beatrix-第63部分

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moans；　as　persons　of　social　politeness　are　accustomed　to　listen；　while
thinking　of　other　things。

〃I'm　a　man　of　good　counsel　in　such　matters；　my　dear　fellow；〃　he
answered。　〃Well；　let　me　tell　you；　you　are　on　the　wrong　road　in　letting
Aurelie　see　how　dear　she　is　to　you。　Allow　me　to　present　you　to　Madame
Antonia。　There's　a　heart　to　let。　You'll　soon　see　La　Schontz　with　other
eyes。　She　is　thirty…seven　years　old；　that　Schontz　of　yours；　and　Madame
Antonia　is　only　twenty…six！　And　what　a　woman！　I　may　say　she　is　my
pupil。　If　Madame　Schontz　persists　in　keeping　on　the　hind　heels　of　her
pride；　don't　you　know　what　that　means？〃

〃Faith；　no！〃

〃That　she　wants　to　marry；　and　if　that's　the　case；　nothing　can　hinder
her　from　leaving　you。　After　a　lease　of　six　years　a　woman　has　a　right
to　do　so。　Now；　if　you　will　only　listen　to　me；　you　can　do　a　better
thing　for　yourself。　Your　wife　is　to…day　worth　more　than　all　the
Schontzes　and　Antonias　of　the　quartier　Saint…Georges。　I　admit　the
conquest　is　difficult；　but　it　is　not　impossible；　and　after　all　that
has　happened　she　will　make　you　as　happy　as　an　Orgon。　In　any　case；　you
mustn't　look　like　a　fool；　come　and　sup　to…night　with　Antonia。〃

〃No；　I　love　Aurelie　too　well；　I　won't　give　her　any　reason　to　complain
of　me。〃

〃Ah！　my　dear　fellow；　what　a　future　you　are　preparing　for　yourself！〃
cried　Maxime。

〃It　is　eleven　o'clock；　she　must　have　returned　from　the　Ambigu；〃　said
Rochefide；　leaving　the　club。

And　he　called　out　his　coachman　to　drive　at　top　speed　to　the　rue　de　la
Bruyere。

Madame　Schontz　had　given　precise　directions；　monsieur　could　enter　as
master　with　the　fullest　understanding　of　madame；　but；　warned　by　the
noise　of　monsieur's　arrival；　madame　had　so　arranged　that　the　sound　of
her　dressing…door　closing　as　women's　doors　do　close　when　they　are
surprised；　was　to　reach　monsieur's　ears。　Then；　at　a　corner　of　the
piano；　Fabien's　hat；　forgotten　intentionally；　was　removed　very
awkwardly　by　a　maid　the　moment　after　monsieur　had　entered　the　room。

〃Did　you　go　to　the　Ambigu；　my　little　girl？〃

〃No；　I　changed　my　mind；　and　stayed　at　home　to　play　music。〃

〃Who　came　to　see　you？〃　asked　the　marquis；　good…humoredly；　seeing　the
hat　carried　off　by　the　maid。

〃No　one。〃

At　that　audacious　falsehood　Arthur　bowed　his　head；　he　passed　beneath
the　Caudine　forks　of　submission。　A　real　love　descends　at　times　to
these　sublime　meannesses。　Arthur　behaved　with　Madame　Schontz　as　Sabine
with　Calyste；　and　Calyste　with　Beatrix。

Within　a　week　the　transition　from　larva　to　butterfly　took　place　in　the
young；　handsome；　and　clever　Charles…Edouard；　Comte　Rusticoli　de　la
Palferine。　Until　this　moment　of　his　life　he　had　lived　miserably；
covering　his　deficits　with　an　audacity　equal　to　that　of　Danton。　But　he
now　paid　his　debts；　he　now；　by　advice　of　Maxime；　had　a　little
carriage；　he　was　admitted　to　the　Jockey　Club　and　to　the　club　of　the
rue　de　Gramont；　he　became　supremely　elegant；　and　he　published　in　the
〃Journal　des　Debats〃　a　novelette　which　won　him　in　a　few　days　a
reputation　which　authors　by　profession　obtain　after　years　of　toil　and
successes　only；　for　there　is　nothing　so　usurping　in　Paris　as　that
which　ought　to　be　ephemeral。　Nathan；　very　certain　that　the　count　would
never　publish　anything　else；　lauded　the　graceful　and　presuming　young
man　so　highly　to　Beatrix　that　she；　spurred　by　the　praise　of　the　poet；
expressed　a　strong　desire　to　see　this　king　of　the　vagabonds　of　good
society。

