beatrix-第17部分

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seat　covered　with　green　velvet；　which　stood　on　the　landing　beneath　a
window　artistically　framed　in　carved　woods　stained　and　varnished。
Nothing　was　ever　more　mysteriously　melancholy　than　Camille's
improvisation；　it　seemed　like　the　cry　of　a　soul　/de　profundis/　to　God
from　the　depths　of　a　grave！　The　heart　of　the　young　lover　recognized
the　cry　of　despairing　love；　the　prayer　of　a　hidden　plaint；　the　groan
of　repressed　affliction。　Camille　had　varied；　modified；　and　lengthened
the　introduction　to　the　cavatina：　〃Mercy　for　thee；　mercy　for　me！〃
which　is　nearly　the　whole　of　the　fourth　act　of　〃Robert　le　Diable。〃　She
now　suddenly　sang　the　words　in　a　heart…rending　manner；　and　then　as
suddenly　interrupted　herself。　Calyste　entered；　and　saw　the　reason。
Poor　Camille　Maupin！　poor　Felicite！　She　turned　to　him　a　face　bathed
with　tears；　took　out　her　handkerchief　and　dried　them；　and　said；
simply；　without　affectation；　〃Good…morning。〃　She　was　beautiful　as　she
sat　there　in　her　morning　gown。　On　her　head　was　one　of　those　red
chenille　nets；　much　worn　in　those　days；　through　which　the　coils　of　her
black　hair　shone；　escaping　here　and　there。　A　short　upper　garment　made
like　a　Greek　peplum　gave　to　view　a　pair　of　cambric　trousers　with
embroidered　frills；　and　the　prettiest　of　Turkish　slippers；　red　and
gold。

〃What　is　the　matter？〃　cried　Calyste。

〃He　has　not　returned；〃　she　replied；　going　to　a　window　and　looking　out
upon　the　sands；　the　sea　and　the　marshes。

This　answer　explained　all。　Camille　was　awaiting　Claude　Vignon。

〃You　are　anxious　about　him？〃　asked　Calyste。

〃Yes；〃　she　answered；　with　a　sadness　the　lad　was　too　ignorant　to
analyze。

He　started　to　leave　the　room。

〃Where　are　you　going？〃　she　asked。

〃To　find　him；〃　he　replied。

〃Dear　child！〃　she　said；　taking　his　hand　and　drawing　him　toward　her
with　one　of　those　moist　glances　which　are　to　a　youthful　soul　the　best
of　recompenses。　〃You　are　distracted！　Where　could　you　find　him　on　that
wide　shore？〃

〃I　will　find　him。〃

〃Your　mother　would　be　in　mortal　terror。　Stay。　Besides；　I　choose　it；〃
she　said；　making　him　sit　down　upon　the　sofa。　〃Don't　pity　me。　The　tears
you　see　are　the　tears　a　woman　likes　to　shed。　We　have　a　faculty　that　is
not　in　man；that　of　abandoning　ourselves　to　our　nervous　nature　and
driving　our　feelings　to　an　extreme。　By　imagining　certain　situations
and　encouraging　the　imagination　we　end　in　tears；　and　sometimes　in
serious　states　of　illness　or　disorder。　The　fancies　of　women　are　not
the　action　of　the　mind；　they　are　of　the　heart。　You　have　come　just　in
time；　solitude　is　bad　for　me。　I　am　not　the　dupe　of　his　professed
desire　to　go　to　Croisic　and　see　the　rocks　and　the　dunes　and　the　salt…
marshes　without　me。　He　meant　to　leave　us　alone　together；　he　is
jealous；　or；　rather；　he　pretends　jealousy；　and　you　are　young；　you　are
handsome。〃

〃Why　not　have　told　me　this　before？　What　must　I　do？　must　I　stay　away？〃
asked　Calyste；　with　difficulty　restraining　his　tears；　one　of　which
rolled　down　his　cheek　and　touched　Felicite　deeply。

