the collection of antiquities-第34部分

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the　Count　the　right　to　institute　proceedings　for　libel。　Old　Chesnel　was　walking　up　the　Grand　Rue；　as　if　by　accident；　telling　all　who　cared　to　hear　him　that　du　Croisier　had　set　the　most　shameful　of　snares　for　the　d'Esgrignons'　honor；　and　that　it　was　entirely　owing　to　the　forbearance　and　magnanimity　of　the　family　that　he　was　not　prosecuted　for　slander。

On　the　evening　of　that　famous　day；　after　the　Marquis　d'Esgrignon　had　gone　to　bed；　the　Count；　Mlle。　Armande；　and　the　Chevalier　were　left　with　the　handsome　young　page；　now　about　to　return　to　Paris。　The　charming　cavalier's　sex　could　not　be　hidden　from　the　Chevalier；　and　he　alone；　besides　the　three　officials　and　Mme。　Camusot；　knew　that　the　Duchess　had　been　among　them。

〃The　house　is　saved；〃　began　Chesnel；　〃but　after　this　shock　it　will　take　a　hundred　years　to　rise　again。　The　debts　must　be　paid　now；　you　must　marry　an　heiress；　M。　le　Comte；　there　is　nothing　left　for　you　to　do。〃

〃And　take　her　where　you　may　find　her；〃　said　the　Duchess。

〃A　second　mesalliance！〃　exclaimed　Mlle。　Armande。

The　Duchess　began　to　laugh。

〃It　is　better　to　marry　than　to　die；〃　she　said。　As　she　spoke　she　drew　from　her　waistcoat　pocket　a　tiny　crystal　phial　that　came　from　the　court　apothecary。

Mlle。　Armande　shrank　away　in　horror。　Old　Chesnel　took　the　fair　Maufrigneuse's　hand；　and　kissed　it　without　permission。

〃Are　you　all　out　of　your　minds　here？〃　continued　the　Duchess。　〃Do　you　really　expect　to　live　in　the　fifteenth　century　when　the　rest　of　the　world　has　reached　the　nineteenth？　My　dear　children；　there　is　no　noblesse　nowadays；　there　is　no　aristocracy　left！　Napoleon's　Code　Civil　made　an　end　of　the　parchments；　exactly　as　cannon　made　an　end　of　feudal　castles。　When　you　have　some　money；　you　will　be　very　much　more　of　nobles　than　you　are　now。　Marry　anybody　you　please；　Victurnien；　you　will　raise　your　wife　to　your　rank；　that　is　the　most　substantial　privilege　left　to　the　French　noblesse。　Did　not　M。　de　Talleyrand　marry　Mme。　Grandt　without　compromising　his　position？　Remember　that　Louis　XIV。　took　the　Widow　Scarron　for　his　wife。〃

〃He　did　not　marry　her　for　her　money；〃　interposed　Mlle。　Armande。

〃If　the　Comtesse　d'Esgrignon　were　one　du　Croisier's　niece；　for　instance；　would　you　receive　her？〃　asked　Chesnel。

〃Perhaps；〃　replied　the　Duchess；　〃but　the　King；　beyond　all　doubt；　would　be　very　glad　to　see　her。So　you　do　not　know　what　is　going　on　in　the　world？〃　continued　she；　seeing　the　amazement　in　their　faces。　〃Victurnien　has　been　in　Paris；　he　knows　how　things　go　there。　We　had　more　influence　under　Napoleon。　Marry　Mlle。　Duval；　Victurnien；　she　will　be　just　as　much　Marquise　d'Esgrignon　as　I　am　Duchesse　de　Maufrigneuse。〃

〃All　is　losteven　honor！〃　said　the　Chevalier；　with　a　wave　of　the　hand。

〃Good…bye；　Victurnien；〃　said　the　Duchess；　kissing　her　lover　on　the　forehead；　〃we　shall　not　see　each　other　again。　Live　on　your　lands；　that　is　the　best　thing　for　you　to　do；　the　air　of　Paris　is　not　at　all　good　for　you。〃

