the village rector-第44节

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　　mountains　on　which　are　the　forests；　wishes　to　improve　this　vast
　　domain；　to　clear　her　timber　properly；　and　cultivate　the　stony
　　plain。

　　To　put　this　project　into　execution　she　needs　a　man　of　your
　　scientific　knowledge　and　ardor；　and　one　who　has　also　your
　　disinterested　devotion　and　your　ideas　of　practical　utility。　It
　　will　be　little　money　and　much　work！　a　great　result　from　small
　　means！　a　whole　region　to　be　changed　fundamentally！　barren　places
　　to　be　made　to　gush　with　plenty！　Isn't　that　precisely　what　you
　　want；you　who　are　dreaming　of　constructing　a　poem？　From　the　tone
　　of　sincerity　which　pervades　your　letter；　I　do　not　hesitate　to　bid
　　you　come　and　see　me　at　Limoges。　But；　my　good　friend；　don't　send　in
　　your　resignation　yet；　get　leave　of　absence　only；　and　tell　your
　　administration　that　you　are　going　to　study　questions　connected
　　with　your　profession　outside　of　the　government　works。　In　this　way；
　　you　will　not　lose　your　rights；　and　you　will　have　time　to　judge　for
　　yourself　whether　the　project　conceived　by　the　rector　of　Montegnac
　　and　approved　by　Madame　Graslin　is　feasible。

　　I　will　explain　to　you　by　word　of　mouth　the　advantages　you　will
　　find　in　case　this　great　scheme　can　be　carried　out。　Rely　on　the
　　friendship　of

Yours；　etc；　　　　T。　Grossetete。


Madame　Graslin　replied　to　Grossetete　in　few　words：　〃Thank　you；　my
friend；　I　shall　expect　your　/protege/。〃　She　showed　the　letter　to　the
rector；　saying；

〃One　more　wounded　man　for　the　hospital。〃

The　rector　read　the　letter；　reread　it；　made　two　or　three　turns　on　the
terrace　silently；　then　he　gave　it　back　to　Madame　Graslin；　saying；

〃A　fine　soul；　and　a　superior　man。　He　says　the　schools　invented　by　the
genius　of　the　Revolution　manufacture　incapacities。　For　my　part；　I　say
they　manufacture　unbelievers；　for　if　Monsieur　Gerard　is　not　an
atheist；　he　is　a　protestant。〃

〃We　will　ask　him；〃　she　said；　struck　by　an　answer。



XVII

THE　REVOLUTION　OF　JULY　JUDGED　AT　MONTEGNAC

A　fortnight　later；　in　December；　and　in　spite　of　the　cold；　Monsieur
Grossetete　came　to　the　chateau　de　Montegnac；　to　〃present　his　protege；〃
whom　Veronique　and　Monsieur　Bonnet　were　impatiently　awaiting。

〃I　must　love　you　very　much；　my　dear　child；〃　said　the　old　man；　taking
Veronique's　two　hands　in　his；　and　kissing　them　with　that　gallantry　of
old　men　which　never　displeases　women；　〃yes；　I　must　love　you　well；　to
come　from　Limoges　in　such　weather。　But　I　wanted　to　present　to　you
myself　the　gift　of　Monsieur　Gregoire　Gerard　here　present。　You'll　find
him　a　man　after　your　own　heart；　Monsieur　Bonnet；〃　added　the　banker；
bowing　affectionately　to　the　rector。

Gerard's　external　appearance　was　not　prepossessing。　He　was　of　middle
height；　stocky　in　shape；　the　neck　sunk　in　the　shoulders；　as　they　say
vulgarly；　he　had　yellow　hair；　and　the　pink　eyes　of　an　albino；　with
lashes　and　eyebrows　almost　white。　Though　his　skin；　like　that　of　all
persons　of　that　description；　was　amazingly　white；　marks　of　the　small…
box　and　other　very　visible　scars　had　destroyed　its　original
brilliancy。　Study　had　probably　injured　his　sight；　for　he　wore　glasses。

