two poets-第15节

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l；　and　David　as　another　Cuvier；　a　great　man　of　the　future；　and　a　father；　friend；　and　brother　to　him　in　the　present。　He　should　feel　himself　unworthy　of　his　Louise's　love　（his　proudest　distinction）　if　he　did　not　ask　her　to　do　for　David　all　that　she　had　done　for　him。　He　would　give　up　everything　rather　than　desert　David　Sechard；　David　must　witness　his　success。　It　was　one　of　those　wild　letters　in　which　a　young　man　points　a　pistol　at　a　refusal；　letters　full　of　boyish　casuistry　and　the　incoherent　reasoning　of　an　idealist；　a　delicious　tissue　of　words　embroidered　here　and　there　by　the　naive　utterances　that　women　love　so　wellunconscious　revelations　of　the　writer's　heart。

Lucien　left　the　letter　with　the　housemaid；　went　to　the　office；　and　spent　the　day　in　reading　proofs；　superintending　the　execution　of　orders；　and　looking　after　the　affairs　of　the　printing…house。　He　said　not　a　word　to　David。　While　youth　bears　a　child's　heart；　it　is　capable　of　sublime　reticence。　Perhaps；　too；　Lucien　began　to　dread　the　Phocion's　axe　which　David　could　wield　when　he　chose；　perhaps　he　was　afraid　to　meet　those　clear…sighted　eyes　that　read　the　depths　of　his　soul。　But　when　he　read　Chenier's　poems　with　David；　his　secret　rose　from　his　heart　to　his　lips　at　the　sting　of　a　reproach　that　he　felt　as　the　patient　feels　the　probing　of　a　wound。



And　now　try　to　understand　the　thoughts　that　troubled　Lucien's　mind　as　he　went　down　from　Angouleme。　Was　the　great　lady　angry　with　him？　Would　she　receive　David？　Had　he；　Lucien；　in　his　ambition；　flung　himself　headlong　back　into　the　depths　of　L'Houmeau？　Before　he　set　that　kiss　on　Louise's　forehead；　he　had　had　time　to　measure　the　distance　between　a　queen　and　her　favorite；　so　far　had　he　come　in　five　months；　and　he　did　not　tell　himself　that　David　could　cross　over　the　same　ground　in　a　moment。　Yet　he　did　not　know　how　completely　the　lower　orders　were　excluded　from　this　upper　world；　he　did　not　so　much　as　suspect　that　a　second　experiment　of　this　kind　meant　ruin　for　Mme。　de　Bargeton。　Once　accused　and　fairly　convicted　of　a　liking　for　canaille；　Louise　would　be　driven　from　the　place；　her　caste　would　shun　her　as　men　shunned　a　leper　in　the　Middle　Ages。　Nais　might　have　broken　the　moral　law；　and　her　whole　circle；　the　clergy　and　the　flower　of　the　aristocracy；　would　have　defended　her　against　the　world　through　thick　and　then；　but　a　breach　of　another　law；　the　offence　of　admitting　all　sorts　of　people　to　her　house　this　was　sin　without　remission。　The　sins　of　those　in　power　are　always　overlookedonce　let　them　abdicate；　and　they　shall　pay　the　penalty。　And　what　was　it　but　abdication　to　receive　David？

