the village rector-第1节

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The　Village　Rector

by　Honore　de　Balzac

Katharine　Prescott　Wormeley





DEDICATION

　　To　Helene。

　　The　tiniest　boat　is　not　launched　upon　the　sea　without　the
　　protection　of　some　living　emblem　or　revered　name；　placed　upon　it
　　by　the　mariners。　In　accordance　with　this　time…honored　custom；
　　Madame；　I　pray　you　to　be　the　protectress　of　this　book　now　launched
　　upon　our　literary　ocean；　and　may　the　Imperial　name　which　the
　　Church　has　canonized　and　your　devotion　has　doubly　sanctified　for
　　me　guard　it　from　perils。

De　Balzac。




THE　VILLAGE　RECTOR



I

THE　SAUVIATS

In　the　lower　town　of　Limoges；　at　the　corner　of　the　rue　de　la　Vieille…
Poste　and　the　rue　de　la　Cite　might　have　been　seen；　a　generation　ago；
one　of　those　shops　which　were　scarcely　changed　from　the　period　of　the
middle…ages。　Large　tiles　seamed　with　a　thousand　cracks　lay　on　the　soil
itself；　which　was　damp　in　places；　and　would　have　tripped　up　those　who
failed　to　observe　the　hollows　and　ridges　of　this　singular　flooring。
The　dusty　walls　exhibited　a　curious　mosaic　of　wood　and　brick；　stones
and　iron；　welded　together　with　a　solidity　due　to　time；　possibly　to
chance。　For　more　than　a　hundred　years　the　ceiling；　formed　of　colossal
beams；　bent　beneath　the　weight　of　the　upper　stories；　though　it　had
never　given　way　under　them。　Built　/en　colombage/；　that　is　to　say；　with
a　wooden　frontage；　the　whole　facade　was　covered　with　slates；　so　put　on
as　to　form　geometrical　figures；thus　preserving　a　naive　image　of　the
burgher　habitations　of　the　olden　time。

None　of　the　windows；　cased　in　wood　and　formerly　adorned　with　carvings；
now　destroyed　by　the　action　of　the　weather；　had　continued　plumb；　some
bobbed　forward；　others　tipped　backward；　while　a　few　seemed　disposed　to
fall　apart；　all　had　a　compost　of　earth；　brought　from　heaven　knows
where；　in　the　nooks　and　crannies　hollowed　by　the　rain；　in　which　the
spring…tide　brought　forth　fragile　flowers；　timid　creeping　plants；　and
sparse　herbage。　Moss　carpeted　the　roof　and　draped　its　supports。　The
corner　pillar；　with　its　composite　masonry　of　stone　blocks　mingled　with
brick　and　pebbles；　was　alarming　to　the　eye　by　reason　of　its　curvature；
it　seemed　on　the　point　of　giving　way　under　the　weight　of　the　house；
the　gable　of　which　overhung　it　by　at　least　half　a　foot。　The　municipal
authorities　and　the　commissioner　of　highways　did；　eventually；　pull　the
old　building　down；　after　buying　it；　to　enlarge　the　square。

The　pillar　we　have　mentioned；　placed　at　the　angle　of　two　streets；　was
a　treasure　to　the　seekers　for　Limousin　antiquities；　on　account　of　its
lovely　sculptured　niche　in　which　was　a　Virgin；　mutilated　during　the
Revolution。　All　visitors　with　archaeological　proclivities　found　traces
of　the　stone　sockets　used　to　hold　the　candelabra　in　which　public　piety
lighted　tapers　or　placed　its　/ex…votos/　and　flowers。

At　the　farther　end　of　the　shop；　a　worm…eaten　wooden　staircase　led　to
the　two　upper　floors　which　were　in　turn　surmounted　by　an　attic。　The
house；　backing　against　two　adjoining　houses；　had　no　depth　and　derived
all　its　light　from　the　front　and　side　windows。　Each　floor　had　two
small　chambers　only；　lighted　by　single　windows；　one　looking　out　on　the
rue　de　la　Cite；　the　other　on　the　rue　de　la　Vieille…Poste。

In　the　middle…ages　no　artisan　was　better　lodged。　The　house　had
evidently　belonged　in　those　times　to　makers　of　halberds　and　battle…
axes；　armorers　in　short；　artificers　whose　work　was　not　injured　by
exposure　to　the　open　air；　for　it　was　impossible　to　see　clearly　within；
unless　the　iron　shutters　were　raised　from　each　side　of　the　building；
where　were　also　two　doors；　one　on　either　side　of　the　corner　pillar；　as
may　be　seen　in　many　shops　at　the　corners　of　streets。　From　the　sill　of
each　doorof　fine　stone　worn　by　the　tread　of　centuriesa　low　wall
about　three　feet　high　began；　in　this　wall　was　a　groove　or　slot；
repeated　above　in　the　beam　by　which　the　wall　of　each　facade　was
supported。　From　time　immemorial　the　heavy　shutters　had　been　rolled
along　these　grooves；　held　there　by　enormous　iron　bars；　while　the　doors
were　closed　and　secured　in　the　same　manner；　so　that　these　merchants
and　artificers　could　bar　themselves　into　their　houses　as　into　a
fortress。

Examining　the　interior；　which；　during　the　first　twenty　years　of　this
century；　was　encumbered　with　old　iron　and　brass；　tires　of　wheels；
springs；　bells；　anything　in　short　which　the　destruction　of　buildings
afforded　of　old　metals；　persons　interested　in　the　relics　of　the　old
town　noticed　signs　of　the　flue　of　a　forge；　shown　by　a　long　trail　of
soot；a　minor　detail　which　confirmed　the　conjecture　of　archaeologists
as　to　the　original　use　to　which　the　building　was　put。　On　the　first
floor　（above　the　ground…floor）　was　one　room　and　the　kitchen；　on　the
floor　above　that　were　two　bedrooms。　The　garret　was　used　to　put　away
articles　more　choice　and　delicate　than　those　that　lay　pell…mell　about
the　shop。