When　he　removed　the　great　cloak　of　a　gendarme　in　which　he　was　wrapped；
it　was　seen　that　his　clothing　did　not　improve　his　general　appearance。
The　manner　in　which　his　garments　were　put　on　and　buttoned；　his　untidy
cravat；　his　rumpled　shirt；　were　signs　of　the　want　of　personal　care
with　which　men　of　science；　all　more　or　less　absent…minded；　are
charged。　As　in　the　case　of　most　thinkers；　his　countenance　and　his
attitude；　the　development　of　his　bust　and　the　thinness　of　his　legs；
betrayed　a　sort　of　bodily　debility　produced　by　habits　of　meditation。
Nevertheless；　the　ardor　of　his　heart　and　the　vigor　of　his　mind；　proofs
of　which　were　given　in　this　letter；　gleamed　from　his　forehead；　which
was　white　as　Carrara　marble。　Nature　seemed　to　have　reserved　to　herself
that　spot　in　order　to　place　there　visible　signs　of　the　grandeur；
constancy；　and　goodness　of　the　man。　The　nose；　like　that　of　most　men　of
the　true　Gallic　race；　was　flattened。　His　mouth；　firm　and　straight；
showed　absolute　discretion　and　the　instinct　of　economy。　But　the　whole
mask；　worn　by　study；　looked　prematurely　old。

〃We　must　begin　by　thanking　you；　monsieur；〃　said　Madame　Graslin；
addressing　the　engineer；　〃for　being　willing　to　direct　an　enterprise　in
a　part　of　the　country　which　can　offer　you　no　other　pleasure　than　the
satisfaction　of　knowing　that　you　are　doing　a　real　good。〃

〃Madame；〃　he　replied；　〃Monsieur　Grossetete　has　told　me　enough　about
your　enterprise　as　we　came　along　to　make　me　already　glad　that　I　can　in
any　way　be　useful　to　you；　the　prospect　of　living　in　close　relations
with　you　and　Monsieur　Bonnet　seems　to　me　charming。　Unless　I　am
dismissed　from　this　region；　I　expect　to　end　my　days　here。〃

〃We　will　try　not　to　let　you　change　your　mind；〃　replied　Madame　Graslin；
smiling。

〃Here；〃　said　Grossetete；　addressing　Veronique；　whom　he　took　aside；
〃are　the　papers　which　the　/procureur…general/　gave　to　me。　He　was　quite
surprised　that　you　did　not　address　your　inquiry　about　Catherine
Curieux　to　him。　All　that　you　wished　has　been　done　immediately；　with
the　utmost　promptitude　and　devotion。　Three　months　hence　Catherine
Curieux　will　be　sent　to　you。〃

〃Where　is　she？〃　asked　Veronique。

〃She　is　now　in　the　hospital　Saint…Louis；〃　replied　the　old　man；　〃they
are　awaiting　her　recovery　before　sending　her　from　Paris。〃

〃Ah！　is　the　poor　girl　ill？〃

〃You　will　find　all　necessary　information　in　these　papers；〃　said
Grossetete；　giving　Veronique　a　packet。

Madame　Graslin　returned　to　her　guests　to　conduct　them　into　the
magnificent　dining…room　on　the　ground…floor。　She　sat　at　table；　but　did
not　herself　take　part　in　the　dinner；　since　her　arrival　at　Montegnac
she　had　made　it　a　rule　to　take　her　meals　alone；　and　Aline；　who　knew
the　reason　of　this　withdrawal；　faithfully　kept　the　secret　of　it　till
her　mistress　was　in　danger　of　death。

