honorine-第6部分

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convents；　and　in　those　days　monasteries　were　being　turned　into
barracks。　Besides；　think　of　what　you　say；　M。　l'Abbegive　to　God　what
society　would　have　none　of？'

〃　'Oh！'　said　the　Comte　de　Grandville；　'you　do　not　know　France。　They
were　obliged　to　leave　the　husband　free　to　take　proceedings：　well；
there　are　not　ten　cases　of　adultery　brought　up　in　a　year。'

〃　'M。　l'Abbe　preaches　for　his　own　saint；　for　it　was　Jesus　Christ　who
invented　adultery；'　said　Comte　Octave。　'In　the　East；　the　cradle　of　the
human　race；　woman　was　merely　a　luxury；　and　there　was　regarded　as　a
chattel；　no　virtues　were　demanded　of　her　but　obedience　and　beauty。　By
exalting　the　soul　above　the　body；　the　modern　family　in　Europea
daughter　of　Christinvented　indissoluble　marriage；　and　made　it　a
sacrament。'

〃　'Ah！　the　Church　saw　the　difficulties；'　exclaimed　M。　de　Grandville。

〃　'This　institution　has　given　rise　to　a　new　world；'　the　Count　went　on
with　a　smile。　'But　the　practices　of　that　world　will　never　be　that　of　a
climate　where　women　are　marriageable　at　seven　years　of　age；　and　more
than　old　at　five…and…twenty。　The　Catholic　Church　overlooked　the　needs
of　half　the　globe。So　let　us　discuss　Europe　only。

〃　'Is　woman　our　superior　or　our　inferior？　That　is　the　real　question　so
far　as　we　are　concerned。　If　woman　is　our　inferior；　by　placing　her　on
so　high　a　level　as　the　Church　does；　fearful　punishments　for　adultery
were　needful。　And　formerly　that　was　what　was　done。　The　cloister　or
death　sums　up　early　legislation。　But　since　then　practice　has　modified
the　law；　as　is　always　the　case。　The　throne　served　as　a　hotbed　for
adultery；　and　the　increase　of　this　inviting　crime　marks　the　decline　of
the　dogmas　of　the　Catholic　Church。　In　these　days；　in　cases　where　the
Church　now　exacts　no　more　than　sincere　repentance　from　the　erring
wife；　society　is　satisfied　with　a　brand…mark　instead　of　an　execution。
The　law　still　condemns　the　guilty；　but　it　no　longer　terrifies　them。　In
short；　there　are　two　standards　of　morals：　that　of　the　world；　and　that
of　the　Code。　Where　the　Code　is　weak；　as　I　admit　with　our　dear　Abbe；
the　world　is　audacious　and　satirical。　There　are　so　few　judges　who
would　not　gladly　have　committed　the　fault　against　which　they　hurl　the
rather　stolid　thunders　of　their　〃Inasmuch。〃　The　world；　which　gives　the
lie　to　the　law　alike　in　its　rejoicings；　in　its　habits；　and　in　its
pleasures；　is　severer　than　the　Code　and　the　Church；　the　world　punishes
a　blunder　after　encouraging　hypocrisy。　The　whole　economy　of　the　law　on
marriage　seems　to　me　to　require　reconstruction　from　the　bottom　to　the
top。　The　French　law　would　be　perfect　perhaps　if　it　excluded　daughters
from　inheriting。'

〃　'We　three　among　us　know　the　question　very　thoroughly；'　said　the
Comte　de　Grandville　with　a　laugh。　'I　have　a　wife　I　cannot　live　with。
Serizy　has　a　wife　who　will　not　live　with　him。　As　for　you；　Octave；
yours　ran　away　from　you。　So　we　three　represent　every　case　of　the
conjugal　conscience；　and；　no　doubt；　if　ever　divorce　is　brought　in
again；　we　shall　form　the　committee。'

〃Octave's　fork　dropped　on　his　glass；　broke　it；　and　broke　his　plate。　He
had　turned　as　pale　as　death；　and　flashed　a　thunderous　glare　at　M。　de
Grandville；　by　which　he　hinted　at　my　presence；　and　which　I　caught。