This　house；　hired　in　the　first　instance；　was　subsequently　bought　by　a
man　named　Sauviat；　a　hawker　or　peddler　who；　from　1786　to　1793；
travelled　the　country　over　a　radius　of　a　hundred　and　fifty　miles
around　Auvergne；　exchanging　crockery　of　a　common　kind；　plates；　dishes；
glasses；in　short；　the　necessary　articles　of　the　poorest　households；
for　old　iron；　brass；　and　lead；　or　any　metal　under　any　shape　it　might
lurk　in。　The　Auvergnat　would　give；　for　instance；　a　brown　earthenware
saucepan　worth　two　sous　for　a　pound　of　lead；　two　pounds　of　iron；　a
broken　spade　or　hoe　or　a　cracked　kettle；　and　being　invariably　the
judge　of　his　own　cause；　he　did　the　weighing。

At　the　close　of　his　third　year　Sauviat　added　the　hawking　of　tin　and
copper　ware　to　that　of　his　pottery。　In　1793　he　was　able　to　buy　a
chateau　sold　as　part　of　the　National　domain；　which　he　at　once　pulled
to　pieces。　The　profits　were　such　that　he　repeated　the　process　at
several　points　of　the　sphere　in　which　he　operated；　later；　these　first
successful　essays　gave　him　the　idea　of　proposing　something　of　a　like
nature　on　a　larger　scale　to　one　of　his　compatriots　who　lived　in　Paris。
Thus　it　happened　that　the　〃Bande　Noire；〃　so　celebrated　for　its
devastations；　had　its　birth　in　the　brain　of　old　Sauviat；　the　peddler；
whom　all　Limoges　afterward　saw　and　knew　for　twenty…seven　years　in　the
rickety　old　shop　among　his　cracked　bells　and　rusty　bars；　chains　and
scales；　his　twisted　leaden　gutters；　and　metal　rubbish　of　all　kinds。　We
must　do　him　the　justice　to　say　that　he　knew　nothing　of　the　celebrity
or　the　extent　of　the　association　he　originated；　he　profited　by　his　own
idea　only　in　proportion　to　the　capital　he　entrusted　to　the　since
famous　firm　of　Bresac。

Tired　of　frequenting　fairs　and　roaming　the　country；　the　Auvergnat
settled　at　Limoges；　where　he　married；　in　1797；　the　daughter　of　a
coppersmith；　a　widower；　named　Champagnac。　When　his　father…in…law　died
he　bought　the　house　in　which　he　had　been　carrying　on　his　trade　of　old…
iron　dealer；　after　ceasing　to　roam　the　country　as　a　peddler。　Sauviat
was　fifty　years　of　age　when　he　married　old　Champagnac's　daughter；　who
was　herself　not　less　than　thirty。　Neither　handsome　nor　pretty；　she　was
nevertheless　born　in　Auvergne；　and　the　/patois/　seemed　to　be　the
mutual　attraction；　also　she　had　the　sturdy　frame　which　enables　women
to　bear　hard　work。　In　the　first　three　years　of　their　married　life
Sauviat　continued　to　do　some　peddling；　and　his　wife　accompanied　him；
carrying　iron　or　lead　on　her　back；　and　leading　the　miserable　horse　and
cart　full　of　crockery　with　which　her　husband　plied　a　disguised　usury。
Dark…skinned；　high…colored；　enjoying　robust　health；　and　showing　when
she　laughed　a　brilliant　set　of　teeth；　white；　long；　and　broad　as
almonds；　Madame　Sauviat　had　the　hips　and　bosom　of　a　woman　made　by
Nature　expressly　for　maternity。

If　this　strong　girl　were　not　earlier　married；　the　fault　must　be
attributed　to　the　Harpagon　〃no　dowry〃　her　father　practised；　though　he
never　read　Moliere。　Sauviat　was　not　deterred　by　the　lack　of　dowry；
besides；　a　man　of　fifty　can't　make　difficulties；　not　to　speak　of　the
fact　that　such　a　wife　would　save　him　the　cost　of　a　servant。　He　added
nothing　to　the　furniture　of　his　bedroom　where；　from　the　day　of　his
wedding　to　the　day　he　left　the　house；　twenty　years　later；　there　was
never　anything　but　a　single　four…post　bed；　with　valance　and　curtains
of　green　serge；　a　chest；　a　bureau；　four　chairs；　a　table；　and　a
looking…glass；　all　collected　from　different　localities。　The　chest
contained　in　its　upper　section　pewter　plates；　dishes；　etc。；　each
article　dissimilar　from　the　rest。　The　kitchen　can　be　imagined　from　the
bedroom。

Neither　husband　nor　wife　knew　how　to　read；a　slight　defect　of
education　which　did　not　prevent　them　from　ciphering　admirably　and
doing　a　most　flourishing　business。　Sauviat　never　bought　any　article
without　the　certainty　of　being　able　to　sell　it　for　one　hundred　per
cent　profit。　To　relieve　himself　of　the　necessity　of　keeping　books　and
accounts；　he　bought　and　sold　for　cash　only。　He　had；　moreover；　such　a
perfect　memory　that　the　cost　of　any　article；　were　it　only　a　farthing；
remained　in　his　mind　year　after　year；　together　with　its　accrued
interest。

Except　during　the　time　required　for　her　household　duties；　Madame
Sauviat　was　always