〃You　are　an　angel！〃　she　cried。　Then　she　gaily　sang　the　〃Stay！　stay！〃
of　Matilde　in　〃Guillaume　Tell；〃　taking　all　gravity　from　that
magnificent　answer　of　the　princess　to　her　subject。　〃He　only　wants　to
make　me　think　he　loves　me　better　than　he　really　does；〃　she　said。　〃He
knows　how　much　I　desire　his　happiness；〃　she　went　on；　looking
attentively　at　Calyste。　〃Perhaps　he　feels　humiliated　to　be　inferior　to
me　there。　Perhaps　he　has　suspicions　about　you　and　means　to　surprise
us。　But　even　if　his　only　crime　is　to　take　his　pleasure　without　me；　and
not　to　associate　me　with　the　ideas　this　new　place　gives　him；　is　not
that　enough？　Ah！　I　am　no　more　loved　by　that　great　brain　than　I　was　by
the　musician；　by　the　poet；　by　the　soldier！　Sterne　is　right；　names
signify　much；　mine　is　a　bitter　sarcasm。　I　shall　die　without　finding　in
any　man　the　love　which　fills　my　heart；　the　poesy　that　I　have　in　my
soul〃

She　stopped；　her　arms　pendant；　her　head　lying　back　on　the　cushions；
her　eyes；　stupid　with　thought；　fixed　on　a　pattern　of　the　carpet。　The
pain　of　great　minds　has　something　grandiose　and　imposing　about　it；　it
reveals　a　vast　extent　of　soul　which　the　thought　of　the　spectator
extends　still　further。　Such　souls　share　the　privileges　of　royalty
whose　affections　belong　to　a　people　and　so　affect　a　world。

〃Why　did　you　reject　my〃　said　Calyste；　but　he　could　not　end　his
sentence。　Camille's　beautiful　hand　laid　upon　his　eloquently
interrupted　him。

〃Nature　changed　her　laws　in　granting　me　a　dozen　years　of　youth　beyond
my　due；〃　she　said。　〃I　rejected　your　love　from　egotism。　Sooner　or　later
the　difference　in　our　ages　must　have　parted　us。　I　am　thirteen　years
older　than　/he/；　and　even　that　is　too　much。〃

〃You　will　be　beautiful　at　sixty；〃　cried　Calyste；　heroically。

〃God　grant　it；〃　she　answered；　smiling。　〃Besides；　dear　child；　I　/want/
to　love。　In　spite　of　his　cold　heart；　his　lack　of　imagination；　his
cowardly　indifference；　and　the　envy　which　consumes　him；　I　believe
there　is　greatness　behind　those　tatters；　I　hope　to　galvanize　that
heart；　to　save　him　from　himself；　to　attach　him　to　me。　Alas！　alas！　I
have　a　clear…seeing　mind；　but　a　blind　heart。〃

She　was　terrible　in　her　knowledge　of　herself。　She　suffered　and
analyzed　her　feelings　as　Cuvier　and　Dupuytren　explained　to　friends　the
fatal　advance　of　their　disease　and　the　progress　that　death　was　making
in　their　bodies。　Camille　Maupin　knew　the　passion　within　her　as　those
men　of　science　knew　their　own　anatomy。

〃I　have　brought　him　here　to　judge　him；　and　he　is　already　bored；〃　she
continued。　〃He　pines　for　Paris；　I　tell　him；　the　nostalgia　of　criticism
is　on　him；　he　has　no　author　to　pluck；　no　system　to　undermine；　no　poet
to　drive　to　despair；　and　he　dares　not　commit　some　debauch　in　this
house　which　might　lift　for　a　moment　the　burden　of　his　ennui。　Alas！　my
love　is　not　real　enough；　perhaps；　to　soothe　his　brain；　I　don't
intoxicate　him！　Make　him　drunk　at　dinner　to…night　and　I　shall　know　if
I　am　right。　I　will　say　I　am　ill；　and　stay　in　my　own　room。〃

Calyste　turned　scarlet　from　his　neck　to　his　forehead；　even　his　ears
were　on　fire。

〃Oh！　forgive　me；〃　she　cried。　〃How　can　I　heedlessly　deprave　your
girlish　innocence！　Forgive　me；　Calyste〃　She　paused。　〃There　are　some
superb；　consistent　natures　who　say　at　a　certain　age：　'If　I　had　my　life
to　live　over　again；　I　would　so　the　same　things。'　I　who　do　not　think
myself　weak；　I　say；　'I　would　be　a　woman　like　your　mother；　Calyste。'　To
have　a　Calyste；　oh！　what　happiness！　I　could　be　a　humble　and　submissive
womanAnd　yet；　I　have　done　no　harm　except　to　myself。　But　alas！　dear
child；　a　woman　cannot　stand　alone　in　society　except　it　be　in　what　is
called　a　primitive　state。　Affections　which　are　not　in　harmony　with
social　or　with　natural　laws；　affections　that　are　not　obligatory；　in
short；　escape　us。　Suffering　for　suffering；　as　well　be　useful　where　we
can。　What　care　I　for　those　children　of　my　cousin　Faucombe？　I　have　not
seen　them　these　twenty　years；　and　they　are　married　to　merchants。　You
are　my　son；　who　have　never　cost　me　the　miseries　of　motherhood；　I　shall
leave　you　my　fortune　and　make　you　happyat　least；　so　far　as　money　can
do　so；　dear　treasure　of　beauty　and　grace　that　nothing　should　ever
change　or　blast。〃

