two poets-第13节

按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！


　man　of　L'Houmeau；　but　before　very　long　he　grew　accustomed　to　the　vast　condescension；　as　it　had　seemed　to　him　at　the　outset；　and　came　more　and　more　frequently。　The　druggist's　son　was　a　completely　insignificant　being。　If　any　of　the　noblesse；　men　or　women；　calling　upon　Nais；　found　Lucien　in　the　room；　they　met　him　with　the　overwhelming　graciousness　that　well…bred　people　use　towards　their　inferiors。　Lucien　thought　them　very　kind　for　a　time；　and　later　found　out　the　real　reason　for　their　specious　amiability。　It　was　not　long　before　he　detected　a　patronizing　tone　that　stirred　his　gall　and　confirmed　him　in　his　bitter　Republicanism；　a　phase　of　opinion　through　which　many　a　would…be　patrician　passes　by　way　of　prelude　to　his　introduction　to　polite　society。

But　was　there　anything　that　he　would　not　have　endured　for　Nais？for　so　he　heard　her　named　by　the　clan。　Like　Spanish　grandees　and　the　old　Austrian　nobility　at　Vienna；　these　folk；　men　and　women　alike；　called　each　other　by　their　Christian　names；　a　final　shade　of　distinction　in　the　inmost　ring　of　Angoumoisin　aristocracy。

Lucien　loved　Nais　as　a　young　man　loves　the　first　woman　who　flatters　him；　for　Nais　prophesied　great　things　and　boundless　fame　for　Lucien。　She　used　all　her　skill　to　secure　her　hold　upon　her　poet；　not　merely　did　she　exalt　him　beyond　measure；　but　she　represented　him　to　himself　as　a　child　without　fortune　whom　she　meant　to　start　in　life；　she　treated　him　like　a　child；　to　keep　him　near　her；　she　made　him　her　reader；　her　secretary；　and　cared　more　for　him　than　she　would　have　thought　possible　after　the　dreadful　calamity　that　had　befallen　her。

She　was　very　cruel　to　herself　in　those　days；　telling　herself　that　it　would　be　folly　to　love　a　young　man　of　twenty；　so　far　apart　from　her　socially　in　the　first　place；　and　her　behavior　to　him　was　a　bewildering　mixture　of　familiarity　and　capricious　fits　of　pride　arising　from　her　fears　and　scruples。　She　was　sometimes　a　lofty　patroness；　sometimes　she　was　tender　and　flattered　him。　At　first；　while　he　was　overawed　by　her　rank；　Lucien　experienced　the　extremes　of　dread；　hope；　and　despair；　the　torture　of　a　first　love；　that　is　beaten　deep　into　the　heart　with　the　hammer　strokes　of　alternate　bliss　and　anguish。　For　two　months　Mme。　de　Bargeton　was　for　him　a　benefactress　who　would　take　a　mother's　interest　in　him；　but　confidences　came　next。　Mme。　de　Bargeton　began　to　address　her　poet　as　〃dear　Lucien；〃　and　then　as　〃dear；〃　without　more　ado。　The　poet　grew　bolder；　and　addressed　the　great　lady　as　Nais；　and　there　followed　a　flash　of　anger　that　captivates　a　boy；　she　reproached　him　for　calling　her　by　a　name　in　everybody's　mouth。　The　haughty　and　high…　born　Negrepelisse　offered　the　fair　angel　youth　that　one　of　her　appellations　which　was　unsoiled　by　use；　for　him　she　would　be　〃Louise。〃　Lucien　was　in　the　third　heaven。

