a woman of thirty-第52部分

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nd　happiness　in　a　romantic　life；　in　living　as　nobody　else　does；　and；　above　all　things；　far　away　from　her　mother。〃



VI。

THE　OLD　AGE　OF　A　GUILTY　MOTHER

It　was　one　of　the　earliest　June　days　of　the　year　1844。　A　lady　of　fifty　or　thereabouts；　for　she　looked　older　than　her　actual　age；　was　pacing　up　and　down　one　of　the　sunny　paths　in　the　garden　of　a　great　mansion　in　the　Rue　Plument　in　Paris。　It　was　noon。　The　lady　took　two　or　three　turns　along　the　gently　winding　garden　walk；　careful　never　to　lose　sight　of　a　certain　row　of　windows；　to　which　she　seemed　to　give　her　whole　attention；　then　she　sat　down　on　a　bench；　a　piece　of　elegant　semi…rusticity　made　of　branches　with　the　bark　left　on　the　wood。　From　the　place　where　she　sat　she　could　look　through　the　garden　railings　along　the　inner　boulevards　to　the　wonderful　dome　of　the　Invalides　rising　above　the　crests　of　a　forest　of　elm…trees；　and　see　the　less　striking　view　of　her　own　grounds　terminating　in　the　gray　stone　front　of　one　of　the　finest　hotels　in　the　Faubourg　Saint…Germain。

Silence　lay　over　the　neighboring　gardens；　and　the　boulevards　stretching　away　to　the　Invalides。　Day　scarcely　begins　at　noon　in　that　aristocratic　quarter；　and　masters　and　servants　are　all　alike　asleep；　or　just　awakening；　unless　some　young　lady　takes　it　into　her　head　to　go　for　an　early　ride；　or　a　gray…headed　diplomatist　rises　betimes　to　redraft　a　protocol。

The　elderly　lady　stirring　abroad　at　that　hour　was　the　Marquise　d'Aiglemont；　the　mother　of　Mme。　de　Saint…Hereen；　to　whom　the　great　house　belonged。　The　Marquise　had　made　over　the　mansion　and　almost　her　whole　fortune　to　her　daughter；　reserving　only　an　annuity　for　herself。

The　Comtesse　Moina　de　Saint…Hereen　was　Mme。　d'Aiglemont's　youngest　child。　The　Marquise　had　made　every　sacrifice　to　marry　her　daughter　to　the　eldest　son　of　one　of　the　greatest　houses　of　France；　and　this　was　only　what　might　have　been　expected；　for　the　lady　had　lost　her　sons；　first　one　and　then　the　other。　Gustave；　Marquis　d'Aiglemont；　had　died　of　the　cholera；　Abel；　the　second；　had　fallen　in　Algeria。　Gustave　had　left　a　widow　and　children；　but　the　dowager's　affection　for　her　sons　had　been　only　moderately　warm；　and　for　the　next　generation　it　was　decidedly　tepid。　She　was　always　civil　to　her　daughter…in…law；　but　her　feeling　towards　the　young　Marquise　was　the　distinctly　conventional　affection　which　good　taste　and　good　manners　require　us　to　feel　for　our　relatives。　The　fortunes　of　her　dead　children　having　been　settled；　she　could　devote　her　savings　and　her　own　property　to　her　darling　Moina。

Moina；　beautiful　and　fascinating　from　childhood；　was　Mme。　d'Aiglemont's　favorite；　loved　beyond　all　the　others　with　an　instinctive　or　involuntary　love；　a　fatal　drawing　of　the　heart；　which　sometimes　seems　inexplicable；　sometimes；　and　to　a　close　observer；　only　too　easy　to　explain。　Her　darling's　pretty　face；　the　sound　of　Moina's　voice；　her　ways；　her　manner；　her　looks　and　gestures；　roused　all　the　deepest　emotions　that　can　stir　a　mother's　heart　with　trouble；　rapture；　or　delight。　The　springs　of　the　Marquise's　life；　of　yesterday；　to…morrow；　and　to…day；　lay　in　that　young　heart。　Moina；　with　better　fortune；　had　survived　four　older　children。　As　a　matter　of　fact；　Mme。　d'Aiglemont　had　lost　her　eldest　daughter；　a　charming　girl；　in　a　most　unfortunate　manner；　said　gossip；　nobody　knew　exactly　what　became　of　her；　and　then　she　lost　a　little　boy　of　five　by　a　dreadful　accident。

