shocked　by　the　supremacy　of　military　men；　to　whom
society　made　obeisance　at　that　period。　She　had；　not　unnaturally；
neglected　the　minor　accomplishments。　Finding　herself　inferior　to　the
pretty　dolls　who　played　on　the　piano　and　made　themselves　agreeable　by
singing　ballads；　she　determined　to　be　a　musician。　Retiring　into　her
former　solitude　she　set　to　work　resolvedly；　under　the　direction　of　the
best　master　in　the　town。　She　was　rich；　and　she　sent　for　Steibelt　when
the　time　came　to　perfect　herself。　The　astonished　town　still　talks　of
this　princely　conduct。　The　stay　of　that　master　cost　her　twelve
thousand　francs。　Later；　when　she　went　to　Paris；　she　studied　harmony
and　thorough…bass；　and　composed　the　music　of　two　operas　which　have　had
great　success；　though　the　public　has　never　been　admitted　to　the　secret
of　their　authorship。　Ostensibly　these　operas　are　by　Conti；　one　of　the
most　eminent　musicians　of　our　day；　but　this　circumstance　belongs　to
the　history　of　her　heart；　and　will　be　mentioned　later　on。

The　mediocrity　of　the　society　of　a　provincial　town　wearied　her　so
excessively；　her　imagination　was　so　filled　with　grandiose　ideas　that
although　she　returned　to　the　salons　to　eclipse　other　women　once　more
by　her　beauty；　and　enjoy　her　new　triumph　as　a　musician；　she　again
deserted　them；　and　having　proved　her　power　to　her　cousins；　and　driven
two　lovers　to　despair；　she　returned　to　her　books；　her　piano；　the　works
of　Beethoven；　and　her　old　friend　Faucombe。　In　1812；　when　she　was
twenty…one　years　of　age；　the　old　archaeologist　handed　over　to　her　his
guardianship　accounts。　From　that　year；　she　took　control　of　her
fortune；　which　consisted　of　fifteen　thousand　francs　a　year；　derived
from　Les　Touches；　the　property　of　her　father；　twelve　thousand　a　year
from　Faucombe　（which；　however；　she　increased　one…third　on　renewing　the
leases）；　and　a　capital　of　three　hundred　thousand　francs　laid　by　during
her　minority　by　her　guardians。

Felicite　acquired　from　her　experience　of　provincial　life；　an
understanding　of　money；　and　that　strong　tendency　to　administrative
wisdom　which　enables　the　provinces　to　hold　their　own　under　the
ascensional　movement　of　capital　towards　Paris。　She　drew　her　three
hundred　thousand　francs　from　the　house　of　business　where　her　guardian
had　placed　them；　and　invested　them　on　the　Grand…livre　at　the　very
moment　of　the　disasters　of　the　retreat　from　Moscow。　In　this　way；　she
increased　her　income　by　thirty　thousand　francs。　All　expenses　paid；　she
found　herself　with　fifty　thousand　francs　a　year　to　invest。　At　twenty…
one　years　of　age　a　girl　with　such　force　of　will　is　the　equal　of　a　man
of　thirty。　Her　mind　had　taken　a　wide　range；　habits　of　criticism
enabled　her　to　judge　soberly　of　men；　and　art；　and　things；　and　public
questions。　Henceforth　she　resolved　to　leave　Nantes；　but　old　Faucombe
falling　ill　with　his　last　illness；　she；　who　had　been　both　wife　and
daughter　to　him；　remained　to　nurse　him；　with　the　devotion　of　an　angel；
for　eighteen　months；　closing　his　eyes　at　the　moment　when　Napoleon　was
struggling　with　all　Europe　on　the　corpse　of　France。　Her　removal　to
Paris　was　therefore　still　further　postponed　until　the　close　of　that
crisis。

