首页 >出版文学> Letters of Two Brides>第2章
  DearlyshouldIliketoknowwhowasthegiverofthisdaintyworkofart,whichwassuchafavoritewithher。HowoftenhaveIseentheoldlady,herfeetuponthebar,recliningintheeasy-chair,withherdresshalfraisedinfront,toyingwiththesnuff-box,whichlayupontheledgebetweenherboxofpastillesandhersilkmits。Whatacoquetteshewas!tothedayofherdeathshetookasmuchpainswithherappearanceasthoughthebeautifulportraithadbeenpaintedonlyyesterday,andshewerewaitingtoreceivethethrongofexquisitesfromtheCourt!Howthearmchairrecallstometheinimitablesweepofherskirtsasshesankbackinit!
  Thesewomenofapastgenerationhavecarriedoffwiththemsecretswhichareverytypicaloftheirage。ThePrincesshadacertainturnofthehead,awayofdroppingherglanceandherremarks,achoiceofwords,whichIlookforinvain,eveninmymother。Therewassubtletyinitall,andtherewasgood-nature;thepointsweremadewithoutanyaffectation。Hertalkwasatoncelengthyandconcise;shetoldagoodstory,andcouldputhermeaninginthreewords。Aboveall,shewasextremelyfree-thinking,andthishasundoubtedlyhaditseffectonmywayoflookingatthings。
  FromsevenyearsoldtillIwasten,Ineverleftherside;itpleasedhertoattractmeasmuchasitpleasedmetogo。Thispreferencewasthecauseofmorethanonepassageatarmsbetweenherandmymother,andnothingintensifiesfeelingliketheicybreathofpersecution。
  Howcharmingwashergreeting,“Hereyouare,littlerogue!“whencuriosityhadtaughtmehowtoglidewithstealthysnake-likemovementstoherroom。ShefeltthatIlovedher,andthischildishaffectionwaswelcomeasarayofsunshineinthewinterofherlife。
  Idon’tknowwhatwentoninherroomsatnight,butshehadmanyvisitors;andwhenIcameontiptoeinthemorningtoseeifshewereawake,Iwouldfindthedrawing-roomfurnituredisarranged,thecard-
  tablessetout,andpatchesofsnuffscatteredabout。
  Thisdrawing-roomisfurnishedinthesamestyleasthebedroom。Thechairsandtablesareoddlyshaped,withclawfeetandhollowmouldings。Richgarlandsofflowers,beautifullydesignedandcarved,windoverthemirrorsandhangdowninfestoons。Ontheconsolesarefinechinavases。Thegroundcolorsarescarletandwhite。Mygrandmotherwasahigh-spirited,strikingbrunette,asmightbeinferredfromherchoiceofcolors。Ihavefoundinthedrawing-roomawriting-tableIrememberwell;thefiguresonitusedtofascinateme;
  itisplaitedingravensilver,andwasapresentfromoneoftheGenoeseLomellini。Eachsideofthetablerepresentstheoccupationsofadifferentseason;therearehundredsoffiguresineachpicture,andallinrelief。
  Iremainedalonefortwohours,whileoldmemoriesrosebeforeme,oneafteranother,onthisspot,hallowedbythedeathofawomanmostremarkableevenamongthewittyandbeautifulCourtladiesofLouisXV。’sday。
  YouknowhowabruptlyIwaspartedfromher,ataday’snotice,in1816。
  “Goandbidgood-byetoyourgrandmother,“saidmymother。
  ThePrincessreceivedmeasusual,withoutanydisplayoffeeling,andexpressednosurpriseatmydeparture。
  “Youaregoingtotheconvent,dear,“shesaid,“andwillseeyourauntthere,whoisanexcellentwoman。Ishalltakecare,though,thattheydon’tmakeavictimofyou;youshallbeindependent,andabletomarrywhomyouplease。“
  Sixmonthslatershedied。HerwillhadbeengivenintothekeepingofthePrincedeTalleyrand,themostdevotedofallheroldfriends。Hecontrived,whilepayingavisittoMlle。deChargeboeuf,tointimatetome,throughher,thatmygrandmotherforbademetotakethevows。I
  hope,soonerorlater,tomeetthePrince,andthenIshalldoubtlesslearnmorefromhim。
