beatrix-第48部分

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　　Mademoiselle　des　Touches　might　well　repent　of　her　share　in　our
　　marriage　if　she　knew　to　what　extent　I　am　taken　for　our　odious
　　rival！　But　this　is　prostitution！　I　am　not　myself；　I　am　ashamed　of
　　it　all。　A　frantic　desire　seizes　me　sometimes　to　fly　from　Guerande
　　and　those　sands　of　Croisic。

August　25th。

　　I　am　determined　to　go　and　live　in　the　ruins　of　the　old　chateau。
　　Calyste；　worried　by　my　restlessness；　agrees　to　take　me。　Either　he
　　knows　life　so　little　that　he　guesses　nothing；　or　he　/does/　know
　　the　cause　of　my　flight；　in　which　case　he　cannot　love　me。　I　tremble
　　so　with　fear　lest　I　find　the　awful　certainty　I　seek　that；　like　a
　　child；　I　put　my　hands　before　my　eyes　not　to　hear　the　explosion

　　Oh；　mother！　I　am　not　loved　with　the　love　that　I　feel　in　my　heart。
　　Calyste　is　charming　to　me；　that's　true！　but　what　man；　unless　he
　　were　a　monster；　would　not　be；　as　Calyste　is；　amiable　and　gracious
　　when　receiving　all　the　flowers　of　the　soul　of　a　young　girl　of
　　twenty；　brought　up　by　you；　pure；　loving；　and　beautiful；　as　many
　　women　have　said　to　you　that　I　am。

Guenic；　September　18。

　　Has　he　forgotten　her？　That's　the　solitary　thought　which　echoes
　　through　my　soul　like　a　remorse。　Ah！　dear　mamma；　have　all　women　to
　　struggle　against　memories　as　I　do？　None　but　innocent　young　men
　　should　be　married　to　pure　young　girls。　But　that's　a　deceptive
　　Utopia；　better　have　one's　rival　in　the　past　than　in　the　future。

　　Ah！　mother；　pity　me；　though　at　this　moment　I　am　happy　as　a　woman
　　who　fears　to　lose　her　happiness　and　so　clings　fast　to　it；one　way
　　of　killing　it；　says　that　profoundly　wise　Clotilde。

　　I　notice　that　for　the　last　five　months　I　think　only　of　myself；
　　that　is；　of　Calyste。　Tell　sister　Clotilde　that　her　melancholy　bits
　　of　wisdom　often　recur　to　me。　She　is　happy　in　being　faithful　to　the
　　dead；　she　fears　no　rival。　A　kiss　to　my　dear　Athenais；　about　whom　I
　　see　Juste　is　beside　himself。　From　what　you　told　me　in　your　last
　　letter　it　is　evident　he　fears　you　will　not　give　her　to　him。
　　Cultivate　that　fear　as　a　precious　product。　Athenais　will　be
　　sovereign　lady；　but　I　who　fear　lest　I　can　never　win　Calyste　back
　　from　himself　shall　always　be　a　servant。

　　A　thousand　tendernesses；　dear　mamma。　Ah！　if　my　terrors　are　not
　　delusions；　Camille　Maupin　has　sold　me　her　fortune　dearly。　My
　　affectionate　respects　to　papa。

These　letters　give　a　perfect　explanation　of　the　secret　relation
between　husband　and　wife。　Sabine　thought　of　a　love　marriage　where
Calyste　saw　only　a　marriage　of　expediency。　The　joys　of　the　honey…moon
had　not　altogether　conformed　to　the　legal　requirements　of　the　social
system。

During　the　stay　of　the　married　pair　in　Brittany　the　work　of　restoring
and　furnishing　the　hotel　du　Guenic　had　been　carried　on　by　the
celebrated　architect　Grindot；　under　the　superintendence　of　Clotilde
and　the　Duc　and　Duchesse　de　Grandlieu；　all　arrangements　having　been
made　for　the　return　of　the　young　household　to　Paris　in　December；　1838。
Sabine　installed　herself　in　the　rue　de　Bourbon　with　pleasure；less
for　the　satisfaction　of　playing　mistress　of　a　great　household　than　for
that　of　knowing　what　her　family　would　think　of　her　marriage。

