Tales and Novels Volume IX Part 61

"With the utmost pleasure--but that I am engaged to Madame de la Brie's ball."

"That's true," cried Madame de Connal, starting up--"I had forgot it--so am I this fortnight--I may as well go to the opera, too, and I can carry you to Madame de la Tour's--I owe her a five minutes' sitting--though she is un peu precieuse. And what can you find in that little cold Madame de la Brie--do you like ice?"

"He like to break de ice, I suppose," said Mademoiselle. "Ma foi, you must then take a hatchet there!"

"No occasion; I had rather slide upon the ice than break it. My business at Paris is merely, you know, to amuse myself," said he, looking at Connal--"Glissez, mortels, n'appuyez pas."

"But if de ice should melt of itself," said Mademoiselle, "what would you do den? What would become of him, den, do you think, my dear niece?"

It was a case which she did not like to consider--Dora blushed--no creature was so blind as Mademoiselle, with all her boasted quickness and penetration.

From this time forward no more was heard of Madame de Connal's taste for domestic life and retirement--she seemed quite convinced, either by her husband, or by Mr. Ormond, or both, that no such thing was practicable at Paris. She had always liked le grand monde--she liked it better now than ever, when she found Ormond in every crowded a.s.sembly, every place of public amus.e.m.e.nt--a continual round of breakfasts, dinners, b.a.l.l.s--court b.a.l.l.s--bal masque--bal de l'opera--plays--grand entertainments--pet.i.ts soupers--fetes at Versailles--pleasure in every possible form and variety of luxury and extravagance succeeded day after day, and night after night--and Ormond, le bel Irlandois, once in fas.h.i.+on, was every where, and every where admired; flattered by the women, who wished to draw him in to be their partners at play--still more flattered by those who wished to engage him as a lover--most of all flattered by Dora. He felt his danger. Improved in coquetry by Parisian practice and power, Dora tried her utmost skill--she played off with great dexterity her various admirers to excite his jealousy: the Marquis de Beaulieu, the witty marquis, and the Count de Belle Cha.s.se, the irresistible count, were dangerous rivals. She succeeded in exciting Ormond's jealousy; but in his n.o.ble mind there were strong opposing principles to withstand his selfish gratification. It was surprising with what politeness to each other, with how little love, all the suitors carried on this game of gallantry and compet.i.tion of vanity.

Till Ormond appeared, it had been the general opinion that before the end of the winter or the spring, the Count de Belle Cha.s.se would be triumphant. Why Ormond did not enter the lists, when there appeared to all the judges such a chance of his winning the prize, seemed incomprehensible to the spectators, and still more to the rival candidates. Some settled it with the exclamation "Inou!" Others p.r.o.nounced that it was English bizarrerie. Every thing seemed to smooth the slippery path of temptation--the indifference of her husband--the imprudence--of her aunt, and the sophistry of Madame de Clairville--the general customs of French society--the peculiar profligacy of the society into which he happened to be thrown--the opinion which he saw prevailed, that if he withdrew from the compet.i.tion a rival would immediately profit by his forbearance, conspired to weaken his resolution.

Many accidental circ.u.mstances concurred to increase the danger. At these b.a.l.l.s, to which he went originally to avoid Dora in smaller parties, Madame de Connal, though she constantly appeared, seldom danced. She did not dance well enough to bear comparison with French dancers; Ormond was in the same situation. The dancing which was very well in England would not do in Paris--no late lessons could, by any art, bring them to an equality with French nature.

"Ah, il ne danse pas!--He dances like an Englishman." At the first ball this comforted the suitors, and most the Comte de Belle Cha.s.se; but this very circ.u.mstance drew Ormond and Dora closer together--she pretended headaches, and languor, and la.s.situde, and, in short, sat still.

But it was not to be expected that the Comte de Belle Cha.s.se could give up dancing: the Comte de Belle Cha.s.se danced like le dieu de la danse, another Vestris; he danced every night, and Ormond sat and talked to Dora, for it was his duty to attend Madame when the little Abbe was out of the way.