  Thus,sweetheart,ifIhavefoundnooneinfleshandbloodtomeetme,IhavecomfortedmyselfwiththeshadeofthedearPrincess,andhavepreparedmyselfforcarryingoutoneofourpledges,whichwas,asyouknow,tokeepeachotherinformedofthesmallestdetailsinourhomesandoccupations。Itmakessuchadifferencetoknowwhereandhowthelifeofoneweloveispassed。Sendmeafaithfulpictureoftheveriesttriflesaroundyou,omittingnothing,noteventhesunsetlightsamongthetalltrees。
  October19th。
  ItwasthreeintheafternoonwhenIarrived。Abouthalf-pastfive,Rosecameandtoldmethatmymotherhadreturned,soIwentdownstairstopaymyrespectstoher。
  Mymotherlivesinasuiteonthegroundfloor,exactlycorrespondingtomine,andinthesameblock。Iamjustoverherhead,andthesamesecretstaircaseservesforboth。Myfather’sroomsareintheblockopposite,butarelargerbythewholeofthespaceoccupiedbythegrandstaircaseonoursideofthebuilding。Theseancestralmansionsaresospacious,thatmyfatherandmothercontinuetooccupytheground-floorrooms,inspiteofthesocialdutieswhichhaveoncemoredevolvedonthemwiththereturnoftheBourbons,andareevenabletoreceiveinthem。
  Ifoundmymother,dressedfortheevening,inherdrawing-room,wherenothingischanged。Icameslowlydownthestairs,speculatingwitheverystephowIshouldbemetbythismotherwhohadshownherselfsolittleofamothertome,andfromwhom,duringeightyears,Ihadheardnothingbeyondthetwolettersofwhichyouknow。JudgingitunworthytosimulateanaffectionIcouldnotpossiblyfeel,Iputontheairofapiousimbecile,andenteredtheroomwithmanyinwardqualms,whichhoweversoondisappeared。Mymother’stackwasequaltotheoccasion。Shemadenopretenceofemotion;sheneitherheldmeatarm’s-lengthnorhuggedmetoherbosomlikeabeloveddaughter,butgreetedmeasthoughwehadpartedtheeveningbefore。Hermannerwasthatofthekindliestandmostsincerefriend,assheaddressedmelikeagrownperson,firstkissingmeontheforehead。
  “Mydearlittleone,“shesaid,“ifyouweretodieattheconvent,itismuchbettertolivewithyourfamily。Youfrustrateyourfather’splansandmine;buttheageofblindobediencetoparentsispast。M。
  deChaulieu’sintention,andinthisIamquiteatonewithhim,istolosenoopportunityofmakingyourlifepleasantandoflettingyouseetheworld。AtyourageIshouldhavethoughtasyoudo,thereforeIamnotvexedwithyou;itisimpossibleyoushouldunderstandwhatweexpectedfromyou。Youwillnotfindanyabsurdseverityinme;andifyouhaveeverthoughtmeheartless,youwillsoonfindoutyourmistake。Still,thoughIwishyoutofeelperfectlyfree,Ithinkthat,tobeginwith,youwoulddowelltofollowthecounselsofamother,whowishestobeasistertoyou。“
  IwasquitecharmedbytheDuchess,whotalkedinagentlevoice,straighteningmyconventtippetasshespoke。Attheageofthirty-
  eightsheisstillexquisitelybeautiful。Shehasdark-blueeyes,withsilkenlashes,asmoothforehead,andacomplexionsopinkandwhitethatyoumightthinkshepaints。Herbustandshouldersaremarvelous,andherwaistisasslenderasyours。Herhandismilk-whiteandextraordinarilybeautiful;thenailscatchthelightintheirperfectpolish,thethumbislikeivory,thelittlefingerstandsjustalittleapartfromtherest,andthefootmatchesthehand;itistheSpanishfootofMlle。deVandenesse。Ifsheislikethisatforty,atsixtyshewillstillbeabeautifulwoman。
  Ireplied,sweetheart,likeagoodlittlegirl。Iwasasnicetoherasshetome,nay,nicer。Herbeautycompletelyvanquishedme;itseemedonlynaturalthatsuchawomanshouldbeabsorbedinherregalpart。ItoldherthisassimplyasthoughIhadbeentalkingtoyou。I
  daresayitwasasurprisetohertohearwordsofaffectionfromherdaughter’smouth,andtheunfeignedhomageofmyadmirationevidentlytouchedherdeeply。Hermannerchangedandbecameevenmoreengaging;
  shedroppedallformalityasshesaid:
