the vicar of tours-第5节

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

softly　persuasive　because　Mademoiselle　Salomon　de　Villenoix　belonged

to　the　most　aristocatic　society　in　Tours。　For　though　Mademoiselle

Salomon　came　to　Mademoiselle　Gamard's　house　solely　out　of　friendship

for　the　vicar；　the　old　maid　triumphed　in　receiving　her；　and　saw　that；

thanks　to　Birotteau；　she　was　on　the　point　of　succeeding　in　her　great

desire　to　form　a　circle　as　numerous　and　as　agreeable　as　those　of

Madame　de　Listomere；　Mademoiselle　Merlin　de　la　Blottiere；　and　other

devout　ladies　who　were　in　the　habit　of　receiving　the　pious　and

ecclesiastical　society　of　Tours。



But　alas！　the　abbe　Birotteau　himself　caused　this　cherished　hope　to

miscarry。　Now　if　those　persons　who　in　the　course　of　their　lives　have

attained　to　the　enjoyment　of　a　long　desired　happiness　and　have

therefore　comprehended　the　joy　of　the　vicar　when　he　stepped　into

Chapeloud's　vacant　place；　they　will　also　have　gained　some　faint　idea

of　Mademoiselle　Gamard's　distress　at　the　overthrow　of　her　favorite

plan。



After　accepting　his　happiness　in　the　old　maid's　salon　for　six　months

with　tolerable　patience；　Birotteau　deserted　the　house　of　an　evening；

carrying　with　him　Mademoiselle　Salomon。　In　spite　of　her　utmost　efforts

the　ambitious　Gamard　had　recruited　barely　six　visitors；　whose　faithful

attendance　was　more　than　problematical；　and　boston　could　not　be　played

night　after　night　unless　at　least　four　persons　were　present。　The

defection　of　her　two　principal　guests　obliged　her　therefore　to　make

suitable　apologies　and　return　to　her　evening　visiting　among　former

friends；　for　old　maids　find　their　own　company　so　distasteful　that　they

prefer　to　seek　the　doubtful　pleasures　of　society。



The　cause　of　this　desertion　is　plain　enough。　Although　the　vicar　was

one　of　those　to　whom　heaven　is　hereafter　to　belong　in　virtue　of　the

decree　〃Blessed　are　the　poor　in　spirit；〃　he　could　not；　like　some

fools；　endure　the　annoyance　that　other　fools　caused　him。　Persons

without　minds　are　like　weeds　that　delight　in　good　earth；　they　want　to

be　amused　by　others；　all　the　more　because　they　are　dull　within。　The

incarnation　of　ennui　to　which　they　are　victims；　joined　to　the　need

they　feel　of　getting　a　divorce　from　themselves；　produces　that　passion

for　moving　about；　for　being　somewhere　else　than　where　they　are；　which

distinguishes　their　species；and　also　that　of　all　beings　devoid　of

sensitiveness；　and　those　who　have　missed　their　destiny；　or　who　suffer

by　their　own　fault。



Without　really　fathoming　the　vacuity　and　emptiness　of　Mademoiselle

Gamard's　mind；　or　stating　to　himself　the　pettiness　of　her　ideas；　the

poor　abbe　perceived；　unfortunately　too　late；　the　defects　which　she

shared　with　all　old　maids；　and　those　which　were　peculiar　to　herself。

The　bad　points　of　others　show　out　so　strongly　against　the　good　that

they　usually　strike　our　eyes　before　they　wound　us。　This　moral

phenomenon　might；　at　a　pinch；　be　made　to　excuse　the　tendency　we　all

have；　more　or　less；　to　gossip。　It　is　so　natural；　socially　speaking；　to

laugh　at　the　failings　of　others　that　we　ought　to　forgive　the　ridicule

our　own　absurdities　excite；　and　be　annoyed　only　by　calumny。　But　in

this　instance　the　eyes　of　the　good　vicar　never　reached　the　optical

range　which　enables　men　of　the　world　to　see　and　evade　their

neighbours'　rough　points。　Before　he　could　be　brought　to　perceive　the

faults　of　his　landlady　he　was　forced　to　undergo　the　warning　which

Nature　gives　to　all　her　creaturespain。



Old　maids　who　have　never　yielded　in　their　habits　of　life　or　in　their

characters　to　other　lives　and　other　characters；　as　the　fate　of　woman

exacts；　have；　as　a　general　thing；　a　mania　for　making　others　give　way

to　them。　In　Mademoiselle　Gamard　this　sentiment　had　degenerated　into

despotism；　but　a　despotism　that　could　only　exercise　itself　on　little

things。　For　instance　（among　a　hundred　other　examples）；　the　basket　of

counters　placed　on　the　card…table　for　the　Abbe　Birotteau　was　to　stand

exactly　where　she　placed　it；　and　the　abbe　annoyed　her　terribly　by

moving　it；　which　he　did　nearly　every　evening。　How　is　this

sensitiveness　stupidly　spent　on　nothings　to　be　accounted　for？　what　is

the　object　of　it？　No　one　could　have　told　in　this　case；　Mademoiselle

Gamard　herself　knew　no　reason　for　it。　The　vicar；　though　a　sheep　by

nature；　did　not　like；　any　more　than　other　sheep；　to　feel　the　crook　too

often；　especially　when　it　bristled　with　spikes。　Not　seeking　to　explain