〃Diane！〃　the　young　Count　cried　despairingly。

〃Monsieur；　you　forget　yourself　strangely；〃　the　Duchess　retorted　coolly；　as　she　laid　aside　her　role　of　man　and　mistress；　and　became　not　merely　an　angel　again；　but　a　duchess；　and　not　only　a　duchess；　but　Moliere's　Celimene。

The　Duchesse　de　Maufrigneuse　made　a　stately　bow　to　these　four　personages；　and　drew　from　the　Chevalier　his　last　tear　of　admiration　at　the　service　of　le　beau　sexe。

〃How　like　she　is　to　the　Princess　Goritza！〃　he　exclaimed　in　a　low　voice。

Diane　had　disappeared。　The　crack　of　the　postilion's　whip　told　Victurnien　that　the　fair　romance　of　his　first　love　was　over。　While　peril　lasted；　Diane　could　still　see　her　lover　in　the　young　Count；　but　out　of　danger；　she　despised　him　for　the　weakling　that　he　was。



Six　months　afterwards；　Camusot　received　the　appointment　of　assistant　judge　at　Paris；　and　later　he　became　an　examining　magistrate。　Goodman　Blondet　was　made　a　councillor　to　the　Royal…Court；　he　held　the　post　just　long　enough　to　secure　a　retiring　pension；　and　then　went　back　to　live　in　his　pretty　little　house。　Joseph　Blondet　sat　in　his　father's　seat　at　the　court　till　the　end　of　his　days；　there　was　not　the　faintest　chance　of　promotion　for　him；　but　he　became　Mlle。　Blandereau's　husband；　and　she；　no　doubt；　is　leading　to…day；　in　the　little　flower…covered　brick　house；　as　dull　a　life　as　any　carp　in　a　marble　basin。　Michu　and　Camusot　also　received　the　Cross　of　the　Legion　of　Honor；　while　Blondet　became　an　Officer。　As　for　M。　Sauvager；　deputy　public　prosecutor；　he　was　sent　to　Corsica；　to　du　Croisier's　great　relief；　he　had　decidedly　no　mind　to　bestow　his　niece　upon　that　functionary。

Du　Croisier　himself；　urged　by　President　du　Ronceret；　appealed　from　the　finding　of　the　Tribunal　to　the　Court…Royal；　and　lost　his　cause。　The　Liberals　throughout　the　department　held　that　little　d'Esgrignon　was　guilty；　while　the　Royalists；　on　the　other　hand；　told　frightful　stories　of　plots　woven　by　〃that　abominable　du　Croisier〃　to　compass　his　revenge。　A　duel　was　fought　indeed；　the　hazard　of　arms　favored　du　Croisier；　the　young　Count　was　dangerously　wounded；　and　his　antagonist　maintained　his　words。　This　affair　embittered　the　strife　between　the　two　parties；　the　Liberals　brought　it　forward　on　all　occasions。　Meanwhile　du　Croisier　never　could　carry　his　election；　and　saw　no　hope　of　marrying　his　niece　to　the　Count；　especially　after　the　duel。

A　month　after　the　decision　of　the　Tribunal　was　confirmed　in　the　Court…　Royal；　Chesnel　died；　exhausted　by　the　dreadful　strain；　which　had　weakened　and　shaken　him　mentally　and　physically。　He　died　in　the　hour　of　victory；　like　some　old　faithful　hound　that　has　brought　the　boar　to　bay；　and　gets　his　death　on　the　tusks。　He　died　as　happily　as　might　be；　seeing　that　he　left　the　great　House　all　but　ruined；　and　the　heir　in　penury；　bored　to　death　by　an　idle　life；　and　without　a　hope　of　establishing　himself。　That　bitter　thought　and　his　own　exhaustion；　no　doubt；　hastened　the　old　man's　end。　One　great　comfort　came　to　him　as　he　lay　amid　the　wreck　of　so　many　hopes；　sinking　under　the　burden　of　so　many　caresthe　old　Marquis；　at　his　sister's　entreaty；　gave　him　back　all　the　old　friendship。　The　great　lord　came　to　the　little　house　in　the　Rue　du　Bercail；　and　sat　by　his　old　servant's　bedside；　all　unaware　how　much　that　servant　had　done　and　sacrificed　for　him。　Chesnel　sat　upright；　and　repeated　Simeon's　cry。The　Marquis　allowed　them　to　bury　Chesnel　in　the　castle　chapel；　they　laid　him　crosswise　at　the　foot　of　the　tomb　which　was　waiting　for　the　Marquis　himself；　the　last；　in　a　sense；　of　the　d'Esgrignons。

