Modeste　Mignon
  by　Honore　de　Balzac
  Translated　by　Katharine　Prescott　Wormeley
  DEDICATION
  To　a　Polish　Lady。
  Daughter　of　an　enslaved　land；　angel　through　love；　witch　through
  fancy；　child　by　faith；　aged　by　experience；　man　in　brain；　woman　in
  heart；　giant　by　hope；　mother　through　sorrows；　poet　in　thy　dreams；
  to　THEE　belongs　this　book；　in　which　thy　love；　thy　fancy；　thy
  experience；　thy　sorrow；　thy　hope；　thy　dreams；　are　the　warp　through
  which　is　shot　a　woof　less　brilliant　than　the　poesy　of　thy　soul；
  whose　expression；　when　it　shines　upon　thy　countenance；　is；　to
  those　who　love　thee；　what　the　characters　of　a　lost　language　are　to
  scholars。
  De　Balzac。
  MODESTE　MIGNON
  CHAPTER　I
  THE　CHALET
  At　the　beginning　of　October；　1829；　Monsieur　Simon　Babylas　Latournelle；
  notary；　was　walking　up　from　Havre　to　Ingouville；　arm　in　arm　with　his
  son　and　accompanied　by　his　wife；　at　whose　side　the　head　clerk　of　the
  lawyer's　office；　a　little　hunchback　named　Jean　Butscha；　trotted　along
  like　a　page。　When　these　four　personages　（two　of　whom　came　the　same　way
  every　evening）　reached　the　elbow　of　the　road　where　it　turns　back　upon
  itself　like　those　called　in　Italy　〃cornice；〃　the　notary　looked　about
  to　see　if　any　one　could　overhear　him　either　from　the　terrace　above　or
  the　path　beneath；　and　when　he　spoke　he　lowered　his　voice　as　a　further
  precaution。
  〃Exupere；〃　he　said　to　his　son；　〃you　must　try　to　carry　out
  intelligently　a　little　manoeuvre　which　I　shall　explain　to　you；　but　you
  are　not　to　ask　the　meaning　of　it；　and　if　you　guess　the　meaning　I
  command　you　to　toss　it　into　that　Styx　which　every　lawyer　and　every　man
  who　expects　to　have　a　hand　in　the　government　of　his　country　is　bound
  to　keep　within　him　for　the　secrets　of　others。　After　you　have　paid　your
  respects　and　compliments　to　Madame　and　Mademoiselle　Mignon；　to
  Monsieur　and　Madame　Dumay；　and　to　Monsieur　Gobenheim　if　he　is　at　the
  Chalet；　and　as　soon　as　quiet　is　restored；　Monsieur　Dumay　will　take　you
  aside；　you　are　then　to　look　attentively　at　Mademoiselle　Modeste　（yes；
  I　am　willing　to　allow　it）　during　the　whole　time　he　is　speaking　to　you。
  My　worthy　friend　will　ask　you　to　go　out　and　take　a　walk；　at　the　end　of
  an　hour；　that　is；　about　nine　o'clock；　you　are　to　come　back　in　a　great
  hurry；　try　to　puff　as　if　you　were　out　of　breath；　and　whisper　in
  Monsieur　Dumay's　ear；　quite　low；　but　so　that　Mademoiselle　Modeste　is
  sure　to　overhear　you；　these　words：　'The　young　man　has　come。'〃
  Exupere　was　to　start　the　next　morning　for　Paris　to　begin　the　study　of
  law。　This　impending　departure　had　induced　Latournelle　to　propose　him
  to　his　friend　Dumay　as　an　accomplice　in　the　important　conspiracy　which
  these　directions　indicate。
  〃Is　Mademoiselle　Modeste　suspected　of　having　a　lover？〃　asked　Butscha
  in　a　timid　voice　of　Madame　Latournelle。
  〃Hush；　Butscha；〃　she　replied；　taking　her　husband's　arm。
  Madame　Latournelle；　the　daughter　of　a　clerk　of　the　supreme　court；
  feels　that　her　birth　authorizes　her　to　claim　issue　from　a
