a second home-第12部分

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tinence；　commanded　in　a　severe　toneand　Granville　did　not　deem　it　advisable　to　write　in　his　turn　to　the　Pope　and　take　the　opinion　of　the　Consistory　on　the　proper　way　of　observing　Lent；　the　Ember　days；　and　the　eve　of　great　festivals。

His　misfortune　was　too　great！　He　could　not　even　complain；　for　what　could　he　say？　He　had　a　pretty　young　wife　attached　to　her　duties；　virtuousnay；　a　model　of　all　the　virtues。　She　had　a　child　every　year；　nursed　them　herself；　and　brought　them　up　in　the　highest　principles。　Being　charitable；　Angelique　was　promoted　to　rank　as　an　angel。　The　old　women　who　constituted　the　circle　in　which　she　movedfor　at　that　time　it　was　not　yet　〃the　thing〃　for　young　women　to　be　religious　as　a　matter　of　fashionall　admired　Madame　de　Granville's　piety；　and　regarded　her；　not　indeed　as　a　virgin；　but　as　a　martyr。　They　blamed　not　the　wife's　scruples；　but　the　barbarous　philoprogenitiveness　of　the　husband。

Granville；　by　insensible　degrees；　overdone　with　work；　bereft　of　conjugal　consolations；　and　weary　of　a　world　in　which　he　wandered　alone；　by　the　time　he　was　two…and…thirty　had　sunk　into　the　Slough　of　Despond。　He　hated　life。　Having　too　lofty　a　notion　of　the　responsibilities　imposed　on　him　by　his　position　to　set　the　example　of　a　dissipated　life；　he　tried　to　deaden　feeling　by　hard　study；　and　began　a　great　book　on　Law。

But　he　was　not　allowed　to　enjoy　the　monastic　peace　he　had　hoped　for。　When　the　celestial　Angelique　saw　him　desert　worldly　society　to　work　at　home　with　such　regularity；　she　tried　to　convert　him。　It　had　been　a　real　sorrow　to　her　to　know　that　her　husband's　opinions　were　not　strictly　Christian；　and　she　sometimes　wept　as　she　reflected　that　if　her　husband　should　die　it　would　be　in　a　state　of　final　impenitence；　so　that　she　could　not　hope　to　snatch　him　from　the　eternal　fires　of　Hell。　Thus　Granville　was　a　mark　for　the　mean　ideas；　the　vacuous　arguments；　the　narrow　views　by　which　his　wifefancying　she　had　achieved　the　first　victorytried　to　gain　a　second　by　bringing　him　back　within　the　pale　of　the　Church。

This　was　the　last　straw。　What　can　be　more　intolerable　than　the　blind　struggle　in　which　the　obstinacy　of　a　bigot　tries　to　meet　the　acumen　of　a　lawyer？　What　more　terrible　to　endure　than　the　acrimonious　pin…pricks　to　which　a　passionate　soul　prefers　a　dagger…thrust？　Granville　neglected　his　home。　Everything　there　was　unendurable。　His　children；　broken　by　their　mother's　frigid　despotism；　dared　not　go　with　him　to　the　play；　indeed；　Granville　could　never　give　them　any　pleasure　without　bringing　down　punishment　from　their　terrible　mother。　His　loving　nature　was　weaned　to　indifference；　to　a　selfishness　worse　than　death。　His　boys；　indeed；　he　saved　from　this　hell　by　sending　them　to　school　at　an　early　age；　and　insisting　on　his　right　to　train　them。　He　rarely　interfered　between　his　wife　and　her　daughters；　but　he　was　resolved　that　they　should　marry　as　soon　as　they　were　old　enough。

Even　if　he　had　wished　to　take　violent　measures；　he　could　have　found　no　justification；　his　wife；　backed　by　a　formidable　army　of　dowagers；　would　have　had　him　condemned　by　the　whole　world。　Thus　Granville　had　no　choice　but　to　live　in　complete　isolation；　but；　crushed　under　the　tyranny　of　misery；　he　could　not　himself　bear　to　see　how　altered　he　was　by　grief　and　toil。　And　he　dreaded　any　connection　or　intimacy　with　women　of　the　world；　having　no　hope　of　finding　any　consolation。