to　himself　the　patience　of　the　Abbe　Troubert；　Birotteau　simply

withdrew　from　the　happiness　which　Mademoiselle　Gamard　believed　that

she　seasoned　to　his　liking；for　she　regarded　happiness　as　a　thing　to

be　made；　like　her　preserves。　But　the　luckless　abbe　made　the　break　in　a

clumsy　way；　the　natural　way　of　his　own　naive　character；　and　it　was　not

carried　out　without　much　nagging　and　sharp…shooting；　which　the　Abbe

Birotteau　endeavored　to　bear　as　if　he　did　not　feel　them。



By　the　end　of　the　first　year　of　his　sojourn　under　Mademoiselle

Gamard's　roof　the　vicar　had　resumed　his　former　habits；　spending　two

evenings　a　week　with　Madame　de　Listomere；　three　with　Mademoiselle

Salomon；　and　the　other　two　with　Mademoiselle　Merlin　de　la　Blottiere。

These　ladies　belonged　to　the　aristocratic　circles　of　Tourainean

society；　to　which　Mademoiselle　Gamard　was　not　admitted。　Therefore　the

abbe's　abandonment　was　the　more　insulting；　because　it　made　her　feel

her　want　of　social　value；　all　choice　implies　contempt　for　the　thing

rejected。



〃Monsieur　Birotteau　does　not　find　us　agreeable　enough；〃　said　the　Abbe

Troubert　to　Mademoiselle　Gamard's　friends　when　she　was　forced　to　tell

them　that　her　〃evenings〃　must　be　given　up。　〃He　is　a　man　of　the　world；

and　a　good　liver！　He　wants　fashion；　luxury；　witty　conversation；　and

the　scandals　of　the　town。〃



These　words　of　course　obliged　Mademoiselle　Gamard　to　defend　herself　at

Birotteau's　expense。



〃He　is　not　much　a　man　of　the　world；〃　she　said。　〃If　it　had　not　been　for

the　Abbe　Chapeloud　he　would　never　have　been　received　at　Madame　de

Listomere's。　Oh；　what　didn't　I　lose　in　losing　the　Abbe　Chapeloud！　Such

an　amiable　man；　and　so　easy　to　live　with！　In　twelve　whole　years　I

never　had　the　slightest　difficulty　or　disagreement　with　him。〃



Presented　thus；　the　innocent　abbe　was　considered　by　this　bourgeois

society；　which　secretly　hated　the　aristocratic　society；　as　a　man

essentially　exacting　and　hard　to　get　along　with。　For　a　week

Mademoiselle　Gamard　enjoyed　the　pleasure　of　being　pitied　by　friends

who；　without　really　thinking　one　word　of　what　they　said；　kept

repeating　to　her：　〃How　COULD　he　have　turned　against　you？so　kind　and

gentle　as　you　are！〃　or；　〃Console　yourself；　dear　Mademoiselle　Gamard；

you　are　so　well　known　that〃　et　cetera。



Nevertheless；　these　friends；　enchanted　to　escape　one　evening　a　week　in

the　Cloister；　the　darkest；　dreariest；　and　most　out　of　the　way　corner

in　Tours；　blessed　the　poor　vicar　in　their　hearts。



Between　persons　who　are　perpetually　in　each　other's　company　dislike　or

love　increases　daily；　every　moment　brings　reasons　to　love　or　hate　each

other　more　and　more。　The　Abbe　Birotteau　soon　became　intolerable　to

Mademoiselle　Gamard。　Eighteen　months　after　she　had　taken　him　to　board；

and　at　the　moment　when　the　worthy　man　was　mistaking　the　silence　of

hatred　for　the　peacefulness　of　content；　and　applauding　himself　for

having；　as　he　said；　〃managed　matters　so　well　with　the　old　maid；〃　he

was　really　the　object　of　an　underhand　persecution　and　a　vengeance

deliberately　planned。　The　four　marked　circumstances　of　the　locked

door；　the　forgotten　slippers；　the　lack　of　fire；　and　the　removal　of　the

candlestick；　were　the　first　signs　that　revealed　to　him　a　terrible

enmity；　the　final　consequences　of　which　were　destined　not　to　strike

him　until　the　time　came　when　they　were　irreparable。



As　he　went　to　bed　the　worthy　vicar　worked　his　brainsquite　uselessly；

for　he　was　soon　at　the　end　of　themto　explain　to　himself　the

extraordinarily　discourteous　conduct　of　Mademoiselle　Gamard。　The　fact

was　that；　having　all　along　acted　logically　in　obeying　the　natural　laws

of　his　own　egotism；　it　was　impossible　that　he　should　now　perceive　his

own　faults　towards　his　landlady。



Though　the　great　things　of　life　are　simple　to　understand　and　easy　to

express；　the　littlenesses　require　a　vast　number　of　details　to　explain

them。　The　foregoing　events；　which　may　be　called　a　sort　of　prologue　to

this　bourgeois　drama；　in　which　we　shall　find　passions　as　violent　as

those　excited　by　great　interests；　required　this　long　introduction；　and

it　would　have　been　difficult　for　any　faithful　historian　to　shorten　the

account　of　these　minute　developments。





II



The　next　morning；　on　awaking；　Birotteau　thought　so　much　of　his

prospective　canonry　that　he　forgot　the　four　circumstances　in　which　he

had　seen；　the　night　before；　such　threatening　prognostics　of　a　future

full　of　misery。　The　vicar　was　not　a　man　to　get　up　without　a　fire。　He

rang　to