And　so　died　one　of　the　last　representatives　of　that　great　and　beautiful　thing；　Service；　giving　to　that　often　discredited　word　its　original　meaning；　the　relation　between　feudal　lord　and　servitor。　That　relation；　only　to　be　found　in　some　out…of…the…way　province；　or　among　a　few　old　servants　of　the　King；　did　honor　alike　to　a　noblesse　that　could　call　forth　such　affection；　and　to　a　bourgeoisie　that　could　conceive　it。　Such　noble　and　magnificent　devotion　is　no　longer　possible　among　us。　Noble　houses　have　no　servitors　left；　even　as　France　has　no　longer　a　King；　nor　an　hereditary　peerage；　nor　lands　that　are　bound　irrevocably　to　an　historic　house；　that　the　glorious　names　of　the　nation　may　be　perpetuated。　Chesnel　was　not　merely　one　of　the　obscure　great　men　of　private　life；　he　was　something　morehe　was　a　great　fact。　In　his　sustained　self…devotion　is　there　not　something　indefinably　solemn　and　sublime；　something　that　rises　above　the　one　beneficent　deed；　or　the　heroic　height　which　is　reached　by　a　moment's　supreme　effort？　Chesnel's　virtues　belong　essentially　to　the　classes　which　stand　between　the　poverty　of　the　people　on　the　one　hand；　and　the　greatness　of　the　aristocracy　on　the　other；　for　these　can　combine　homely　burgher　virtues　with　the　heroic　ideals　of　the　noble；　enlightening　both　by　a　solid　education。

Victurnien　was　not　well　looked　upon　at　Court；　there　was　no　more　chance　of　a　great　match　for　him；　nor　a　place。　His　Majesty　steadily　refused　to　raise　the　d'Esgrignons　to　the　peerage；　the　one　royal　favor　which　could　rescue　Victurnien　from　his　wretched　position。　It　was　impossible　that　he　should　marry　a　bourgeoise　heiress　in　his　father's　lifetime；　so　he　was　bound　to　live　on　shabbily　under　the　paternal　roof　with　memories　of　his　two　years　of　splendor　in　Paris；　and　the　lost　love　of　a　great　lady　to　bear　him　company。　He　grew　moody　and　depressed；　vegetating　at　home　with　a　careworn　aunt　and　a　half　heart…broken　father；　who　attributed　his　son's　condition　to　a　wasting　malady。　Chesnel　was　no　longer　there。

The　Marquis　died　in　1830。　The　great　d'Esgrignon；　with　a　following　of　all　the　less　infirm　noblesse　from　the　Collection　of　Antiquities；　went　to　wait　upon　Charles　X。　at　Nonancourt；　he　paid　his　respects　to　his　sovereign；　and　swelled　the　meagre　train　of　the　fallen　king。　It　was　an　act　of　courage　which　seems　simple　enough　to…day；　but；　in　that　time　of　enthusiastic　revolt；　it　was　heroism。

〃The　Gaul　has　conquered！〃　These　were　the　Marquis'　last　words。

By　that　time　du　Croisier's　victory　was　complete。　The　new　Marquis　d'Esgrignon　accepted　Mlle。　Duval　as　his　wife　a　week　after　his　old　father's　death。　His　bride　brought　him　three　millions　of　francs　for　du　Croisier　and　his　wife　settled　the　reversion　of　their　fortunes　upon　her　in　the　marriage…contrac