two poets-第30节

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pulation　of　Lilliput　throttled　Gulliver；　a　multiplicity　of　nothings；　which　made　all　movement　impossible；　and　baffle　the　most　vehement　desires。　Mme。　de　Bargeton；　for　instance；　must　always　be　visible。　If　she　had　denied　herself　to　visitors　when　Lucien　was　with　her；　it　would　have　been　all　over　with　her；　she　might　as　well　have　run　away　with　him　at　once。　It　is　true　that　they　sat　in　the　boudoir；　now　grown　so　familiar　to　Lucien　that　he　felt　as　if　he　had　a　right　to　be　there；　but　the　doors　stood　scrupulously　open；　and　everything　was　arranged　with　the　utmost　propriety。　M。　de　Bargeton　pervaded　the　house　like　a　cockchafer；　it　never　entered　his　head　that　his　wife　could　wish　to　be　alone　with　Lucien。　If　he　had　been　the　only　person　in　the　way；　Nais　could　have　got　rid　of　him；　sent　him　out　of　the　house；　or　given　him　something　to　do；　but　he　was　not　the　only　one；　visitors　flocked　in　upon　her；　and　so　much　the　more　as　curiosity　increased；　for　your　provincial　has　a　natural　bent　for　teasing；　and　delights　to　thwart　a　growing　passion。　The　servants　came　and　went　about　the　house　promiscuously　and　without　a　summons；　they　had　formed　the　habits　with　a　mistress　who　had　nothing　to　conceal；　any　change　now　made　in　her　household　ways　was　tantamount　to　a　confession；　and　Angouleme　still　hung　in　doubt。

Mme。　de　Bargeton　could　not　set　foot　outside　her　house　but　the　whole　town　knew　whither　she　was　going。　To　take　a　walk　alone　with　Lucien　out　of　Angouleme　would　have　been　a　decided　measure；　indeed；　it　would　have　been　less　dangerous　to　shut　herself　up　with　him　in　the　house。　There　would　have　been　comments　the　next　day　if　Lucien　had　stayed　on　till　midnight　after　the　rooms　were　emptied。　Within　as　without　her　house；　Mme。　de　Bargeton　lived　in　public。

These　details　describe　life　in　the　provinces；　an　intrigue　is　either　openly　avoided　or　impossible　anywhere。

Like　all　women　carried　away　for　the　first　time　by　passion；　Louise　discovered　the　difficulties　of　her　position　one　by　one。　They　frightened　her；　and　her　terror　reacted　upon　the　fond　talk　that　fills　the　fairest　hours　which　lovers　spend　alone　together。　Mme。　de　Bargeton　had　no　country　house　whither　she　could　take　her　beloved　poet；　after　the　manner　of　some　women　who　will　forge　ingenious　pretexts　for　burying　themselves　in　the　wilderness；　but；　weary　of　living　in　public；　and　pushed　to　extremities　by　a　tyranny　which　afforded　no　pleasures　sweet　enough　to　compensate　for　the　heaviness　of　the　yoke；　she　even　thought　of　Escarbas；　and　of　going　to　see　her　aged　fatherso　much　irritated　was　she　by　these　paltry　obstacles。