〃He　will　be　all　the　more　delighted　to　come　here；〃　replied　Nathan；
〃because；　as　I　happen　to　know；　he　has　fallen　in　love　with　you　to　the
point　of　committing　all　sorts　of　follies。〃

〃But　I　am　told　he　has　already　committed　them。〃

〃No；　not　all；　he　has　not　yet　committed　that　of　falling　in　love　with　a
virtuous　woman。〃

Some　ten　days　after　the　scheme　plotted　on　the　boulevard　between　Maxime
and　his　henchman；　the　seductive　Charles…Edouard；　the　latter；　to　whom
Nature　had　given；　no　doubt　sarcastically；　a　face　of　charming
melancholy；　made　his　first　irruption　into　the　nest　of　the　dove　of　the
rue　de　Chartres；　who　took　for　his　reception　an　evening　when　Calyste
was　obliged　to　go　to　a　party　with　his　wife。

If　you　should　ever　meet　La　Palferine　you　will　understand　perfectly　the
success　obtained　in　a　single　evening　by　that　sparkling　mind；　that
animated　fancy；　especially　if　you　take　into　consideration　the
admirable　adroitness　of　the　showman　who　consented　to　superintend　this
debut。　Nathan　was　a　good　comrade；　and　he　made　the　young　count　shine；
as　a　jeweller　showing　off　an　ornament　in　hopes　to　sell　it；　makes　the
diamonds　glitter。　La　Palferine　was；　discreetly；　the　first　to　withdraw；
he　left　Nathan　and　the　marquise　together；　relying　on　the　collaboration
of　the　celebrated　author；　which　was　admirable。　Seeing　that　Beatrix　was
quite　astounded；　Raoul　put　fire　into　her　heart　by　pretended　reticences
which　stirred　the　fibres　of　a　curiosity　she　did　not　know　she
possessed。　Nathan　hinted　that　La　Palferine's　wit　was　not　so　much　the
cause　of　his　success　with　women　as　his　superiority　in　the　art　of　love；
a　statement　which　magnified　the　count　immensely。

This　is　the　place　to　record　a　new　effect　of　that　great　law　of
contraries；　which　produces　so　many　crises　in　the　human　heart　and
accounts　for　such　varied　eccentricities　that　we　are　forced　to　remember
it　sometimes　as　well　as　its　counterpart；　the　law　of　similitudes。　All
courtesans　preserve　in　the　depths　of　their　heart　a　perennial　desire　to
recover　their　liberty；　to　this　they　would　sacrifice　everything。　They
feel　this　antithetical　need　with　such　intensity　that　it　is　rare　to
meet　with　one　of　these　women　who　has　not　aspired　several　times　to　a
return　to　virtue　through　love。　They　are　not　discouraged　by　the　most
cruel　deceptions。　On　the　other　hand；　women　restrained　by　their
education；　by　the　station　they　occupy；　chained　by　the　rank　of　their
families；　living　in　the　midst　of　opulence；　and　wearing　a　halo　of
virtue；　are　drawn　at　times；　secretly　be　it　understood；　toward　the
tropical　regions　of　love。　These　two　natures　of　woman；　so　opposed　to
each　other；　have　at　the　bottom　of　their　hearts；　the　one　that　faint
desire　for　virtue；　the　other　that　faint　desire　for　libertinism　which
Jean…Jacques　Rousseau　was　the　first　to　have　the　courage　to　diagnose。
In　one；　it　is　a　last　reflexion　of　the　ray　divine　that　is　not　extinct；
in　the　other；　it　is　the　last　remains　of　our　primitive　clay。

This　claw　of　the　beast　was　rapped；　this　hair　of　the　devil　was　pulled
by　Nathan　with　extreme　cleverness。　The　marquise　began　to　ask　herself
seriously　if；　up　to　the　present　time；　she　had　not　been　the　dupe　of　her
head；　and　whether　her　education　was　complete。　Vicewhat　is　it？
Possibly　only　the　desire　to　know　everything。



