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Petty Troubles of Married Life, essay(s) by Honore de Balzac |
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Part 2 - The Avowal |
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_ Part Second The Avowal One morning, Adolphe is petted in a very unusual manner. The too happy husband wonders what may be the cause of this development of affection, and he hears Caroline, in her most winning tones, utter the word: "Adolphe?" "Well?" he replies, in alarm at the internal agitation betrayed by Caroline's voice. "Promise not to be angry." "Well." "Not to be vexed with me." "Never. Go on." "To forgive me and never say anything about it." "But tell me what it is!" "Besides, you are the one that's in the wrong--" "Speak, or I'll go away." "There's no one but you that can get me out of the scrape--and it was you that got me into it." "Come, come." "It's about--" "About--" "About Justine!" "Don't speak of her, she's discharged. I won't see her again, her style of conduct exposes your reputation--" "What can people say--what have they said?" The scene changes, the result of which is a secondary explanation which makes Caroline blush, as she sees the bearing of the suppositions of her best friends. "Well, now, Adolphe, it's to you I owe all this. Why didn't you tell me about Frederick?" "Frederick the Great? The King of Prussia?" "What creatures men are! Hypocrite, do you want to make me believe that you have forgotten your son so soon, M'lle Suzanne Beauminet's son?" "Then you know--?" "The whole thing! And old other Mahuchet, and your absences from home to give him a good dinner on holidays." "How like moles you pious women can be if you try!" exclaims Adolphe, in his terror. "It was Justine that found it out." "Ah! Now I understand the reason of her insolence." "Oh, your Caroline has been very wretched, dear, and this spying system, which was produced by my love for you, for I do love you, and madly too,--if you deceived me, I would fly to the extremity of creation,--well, as I was going to say, this unfounded jealousy has put me in Justine's power, so, my precious, get me out of it the best way you can!" "Let this teach you, my angel, never to make use of your servants, if you want them to be of use to you. It is the lowest of tyrannies, this being at the mercy of one's people." Adolphe takes advantage of this circumstance to alarm Caroline, he thinks of future Chaumontel's affairs, and would be glad to have no more espionage. Justine is sent for, Adolphe peremptorily dismisses her without waiting to hear her explanation. Caroline imagines her vexations at an end. She gets another maid. Justine, whose twelve or fifteen thousand francs have attracted the notice of a water carrier, becomes Madame Chavagnac, and goes into the apple business. Ten months after, in Adolphe's absence, Caroline receives a letter written upon school-boy paper, in strides which would require orthopedic treatment for three months, and thus conceived:
"Yu ar shaimphoolly diseeved bi yure huzban fur mame Deux fischtaminelle, hee goze their evry eavning, yu ar az blynde az a Batt. Your gott wott yu dizzurv, and I am Glad ovit, and I have thee honur ov prezenting yu the assurunz ov Mi moaste ds Sting guischt respecks."
When she has discovered the injustice of her suspicions, there comes another letter with an offer to furnish her with details relative to a Chaumontel's affair which Justine has unearthed. The petty trouble of avowals, ladies, is often more serious than this, as you perhaps have occasion to remember. _ |
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