beatrix-第15部分

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regarded　as　the　master　and　maker　of　〃Camille　Maupin。〃　He　bought　into
order　and　shape　the　vast　amount　of　knowledge　already　acquired　by
Felicite；　increased　it　by　study　of　the　masterpieces　with　which　Italy
teems；　gave　her　the　frankness；　freedom；　and　grace；　epigrammatic；　and
intense；　which　is　the　character　of　his　own　talent　（always　rather
fanciful　as　to　form）　which　Camille　Maupin　modified　by　delicacy　of
sentiment　and　the　softer　terms　of　thought　that　are　natural　to　a　woman。
He　also　roused　in　her　a　taste　for　German　and　English　literature　and
made　her　learn　both　languages　while　travelling。　In　Rome；　in　1820；
Felicite　was　deserted　for　an　Italian。　Without　that　misery　she　might
never　have　been　celebrated。　Napoleon　called　misfortune　the　midwife　of
genius。　This　event　filled　Mademoiselle　des　Touches；　and　forever；　with
that　contempt　for　men　which　later　was　to　make　her　so　strong。　Felicite
died；　Camille　Maupin　was　born。

She　returned　to　Paris　with　Conti；　the　great　musician；　for　whom　she
wrote　the　librettos　of　two　operas。　But　she　had　no　more　illusions；　and
she　became；　at　heart；　unknown　to　the　world；　a　sort　of　female　Don　Juan；
without　debts　and　without　conquests。　Encouraged　by　success；　she
published　the　two　volumes　of　plays　which　at　once　placed　the　name　of
Camille　Maupin　in　the　list　of　illustrious　anonymas。　Next；　she　related
her　betrayed　and　deluded　love　in　a　short　novel；　one　of　the
masterpieces　of　that　period。　This　book；　of　a　dangerous　example；　was
classed　with　〃Adolphe；〃　a　dreadful　lamentation；　the　counterpart　of
which　is　found　in　Camille's　work。　The　true　secret　of　her　literary
metamorphosis　and　pseudonym　has　never　been　fully　understood。　Some
delicate　minds　have　thought　it　lay　in　a　feminine　desire　to　escape　fame
and　remain　obscure；　while　offering　a　man's　name　and　work　to　criticism。

In　spite　of　any　such　desire；　if　she　had　it；　her　celebrity　increased
daily；　partly　through　the　influence　of　her　salon；　partly　from　her　own
wit；　the　correctness　of　her　judgments；　and　the　solid　worth　of　her
acquirements。　She　became　an　authority；　her　sayings　were　quoted；　she
could　no　longer　lay　aside　at　will　the　functions　with　which　Parisian
society　invested　her。　She　came　to　be　an　acknowledged　exception。　The
world　bowed　before　the　genius　and　position　of　this　strange　woman；　it
recognized　and　sanctioned　her　independence；　women　admired　her　mind；
men　her　beauty。　Her　conduct　was　regulated　by　all　social　conventions。
Her　friendships　seemed　purely　platonic。　There　was；　moreover；　nothing
of　the　female　author　about　her。　Mademoiselle　des　Touches　is　charming
as　a　woman　of　the　world；languid　when　she　pleases；　indolent；
coquettish；　concerned　about　her　toilet；　pleased　with　the　airy　nothings
so　seductive　to　women　and　to　poets。　She　understands　very　well　that
after　Madame　de　Stael　there　is　no　place　in　this　century　for　a　Sappho；
and　that　Ninon　could　not　exist　in　Paris　without　/grands　seigneurs/　and
a　voluptuous　court。　She　is　the　Ninon　of　the　intellect；　she　adores　Art
and　artists；　she　goes　from　the　poet　to　the　musician；　from　the　sculptor
to　the　prose…writer。　Her　heart　is　noble；　endowed　with　a　generosity
that　makes　her　a　dupe；　so　filled　is　she　with　pity　for　sorrow；filled
also　with　contempt　for　the　prosperous。　She　has　lived　since　1830；　the
centre　of　a　choice　circle；　surrounded　by　tried　friends　who　love　her
tenderly　and　esteem　each　other。　Far　from　the　noisy　fuss　of　Madame　de
Stael；　far　from　political　strifes；　she　jokes　about　Camille　Maupin；
that　junior　of　George　Sand　（whom　she　calls　her　brother　Cain）；　whose
recent　fame　has　now　eclipsed　her　own。　Mademoiselle　des　Touches　admires
her　fortunate　rival　with　angelic　composure；　feeling　no　jealousy　and　no
secret　vexation。