Calyste；　with　easy　indifference；　was　quite　willing　to　let　his　sister…
in…law　Clotilde　and　his　mother…in…law　the　duchess　guide　him　in　all
matters　of　social　life；　and　they　were　both　very　grateful　for　his
obedience。　He　obtained　the　place　in　society　which　was　due　to　his　name；
his　fortune；　and　his　alliance。　The　success　of　his　wife；　who　was
regarded　as　one　of　the　most　charming　women　in　Paris；　the　diversions　of
high　society；　the　duties　to　be　fulfilled；　the　winter　amusements　of　the
great　city；　gave　a　certain　fresh　life　to　the　happiness　of　the　young
household　by　producing　a　series　of　excitements　and　interludes。　Sabine；
considered　happy　by　her　mother　and　sister；　who　saw　in　Calyste's
coolness　an　effect　of　his　English　education；　cast　aside　her　gloomy
notions；　she　heard　her　lot　so　envied　by　many　unhappily　married　women
that　she　drove　her　terrors　from　her　into　the　region　of　chimeras；　until
the　time　when　her　pregnancy　gave　additional　guarantees　to　this　neutral
sort　of　union；　guarantees　which　are　usually　augured　well　of　by
experienced　women。　In　October；　1839；　the　young　Baronne　du　Guenic　had　a
son；　and　committed　the　mistake　of　nursing　it　herself；　on　the　theory　of
most　women　in　such　cases。　How　is　it　possible；　they　think；　not　to　be
wholly　the　mother　of　the　child　of　an　idolized　husband？

Toward　the　end　of　the　following　summer；　in　August；　1840；　Sabine　had
nearly　reached　the　period　when　the　duty　of　nursing　her　first　child
would　come　to　an　end。　Calyste；　during　his　two　years'　residence　in
Paris；　had　completely　thrown　off　that　innocence　of　mind　the　charm　of
which　had　so　adorned　his　earliest　appearance　in　the　world　of　passion。
He　was　now　the　comrade　of　the　young　Duc　Georges　de　Maufrigneuse；
lately　married；　like　himself；　to　an　heiress；　Berthe　de　Cinq…Cygne；　of
the　Vicomte　Savinien　de　Portenduere；　the　Duc　and　Duchesse　de　Rhetore；
the　Duc　and　Duchesse　de　Lenoncourt…Chaulieu；　and　all　the　/habitues/　of
his　mother…in…law's　salon；　and　he　fully　understood　by　this　time　the
differences　that　separated　Parisian　life　from　the　life　of　the
provinces。　Wealth　has　fatal　hours；　hours　of　leisure　and　idleness；
which　Paris　knows　better　than　all　other　capitals　how　to　amuse；　charm；
and　divert。　Contact　with　those　young　husbands　who　deserted　the　noblest
and　sweetest　of　creatures　for　the　delights　of　a　cigar　and　whist；　for
the　glorious　conversations　of　a　club；　or　the　excitements　of　〃the
turf；〃　undermined　before　long　many　of　the　domestic　virtues　of　the
young　Breton　noble。　The　motherly　solicitude　of　a　wife　who　is　anxious
not　to　weary　her　husband　always　comes　to　the　support　of　the
dissipations　of　young　men。　A　wife　is　proud　to　see　her　husband　return
to　her　when　she　has　allowed　him　full　liberty　of　action。

One　evening；　on　October　of　that　year；　to　escape　the　crying　of　the
newly　weaned　child；　Calyste；　on　whose　forehead　Sabine　could　not　endure
to　see　a　frown；　went；　urged　by　her；　to　the　Varietes；　where　a　new　play
was　to　be　given　for　the　first　time。　The　footman　whose　business　it　was
to　engage　a　stall　had　taken　it　quite　near　to　that　part　of　the　theatre
which　is　called　the　/avant…scene/。　As　Calyste　looked　about　him　during
the　first　interlude；　he　saw　in　one　of　the　two　proscenium　boxes　on　his
side；　and　not　ten　steps　from　him；　Madame　de　Rochefide。　Beatrix　in
Paris！　Beatrix　in　public！　The　two　thoughts　flew　through　Calyste's
heart　like　arrows。　To　see　her　again　after　nearly　three　years！　How
shall　we　depict　the　convulsion　in　the　soul　of　this　lover；　who；　far
from　forgetting　the　past；　had　sometimes　substituted　Beatrix　for　his
wife　so　plainly　that　his　wife　had　perceived　it？　Beatrix　was　light；
life；　motion；　and　the　Unknown。　Sabine　was　duty；　dulness；　and　the
expected。　One　became；　in　a　moment；　pleasure；　the　other；　weariness。　It
was　the　falling　of　a　thunderbolt。

