the vicar of tours-第4节

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There　was　this　difference　between　the　late　Chapeloud　and　the　vicar；

one　was　a　shrewd　and　clever　egoist；　the　other　a　simple…minded　and

clumsy　one。　When　the　canon　went　to　board　with　Mademoiselle　Gamard　he

knew　exactly　how　to　judge　of　his　landlady's　character。　The

confessional　had　taught　him　to　understand　the　bitterness　that　the

sense　of　being　kept　outside　the　social　pale　puts　into　the　heart　of　an

old　maid；　he　therefore　calculated　his　own　treatment　of　Mademoiselle

Gamard　very　wisely。　She　was　then　about　thirty…eight　years　old；　and

still　retained　a　few　pretensions；　which；　in　well…behaved　persons　of

her　condition；　change；　rather　later；　into　strong　personal　self…esteem。

The　canon　saw　plainly　that　to　live　comfortably　with　his　landlady　he

must　pay　her　invariably　the　same　attentions　and　be　more　infallible

than　the　pope　himself。　To　compass　this　result；　he　allowed　no　points　of

contact　between　himself　and　her　except　those　that　politeness　demanded；

and　those　which　necessarily　exist　between　two　persons　living　under　the

same　roof。　Thus；　though　he　and　the　Abbe　Troubert　took　their　regular

three　meals　a　day；　he　avoided　the　family　breakfast　by　inducing

Mademoiselle　Gamard　to　send　his　coffee　to　his　own　room。　He　also

avoided　the　annoyance　of　supper　by　taking　tea　in　the　houses　of　friends

with　whom　he　spent　his　evenings。　In　this　way　he　seldom　saw　his

landlady　except　at　dinner；　but　he　always　came　down　to　that　meal　a　few

minutes　in　advance　of　the　hour。　During　this　visit　of　courtesy；　as　it

may　be　called；　he　talked　to　her；　for　the　twelve　years　he　had　lived

under　her　roof；　on　nearly　the　same　topics；　receiving　from　her　the　same

answers。　How　she　had　slept；　her　breakfast；　the　trivial　domestic

events；　her　looks；　her　health；　the　weather；　the　time　the　church

services　had　lasted；　the　incidents　of　the　mass；　the　health　of　such　or

such　a　priest；these　were　the　subjects　of　their　daily　conversation。

During　dinner　he　invariably　paid　her　certain　indirect　compliments；　the

fish　had　an　excellent　flavor；　the　seasoning　of　a　sauce　was　delicious；

Mademoiselle　Gamard's　capacities　and　virtues　as　mistress　of　a

household　were　great。　He　was　sure　of　flattering　the　old　maid's　vanity

by　praising　the　skill　with　which　she　made　or　prepared　her　preserves

and　pickles　and　pates　and　other　gastronomical　inventions。　To　cap　all；

the　wily　canon　never　left　his　landlady's　yellow　salon　after　dinner

without　remarking　that　there　was　no　house　in　Tours　where　he　could　get

such　good　coffee　as　that　he　had　just　imbibed。



Thanks　to　this　thorough　understanding　of　Mademoiselle　Gamard's

character；　and　to　the　science　of　existence　which　he　had　put　in

practice　for　the　last　twelve　years；　no　matter　of　discussion　on　the

internal　arrangements　of　the　household　had　ever　come　up　between　them。

The　Abbe　Chapeloud　had　taken　note　of　the　spinster's　angles；

asperities；　and　crabbedness；　and　had　so　arranged　his　avoidance　of　her

that　he　obtained　without　the　least　difficulty　all　the　concessions　that

were　necessary　to　the　happiness　and　tranquility　of　his　life。　The

result　was　that　Mademoiselle　Gamard　frequently　remarked　to　her　friends

and　acquaintances　that　the　Abbe　Chapeloud　was　a　very　amiable　man；

extremely　easy　to　live　with；　and　a　fine　mind。



As　to　her　other　lodger；　the　Abbe　Troubert；　she　said　absolutely　nothing

about　him。　Completely　involved　in　the　round　of　her　life；　like　a

satellite　in　the　orbit　of　a　planet；　Troubert　was　to　her　a　sort　of

intermediary　creature　between　the　individuals　of　the　human　species　and

those　of　the　canine　species；　he　was　classed　in　her　heart　next；　but

directly　before；　the　place　intended　for　friends　but　now　occupied　by　a

fat　and　wheezy　pug　which　she　tenderly　loved。　She　ruled　Troubert

completely；　and　the　intermingling　of　their　interests　was　so　obvious

that　many　persons　of　her　social　sphere　believed　that　the　Abbe　Troubert

had　designs　on　the　old　maid's　property；　and　was　binding　her　to　him

unawares　with　infinite　patience；　and　really　directing　her　while　he

seemed　to　be　obeying　without　ever　letting　her　percieve　in　him　the

slightest　wish　on　his　part　to　govern　her。



When　the　Abbe　Chapeloud　died；　the　old　maid；　who　desired　a　lodger　with

quiet　ways；　naturally　thought　of　the　vicar。　Before　the　canon's　will

was　made　known　she　had　meditated　offering　his　rooms　to　the　Abbe

Troubert；　who　was　not　very　comfortable　on　the　ground…floor。　But　when

the　Abbe　Birotteau；　on　receiving　his　legacy；　came　to　settle　in　writing