Chatelet　did　not　believe　in　such　innocence。　He　lay　in　wait；　and　watched　Lucien　into　the　house；　and　followed　a　few　minutes　later；　always　taking　M。　de　Chandour；　the　most　indiscreet　person　in　the　clique；　along　with　him；　and；　putting　that　gentleman　first；　hoped　to　find　a　surprise　by　such　perseverance　in　pursuit　of　the　chance。　His　own　part　was　a　very　difficult　one　to　play；　and　its　success　was　the　more　doubtful　because　he　was　bound　to　appear　neutral　if　he　was　to　prompt　the　other　actors　who　were　to　play　in　his　drama。　So；　to　give　himself　a　countenance；　he　had　attached　himself　to　the　jealous　Amelie；　the　better　to　lull　suspicion　in　Lucien　and　in　Mme。　de　Bargeton；　who　was　not　without　perspicacity。　In　order　to　spy　upon　the　pair；　he　had　contrived　of　late　to　open　up　a　stock　controversy　on　the　point　with　M。　de　Chandour。　Chatelet　said　that　Mme。　de　Bargeton　was　simply　amusing　herself　with　Lucien；　she　was　too　proud；　too　high…born；　to　stoop　to　the　apothecary's　son。　The　role　of　incredulity　was　in　accordance　with　the　plan　which　he　had　laid　down；　for　he　wished　to　appear　as　Mme。　de　Bargeton's　champion。　Stanislas　de　Chandour　held　that　Mme。　de　Bargeton　had　not　been　cruel　to　her　lover；　and　Amelie　goaded　them　to　argument；　for　she　longed　to　know　the　truth。　Each　stated　his　case；　and　（as　not　unfrequently　happens　in　small　country　towns）　some　intimate　friends　of　the　house　dropped　in　in　the　middle　of　the　argument。　Stanislas　and　Chatelet　vied　with　each　other　in　backing　up　their　opinions　by　observations　extremely　pertinent。　It　was　hardly　to　be　expected　that　the　champions　should　not　seek　to　enlist　partisans。　〃What　do　you　yourself　think？〃　they　asked；　each　of　his　neighbor。　These　polemics　kept　Mme。　de　Bargeton　and　Lucien　well　in　sight。

At　length　one　day　Chatelet　called　attention　to　the　fact　that　whenever　he　went　with　M。　de　Chandour　to　Mme。　de　Bargeton's　and　found　Lucien　there；　there　was　not　a　sign　nor　a　trace　of　anything　suspicious；　the　boudoir　door　stood　open；　the　servants　came　and　went；　there　was　nothing　mysterious　to　betray　the　sweet　crime　of　love；　and　so　forth　and　so　forth。　Stanislas；　who　did　not　lack　a　certain　spice　of　stupidity　in　his　composition；　vowed　that　he　would　cross　the　room　on　tiptoe　the　next　day；　and　the　perfidious　Amelie　held　him　to　his　bargain。

For　Lucien　that　morrow　was　the　day　on　which　a　young　man　tugs　out　some　of　the　hairs　of　his　head；　and　inwardly　vows　that　he　will　give　up　the　foolish　business　of　sighing。　He　was　accustomed　to　his　situation。　The　poet；　who　had　seated　himself　so　bashfully　in　the　boudoir…sanctuary　of　the　queen　of　Angouleme；　had　been　transformed　into　an　urgent　lover。　Six　months　had　been　enough　to　bring　him　on　a　level　with　Louise；　and　now　he　would　fain　be　her　lord　and　master。　He　left　home　with　a　settled　determination　to　be　extravagant　in　his　behavior；　he　would　say　that　it　was　a　matter　of　life　or　death　to　him；　he　would　bring　all　the　resources　of　torrid　eloquence　into　play；　he　would　cry　that　he　had　lost　his　head；　that　he　could　not　think；　could　not　write　a　line。　The　horror　that　some　women　feel　for　premeditation　does　honor　to　their　delicacy；　they　would　rather　surrender　upon　the　impulse　of　passion；　than　in　fulfilment　of　a　contract。　In　general；　prescribed　happiness　is　not　the　kind　that　any　of　us　desire。

