beatrix-第60部分

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all　this。〃

〃Ah！　madame；　I　will　not　compromise　you；〃　cried　Maxime。　〃I　esteem　you
too　much　to　demand　guarantees。　I　merely　mean　that　you　must　follow　my
advice。　For　example；　it　will　be　necessary　that　du　Guenic　be　taken　away
by　his　wife　for　at　least　two　years；　she　must　show　him　Switzerland；
Italy；　Germany；in　short；　all　possible　countries。〃

〃Ah！　you　confirm　a　fear　of　my　director；〃　said　the　duchess；　naively；
remembering　the　judicious　objection　of　the　Abbe　Brossette。

Maxime　and　d'Ajuda　could　not　refrain　from　smiling　at　the　idea　of　this
agreement　between　heaven　and　hell。

〃To　prevent　Madame　de　Rochefide　from　ever　seeing　Calyste　again；〃　she
continued；　〃we　will　all　travel；　Juste　and　his　wife；　Calyste；　Sabine；
and　I。　I　will　leave　Clotilde　with　her　father〃

〃It　is　too　soon　to　sing　victory；　madame；〃　said　Maxime。　〃I　foresee
enormous　difficulties；　though　I　shall　no　doubt　vanquish　them。　Your
esteem　and　your　protection　are　rewards　which　would　make　me　commit　the
vilest　actions；　but　these　will　be〃

〃The　vilest　actions！〃　cried　the　duchess；　interrupting　this　modern
condottiere；　and　showing　on　her　countenance　as　much　disgust　as
amazement。

〃And　you　would　share　them；　madame；　inasmuch　as　I　am　only　your　agent。
But　are　you　ignorant　of　the　degree　of　blindness　to　which　Madame　de
Rochefide　has　brought　your　son…in…law？　I　know　it　from　Canalis　and
Nathan；　between　whom　she　was　hesitating　when　Calyste　threw　himself
into　the　lioness's　jaws。　Beatrix　has　contrived　to　persuade　that
serious　Breton　that　she　has　never　loved　any　one　but　him；　that　she　is
virtuous；　that　Conti　was　merely　a　sentimental　head…love　in　which
neither　the　heart　nor　the　rest　of　it　had　any　part；a　musical　love；　in
short！　As　for　Rochefide；　that　was　duty。　So；　you　understand；　she　is
virgin！a　fact　she　proves　by　forgetting　her　son；　whom　for　more　than　a
year　she　has　not　made　the　slightest　attempt　to　see。　The　truth　is；　the
little　count　will　soon　be　twelve　years　old；　and　he　finds　in　Madame
Schontz　a　mother　who　is　all　the　more　a　mother　because　maternity　is；　as
you　know；　a　passion　with　women　of　that　sort。　Du　Guenic　would　let
himself　be　cut　in　pieces；　and　would　chop　up　his　wife　for　Beatrix；　and
you　think　it　is　an　easy　matter　to　drag　a　man　from　the　depths　of　such
credulity！　Ah！　madame；　Shakespeare's　Iago　would　lose　all　his
handkerchiefs。　People　think　that　Othello；　or　his　younger　brother；
Orosmanes；　or　Saint…Preux；　Rene；　Werther；　and　other　lovers　now　in
possession　of　fame；　represented　love！　Never　did　their　frosty…hearted
fathers　know　what　absolute　love　is；　Moliere　alone　conceived　it。　Love；
Madame　la　duchesse；　is　not　loving　a　noble　woman；　a　Clarissaa　great
effort；　faith！　Love　is　to　say　to　one's　self：　'She　whom　I　love　is
infamous；　she　deceives　me；　she　will　deceive　me；　she　is　an　abandoned
creature；　she　smells　of　the　frying　of　hell…fire；'　but　we　rush　to　her；
we　find　there　the　blue　of　heaven；　the　flowers　of　Paradise。　That　is　how
Moliere　loved；　and　how　we；　scamps　that　we　are！　how　we　love。　As　for　me；
I　weep　at　the　great　scene　of　Arnolphe。　Now；　that　is　how　your　son…in…
law　loves　Beatrix。　I　shall　have　trouble　separating　Rochefide　from
Madame　Schontz；　but　Madame　Schontz　will　no　doubt　lend　herself　to　the
plot；　I　shall　study　her　interior。　But　as　for　Calyste　and　Beatrix；　they
will　need　the　blows　of　an　axe；　far　deeper　treachery；　and　so　base　an
infamy　that　your　virtuous　imagination　could　never　descend　to　it
unless　indeed　your　director　gave　you　a　hand。　You　have　asked　the
impossible；　you　shall　be　obeyed。　But　in　spite　of　my　settled　intention
to　war　with　fire　and　sword；　I　cannot　absolutely　promise　you　success。　I
have　known　lovers　who　did　not　recoil　before　the　most　awful
disillusions。　You　are　too　virtuous　to　know　the　full　power　of　women　who
are　not　virtuous。〃

