第11章

feelforyourcharmbothofbodyandmind。Thereisinyouararecombinationoftheideal，thepractical，andthebewitchingwhichsatisfiesalikejudgment，ahusband’spride，desire，andhope，andwhichextendstheboundariesoflovebeyondthoseoflifeitself。

Oh!mylovedone，maythegeniusofloveremainfaithfultome，andthefuturebefullofthosedelightsbymeansofwhichyouhaveglorifiedallthatsurroundsme!Ilongforthedaywhichshallmakeyouamother，thatImayseeyoucontentwiththefulnessofyourlife，mayhearyou，inthesweetvoiceIloveandwiththethoughts，blessthelovewhichhasrefreshedmysoulandgivennewvigortomypowers，thelovewhichismypride，andwhenceIhavedrawn，asfromamagicfountain，freshlife。Yes，I

shallbeallthatyouwouldhaveme。Ishalltakealeadingpartinthepubliclifeofthedistrict，andonyoushallfalltheraysofaglorywhichwilloweitsexistencetothedesireofpleasingyou。“

Somuchformypupil，dear!Doyousupposehecouldhavewrittenlikethisbefore？Ayearhencehisstylewillhavestillfurtherimproved。

Louisisnowinhisfirsttransport；whatIlookforwardtoistheuniformandcontinuoussensationofcontentwhichoughttobethefruitofahappymarriage，whenamanandwoman，inperfecttrustandmutualknowledge，havesolvedtheproblemofgivingvarietytotheinfinite。Thisisthetasksetbeforeeverytruewife；theanswerbeginstodawnonme，andIshallnotresttillIhavemadeitmine。

Youseethathefancieshimself——vanityofmen!——thechosenofmyheart，justasthoughtherewerenolegalbonds。Nevertheless，Ihavenotyetgotbeyondthatexternalattractionwhichgivesusstrengthtoputupwithagooddeal。YetLouisislovable；histemperiswonderfullyeven，andheperforms，asamatterofcourse，actsonwhichmostmenwouldplumethemselves。Inshort，ifIdonotlovehim，Ishallfindnodifficultyinbeinggoodtohim。

Soherearemyblackhairandmyblackeyes——whoselashesact，accordingtoyou，likeVenetianblinds——mycommandingair，andmywholeperson，raisedtotherankofsovereignpower!Tenyearshence，dear，whyshouldwenotbothbelaughingandgayinyourParis，whenceIshallcarryyouoffnowandagaintomybeautifuloasisinProvence？

Oh!Louise，don’tspoilthesplendidfuturewhichawaitsusboth!

Don’tdothemadthingswithwhichyouthreatenme。Myhusbandisayoungman，prematurelyold；whydon’tyoumarrysomeyoung-heartedgraybeardintheChamberofPeers？Thereliesyourvocation。

THEDUCDESORIATOTHEBARONDEMACUMER

MADRID。

MYDEARBROTHER，——YoudidnotmakemeDucdeSoriainorderthatmyactionsshouldbeliethename。HowcouldItoleratemyhappinessifI

knewyoutobeawanderer，deprivedofthecomfortswhichwealtheverywherecommands？NeitherMarienorIwillconsenttomarrytillwehearthatyouhaveacceptedthemoneywhichUrracawillhandovertoyou。ThesetwomillionsarethefruitofyourownsavingsandMarie’s。

Wehavebothprayed，kneelingbeforethesamealtar——andwithwhatearnestness，Godknows!——foryourhappiness。Mydearbrother，itcannotbethattheseprayerswillremainunanswered。Heavenwillsendyouthelovewhichyouseek，tobetheconsolationofyourexile。

Mariereadyourletterwithtears，andisfullofadmirationforyou。

Asforme，Iconsent，notformyownsake，butforthatofthefamily。

TheKingjustifiedyourexpectations。Oh!thatImightavengeyoubylettinghimseehimself，dwarfedbeforethescornwithwhichyouflunghimhistoy，asyoumighttossatigeritsfood。

TheonlythingIhavetakenformyself，dearbrother，ismyhappiness。

IhavetakenMarie。ForthisIshallalwaysbebeholdentoyou，asthecreaturetotheCreator。TherewillbeinmylifeandinMarie’sonedaynotlessgloriousthanourweddingday——itwillbethedaywhenwehearthatyourhearthasfounditsmate，thatawomanlovesyouasyououghttobe，andwouldbe，loved。Donotforgetthatifyouliveforus，wealsoliveforyou。