As　a　Royalist；　she　hastened　to　be　present　at　the　return　of　the
Bourbons　to　Paris。　There　the　Grandlieus；　to　whom　she　was　related；
received　her　as　their　guest；　but　the　catastrophes　of　March　20
intervened；　and　her　future　was　vague　and　uncertain。　She　was　thus
enabled　to　see　with　her　own　eyes　that　last　image　of　the　Empire；　and
behold　the　Grand　Army　when　it　came　to　the　Champ　de　Mars；　as　to　a　Roman
circus；　to　salute　its　Caesar　before　it　went　to　its　death　at　Waterloo。
The　great　and　noble　soul　of　Felicite　was　stirred　by　that　magic
spectacle。　The　political　commotions；　the　glamour　of　that　theatrical
play　of　three　months　which　history　has　called　the　Hundred　Days；
occupied　her　mind　and　preserved　her　from　all　personal　emotions　in　the
midst　of　a　convulsion　which　dispersed　the　royalist　society　among　whom
she　had　intended　to　reside。　The　Grandlieus　followed　the　Bourbons　to
Ghent；　leaving　their　house　to　Mademoiselle　des　Touches。　Felicite；　who
did　not　choose　to　take　a　subordinate　position；　purchased　for　one
hundred　and　thirty　thousand　francs　one　of　the　finest　houses　in　the　rue
Mont　Blanc；　where　she　installed　herself　on　the　return　of　the　Bourbons
in　1815。　The　garden　of　this　house　is　to…day　worth　two　millions。

Accustomed　to　control　her　own　life；　Felicite　soon　familiarized　herself
with　the　ways　of　thought　and　action　which　are　held　to　be　exclusively
the　province　of　man。　In　1816　she　was　twenty…five　years　old。　She　knew
nothing　of　marriage；　her　conception　of　it　was　wholly　that　of　thought；
she　judged　it　in　its　causes　instead　of　its　effect；　and　saw　only　its
objectionable　side。　Her　superior　mind　refused　to　make　the　abdication
by　which　a　married　woman　begins　that　life；　she　keenly　felt　the　value
of　independence；　and　was　conscious　of　disgust　for　the　duties　of
maternity。

It　is　necessary　to　give　these　details　to　explain　the　anomalies
presented　by　the　life　of　Camille　Maupin。　She　had　known　neither　father
nor　mother；　she　had　been　her　own　mistress　from　childhood；　her　guardian
was　an　old　archaeologist。　Chance　had　flung　her　into　the　regions　of
knowledge　and　of　imagination；　into　the　world　of　literature；　instead　of
holding　her　within　the　rigid　circle　defined　by　the　futile　education
given　to　women；　and　by　maternal　instructions　as　to　dress；　hypocritical
propriety；　and　the　hunting　graces　of　their　sex。　Thus；　long　before　she
became　celebrated；　a　glance　might　have　told　an　observer　that　she　had
never　played　with　dolls。

Toward　the　close　of　the　year　1817　Felicite　des　Touches　began　to
perceive；　not　the　fading　of　her　beauty；　but　the　beginning　of　a　certain
lassitude　of　body。　She　saw　that　a　change　would　presently　take　place　in
her　person　as　the　result　of　her　obstinate　celibacy。　She　wanted　to
retain　her　youth　and　beauty；　to　which　at　that　time　she　clung。　Science
warned　her　of　the　sentence　pronounced　by　Nature　upon　all　her
creations；　which　perish　as　much　by　the　misconception　of　her　laws　as　by
the　abuse　of　them。　The　macerated　face　of　her　aunt　returned　to　her
memory　and　made　her　shudder。　Placed　between　marriage　and　love；　her
desire　was　to　keep　her　freedom；　but　she　was　now　no　longer　indifferent
to　homage　and　the　admiration　that　surrounded　her。　She　was；　at　the
moment　when　this　history　begins；　almost　exactly　what　she　was　in　1817。
Eighteen　years　had　passed　over　her　head　and　respected　it。　At　forty　she
might　have　been　thought　no　more　than　twenty…five。

Therefore　to　describe　her　in　1836　is　to　picture　her　as　she　was　in
1817。　Women　who　know　the　conditions　of　temperament　and　happiness　in
which　a　woman　should　live　to　resist　the　ravages　of　time　will
understand　how　and　why　Felicite　des　Touches　enjoyed　this　great
privilege　as　they　study　a　portrait　for　which　were　reserved　the
brightest　tints　of　Nature's　palette；　and　the　richest　setting。

