第9章
加入书架 A- A+

  MademoiselleGodeschal,anxioustomakeherfirstappearanceatthePanorama-DramatiqueunderthenameofMariette,basedherhopesontheprotectionandinfluenceofafirstgentlemanofthebedchamber,towhomVestrishadpromisedtointroduceher。Vestris,stillgreenhimselfatthisperiod,didnotthinkhispupilsufficientlytrainedtorisktheintroduction。Theambitiousgirldid,intheend,makeherpseudonymofMariettefamous;andthemotiveofherambition,itmustbesaid,waspraiseworthy。Shehadabrother,aclerkinDerville’slawoffice。Leftorphansandverypoor,anddevotedtoeachother,thebrotherandsisterhadseenlifesuchasitisinParis。Theonewishedtobealawyerthathemightsupporthissister,andhelivedontensousaday;theotherhadcoldlyresolvedtobeadancer,andtoprofitbyherbeautyasmuchasbyherlegsthatshemightbuyapracticeforherbrother。Outsideoftheirfeelingforeachother,andoftheirmutuallifeandinterests,everythingwastothem,asitoncewastotheRomansandtheHebrews,barbaric,outlandish,andhostile。

  Thisgenerousaffection,whichnothingeverlessened,explainedMariettetothosewhoknewherintimately。

  ThebrotherandsisterwerelivingatthistimeontheeighthfloorofahouseintheVieillerueduTemple。Mariettehadbegunherstudieswhenshewastenyearsold;shewasnowjustsixteen。Alas!forwantofbecomingclothes,herbeauty,hiddenunderacoarseshawl,dressedincalico,andill-kept,couldonlybeguessedbythoseParisianswhodevotethemselvestohuntinggrisettesandthequestofbeautyinmisfortune,asshetrottedpastthemwithmincingstep,mountedonironpattens。PhilippefellinlovewithMariette。ToMariette,PhilippewascommanderofthedragoonsoftheGuard,astaff-officeroftheEmperor,ayoungmanoftwenty-seven,andaboveall,themeansofprovingherselfsuperiortoFlorentinebytheevidentsuperiorityofPhilippeoverGiroudeau。FlorentineandGiroudeau,theonetopromotehiscomrade’shappiness,theothertogetaprotectorforherfriend,pushedPhilippeandMarietteintoa“mariageendetrempe,“——aParisiantermwhichisequivalentto“morganaticmarriage,“asappliedtoroyalpersonages。PhilippewhentheyleftthehouserevealedhispovertytoGiroudeau,buttheoldrouereassuredhim。

  “I’llspeaktomynephewFinot,“hesaid。“Yousee,Philippe,thereignofphrasesandquill-driversisuponus;wemayaswellsubmit。

  To-day,scribblersareparamount。Inkhasoustedgunpowder,andtalktakestheplaceofshot。Afterall,theselittletoadsofeditorsareprettygoodfellows,andveryclever。Comeandseemeto-morrowatthenewspaperoffice;bythattimeIshallhavesaidawordforyoutomynephew。Beforelongyou’llhaveaplaceonsomejournalorother。

......

购买会员看全站小说,或者下载APP免费观看所有作品 点击立即下载,搜索"The Two Brothers",免费读到尾
点击下载App,搜索"The Two Brothers",免费读到尾