Mme。　de　Bargeton　read　fixed　purpose　in　Lucien's　eyes　and　forehead；　and　in　the　agitation　in　his　face　and　manner；　and　proposed　to　herself　to　baffle　him；　urged　thereto　partly　by　a　spirit　of　contradiction；　partly　also　by　an　exalted　conception　of　love。　Being　given　to　exaggeration；　she　set　an　exaggerated　value　upon　her　person。　She　looked　upon　herself　as　a　sovereign　lady；　a　Beatrice；　a　Laura。　She　enthroned　herself；　like　some　dame　of　the　Middle　Ages；　upon　a　dais；　looking　down　upon　the　tourney　of　literature；　and　meant　that　Lucien；　as　in　duty　bound；　should　win　her　by　his　prowess　in　the　field；　he　must　eclipse　〃the　sublime　child；〃　and　Lamartine；　and　Sir　Walter　Scott；　and　Byron。　The　noble　creature　regarded　her　love　as　a　stimulating　power；　the　desire　which　she　had　kindled　in　Lucien　should　give　him　the　energy　to　win　glory　for　himself。　This　feminine　Quixotry　is　a　sentiment　which　hallows　love　and　turns　it　to　worthy　uses；　it　exalts　and　reverences　love。　Mme。　de　Bargeton　having　made　up　her　mind　to　play　the　part　of　Dulcinea　in　Lucien's　life　for　seven　or　eight　years　to　come；　desired；　like　many　other　provincials；　to　give　herself　as　the　reward　of　prolonged　service；　a　trial　of　constancy　which　should　give　her　time　to　judge　her　lover。

Lucien　began　the　strife　by　a　piece　of　vehement　petulence；　at　which　a　woman　laughs　so　long　as　she　is　heart…free；　and　saddens　only　when　she　loves；　whereupon　Louise　took　a　lofty　tone；　and　began　one　of　her　long　orations；　interlarded　with　high…sounding　words。

〃Was　that　your　promise　to　me；　Lucien？〃　she　said；　as　she　made　an　end。　〃Do　not　sow　regrets　in　the　present　time；　so　sweet　as　it　is；　to　poison　my　after　life。　Do　not　spoil　the　future；　and；　I　say　it　with　pride；　do　not　spoil　the　present！　Is　not　my　whole　heart　yours？　What　more　must　you　have？　Can　it　be　that　your　love　is　influenced　by　the　clamor　of　the　senses；　when　it　is　the　noblest　privilege　of　the　beloved　to　silence　them？　For　whom　do　you　take　me？　Am　I　not　your　Beatrice？　If　I　am　not　something　more　than　a　woman　for　you；　I　am　less　than　a　woman。〃

〃That　is　just　what　you　might　say　to　a　man　if　you　cared　nothing　at　all　for　him；〃　cried　Lucien；　frantic　with　passion。

〃If　you　cannot　feel　all　the　sincere　love　underlying　my　ideas；　you　will　never　be　worthy　of　me。〃

〃You　are　throwing　doubts　on　my　love　to　dispense　yourself　from　responding　to　it；〃　cried　Lucien；　and　he　flung　himself　weeping　at　her　feet。

The　poor　boy　cried　in　earnest　at　the　prospect　of　remaining　so　long　at　the　gate　of　paradise。　The　tears　of　the　poet；　who　feels　that　he　is　humbled　through　his　strength；　were　mingled　with　childish　crying　for　a　plaything。

〃You　have　never　loved　me！〃　he　cried。

〃You　do　not　believe　what　you　say；〃　she　answered；　flattered　by　his　violence。

〃Then　give　me　proof　that　you　are　mine；〃　said　the　disheveled　poet。

Just　at　that　moment　Stanislas　came　up　unheard　by　either　of　the　pair。　He　beheld　Lucien　in　tears；　half　reclining　on　the　floor；　with　his　head　on　Louise's　knee。　The　attitude　was　suspicious　enough　to　satisfy　Stanislas；　he　turned　sharply　round　upon　Chatelet；　who　stood　at　the　door　of　the　salon。　Mme。　de　Bargeton　sprang　up　in　a　moment；　but　the　spies　beat　a　precipate　retreat　like　intruders；　and　she　was　not　quick　enough　for　them。

〃Who　came　just　now？〃　she　asked　the　servants。

〃M。　de　Chandour　and　M。　du　Chatelet；〃　said　Gentil；　her　old　footman。

Mme。　de　Bargeton　went　back；　pale　and　trembling；　to　her　boudoir。

〃If　they　saw　you　just　now；　I　am　lost；〃　she　told　Lucien。

〃So　much　the　better！〃　exclaimed