louis lambert-第4节

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him　among　the　senior　boys。　It　was　Louis'　ignorance　of　Latin　that
placed　him　so　low　as　the　fourth　class；　but　he　would　certainly　leap　up
a　class　every　year；　and；　as　a　remarkable　exception；　he　was　to　be　one
of　the　〃Academy。〃　/Proh　pudor/！　we　were　to　have　the　honor　of　counting
among　the　〃little　boys〃　one　whose　coat　was　adorned　with　the　red　ribbon
displayed　by　the　〃Academicians〃　of　Vendome。　These　Academicians　enjoyed
distinguished　privileges；　they　often　dined　at　the　director's　table；
and　held　two　literary　meetings　annually；　at　which　we　were　all　present
to　hear　their　elucubrations。　An　Academician　was　a　great　man　in　embryo。
And　if　every　Vendome　scholar　would　speak　the　truth；　he　would　confess
that；　in　later　life；　an　Academician　of　the　great　French　Academy　seemed
to　him　far　less　remarkable　than　the　stupendous　boy　who　wore　the　cross
and　the　imposing　red　ribbon　which　were　the　insignia　of　our　〃Academy。〃

It　was　very　unusual　to　be　one　of　that　illustrious　body　before
attaining　to　the　second　class；　for　the　Academicians　were　expected　to
hold　public　meetings　every　Thursday　during　the　holidays；　and　to　read
tales　in　verse　or　prose；　epistles；　essays；　tragedies；　dramas
compositions　far　above　the　intelligence　of　the　lower　classes。　I　long
treasured　the　memory　of　a　story　called　the　〃Green　Ass；〃　which　was；　I
think；　the　masterpiece　of　this　unknown　Society。　In　the　fourth；　and　an
Academician！　This　boy　of　fourteen；　a　poet　already；　the　protege　of
Madame　de　Stael；　a　coming　genius；　said　Father　Haugoult；　was　to　be　one
of　us！　a　wizard；　a　youth　capable　of　writing　a　composition　or　a
translation　while　we　were　being　called　into　lessons；　and　of　learning
his　lessons　by　reading　them　through　but　once。　Louis　Lambert　bewildered
all　our　ideas。　And　Father　Haugoult's　curiosity　and　impatience　to　see
this　new　boy　added　fuel　to　our　excited　fancy。

〃If　he　has　pigeons；　he　can　have　no　pigeon…house；　there　is　not　room　for
another。　Well；　it　cannot　be　helped；〃　said　one　boy；　since　famous　as　an
agriculturist。

〃Who　will　sit　next　to　him？〃　said　another。

〃Oh；　I　wish　I　might　be　his　chum！〃　cried　an　enthusiast。

In　school　language；　the　word　here　rendered　chum/faisant/；　or　in　some
schools；　/copin/expressed　a　fraternal　sharing　of　the　joys　and　evils
of　your　childish　existence；　a　community　of　interests　that　was　fruitful
of　squabbling　and　making　friends　again；　a　treaty　of　alliance　offensive
and　defensive。　It　is　strange；　but　never　in　my　time　did　I　know　brothers
who　were　chums。　If　man　lives　by　his　feelings；　he　thinks　perhaps　that
he　will　make　his　life　the　poorer　if　he　merges　an　affection　of　his　own
choosing　in　a　natural　tie。

The　impression　made　upon　me　by　Father　Haugoult's　harangue　that　evening
is　one　of　the　most　vivid　reminiscences　of　my　childhood；　I　can　compare
it　with　nothing　but　my　first　reading　of　/Robinson　Crusoe/。　Indeed；　I
owe　to　my　recollection　of　these　prodigious　impressions　an　observation
that　may　perhaps　be　new　as　to　the　different　sense　attached　to　words　by
each　hearer。　The　word　in　itself　has　no　final　meaning；　we　affect　a　word
more　than　it　affects　us；　its　value　is　in　relation　to　the　images　we
have　assimilated　and　grouped　round　it；　but　a　study　of　this　fact　would
require　considerable　elaboration；　and　lead　us　too　far　from　our
immediate　subject。

