the secrets of the princesse de cadignan-第12部分

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Tillet；　one　of　the　richest　bankers　in　Paris；　the　Baron　de　Nucingen；

Raoul　Nathan；　Lady　Dudley；　two　very　treacherous　secretaries　of

embassies　and　the　Chevalier　d'Espard；　the　wiliest　person　in　this

assemblage　and　the　chief　instigator　of　his　sister…in…law's　policy。



When　dinner　was　well　under　way；　Maxime　de　Trailles　turned　to　d'Arthez

and　said　smiling：



〃You　see　a　great　deal；　don't　you；　of　the　Princesse　de　Cadignan？〃



To　this　question　d'Arthez　responded　by　curtly　nodding　his　head。　Maxime

de　Trailles　was　a　〃bravo〃　of　the　social　order；　without　faith　or　law；

capable　of　everything；　ruining　the　women　who　trusted　him；　compelling

them　to　pawn　their　diamonds　to　give　him　money；　but　covering　this

conduct　with　a　brilliant　varnish；　a　man　of　charming　manners　and

satanic　mind。　He　inspired　all　who　knew　him　with　equal　contempt　and

fear；　but　as　no　one　was　bold　enough　to　show　him　any　sentiments　but

those　of　the　utmost　courtesy　he　saw　nothing　of　this　public　opinion；　or

else　he　accepted　and　shared　the　general　dissimulation。　He　owed　to　the

Comte　de　Marsay　the　greatest　degree　of　elevation　to　which　he　could

attain。　De　Marsay；　whose　knowledge　of　Maxime　was　of　long…standing；

judged　him　capable　of　fulfilling　certain　secret　and　diplomatic

functions　which　he　confided　to　him　and　of　which　de　Trailles　acquitted

himself　admirably。　D'Arthez　had　for　some　time　past　mingled

sufficiently　in　political　matters　to　know　the　man　for　what　he　was；　and

he　alone　had　sufficient　strength　and　height　of　character　to　express

aloud　what　others　thought　or　said　in　a　whisper。



〃Is　it　for　her　that　you　neglect　the　Chamber？〃　asked　Baron　de　Nucingen

in　his　German　accent。



〃Ah！　the　princess　is　one　of　the　most　dangerous　women　a　man　can　have

anything　to　do　with。　I　owe　to　her　the　miseries　of　my　marriage；〃

exclaimed　the　Marquis　d'Esgrignon。



〃Dangerous？〃　said　Madame　d'Espard。　〃Don't　speak　so　of　my　nearest

friend。　I　have　never　seen　or　known　anything　in　the　princess　that　did

not　seem　to　come　from　the　noblest　sentiments。〃



〃Let　the　marquis　say　what　he　thinks；〃　cried　Rastignac。　〃When　a　man　has

been　thrown　by　a　fine　horse　he　thinks　it　has　vices　and　he　sells　it。〃



Piqued　by　these　words；　the　Marquis　d'Esgrignon　looked　at　d'Arthez　and

said：



〃Monsieur　is　not；　I　trust；　on　such　terms　with　the　princess　that　we

cannot　speak　freely　of　her？〃



D'Arthez　kept　silence。　D'Esgrignon；　who　was　not　wanting　in　cleverness；

replied　to　Rastignac's　speech　with　an　apologetic　portrait　of　the

princess；　which　put　the　whole　table　in　good　humor。　As　the　jest　was

extremely　obscure　to　d'Arthez　he　leaned　towards　his　neighbor；　Madame

de　Montcornet；　and　asked　her；　in　a　whisper；　what　it　meant。



〃Excepting　yourselfjudging　by　the　excellent　opinion　you　seem　to　have

of　the　princessall　the　other　guests　are　said　to　have　been　in　her

good　graces。〃



〃I　can　assure　you　that　such　an　accusation　is　absolutely　false；〃　said

Daniel。



〃And　yet；　here　is　Monsieur　d'Esgrignon　of　an　old　family　of　Alencon；

who　completely　ruined　himself　for　her　some　twelve　years　ago；　and；　if

all　is　true；　came　very　near　going　to　the　scaffold。〃



〃I　know　the　particulars　of　that　affair；〃　said　d'Arthez。　〃Madame　de

Cadignan　went　to　Alencon　to　save　Monsieur　d'Esgrignon　from　a　trial

