a woman of thirty-第11部分

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the　kingdom　by　his　brother　Louis　XVIII。　D'Aiglemont　received　a　commission　in　the　Life　Guards；　equivalent　to　the　rank　of　general。　But　amid　the　rejoicings　over　the　return　of　the　Bourbons；　fate　dealt　poor　Julie　a　terrible　blow。　The　death　of　the　Marquise　de　Listomere…Landon　was　an　irreparable　loss。　The　old　lady　died　of　joy　and　of　an　accession　of　gout　to　the　heart　when　the　Duc　d'Angouleme　came　back　to　Tours；　and　the　one　living　being　entitled　by　her　age　to　enlighten　Victor；　the　woman　who；　by　discreet　counsels；　might　have　brought　about　perfect　unanimity　of　husband　and　wife；　was　dead；　and　Julie　felt　the　full　extent　of　her　loss。　Henceforward　she　must　stand　alone　between　herself　and　her　husband。　But　she　was　young　and　timid；　there　could　be　no　doubt　of　the　result；　or　that　from　the　first　she　would　elect　to　bear　her　lot　in　silence。　The　very　perfections　of　her　character　forbade　her　to　venture　to　swerve　from　her　duties；　or　to　attempt　to　inquire　into　the　cause　of　her　sufferings；　for　to　put　an　end　to　them　would　have　been　to　venture　on　delicate　ground；　and　Julie's　girlish　modesty　shrank　from　the　thought。

A　word　as　to　M。　d'Aiglemont's　destinies　under　the　Restoration。

How　many　men　are　there　whose　utter　incapacity　is　a　secret　kept　from　most　of　their　acquaintance。　For　such　as　these　high　rank；　high　office；　illustrious　birth；　a　certain　veneer　of　politeness；　and　considerable　reserve　of　manner；　or　the　/prestige/　of　great　fortunes；　are　but　so　many　sentinels　to　turn　back　critics　who　would　penetrate　to　the　presence　of　the　real　man。　Such　men　are　like　kings；　in　that　their　real　figure；　character；　and　life　can　never　be　known　nor　justly　appreciated；　because　they　are　always　seen　from　too　near　or　too　far。　Factitious　merit　has　a　way　of　asking　questions　and　saying　little；　and　understands　the　art　of　putting　others　forward　to　save　the　necessity　of　posing　before　them；　then；　with　a　happy　knack　of　its　own；　it　draws　and　attaches　others　by　the　thread　of　the　ruling　passion　of　self…interest；　keeping　men　of　far　greater　abilities　to　play　like　puppets；　and　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　wit