two poets-第21节

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re　was　scarce　a　soul　in　the　room　besides　Mme。　de　Bargeton　who　could　understand　poetry。　The　whole　matter…of…fact　assembly　was　there　by　a　misapprehension；　nor　did　they；　for　the　most　part；　know　what　they　had　come　out　for　to　see。　There　are　some　words　that　draw　a　public　as　unfailingly　as　the　clash　of　cymbals；　the　trumpet；　or　the　mountebank's　big　drum；　〃beauty；〃　〃glory；〃　〃poetry；〃　are　words　that　bewitch　the　coarsest　intellect。

When　every　one　had　arrived；　when　the　buzz　of　talk　ceased　after　repeated　efforts　on　the　part　of　M。　de　Bargeton；　who；　obedient　to　his　wife；　went　round　the　room　much　as　the　beadle　makes　the　circle　of　the　church；　tapping　the　pavement　with　his　wand；　when　silence；　in　fact；　was　at　last　secured；　Lucien　went　to　the　round　table　near　Mme。　de　Bargeton。　A　fierce　thrill　of　excitement　ran　through　him　as　he　did　so。　He　announced　in　an　uncertain　voice　that；　to　prevent　disappointment；　he　was　about　to　read　the　masterpieces　of　a　great　poet；　discovered　only　recently　（for　although　Andre　de　Chenier's　poems　appeared　in　1819；　no　one　in　Angouleme　had　so　much　as　heard　of　him）。　Everybody　interpreted　this　announcement　in　one　wayit　was　a　shift　of　Mme。　de　Bargeton's；　meant　to　save　the　poet's　self…love　and　to　put　the　audience　at　ease。

Lucien　began　with　Le　Malade；　and　the　poem　was　received　with　a　murmur　of　applause；　but　he　followed　it　with　L'Aveugle；　which　proved　too　great　a　strain　upon　the　average　intellect。　None　but　artists　or　those　endowed　with　the　artistic　temperament　can　understand　and　sympathize　with　him　in　the　diabolical　torture　of　that　reading。　If　poetry　is　to　be　rendered　by　the　voice；　and　if　the　listener　is　to　grasp　all　that　it　means；　the　most　devout　attention　is　essential；　there　should　be　an　intimate　alliance　between　the　reader　and　his　audience；　or　swift　and　subtle　communication　of　the　poet's　thought　and　feeling　becomes　impossible。　Here　this　close　sympathy　was　lacking；　and　Lucien　in　consequence　was　in　the　position　of　an　angel　who　should　endeavor　to　sing　of　heaven　amid　the　chucklings　of　hell。　An　intelligent　man　in　the　sphere　most　stimulating　to　his　faculties　can　see　in　every　direction；　like　a　snail；　he　has　the　keen　scent　of　a　dog；　the　ears　of　a　mole；　he　can　hear；　and　feel；　and　see　all　that　is　going　on　around　him。　A　musician　or　a　poet　knows　at　once　whether　his　audience　is　listening　in　admiration　or　fails　to　follow　him；　and　feels　it　as　the　plant　that　revives　or　droops　under　favorable　or　unfavorable　conditions。　The　men　who　had　come　with　their　wives　had　fallen　to　discussing　their　own　affairs；　by　the　acoustic　law　before　mentioned；　every　murmur　rang　in　Lucien's　ear；　he　saw　all　the　gaps　caused　by　the　spasmodic　workings　of　jaws　sympathetically　affected；　the　teeth　that　seemed　to　grin　defiance　at　him。

When；　like　the　dove　in　the　deluge；　he　looked　round　for　any　spot　on　which　his　eyes　might　rest；　he　saw　nothing　but　rows　of　impatient　faces。　Their　owners　clearly　were　waiting　for　him　to　make　an　end；　they　had　come　together　to　discuss　questions　of　practical　interest。　With　the　exceptions　of　Laure　de　Rastignac；　the　Bishop；　and　two　or　three　of　the　young　men；　they　one　and　all　looked　bored。　As　a　matter　of　fact；　those　who　understand　poetry　strive　to　develop　the　germs　of　another　poetry；　quickened　within　them　by　the　poet's　poetry；　but　this　glacial　audience；　so　far　from　attaining　to　the　spirit　of　the　poet；　did　not　even　listen　to　the　letter。