before　the　court　of　assizes；　and　this　is　how　he　rewards　her　to…day！〃



Madame　de　Montcornet　looked　at　d'Arthez　with　a　surprise　and　curiosity

that　were　almost　stupid；　then　she　turned　her　eyes　on　Madame　d'Espard

with　a　look　which　seemed　to　say：　〃He　is　bewitched！〃



During　this　short　conversation　Madame　de　Cadignan　was　protected　by

Madame　d'Espard；　whose　protection　was　like　that　of　the　lightning…rod

which　draws　the　flash。　When　d'Arthez　returned　to　the　general

conversation　Maxime　de　Trailles　was　saying：



〃With　Diane；　depravity　is　not　an　effect　but　a　cause；　perhaps　she　owes

that　cause　to　her　exquisite　nature；　she　doesn't　invent；　she　makes　no

effort；　she　offers　you　the　choicest　refinements　as　the　inspiration　of

a　spontaneous　and　naive　love；　and　it　is　absolutely　impossible　not　to

believe　her。〃



This　speech；　which　seemed　to　have　been　prepared　for　a　man　of

d'Arthez's　stamp；　was　so　tremendous　an　arraignment　that　the　company

appeared　to　accept　it　as　a　conclusion。　No　one　said　more；　the　princess

was　crushed。　D'Arthez　looked　straight　at　de　Trailles　and　then　at

d'Esgrignon　with　a　sarcastic　air；　and　said：



〃The　greatest　fault　of　that　woman　is　that　she　has　followed　in　the　wake

of　men。　She　squanders　patrimonies　as　they　do；　she　drives　her　lovers　to

usurers；　she　pockets　〃dots〃；　she　ruins　orphans；　she　inspires；　possibly

she　commits；　crimes；　but〃



Never　had　the　two　men；　whom　d'Arthez　was　chiefly　addressing；　listened

to　such　plain　talk。　At　that　BUT　the　whole　table　was　startled；　every

one　paused；　fork　in　air；　their　eyes　fixed　alternately　on　the　brave

author　and　on　the　assailants　of　the　princess；　awaiting　the　conclusion

of　that　horrible　silence。



〃But；〃　said　d'Arthez；　with　sarcastic　airiness；　〃Madame　la　Princesse　de

Cadignan　has　one　advantage　over　men：　when　they　have　put　themselves　in

danger　for　her　sake；　she　saves　them；　and　says　no　harm　of　any　one。

Among　the　multitude；　why　shouldn't　there　be　one　woman　who　amuses

herself　with　men　as　men　amuse　themselves　with　women？　Why　not　allow　the

fair　sex　to　take；　from　time　to　time；　its　revenge？〃



〃Genius　is　stronger　than　wit；〃　said　Blondet　to　Nathan。



This　broadside　of　sarcasms　was　in　fact　the　discharge　of　a　battery　of

cannons　against　a　platoon　of　musketry。　When　coffee　was　served；　Blondet

and　Nathan　went　up　to　d'Arthez　with　an　eagerness　no　one　else　dared　to

imitate；　so　unable　were　the　rest　of　the　company　to　show　the　admiration

his　conduct　inspired　from　the　fear　of　making　two　powerful　enemies。



〃This　is　not　the　first　time　we　have　seen　that　your　character　equals

your　talent　in　grandeur；〃　said　Blondet。　〃You　behaved　just　now　more

like　a　demi…god　than　a　man。　Not　to　have　been　carried　away　by　your

heart　or　your　imagination；　not　to　have　taken　up　the　defence　of　a

beloved　womana　fault　they　were　enticing　you　to　commit；　because　it

would　have　given　those　men　of　society　eaten　up　with　jealousy　of　your

literary　fame　a　triumph　over　youah！　give　me　leave　to　say　you　have

attained　the　height　of　private　statesmanship。〃



〃Yes；　you　are　a　statesman；〃　said　Nathan。　〃It　is　as　clever　as　it　is

difficult　to　avenge　a　woman　without　defending　her。〃



〃The　princess　is　one　of　those　heroines　of　the　legitimist　party；　and　it

is　the　duty　of　all　men　of　honor　to　protect　her　quand　meme；〃　replied

