the village rector-第7部分

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wife。　The　old　couple　had　an　apartment　in　the　hotel　Graslin　and　always
dined　once　or　twice　a　week　with　their　daughter；　who；　as　often；　made
their　house　in　the　country　the　object　of　her　walks。

This　enforced　rest　almost　killed　old　Sauviat。　Happily；　Graslin　found　a
means　of　occupying　his　father…in…law。　In　1823　the　banker　was　forced　to
take　possession　of　a　porcelain　manufactory；　to　the　proprietors　of
which　he　had　advanced　large　sums；　which　they　found　themselves　unable
to　repay　except　by　the　sale　of　their　factory；　which　they　made　to　him。
By　the　help　of　his　business　connections　and　by　investing　a　large
amount　of　property　in　the　concern；　Graslin　made　it　one　of　the　finest
manufactories　of　Limoges　ware　in　the　town。　Afterwards　he　resold　it　at
a　fine　profit；　meantime　he　placed　it　under　the　superintendence　of　his
father…in…law；　who；　in　spite　of　his　seventy…two　years；　counted　for
much　in　the　return　of　prosperity　to　the　establishment；　who　himself
renewed　his　youth　in　the　employment。　Graslin　was　then　able　to　attend
to　his　legitimate　business　of　banking　without　anxiety　as　to　the
manufactory。

Sauviat　died　in　1827　from　an　accident。　While　taking　account　of　stock
he　fell　into　a　/charasse/；a　sort　of　crate　with　an　open　grating　in
which　the　china　was　packed；　his　leg　was　slightly　injured；　so　slightly
that　he　paid　no　attention　to　it；　gangrene　set　in；　he　would　not　consent
to　amputation；　and　therefore　died。　The　widow　gave　up　about　two　hundred
and　fifty　thousand　francs　which　came　to　her　from　Sauviat's　estate；
reserving　only　a　stipend　of　two　hundred　francs　a　month；　which　amply
sufficed　for　her　wants。　Graslin　bound　himself　to　pay　her　that　sum
duly。　She　kept　her　little　house　in　the　country；　and　lived　there　alone
without　a　servant　and　against　the　remonstrances　of　her　daughter；　who
could　not　induce　her　to　alter　this　determination；　to　which　she　clung
with　the　obstinacy　peculiar　to　old　persons。　Madame　Sauviat　came　nearly
every　day　into　Limoges　to　see　her　daughter；　and　the　latter　still
continued　to　make　her　mother's　house；　from　which　was　a　charming　view
of　the　river；　the　object　of　her　walks。　From　the　road　leading　to　it
could　be　seen　that　island　long　loved　by　Veronique　and　called　by　her
the　Ile　de　France。

In　order　not　to　complicate　our　history　of　the　Graslin　household　with
the　foregoing　incidents；　we　have　thought　it　best　to　end　that　of　the
Sauviats　by　anticipating　events；　which　are　moreover　useful　as
explaining　the　private　and　hidden　life　which　Madame　Graslin　now　led。
The　old　mother；　noticing　that　Graslin's　miserliness；　which　returned
upon　him；　might　hamper　her　daughter；　was　for　some　time　unwilling　to
resign　the　property　left　to　her　by　her　husband。　But　Veronique；　unable
to　imagine　a　case　in　which　a　woman　might　desire　the　use　of　her　own
property；　urged　it　upon　her　mother　with　reasons　of　great　generosity；
and　out　of　gratitude　to　Graslin　for　restoring　to　her　the　liberty　and
freedom　of　a　young　girl。　But　this　is　anticipating。