〃You　would　not　take　my　love；〃　said　Calyste；　〃and　I　shall　return　your
fortune　to　your　heirs。〃

〃Child！〃　answered　Camille；　in　a　guttural　voice；　letting　the　tears　roll
down　her　cheeks。　〃Will　nothing　save　me　from　myself？〃　she　added；
presently。

〃You　said　you　had　a　history　to　tell　me；　and　a　letter　to〃　said　the
generous　youth；　wishing　to　divert　her　thoughts　from　her　grief；　but　she
did　not　let　him　finish。

〃You　are　right　to　remind　me　of　that。　I　will　be　an　honest　woman　before
all　else。　I　will　sacrifice　no　oneYes；　it　was　too　late；　yesterday；
but　to…day　we　have　time；〃　she　said；　in　a　cheerful　tone。　〃I　will　keep
my　promise；　and　while　I　tell　you　that　history　I　will　sit　by　the　window
and　watch　the　road　to　the　marshes。〃

Calyste　arranged　a　great　Gothic　chair　for　her　near　the　window；　and
opened　one　of　the　sashes。　Camille　Maupin；　who　shared　the　oriental
taste　of　her　illustrious　sister…author；　took　a　magnificent　Persian
narghile；　given　to　her　by　an　ambassador。　She　filled　the　nipple　with
patchouli；　cleaned　the　/bochettino/；　perfumed　the　goose…quill；　which
she　attached　to　the　mouthpiece　and　used　only　once；　set　fire　to　the
yellow　leaves；　placing　the　vase　with　its　long　neck　enamelled　in　blue
and　gold　at　some　distance　from　her；　and　rang　the　bell　for　tea。

〃Will　you　have　cigarettes？Ah！　I　am　always　forgetting　that　you　do　not
smoke。　Purity　such　as　yours　is　so　rare！　The　hand　of　Eve　herself；　fresh
from　the　hand　of　her　Maker；　is　alone　innocent　enough　to　stroke　your
cheek。〃

Calyste　colored；　sitting　down　on　a　stool　at　Camille's　feet；　he　did　not
see　the　deep　emotion　that　seemed　for　a　moment　to　overcome　her。



VIII

LA　MARQUISE　BEATRIX

〃I　promised　you　this　tale　of　the　past；　and　here　it　is；〃　said　Camille。
〃The　person　from　whom　I　received　that　letter　yesterday；　and　who　may　be
here　to…morrow；　is　the　Marquise　de　Rochefide。　The　old　marquis　（whose
family　is　not　as　old　as　yours）；　after　marrying　his　eldest　daughter　to
a　Portuguese　grandee；　was　anxious　to　find　an　alliance　among　the　higher
nobility　for　his　son；　in　order　to　obtain　for　him　the　peerage　he　had
never　been　able　to　get　for　himself。　The　Comtesse　de　Montcornet　told
him　of　a　young　lady　in　the　department　of　the　Orne；　a　Mademoiselle
Beatrix…Maximilienne…Rose　de　Casteran；　the　youngest　daughter　of　the
Marquis　de　Casteran；　who　wished　to　marry　his　two　daughters　without
dowries　in　order　to　reserve　his　whole　fortune　for　the　Comte　de
Casteran；　his　son。　The　Casterans　are；　it　seems；　of　the　bluest　blood。
Beatrix；　born　and　brought　up　at　the　chateau　de　Casteran；　was　twenty
years　old　at　the　time　of　her　marriage　in　1828。　She　was　remarkable　for
what　you　provincials　call　originality；　which　is　simply　independence　of
ideas；　enthusiasm；　a　feeling　for　the　beautiful；　and　a　certain　impulse
and　ardor　toward　the　things　of　Art。　You　may　believe　a　poor　woman　who
has　allowed　herself　to　be　drawn　along　the　same　lines；　there　is　nothing
more　dangerous　for　a　woman。　If　she　follows　them；　they　lead　her　where
you　see　me；　and　where　the　marquise　came；to　t