But　if　Lucien　did　not　see　these　aspects　of　the　question；　his　aristocratic　instinct　discerned　plenty　of　difficulties　of　another　kind；　and　he　took　alarm。　A　fine　manner　is　not　the　invariable　outcome　of　noble　feeling；　and　while　no　man　at　court　had　a　nobler　air　than　Racine；　Corneille　looked　very　much　like　a　cattle…dealer；　and　Descartes　might　have　been　taken　for　an　honest　Dutch　merchant；　and　visitors　to　La　Brede；　meeting　Montesquieu　in　a　cotton　nightcap；　carrying　a　rake　over　his　shoulder；　mistook　him　for　a　gardener。　A　knowledge　of　the　world；　when　it　is　not　sucked　in　with　mother's　milk　and　part　of　the　inheritance　of　descent；　is　only　acquired　by　education；　supplemented　by　certain　gifts　of　chancea　graceful　figure；　distinction　of　feature；　a　certain　ring　in　the　voice。　All　these；　so　important　trifles；　David　lacked；　while　Nature　had　bestowed　them　upon　his　friend。　Of　gentle　blood　on　the　mother's　side；　Lucien　was　a　Frank；　even　down　to　the　high…　arched　instep。　David　had　inherited　the　physique　of　his　father　the　pressman　and　the　flat　foot　of　the　Gael。　Lucien　could　hear　the　shower　of　jokes　at　David's　expense；　he　could　see　Mme。　de　Bargeton's　repressed　smile；　and　at　length；　without　being　exactly　ashamed　of　his　brother；　he　made　up　his　mind　to　disregard　his　first　impulse　and　to　think　twice　before　yielding　to　it　in　future。

So；　after　the　hour　of　poetry　and　self…sacrifice；　after　the　reading　of　verse　that　opened　out　before　the　friends　the　fields　of　literature　in　the　light　of　a　newly…risen　sun；　the　hour　of　worldly　wisdom　and　of　scheming　struck　for　Lucien。

Down　once　more　in　L'Houmeau　he　wished　that　he　had　not　written　that　letter；　he　wished　he　could　have　it　back　again；　for　down　the　vista　of　the　future　he　caught　a　glimpse　of　the　inexorable　laws　of　the　world。　He　guessed　that　nothing　succeeds　like　success；　and　it　cost　him　something　to　step　down　from　the　first　rung　of　the　scaling　ladder　by　which　he　meant　to　reach　and　storm　the　heights　above。　Pictures　of　his　quiet　and　simple　life　rose　before　him；　pictures　fair　with　the　brightest　colors　of　blossoming　love。　There　was　David；　what　a　genius　David　hadDavid　who　had　helped　him　so　generously；　and　would　die　for　him　at　need；　he　thought　of　his　mother；　of　how　great　a　lady　she　was　in　her　lowly　lot；　and　how　she　thought　that　he　was　as　good　as　he　was　clever；　then　of　his　sister　so　gracious　in　submission　to　her　fate；　of　his　own　innocent　childhood　and　conscience　as　yet　unstained；　of　budding　hopes　undespoiled　by　rough　winds；　and　at　these　thoughts　the　past　broke　into　flowers　once　more　for　his　memory。

Then　he　told　himself　that　it　was　a　far　finer　thing　to　hew　his　own　way　through　serried　hostile　mobs　of　aristocrats　or　philistines　by　repeated　successful　strokes；　than　to　reach　the　goal　through　a　woman's　favor。　Sooner　or　later　his　genius　should　shine　out；　it　had　been　so　with　the　others；　his　predecessors；　they　had　tamed　society。　Women　would　love　him　when　that　day　came！　The　example　of　Napoleon；　which；　unluckily　for　this　nineteenth　century　of　ours；　has　filled　a　great　many　ordinary　persons　with　aspirations　after　extraordinary　destinies；the　example　of　Napoleon　occurred　to　Lucien's　mind。　He　flung　his　schemes　to　the　winds　and　blamed　himself　for　thinking　of　them。　For　Lucien　was　so　made　that　he　went　from　evil　to　good；　or　from　good　to　evil；　with　the　same　facility。

Lucien　had　none　of　the　scholar's　love　for　his　retreat；　for　the　past　month　indeed　he　had　felt　something　like　shame　at　the　sight　of　the　shop　front；　where　you　could　read

　　POSTEL　（LATE　CHARDON）；　PHARMACEUTICAL　CHEMIST；

in　yellow　letters　on　a　green　ground。　It　was　an　offence　to　him　that　his　father's　name　should　be　thus　posted　up　in　a　place　where　every　carriage　passed。