The　improving　history　of　this　melancholy　household　gave　rise　to　no　events　worthy　of　record　during　the　fifteen　years　between　1806　and　1825。　Madame　de　Granville　was　exactly　the　same　after　losing　her　husband's　affection　as　she　had　been　during　the　time　when　she　called　herself　happy。　She　paid　for　Masses；　beseeching　God　and　the　Saints　to　enlighten　her　as　to　what　the　faults　were　which　displeased　her　husband；　and　to　show　her　the　way　to　restore　the　erring　sheep；　but　the　more　fervent　her　prayers；　the　less　was　Granville　to　be　seen　at　home。

For　about　five　years　now；　having　achieved　a　high　position　as　a　judge；　Granville　had　occupied　the　/entresol/　of　the　house　to　avoid　living　with　the　Comtesse　de　Granville。　Every　morning　a　little　scene　took　place；　which；　if　evil　tongues　are　to　be　believed；　is　repeated　in　many　households　as　the　result　of　incompatibility　of　temper；　of　moral　or　physical　malady；　or　of　antagonisms　leading　to　such　disaster　as　is　recorded　in　this　history。　At　about　eight　in　the　morning　a　housekeeper；　bearing　no　small　resemblance　to　a　nun；　rang　at　the　Comte　de　Granville's　door。　Admitted　to　the　room　next　to　the　Judge's　study；　she　always　repeated　the　same　message　to　the　footman；　and　always　in　the　same　tone：

〃Madame　would　be　glad　to　know　whether　Monsieur　le　Comte　has　had　a　good　night；　and　if　she　is　to　have　the　pleasure　of　his　company　at　breakfast。〃

〃Monsieur　presents　his　compliments　to　Madame　la　Comtesse；〃　the　valet　would　say；　after　speaking　with　his　master；　〃and　begs　her　to　hold　him　excused；　important　business　compels　him　to　be　in　court　this　morning。〃

A　minute　later　the　woman　reappeared　and　asked　on　madame's　behalf　whether　she　would　have　the　pleasure　of　seeing　Monsieur　le　Comte　before　he　went　out。

〃He　is　gone；〃　was　always　the　rely；　though　often　his　carriage　was　still　waiting。

This　little　dialogue　by　proxy　became　a　daily　ceremonial。　Granville's　servant；　a　favorite　with　his　master；　and　the　cause　of　more　than　one　quarrel　over　his　irreligious　and　dissipated　conduct；　would　even　go　into　his　master's　room；　as　a　matter　of　form；　when　the　Count　was　not　there；　and　come　back　with　the　same　formula　in　reply。

The　aggrieved　wife　was　always　on　the　watch　for　her　husband's　return；　and　standing　on　the　steps　so　as　to　meet　him　like　an　embodiment　of　remorse。　The　petty　aggressiveness　which　lies　at　the　root　of　the　monastic　temper　was　the　foundation　of　Madame　de　Granville's；　she　was　now　five…and…thirty；　and　looked　forty。　When　the　count　was　compelled　by　decency　to　speak　to　his　wife　or　to　dine　at　home；　she　was　only　too　well　pleased　to　inflict　her　company　upon　him；　with　her　acid…sweet　remarks　and　the　intolerable　dulness　of　her　narrow…minded　circle；　and　she　tried　to　put　him　in　the　wrong　before　the　servants　and　her　charitable　friends。