Lucien　felt　profoundly　discouraged；　he　was　damp　with　chilly　perspiration；　a　glowing　glance　from　Louise；　to　whom　he　turned；　gave　him　courage　to　persevere　to　the　end；　but　this　poet's　heart　was　bleeding　from　countless　wounds。

〃Do　you　find　this　very　amusing；　Fifine？〃　inquired　the　wizened　Lili；　who　perhaps　had　expected　some　kind　of　gymnastics。

〃Don't　ask　me　what　I　think；　dear；　I　cannot　keep　my　eyes　open　when　any　one　begins　to　read　aloud。〃

〃I　hope　that　Nais　will　not　give　us　poetry　often　in　the　evenings；〃　said　Francis。　〃If　I　am　obliged　to　attend　while　somebody　reads　aloud　after　dinner；　it　upsets　my　digestion。〃

〃Poor　dearie；〃　whispered　Zephirine；　〃take　a　glass　of　eau　sucree。〃

〃It　was　very　well　declaimed；〃　said　Alexandre；　〃but　I　like　whist　better　myself。〃

After　this　dictum；　which　passed　muster　as　a　joke　from　the　play　on　the　word　〃whist；〃　several　card…players　were　of　the　opinion　that　the　reader's　voice　needed　a　rest；　and　on　this　pretext　one　or　two　couples　slipped　away　into　the　card…room。　But　Louise；　and　the　Bishop；　and　pretty　Laure　de　Rastignac　besought　Lucien　to　continue；　and　this　time　he　caught　the　attention　of　his　audience　with　Chenier's　spirited　reactionary　Iambes。　Several　persons；　carried　away　by　his　impassioned　delivery；　applauded　the　reading　without　understanding　the　sense。　People　of　this　sort　are　impressed　by　vociferation；　as　a　coarse　palate　is　ticked　by　strong　spirits。

During　the　interval；　as　they　partook　of　ices；　Zephirine　despatched　Francis　to　examine　the　volume；　and　informed　her　neighbor　Amelie　that　the　poetry　was　in　print。

Amelie　brightened　visibly。

〃Why；　that　is　easily　explained；〃　said　she。　〃M。　de　Rubempre　works　for　a　printer。　It　is　as　if　a　pretty　woman　should　make　her　own　dresses；〃　she　added；　looking　at　Lolotte。

〃He　printed　his　poetry　himself！〃　said　the　women　among　themselves。

〃Then；　why　does　he　call　himself　M。　de　Rubempre？〃　inquired　Jacques。　〃If　a　noble　takes　a　handicraft；　he　ought　to　lay　his　name　aside。〃

〃So　he　did　as　a　matter　of　fact；〃　said　Zizine；　〃but　his　name　was　plebeian；　and　he　took　his　mother's　name；　which　is　noble。〃

〃Well；　if　his　verses　are　printed；　we　can　read　them　for　ourselves；〃　said　Astolphe。

This　piece　of　stupidity　complicated　the　question；　until　Sixte　du　Chatelet　condescended　to　inform　these　unlettered　folk　that　the　prefatory　announcement　was　no　oratorical　flourish；　but　a　statement　of　fact；　and　added　that　the　poems　had　been　written　by　a　Royalist　brother　of　Marie…Joseph　Chenier；　the　Revolutionary　leader。　All　Angouleme；　except　Mme。　de　Rastignac　and　her　two　daughters　and　the　Bishop；　who　had　really　felt　the　grandeur　of　the　poetry；　were　mystified；　and　took　offence　at　the　hoax。　There　was　a　smothered　murmur；　but　Lucien　did　not　heed　it。　The　intoxication　of　the　poetry　was　upon　him；　he　was　far　away　from　the　hateful　world；　striving　to　render　in　speech　the　music　that　filled　his　soul；　seeing　the　faces　about　him　through　a　cloudy　haze。　He　read　the　sombre　Elegy　on　the　Suicide；　lines　in　the　taste　of　a　by…gone　day；　pervaded　by　sublime　melancholy；　then　he　turned　to　the　page　where　the　line　occurs；　〃Thy　songs　are　sweet；　I　love　to　say　them　over；〃　and　ended　with　the　delicate　idyll　Neere。