One　evening　when　Lucien　came　in；　he　found　Mme。　de　Bargeton　looking　at　a　portrait；　which　she　promptly　put　away。　He　wished　to　see　it；　and　to　quiet　the　despair　of　a　first　fit　of　jealousy　Louise　showed　him　Cante…　Croix's　picture；　and　told　with　tears　the　piteous　story　of　a　love　so　stainless；　so　cruelly　cut　short。　Was　she　experimenting　with　herself？　Was　she　trying　a　first　unfaithfulness　to　the　memory　of　the　dead？　Or　had　she　taken　it　into　her　head　to　raise　up　a　rival　to　Lucien　in　the　portrait？　Lucien　was　too　much　of　a　boy　to　analyze　his　lady…love；　he　gave　way　to　unfeigned　despair　when　she　opened　the　campaign　by　entrenching　herself　behind　the　more　or　less　skilfully　devised　scruples　which　women　raise　to　have　them　battered　down。　When　a　woman　begins　to　talk　about　her　duty；　regard　for　appearances　or　religion；　the　objections　she　raises　are　so　many　redoubts　which　she　loves　to　have　carried　by　storm。　But　on　the　guileless　Lucien　these　coquetries　were　thrown　away；　he　would　have　advanced　of　his　own　accord。

〃_I_　shall　not　die　for　you；　I　will　live　for　you；〃　he　cried　audaciously　one　evening；　he　meant　to　have　no　more　of　M。　de　Cante…Croix；　and　gave　Louise　a　glance　which　told　plainly　that　a　crisis　was　at　hand。

Startled　at　the　progress　of　this　new　love　in　herself　and　her　poet；　Louise　demanded　some　verses　promised　for　the　first　page　of　her　album；　looking　for　a　pretext　for　a　quarrel　in　his　tardiness。　But　what　became　of　her　when　she　read　the　following　stanzas；　which；　naturally；　she　considered　finer　than　the　finest　work　of　Canalis；　the　poet　of　the　aristocracy？

　　The　magic　brush；　light　flying　flights　of　song　　　To　these；　but　not　to　these　alone；　belong　　　　　My　pages　fair；　　　Often　to　me；　my　mistress'　pencil　steals　　　To　tell　the　secret　gladness　that　she　feels；　　　　　The　hidden　care。

　　And　when　her　fingers；　slowlier　at　the　last；　　　Of　a　rich　Future；　now　become　the　Past；　　　　　Seek　count　of　me；　　　Oh　Love；　when　swift；　thick…coming　memories　rise；　　　　　I　pray　of　Thee。　　　May　they　bring　visions　fair　as　cloudless　skies　　　Of　happy　voyage　o'er　a　summer　sea！

〃Was　it　really　I　who　inspired　those　lines？〃　she　asked。

The　doubt　suggested　by　coquetry　to　a　woman　who　amused　herself　by　playing　with　fire　brought　tears　to　Lucien's　eyes；　but　her　first　kiss　upon　his　forehead　calmed　the　storm。　Decidedly　Lucien　was　a　great　man；　and　she　meant　to　form　him；　she　thought　of　teaching　him　Italian　and　German　and　perfecting　his　manners。　That　would　be　pretext　sufficient　for　having　him　constantly　with　her　under　the　very　eyes　of　her　tiresome　courtiers。　What　an　interest　in　her　life！　She　took　up　music　again　for　her　poet's　sake；　and　revealed　the　world　of　sound　to　him；　playing　grand　fragments　of　Beethoven　till　she　sent　him　into　ecstasy；　and；　happy　in　his　delight；　turned　to　the　half…swooning　poet。

〃Is　not　such　happiness　as　this　enough？〃　she　asked　hypocritically；　and　poor　Lucien　was　stupid　enough　to　answer；　〃Yes。〃

In　the　previous　week　things　had　reached　such　a　point；　that　Louise　had　judged　it　expedient　to　ask　Lucien　to　dine　with　M。　de　Bargeton　as　a　third。　But　in　spite　of　this　precaution；　the　whole　town　knew　the　state　of　affairs；　and　so　extraordinary　did　it　appear；　that　no　one　would　believe　the　truth。　The　outcry　was　terrific。　Some　were　of　the　opinion　that　society　was　on　the　eve　of　cataclysm。　〃See　what　comes　of　Liberal　doctrines！〃　cried　others。

