two poets-第19节

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pon　him；　the　better　to　humiliate　him　in　his　poverty。　M。　de　Bargeton　had　counted　on　having　no　more　to　say；　and　his　soul　was　dismayed　by　the　pause　spent　by　the　rivals　in　mutual　survey；　he　had　a　question　which　he　kept　for　desperate　emergencies；　laid　up　in　his　mind；　as　it　were；　against　a　rainy　day。　Now　was　the　proper　time　to　bring　it　out。

〃Well；　monsieur；〃　he　said；　looking　at　Chatelet　with　an　important　air；　〃is　there　anything　fresh？　anything　that　people　are　talking　about？〃

〃Why；　the　latest　thing　is　M。　Chardon；〃　Chatelet　said　maliciously。　〃Ask　him。　Have　you　brought　some　charming　poet　for　us？〃　inquired　the　vivacious　Baron；　adjusting　the　side　curl　that　had　gone　astray　on　his　temple。

〃I　should　have　asked　you　whether　I　had　succeeded；〃　Lucien　answered；　〃you　have　been　before　me　in　the　field　of　verse。〃

〃Pshaw！〃　said　the　other；　〃a　few　vaudevilles；　well　enough　in　their　way；　written　to　oblige；　a　song　now　and　again　to　suit　some　occasion；　lines　for　music；　no　good　without　the　music；　and　my　long　Epistle　to　a　Sister　of　Bonaparte　（ungrateful　that　he　was）；　will　not　hand　down　my　name　to　posterity。〃

At　this　moment　Mme。　de　Bargeton　appeared　in　all　the　glory　of　an　elaborate　toilette。　She　wore　a　Jewess'　turban；　enriched　with　an　Eastern　clasp。　The　cameos　on　her　neck　gleamed　through　the　gauze　scarf　gracefully　wound　about　her　shoulders；　the　sleeves　of　her　printed　muslin　dress　were　short　so　as　to　display　a　series　of　bracelets　on　her　shapely　white　arms。　Lucien　was　charmed　with　this　theatrical　style　of　dress。　M。　du　Chatelet　gallantly　plied　the　queen　with　fulsome　compliments；　that　made　her　smile　with　pleasure；　she　was　so　glad　to　be

praised　in　Lucien's　hearing。　But　she　scarcely　gave　her　dear　poet　a　glance；　and　met　Chatelet　with　a　mortifying　civility　that　kept　him　at　a　distance。

By　this　time　the　guests　began　to　arrive。　First　and　foremost　appeared　the　Bishop　and　his　Vicar…General；　dignified　and　reverend　figures　both；　though　no　two　men　could　well　be　more　unlike；　his　lordship　being　tall　and　attenuated；　and　his　acolyte　short　and　fat。　Both　churchmen's　eyes　were　bright；　but　while　the　Bishop　was　pallid；　his　Vicar…General's　countenance　glowed　with　high　health。　Both　were　impassive；　and　gesticulated　but　little；　both　appeared　to　be　prudent　men；　and　their　silence　and　reserve　were　supposed　to　hide　great　intellectual　powers。

Close　upon　the　two　ecclesiastics　followed　Mme。　de　Chandour　and　her　husband；　a　couple　so　extraordinary　that　those　who　are　unfamiliar　with　provincial　life　might　be　tempted　to　think　that　such　persons　are　purely　imaginary。　Amelie　de　Chandour　posed　as　the　rival　queen　of　Angouleme；　her　husband；　M。　de　Chandour；　known　in　the　circle　as　Stanislas；　was　a　ci…devant　young　man；　slim　still　at　five…and…forty；　with　a　countenance　like　a　sieve。　His　cravat　was　always　tied　so　as　to　present　two　menacing　pointsone　spike　reached　the　height　of　his　right　ear；　the　other　pointed　downwards　to　the　red　ribbon　of　his　cross。　His　coat…tails　were　violently　at　strife。　A　cut…away　waistcoat　displayed　the　ample；　swelling　curves　of　a　stiffly…starched　shirt　fastened　by　massive　gold　studs。　His　dress；　in　fact；　was　exaggerated；　till　he　looked　almost　like　a　living　caricature；　which　no　one　could　behold　for　the　first　time　with　gravity。

