按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！
〃Lovers have philters even for dogs；〃 answered Madame Mignon。
〃If you are right； my honor is lost！ I may as well blow my brains
out；〃 exclaimed Dumay。
〃Why so； Dumay？〃 said the blind woman。
〃Ah； madame； I could never meet my colonel's eye if he did not find
his daughternow his only daughteras pure and virtuous as she was
when he said to me on the vessel； 'Let no fear of the scaffold hinder
you； Dumay； if the honor of my Modeste is at stake。'〃
〃Ah！ I recognize you both；〃 said Madame Mignon in a voice of strong
emotion。
〃I'll wager my salvation that Modeste is as pure as she was in her
cradle；〃 exclaimed Madame Dumay。
〃Well； I shall make certain of it；〃 replied her husband； 〃if Madame la
Comtesse will allow me to employ certain means； for old troopers
understand strategy。〃
〃I will allow you to do anything that shall enlighten us； provided it
does no injury to my last child。〃
〃What are you going to do； Jean？〃 asked Madame Dumay； 〃how can you
discover a young girl's secret if she means to hide it？〃
〃Obey me； all！〃 cried the lieutenant； 〃I shall need every one of you。〃
If this rapid sketch were clearly developed it would give a whole
picture of manners and customs in which many a family could recognize
the events of their own history； but it must suffice as it is to
explain the importance of the few details heretofore given about
persons and things on the memorable evening when the old soldier had
made ready his plot against the young girl； intending to wrench from
the recesses of her heart the secret of a love and a lover seen only
by a blind mother。
CHAPTER V
THE PROBLEM STILL UNSOLVED
An hour went by in solemn stillness broken only by the cabalistic
phrases of the whist…players： 〃Spades！〃 〃Trumped！〃 〃Cut！〃 〃How are
honors？〃 〃Two to four。〃 〃Whose deal？〃phrases which represent in
these days the higher emotions of the European aristocracy。 Modeste
continued to work； without seeming to be surprised at her mother's
silence。 Madame Mignon's handkerchief slipped from her lap to the
floor； Butscha precipitated himself upon it； picked it up； and as he
returned it whispered in Modeste's ear； 〃Take care！〃 Modeste raised a
pair of wondering eyes； whose puzzled glance filled the poor cripple
with joy unspeakable。 〃She is not in love！〃 he whispered to himself；
rubbing his hands till the skin was nearly peeled off。 At this moment
Exupere tore through the garden and the house； plunged into the salon
like an avalanche； and said to Dumay in an audible whisper； 〃The young
man is here！〃 Dumay sprang for his pistols and rushed out。
〃Good God！ suppose he kills him！〃 cried Madame Dumay； bursting into
tears。
〃What is the matter？〃 asked Modeste； looking innocently at her friends
and not betraying the slightest fear。
〃It is all about a young man who is hanging round the house；〃 cried
Madame Latournelle。
〃Well！〃 said Modeste； 〃why should Dumay kill him？〃
〃Sancta simplicita！〃 ejaculated Butscha； looking at his master as
proudly as Alexander is made to contemplate Babylon in Lebrun's great
picture。
〃Where are you going； Modeste？〃 asked the mother as her daughter rose
to leave the room。
〃To get ready for your bedtime； mamma；〃 answered Modeste； in a voice
as pure as the tones of an instrument。
〃You haven't paid your expenses；〃 said the dwarf to Dumay when he
returned。
〃Modeste is as pure as the Virgin on our altar；〃 cried Madame
Latournelle。
〃Good God！ such excitements wear me out；〃 said Dumay； 〃and yet I'm a
strong man。〃
〃May I lose that twenty…five sous if I have the slightest idea what
you are about；〃 remarked Gobenheim。 〃You seem to me to be crazy。〃
〃And yet it is all about a treasure；〃 said Butscha； standing on tiptoe
to whisper in Gobenheim's ear。
〃Dumay； I am sorry to say that I am still almost certain of what I
told you；〃 persisted Madame Mignon。
〃The burden of proof is now on you； madame；〃 said Dumay； calmly； 〃it
is for you to prove that we are mistaken。〃
Discovering that the matter in question was only Modeste's honor；
Gobenheim took his hat； made his bow； and walked off； carrying his ten
sous with him；there being evidently no hope of another rubber。
〃Exupere； and you too； Butscha； may leave us；〃 said Madame
Latournelle。 〃Go back to Havre； you will get there in time for the
last piece at the theatre。 I'll pay for your tickets。〃
When the four friends were alone with Madame Mignon； Madame
Latournelle； after looking at Dumay； who being a Breton understood the
mother's obstinacy； and at her husband who was fingering the cards；
felt herself authorized to speak up。
〃Madame Mignon； come now； tell us what decisive thing has struck your
mind。〃
〃Ah； my good friend； if you were a musician you would have heard； as I
have； the language of love that Modeste speaks。〃
The piano of the demoiselles Mignon was among the few articles of
furniture which had been moved from the town…house to the Chalet。
Modeste often conjured away her troubles by practising； without a
master。 Born a musician； she played to enliven her mother。 She sang by
nature； and loved the German airs which her mother taught her。 From
these lessons and these attempts at self…instruction came a phenomenon
not uncommon to natures with a musical vocation； Modeste composed； as
far as a person ignorant of the laws of harmony can be said to
compose； tender little lyric melodies。 Melody is to music what imagery
and sentiment are to poetry； a flower that blossoms spontaneously。
Consequently； nations have had melodies before harmony；botany comes
later than the flower。 In like manner； Modeste； who knew nothing of
the painter's art except what she had seen her sister do in the way of
water…color； would have stood subdued and fascinated before the
pictures of Raphael； Titian； Rubens； Murillo； Rembrandt； Albert Durer；
Holbein；in other words； before the great ideals of many lands。
Lately； for at least a month； Modeste had warbled the songs of
nightingales； musical rhapsodies whose poetry and meaning had roused
the attention of her mother； already surprised by her sudden eagerness
for composition and her fancy for putting airs into certain verses。
〃If your suspicions have no other foundation；〃 said Latournelle to
Madame Mignon； 〃I pity your susceptibilities。〃
〃When a Breton girl sings；〃 said Dumay gloomily； 〃the lover is not far
off。〃
〃I will let you hear Modeste when she is improvising；〃 said the
mother； 〃and you shall judge for yourselves〃
〃Poor girl！〃 said Madame Dumay； 〃If she only knew our anxiety she
would be deeply distressed； she would tell us the truth；especially
if she thought it would save Dumay。〃
〃My friends； I will question my daughter to…morrow；〃 said Madame
Mignon； 〃perhaps I shall obtain more by tenderness than you have
discovered by trickery。〃
Was the comedy of the 〃Fille mal Gardee〃 being