〃　'Forgive　me；　my　dear　fellow。　I　did　not　see　Maurice；'　the　President
went　on。　'Serizy　and　I；　after　being　the　witnesses　to　your　marriage；
became　your　accomplices；　I　did　not　think　I　was　committing　an
indiscretion　in　the　presence　of　these　two　venerable　priests。'

〃M。　de　Serizy　changed　the　subject　by　relating　all　he　had　done　to
please　his　wife　without　ever　succeeding。　The　old　man　concluded　that　it
was　impossible　to　regulate　human　sympathies　and　antipathies；　he
maintained　that　social　law　was　never　more　perfect　than　when　it　was
nearest　to　natural　law。　Now　Nature　takes　no　account　of　the　affinities
of　souls；　her　aim　is　fulfilled　by　the　propagation　of　the　species。
Hence；　the　Code；　in　its　present　form；　was　wise　in　leaving　a　wide
latitude　to　chance。　The　incapacity　of　daughters　to　inherit　so　long　as
there　were　male　heirs　was　an　excellent　provision；　whether　to　hinder
the　degeneration　of　the　race；　or　to　make　households　happier　by
abolishing　scandalous　unions　and　giving　the　sole　preference　to　moral
qualities　and　beauty。

〃　'But　then；'　he　exclaimed；　lifting　his　hand　with　a　gesture　of
disgust；　'how　are　we　to　perfect　legislation　in　a　country　which　insists
on　bringing　together　seven　or　eight　hundred　legislators！After　all；
if　I　am　sacrificed；'　he　added；　'I　have　a　child　to　succeed　me。'

〃　'Setting　aside　all　the　religious　question；'　my　uncle　said；　'I　would
remark　to　your　Excellency　that　Nature　only　owes　us　life；　and　that　it
is　society　that　owes　us　happiness。　Are　you　a　father？'　asked　my　uncle。

〃　'And　Ihave　I　any　children？'　said　Comte　Octave　in　a　hollow　voice；
and　his　tone　made　such　an　impression　that　there　was　no　more　talk　of
wives　or　marriage。

〃When　coffee　had　been　served；　the　two　Counts　and　the　two　priests　stole
away；　seeing　that　poor　Octave　had　fallen　into　a　fit　of　melancholy
which　prevented　his　noticing　their　disappearance。　My　patron　was
sitting　in　an　armchair　by　the　fire；　in　the　attitude　of　a　man　crushed。

〃　'You　now　know　the　secret　of　my　life；　said　he　to　me　on　noticing　that
we　were　alone。　'After　three　years　of　married　life；　one　evening　when　I
came　in　I　found　a　letter　in　which　the　Countess　announced　her　flight。
The　letter　did　not　lack　dignity；　for　it　is　in　the　nature　of　women　to
preserve　some　virtues　even　when　committing　that　horrible　sin。The
story　is　now　that　my　wife　went　abroad　in　a　ship　that　was　wrecked；　she
is　supposed　to　be　dead。　I　have　lived　alone　for　seven　years！Enough
for　this　evening；　Maurice。　We　will　talk　of　my　situation　when　I　have
grown　used　to　the　idea　of　speaking　of　it　to　you。　When　we　suffer　from　a
chronic　disease；　it　needs　time　to　become　accustomed　to　improvement。
That　improvement　often　seems　to　be　merely　another　aspect　of　the
complaint。'

〃I　went　to　bed　greatly　agitated；　for　the　mystery；　far　from　being
explained；　seemed　to　me　more　obscure　than　ever。　I　foresaw　some　strange
drama　indeed；　for　I　understood　that　there　could　be　no　vulgar
difference　between　the　woman　that　Count　could　choose　and　such　a
character　as　his。　The　events　which　had　driven　the　Countess　to　leave　a
man　so　noble；　so　amiable；　so　perfect；　so　loving；　so　worthy　to　be
loved；　must　have　been　singular；　to　say　the　least。　M。　de　Grandville's
remark　had　been　like　a　torch　flung　into　the　caverns　over　which　I　had
so　long　been　walking；　and　though　the　flame　lighted　them　but　dimly；　my
eyes　could　perceive　their　wide　extent！　I　could　imagine　the　Count's
sufferings　without　knowing　their　depths　or　their　bitterness。　That
sallow　face；　those　parched　temples；　those　overwhelming　studies；　those
moments　of　absentmindedness；　the　smallest　details　of　the　life　of　this
married　bachelor；　all　stood　out　in　luminous　relief　during　the　hour　of
mental　questioning；　which　is；　as　it　were；　the　twilight　before　sleep；
and　to　which　any　man　would　have　given　himself　up；　as　I　did。