Stanislas　looked　himself　over　from　top　to　toe　with　a　kind　of　satisfaction；　he　verified　the　number　of　his　waistcoat　buttons；　and　followed　the　curving　outlines　of　his　tight…fitting　trousers　with　fond　glances　that　came　to　a　standstill　at　last　on　the　pointed　tips　of　his　shoes。　When　he　ceased　to　contemplate　himself　in　this　way；　he　looked　towards　the　nearest　mirror　to　see　if　his　hair　still　kept　in　curl；　then；　sticking　a　finger　in　his　waistcoat　pocket；　he　looked　about　him　at　the　women　with　happy　eyes；　flinging　his　head　back　in　three…quarters　profile　with　all　the　airs　of　a　king　of　the　poultry…yard；　airs　which　were　prodigiously　admired　by　the　aristocratic　circle　of　which　he　was　the　beau。　There　was　a　strain　of　eighteenth　century　grossness；　as　a　rule；　in　his　talk；　a　detestable　kind　of　conversation　which　procured　him　some　success　with　womenhe　made　them　laugh。　M。　du　Chatelet　was　beginning　to　give　this　gentleman　some　uneasiness；　and；　as　a　matter　of　fact；　since　Mme。　de　Bargeton　had　taken　him　up；　the　lively　interest　taken　by　the　women　in　the　Byron　of　Angouleme　was　distinctly　on　the　increase。　His　coxcomb　superciliousness　tickled　their　curiosity；　he　posed　as　the　man　whom　nothing　can　arouse　from　his　apathy；　and　his　jaded　Sultan　airs　were　like　a　challenge。

Amelie　de　Chandour；　short；　plump；　fair…complexioned；　and　dark…haired；　was　a　poor　actress；　her　voice　was　loud；　like　everything　else　about　her；　her　head；　with　its　load　of　feathers　in　winter　and　flowers　in　summer；　was　never　still　for　a　moment。　She　had　a　fine　flow　of　conversation；　though　she　could　never　bring　a　sentence　to　an　end　without　a　wheezing　accompaniment　from　an　asthma；　to　which　she　would　not　confess。

M。　de　Saintot；　otherwise　Astolphe；　President　of　the　Agricultural　Society；　a　tall；　stout；　high…colored　personage；　usually　appeared　in　the　wake　of　his　wife；　Elisa；　a　lady　with　a　countenance　like　a　withered　fern；　called　Lili　by　her　friendsa　baby　name　singularly　at　variance　with　its　owner's　character　and　demeanor。　Mme。　de　Saintot　was　a　solemn　and　extremely　pious　woman；　and　a　very　trying　partner　at　a　game　of　cards。　Astolphe　was　supposed　to　be　a　scientific　man　of　the　first　rank。　He　was　as　ignorant　as　a　carp；　but　he　had　compiled　the　articles　on　Sugar　and　Brandy　for　a　Dictionary　of　Agriculture　by　wholesale　plunder　of　newspaper　articles　and　pillage　of　previous　writers。　It　was　believed　all　over　the　department　that　M。　Saintot　was　engaged　upon　a　treatise　on　modern　husbandry；　but　though　he　locked　himself　into　his　study　every　morning；　he　had　not　written　a　couple　of　pages　in　a　dozen　years。　If　anybody　called　to　see　him；　he　always　contrived　to　be　discovered　rummaging　among　his　papers；　hunting　for　a　stray　note　or　mending　a　pen；　but　he　spent　the　whole　time　in　his　study　on　puerilities；　reading　the　newspaper　through　from　end　to　end；　cutting　figures　out　of　corks　with　his　penknife；　and　drawing　patterns　on　his　blotting…paper。　He　would　turn　over　the　leaves　of　his　Cicero　to　see　if　anything　applicable　to　the　events　of　the　day　might　catch　his　eye；　and　drag　his　quotation　by　the　heels　into　the　conversation　that　evening　saying；　〃There　is　a　passage　in　Cicero　which　might　have　been　written　to　suit　modern　times；〃　and　out　came　his　phrase；　to　the　astonishment　of　his　audience。　〃Really；〃　they　said　among　themselves；　〃Astolphe　is　a　well　of　learning。〃　The　interesting　fact　circulated　all　over　the　town；　and　sustained　the　general　belief　in　M。　de　Saintot's　abilities。