Every　evening；　when　he　closed　the　ugly　iron　gate　and　went　up　to　Beaulieu　to　give　his　arm　to　Mme。　de　Bargeton　among　the　dandies　of　the　upper　town；　he　chafed　beyond　all　reason　at　the　disparity　between　his　lodging　and　his　fortune。

〃I　love　Mme。　de　Bargeton；　perhaps　in　a　few　days　she　will　be　mine；　yet　here　I　live　in　this　rat…hole！〃　he　said　to　himself　this　evening；　as　he　went　down　the　narrow　passage　into　the　little　yard　behind　the　shop。　This　evening　bundles　of　boiled　herbs　were　spread　out　along　the　wall；　the　apprentice　was　scouring　a　caldron；　and　M。　Postel　himself；　girded　about　with　his　laboratory　apron；　was　standing　with　a　retort　in　his　hand；　inspecting　some　chemical　product　while　keeping　an　eye　upon　the　shop　door；　or　if　the　eye　happened　to　be　engaged；　he　had　at　any　rate　an　ear　for　the　bell。

A　strong　scent　of　camomile　and　peppermint　pervaded　the　yard　and　the　poor　little　dwelling　at　the　side；　which　you　reached　by　a　short　ladder；　with　a　rope　on　either　side　by　way　of　hand…rail。　Lucien's　room　was　an　attic　just　under　the　roof。

〃Good…day；　sonny；〃　said　M。　Postel；　that　typical；　provincial　tradesman。　〃Are　you　pretty　middling？　I　have　just　been　experimenting　on　treacle；　but　it　would　take　a　man　like　your　father　to　find　what　I　am　looking　for。　Ah！　he　was　a　famous　chemist；　he　was！　If　I　had　only　known　his　gout　specific；　you　and　I　should　be　rolling　along　in　our　carriage　this　day。〃

The　little　druggist；　whose　head　was　as　thick　as　his　heart　was　kind；　never　let　a　week　pass　without　some　allusion　to　Chardon　senior's　unlucky　secretiveness　as　to　that　discovery；　words　that　Lucien　felt　like　a　stab。

〃It　is　a　great　pity；〃　Lucien　answered　curtly。　He　was　beginning　to　think　his　father's　apprentice　prodigiously　vulgar；　though　he　had　blessed　the　man　for　his　kindness；　for　honest　Postel　had　helped　his　master's　widow　and　children　more　than　once。

〃Why；　what　is　the　matter　with　you？〃　M。　Postel　inquired；　putting　down　his　test　tube　on　the　laboratory　table。

〃Is　there　a　letter　for　me？〃

〃Yes；　a　letter　that　smells　like　balm！　it　is　lying　on　the　corner　near　my　desk。〃

Mme。　de　Bargeton's　letter　lying　among　the　physic　bottles　in　a　druggist's　shop！　Lucien　sprang　in　to　rescue　it。

〃Be　quick；　Lucien！　your　dinner　has　been　waiting　an　hour　for　you；　it　will　be　cold！〃　a　sweet　voice　called　gently　through　a　half…opened　window；　but　Lucien　did　not　hear。

〃That　brother　of　yours　has　gone　crazy；　mademoiselle；〃　said　Postel；　lifting　his　face。

The　old　bachelor　looked　rather　like　a　miniature　brandy　cask；　embellished　by　a　painter's　fancy；　with　a　fat；　ruddy　countenance　much　pitted　with　the　smallpox；　at　the　sight　of　Eve　his　face　took　a　ceremonious　and　amiable　expression；　which　said　plainly　that　he　had　thoughts　of　espousing　the　daughter　of　his　predecessor；　but　could　not　put　an　end　to　the　strife　between　love　and　interest　in　his　heart。　He　often　said　to　Lucien；　with　a　smile；　〃Your　sister　is　uncommonly　pretty；　and　you　are　not　so　bad　looking　neither！　Your　father　did　everything　well。〃

Eve　was　tall