When；　at　this　time；　the　post　of　President　in　a　provincial　court　was　offered　to　the　Comte　de　Granville；　who　was　in　high　favor；　he　begged　to　be　allowed　to　remain　in　Paris。　This　refusal；　of　which　the　Keeper　of　the　Seals　alone　knew　the　reasons；　gave　rise　to　extraordinary　conjectures　on　the　part　of　the　Countess'　intimate　friends　and　of　her　director。　Granville；　a　rich　man　with　a　hundred　thousand　francs　a　year；　belonged　to　one　of　the　first　families　of　Normandy。　His　appointment　to　be　Presiding　Judge　would　have　been　the　stepping…stone　to　a　peer's　seat；　whence　this　strange　lack　of　ambition？　Why　had　he　given　up　his　great　book　on　Law？　What　was　the　meaning　of　the　dissipation　which　for　nearly　six　years　had　made　him　a　stranger　to　his　home；　his　family；　his　study；　to　all　he　ought　to　hold　dear？　The　Countess'　confessor；　who　based　his　hopes　of　a　bishopric　quite　as　much　on　the　families　he　governed　as　on　the　services　he　rendered　to　an　association　of　which　he　was　an　ardent　propagator；　was　much　disappointed　by　Granville's　refusal；　and　tried　to　insinuate　calumnious　explanations：　〃If　Monsieur　le　Comte　had　such　an　objection　to　provincial　life；　it　was　perhaps　because　he　dreaded　finding　himself　under　the　necessity　of　leading　a　regular　life；　compelled　to　set　an　example　of　moral　conduct；　and　to　live　with　the　Countess；　from　whom　nothing　could　have　alienated　him　but　some　illicit　connection；　for　how　could　a　woman　so　pure　as　Madame　de　Granville　ever　tolerate　the　disorderly　life　into　which　her　husband　had　drifted？〃　The　sanctimonious　woman　accepted　as　facts　these　hints；　which　unluckily　were　not　merely　hypothetical；　and　Madame　de　Granville　was　stricken　as　by　a　thunderbolt。

Angelique；　knowing　nothing　of　the　world；　of　love　and　its　follies；　was　so　far　from　conceiving　of　any　conditions　of　married　life　unlike　those　that　had　alienated　her　husband　as　possible；　that　she　believed　him　to　be　incapable　of　the　errors　which　are　crimes　in　the　eyes　of　any　wife。　When　the　Count　ceased　to　demand　anything　of　her；　she　imagined　that　the　tranquillity　he　now　seemed　to　enjoy　was　in　the　course　of　nature；　and；　as　she　had　really　given　to　him　all　the　love　which　her　heart　was　capable　of　feeling　for　a　man；　while　the　priest's　conjectures　were　the　utter　destruction　of　the　illusions　she　had　hitherto　cherished；　she　defended　her　husband；　at　the　same　time；　she　could　not　eradicate　the　suspicion　that　had　been　so　ingeniously　sown　in　her　soul。

These　alarms　wrought　such　havoc　in　her　feeble　brain　that　they　made　her　ill；　she　was　worn　by　low　fever。　These　incidents　took　place　during　Lent　1822；　she　would　not　pretermit　her　austerities；　and　fell　into　a　decline　that　put　her　life　in　danger。　Granville's　indifference　was　added　torture；　his　care　and　attention　were　such　as　a　nephew　feels　himself　bound　to　give　to　some　old　uncle。

Though　the　Countess　had　given　up　her　persistent　nagging　and　remonstrances；　and　tried　to　receive　her　husband　with　affectionate　words；　the　sharpness　of　the　bigot　showed　through；　and　one　speech　would　often　undo　the　work　of　a　week。

Towards　the　end　of　May；　the　warm　breath　of　spring；　and　more　nourishing　diet　than　her　Lenten　fare；　restored　Madame　de　Granville　to　a　little　strength。　One　morning；　on　coming　home　from　Mass；　she　sat　down　on　a　stone　bench　in　the　little　garden；　where　the　sun's　kisses　reminded　her　of　the　early　days　of　her　married　life；　and　she　looked　back　across　the　years　to　see　wherein　she　might　have　failed　in　her　duty　as　a　wife　and　mother。　She　was　broken　in　upon　by　the　Abbe　Fontanon　in　an　almost　indescribable　state　of　excitement。

〃Has　any　misfortune　befallen　you；　Father？〃　she　asked　with　filial　solicitude。

〃Ah！　I　only　wish；〃　cried　the　Normandy　priest；　〃that　all　the　woes　inflicted　on　you　by　the　hand　of　God　were　dealt　out　to　me；　but；　my　admirable　friend；　there　are　trials　to　which　you　can　but　bow。〃

〃Can　any　worse　punishments　await　me　than　those　with　which　Providence　crushes　me　by　making　my　husband　the　instrument　of　His　wrath？〃

〃You　must　prepare　yourself；　daughter；　to　yet　worse　mischief　than　we　and　your　pious　friends　had　ever　conceived　of。〃

〃Then　I　may　thank　God；〃　said　the　Countess；　〃for　vouchsafing　to　use　you　as　the　messenger　of　His　will；