the vicar of tours-第15节

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such　anxieties　for　the　rest　of　your　life。　By　means　of　Monsieur　de

Bourbonne；　who　will　know　how　to　save　appearances；　I　shall　arrange

matters　so　that　you　shall　lack　nothing。　My　friend；　grant　me　the　right

to　abandon　you。　I　shall　ever　be　your　friend；　though　forced　to　conform

to　the　axioms　of　the　world。　You　must　decide。〃



The　poor；　bewildered　abbe　cried　aloud：　〃Chapeloud　was　right　when　he

said　that　if　Troubert　could　drag　him　by　the　feet　out　of　his　grave　he

would　do　it！　He　sleeps　in　Chapeloud's　bed！〃



〃There　is　no　use　in　lamenting；〃　said　Madame　de　Listomere；　〃and　we　have

little　time　now　left　to　us。　How　will　you　decide？〃



Birotteau　was　too　good　and　kind　not　to　obey　in　a　great　crisis　the

unreflecting　impulse　of　the　moment。　Besides；　his　life　was　already　in

the　agony　of　what　to　him　was　death。　He　said；　with　a　despairing　look　at

his　protectress　which　cut　her　to　the　heart；　〃I　trust　myself　to　youI

am　but　the　stubble　of　the　streets。〃



He　used　the　Tourainean　word　〃bourrier〃　which　has　no　other　meaning　than

a　〃bit　of　straw。〃　But　there　are　pretty　little　straws；　yellow；

polished；　and　shining；　the　delight　of　children；　whereas　the　bourrier

is　straw　discolored；　muddy；　sodden　in　the　puddles；　whirled　by　the

tempest；　crushed　under　feet　of　men。



〃But；　madame；　I　cannot　let　the　Abbe　Troubert　keep　Chapeloud's

portrait。　It　was　painted　for　me；　it　belongs　to　me；　obtain　that　for　me；

and　I　will　give　up　all　the　rest。〃



〃Well；〃　said　Madame　de　Listomere。　〃I　will　go　myself　to　Mademoiselle

Gamard。〃　The　words　were　said　in　a　tone　which　plainly　showed　the

immense　effort　the　Baronne　de　Listomere　was　making　in　lowering　herself

to　flatter　the　pride　of　the　old　maid。　〃I　will　see　what　can　be　done；〃

she　said；　〃I　hardly　dare　hope　anything。　Go　and　consult　Monsieur　de

Bourbonne；　ask　him　to　put　your　renunciation　into　proper　form；　and

bring　me　the　paper。　I　will　see　the　archbishop；　and　with　his　help　we

may　be　able　to　stop　the　matter　here。〃



Birotteau　left　the　house　dismayed。　Troubert　assumed　in　his　eyes　the

dimensions　of　an　Egyptian　pyramid。　The　hands　of　that　man　were　in

Paris；　his　elbows　in　the　Cloister　of　Saint…Gatien。



〃He！〃　said　the　victim　to　himself；　〃HE　to　prevent　the　Baron　de

Listomere　from　becoming　peer　of　France！and；　perhaps；　'by　the　help　of

the　archbishop　we　may　be　able　to　stop　the　matter　here'！〃



In　presence　of　such　great　interests　Birotteau　felt　he　was　a　mere　worm；

he　judged　himself　harshly。



The　news　of　Birotteau's　removal　from　Madame　de　Listomere's　house

seemed　all　the　more　amazing　because　the　reason　of　it　was　wholly

impenetrable。　Madame　de　Listomere　said　that　her　nephew　was　intending

to　marry　and　leave　the　navy；　and　she　wanted　the　vicar's　apartment　to

enlarge　her　own。　Birotteau's　relinquishment　was　still　unknown。　The

advice　of　Monsieur　de　Bourbonne　was　followed。　Whenever　the　two　facts

reached　the　ears　of　the　vicar…general　his　self…love　was　certain　to　be