The　mayor；　the　/juge　de　paix/；　and　the　doctor　of　Montegnac　had　been
invited。

The　doctor；　a　young　man　twenty…seven　years　of　age；　named　Roubaud；　was
extremely　desirous　of　knowing　a　woman　so　celebrated　in　Limoges。　The
rector　was　all　the　more　pleased　to　present　him　at　the　chateau　because
he　wanted　to　gather　a　little　society　around　Veronique　to　distract　her
mind　and　give　it　food。　Roubaud　was　one　of　those　thoroughly　well…
trained　young　physicians　whom　the　Ecole　de　Medecine　in　Paris　sends
forth　to　the　profession。　He　would　undoubtedly　have　shone　on　the　vast
stage　of　the　capital；　but　frightened　by　the　clash　of　ambitions　in
Paris；　and　knowing　himself　more　capable　than　pushing；　more　learned
than　intriguing；　his　gentle　disposition　led　him　to　choose　the　narrow
career　of　the　provinces；　where　he　hoped　to　be　sooner　appreciated　than
in　Paris。

At　Limoges；　Roubaud　came　in　contact　with　the　settled　practice　of　the
regular　physicians　and　the　habits　of　the　people；　he　therefore　let
himself　be　persuaded　by　Monsieur　Bonnet；　who；　judging　by　the　gentle
and　winning　expression　of　his　face；　thought　him　well…suited　to
co…operate　in　his　own　work　at　Montegnac。　Roubaud　was　small　and　fair；
his　general　appearance　was　rather　insipid；　but　his　gray　eyes　betrayed
the　depths　of　the　physiologist　and　the　patient　tenacity　of　a　studious
man。　There　was　no　physician　in　Montegnac　except　an　old　army…surgeon；
more　devoted　to　his　cellar　than　to　his　patients；　and　too　old　to
continue　with　any　vigor　the　hard　life　of　a　country　doctor。　At　the
present　time　he　was　dying。

Roubaud　had　been　in　Montegnac　about　eighteen　months；　and　was　much
liked　there。　But　this　young　pupil　of　Desplein　and　the　successors　of
Cabanis　did　not　believe　in　Catholicism。　He　lived　in　a　state　of
profound　indifference　as　to　religion；　and　did　not　desire　to　come　out
of　it。　The　rector　was　in　despair。　Not　that　Roubaud　did　any　wrong；　he
never　spoke　against　religion；　and　his　duties　were　excuse　enough　for
his　absence　from　church；　besides；　he　was　incapable　of　trying　to
undermine　the　faith　of　others；　and　indeed　behaved　outwardly　as　the
best　of　Catholics；　he　simply　prohibited　himself　from　thinking　of　a
problem　which　he　considered　above　the　range　of　human　thought。　When　the
rector　heard　him　say　that　pantheism　had　been　the　religion　of　all　great
minds　he　set　him　down　as　inclining　to　the　doctrine　of　Pythagoras　on
reincarnation。

Roubaud；　who　saw　Madame　Graslin　for　the　first　time；　experienced　a
violent　sensation　when　he　met　her。　Science　revealed　to　him　in　her
expression；　her　attitude；　in　the　ravages　of　her　face；　untold
sufferings　both　moral　and　physical；　a　nature　of　almost　superhuman
force；　great　faculties　which　would　support　her　under　the　most
conflicting　trials；　he　detected　all；even　the　darkest　corners　of　that
nature　so　carefully　hidden。　He　felt　that　some　evil；　some　malady；　was
devouring　the　heart　of　that　fine　creature；　for　just　as　the　color　of　a
fruit　shows　the　presence　of　a　worm　within　it；　so　certain　tints　in　the
human　face　enable　physicians　to　detect　a　poisoning　thought。

From　this　moment　Monsieur　Roubaud　attached　himself　so　deeply　to　Madame
Graslin　that　he　became　afraid　of　loving　her　beyond　the　permitted　line
of　simple　friendship。　The　brow；　the　bearing；　above　all；　the　glance　of
Veronique's　eye　had　a　sort　of