the　terms　of　his　board　she　saw　he　was　so　in　love　with　the　apartment；

for　which　he　might　now　admit　his　long　cherished　desires；　that　she

dared　not　propose　the　exchange；　and　accordingly　sacrificed　her

sentiments　of　friendship　to　the　demands　of　self…interest。　But　in　order

to　console　her　beloved　canon；　Mademoiselle　took　up　the　large　white

Chateau…Renaud　bricks　that　made　the　floors　of　his　apartment　and

replaced　them　by　wooden　floors　laid　in　〃point　de　Hongrie。〃　She　also

rebuilt　a　smoky　chimney。



For　twelve　years　the　Abbe　Birotteau　had　seen　his　friend　Chapeloud　in

that　house　without　ever　giving　a　thought　to　the　motive　of　the　canon's

extreme　circumspection　in　his　relations　to　Mademoiselle　Gamard。　When

he　came　himself　to　live　with　that　saintly　woman　he　was　in　the

condition　of　a　lover　on　the　point　of　being　made　happy。　Even　if　he　had

not　been　by　nature　purblind　of　intellect；　his　eyes　were　too　dazzled　by

his　new　happiness　to　allow　him　to　judge　of　the　landlady；　or　to　reflect

on　the　limits　which　he　ought　to　impose　on　their　daily　intercourse。

Mademoiselle　Gamard；　seen　from　afar　and　through　the　prism　of　those

material　felicities　which　the　vicar　dreamed　of　enjoying　in　her　house；

seemed　to　him　a　perfect　being；　a　faultless　Christian；　essentially

charitable；　the　woman　of　the　Gospel；　the　wise　virgin；　adorned　by　all

those　humble　and　modest　virtues　which　shed　celestial　fragrance　upon

life。



So；　with　the　enthusiasm　of　one　who　attains　an　object　long　desired；

with　the　candor　of　a　child；　and　the　blundering　foolishness　of　an　old

man　utterly　without　worldly　experience；　he　fell　into　the　life　of

Mademoiselle　Gamard　precisely　as　a　fly　is　caught　in　a　spider's　web。

The　first　day　that　he　went　to　dine　and　sleep　at　the　house　he　was

detained　in　the　salon　after　dinner；　partly　to　make　his　landlady's

acquaintance；　but　chiefly　by　that　inexplicable　embarrassment　which

often　assails　timid　people　and　makes　them　fear　to　seem　impolite　by

breaking　off　a　conversation　in　order　to　take　leave。　Consequently　he

remained　there　the　whole　evening。　Then　a　friend　of　his；　a　certain

Mademoiselle　Salomon　de　Villenoix；　came　to　see　him；　and　this　gave

Mademoiselle　Gamard　the　happiness　of　forming　a　card…table；　so　that

when　the　vicar　went　to　bed　he　felt　that　he　had　passed　a　very　agreeable

evening。　Knowing　Mademoiselle　Gamard　and　the　Abbe　Troubert　but

slightly；　he　saw　only　the　superficial　aspects　of　their　characters；　few

persons　bare　their　defects　at　once；　they　generally　take　on　a　becoming

veneer。



The　worthy　abbe　was　thus　led　to　suggest　to　himself　the　charming　plan

of　devoting　all　his　evenings　to　Mademoiselle　Gamard；　instead　of

spending　them；　as　Chapeloud　had　done；　elsewhere。　The　old　maid　had　for

years　been　possessed　by　a　desire　which　grew　stronger　day　by　day。　This

desire；　often　formed　by　old　persons　and　even　by　pretty　women；　had

become　in　Mademoiselle　Gamard's　soul　as　ardent　a　longing　as　that　of

Birotteau　for　Chapeloud's　apartment；　and　it　was　strengthened　by　all

those　feelings　of　pride；　egotism；　envy；　and　vanity　which　pre…exist　in

the　breasts　of　worldly　people。



This　history　is　of　all　time；　it　suffices　to　widen　slightly　the　narrow

circle　in　which　these　personages　are　about　to　act　to　find　the

coefficient　reasons　of　events　which　take　place　in　the　very　highest

spheres　of　social　life。



Mademoiselle　Gamard　spent　her　evenings　by　rotation　in　six　or　eight

different　houses。　Whether　it　was　that　she　disliked　being　obliged　to　go

out　to　seek　society；　and　considered　that　at　her　age　she　had　a　right　to

expect　some　return；　or　that　her　pride　was　wounded　at　receiving　no

company　in　her　house；　or　that　her　self…love　craved　the　compliments　she

saw　her　various　hostesses　receive；certain　it　is　that　her　whole

ambition　was　to　make　her　salon　a　centre　towards　which　a　given　number

of　persons　should　nightly　make　their　way　with　pleasure。　One　morning　as

she　left　Saint…Gatien；　after　Birotteau　and　his　friend　Mademoiselle

Salomon　had　spent　a　few　evenings　with　her　and　with　the　faithful　and

patient　Troubert；　she　said　to　certain　of　her　good　friends　whom　she　met

at　the　church　door；　and　whose　slave　she　had　hitherto　considered

herself；　that　those　who　wished　to　see　her　could　certainly　come　once　a

week　to　her　house；　where　she　had　friends　enough　to　make　a　card…table；

she　could　not　leave　the　Abbe　Birotteau；　Mademoiselle　Salomon　had　not

missed　a　single　evening　that　week；　she　was　devoted　to　friends；　andet

cetera；　et　cetera。　Her　speech　was　all　the　more　humbly　haughty　and

softly　persuasive　because　Mademoiselle　Salomon