gratified　by　the　assurance　they　gave　that　even　if　the　Listomere　family

did　not　capitulate　they　would　at　least　remain　neutral　and　tacitly

recognize　the　occult　power　of　the　Congregation；to　reconize　it　was；

in　fact；　to　submit　to　it。　But　the　lawsuit　was　still　sub　judice；　his

opponents　yielded　and　threatened　at　the　same　time。



The　Listomeres　had　thus　taken　precisely　the　same　attitude　as　the

vicar…general　himself；　they　held　themselves　aloof；　and　yet　were　able

to　direct　others。　But　just　at　this　crisis　an　event　occurred　which

complicated　the　plans　laid　by　Monsieur　de　Bourbonne　and　the　Listomeres

to　quiet　the　Gamard　and　Troubert　party；　and　made　them　more　difficult

to　carry　out。



Mademoiselle　Gamard　took　cold　one　evening　in　coming　out　of　the

cathedral；　the　next　day　she　was　confined　to　her　bed；　and　soon　after

became　dangerously　ill。　The　whole　town　rang　with　pity　and　false

commiseration：　〃Mademoiselle　Gamard's　sensitive　nature　has　not　been

able　to　bear　the　scandal　of　this　lawsuit。　In　spite　of　the　justice　of

her　cause　she　was　likely　to　die　of　grief。　Birotteau　has　killed　his

benefactress。〃　Such　were　the　speeches　poured　through　the　capillary

tubes　of　the　great　female　conclave；　and　taken　up　and　repeated　by　the

whole　town　of　Tours。



Madame　de　Listomere　went　the　day　after　Mademoiselle　Gamard　took　cold

to　pay　the　promised　visit；　and　she　had　the　mortification　of　that　act

without　obtaining　any　benefit　from　it；　for　the　old　maid　was　too　ill　to

see　her。　She　then　asked　politely　to　speak　to　the　vicar…general。



Gratified；　no　doubt；　to　receive　in　Chapeloud's　library；　at　the　corner

of　the　fireplace　above　which　hung　the　two　contested　pictures；　the

woman　who　had　hitheto　ignored　him；　Troubert　kept　the　baroness　waiting

a　moment　before　he　consented　to　admit　her。　No　courtier　and　no

diplomatist　ever　put　into　a　discussion　of　their　personal　interests　or

into　the　management　of　some　great　national　negotiation　more

shrewdness；　dissimulation；　and　ability　than　the　baroness　and　the

priest　displayed　when　they　met　face　to　face　for　the　struggle。



Like　the　seconds　or　sponsors　who　in　the　Middle　Age　armed　the　champion；

and　strengthened　his　valor　by　useful　counsel　until　he　entered　the

lists；　so　the　sly　old　fox　had　said　to　the　baroness　at　the　last　moment：

〃Don't　forget　your　cue。　You　are　a　mediator；　and　not　an　interested

party。　Troubert　also　is　a　mediator。　Weigh　your　words；　study　the

inflection　of　the　man's　voice。　If　he　strokes　his　chin　you　have　got

him。〃



Some　sketchers　are　fond　of　caricaturing　the　contrast　often　observable

between　〃what　is　said〃　and　〃what　is　thought〃　by　the　speaker。　To　catch

the　full　meaning　of　the　duel　of　words　which　now　took　place　between　the

priest　and　the　lady；　it　is　necessary　to　unveil　the　thoughts　that　each

hid　from　the　other　under　spoken　sentences　of　apparent　insignificance。

Madame　de　Listomere　began　by　expressing　the　regret　she　had　felt　at

Birotteau's　lawsuit；　and　then　went　on　to　speak　of　her　desire　to　settle

the　matter　to　the　satisfaction　of　both　parties。