Then　it　was　that　the　jealous　du　Chatelet　discovered　that　Madame　Charlotte；　the　monthly　nurse；　was　no　other　than　Mme。　Chardon；　〃the　mother　of　the　Chateaubriand　of　L'Houmeau；〃　as　he　put　it。　The　remark　passed　muster　as　a　joke。　Mme。　de　Chandour　was　the　first　to　hurry　to　Mme。　de　Bargeton。

〃Nais；　dear；〃　she　said；　〃do　you　know　what　everybody　is　talking　about　in　Angouleme？　This　little　rhymster's　mother　is　the　Madame　Charlotte　who　nursed　my　sister…in…law　through　her　confinement　two　months　ago。〃

〃What　is　there　extraordinary　in　that；　my　dear？〃　asked　Mme。　de　Bargeton　with　her　most　regal　air。　〃She　is　a　druggist's　widow；　is　she　not？　A　poor　fate　for　a　Rubempre。　Suppose　that　you　and　I　had　not　a　penny　in　the　world；　what　should　either　of　us　do　for　a　living？　How　would　you　support　your　children？〃

Mme。　de　Bargeton's　presence　of　mind　put　an　end　to　the　jeremiads　of　the　noblesse。　Great　natures　are　prone　to　make　a　virtue　of　misfortune；　and　there　is　something　irresistibly　attractive　about　well…doing　when　persisted　in　through　evil　report；　innocence　has　the　piquancy　of　the　forbidden。

Mme。　de　Bargeton's　rooms　were　crowded　that　evening　with　friends　who　came　to　remonstrate　with　her。　She　brought　her　most　caustic　wit　into　play。　She　said　that　as　noble　families　could　not　produce　a　Moliere；　a　Racine；　a　Rousseau；　a　Voltaire；　a　Massillon；　a　Beaumarchais；　or　a　Diderot；　people　must　make　up　their　minds　to　it；　and　accept　the　fact　that　great　men　had　upholsterers　and　clockmakers　and　cutlers　for　their　fathers。　She　said　that　genius　was　always　noble。　She　railed　at　boorish　squires　for　understanding　their　real　interests　so　imperfectly。　In　short；　she　talked　a　good　deal　of　nonsense；　which　would　have　let　the　light　into　heads　less　dense；　but　left　her　audience　agape　at　her　eccentricity。　And　in　these　ways　she　conjured　away　the　storm　with　her　heavy　artillery。

When　Lucien；　obedient　to　her　request；　appeared　for　the　first　time　in　the　faded　great　drawing…room；　where　the　whist…tables　were　set　out；　she　welcomed　him　graciously；　and　brought　him　forward；　like　a　queen　who　means　to　be　obeyed。　She　addressed　the　controller　of　excise　as　〃M。　Chatelet；〃　and　left　that　gentleman　thunderstruck　by　the　discovery　that　she　knew　about　the　illegal　superfetation　of　the　particle。　Lucien　was　forced　upon　her　circle；　and　was　received　as　a　poisonous　element；　which　every　person　in　it　vowed　to　expel　with　the　antidote　of　insolence。

Nais　had　won　a　victory；　but　she　had　lost　her　supremacy　of　empire。　There　was　a　rumor　of　insurrection。　Amelie；　otherwise　Mme。　de　Chandour；　harkening　to　〃M。　Chatelet's〃　counsels；　determined　to　erect　a　rival　altar　by　receiving　on　Wednesdays。　Now　Mme。　de　Bargeton's　salon　was　open　every　evening；　and　those　who　frequented　it　were　so　wedded　to　their　ways；　so　accustomed　to　meet　about　the　same　tables；　to　play　the　familiar　game　of　backgammon；　to　see　the　same　faces　and　the　same　candle　sconces　night　after　night；　and　afterwards　to　cloak　and　shawl；　and　put　on　overshoes　and　hats　in　the　old　corridor；　that　they　were　quite　as　much　attached　to　the　steps　of　the　staircase　as　to　the　mistress　of　the　house。

〃All　resigned　themselves　to　endure　the　songste