  parliamentary　family。　This　conviction　explains　why　the　lady；　who　is
  somewhat　blotched　as　to　complexion；　endeavors　to　assume　in　her　own
  person　the　majesty　of　a　court　whose　decrees　are　recorded　in　her
  father's　pothooks。　She　takes　snuff；　holds　herself　as　stiff　as　a
  ramrod；　poses　for　a　person　of　consideration；　and　resembles　nothing　so
  much　as　a　mummy　brought　momentarily　to　life　by　galvanism。　She　tries　to
  give　high…bred　tones　to　her　sharp　voice；　and　succeeds　no　better　in
  doing　that　than　in　hiding　her　general　lack　of　breeding。　Her　social
  usefulness　seems；　however；　incontestable　when　we　glance　at　the　flower…
  bedecked　cap　she　wears；　at　the　false　front　frizzling　around　her
  forehead；　at　the　gowns　of　her　choice；　for　how　could　shopkeepers
  dispose　of　those　products　if　there　were　no　Madame　Latournelle？　All
  these　absurdities　of　the　worthy　woman；　who　is　truly　pious　and
  charitable；　might　have　passed　unnoticed；　if　nature；　amusing　herself　as
  she　often　does　by　turning　out　these　ludicrous　creations；　had　not
  endowed　her　with　the　height　of　a　drum…major；　and　thus　held　up　to　view
  the　comicalities　of　her　provincial　nature。　She　has　never　been　out　of
  Havre；　she　believes　in　the　infallibility　of　Havre；　she　proclaims
  herself　Norman　to　the　very　tips　of　her　fingers；　she　venerates　her
  father；　and　adores　her　husband。
  Little　Latournelle　was　bold　enough　to　marry　this　lady　after　she　had
  attained　the　anti…matrimonial　age　of　thirty…three；　and　what　is　more；
  he　had　a　son　by　her。　As　he　could　have　got　the　sixty　thousand　francs　of
  her　〃dot〃　in　several　other　ways；　the　public　assigned　his　uncommon
  intrepidity　to　a　desire　to　escape　an　invasion　of　the　Minotaur；　against
  whom　his　personal　qualifications　would　have　insufficiently　protected
  him　had　he　rashly　dared　his　fate　by　bringing　home　a　young　and　pretty
  wife。　The　fact　was；　however；　that　the　notary　recognized　the　really
  fine　qualities　of　Mademoiselle　Agnes　（she　was　called　Agnes）　and
  reflected　to　himself　that　a　woman's　beauty　is　soon　past　and　gone　to　a
  husband。　As　to　the　insignificant　youth　on　whom　the　clerk　of　the　court
  bestowed　in　baptism　his　Norman　name　of　〃Exupere；〃　Madame　Latournelle
  is　still　so　surprised　at　becoming　his　mother；　at　the　age　of　thirty…
  five　years　and　seven　months；　that　she　would　still　provide　him；　if　it
  were　necessary；　with　her　breast　and　her　milk；an　hyperbole　which
  alone　can　fully　express　her　impassioned　maternity。　〃How　handsome　he
  is；　that　son　of　mine！〃　she　says　to　her　little　friend　Modeste；　as　they
  walk　to　church；　with　the　beautiful　Exupere　in　front　of　them。　〃He　is
  like　you；〃　Modeste　Mignon　answers；　very　much　as　she　might　have　said；
  〃What　horrid　weather！〃　This　silhouette　of　Madame　Latournelle　is　quite
  important　as　an　accessory；　inasmuch　as　for　three　years　she　has　been
  the　chaperone　of　the　young　girl　against　whom　the　notary　and　his　friend
  Dumay　are　now　plotting　to　set　up　what　we　have　called；　in　the
  〃Physiologie　du　Mariage；〃　a　〃mouse…trap。〃