〃The　harm　is　done；　madame；〃　said　the　priest；　in　a　grave　voice。　〃The

pious　and　excellent　Mademoiselle　Gamard　is　dying。〃　（〃I　don't　care　a

fig　for　the　old　thing；〃　thought　he；　〃but　I　mean　to　put　her　death　on

your　shoulders　and　harass　your　conscience　if　you　are　such　a　fool　as　to

listen　to　it。〃）



〃On　hearing　of　her　illness；〃　replied　the　baroness；　〃I　entreated

Monsieur　Birotteau　to　relinquish　his　claims；　I　have　brought　the

document；　intending　to　give　it　to　that　excellent　woman。〃　（〃I　see　what

you　mean；　you　wily　scoundrel；〃　thought　she；　〃but　we　are　safe　now　from

your　calumnies。　If　you　take　this　document　you'll　cut　your　own　fingers

by　admitting　you　are　an　accomplice。〃）



There　was　silence　for　a　moment。



〃Mademoiselle　Gamard's　temporal　affairs　do　not　concern　me；〃　said　the

priest　at　last；　lowering　the　large　lids　over　his　eagle　eyes　to　veil

his　emotions。　（〃Ho！　ho！〃　thought　he；　〃you　can't　compromise　me。　Thank

God；　those　damned　lawyers　won't　dare　to　plead　any　cause　that　could

smirch　me。　What　do　these　Listomeres　expect　to　get　by　crouching　in　this

way？〃）



〃Monsieur；〃　replied　the　baroness；　〃Monsieur　Birotteau's　affairs　are　no

more　mine　than　those　of　Mademoiselle　Gamard　are　yours；　but；

unfortunately；　religion　is　injured　by　such　a　quarrel；　and　I　come　to

you　as　a　mediatorjust　as　I　myself　am　seeking　to　make　peace。〃　（〃We

are　not　decieving　each　other；　Monsieur　Troubert；〃　thought　she。　〃Don't

you　feel　the　sarcasm　of　that　answer？〃）



〃Injury　to　religion；　madame！〃　exclaimed　the　vicar…general。　〃Religion

is　too　lofty　for　the　actions　of　men　to　injure。〃　（〃My　religion　is　I；〃

thought　he。）　〃God　makes　no　mistake　in　His　judgments；　madame；　I

recognize　no　tribunal　but　His。〃



〃Then；　monsieur；〃　she　replied；　〃let　us　endeavor　to　bring　the　judgments

of　men　into　harmony　with　the　judgments　of　God。〃　（〃Yes；　indeed；　your

religion　is　you。〃）



The　Abbe　Troubert　suddenly　changed　his　tone。



〃Your　nephew　has　been　to　Paris；　I　believe。〃　（〃You　found　out　about　me

there；〃　thought　he；　〃you　know　now　that　I　can　crush　you；　you　who　dared

to　slight　me；　and　you　have　come　to　capitulate。〃）



〃Yes；　monsieur；　thank　you　for　the　interest　you　take　in　him。　He　returns

to…night；　the　minister；　who　is　very　considerate　of　us；　sent　for　him；

he　does　not　want　Monsieur　de　Listomere　to　leave　the　service。〃

（〃Jesuit；　you　can't　crush　us；〃　thought　she。　〃I　understand　your

civility。〃）



A　moment's　silence。



〃I　did　not　think　my　nephew's　conduct　in　this　affair　quite　the　thing；〃

she　added；　〃but　naval　men　must　be　excused；　they　know　nothing　of　law。〃

（〃Come；　we　had　better　make　peace；〃　thought　she；　〃we　sha'n't　gain

anything　by　battling　in　this　way。〃）



A　slight　smile　wandered　over　the　priests　face　and　was　lost　in　its

wrinkles。



〃He　has　done　us　the　service　of　getting　a　proper　estimate　on　the　value

of　those　paintings；〃　he　said；　looking　up　at　the　pictures。　〃They　will

be　a　noble　ornament　to　the　chapel　of　the　Virgin。〃　（〃You　shot　a　sarcasm

at　me；〃　thought　he；　〃and　there's　another　in　return；　we　are　qu