The spring was now appearing, and the spring is delightful in Paris, and the _promenades_ in the Champs Elysees, and in the Bois de Boulogne, and the promenade in Long-Champ, commenced. Riding was just coming into high fas.h.i.+on with the French ladies; and, instead of riding in men's clothes, and like a man, it was now the ambition de monter a cheval a l'Angloise: to ride on a side-saddle and in an English riding habit was now the ambition. Now Dora, though she could not dance as well, could ride better than any French woman; and she was ambitious to show herself and her horsemans.h.i.+p in the Bois de Boulogne: but she had no horse that she liked. Le Comte de Belle Cha.s.se offered to get one broke for her at the king's riding-house--this she refused: but fortunately Ormond, as was the custom with the English at that time, had, after his arrival, some English horses brought over to him at Paris. Among these was the horse he had once broke for Dora.

For this an English side-saddle was procured--she was properly equipped and mounted.

And the two friends, le bel Irlandois, as they persisted in calling Ormond, and la belle Irlandoise, and their horses, and their horsemans.h.i.+p, were the admiration of the promenade.

The Comte de Belle Cha.s.se sent to London for an English horse at any price. He was out of humour--and Ormond in the finest humour imaginable.

Dora was grateful; her horse was a beautiful, gentle-spirited creature: it was called Harry--it was frequently patted and caressed, and told how much it was valued and loved.

Ormond was now in great danger, because he felt himself secure that he was only a friend--_l'ami de la maison_.

CHAPTER XXIX.

There was a picture of Dagote's which was at this moment an object of fas.h.i.+onable curiosity in Paris. It was a representation of one of the many charitable actions of the unfortunate Marie Antoinette, "then Dauphiness--at that time full of life, and splendour, and joy, adorning and cheering the elevated sphere she just began to move in;" and yet diffusing life, and hope, and joy, in that lower sphere, to which the radiance of the great and happy seldom reaches. The Dauphiness was at that time the pride of France, and the darling of Paris; not only wors.h.i.+pped by the court, but loved by the people. While she was Dauphiness, and during the commencement of her reign, every thing, even disastrous accidents, and the rigour of the season, served to give her fresh opportunity of winning the affection and exciting the enthusiasm of the people. When, during the festivities on her marriage, hundreds were crushed to death by the fall of a temporary building, the sensibility of the Dauphiness, the eagerness with which she sent all her money to the lieutenant de police for the families of those who had perished, conciliated the people, and turned even the evil presage to good. Again, during a severe frost, her munificence to the suffering poor excited such grat.i.tude, that the people erected to her honour a vast pyramid of snow--Frail memorial!--"These marks of respect were almost as transitory as the snowy pyramid."

Ormond went with Mademoiselle O'Faley one morning to see the picture of the Dauphiness; and he had now an opportunity of seeing a display of French sensibility, that eagerness to feel and to excite _a sensation_; that desire to _produce an effect_, to have a scene; that half real, half theatric enthusiasm, by which the French character is peculiarly distinguished from the English. He was perfectly astonished by the quant.i.ty of exclamations he heard at the sight of this picture; the lifting up of hands and eyes, the transports, the ecstasies, the tears--the actual tears that he saw streaming in despite of rouge. It was real! and it was not real feeling! Of one thing he was clear--that this superfluity of feeling or exaggeration of expression completely silenced him, and made him cold indeed: like one unskilled or dumb he seemed to stand.

"But are you of marble?" cried Mademoiselle--"where is your sensibilite then?"

"I hope it is safe at the bottom of my heart," said Ormond; "but when it is called for, I cannot always find it--especially on these public occasions."

"Ah! but what good all the sensibilite in the world do at the bottom of your heart, where n.o.body see it? It is on these public occasions too, you must always contrive and find it quick at Paris, or after all you will seem but an Englishman."

"I must be content to seem and to be what I am," said Ormond, in a tone of playful but determined resignation.

"Bon!" said a voice near him. Mademoiselle went off in impatience to find some better auditor--she did not hear the "_Bon_."