From　a　sense　of　loyalty；　the　first　thought　of　Sabine's　husband　was　to
leave　the　theatre。　As　he　left　the　door　of　the　orchestra　stalls；　he　saw
the　door　of　the　proscenium　box　half…open；　and　his　feet　took　him　there
in　spite　of　his　will。　The　young　Breton　found　Beatrix　between　two　very
distinguished　men；　Canalis　and　Raoul　Nathan；　a　statesman　and　a　man　of
letters。　In　the　three　years　since　Calyste　had　seen　her；　Madame　de
Rochefide　was　amazingly　changed；　and　yet；　although　the　transformation
had　seriously　affected　her　as　a　woman；　she　was　only　the　more　poetic
and　the　more　attractive　to　Calyste。　Until　the　age　of　thirty　the　pretty
women　of　Paris　ask　nothing　more　of　their　toilet　than　clothing；　but
after　they　pass　through　the　fatal　portal　of　the　thirties；　they　look
for　weapons；　seductions；　embellishments　among　their　/chiffons；/　out　of
these　they　compose　charms；　they　find　means；　they　take　a　style；　they
seize　youth；　they　study　the　slightest　accessory；in　a　word；　they　pass
from　nature　to　art。

Madame　de　Rochefide　had　just　come　through　the　vicissitudes　of　a　drama
which；　in　this　history　of　the　manners　and　morals　of　France　in　the
nineteenth　century　may　be　called　that　of　the　Deserted　Woman。　Deserted
by　Conti；　she　became；　naturally；　a　great　artist　in　dress；　in　coquetry；
in　artificial　flowers　of　all　kinds。

〃Why　is　Conti　not　here？〃　inquired　Calyste　in　a　low　voice　of　Canalis；
after　going　through　the　commonplace　civilities　with　which　even　the
most　solemn　interviews　begin　when　they　take　place　publicly。

The　former　great　poet　of　the　faubourg　Saint…Germain；　twice　a　cabinet
minister；　and　now　for　the　fourth　time　an　orator　in　the　Chamber；　and
aspiring　to　another　ministry；　laid　a　warning　finger　significantly　on
his　lip。　That　gesture　explained　everything。

〃I　am　happy　to　see　you；〃　said　Beatrix；　demurely。　〃I　said　to　myself
when　I　recognized　you　just　now；　before　you　saw　me；　that　/you/　at　least
would　not　disown　me。　Ah！　my　Calyste；〃　she　added　in　a　whisper；　〃why　did
you　marry？and　with　such　a　little　fool！〃

As　soon　as　a　woman　whispers　in　the　ear　of　a　new…comer　and　makes　him
sit　beside　her；　men　of　the　world　find　an　immediate　excuse　for　leaving
the　pair　alone　together。

〃Come；　Nathan；〃　said　Canalis；　〃Madame　la　marquise　will；　I　am　sure；
allow　me　to　go　and　say　a　word　to　d'Arthez；　whom　I　see　over　there　with
the　Princesse　de　Cadignan；　it　relates　to　some　business　in　the　Chamber
to…morrow。〃

This　well…bred　departure　gave　Calyste　time　to　recover　from　the　shock
he　had　just　received；　but　he　nearly　lost　both　his　strength　and　his
senses　once　more；　as　he　inhaled　the　perfume；　to　him　entrancing　though
venomous；　of　the　poem　composed　by　Beatrix。　Madame　de　Rochefide；　now
become　bony　and　gaunt；　her　complexion　faded　and　almost　discolored；　her
eyes　hollow　with　deep　circles；　had　that　evening　brightened　those
premature　ruins　by　the　cleverest　contrivances　of　the　/article　Paris/。
She　had　taken　it　into　her　head；　like　other　deserted　women；　to　assume　a
virgin　air；　and　recall　by　clouds　of　white　material　the　maidens　of
Ossian；　so　poetically　painted　by　Girodet。　Her　fair　hair　draped　her
elongated　face　with　a　mass　of　curls；　among　which　rippled　the　rays　of
the　foot…lights　attracted　by　the　shining　of　a　perfumed　oil。　Her　white
brow　sparkled。　She　had　appl