The　child　of　her　affections　had；　however；　been　spared　to　her；　and　doubtless　the　Marquise　saw　the　will　of　Heaven　in　that　fact；　for　those　who　had　died；　she　kept　but　very　shadowy　recollections　in　some　far…off　corner　of　her　heart；　her　memories　of　her　dead　children　were　like　the　headstones　on　a　battlefield；　you　can　scarcely　see　them　for　the　flowers　that　have　sprung　up　about　them　since。　Of　course；　if　the　world　had　chosen；　it　might　have　said　some　hard　truths　about　the　Marquise；　might　have　taken　her　to　task　for　shallowness　and　an　overweening　preference　for　one　child　at　the　expense　of　the　rest；　but　the　world　of　Paris　is　swept　along　by　the　full　flood　of　new　events；　new　ideas；　and　new　fashions；　and　it　was　inevitable　the　Mme。　d'Aiglemont　should　be　in　some　sort　allowed　to　drop　out　of　sight。　So　nobody　thought　of　blaming　her　for　coldness　or　neglect　which　concerned　no　one；　whereas　her　quick；　apprehensive　tenderness　for　Moina　was　found　highly　interesting　by　not　a　few　who　respected　it　as　a　sort　of　superstition。　Besides；　the　Marquise　scarcely　went　into　society　at　all；　and　the　few　families　who　knew　her　thought　of　her　as　a　kindly；　gentle；　indulgent　woman；　wholly　devoted　to　her　family。　What　but　a　curiosity；　keen　indeed；　would　seek　to　pry　beneath　the　surface　with　which　the　world　is　quite　satisfied？　And　what　would　we　not　pardon　to　old　people；　if　only　they　will　efface　themselves　like　shadows；　and　consent　to　be　regarded　as　memories　and　nothing　more！

Indeed；　Mme。　d'Aiglemont　became　a　kind　of　example　complacently　held　up　by　the　younger　generation　to　fathers　of　families；　and　frequently　cited　to　mothers…in…law。　She　had　made　over　her　property　to　Moina　in　her　own　lifetime；　the　young　Countess'　happiness　was　enough　for　her；　she　only　lived　in　her　daughter。　If　some　cautious　old　person　or　morose　uncle　here　and　there　condemned　the　course　with〃Perhaps　Mme。　d'Aiglemont　may　be　sorry　some　day　that　she　gave　up　her　fortune　to　her　daughter；　she　may　be　sure　of　Moina；　but　how　can　she　be　equally　sure　of　her　son…　in…law？〃these　prophets　were　cried　down　on　all　sides；　and　from　all　sides　a　chorus　of　praise　went　up　for　Moina。

〃It　ought　to　be　said；　in　justice　to　Mme。　de　Saint…Hereen；　that　her　mother　cannot　feel　the　slightest　difference；〃　remarked　a　young　married　woman。　〃Mme。　d'Aiglemont　is　admirably　well　housed。　She　has　a　carriage　at　her　disposal；　and　can　go　everywhere　just　as　she　used　to　do〃

〃Except　to　the　Italiens；〃　remarked　a　low　voice。　（This　was　an　elderly　parasite；　one　of　those　persons　who　show　their　independenceas　they　thinkby　riddling　their　friends　with　epigrams。）　〃Except　to　the　Italiens。　And　if　the　dowager　cares　for　anything　on　this　earth　but　her　daughterit　is　music。　Such　a　good　performer　she　was　in　her　time！　But　the　Countess'　box　is　always　full　of　young　butterflies；　and　the　Countess'　mother　would　be　in　the　way；　the　young　lady　is　talked　about　already　as　a　great　flirt。　So　the　poor　mother　never　goes　to　the　Italiens。〃

〃Mme。　de　Saint…Hereen　has　delightful　'At　Homes'　for　her　mother；〃　said　a　rosebud。　〃All　Paris　goes　to　her　salon。

〃And　no　one　pays　any　attention　to　the　Marquise；〃　returned　the　parasite。

〃The　fact　is　that　Mme。　d'Aiglemont　is　never　alone；〃　remarked　a　coxcomb；　siding　with　the　young　women。

〃In　the　morning；〃　the　old　observer　continued　in　a　discreet　voice；　〃in　the　morning　dear　Moina　is　asleep。　At　four　o'clock　dear　Moina　drives　in　the　Bois。　In　the　evening　dear　Moina　goes　to　a　ball　or　to　the　Bouffes。　Still；　it　is　certainly　true　that　Mme。　d'Aiglemont　has　the　privilege　of　seeing　her　dear　daughter　while　she　dresses；　and　again　at　dinner；　if　dear　Moina　happens　to　dine　with　her　mother。　Not　a　week　ago；　sir；〃　continued　the　elderly　person；　laying　his　hand　on　the　arm　of　the　shy　tutor；　a　new　arrival　in　the　house；　〃not　a　week　ago；　I　saw　the　poor　mother；　solitary　and　sad；　by　her　own　fireside。'What　i