〃Do　not　enter　upon　those　infamous　actions　until　I　have　consulted　the
Abbe　Brossette　to　know　how　far　I　may　be　your　accomplice；〃　cried　the
duchess；　with　a　naivete　which　disclosed　what　selfishness　there　is　in
piety。

〃You　shall　be　ignorant　of　everything；　my　dear　mother；〃　interposed
d'Ajuda。

On　the　portico；　while　the　carriage　of　the　marquis　was　drawing　up；
d'Ajuda　said　to　Maxime：

〃You　frightened　that　good　duchess。〃

〃But　she　has　no　idea　of　the　difficulty　of　what　she　asks。　Let　us　go　to
the　Jockey　Club；　Rochefide　must　invite　me　to　dine　with　Madame　Schontz
to…morrow；　for　to…night　my　plan　will　be　made；　and　I　shall　have　chosen
the　pawns　on　my　chess…board　to　carry　it　out。　In　the　days　of　her
splendor　Beatrix　refused　to　receive　me；　I　intend　to　pay　off　that
score；　and　I　will　avenge　your　sister…in…law　so　cruelly　that　perhaps
she　will　find　herself　too　well　revenged。〃

The　next　day　Rochefide　told　Madame　Schontz　that　Maxime　de　Trailles　was
coming　to　dinner。　That　meant　notifying　her　to　display　all　her　luxury；
and　prepare　the　choicest　food　for　this　connoisseur　emeritus；　whom　all
the　women　of　the　Madame　Schontz　type　were　in　awe　of。　Madame　Schontz
herself　thought　as　much　of　her　toilet　as　of　putting　her　house　in　a
state　to　receive　this　personage。

In　Paris　there　are　as　many　royalties　as　there　are　varieties　of　art；
mental　and　moral　specialties；　sciences；　professions；　the　strongest　and
most　capable　of　the　men　who　practise　them　has　a　majesty　which　is　all
his　own；　he　is　appreciated；　respected　by　his　peers；　who　know　the
difficulties　of　his　art　or　profession；　and　whose　admiration　is　given
to　the　man　who　surmounts　them。　Maxime　was；　in　the　eyes　of　/rats/　and
courtesans；　an　extremely　powerful　and　capable　man；　who　had　known　how
to　make　himself　excessively　loved。　He　was　also　admired　by　men　who　knew
how　difficult　it　is　to　live　in　Paris　on　good　terms　with　creditors；　in
short；　he　had　never　had　any　other　rival　in　elegance；　deportment；　and
wit　than　the　illustrious　de　Marsay；　who　frequently　employed　him　on
political　missions。　All　this　will　suffice　to　explain　his　interview
with　the　duchess；　his　prestige　with　Madame　Schontz；　and　the　authority
of　his　words　in　a　conference　which　he　intended　to　have　on　the
boulevard　des　Italiens　with　a　young　man　already　well…known；　though
lately　arrived；　in　the　Bohemia　of　Paris。



XXV

A　PRINCE　OF　BOHEMIA

The　next　day；　when　Maxime　de　Trailles　rose；　Finot　（whom　he　had
summoned　the　night　before）　was　announced。　Maxime　requested　his　visitor
to　arrange；　as　if　by　accident；　a　breakfast　at　the　cafe　Anglais；　where
Finot；　Couture；　and　Lousteau　should　gossip　beside　him。　Finot；　whose
position　toward　the　Comte　de　Trailles　was　that　of　a　sub…lieutenant
before　a　marshall　of　France；　could　refuse　him　nothing；　it　was
altogether　too　dangerous　to　annoy　that　lion。　Consequently；　when　Maxime
came　to　the　breakfast；　he　found　Finot　and　his　two　friends　at　table　and
the　conversation　already　started　on　Madame　Schontz；　about　whom
Couture；　well　manoeuvred　by　Finot　and　Lousteau　（Lousteau　being；　though
not　aware　of　it；　Finot's　tool）；　revealed　to　the　Comte　de　Trailles　all
that　he　wanted　to　know　about　her。

