beatrix-第56部分

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like　Sabine　du　Guenic；　by　practising　（as　she　may　select）　the　most
aggressive　or　the　most　inoffensive　virtues。

Some　days　after　Beatrix　had　abandoned　him；　Arthur　de　Rochefide；　now　an
only　child　in　consequence　of　the　death　of　his　sister；　the　first　wife
of　the　Marquis　d'Ajuda…Pinto；　who　left　no　children；　found　himself　sole
master　of　the　hotel　de　Rochefide；　rue　d'Anjou　Saint…Honore；　and　of　two
hundred　thousand　francs　a　year　left　to　him　by　his　father。　This　rich
inheritance；　added　to　the　fortune　which　Arthur　possessed　when　he
married；　brought　his　income；　including　that　from　the　fortune　of　his
wife；　to　a　thousand　francs　a　day。　To　a　gentleman　endowed　with　a　nature
such　as　Mademoiselle　des　Touches　had　described　it　in　a　few　words　to
Calyste；　such　wealth　was　happiness　enough。　While　his　wife　continued　in
her　home　and　fulfilled　the　duties　of　maternity；　Rochefide　enjoyed　this
immense　fortune；　but　he　did　not　spend　it　any　more　than　he　expended　the
faculties　of　his　mind。　His　good；　stout　vanity；　gratified　by　the　figure
he　presented　as　a　handsome　man　（to　which　he　owed　a　few　successes　that
authorized　him　to　despise　women）；　allowed　itself　free　scope　in　the
matter　of　brains。　Gifted　with　the　sort　of　mind　which　we　must　call　a
reflector；　he　appropriated　the　sallies　of　others；　the　wit　of　the　stage
and　the　/petits　journaux/；　by　his　method　of　repeating　them；　and
applied　them　as　formulas　of　criticism。　His　military　joviality　（he　had
served　in　the　Royal　Guard）　seasoned　conversation　with　so　much　point
that　women　without　any　intellects　proclaimed　him　witty；　and　the　rest
did　not　dare　to　contradict　them。

This　system　Arthur　pursued　in　all　things；　he　owed　to　nature　the
convenient　genius　of　imitation　without　mimicry；　he　imitated　seriously。
Thus　without　any　taste　of　his　own；　he　knew　how　to　be　the　first　to
adopt　and　the　first　to　abandon　a　new　fashion。　Accused　of　nothing　worse
than　spending　too　much　time　at　his　toilet　and　wearing　a　corset；　he
presented　the　type　of　those　persons　who　displease　no　one　by　adopting
incessantly　the　ideas　and　the　follies　of　everbody；　and　who；　astride　of
circumstance；　never　grow　old。

As　a　husband；　he　was　pitied；　people　thought　Beatrix　inexcusable　for
deserting　the　best　fellow　on　earth；　and　social　jeers　only　touched　the
woman。　A　member　of　all　clubs；　subscriber　to　all　the　absurdities
generated　by　patriotism　or　party　spirit　ill…understood　（a　compliance
which　put　him　in　the　front　rank　/a　propos/　of　all　such　matters）；　this
loyal；　brave；　and　very　silly　nobleman；　whom　unfortunately　so　many　rich
men　resemble；　would　naturally　desire　to　distinguish　himself　by
adopting　some　fashionable　mania。　Consequently；　he　glorified　his　name
principally　in　being　the　sultan　of　a　four…footed　harem；　governed　by　an
old　English　groom；　which　cost　him　monthly　from　four　to　five　thousand
francs。　His　specialty　was　/running　horses；/　he　protected　the　equine
race　and　supported　a　magazine　devoted　to　hippic　questions；　but；　for
all　that；　he　knew　very　little　of　the　animals；　and　from　shoes　to
bridles　he　depended　wholly　on　his　groom；all　of　which　will
sufficiently　explain　to　you　that　this　semi…bachelor　had　nothing
actually　of　his　own；　neither　mind；　taste；　position；　or　absurdity；　even
his　fortune　came　from　his　fathers。　After　having　tasted　the
displeasures　of　marriage　he　was　so　content　to　find　himself　once　more　a
bachelor　that　he　said　among　his　friends；　〃I　was　born　with　a　caul〃
（that　is；　to　good　luck）。