Ormond turned, and saw near him a gentleman, whom he had often met at some of the first houses in Paris--the Abbe Morellet, then respected as the most _reasonable_ of all the wits of France, and who has since, through all the trying scenes of the revolution, through the varieties of unprincipled change, preserved unaltered the integrity and frankness of his character; retaining even to his eighty-seventh year all his characteristic warmth of heart and clearness of understanding--_le doyen de la litterature Francoise_--the love, respect, and admiration, of every honest heart in France. May he live to receive among all the other tributes, which his countrymen pay publicly and privately to his merit, this record of the impression his kindness left on grateful English hearts!

Our young hero had often desired to be acquainted with the Abbe; but the Abbe had really hitherto pa.s.sed him over as a mere young man of fas.h.i.+on, a mere Milord Anglois, one of the ephemeral race, who appear in Parisian society, vanish, and leave no trace behind. But now he did him the honour to enter into conversation with him. The Abbe peculiarly disliked all affectation of sentiment and exaggeration: they were revolting to his good sense, good taste, and feeling. Ormond won directly his good opinion and good-will, by having insisted upon it to Mademoiselle, that he would not for the sake of fas.h.i.+on or effect pretend to feel more than he really did.

"Bah!" said the Abbe, "hear all those women now and all those men--they do not know what they are saying--they make me sick. And, besides, I am afraid these flattering courtiers will do no good to our young Dauphiness, on whom so much of the future happiness or misery of France will depend. Her heart is excellent, and they tell me she announces a strong character; but what head of a young beauty and a young Queen will be able to withstand perpetual flattery? They will lead her wrong, and then will be the first to desert her--trust me, I know Paris. All this might change as quickly as the turn of a weatherc.o.c.k; but I will not trouble you with forebodings perhaps never to be realized. You see Paris, Monsieur, at a fortunate time," continued he; "society is now more agreeable, has more freedom, more life and variety, than at any other period that I can remember."

Ormond replied by a just compliment to the men of letters, who at this period added so much to the brilliancy and pleasure of Parisian society.

"But you have seen nothing of our men of literature, have you?" said the Abbe.

"Much less than I wish. I meet them frequently in society, but as, unluckily, I have no pretensions to their notice, I can only catch a little of their conversation, when I am fortunate enough to be near them."

"Yes," said the Abbe, with his peculiar look and tone of good-natured irony, "between the pretty things you are saying and hearing from--Fear nothing, I am not going to name any _one_, but--every pretty woman in company. I grant you it must be difficult to hear reason in such a situation--as difficult almost as in the midst of the din of all the pa.s.sions at the faro-table. I observe, however, that you play with astonis.h.i.+ng coolness--there is something still--wanting. Excuse me--but you interest me, monsieur; the determination not to play at all--

"Beyond a certain sum I have resolved never to play," said Ormond.

"Ah! but the appet.i.te grows--l'appet.i.t vient en mangeant--the danger is in acquiring the taste--excuse me if I speak too freely."

"Not at all--you cannot oblige me more. But there is no danger of my acquiring a taste for play, because I am determined to lose."

"Bon!" said the Abbe; "that is the most singular determination I ever heard: explain that to me, then, Monsieur."

"I have determined to lose a certain sum--suppose five hundred guineas.

I have won and lost backwards and forwards, and have been longer about it than you would conceive to be probable; but it is not lost yet. The moment it is, I shall stop short. By this means I have acquired all the advantages of yielding to the fas.h.i.+onable madness, without risking my future happiness."

The Abbe was pleased with the idea, and with the frankness and firmness of our young hero.

"Really, Monsieur," said he, "you must have a strong head--you, le bel Irlandois--to have prevented it from being turned with all the flattery you have received in Paris. There is nothing which gets into the head--worse still, into the heart,--so soon, so dangerously, as the flattery of pretty women. And yet I declare you seem wonderfully sober, considering."

"Ne jurez pas," said Ormond; "but at least in one respect I have not quite lost my senses; I know the value and feel the want of a safe, good guide in Paris: if I dared to ask such a favour, I should, since he has expressed some interest for me, beg to be permitted to cultivate the acquaintance of M. l'Abbe Morellet."

"Ah ca--now my head will turn, for no head can stand the dose of flattery that happens to suit the taste. I am particularly flattered by the idea of being a safe, good friend; and frankly, if I can be of any service to you, I will. Is there any thing I can do for you?"