Not　being　able　to　sleep；　I　had　a　long　discussion　with　my　next　neighbor
in　the　dormitory　as　to　the　remarkable　being　who　on　the　morrow　was　to
be　one　of　us。　This　neighbor；　who　became　an　officer；　and　is　now　a
writer　with　lofty　philosophical　views；　Barchou　de　Penhoen；　has　not
been　false　to　his　pre…destination；　nor　to　the　hazard　of　fortune　by
which　the　only　two　scholars　of　Vendome；　of　whose　fame　Vendome　ever
hears；　were　brought　together　in　the　same　classroom；　on　the　same　form；
and　under　the　same　roof。　Our　comrade　Dufaure　had　not；　when　this　book
was　published；　made　his　appearance　in　public　life　as　a　lawyer。　The
translator　of　Fichte；　the　expositor　and　friend　of　Ballanche；　was
already　interested；　as　I　myself　was；　in　metaphysical　questions；　we
often　talked　nonsense　together　about　God；　ourselves；　and　nature。　He　at
that　time　affected　pyrrhonism。　Jealous　of　his　place　as　leader；　he
doubted　Lambert's　precocious　gifts；　while　I；　having　lately　read　/Les
Enfants　celebres/；　overwhelmed　him　with　evidence；　quoting　young
Montcalm；　Pico　della　Mirandola；　Pascalin　short；　a　score　of　early
developed　brains；　anomalies　that　are　famous　in　the　history　of　the
human　mind；　and　Lambert's　predecessors。

I　was　at　the　time　passionately　addicted　to　reading。　My　father；　who　was
ambitious　to　see　me　in　the　Ecole　Polytechnique；　paid　for　me　to　have　a
special　course　of　private　lessons　in　mathematics。　My　mathematical
master　was　the　librarian　of　the　college；　and　allowed　me　to　help　myself
to　books　without　much　caring　what　I　chose　to　take　from　the　library；　a
quiet　spot　where　I　went　to　him　during　play…hours　to　have　my　lesson。
Either　he　was　no　great　mathematician；　or　he　was　absorbed　in　some　grand
scheme；　for　he　very　willingly　left　me　to　read　when　I　ought　to　have
been　learning；　while　he　worked　at　I　knew　not　what。　So；　by　a　tacit
understanding　between　us；　I　made　no　complaints　of　being　taught
nothing；　and　he　said　nothing　of　the　books　I　borrowed。

Carried　away　by　this　ill…timed　mania；　I　neglected　my　studies　to
compose　poems；　which　certainly　can　have　shown　no　great　promise；　to
judge　by　a　line　of　too　many　feet　which　became　famous　among　my
companionsthe　beginning　of　an　epic　on　the　Incas：

　　〃O　Inca！　O　roi　infortune　et　malheureux！〃

In　derision　of　such　attempts；　I　was　nicknamed　the　Poet；　but　mockery
did　not　cure　me。　I　was　always　rhyming；　in　spite　of　good　advice　from
Monsieur　Mareschal；　the　headmaster；　who　tried　to　cure　me　of　an
unfortunately　inveterate　passion　by　telling　me　the　fable　of　a　linnet
that　fell　out　of　the　nest　because　it　tried　to　fly　before　its　wings
were　grown。　I　persisted　in　my　reading；　I　became　the　least　emulous；　the
idlest；　the　most　dreamy　of　all　the　division　of　〃little　boys；〃　and
consequently　the　most　frequently　punished。