Pleased　above　all　things　to　be　able　to　live　without　the　costs　of
making　an　appearance；　to　which　husbands　are　constrained；　his　house；　in
which　since　the　death　of　his　father　nothing　had　been　changed；
resembled　those　of　masters　who　are　travelling；　he　lived　there　little；
never　dined；　and　seldom　slept　there。　Here　follows　the　reason　for　such
indifference。

After　various　amorous　adventures；　bored　by　women　of　fashion　of　the
kind　who　are　truly　bores；　and　who　plant　too　many　thorny　hedges　around
happiness；　he　had　married　after　a　fashion；　as　we　shall　see；　a　certain
Madame　Schontz；　celebrated　in　the　world　of　Fanny　Beaupre；　Susanne　du
Val…Noble；　Florine；　Mariette；　Jenny　Cadine；　etc。　This　world；of　which
one　of　our　artists　wittily　remarked　at　the　frantic　moment　of　an　opera
/galop/；　〃When　one　thinks　that　all　/that/　is　lodged　and　clothed　and
lives　well；　what　a　fine　idea　it　gives　us　of　mankind！〃this　world　has
already　irrupted　elsewhere　into　this　history　of　French　manners　and
customs　of　the　nineteenth　century；　but　to　paint　it　with　fidelity；　the
historian　should　proportion　the　number　of　such　personages　to　the
diverse　endings　of　their　strange　careers；　which　terminate　either　in
poverty　under　its　most　hideous　aspect；　or　by　premature　death　often
self…inflicted；　or　by　lucky　marriages；　occasionally　by　opulence。

Madame　Schontz；　known　at　first　under　the　name　of　La　Petite…Aurelie；　to
distinguish　her　from　one　of　her　rivals　far　less　clever　than　herself；
belongs　to　the　highest　class　of　those　women　whose　social　utility
cannot　be　questioned　by　the　prefect　of　the　Seine；　nor　by　those　who　are
interested　in　the　welfare　of　the　city　of　Paris。　Certainly　the　Rat；
accused　of　demolishing　fortunes　which　frequently　never　existed；　might
better　be　compared　to　a　beaver。　Without　the　Aspasias　of　the　Notre…Dame
de　Lorette　quarter；　far　fewer　houses　would　be　built　in　Paris。　Pioneers
in　fresh　stucco；　they　have　gone；　towed　by　speculation；　along　the
heights　of　Montmartre；　pitching　their　tents　in　those　solitudes　of
carved　free…stone；　the　like　of　which　adorns　the　European　streets　of
Amsterdam；　Milan；　Stockholm；　London；　and　Moscow；　architectural　steppes
where　the　wind　rustles　innumerable　papers　on　which　a　void　is　divulged
by　the　words；　/Apartments　to　let/。

The　situation　of　these　dames　is　determined　by　that　which　they　take　in
the　apocryphal　regions。　If　the　house　is　near　the　line　traced　by　the
rue　de　Provence；　the　woman　has　an　income；　her　budget　prospers；　but　if
she　approaches　the　farther　line　of　the　Boulevard　Exterieur　or　rises
towards　the　horrid　town　of　Batignolles；　she　is　without　resources。　When
Monsieur　de　Rochefide　first　encountered　Madame　Schontz；　she　lived　on
the　third　floor　of　the　only　house　that　remained　in　the　rue　de　Berlin；
thus　she　was　camping　on　the　border…land　between　misery　and　its
reverse。　This　person　was　not　really　named；　as　you　may　suppose；　either
Schontz　or　Aurelie。　She　concealed　the　name　of　her　father；　an　old
soldier　of　the　Empire；　that　perennial　colonel　who　always　appears　at
the　dawn　of　all　these　feminine　existences　either　as　father　or　seducer。
Madame　Schontz　had　received　the　gratuitous　education　of　Saint…Denis；
where　young　girls　are　admirably　brought　up；　but　where；　unfortunately；
neither　husbands　nor　openings　in　life　are　offered　to　them　when　they
leave　the　school；an　admirable　creation　of　the　Emperor；　which　now
lacks　but　one　thing；　the　Emperor　himself！

