登陆注册
5419100000016

第16章

There came a moment when she discerned that not until a woman is loved will the world fully recognise her beauty and her wit.

What does a husband prove? Simply that a girl or woman was endowed with wealth, or well brought up; that her mother managed cleverly that in some way she satisfied a man's ambitions.Alover constantly bears witness to her personal perfections.Then followed the discovery still in Mme de Langeais's early womanhood, that it was possible to be loved without committing herself, without permission, without vouchsafing any satisfaction beyond the most meagre dues.There was more than one demure feminine hypocrite to instruct her in the art of playing such dangerous comedies.

So the Duchess had her court, and the number of her adorers and courtiers guaranteed her virtue.She was amiable and fascinating; she flirted till the ball or the evening's gaiety was at an end.Then the curtain dropped.She was cold, indifferent, self-contained again till the next day brought its renewed sensations, superficial as before.Two or three men were completely deceived, and fell in love in earnest.She laughed at them, she was utterly insensible."I am loved!" she told herself."He loves me!" The certainty sufficed her.It is enough for the miser to know that his every whim might be fulfilled if he chose; so it was with the Duchess, and perhaps she did not even go so far as to form a wish.

One evening she chanced to be at the house of an intimate friend Mme la Vicomtesse de Fontaine, one of the humble rivals who cordially detested her, and went with her everywhere.In a "friendship" of this sort both sides are on their guard, and never lay their armour aside; confidences are ingeniously indiscreet, and not unfrequently treacherous.Mme de Langeais had distributed her little patronising, friendly, or freezing bows, with the air natural to a woman who knows the worth of her smiles, when her eyes fell upon a total stranger.Something in the man's large gravity of aspect startled her, and, with a feeling almost like dread, she turned to Mme de Maufrigneuse with, "Who is the newcomer, dear?""Someone that you have heard of, no doubt.The Marquis de Montriveau.""Oh! is it he?"

She took up her eyeglass and submitted him to a very insolent scrutiny, as if he had been a picture meant to receive glances, not to return them.

"Do introduce him; he ought to be interesting.""Nobody more tiresome and dull, dear.But he is the fashion."M.Armand de Montriveau, at that moment all unwittingly the object of general curiosity, better deserved attention than any of the idols that Paris needs must set up to worship for a brief space, for the city is vexed by periodical fits of craving, a passion for engouement and sham enthusiasm, which must be satisfied.The Marquis was the only son of General de Montriveau, one of the ci-devants who served the Republic nobly, and fell by Joubert's side at Novi.Bonaparte had placed his son at the school at Chalons, with the orphans of other generals who fell on the battlefield, leaving their children under the protection of the Republic.Armand de Montriveau left school with his way to make, entered the artillery, and had only reached a major's rank at the time of the Fontainebleau disaster.In his section of the service the chances of advancement were not many.

There are fewer officers, in the first place, among the gunners than in any other corps; and in the second place, the feeling in the artillery was decidedly Liberal, not to say Republican; and the Emperor, feeling little confidence in a body of highly educated men who were apt to think for themselves, gave promotion grudgingly in the service.In the artillery, accordingly, the general rule of the army did not apply; the commanding officers were not invariably the most remarkable men in their department, because there was less to be feared from mediocrities.The artillery was a separate corps in those days, and only came under Napoleon in action.

Besides these general causes, other reasons, inherent in Armand de Montriveau's character, were sufficient in themselves to account for his tardy promotion.He was alone in the world.He had been thrown at the age of twenty into the whirlwind of men directed by Napoleon; his interests were bounded by himself, any day he might lose his life; it became a habit of mind with him to live by his own self-respect and the consciousness that he had done his duty.Like all shy men, he was habitually silent; but his shyness sprang by no means from timidity; it was a kind of modesty in him; he found any demonstration of vanity intolerable.

There was no sort of swagger about his fearlessness in action;nothing escaped his eyes; he could give sensible advice to his chums with unshaken coolness; he could go under fire, and duck upon occasion to avoid bullets.He was kindly; but his expression was haughty and stern, and his face gained him this character.In everything he was rigorous as arithmetic; he never permitted the slightest deviation from duty on any plausible pretext, nor blinked the consequences of a fact.He would lend himself to nothing of which he was ashamed; he never asked anything for himself; in short, Armand de Montriveau was one of many great men unknown to fame, and philosophical enough to despise it; living without attaching themselves to life, because they have not found their opportunity of developing to the full their power to do and feel.