Until　the　period　when　this　history　begins；　she　had　led　as　happy　a　life
as　a　woman　strong　enough　to　protect　herself　can　be　supposed　to　live。
From　1817　to　1834　she　had　come　some　five　or　six　times　to　Les　Touches。
Her　first　stay　was　after　her　first　disillusion　in　1818。　The　house　was
uninhabitable；　and　she　sent　her　man　of　business　to　Guerande　and　took　a
lodging　for　herself　in　the　village。　At　that　time　she　had　no　suspicion
of　her　coming　fame；　she　was　sad；　she　saw　no　one；　she　wanted；　as　it
were；　to　contemplate　herself　after　her　great　disaster。　She　wrote　to
Paris　to　have　the　furniture　necessary　for　a　residence　at　Les　Touches
sent　down　to　her。　It　came　by　a　vessel　to　Nantes；　thence　by　small　boats
to　Croisic；　from　which　little　place　it　was　transported；　not　without
difficulty；　over　the　sands　to　Les　Touches。　Workmen　came　down　from
Paris；　and　before　long　she　occupied　Les　Touches；　which　pleased　her
immensely。　She　wanted　to　meditate　over　the　events　of　her　life；　like　a
cloistered　nun。

At　the　beginning　of　the　winter　she　returned　to　Paris。　The　little　town
of　Guerande　was　by　this　time　roused　to　diabolical　curiosity；　its　whole
talk　was　of　the　Asiatic　luxury　displayed　at　Les　Touches。　Her　man　of
business　gave　orders　after　her　departure　that　visitors　should　be
admitted　to　view　the　house。　They　flocked　from　the　village　of　Batz；
from　Croisic；　and　from　Savenay；　as　well　as　from　Guerande。　This　public
curiosity　brought　in　an　enormous　sum　to　the　family　of　the　porter　and
gardener；　not　less；　in　two　years；　than　seventeen　francs。

After　this；　Mademoiselle　des　Touches　did　not　revisit　Les　Touches　for
two　years；　not　until　her　return　from　Italy。　On　that　occasion　she　came
by　way　of　Croisic　and　was　accompanied　by　Conti。　It　was　some　time
before　Guerande　became　aware　of　her　presence。　Her　subsequent
apparitions　at　Les　Touches　excited　comparatively　little　interest。　Her
Parisian　fame　did　not　precede　her；　her　man　of　business　alone　knew　the
secret　of　her　writings　and　of　her　connection　with　the　celebrity　of
Camille　Maupin。　But　at　the　period　of　which　we　are　now　writing　the
contagion　of　the　new　ideas　had　made　some　progress　in　Guerande；　and
several　persons　knew　of　the　dual　form　of　Mademoiselle　des　Touches'
existence。　Letters　came　to　the　post…office；　directed　to　Camille　Maupin
at　Les　Touches。　In　short；　the　veil　was　rent　away。　In　a　region　so
essentially　Catholic；　archaic；　and　full　of　prejudice；　the　singular
life　of　this　illustrious　woman　would　of　course　cause　rumors；　some　of
which；　as　we　have　seen；　had　reached　the　ears　of　the　Abbe　Grimont　and
alarmed　him；　such　a　life　could　never　be　comprehended　in　Guerande；　in
fact；　to　every　mind；　it　seemed　unnatural　and　improper。

Felicite；　during　her　present　stay；　was　not　alone　in　Les　Touches。　She
had　a　guest。　That　guest　was　Claude　Vignon；　a　scornful　and　powerful
writer　who；　though　doing　criticism　only；　has　found　means　to　give　the
public　and　literature　the　impression　of　a　certain　superiority。
Mademoiselle　des　Touches　had　received　this　writer　for　the　last　seven
years；　as　she　had　so　many　other　authors；　journalists；　artists；　and　men
of　the　world。　She　knew　his　nerveless　nature；　his　laziness；　his　utter
penury；　his　indifference　and　disgust　for　all　things；　and　yet　by　the
way　she　was　now　conducting　herself　she　seemed　inclined　to　marry　him。
She　explained　her　conduct；　incomprehensible　to　her　friends；　in　various
ways；by　ambition；　by　the　dread　she　felt　of　a　lonely　old　age；　she
wanted　to　confide　her　future　to　a　superior　man；　to　whom　her　fortune
would　be　a　stepping…stone；　and　thus　increase　her　own　importance　in　the
literary　world。