d'Arthez；　coldly。　〃What　she　has　done　for　the　cause　of　her　masters

would　excuse　all　follies。〃



〃He　keeps　his　own　counsel！〃　said　Nathan　to　Blondet。



〃Precisely　as　if　the　princess　were　worth　it；〃　said　Rastignac；　joining

the　other　two。



D'Arthez　went　to　the　princess；　who　was　awaiting　him　with　the　keenest

anxiety。　The　result　of　this　experiment；　which　Diane　had　herself

brought　about；　might　be　fatal　to　her。　For　the　first　time　in　her　life

this　woman　suffered　in　her　heart。　She　knew　not　what　she　should　do　in

case　d'Arthez　believed　the　world　which　spoke　the　truth；　instead　of

believing　her　who　lied；　for　never　had　so　noble　a　nature；　so　complete　a

man；　a　soul　so　pure；　a　conscience　so　ingenuous　come　beneath　her　hand。

Though　she　had　told　him　cruel　lies　she　was　driven　to　do　so　by　the

desire　of　knowing　a　true　love。　That　loveshe　felt　it　dawning　in　her

heart；　yes；　she　loved　d'Arthez；　and　now　she　was　condemned　forever　to

deceive　him！　She　must　henceforth　remain　to　him　the　actress　who　had

played　that　comedy　to　blind　his　eyes。



When　she　heard　Daniel's　step　in　the　dining…room　a　violent　commotion；　a

shudder　which　reached　to　her　very　vitals　came　over　her。　That

convulsion；　never　felt　during　all　the　years　of　her　adventurous

existence；　told　her　that　she　had　staked　her　happiness　on　this　issue。

Her　eyes；　gazing　into　space；　took　in　the　whole　of　d'Arthez's　person；

their　light　poured　through　his　flesh；　she　read　his　soul；　suspicion　had

not　so　much　as　touched　him　with　its　bat's…wing。　The　terrible　emotion

of　that　fear　then　came　to　its　reaction；　joy　almost　stifled　her；　for

there　is　no　human　being　who　is　not　more　able　to　endure　grief　than　to

bear　extreme　felicity。



〃Daniel；　they　have　calumniated　me；　and　you　have　avenged　me！〃　she

cried；　rising；　and　opening　her　arms　to　him。



In　the　profound　amazement　caused　by　these　words；　the　roots　of　which

were　utterly　unknown　to　him；　Daniel　allowed　his　hand　to　be　taken

between　her　beautiful　hands；　as　the　princess　kissed　him　sacredly　on

the　forehead。



〃But；〃　he　said；　〃how　could　you　know〃



〃Oh！　illustrious　ninny！　do　you　not　see　that　I　love　you　fondly？〃



Since　that　day　nothing　has　been　said　of　the　Princess　de　Cadignan；　nor

of　d'Arthez。　The　princess　has　inherited　some　fortune　from　her　mother

and　she　spends　all　her　summers　in　a　villa　on　the　lake　of　Geneva；　where

the　great　writer　joins　her。　She　returns　to　Paris　for　a　few　months　in

winter。　D'Arthez　is　never　seen　except　in　the　Chamber。　His　writings　are

becoming　exceedingly　rare。　Is　this　a　conclusion？　Yes；　for　people　of

sense；　no；　for　persons　who　want　to　know　everything。







ADDENDUM



The　following　personages　appear　in　other　stories　of　the　Human　Comedy。



Ajuda…Pinto；　Marquis　Miguel　d'

　　Father　Goriot

　　Scenes　from　a　Courtesan's　Life

　　Beatrix



Arthez；　Daniel　d'

　　A　Distinguished　Provincial　at　Paris

　　Letters　of　Two　Brides

　　The　Member　for　Arcis



Bianchon；　Horace

　　Father　Goriot

　　The　Atheist's　Mass

　　Cesar　Birotteau

　　The　Commission　in　Lunacy

　　Lost　Illusions

　　A　Distinguished　Provincial　at　Paris

　　A　Bachelor's　Establishment

　　The　Government　Clerks

　　Pierrette

　　A　Study　of　Woman

　　Scenes　from　a　Courtesan's　Life

　　Honorine

　　The　Seamy　Side　of　History

　　The　Magic　Skin

　　A　Second　Home

　　A　Prince　of　Bohemia

　　Letters　of　Two　Brides

　　The　Muse　of　the　Department

　　The　Imaginary　Mistress