Mme。　de　Bargeton　sat　with　one　hand　buried　in　her　curls；　heedless　of　the　havoc　she　wrought　among　them；　gazing　before　her　with　unseeing　eyes；　alone　in　her　drawing…room；　lost　in　delicious　dreaming；　for　the　first　time　in　her　life　she　had　been　transported　to　the　sphere　which　was　hers　by　right　of　nature。　Judge；　therefore；　how　unpleasantly　she　was　disturbed　by　Amelie；　who　took　it　upon　herself　to　express　the　general　wish。

〃Nais；〃　this　voice　broke　in；　〃we　came　to　hear　M。　Chardon's　poetry；　and　you　are　giving　us　poetry　out　of　a　book。　The　extracts　are　very　nice；　but　the　ladies　feel　a　patriotic　preference　for　the　wine　of　the　country；　they　would　rather　have　it。〃

〃The　French　language　does　not　lend　itself　very　readily　to　poetry；　does　it？〃　Astolphe　remarked　to　Chatelet。　〃Cicero's　prose　is　a　thousand　times　more　poetical　to　my　way　of　thinking。〃

〃The　true　poetry　of　France　is　song；　lyric　verse；〃　Chatelet　answered。

〃Which　proves　that　our　language　is　eminently　adapted　for　music；〃　said　Adrien。

〃I　should　like　very　much　to　hear　the　poetry　that　has　cost　Nais　her　reputation；〃　said　Zephirine；　〃but　after　receiving　Amelie's　request　in　such　a　way；　it　is　not　very　likely　that　she　will　give　us　a　specimen。〃

〃She　ought　to　have　them　recited　in　justice　to　herself；〃　said　Francis。　〃The　little　fellow's　genius　is　his　sole　justification。〃

〃You　have　been　in　the　diplomatic　service；〃　said　Amelie　to　M。　du　Chatelet；　〃go　and　manage　it　somehow。〃

〃Nothing　easier；〃　said　the　Baron。

The　Princess'　private　secretary；　being　accustomed　to　petty　manoeuvres　of　this　kind；　went　to　the　Bishop　and　contrived　to　bring　him　to　the　fore。　At　the　Bishop's　entreaty；　Nais　had　no　choice　but　to　ask　Lucien　to　recite　his　own　verses　for　them；　and　the　Baron　received　a　languishing　smile　from　Amelie　as　the　reward　of　his　prompt　success。

〃Decidedly；　the　Baron　is　a　very　clever　man；〃　she　observed　to　Lolotte。

But　Amelie's　previous　acidulous　remark　about　women　who　made　their　own　dresses　rankled　in　Lolotte's　mind。

〃Since　when　have　you　begun　to　recognize　the　Emperor's　barons？〃　she　asked；　smiling。

Lucien　had　essayed　to　deify　his　beloved　in　an　ode；　dedicated　to　her　under　a　title　in　favor　with　all　lads　who　write　verse　after　leaving　school。　This　ode；　so　fondly　cherished；　so　beautifulsince　it　was　the　outpouring　of　all　the　love　in　his　heart；　seemed　to　him　to　be　the　one　piece　of　his　own　work　that　could　hold　its　own　with　Chenier's　verse；　and　with　a　tolerably　fatuous　glance　at　Mme。　de　Bargeton；　he　announced　〃TO　HER！〃　He　struck　an　attitude　proudly　for　the　delivery　of　the　ambitious　piece；　for　his　author's　self…love　felt　safe　and　at　ease　behind　Mme。　de　Bargeton's　petticoat。　And　at　the　selfsame　moment　Mme。　de　Bargeton　betrayed　her　own　secret　to　the　women's　curio