the brotherhood of consolation-第4节

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remembered；　was　actually　the　third；　Manon　stopped；　turned　a　key　in　an
ancient　lock；　and　opened　a　door　painted　in　a　coarse　imitation　of
mahogany。

〃This　is　it；〃　she　said；　entering　first。

Was　it　a　miser；　was　it　an　artist　dying　in　penury；　was　it　a　cynic　to
whom　the　world　was　naught；　or　some　religious　soul　detached　from　life；
who　had　occupied　this　apartment？　That　triple　question　might　well　be
asked　by　one　who　breathed　the　odor　of　that　poverty；　who　saw　the　greasy
spots　upon　the　papers　yellow　with　smoke；　the　blackened　ceilings；　the
dusty　windows　with　their　casement　panes；　the　discolored　floor…bricks；
the　wainscots　layered　with　a　sort　of　sticky　glaze。　A　damp　chill　came
from　the　chimneys　with　their　mantels　of　painted　stone；　surmounted　by
mirrors　in　panels　of　the　style　of　the　seventeenth　century。　The
apartment　was　square；　like　the　house；　and　looked　out　upon　the　inner
court；　which　could　not　now　be　seen　because　of　the　darkness。

〃Who　has　lived　here？〃　asked　Godefroid　of　the　priest。

〃A　former　councillor　of　the　parliament；　a　great…uncle　of　madame；
Monsieur　de　Boisfrelon。　After　the　Revolution　he　fell　into　dotage；　but
he　did　not　die　until　1832；　at　the　age　of　ninety…six。　Madame　could　not
at　first　make　up　her　mind　to　let　his　rooms　to　a　stranger；　but　she
finds　she　cannot　afford　to　lose　the　rent。〃

〃Madame　will　have　the　apartment　cleaned　and　furnished　in　a　manner　to
satisfy　monsieur；〃　said　Manon。

〃That　will　depend　on　the　arrangement　you　make　with　her；〃　said　the
priest。　〃You　have　here　a　fine　parlor；　a　large　sleeping…room　and
closet；　and　those　little　rooms　in　the　angle　will　make　an　excellent
study。　It　is　the　same　arrangement　as　in　my　apartment　below；　also　in
the　one　overhead。〃

〃Yes；〃　said　Manon；　〃Monsieur　Alain's　apartment　is　just　like　this；　only
his　has　a　view　of　the　tower。〃

〃I　think　I　had　better　see　the　rooms　by　daylight；〃　said　Godefroid；
timidly。

〃Perhaps　so；〃　said　Manon。

The　priest　and　Godefroid　went　downstairs；　leaving　the　woman　to　lock
the　doors。　When　they　re…entered　the　salon；　Godefroid；　who　was　getting
inured　to　the　surroundings；　looked　about　him　while　discoursing　with
Madame　de　la　Chanterie；　and　examined　the　persons　and　things　there
present。

The　salon　had　curtains　at　its　windows　of　old　red　damask；　with
lambrequins；　tied　back　at　the　sides　with　silken　cords。　The　red…tiled
floor　showed　at　the　edges　of　an　old　tapestry　carpet　too　small　to　cover
the　whole　room。　The　woodwork　was　painted　gray。　The　plastered　ceiling；
divided　in　two　parts　by　a　heavy　beam　which　started　from　the　fireplace；
seemed　a　concession　tardily　made　to　luxury。　Armchairs；　with　their
woodwork　painted　white；　were　covered　with　tapestry。　A　paltry　clock；
between　two　copper…gilt　candlesticks；　decorated　the　mantel…shelf。
Beside　Madame　de　la　Chanterie　was　an　ancient　table　with　spindle　legs；
on　which　lay　her　balls　of　worsted　in　a　wicker　basket。　A　hydrostatic
lamp　lighted　the　scene。　The　four　men；　who　were　seated　there；　silent；
immovable；　like　bronze　statues；　had　evidently　stopped　their
conversation　with　Madame　de　la　Chanterie　when　they　heard　the　stranger
returning。　They　all　had　cold；　discreet　faces；　in　keeping　with　the
room；　the　house；　the　quarter　of　the　town。

Madame　de　la　Chanterie　admitted　the　justice　of　Godefroid's
observations；　but　told　him　that　she　did　not　wish　to　make　any　change
until　she　knew　the　intentions　of　her　lodger；　or　rather　her　boarder。　If
he　would　conform　to　the　customs　of　the　house　he　could　become　her
boarder；　but　these　customs　were　widely　different　from　those　of　Paris。
Life　in　the　rue　Chanoinesse　was　like　provincial　life：　the　lodger　must
always　be　in　by　ten　o'clock　at　night；　they　disliked　noise；　and　could
have　no　women　or　children　to　break　up　their　customary　habits。　An
ecclesiastic　might　conform　to　these　ways。　Madame　de　la　Chanterie
desired；　above　all；　some　one　of　simple　life；　who　would　not　be
exacting；　she　could　afford　to　put　only　the　strictest　necessaries　into
the　apartment。　Monsieur　Alain　（here　she　designated　one　of　the　four　men
present）　was　satisfied；　and　she　would　do　for　a　new　tenant　just　as　she
did　for　the　others。

〃I　do　not　think；〃　said　the　priest；　〃that　monsieur　is　inclined　to　enter
our　convent。〃

〃Eh！　why　not？〃　said　Monsieur　Alain；　〃we　are　all　well　off　here；　we　have
nothing　to　complain　of。〃

〃Madame；〃　said　Godefroid；　rising；　〃I　shall　have　the　honor　of　calling
again　to…morrow。〃