People were afraid of Montriveau; they respected him, but he was not very popular.Men may indeed allow you to rise above them, but to decline to descend as low as they can do is the one unpardonable sin.In their feeling towards loftier natures, there is a trace of hate and fear.Too much honour with them implies censure of themselves, a thing forgiven neither to the living nor to the dead.

同类推荐
  • Drift from Two Shores

    Drift from Two Shores

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
  • 蓱沙王五愿经

    蓱沙王五愿经

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
  • The Gaming Table

    The Gaming Table

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
  • 唐人万首绝句选

    唐人万首绝句选

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
  • 藏斋诗话

    藏斋诗话

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
热门推荐
  • 婚姻是女人一辈子的修行

    婚姻是女人一辈子的修行

    这是一本帮助女性朋友学会经营婚姻的智慧读本。本书以自然朴实的语言告诉女人如何做个好妻子,在家庭中履行好自己的职责;如何经营好自己的婚姻,让婚姻时时保鲜;夫妻二人如何化解矛盾;在困境中夫妻该如何相互搀扶着共渡难关……让处于“围城”中的女人不再烦恼困惑,也让迟迟徘徊于“围城”之外的女人消除心灵恐惧,帮助所有渴望幸福的女人更好地提升经营婚姻的智慧和能力。
  • 红朝胭脂之云鹤传
  • 东莞之殇

    东莞之殇

    几个男女主人公在东莞打工的日子,大学毕业,进入社会,见识世间百态......
  • 生活中来的智慧(大全集)

    生活中来的智慧(大全集)

    本书从家居智慧、饮食智慧、美容智慧、着装智慧、婚恋智慧、育儿智慧、健康智慧、理财智慧、理家智慧等多个方面入手,进行了精彩的阐述,细致的说明,以及深入的分析。语言平实,详略得体,娓娓道来,恰到好处,不愧为一道源自生活的美味智慧大餐。其香气缭绕,令人胃口大开,细细品来,不觉称奇。处处留心皆学问。事实上,处处留心也皆智慧。本书就是把我们日常生活中经常遇见却又常常忽略的智慧一滴滴采集过来,经过精心的加工处理,使其系统化和理论化。正所谓“源于生活,又高于生活。”这样,我们才更有兴趣去阅读,也才更容易理解和接受。
  • 剑神冕下

    剑神冕下

    他曾是仙帝境强者,奈何不敌八魔合体之后变成的凶兽穷奇,最后以修为作为代价封印八魔,自身陨落,记忆全失重新修炼,而刚出生家族又遭入侵,导致流浪源之大陆重新修炼,幸得一个修真玉佩。从后开始征战各大陆。。。。
  • 快穿系统:炮灰女配猛崛起

    快穿系统:炮灰女配猛崛起

    清晨的阳光透过落地窗洒在地板上,泛起细细碎碎的光。洁白而又凌乱的大床上,古铜色的身躯和……
  • 无人作证

    无人作证

    她由舞台走入商界,凭着她那人见人爱的天生丽质和机敏聪慧,拨云见日,左右逢源,摇身而为商海引人注目的美姐亮星。然而,正当她红极之时,后院起火,又东窗事发,她落入了港商精心编织的罪恶圈套,使她为之用心血和汗水换来的一切及希冀尽付东流……
  • 计谋·双面美人

    计谋·双面美人

    这是一个关于复仇的故事。六年前死去的女人,却突然出现。带着她的仇恨,换成另一张脸,另一个名字。她美得颠倒众生,如弱柳扶风、水中莲荷,却实则冷漠无情、城府深重。冒充名门千金复仇,步步设计,斗智斗勇。
  • 枕上豪门:老公太爱撩

    枕上豪门:老公太爱撩

    落难时的相濡以沫、曾经的醉人缠绵,在他们的爱情里,她注定是输家,只不过她自己输得心甘情愿。她委屈求全的交付了身与心,甚至为他怀上不受期待的生命,然抛弃尊严换来的,却是更加无情的践踏!明知不该高攀,不该等待,卻还是不住回首;越接近他、触摸他的內心,她越是无所适从,明明应该是要恨着他的!然而,还是渐渐渗入了信任、依赖。
  • 新修真大时代

    新修真大时代

    当地球从几千年的封印之中解放出来,封神榜,西游记里面的故事都成为了实实在在的历史改编……一万年前,封神榜之争以阐教获胜的结局,一万年后,暗堂、截教、天庭、大雷音寺、深渊魔族再争封神榜……看出生平凡的陆羽如何在不经意之间成为了世界的主角的故事!