  “Iammuchpleasedwithyou,andIhopeweshallremaingoodfriends。“
  Thewordsstruckmeascharminglynaive,butIdidnotletthisappear,forIsawatoncethattheprudentcoursewastoallowhertobelieveherselfmuchdeeperandclevererthanherdaughter。SoIonlystaredvacantlyandshewasdelighted。Ikissedherhandsrepeatedly,tellingherhowhappyitmademetobesotreatedandtofeelatmyeasewithher。Ievenconfidedtohermyprevioustremors。Shesmiled,putherarmroundmyneck,anddrawingmetowardsher,kissedmeontheforeheadmostaffectionately。
  “Dearchild,“shesaid,“wehavepeoplecomingtodinnerto-day。
  Perhapsyouwillagreewithmethatitisbetterforyounottomakeyourfirstappearanceinsocietytillyouhavebeeninthedressmaker’shands;so,afteryouhaveseenyourfatherandbrother,youcangoupstairsagain。“
  Iassentedmostheartily。Mymother’sexquisitedresswasthefirstrevelationtomeoftheworldwhichourdreamshadpictured;butIdidnotfeeltheslightestdesiretorivalher。
  Myfathernowentered,andtheDuchesspresentedmetohim。
  Hebecameallatoncemostaffectionate,andplayedthefather’spartsowell,thatIcouldnotbutbelievehishearttobeinit。Takingmytwohandsinhis,andkissingthem,withmoreoftheloverthanthefatherinhismanner,hesaid:
  “Sothisismyrebeldaughter!“
  Andhedrewmetowardshim,withhisarmpassedtenderlyroundmywaist,whilehekissedmeonthecheeksandforehead。
  “Thepleasurewithwhichweshallwatchyoursuccessinsocietywillatoneforthedisappointmentwefeltatyourchangeofvocation,“hesaid。Then,turningtomymother,“Doyouknowthatsheisgoingtoturnoutverypretty,andyouwillbeproudofhersomeday?——Hereisyourbrother,Rhetore——Alphonse,“hesaidtoafineyoungmanwhocamein,“hereisyourconvent-bredsister,whothreatenstosendhernun’sfrocktothedeuce。“
  Mybrothercameupinaleisurelywayandtookmyhand,whichhepressed。
  “Come,come,youmaykissher,“saidmyfather。
  Andhekissedmeonbothcheeks。
  “Iamdelightedtoseeyou,“hesaid,“andItakeyoursideagainstmyfather。“
  Ithankedhim,butcouldnothelpthinkinghemighthavecometoBloiswhenhewasatOrleansvisitingourMarquisbrotherinhisquarters。
  Fearingthearrivalofstrangers,Inowwithdrew。Itidiedupmyrooms,andlaidoutonthescarletvelvetofmylovelytableallthematerialsnecessaryforwritingtoyou,meditatingallthewhileonmynewsituation。
  This,myfairsweetheart,isatrueandveraciousaccountofthereturnofagirlofeighteen,afteranabsenceofnineyears,tothebosomofoneofthenoblestfamiliesinthekingdom。IwastiredbythejourneyaswellasbyalltheemotionsIhadbeenthrough,soI
  wenttobedinconventfashion,ateighto’clockaftersupper。TheyhavepreservedevenalittleSaxeservicewhichthedearPrincessusedwhenshehadafancyfortakinghermealsalone。
  NextdayIfoundmyroomsdoneoutanddusted,andevenflowersputinthevases,byoldPhilippe。Ibegantofeelathome。Onlyitdidn’toccurtoanybodythataCarmeliteschoolgirlhasanearlyappetite,andRosehadnoendoftroubleingettingbreakfastforme。
  “Mlle。goestobedatdinner-time,“shesaidtome,“andgetsupwhentheDukeisjustreturninghome。“
  Ibegantowrite。Aboutoneo’clockmyfatherknockedatthedoorofthesmalldrawing-roomandaskedifhemightcomein。Iopenedthedoor;hecamein,andfoundmewritingtoyou。
  “Mydear,“hebegan,“youwillhavetogetyourselfclothes,andtomaketheseroomscomfortable。Inthispurseyouwillfindtwelvethousandfrancs,whichistheyearlyincomeIpurposeallowingyouforyourexpenses。Youwillmakearrangementswithyourmotherastosomegovernesswhomyoumaylike,incaseMissGriffithdoesn’tpleaseyou,forMme。deChaulieuwillnothavetimetogooutwithyouinthemornings。Acarriageandman-servantshallbeatyourdisposal。“
  “LetmekeepPhilippe,“Isaid。