YoucanwritetouswithperfectconfidenceundercovertotheNuncio，sendingyourletters/via/Rome。TheFrenchambassadoratRomewill，nodoubt，undertaketoforwardthemtoMonsignoreBemboni，attheStateSecretary’soffice，whomourlegatewillhaveadvised。Nootherwaywouldbesafe。Farewell，dearexile，deardespoiledone。Beproudatleastofthehappinesswhichyouhavebroughttous，ifyoucannotbehappyinit。Godwilldoubtlesshearourprayers，whicharefullofyourname。

LOUISEDECHAULIEUTOMME。DEL’ESTORADE

March。

Ah!mylove，marriageismakingaphilosopherofyou!Yourdarlingfacemust，indeed，havebeenjaundicedwhenyouwrotemethoseterribleviewsofhumanlifeandthedutyofwomen。Doyoufancyyouwillconvertmetomatrimonybyyourprogrammeofsubterraneanlabors？

Alas!isthisthentheoutcomeforyouofourtoo-instructeddreams!

WeleftBloisallinnocent，armedwiththepointedshaftsofmeditation，and，lo!theweaponsofthatpurelyidealexperiencehaveturnedagainstyourownbreast!IfIdidnotknowyouforthepurestandmostangelicofcreatedbeings，IdeclareIshouldsaythatyourcalculationssmackofvice。What，mydear，intheinterestofyourcountryhome，yousubmityourpleasurestoaperiodicthinning，asyoudoyourtimber。Oh!ratherletmeperishinalltheviolenceoftheheart’sstormsthanliveinthearidatmosphereofyourcautiousarithmetic!

Asgirls，wewerebothunusuallyenlightened，becauseofthelargeamountofstudywegavetoourchosensubjects；but，mychild，philosophywithoutlove，ordisguisedunderashamlove，isthemosthideousofconjugalhypocrisies。Ishouldimaginethateventhebiggestoffoolsmightdetectnowandagaintheowlofwisdomsquattinginyourbowerofroses——aghastlyphantomsufficienttoputtoflightthemostpromisingofpassions。Youmakeyourownfate，insteadofwaiting，aplaythinginitshands。

Weareeachdevelopinginstrangeways。Alargedoseofphilosophytoagrainofloveisyourrecipe；alargedoseoflovetoagrainofphilosophyismine。Why，Rousseau’sJulie，whomIthoughtsolearned，isamerebeginnertoyou。Woman’svirtue，quotha!Howyouhaveweigheduplife!Alas!Imakefunofyou，and，afterall，perhapsyouareright。

Inonedayyouhavemadeaholocaustofyouryouthandbecomeamiserbeforeyourtime。YourLouiswillbehappy，Idaresay。Ifhelovesyou，ofwhichImakenodoubt，hewillneverfindout，that，forthesakeofyourfamily，youareactingasacourtesandoesformoney；andcertainlymenseemtofindhappinesswiththem，judgingbythefortunestheysquanderthus。Akeen-sightedhusbandmightnodoubtremaininlovewithyou，butwhatsortofgratitudecouldhefeelinthelongrunforawomanwhohadmadeofduplicityasortofmoralarmor，asindispensableasherstays？

Love，dear，isinmyeyesthefirstprincipleofallthevirtues，conformedtothedivinelikeness。Likeallotherfirstprinciples，itisnotamatterofarithmetic；itistheInfiniteinus。Icannotbutthinkyouhavebeentryingtojustifyinyourowneyesthefrightfulpositionofagirl，marriedtoamanforwhomshefeelsnothingmorethanesteem。Youprateofduty，andmakeityourruleandmeasure；butsurelytotakenecessityasthespringofactionisthemoraltheoryofatheism？Tofollowtheimpulseofloveandfeelingisthesecretlawofeverywoman’sheart。Youareactingaman’spart，andyourLouiswillhavetoplaythewoman!

Oh!mydear，yourletterhasplungedmeintoanendlesstrainofthought。Iseenowthattheconventcannevertaketheplaceofmothertoagirl。Ibegofyou，mygrandangelwiththeblackeyes，sopureandproud，soseriousandsopretty，donotturnawayfromthesecries，whichthefirstreadingofyourletterhastornfromme!Ihavetakencomfortinthethoughtthat，whileIwaslamenting，lovewasdoubtlessbusyknockingdownthescaffoldingofreason。

ItmaybethatIshalldoworsethanyouwithoutanyreasoningorcalculations。Passionisanelementinlifeboundtohavealogicnotlesspitilessthanyours。

Monday。

YesterdaynightIplacedmyselfatthewindowasIwasgoingtobed，tolookatthesky，whichwaswonderfullyclear。Thestarswerelikesilvernails，holdingupaveilofblue。InthesilenceofthenightI

couldhearsomeonebreathing，andbythehalf-lightofthestarsI

sawmySpaniard，perchedlikeasquirrelonthebranchesofoneofthetreesliningtheboulevard，anddoubtlesslostinadmirationofmywindows。

