the village rector-第5节

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over　a　green　and　pretty　trellis。

After　the　return　of　old　Sauviat　（then　seventy　years　of　age）　from　a
trip　to　Paris　in　December；　1822；　the　vicar　came　to　see　him　one
evening；　and　after　a　few　insignificant　remarks　he　said　suddenly：

〃You　had　better　think　of　marrying　your　daughter；　Sauviat。　At　your　age
you　ought　not　to　put　off　the　accomplishment　of　so　important　a　duty。〃

〃But　is　Veronique　willing　to　be　married？〃　asked　the　old　man；　startled。

〃As　you　please；　father；〃　she　said；　lowering　her　eyes。

〃Yes；　we'll　marry　her！〃　cried　stout　Madame　Sauviat；　smiling。

〃Why　didn't　you　speak　to　me　about　it　before　I　went　to　Paris；　mother？〃
said　Sauviat。　〃I　shall　have　to　go　back　there。〃

Jerome…Baptiste　Sauviat；　a　man　in　whose　eyes　money　seemed　to
constitute　the　whole　of　happiness；　who　knew　nothing　of　love；　and　had
never　seen　in　marriage　anything　but　the　means　of　transmitting　property
to　another　self；　had　long　sworn　to　marry　Veronique　to　some　rich
bourgeois；so　long；　in　fact；　that　the　idea　had　assumed　in　his　brain
the　characteristics　of　a　hobby。　His　neighbor；　the　hat…maker；　who
possessed　about　two　thousand　francs　a　year；　had　already　asked；　on
behalf　of　his　son；　to　whom　he　proposed　to　give　up　his　hat…making
establishment；　the　hand　of　a　girl　so　well　known　in　the　neighborhood
for　her　exemplary　conduct　and　Christian　principles。　Sauviat　had
politely　refused；　without　saying　anything　to　Veronique。　The　day　after
the　vicara　very　important　personage　in　the　eyes　of　the　Sauviat
householdhad　mentioned　the　necessary　of　marrying　Veronique；　whose
confessor　he　was；　the　old　man　shaved　and　dressed　himself　as　for　a
fete…day；　and　went　out　without　saying　a　word　to　his　wife　or　daughter；
both　knew　very　well；　however；　that　the　father　was　in　search　of　a　son…
in…law。　Old　Sauviat　went　to　Monsieur　Graslin。

Monsieur　Graslin；　a　rich　banker　in　Limoges；　had；　like　Sauviat　himself；
started　from　Auvergne　without　a　penny；　he　came　to　Limoges　to　be　a
porter；　found　a　place　as　an　office…boy　in　a　financial　house；　and
there；　like　many　other　financiers；　he　made　his　way　by　dint　of　economy；
and　also　through　fortunate　circumstances。　Cashier　at　twenty…five　years
of　age；　partner　ten　years　later；　in　the　firm　of　Perret　and　Grossetete；
he　ended　by　finding　himself　the　head　of　the　house；　after　buying　out
the　senior　partners；　both　of　whom　retired　into　the　country；　leaving
him　their　funds　to　manage　in　the　business　at　a　low　interest。

Pierre　Graslin；　then　forty…seven　years　of　age；　was　supposed　to　possess
about　six　hundred　thousand　francs。　The　estimate　of　his　fortune　had
lately　increased　throughout　the　department；　in　consequence　of　his
outlay　in　having　built；　in　a　new　quarter　of　the　town　called　the　place
d'Arbres　（thus　assisting　to　give　Limoges　an　improved　aspect）；　a　fine
house；　the　front　of　it　being　on　a　line　with　a　public　building　with　the
facade　of　which　it　corresponded。　This　house　had　now　been　finished　six
months；　but　Pierre　Graslin　delayed　furnishing　it；　it　had　cost　him　so
much　that　he　shrank　from　the　further　expense　of　living　in　it。　His
vanity　had　led　him　to　transgress　the　wise　laws　by　which　he　governed
his　life。　He　felt；　with　the　good　sense　of　a　business　man；　that　the
interior　of　the　house　ought　to　correspond　with　the　character　of　the
outside。　The　furniture；　silver…ware；　and　other　needful　accessories　to
the　life　he　would　have　to　lead　in　his　new　mansion　would；　he　estimated；
cost　him　nearly　as　much　as　the　original　building。　In　spite；　therefore；
of　the　gossip　of　tongues　and　the　charitable　suppositions　of　his
neighbors；　he　continued　to　live　on　in　the　damp；　old；　and　dirty　ground…
floor　apartment　in　the　rue　Montantmanigne　where　his　fortune　had　been
made。　The　public　carped；　but　Graslin　had　the　approval　of　his　former
partners；　who　praised　a　resolution　that　was　somewhat　uncommon。

A　fortune　and　a　position　like　those　of　Pierre　Graslin　naturally
excited　the　greed　of　not　a　few　in　a　small　provincial　city。　During　the
last　ten　years　more　than　one　proposition　of　marriage　had　been
intimated　to　Monsieur　Graslin。　But　the　bachelor　state　was　so　well
suited　to　a　man　who　was　busy　from　morning　till　night；　overrun　with
work；　eager　in　the　pursuit　of　money　as　a　hunter　for　game；　and　always
tired　out　with　his　day's　labor；　that　Graslin　fell　into　none　of　the
traps　laid　for　him　by　ambitious　mothers　who　coveted　so　brilliant　a
position　for　their　daughters。