  As　for　Latournelle；　imagine　a　worthy　little　fellow　as　sly　as　the
  purest　honor　and　uprightness　would　allow　him　to　be；a　man　whom　any
  stranger　would　take　for　a　rascal　at　sight　of　his　queer　physiognomy；　to
  which；　however；　the　inhabitants　of　Havre　were　well　accustomed。　His
  eyesight；　said　to　be　weak；　obliged　the　worthy　man　to　wear　green
  goggles　for　the　protection　of　his　eyes；　which　were　constantly
  inflamed。　The　arch　of　each　eyebrow；　defined　by　a　thin　down　of　hair；
  surrounded　the　tortoise…shell　rim　of　the　glasses　and　made　a　couple　of
  circles　as　it　were；　slightly　apart。　If　you　have　never　observed　on　the
  human　face　the　effect　produced　by　these　circumferences　placed　one
  within　the　other；　and　separated　by　a　hollow　space　or　line；　you　can
  hardly　imagine　how　perplexing　such　a　face　will　be　to　you；　especially
  if　pale；　hollow…cheeked；　and　terminating　in　a　pointed　chin　like　that
  of　Mephistopheles；a　type　which　painters　give　to　cats。　This　double
  resemblance　was　observable　on　the　face　of　Babylas　Latournelle。　Above
  the　atrocious　green　spectacles　rose　a　bald　crown；　all　the　more　crafty
  in　expression　because　a　wig；　seemingly　endowed　with　motion；　let　the
  white　hairs　show　on　all　sides　of　it　as　it　meandered　crookedly　across
  the　forehead。　An　observer　taking　note　of　this　excellent　Norman；
  clothed　in　black　and　mounted　on　his　two　legs　like　a　beetle　on　a　couple
  of　pins；　and　knowing　him　to　be　one　of　the　most　trustworthy　of　men；
  would　have　sought；　without　finding　it；　for　the　reason　of　such　physical
  misrepresentation。
  Jean　Butscha；　a　natural　son　abandoned　by　his　parents　and　taken　care　of
  by　the　clerk　of　the　court　and　his　daughter；　and　now；　through　sheer
  hard　work；　head…clerk　to　the　notary；　fed　and　lodged　by　his　master；　who
  gave　him　a　salary　of　nine　hundred　francs；　almost　a　dwarf；　and　with　no
  semblance　of　youth；Jean　Butscha　made　Modeste　his　idol；　and　would
  willingly　have　given　his　life　for　hers。　The　poor　fellow；　whose　eyes
  were　hollowed　beneath　their　heavy　lids　like　the　touch…holes　of　a
  cannon；　whose　head　overweighted　his　body；　with　its　shock　of　crisp
  hair；　and　whose　face　was　pock…marked；　had　lived　under　pitying　eyes
  from　the　time　he　was　seven　years　of　age。　Is　not　that　enough　to　explain
  his　whole　being？　Silent；　self…contained；　pious；　exemplary　in　conduct；
  he　went　his　way　over　that　vast　tract　of　country　named　on　the　map　of
  the　heart　Love…without…Hope；　the　sublime　and　arid　steppes　of　Desire。
  Modeste　had　christened　this　grotesque　little　being　her　〃Black　Dwarf。〃
  The　nickname　sent　him　to　the　pages　of　Walter　Scott's　novel；　and　he　one
  day　said　to　Modeste：　〃Will　you　accept　a　rose　against　the　evil　day　from
  your　mysterious　dwarf？〃　Modeste　instantly　sent　the　soul　of　her　adorer
  to　its　humble　mud…cabin　with　a　terrible　glance；　such　as　young　girls
  bestow　on　the　men　who　cannot　please　them。　Butscha's　conception　of
  himself　was　lowly；　and；　like　the　wife　of　his　master；　he　had　never　been
  out　of　Havre。
  Perhaps　it　will　b