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the names of straw men provided by Solonet。
Thus these two excellent women will make for themselves a united
income of one hundred and twenty thousand francs a year out of
your misfortunes and forced sale of property； added to the revenue
of some thirty…odd thousand on the Grand…livre which these cats
already possess。
The endorsement of your wife was not needed； for this morning the
said Sieur Lecuyer came to offer me a return of the sum I had lent
you in exchange for a legal transfer of my rights。 The vintage of
1825 which your mother…in…law keeps in the cellars at Lanstrac
will suffice to pay me。
These two women have calculated； evidently； that you are now upon
the ocean； but I send this letter by courier； so that you may have
time to follow the advice I now give you。
I made Lecuyer talk。 I disentangled from his lies； his language；
and his reticence； the threads I lacked to bring to light the
whole plot of the domestic conspiracy hatched against you。 This
evening； at the Spanish embassy； I shall offer my admiring
compliments to your mother…in…law and your wife。 I shall pay
court to Madame Evangelista； I intend to desert you basely； and
say sly things to your discredit；nothing openly； or that
Mascarille in petticoats would detect my purpose。 How did you make
her such an enemy？ That is what I want to know。 If you had had the
wit to be in love with that woman before you married her daughter；
you would to…day be peer of France； Duc de Manerville； and；
possibly； ambassador to Madrid。
If you had come to me at the time of your marriage； I would have
helped you to analyze and know the women to whom you were binding
yourself； out of our mutual observations safety might have been
yours。 But； instead of that； these women judged me； became afraid
of me； and separated us。 If you had not stupidly given in to them
and turned me the cold shoulder； they would never have been able
to ruin you。 Your wife brought on the coldness between us；
instigated by her mother； to whom she wrote two letters a week；a
fact to which you paid no attention。 I recognized my Paul when I
heard that detail。
Within a month I shall be so intimate with your mother…in…law that
I shall hear from her the reasons of the hispano…italiano hatred
which she feels for you；for you； one of the best and kindest men
on earth！ Did she hate you before her daughter fell in love with
Felix de Vandenesse； that's a question in my mind。 If I had not
taken a fancy to go to the East with Montriveau； Ronquerolles； and
a few other good fellows of your acquaintance； I should have been
in a position to tell you something about that affair； which was
beginning just as I left Paris。 I saw the first gleams even then
of your misfortune。 But what gentleman is base enough to open such
a subject unless appealed to？ Who shall dare to injure a woman； or
break that illusive mirror in which his friend delights in gazing
at the fairy scenes of a happy marriage？ Illusions are the riches
of the heart。
Your wife； dear friend； is； I believe I may say； in the fullest
application of the word； a fashionable woman。 She thinks of
nothing but her social success； her dress； her pleasures； she goes
to opera and theatre and balls； she rises late and drives to the
Bois； dines out； or gives a dinner…party。 Such a life seems to me
for women very much what war is for men； the public sees only the
victors； it forgets the dead。 Many delicate women perish in this
conflict； those who come out of it have iron constitutions；
consequently no heart； but good stomachs。 There lies the reason of
the cold insensibility of social life。 Fine souls keep themselves
reserved； weak and tender natures succumb； the rest are
cobblestones which hold the social organ in its place； water…worn
and rounded by the tide； but never worn…out。 Your wife has
maintained that life with ease； she looks made for it； she is
always fresh and beautiful。 To my mind the deduction is plain；
she has never loved you； and you have loved her like a madman。
To strike out love from that siliceous nature a man of iron was
needed。 After standing； but without enduring； the shock of Lady
Dudley； Felix was the fitting mate to Natalie。 There is no great
merit in divining that to you she was indifferent。 In love with
her yourself； you have been incapable of perceiving the cold
nature of a young woman whom you have fashioned and trained for a
man like Vandenesse。 The coldness of your wife； if you perceived
it； you set down； with the stupid jurisprudence of married people；
to the honor of her reserve and her innocence。 Like all husbands；
you thought you could keep her virtuous in a society where women
whisper from ear to ear that which men are afraid to say。
No； your wife has liked the social benefits she derived from
marriage； but the private burdens of it she found rather heavy。
Those burdens； that tax wasyou！ Seeing nothing of all this； you
have gone on digging your abysses （to use the hackneyed words of
rhetoric） and covering them with flowers。 You have mildly obeyed
the law which rules the ruck of men； from which I desired to
protect you。 Dear fellow！ only one thing was wanting to make you
as dull as the bourgeois deceived by his wife； who is all
astonishment or wrath； and that is that you should talk to me of
your sacrifices； your love for Natalie； and chant that psalm：
〃Ungrateful would she be if she betrayed me； I have done this； I
have done that； and more will I do； I will go to the ends of the
earth； to the Indies for her sake。 II〃 etc。 My dear Paul； have
you never lived in Paris； have you never had the honor of
belonging by ties of friendship to Henri de Marsay； that you
should be so ignorant of the commonest things； the primitive
principles that move the feminine mechanism； the a…b…c of their
hearts？ Then hear me：
Suppose you exterminate yourself； suppose you go to Saint…Pelagie
for a woman's debts； suppose you kill a score of men； desert a
dozen women； serve like Laban； cross the deserts； skirt the
galleys； cover yourself with glory； cover yourself with shame；
refuse； like Nelson； to fight a battle until you have kissed the
shoulder of Lady Hamilton； dash yourself； like Bonaparte； upon the
bridge at Arcola； go mad like Roland； risk your life to dance five
minutes with a womanmy dear fellow； what have all those things
to do with LOVE？ If love were won by samples such as those mankind
would be too happy。 A spurt of prowess at the moment of desire
would give a man the woman that he wanted。 But love； LOVE； my good
Paul； is a faith like that in the Immaculate conception of the
Holy Virgin； it comes； or it does not come。 Will the mines of
Potosi； or the shedding of our blood； or the making of our fame