Graslin；　another　Sauviat　in　an　upper　sphere；　did　not　spend　more　than
forty　sous　a　day；　and　clothed　himself　no　better　than　his　under…clerk。
Two　clerks　and　an　office…boy　sufficed　him　to　carry　on　his　business；
which　was　immense　through　the　multiplicity　of　its　details。　One　clerk
attended　to　the　correspondence；　the　other　had　charge　of　the　accounts；
but　Pierre　Graslin　was　himself　the　soul；　and　body　too；　of　the　whole
concern。　His　clerks；　chosen　from　his　own　relations；　were　safe　men；
intelligent　and　as　well…trained　in　the　work　as　himself。　As　for　the
office…boy；　he　led　the　life　of　a　truck　horse；up　at　five　in　the
morning　at　all　seasons；　and　never　getting　to　bed　before　eleven　at
night。

Graslin　employed　a　charwoman　by　the　day；　an　old　peasant　from　Auvergne；
who　did　his　cooking。　The　brown　earthenware　off　which　he　ate；　and　the
stout　coarse　linen　which　he　used；　were　in　keeping　with　the　character
of　his　food。　The　old　woman　had　strict　orders　never　to　spend　more　than
three　francs　daily　for　the　total　expenses　of　the　household。　The
office…boy　was　also　man…of…all…work。　The　clerks　took　care　of　their　own
rooms。　The　tables　of　blackened　wood；　the　straw　chairs　half　unseated；
the　wretched　beds；　the　counters　and　desks；　in　short；　the　whole
furniture　of　house　and　office　was　not　worth　more　than　a　thousand
francs；　including　a　colossal　iron　safe；　built　into　the　wall；　before
which　slept　the　man…of…all…work　with　two　dogs　at　his　feet。

Graslin　did　not　often　go　into　society；　which；　however；　discussed　him
constantly。　Two　or　three　times　a　year　he　dined　with　the　receiver…
general；　with　whom　his　business　brought　him　into　occasional
intercourse。　He　also　occasionally　took　a　meal　at　the　prefecture；　for
he　had　been　appointed；　much　to　his　regret；　a　member　of　the　Council…
general　of　the　department〃a　waste　of　time；〃　he　remarked。　Sometimes
his　brother　bankers　with　whom　he　had　dealings　kept　him　to　breakfast　or
dinner；　and　he　was　forced　also　to　visit　his　former　partners；　who　spent
their　winters　in　Limoges。　He　cared　so　little　to　keep　up　his　relations
to　society　that　in　twenty…five　years　Graslin　had　not　offered　so　much
as　a　glass　of　water　to　any　one。　When　he　passed　along　the　street
persons　would　nudge　each　other　and　say：　〃That's　Monsieur　Graslin〃；
meaning；　〃There's　a　man　who　came　to　Limoges　without　a　penny　and　has
now　acquired　an　enormous　fortune。〃　The　Auvergnat　banker　was　a　model
which　more　than　one　father　pointed　out　to　his　son；　and　wives　had　been
known　to　fling　him　in　the　faces　of　their　husbands。

We　can　now　understand　the　reasons　that　led　a　man　who　had　become　the
pivot　of　the　financial　machine　of　Limoges　to　repulse　the　various
propositions　of　marriage　which　parents　never　ceased　to　make　to　him。
The　daughters　of　his　partners；　Messrs。　Perret　and　Grossetete；　were
married　before　Graslin　was　in　a　position　to　take　a　wife；　but　as　each
of　these　ladies　had　young　daughters；　the　wiseheads　of　the　community
finally　concluded　that　old　Perret　or　old　Grossetete　had　made　an
arrangement　with　Graslin　to　wait　for　one　of　his　granddaughters；　and
thenceforth　they　left　him　alone。

Sauviat　had　watched　the　ascending　career　of　his　compatriot　more
attentively　and　seriously　than　any　one　else。　He　had　known　him　from　the
time　he　first　came　to　Limoges；　but　their　respective　positions　had
changed　so　much；　at　least　apparently；　that　their　friendship；　now
become　merely　superficial；　was　seldom　freshened。　Still；　in　his
relation　as　compatriot；　Graslin　never　disdained　to　talk　with　Sauviat
when　they　chanced　to　meet。　Both　continued　to　keep　up　their　early
/tutoiement/；　but　only　in　their　native　dialect。　When　the　receiver…
general　of　Bourges；　the　youngest　of　the　brothers　Grossetete；　married
his　daughter　in　1823　to　the　youngest　son　of　Comte　Fontaine；　Sauviat
felt　sure　that　the　Grossetetes　would　never　allow　Graslin　to　enter
their　family。

After　his　conference　with　the　banker；　Pere　Sauviat　returned　home
joyously。　He　dined　that　night　in　his　daughter's　room；　and　after　dinner
he　said　to　his　womenkind：

〃Veronique　will　be　Madame　Graslin。〃

〃Madame　Graslin！〃　exclaimed　Mere　Sauviat；　astounded。

〃Is　it　possible？〃　said　Veronique；　to　whom　Graslin　was　personally
unknown；　and　whose　imagination　regarded　him　very　much　as　a　Parisian
grisette　would　regard　a　Rothschild。

〃Yes；　it　is　settled；〃　said　old　Sauviat　solemnly。　〃Graslin　will　furnish
his　house　magnificently；　he　is　to　give　our　daughter　a　fine　Parisian
carriage　and　the　best　horses　to　be　found　in　the　Limousin；　he　will　buy
an　estate　worth　five　hundred　thousand　francs；　and　settle　that　and　his
town…house　upon　her。　Veronique　will　be　the　first　lady　in　Limoges；　the
richest　in　the　department；　and　she　can　do　what　she　pleases　with
Graslin。〃

Veronique's　education；　her　religious　ideas；　and　her　boundless
affection　for　her　parents；　prevented　her　from　making　a　single
objection；　it　did　not　even　cross　h