The　unusual　splendor　which　accompanied　Graslin's　marriage　had
disturbed　all　his　habits　and　constantly　annoyed　him。　The　mind　of　the
great　financier　was　a　very　small　one。　Veronique　had　had　no　means　of
judging　the　man　with　whom　she　was　to　pass　her　life。　During　his　fifty…
five　visits　he　had　let　her　see　nothing　but　the　business　man；　the
indefatigable　worker；　who　conceived　and　sustained　great　enterprises；
and　analyzed　public　affairs；　bringing　them　always　to　the　crucial　test
of　the　Bank。　Fascinated　by　the　million　offered　to　him　by　Sauviat；　he
showed　himself　generous　by　calculation。　Carried　away　by　the　interests
of　his　marriage　and　by　what　he　called　his　〃folly；〃　namely；　the　house
which　still　goes　by　the　name　of　the　hotel　Graslin；　he　did　things　on　a
large　scale。　Having　bought　horses；　a　caleche；　and　a　coupe；　he
naturally　used　them　to　return　the　wedding　visits　and　go　to　those
dinners　and　balls；　called　the　〃retours　de　noces；〃　which　the　heads　of
the　administration　and　the　rich　families　of　Limoges　gave　to　the　newly
married　pair。　Under　this　impulsion；　which　carried　him　entirely　out　of
his　natural　sphere；　Graslin　sent　to　Paris　for　a　man…cook　and　took　a
reception　day。　For　a　year　he　kept　the　pace　of　a　man　who　possesses　a
fortune　of　sixteen　hundred　thousand　francs；　and　he　became　of　course
the　most　noted　personage　in　Limoges。　During　this　year　he　generously
put　into　his　wife's　purse　every　month　twenty…five　gold　pieces　of
twenty　francs　each。

Society　concerned　itself　much　about　Veronique　from　the　day　of　her
marriage；　for　she　was　a　boon　to　its　curiosity；　which　has　little　to
feed　on　in　the　provinces。　Veronique　was　all　the　more　studied　because
she　had　appeared　in　the　social　world　like　a　phenomenon；　but　once
there；　she　remained　always　simple　and　modest；　in　the　attitude　of　a
person　who　is　observing　habits；　customs；　manners；　things　unknown　to
her；　and　endeavoring　to　conform　to　them。　Already　voted　ugly　but　well…
shaped；　she　was　now　declared　kindly　but　stupid。　She　was　learning　so
many　things；　she　had　so　much　to　hear　and　to　see　that　her　looks　and
speech　did　certainly　give　some　reason　for　this　judgment。　She　showed　a
sort　of　torpor　which　resembled　lack　of　mind。　Marriage；　that　hard
calling；　as　she　said；　for　which　the　Church；　the　Code；　and　her　mother
exhorted　her　to　resignation　and　obedience；　under　pain　of　transgressing
all　human　laws　and　causing　irreparable　evil；　threw　her　into　a　dazed
and　dizzy　condition；　which　amounted　sometimes　to　a　species　of　inward
delirium。

Silent　and　self…contained；　she　listened　as　much　to　herself　as　she　did
to　others。　Feeling　within　her　the　most　violent　〃difficulty　of
existing；〃　to　use　an　expression　of　Fontenelle's；　which　was　constantly
increasing；　she　became　terrified　at　herself。　Nature　resisted　the
commands　of　the　mind；　the　body　denied　the　will。　The　poor　creature；
caught　in　the　net；　wept　on　the　breast　of　that　great　Mother　of　the　poor
and　the　afflicted；she　went　for　comfort　to　the　Church；　her　piety
redoubled；　she　confided　the　assaults　of　the　demon　to　her　confessor；
she　prayed　to　heaven　for　succor。　Never；　at　any　period　of　her　life；　did
she　fulfil　her　religious　duties　with　such　fervor。　The　despair　of　not
loving　her　husband　flung　her　violently　at　the　foot　of　the　altar；　where
divine　and　consolatory　voices　urged　her　to　patience。　She　was　patient；
she　was　gentle；　and　she　continued　to　live　on；　hoping　always　for　the
happiness　of　maternity。

〃Did　you　notice　Madame　Graslin　this　morning？〃　the　women　would　say　to
each　other。　〃Marriage　doesn't　agree　with　her；　she　is　actually　green。〃

〃Yes；〃　some　of　them　would　reply；　〃but　would　you　give　your　daughter　to
a　man　like　Graslin？　No　woman　could　marry　him　with　impunity。〃

Now　that　Graslin　was　married；　all　the　mothers　who　had　courted　him　for
ten　years　past　pursued　him　with　sarcasms。