Ormond thanked him, and told him that it was his great ambition to become acquainted with the celebrated men of literature in Paris--he said he should feel extremely obliged if M. Morellet would take occasion to introduce him to any of them they might meet in society.

"We must do better for you," said the abbe--"we must show you our men of letters." He concluded by begging Ormond to name a day when he could do him the honour to breakfast with him. "I will promise you Marmontel, at least; for he is just going to be married to my niece, and of him we shall be secure: as to the rest I will promise nothing, but do as much as I can."

The men of letters about this period in Paris, as the Abbe explained to Ormond, began to feel their own power and consequence, and had a.s.sumed a tone of independence, as yet tempered with due respect for rank. Many of them lived or were connected with men of rank, by places about the court, by secretarys.h.i.+ps and pensions, obtained through court influence.

Some were attached by early friends.h.i.+p to certain great families; had apartments to themselves in their hotels, where they received what friends they pleased; and, in short, lived as if they were at home.

Their company was much sought for by the great; and they enjoyed good houses, good tables, carriages, all the conveniences of life, and all the luxuries of the rich, without the trouble of an establishment. Their mornings were their own, usually employed in study; and the rest of the day they gave themselves to society. The most agreeable period of French literary society was, perhaps, while this state of things lasted.

The Abbe Morellet's breakfast was very agreeable; and Ormond saw at his house what had been promised him, many of the literary men at Paris. Voltaire was not then in France; and Rousseau, who was always quarrelling with somebody, and generally with every body, could not be prevailed upon to go to this breakfast. Ormond was a.s.sured that he lost nothing by not seeing him, or by not hearing his conversation, for that it was by no means equal to his writings; his temper was so susceptible and wayward, that he was not fit for society--neither capable of enjoying, nor of adding to its pleasures. Ormond heard, perhaps, more of Rousseau and Voltaire, and learnt more of their characters, by the anecdotes that were related, and the bon-mots that were repeated, than he could have done if they had been present. There was great variety of different characters and talents at this breakfast; and the Abbe amused himself by making his young friend guess who the people were, before he told their names. It was happy for Ormond that he was acquainted with some of their writings (this he owed to Lady Annaly's well-chosen present of French books). He was fortunate in his first guess--Marivaux's conversation was so like the style of his writings, so full of hair-breadth distinctions, subtle exceptions, and metaphysical refinement and digressions, that Ormond soon guessed him, and was applauded for his quickness. Marmontel he discovered, by his being the only man in the room who had not mentioned to him any of "Les Contes Moraux." But there was one person who set all his skill at defiance: he p.r.o.nounced that he was no author--that he was l'ami de la maison: he was so indeed wherever he went--but he was both a man of literature, and a man of deep science--no less a person than the great D'Alembert. Ormond thought D'Alembert and Marmontel were the two most agreeable men in company. D'Alembert was simple, open-hearted, unpresuming, and cheerful in society. Far from being subject to that absence of mind with which profound mathematicians are sometimes reproached, D'Alembert was present to every thing that was going forward--every trifle he enjoyed with the zest of youth, and the playfulness of childhood. Ormond confessed that he should never have guessed that he was a great mathematician and profound calculator.

Marmontel was distinguished for combining in his conversation, as in his character, two qualities for which there are no precise English words, _navete_ and _finesse_. Whoever is acquainted with Marmontel's writings must have a perfect knowledge of what is meant by both.

It was fortunate for our young hero that Marmontel was, at this time, no longer the dissipated man he had been during too great a period of his life. He had now returned to his early tastes for simple pleasures and domestic virtues--had formed that attachment which afterwards made the happiness of his life: he was just going to be married to the amiable Mdlle. Montigny, a niece of the Abbe Morellet. She and her excellent mother lived with him; and Ormond was most agreeably surprised and touched at the unexpected sight of an amiable, united, happy family, when he had expected only a meeting of literati.

The sight of this domestic happiness reminded him of the Annalys--brought the image of Florence to his mind. If she had been but sincere, how he should have preferred her to all he had seen!