〃I　shall　be　there；　to　provide　for　the　daughters　of　my　faithful
legions；〃　he　replied　to　a　remark　of　one　of　his　ministers；　who　foresaw
the　future。

Napoleon　had　also　said；　〃I　shall　be　there！〃　for　the　members　of　the
Institute；　to　whom　they　had　better　give　no　salary　than　send　them
eighty　francs　each　month；　a　wage　that　is　less　than　that　of　certain
clerks！

Aurelie　was　really　the　daughter　of　the　intrepid　Colonel　Schiltz；　a
leader　of　those　bold　Alsacian　guerillas　who　came　near　saving　the
Emperor　in　the　campaign　of　France。　He　died　at　Metz；robbed；　pillaged；
ruined。　In　1814　Napoleon　put　the　little　Josephine　Schiltz；　then　about
nine　years　old；　at　Saint…Denis。　Having　lost　both　father　and　mother　and
being　without　a　home　and　without　resources；　the　poor　child　was　not
dismissed　from　the　institution　on　the　second　return　of　the　Bourbons。
She　was　under…mistress　of　the　school　till　1827；　but　then　her　patience
gave　way；　her　beauty　seduced　her。　When　she　reached　her　majority
Josephine　Schiltz；　the　Empress's　goddaughter；　was　on　the　verge　of　the
adventurous　life　of　a　courtesan；　persuaded　to　that　doubtful　future　by
the　fatal　example　of　some　of　her　comrades　like　herself　without
resources；　who　congratulated　themselves　on　their　decision。　She
substituted　/on/　for　/il/　in　her　father's　name　and　placed　herself
under　the　patronage　of　Saint…Aurelie。

Lively；　witty；　and　well…educated；　she　committed　more　faults　than　her
duller　companions；　whose　misdemeanors　had　invariably　self…interest　for
their　base。　After　knowing　various　writers；　poor　but　dishonest；　clever
but　deeply　in　debt；　after　trying　certain　rich　men　as　calculating　as
they　were　foolish；　and　after　sacrificing　solid　interests　to　one　true
love；thus　going　through　all　the　schools　in　which　experience　is
taught；on　a　certain　day　of　extreme　misery；　when；　at　Valentino's　（the
first　stage　to　Musard）　she　danced　in　a　gown；　hat；　and　mantle　that　were
all　borrowed；　she　attracted　the　attention　of　Arthur　de　Rochefide；　who
had　come　there　to　see　the　famous　/galop/。　Her　cleverness　instantly
captivated　the　man　who　at　that　time　knew　not　what　passion　to　devote
himself　to。　So　that　two　years　after　his　desertion　by　Beatrix；　the
memory　of　whom　often　humiliated　him；　the　marquis　was　not　blamed　by　any
one　for　marrying；　so　to　speak；　in　the　thirteenth　arrondissement；　a
substitute　for　his　wife。

Let　us　sketch　the　four　periods　of　this　happiness。　It　is　necessary　to
show　that　the　theory　of　marriage　in　the　thirteenth　arrondissement
affects　in　like　manner　all　who　come　within　its　rule。＇*＇　Marquis　in　the
forties；　sexagenary　retired　shopkeeper；　quadruple　millionnaire　or
moderate…income　man；　great　seigneur　or　bourgeois；　the　strategy　of
passion　（except　for　the　differences　inherent　in　social　zones）　never
varies。　The　heart　and　the　money…box　are　always　in　the　same　exact　and
clearly　defined　relation。　Thus　informed；　you　will　be　able　to　estimate
the　difficulties　the　duchess　was　certain　to　encounter　in　her
charitable　enterprise。

＇*＇　Before　1859　there　was　no　13th　arrondissement　in　Paris；　hence　the
　　　　saying。TR。

Who　knows　the　power　in　France　of　witty　sayings　upon　ordinary　minds；　or
what　harm　the　clever　men　who　invent　them　have　done？　For　instance；　no
book…keeper　could　add　up　the　figures　of　the　sums　remaining
unproductive　and　lost　in　the　depths　of　generous　hearts　and　strong…
boxes　by　that　ignoble　phrase；　〃/tirer　une　carotte！/〃

The　saying　has　become　so　pop