XXVI

DISILLUSIONSIN　ALL　BUT　LA　FONTAINE'S　FABLES

The　next　day　Calyste　seemed　to　Beatrix　just　what　he　was：　a　perfect　and
loyal　gentleman　without　imagination　or　cleverness。　In　Paris；　a　man
called　clever　must　have　spontaneous　brilliancy；　as　the　fountains　have
water；　men　of　the　world　and　Parisians　in　general　are　in　that　way　very
clever。　But　Calyste　loved　too　deeply；　he　was　too　much　absorbed　in　his
own　sentiments　to　perceive　the　change　in　Beatrix；　and　to　satisfy　her
need　by　displaying　new　resources。　To　her；　he　seemed　pale　indeed；　after
the　brilliancy　of　the　night　before；　and　he　caused　not　the　faintest
emotion　to　the　hungry　Beatrix。　A　great　love　is　a　credit　opened　to　a
power　so　voracious　that　bankruptcy　is　sure　to　come　sooner　or　later。

In　spite　of　the　fatigue　of　this　day　（the　day　when　a　woman　is　bored　by
a　lover）　Beatrix　trembled　with　fear　at　the　thought　of　a　possible
meeting　between　La　Palferine　and　Calyste；　a　man　of　courage　without
assertion。　She　hesitated　to　see　the　count　again；　but　the　knot　of　her
hesitation　was　cut　by　a　decisive　event。

Beatrix　had　taken　the　third　of　a　box　at　the　Opera；　obscurely　situated
on　the　lower　tier　for　the　purpose　of　not　being　much　in　sight。　For　the
last　few　days　Calyste；　grown　bolder；　had　escorted　the　marquise　to　her
box；　placing　himself　behind　her；　and　timing　their　arrival　at　a　late
hour　so　as　to　meet　no　one　in　the　corridors。　Beatrix；　on　these
occasions；　left　the　box　alone　before　the　end　of　the　last　act；　and
Calyste　followed　at　a　distance　to　watch　over　her；　although　old　Antoine
was　always　there　to　attend　his　mistress。　Maxime　and　La　Palferine　had
studied　this　strategy；　which　was　prompted　by　respect　for　the
proprieties；　also　by　that　desire　for　concealment　which　characterizes
the　idolators　of　the　little　god；　and　also；　again；　by　the　fear　which
oppresses　all　women　who　have　been　constellations　in　the　world　and　whom
love　has　caused　to　fall　from　their　zodiacal　eminence。　Public
humiliation　is　dreaded　as　an　agony　more　cruel　than　death　itself。　But；
by　a　manoeuvre　of　Maxime's；　that　blow　to　her　pride；　that　outrage　which
women　secure　of　their　rank　in　Olympus　cast　upon　others　who　have　fallen
from　their　midst；　was　now　to　descend　on　Beatrix。

At　a　performance　of　〃Lucia；〃　which　ends；　as　every　one　knows；　with　one
of　the　finest　triumphs　of　Rubini；　Madame　de　Rochefide；　whom　Antoine
had　not　yet　come　to　fetch；　reached　the　peristyle　of　the　opera…house　by
the　lower　corridor　just　as　the　staircase　was　crowded　by　fashionable
women　ranged　on　the　stairs　or　standing　in　groups　below　it；　awaiting
the　announcement　of　their　carriages。　Beatrix　was　instantly　recognized；
whispers　which　soon　became　a　murmur　arose　in　every　group。　In　a　moment
the　crowd　dispersed；　the　marquise　was　left　alone　like　a　leper。　Calyste
dared　not；　seeing　his　wife　on　the　staircase；　advance　to　accompany　her；
though　twice　she　vainly　cast　him　a　tearful　glance；　a　prayer；　that　he
would　come　to　her。　At　that　moment；　La　Palferine；　elegant；　superb；
charming；　left　two　ladies　with　whom　he　had　been　talking；　and　came　down
to　the　marquise。

〃Take　my　arm；〃　he　said；　bowing；　〃and　walk　proudly　out。　I　will　find
your　carriage。〃

〃Will　you　come　home　with　me　and　finish　the　evening？〃　she　answered；
getting　into　her　carriage　and　making　room　for　him。

La　Palferine　said　to　his　groom；　〃Follow　the　carriage　of　madame；〃　and
then　he　jumped　into　it　beside　her　to　the　utter　stupefaction　of
Calyste；　who　stood　for　a　moment　planted　on　his　two　legs　as　if　they
were　lead。　It　was　the　sight　of　him　standing　thus；　pale　an