About　one　o'clock；　Maxime　was　chewing　a　toothpick　and　talking　with　du
Tillet　on　Tortoni's　portico；　where　speculation　held　a　little　Bourse；　a
sort　of　prelude　to　the　great　one。　He　seemed　to　be　engaged　in　business；
but　he　was　really　awaiting　the　Comte　de　la　Palferine；　who；　within　a
given　time；　was　certain　to　pass　that　way。　The　boulevard　des　Italiens
is　to…day　what　the　Pont　Neuf　was　in　1650；　all　persons　known　to　fame
pass　along　it　once；　at　least；　in　the　course　of　the　day。　Accordingly；
at　the　end　of　about　ten　minutes；　Maxime　dropped　du　Tillet's　arm；　and
nodding　to　the　young　Prince　of　Bohemia　said；　smiling：

〃One　word　with　you；　count。〃

The　two　rivals　in　their　own　principality；　the　one　orb　on　its　decline；
the　other　like　the　rising　sun；　sat　down　upon　four　chairs　before　the
Cafe　de　Paris。　Maxime　took　care　to　place　a　certain　distance　between
himself　and　some　old　fellows　who　habitually　sunned　themselves　like
wall…fruit　at　that　hour　in　the　afternoon；　to　dry　out　their　rheumatic
affections。　He　had　excellent　reasons　for　distrusting　old　men。

〃Have　you　debts？〃　said　Maxime；　to　the　young　count。

〃If　I　had　none；　should　I　be　worthy　of　being　your　successor？〃　replied
La　Palferine。

〃In　putting　that　question　to　you　I　don't　place　the　matter　in　doubt；　I
only　want　to　know　if　the　total　is　reasonable；　if　it　goes　to　the　five
or　the　six？〃

〃Six　what？〃

〃Figures；　whether　you　owe　fifty　or　one　hundred　thousand？　I　have　owed；
myself；　as　much　as　six　hundred　thousand。〃

La　Palferine　raised　his　hat　with　an　air　as　respectful　as　it　was
humorous。

〃If　I　had　sufficient　credit　to　borrow　a　hundred　thousand　francs；〃　he
replied；　〃I　should　forget　my　creditors　and　go　and　pass　my　life　in
Venice；　amid　masterpieces　of　painting　and　pretty　women　and〃

〃And　at　my　age　what　would　you　be？〃　asked　Maxime。

〃I　should　never　reach　it；〃　replied　the　young　count。

Maxime　returned　the　civility　of　his　rival；　and　touched　his　hat　lightly
with　an　air　of　laughable　gravity。

〃That's　one　way　of　looking　at　life；〃　he　replied　in　the　tone　of　one
connoisseur　to　another。　〃You　owe？〃

〃Oh！　a　mere　trifle；　unworthy　of　being　confessed　to　an　uncle；　he　would
disinherit　me　for　such　a　paltry　sum；six　thousand。〃

〃One　is　often　more　hampered　by　six　thousand　than　by　a　hundred
thousand；〃　said　Maxime；　sententiously。　〃La　Palferine；　you've　a　bold
spirit；　and　you　have　even　more　spirit　than　boldness；　you　can　go　far；
and　make　yourself　a　position。　Let　me　tell　you　that　of　all　those　who
have　rushed　into　the　career　at　the　close　of　which　I　now　am；　and　who
have　tried　to　oppose　me；　you　are　the　only　one　who　has　ever　pleased
me。〃

La　Palferine　colored；　so　flattered　was　he　by　this　avowal　made　with
gracious　good…humor　by　the　leader　of　Parisian　adventurers。　This　action
of　his　own　vanity　was　however　a　recognition　of　inferiority　which
wounded　him；　but　Maxime　divined　that　unpleasant　reaction；　easy　to
foresee　in　so　clever　a　mind；　and　he　applied　a　balm　instantly　by
putting　himself　at　the　discretion　of　the　young　man。

〃Will　you　do　something　for　me　that　will　facilitate　my　retreat　from　the
Olympic　circus　by　a　fine　marriage？　I　will　do　as　much　for　you。〃

〃You　make　me　very　proud；　it　realizes　the　fable　of　the　Rat　and　the
Lion；〃　said　La　Palferine。

〃I　shall　begin　by　lending　you　twenty　thousand　francs；〃　continued
Maxime。

〃Twenty　thousand　fran