With　these　apparent　intentions　she　had　brought　Claude　Vignon　from
Paris　to　Les　Touches；　as　an　eagle　bears　away　a　kid　in　its　talons；to
study　him；　and　decide　upon　some　positive　course。　But；　in　truth；　she
was　misleading　both　Calyste　and　Claude；　she　was　not　even　thinking　of
marriage；　her　heart　was　in　the　throes　of　the　most　violent　convulsion
that　could　agitate　a　soul　as　strong　as　hers。　She　found　herself　the
dupe　of　her　own　mind；　too　late　she　saw　life　lighted　by　the　sun　of
love；　shining　as　love　shines　in　a　heart　of　twenty。

Let　us　now　see　Camille's　convent　where　this　was　happening。



VII

LES　TOUCHES

A　few　hundred　yards　from　Guerande　the　soil　of　Brittany　comes　to　an
end；　the　salt…marshes　and　the　sandy　dunes　begin。　We　descend　into　a
desert　of　sand；　which　the　sea　has　left　for　a　margin　between　herself
and　earth；　by　a　rugged　road　through　a　ravine　that　has　never　seen　a
carriage。　This　desert　contains　waste　tracts；　ponds　of　unequal　size；
round　the　shores　of　which　the　salt　is　made　on　muddy　banks；　and　a
little　arm　of　the　sea　which　separates　the　mainland　from　the　island　of
Croisic。　Geographically；　Croisic　is　really　a　peninsula；　but　as　it
holds　to　Brittany　only　by　the　beaches　which　connect　it　with　the
village　of　Batz　（barren　quicksands　very　difficult　to　cross）；　it　may　be
more　correct　to　call　it　an　island。

At　the　point　where　the　road　from　Croisic　to　Guerande　turns　off　from
the　main　road　of　/terra　firma/；　stands　a　country…house；　surrounded　by
a　large　garden；　remarkable　for　its　trimmed　and　twisted　pine…trees；
some　being　trained　to　the　shape　of　sun…shades；　others；　stripped　of
their　branches；　showing　their　reddened　trunks　in　spots　where　the　bark
has　peeled。　These　trees；　victims　of　hurricanes；　growing　against　wind
and　tide　（for　them　the　saying　is　literally　true）；　prepare　the　mind　for
the　strange　and　depressing　sight　of　the　marshes　and　dunes；　which
resemble　a　stiffened　ocean。　The　house；　fairly　well　built　of　a　species
of　slaty　stone　with　granite　courses；　has　no　architecture；　it　presents
to　the　eye　a　plain　wall　with　windows　at　regular　intervals。　These
windows　have　small　leaded　panes　on　the　ground…floor　and　large　panes　on
the　upper　floor。　Above　are　the　attics；　which　stretch　the　whole　length
of　an　enormously　high　pointed　roof；　with　two　gables　and　two　large
dormer　windows　on　each　side　of　it。　Under　the　triangular　point　of　each
gable　a　circular　window　opens　its　cyclopic　eye；　westerly　to　the　sea；
easterly　on　Guerande。　One　facade　of　the　house　looks　on　the　road　to
Guerande；　the　other　on　the　desert　at　the　end　of　which　is　Croisic；
beyond　that　little　town　is　the　open　sea。　A　brook　escapes　through　an
opening　in　the　park　wall　which　skirts　the　road　to　Croisic；　crosses　the
road；　and　is　lost　in　the　sands　beyond　it。

The　grayish　tones　of　the　house　harmonize　admirably　with　the　scene　it
overlooks。　The　park　is　an　oasis　in　the　surrounding　desert；　at　the
entrance　of　which　the　traveller　comes　upon　a　mud…hut；　where　the
custom…house