Though　he　was　a　young　man；　the　four　old　men　and　Madame　de　la　Chanterie
rose；　and　the　vicar　accompanied　him　to　the　portico。　A　whistle　sounded。
At　that　signal　the　porter　came　with　a　lantern；　guided　Godefroid　to　the
street；　and　closed　behind　him　the　enormous　yellow　door；ponderous　as
that　of　a　prison；　and　decorated　with　arabesque　ironwork　of　a　remote
period　that　was　difficult　to　determine。

Though　Godefroid　got　into　a　cabriolet；　and　was　soon　rolling　into　the
living；　lighted；　glowing　regions　of　Paris；　what　he　had　seen　still
appeared　to　him　a　dream；　and　his　impressions；　as　he　made　his　way　along
the　boulevard　des　Italiens；　had　already　the　remoteness　of　a　memory。　He
asked　himself；　〃Shall　I　to…morrow　find　those　people　there？〃



III

THE　HOUSE　OF　MONGENOD

The　next　day；　as　Godefroid　rose　amid　the　appointments　of　modern　luxury
and　the　choice　appliances　of　English　〃comfort；〃　he　remembered　the
details　of　his　visit　to　that　cloister　of　Notre…Dame；　and　the　meaning
of　the　things　he　had　seen　there　came　into　his　mind。　The　three　unknown
and　silent　men；　whose　dress；　attitude；　and　stillness　acted　powerfully
upon　him；　were　no　doubt　boarders　like　the　priest。　The　solemnity　of
Madame　de　la　Chanterie　now　seemed　to　him　a　secret　dignity　with　which
she　bore　some　great　misfortune。　But　still；　in　spite　of　the
explanations　which　Godefroid　gave　himself；　he　could　not　help　fancying
there　was　an　air　of　mystery　about　those　sober　figures。

He　looked　around　him　and　selected　the　pieces　of　furniture　that　he
would　keep；　those　that　were　indispensable　to　him；　but　when　he
transported　them　in　thought　to　the　miserable　lodging　in　the　rue
Chanoinesse；　he　began　to　laugh　at　the　contrast　they　would　make　there；
resolving　to　sell　all　and　let　Madame　de　la　Chanterie　furnish　the　rooms
for　him。　He　wanted　a　new　life；　and　the　very　sight　of　these　objects
would　remind　him　of　that　which　he　wished　to　forget。　In　his　desire　for
transformation　（for　he　belonged　to　those　characters　who　spring　at　a
bound　into　the　middle　of　a　situation；　instead　of　advancing；　as　others
do；　step　by　step）；　he　was　seized　while　he　breakfasted　with　an　idea；
he　would　turn　his　whole　property　into　money；　pay　his　debts；　and　place
the　remainder　of　his　capital　in　the　banking…house　with　which　his
father　had　done　business。

This　house　was　the　firm　of　Mongenod　and　Company；　established　in　1816
or　1817；　whose　reputation　for　honesty　and　uprightness　had　never　been
questioned　in　the　midst　of　the　commercial　depravity　which　smirched；
more　or　less；　all　the　banking…houses　of　Paris。　In　spite　of　their
immense　wealth；　the　houses　of　Nucingen；　du　Tillet；　the　Keller
Brothers；　Palma　and　Company；　were　each　regarded；　more　or　less；　with
secret　disrespect；　although　it　is　true　this　disrespect　was　only
whispered。　Evil　means　had　produced　such　fine　results；　such　political
successes；　dynastic　principles　covered　so　completely　base　workings；
that　no　one　in　1834　thought　of　the　mud　in　which　the　roots　of　these
fine　trees；　the　mainstay　of　the　State；　were　plunged。　Nevertheless
there　was　not　a　single　one　of　those　great　bankers　to　whom　the
confidence　expressed　in　the　house　of　Mongenod　was　not　a　wound。　Like
English　houses；　the　Mongenods　made　no　external　display　of　luxury。　They
lived　in　dignified　stillness；　satisfied　to　do　their　business
prudently；　wisely；　and　with　a　stern　uprightness　which　enabled　them　to
carry　it　from　one　end　of　the　globe　to　the　other。

The　actual　head　of　the　house；　Frederic　Mongenod；　is　the　brother…in…law
of　the　Vicomte　de　Fontaine；　therefore；　this　numerous　family　is　allied
through　the　Baron　de　Fontaine　to　Monsieur　Grossetete；　the　receiver…
general；　brother　of　the　Grossetete　and　Company　of　Limoges；　to　the
Vandenesses；　and　to　Planat　de　Baudry；　another　receiver…general。　These
connections；　having　procured　for　the　late　Mongenod；　father　of　the
present　head　of　the　house；　many　favors　in　the　financial　operations
under　the　Restoration；　obtained　for　him　also　the　confidence　of　the　old
/noblesse/；　whose　property　and　whose　savings；　which　were　immense；　were
deposited　in　this　bank。　Far　from　coveting　a　peerage；　like　the　Kellers；
Nucingen；　and　du　Tillet；　the　Mongenods　kept　away　from　politics；　and
only　knew　as　much　about　them　as　their　banking　interests　demanded。

The　house　of　Mongenod　is　established　in　a　fine　old　mansion　in　the　rue
de　la　Victoire；　where　Madame　Mongenod；　the　mother；　lived　with　her　two
sons；　all　three　being　partners　in　the　house；the　share　of　the
Vicomtesse　de　Fontaine　having　been　bought　out　by　them　on　the　death　of
the　elder　Mongenod　in　1827。

Frederic　Mongenod；　a　handsome　young　man　about　thirty…five　years　of
age；　cold；　silent；　and　reserved　in　manner　like　a　Swiss；　and　neat　as　an
Englishman；　had　acquired　by　intercourse　with　his　father　all　the
qualities　necessary　for　his　difficult　profession。　Better　educated　than
the　generality　of　bankers；　his　s