Brittany　presents　a　curious　problem　to　be　solved　in　the　predominance
of　dark　hair；　brown　eyes；　and　swarthy　complexions　in　a　region　so　near
England　that　the　atmospheric　effects　are　almost　identical。　Does　this
problem　belong　to　the　great　question　of　races？　to　hitherto　unobserved
physical　influences？　Science　may　some　day　find　the　reason　of　this
peculiarity；　which　ceases　in　the　adjoining　province　of　Normandy。
Waiting　its　solution；　this　odd　fact　is　there　before　our　eyes；　fair
complexions　are　rare　in　Brittany；　where　the　women's　eyes　are　as　black
and　lively　as　those　of　Southern　women；　but　instead　of　possessing　the
tall　figures　and　swaying　lines　of　Italy　and　Spain；　they　are　usually
short；　close…knit；　well　set…up　and　firm；　except　in　the　higher　classes
which　are　crossed　by　their　alliances。

Mademoiselle　des　Touches；　a　true　Breton；　is　of　medium　height；　though
she　looks　taller　than　she　really　is。　This　effect　is　produced　by　the
character　of　her　face；　which　gives　height　to　her　form。　She　has　that
skin；　olive　by　day　and　dazzling　by　candlelight；　which　distinguishes　a
beautiful　Italian；　you　might；　if　you　pleased；　call　it　animated　ivory。
The　light　glides　along　a　skin　of　that　texture　as　on　a　polished
surface；　it　shines；　a　violent　emotion　is　necessary　to　bring　the
faintest　color　to　the　centre　of　the　cheeks；　where　it　goes　away　almost
immediately。　This　peculiarity　gives　to　her　face　the　calm　impassibility
of　the　savage。　The　face；　more　long　than　oval；　resembles　that　of　some
beautiful　Isis　in　the　Egyptian　bas…reliefs；　it　has　the　purity　of　the
heads　of　sphinxes；　polished　by　the　fire　of　the　desert；　kissed　by　a
Coptic　sun。　The　tones　of　the　skin　are　in　harmony　with　the　faultless
modelling　of　the　head。　The　black　and　abundant　hair　descends　in　heavy
masses　beside　the　throat；　like　the　coif　of　the　statues　at　Memphis；　and
carries　out　magnificently　the　general　severity　of　form。　The　forehead
is　full；　broad；　and　swelling　about　the　temples；　illuminated　by
surfaces　which　catch　the　light；　and　modelled　like　the　brow　of　the
hunting　Diana；　a　powerful　and　determined　brow；　silent　and　self…
contained。　The　arch　of　the　eye…brows；　vigorously　drawn；　surmounts　a
pair　of　eyes　whose　flame　scintillates　at　times　like　that　of　a　fixed
star。　The　white　of　the　eye　is　neither　bluish；　nor　strewn　with　scarlet
threads；　nor　is　it　purely　white；　it　has　the　texture　of　horn；　but　the
tone　is　warm。　The　pupil　is　surrounded　by　an　orange　circle；　it　is　of
bronze　set　in　gold；　but　vivid　gold　and　animated　bronze。　This　pupil
has　depth；　it　is　not　underlaid；　as　in　certain　eyes；　by　a　species　of
foil；　which　sends　back　the　light　and　makes　such　eyes　resemble　those　of
cats　or　tigers；　it　has　not　that　terrible　inflexibility　which　makes　a
sensitive　person　shudder；　but　this　depth　has　in　it　something　of　the
infinite；　just　as　the　external　radiance　of　the　eyes　suggests　the
absolute。　The　glance　of　an　observer　may　be　lost　in　that　soul；　which
gathers　itself　up　and　retires　with　as　much　rapidity　as　it　gushed　for　a
second　into　those　velvet　eyes。　In　moments　of　passion　the　eyes　of
Camille　Maupin　are　sublime；　the　gold　of　her　glance　illuminates　them
and　they　flame。　But　in　repose　they　are　dull；　the　torpor　of　meditation
often　lends　them　an　appearance　of　stupidity＇*＇；　in　like　manner；　when
the　glow　of　the　soul　is　absent　th