a woman of thirty-第9部分

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despising　those　whom　it　has　brought　down　to　its　own　level。　The　petty　fixed　idea　naturally　prevails；　it　has　the　advantage　of　persistence　over　the　plasticity　of　great　thoughts。

The　observer　who　should　seek　to　estimate　and　appraise　the　negative　values　of　these　empty　heads　needs　subtlety　rather　than　superior　wit　for　the　task；　patience　is　a　more　necessary　part　of　his　judicial　outfit　than　great　mental　grasp；　cunning　and　tact　rather　than　any　elevation　or　greatness　of　ideas。　Yet　skilfully　as　such　usurpers　can　cover　and　defend　their　weak　points；　it　is　difficult　to　delude　wife　and　mother　and　children　and　the　house…friend　of　the　family；　fortunately　for　them；　however；　these　persons　almost　always　keep　a　secret　which　in　a　manner　touches　the　honor　of　all；　and　not　unfrequently　go　so　far　as　to　help　to　foist　the　imposture　upon　the　public。　And　if；　thanks　to　such　domestic　conspiracy；　many　a　noodle　passes　current　for　a　man　of　ability；　on　the　other　hand　many　another　who　has　real　ability　is　taken　for　a　noodle　to　redress　the　balance；　and　the　total　average　of　this　kind　of　false　coin　in　circulation　in　the　state　is　a　pretty　constant　quantity。

Bethink　yourself　now　of　the　part　to　be　played　by　a　clever　woman　quick　to　think　and　feel；　mated　with　a　husband　of　this　kind；　and　can　you　not　see　a　vision　of　lives　full　of　sorrow　and　self…sacrifice？　Nothing　upon　earth　can　repay　such　hearts　so　full　of　love　and　tender　tact。　Put　a　strong…willed　woman　in　this　wretched　situation；　and　she　will　force　a　way　out　of　it　for　herself　by　a　crime；　like　Catherine　II。；　whom　men　nevertheless　style　〃the　Great。〃　But　these　women　are　not　all　seated　upon　thrones；　they　are　for　the　most　part　doomed　to　domestic　unhappiness　none　the　less　terrible　because　obscure。

Those　who　seek　consolation　in　this　present　world　for　their　woes　often　effect　nothing　but　a　change　of　ills　if　they　remain　faithful　to　their　duties；　or　they　commit　a　sin　if　they　break　the　laws　for　their　pleasure。　All　these　reflections　are　applicable　to　Julie's　domestic　life。

Before　the　fall　of　Napoleon　nobody　was　jealous　of　d'Aiglemont。　He　was　one　colonel　among　many；　an　efficient　orderly　staff…officer；　as　good　a　man　as　you　could　find　for　a　dangerous　mission；　as　unfit　as　well　could　be　for　an　important　command。　D'Aiglemont　was　looked　upon　as　a　dashing　soldier　such　as　the　Emperor　liked；　the　kind　of　man　whom　his　mess　usually　calls　〃a　good　fellow。〃　The　Restoration　gave　him　back　his　title　of　Marquis；　and　did　not　find　him　ungrateful；　he　followed　the　Bourbons　into　exile　at　Ghent；　a　piece　of　logical　loyalty　which　falsified　the　horoscope　drawn　for　him　by　his　late　father…in…law；　who　predicted　that　Victor　would　remain　a　colonel　all　his　life。　After　the　Hundred　Days　he　received　the　appointment　of　Lieutenant…General；　and　for　the　second　time　became　a　marquis；　but　it　was　M。　d'Aiglemont's　ambition　to　be　a　peer　of　France。　He　adopted；　therefore；　the　maxims　and　the　politics　of　the　/Conservateur/；　cloaked　himself　in　dissimulation　which　hid　nothing　（there　being　nothing　to　hide）；　cultivated　gravity　of　countenance　and　the　art　of　asking　questions　and　saying　little；　and　was　taken　for　a　man　of　profound　wisdom。　Nothing　drew　him　from　his　intrenchments　behind　the　forms　of　politeness；　he　laid　in　a　provision　of　formulas；　and　made　lavish　use　of　his　stock　of　the　catch…words　coined　at　need　in　Paris　to　give　fools　the　small　change　for　the　ore　of　great　ideas　and　events。　Among　men　of　the　world　he　was　reputed　a　man　of　taste　and　discernment；　and　as　a　bigoted　upholder　of　aristocratic　opinions　he　was　held　up　for　a　noble　character。　If　by　chance　he　slipped　now　and　again　into　his　old　light…heartedness　or　levity；　others　were　ready　to　discover　an　undercurrent　of　diplomatic　intention　beneath　his　inanity　and　silliness。　〃Oh！　he　only　says　exactly　as　much　as　he　means　to　say；〃　thought　these　excellent　people。

So　d'Aiglemont's　defects　and　good　qualities　stood　him　alike　in　good　stead。　He　did　nothing　to　forfeit　a　high　military　reputation　gained　by　his　dashing　courage；　for　he　had　never　been　a　commander…in…chief。　Great　thoughts　surely　were　engraven　upon　that　manly　aristocratic　countenance；　which　imposed　upon　every　one　but　his　own　wife。　And　when　everybody　else　believed　in　the　Marquis　d'Aiglemont's　imaginary　talents；　the　Marquis　persuaded　himself　before　he　had　done　that　he　was　one　of　the　most　remarkable　men　at　Court；　where；　thanks　to　his　purely　external　qualifications；　he　was　in　favor　and　taken　at　his　own　valuation。