〃Oh！　how　I　loved　my　poor　master！　He　seemed　to　me　sublime。　I　read　a
poem　of　melancholy；　I　saw　perpetual　activity　in　the　heart　I　had
accused　of　being　torpid。　Must　not　supreme　grief　always　come　at　last　to
stagnation？　Had　this　judge；　who　had　so　much　in　his　power；　ever
revenged　himself？　Was　he　feeding　himself　on　her　long　agony？　Is　it　not
a　remarkable　thing　in　Paris　to　keep　anger　always　seething　for　ten
years？　What　had　Octave　done　since　this　great　misfortunefor　the
separation　of　husband　and　wife　is　a　great　misfortune　in　our　day；　when
domestic　life　has　become　a　social　question；　which　it　never　was　of　old？

〃We　allowed　a　few　days　to　pass　on　the　watch；　for　great　sorrows　have　a
diffidence　of　their　own；　but　at　last；　one　evening；　the　Count　said　in　a
grave　voice：

〃　'Stay。'



〃This；　as　nearly　as　may　be；　is　his　story。

〃　'My　father　had　a　ward；　rich　and　lovely；　who　was　sixteen　at　the　time
when　I　came　back　from　college　to　live　in　this　old　house。　Honorine；　who
had　been　brought　up　by　my　mother；　was　just　awakening　to　life。　Full　of
grace　and　of　childish　ways；　she　dreamed　of　happiness　as　she　would　have
dreamed　of　jewels；　perhaps　happiness　seemed　to　her　the　jewel　of　the
soul。　Her　piety　was　not　free　from　puerile　pleasures；　for　everything；
even　religion；　was　poetry　to　her　ingenuous　heart。　She　looked　to　the
future　as　a　perpetual　fete。　Innocent　and　pure；　no　delirium　had
disturbed　her　dream。　Shame　and　grief　had　never　tinged　her　cheek　nor
moistened　her　eye。　She　did　not　even　inquire　into　the　secret　of　her
involuntary　emotions　on　a　fine　spring　day。　And　then；　she　felt　that　she
was　weak　and　destined　to　obedience；　and　she　awaited　marriage　without
wishing　for　it。　Her　smiling　imagination　knew　nothing　of　the　corruption
necessary　perhapswhich　literature　imparts　by　depicting　the
passions；　she　knew　nothing　of　the　world；　and　was　ignorant　of　all　the
dangers　of　society。　The　dear　child　had　suffered　so　little　that　she　had
not　even　developed　her　courage。　In　short；　her　guilelessness　would　have
led　her　to　walk　fearless　among　serpents；　like　the　ideal　figure　of
Innocence　a　painter　once　created。　We　lived　together　like　two　brothers。

〃　'At　the　end　of　a　year　I　said　to　her　one　day；　in　the　garden　of　this
house；　by　the　basin；　as　we　stood　throwing　crumbs　to　the　fish：

〃　'　〃Would　you　like　that　we　should　be　married？　With　me　you　could　do
whatever　you　please；　while　another　man　would　make　you　unhappy。〃

〃　'　〃Mamma；〃　said　she　to　my　mother；　who　came　out　to　join　us；　〃Octave
and　I　have　agreed　to　be　married〃

〃　'　〃What！　at　seventeen？〃　said　my　mother。　〃No；　you　must　wait　eighteen
months；　and　if　eighteen　months　hence　you　like　each　other；　well；　your
birth　and　fortunes　are　equal；　you　can　make　a　marriage　which　is
suitable；　as　well　as　being　a　love　match。〃

〃　'When　I　was　six…and…twenty；　and　Honorine　nineteen；　we　were　married。
Our　respect　for　my　father　and　mother；　old　folks　of　the　Bourbon　Court；
hindered　us　from　making　this　house　fashionable；　or　renewing　the
furniture；　we　lived　on；　as　we　had　done　in　the　past；　as　children。
However；　I　went　into　society；　I　initiated　my　wife　into　the　world　of
fashion；　and　I　regarded　it　as　one　of　my　duties　to　instruct　her。

〃　'I　recognized　afterwards　that　ma