This　autobiographical　digression　may　give　some　idea　of　the　reflections
I　was　led　to　make　in　anticipation　of　Lambert's　arrival。　I　was　then
twelve　years　old。　I　felt　sympathy　from　the　first　for　the　boy　whose
temperament　had　some　points　of　likeness　to　my　own。　I　was　at　last　to
have　a　companion　in　daydreams　and　meditations。　Though　I　knew　not　yet
what　glory　meant；　I　thought　it　glory　to　be　the　familiar　friend　of　a
child　whose　immortality　was　foreseen　by　Madame　de　Stael。　To　me　Louis
Lambert　was　as　a　giant。

The　looked…for　morrow　came　at　last。　A　minute　before　breakfast　we　heard
the　steps　of　Monsieur　Mareschal　and　of　the　new　boy　in　the　quiet
courtyard。　Every　head　was　turned　at　once　to　the　door　of　the　classroom。
Father　Haugoult；　who　participated　in　our　torments　of　curiosity；　did
not　sound　the　whistle　he　used　to　reduce　our　mutterings　to　silence　and
bring　us　back　to　our　tasks。　We　then　saw　this　famous　new　boy；　whom
Monsieur　Mareschal　was　leading　by　the　hand。　The　superintendent
descended　from　his　desk；　and　the　headmaster　said　to　him　solemnly；
according　to　etiquette：　〃Monsieur；　I　have　brought　you　Monsieur　Louis
Lambert；　will　you　place　him　in　the　fourth　class？　He　will　begin　work
to…morrow。〃

Then；　after　speaking　a　few　words　in　an　undertone　to　the　class…master；
he　said：

〃Where　can　he　sit？〃

It　would　have　been　unfair　to　displace　one　of　us　for　a　newcomer；　so　as
there　was　but　one　desk　vacant；　Louis　Lambert　came　to　fill　it；　next　to
me；　for　I　had　last　joined　the　class。　Though　we　still　had　some　time　to
wait　before　lessons　were　over；　we　all　stood　up　to　look　at　Louis
Lambert。　Monsieur　Mareschal　heard　our　mutterings；　saw　how　eager　we
were；　and　said；　with　the　kindness　that　endeared　him　to　us　all：

〃Well；　well；　but　make　no　noise；　do　not　disturb　the　other　classes。〃

These　words　set　us　free　to　play　some　little　time　before　breakfast；　and
we　all　gathered　round　Lambert　while　Monsieur　Mareschal　walked　up　and
down　the　courtyard　with　Father　Haugoult。

There　were　about　eighty　of　us　little　demons；　as　bold　as　birds　of　prey。
Though　we　ourselves　had　all　gone　through　this　cruel　novitiate；　we
showed　no　mercy　on　a　newcomer；　never　sparing　him　the　mockery；　the
catechism；　the　impertinence；　which　were　inexhaustible　on　such
occasions；　to　the　discomfiture　of　the　neophyte；　whose　manners；
strength；　and　temper　were　thus　tested。　Lambert；　whether　he　was　stoical
or　dumfounded；　made　no　reply　to　any　questions。　One　of　us　thereupon
remarked　that　he　was　no　doubt　of　the　school　of　Pythagoras；　and　there
was　a　shout　of　laughter。　The　new　boy　was　thenceforth　Pythagoras
through　all　his　life　at　the　college。　At　the　same　time；　Lambert's
piercing　eye；　the　scorn　expressed　in　his　face　for　our　childishness；　so
far　removed　from　the　stamp　of　his　own　nature；　the　easy　attitude　he
assumed；　and　his　evident　strength　in　proportion　to　his　years；　infused
a　certain　respect　into　the　veriest　scamps　among　us。　For　my　part；　I
kept　near　him；　absorbed　in　studying　him　in　silence。



Louis　Lambert　was　slightly　built；　nearly　five　feet　in　height；　his　face
was　tanned；　and　his　hands　were　burnt　brown　by　the　sun；　giving　him　an
appearance　of　manly　vigor；　which；　in　fact；　he　did　not　possess。　Indeed；
two　months　after　he　came　t