At　home；　however；　M。　d'Aiglemont　was　modest。　Instinctively　he　felt　that　his　wife；　young　though　she　was；　was　his　superior；　and　out　of　this　involuntary　respect　there　grew　an　occult　power　which　the　Marquise　was　obliged　to　wield　in　spite　of　all　her　efforts　to　shake　off　the　burden。　She　became　her　husband's　adviser；　the　director　of　his　actions　and　his　fortunes。　It　was　an　unnatural　position；　she　felt　it　as　something　of　a　humiliation；　a　source　of　pain　to　be　buried　in　the　depths　of　her　heart。　From　the　first　her　delicately　feminine　instinct　told　her　that　it　is　a　far　better　thing　to　obey　a　man　of　talent　than　to　lead　a　fool；　and　that　a　young　wife　compelled　to　act　and　think　like　a　man　is　neither　man　nor　woman；　but　a　being　who　lays　aside　all　the　charms　of　her　womanhood　along　with　its　misfortunes；　yet　acquires　none　of　the　privileges　which　our　laws　give　to　the　stronger　sex。　Beneath　the　surface　her　life　was　a　bitter　mockery。　Was　she　not　compelled　to　protect　her　protector；　to　worship　a　hollow　idol；　a　poor　creature　who　flung　her　the　love　of　a　selfish　husband　as　the　wages　of　her　continual　self…sacrifice；　who　saw　nothing　in　her　but　the　woman；　and　who　either　did　not　think　it　worth　while；　or　（wrong　quite　as　deep）　did　not　think　at　all　of　troubling　himself　about　her　pleasures；　of　inquiring　into　the　cause　of　her　low　spirits　and　dwindling　health？　And　the　Marquis；　like　most　men　who　chafe　under　a　wife's　superiority；　saved　his　self…love　by　arguing　from　Julie's　physical　feebleness　a　corresponding　lack　of　mental　power；　for　which　he　was　pleased　to　pity　her；　and　he　would　cry　out　upon　fate　which　had　given　him　a　sickly　girl　for　a　wife。　The　executioner　posed；　in　fact；　as　the　victim。

All　the　burdens　of　this　dreary　lot　fell　upon　the　Marquise；　who　still　must　smile　upon　her　foolish　lord；　and　deck　a　house　of　mourning　with　flowers；　and　make　a　parade　of　happiness　in　a　countenance　wan　with　secret　torture。　And　with　this　sense　of　responsibility　for　the　honor　of　both；　with　the　magnificent　immolation　of　self；　the　young　Marquise　unconsciously　acquired　a　wifely　dignity；　a　consciousness　of　virtue　which　became　her　safeguard　amid　many　dangers。

Perhaps；　if　her　heart　were　sounded　to　the　very　depths；　this　intimate　closely　hidden　wretchedness；　following　upon　her　unthinking；　girlish　first　love；　had　roused　in　her　an　abhorrence　of　passion；　possibly　she　had　no　conception　of　its　rapture；　nor　of　the　forbidden　but　frenzied　bliss　for　which　some　women　will　renounce　all　the　laws　of　prudence　and　the　principles　of　conduct　upon　which　society　is　based。　She　put　from　her　like　a　dream　the　thought　of　bliss　and　tender　harmony　of　love　promised　by　Mme。　de　Listomere…Landon's　mature　experience；　and　waited　resignedly　for　the　end　of　her　troubles　with　a　hope　that　she　might　die　young。

Her　health　had　declined　daily　since　her　return　from　Touraine；　her　life　seemed　to　be　measured　to　her　in　suffering；　yet　her　ill…health　was　graceful；　her　malady　seemed　little　more　than　languor；　and　might　well　be　taken　by　careless　eyes　for　a　fine　lady's　whim　of　invalidism。

Her　doctors　had　condemned　her　to　keep　to　the　sofa；　and　there　among　her　flowers　lay　the　Marquise；　fading　as　they　faded。　She　was　not　strong　enough　to　walk；　nor　to　bear　the　open　air；　and　only　went　out　in　a　closed　carriage。　Yet　with　all　the　marvels　of　modern　luxury　and　invention　about　her；　she　looked　more　like　an　indolent　queen　than　an　invalid。　A　few　of　her　friends；　half　in　love　perhaps　with　her　sad　plight　and　her　fragile　look；　sure　of　finding　her　at　home；　and　speculating　no　doubt　upon　her　future　restoration　to　health；　would　come　to　bring　her　the　news　of　the　day；　and　kept　her　informed　of　the　thousand　and　one　small　events　which　fill　life　in　Paris　with　variety。　Her　melancholy；　deep　and　real　though　it　was　was　still　the　melancholy　of　a　woman　rich　in　many　ways。　The　Marquise　d'Aiglemont　was　like　a　flower；　with　a　dark　insect　gnawing　at　its　root。

Occasionally　she　went　into　society；　not　to　please　herself；　but　in　obedience　to　the　exigencies　of　the　position　which　her　husband　aspired　to　take。　In　society　her　beautiful　voice　and　the　perfection　of　her　singing　could　always　gain　the　social　success　so　gratifying　to　a　young　woman；　but　what　was　social　success　to　her；　who　drew　nothing　from　it　for　her　heart　or　her　hopes？　Her　husband　did　not　care　for　music。　And；　moreover；　she　seldom　felt　at　her　ease　in　salons；　where　her　beauty　attracted　homage　not　wholly　disinterested。　Her　position　excited　a　sort　of　cruel　compassion；　a　morbid　curiosity。　She　was　suffering　from　an　inflammatory　complaint　not　infrequently　fatal；　for　which　our　nosology　as　yet　has　found　no　name；　a　complaint　spoken　of　among　women　in　confidential　whispers。　In　spite　of　the　silence　in　which　her　life　was　spent；　the　cause　of　her　ill…health　was　no　secret。　She　was　still　but　a　girl　in　spite　of　her　marriage；　the　slightest　glance　threw　her　into　confusion。　In　her　endeavor　not　to　bl