Veronique　grew　visibly　thinner　and　really　ugly；　her　eyes　looked　weary；
her　features　coarsened；　her　manner　was　shy　and　awkward；　she　acquired
that　air　of　cold　and　melancholy　rigidity　for　which　the　ultra…pious　are
so　often　blamed。　Her　skin　took　on　a　grayish　tone；　she　dragged　herself
languidly　about　during　this　first　year　of　married　life；　ordinarily　so
brilliant　for　a　young　wife。　She　tried　to　divert　her　mind　by　reading；
profiting　by　the　liberty　of　married　women　to　read　what　they　please。
She　read　the　novels　of　Walter　Scott；　the　poems　of　Lord　Byron；　the
works　of　Schiller　and　of　Goethe；　and　much　else　of　modern　and　also
ancient　literature。　She　learned　to　ride　a　horse；　and　to　dance　and　to
draw。　She　painted　water…colors　and　made　sepia　sketches；　turning
ardently　to　all　those　resources　which　women　employ　to　bear　the
weariness　of　their　solitude。　She　gave　herself　that　second　education
which　most　women　derive　from　a　man；　but　which　she　derived　from　herself
only。

The　natural　superiority　of　a　free；　sincere　spirit；　brought　up；　as　it
were　in　a　desert　and　strengthened　by　religion；　had　given　her　a　sort　of
untrammelled　grandeur　and　certain　needs；　to　which　the　provincial　world
she　lived　in　offered　no　sustenance。　All　books　pictured　Love　to　her；
and　she　sought　for　the　evidence　of　its　existence；　but　nowhere　could
she　see　the　passion　of　which　she　read。　Love　was　in　her　heart；　like
seeds　in　the　earth；　awaiting　the　action　of　the　sun。　Her　deep
melancholy；　caused　by　constant　meditation　on　herself；　brought　her　back
by　hidden　by…ways　to　the　brilliant　dreams　of　her　girlish　days。　Many　a
time　she　must　have　lived　again　that　old　romantic　poem；　making　herself
both　the　actor　and　the　subject　of　it。　Again　she　saw　that　island　bathed
in　light；　flowery；　fragrant；　caressing　to　her　soul。　Often　her　pallid
eyes　wandered　around　a　salon　with　piercing　curiosity。　The　men　were　all
like　Graslin。　She　studied　them；　and　then　she　seemed　to　question　their
wives；　but　nothing　on　the　faces　of　those　women　revealed　an　inward
anguish　like　to　hers；　and　she　returned　home　sad　and　gloomy　and
distressed　about　herself。　The　authors　she　had　read　in　the　morning
answered　to　the　feelings　in　her　soul；　their　thoughts　pleased　her；　but
at　night　she　heard　only　empty　words；　not　even　presented　in　a　lively
way；dull；　empty；　foolish　conversations　in　petty　local　matters；　or
personalities　of　no　interest　to　her。　She　was　often　surprised　at　the
heat　displayed　in　discussions　which　concerned　no　feeling　or　sentiment
to　her　the　essence　of　existence；　the　soul　of　life。

Often　she　was　seen　with　fixed　eyes；　mentally　absorbed；　thinking　no
doubt　of　the　days　of　her　youthful　ignorance　spent　in　that　chamber　full
of　harmonies　now　forever　passed　away。　She　felt　a　horrible　repugnance
against　dropping　into　the　gulf　of　pettiness　in　which　the　women　among
whom　she　lived　were　floundering。　This　repugnance；　stamped　on　her
forehead；　on　her　lips；　and　ill…disguised；　was　taken　for　the　insolence
of　a　parvenue。　Madame　Graslin　began　to　observe　on　all　faces　a　certain
coldness；　she　felt　in　all　remarks　an　acrimony；　the　causes　of　which
were　unknown　to　her；　for　she　had　no　intimate　friend　to　enlighten　or
advise　her。　Injustice；　which　angers　little　minds；　brings　loftier　souls
to　question　themselves；　and　communicates　a　species　of　humility　to
them。　Veronique　condemned　herself；　endeavoring　to　see　her　own　faults。
She　tried　to　be　affable；　they　called　her　false。　She　grew　more　gentle
still；　they　said　she　was　a　hypocrite；　and　her　pious　d