After　this　pair　came　M。　de　Bartas；　known　as　Adrien　among　the　circle。　It　was　M。　de　Bartas　who　boomed　out　his　song　in　a　bass　voice；　and　made　prodigious　claims　to　musical　knowledge。　His　self…conceit　had　taken　a　stand　upon　solfeggi；　he　began　by　admiring　his　appearance　while　he　sang；　passed　thence　to　talking　about　music；　and　finally　to　talking　of　nothing　else。　His　musical　tastes　had　become　a　monomania；　he　grew　animated　only　on　the　one　subject　of　music；　he　was　miserable　all　evening　until　somebody　begged　him　to　sing。　When　he　had　bellowed　one　of　his　airs；　he　revived　again；　strutted　about；　raised　himself　on　his　heels；　and　received　compliments　with　a　deprecating　air；　but　modesty　did　not　prevent　him　from　going　from　group　to　group　for　his　meed　of　praise；　and　when　there　was　no　more　to　be　said　about　the　singer；　he　returned　to　the　subject　of　the　song；　discussing　its　difficulties　or　extolling　the　composer。

M。　Alexandre　de　Brebian　performed　heroic　exploits　in　sepia；　he　disfigured　the　walls　of　his　friends'　rooms　with　a　swarm　of　crude　productions；　and　spoiled　all　the　albums　in　the　department。　M。　Alexandre　de　Brebian　and　M。　de　Bartas　came　together；　each　with　his　friend's　wife　on　his　arm；　a　cross…cornered　arrangement　which　gossip　declared　to　be　carried　out　to　the　fullest　extent。　As　for　the　two　women；　Mesdames　Charlotte　de　Brebian　and　Josephine　de　Bartas；　or　Lolotte　and　Fifine；　as　they　were　called；　both　took　an　equal　interest　in　a　scarf；　or　the　trimming　of　a　dress；　or　the　reconciliation　of　several　irreconcilable　colors；　both　were　eaten　up　with　a　desire　to　look　like　Parisiennes；　and　neglected　their　homes；　where　everything　went　wrong。　But　if　they　dressed　like　dolls　in　tightly…fitting　gowns　of　home　manufacture；　and　exhibited　outrageous　combinations　of　crude　colors　upon　their　persons；　their　husbands　availed　themselves　of　the　artist's　privilege　and　dressed　as　they　pleased；　and　curious　it　was　to　see　the　provincial　dowdiness　of　the　pair。　In　their　threadbare　clothes　they　looked　like　the　supernumeraries　that　represent　rank　and　fashion　at　stage　weddings　in　third…rate　theatres。

One　of　the　queerest　figures　in　the　rooms　was　M。　le　Comte　de　Senonches；　known　by　the　aristocratic　name　of　Jacques；　a　mighty　hunter；　lean　and　sunburned；　a　haughty　gentleman；　about　as　amiable　as　a　wild　boar；　as　suspicious　as　a　Venetian；　and　jealous　as　a　Moor；　who　lived　on　terms　of　the　friendliest　and　most　perfect　intimacy　with　M。　du　Hautoy；　otherwise　Francis；　the　friend　of　the　house。

Madame　de　Senonches　（Zephirine）　was　a　tall；　fine…looking　woman；　though　her　complexion　was　spoiled　already　by　pimples　due　to　liver　complaint；　on　which　grounds　she　was　s