Thefirsteffectofthisdiscoverywastomakemewithdrawintotheroom，myfeetandhandsquitelimpandnerveless；but，beneaththefear，Iwasconsciousofadeliciousundercurrentofjoy。Iwasoverpoweredbuthappy。NotoneofthosecleverFrenchmen，whoaspiretomarryme，hashadthebrilliantideaofspendingthenightinanelm-treeattheriskofbeingcarriedoffbythewatch。MySpaniardhas，nodoubt，beenthereforsometime。Ah!hewon’tgivemeanymorelessons，hewantstoreceivethem——well，heshallhaveone。IfonlyheknewwhatIsaidtomyselfabouthissuperficialugliness!Otherscanphilosophizebesidesyou，Renee!Itwashorrid，Iargued，tofallinlovewithahandsomeman。Isitnotpracticallyavowingthatthesensescountforthreepartsoutoffourinapassionwhichoughttobesuper-sensual？

Havinggotovermyfirstalarm，Icranedmyneckbehindthewindowinordertoseehimagain——andwellwasIrewarded!Bymeansofahollowcaneheblewmeinthroughthewindowaletter，cunninglyrolledroundaleadenpellet。

GoodHeavens!willhesupposeIleftthewindowopenonpurpose？

Butwhatwastobedone？Toshutitsuddenlywouldbetomakeoneselfanaccomplice。

Ididbetter。IreturnedtomywindowasthoughIhadseennothingandheardnothingoftheletter，thenIsaidaloud：

“Comeandlookatthestars，Griffith。“

Griffithwassleepingasonlyoldmaidscan。ButtheMoor，hearingme，sliddown，andvanishedwithghostlyrapidity。

Hemusthavebeendyingoffright，andsowasI，forIdidnothearhimgoaway；apparentlyheremainedatthefootoftheelm。Afteragoodquarterofanhour，duringwhichIlostmyselfincontemplationoftheheavens，andbattledwiththewavesofcuriosity，Iclosedmywidowandsatdownonthebedtounfoldthedelicatebitofpaper，withthetendertouchofaworkeramongsttheancientmanuscriptsatNaples。Itfeltredhottomyfingers。“Whatahorriblepowerthismanhasoverme!“Isaidtomyself。

AllatonceIheldoutthepapertothecandle——Iwouldburnitwithoutreadingaword。Thenathoughtstayedme，“Whatcanhehavetosaythathewritessosecretly？“Well，dear，I/did/burnit，reflectingthat，thoughanyothergirlintheworldwouldhavedevouredtheletter，itwasnotfittingthatI——Armande-Louise-MariedeChaulieu——shouldreadit。

Thenextday，attheItalianopera，hewasathispost。ButIfeelsurethat，ex-primeministerofaconstitutionalgovernmentthoughheis，hecouldnotdiscovertheslightestagitationofmindinanymovementofmine。Imighthaveseennothingandreceivednothingtheeveningbefore。Thiswasmostsatisfactorytome，buthelookedverysad。Poorman!inSpainitissonaturalforlovetocomeinatthewindow!

Duringtheinterval，itseems，hecameandwalkedinthepassages。

ThisIlearnedfromthechiefsecretaryoftheSpanishembassy，whoalsotoldthestoryofanobleactionofhis。

AsDucdeSoriahewastomarryoneoftherichestheiressesinSpain，theyoungprincessMarieHeredia，whosewealthwouldhavemitigatedthebitternessofexile。ButitseemsthatMarie，disappointingthewishesofthefathers，whohadbetrothedthemintheirearliestchildhood，lovedtheyoungersonofthehouseofSoria，towhommyFelipe，gaveherup。AllowinghimselftobedespoiledbytheKingofSpain。

“Hewouldperformthispieceofheroismquitesimply，“Isaidtotheyoungman。

“Youknowhimthen？“washisingenuousreply。

Mymothersmiled。

“Whatwillbecomeofhim，forheiscondemnedtodeath？“Iasked。

“ThoughdeadtoSpain，hecanliveinSardinia。“

“Ah!thenSpainisthecountryoftombsaswellascastles？“Isaid，tryingtocarryitoffasajoke。

“ThereiseverythinginSpain，evenSpaniardsoftheoldschool，“mymotherreplied。

“TheBarondeMacumerobtainedapassport，notwithoutdifficulty，fromtheKingofSardinia，“theyoungdiplomatistwenton。“HehasnowbecomeaSardiniansubject，andhepossessesamagnificentestateintheislandwithfullfeudalrights。HehasapalaceatSassari。IfFerdinandVII。weretodie，Macumerwouldprobablygoinfordiplomacy，andtheCourtofTurinwouldmakehimambassador。Thoughyoung，heis-