a second home-第8节
按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页,按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页,按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部!
————未阅读完?加入书签已便下次继续阅读!
in; for this woman; who only called out; 〃Coming; comingin a minute!〃 The doors of cupboards and wardrobes were slamming as though Francoise were hunting high and low for a lost lottery ticket。
Just as this crisis was at a climax; Mademoiselle de Bellefeuille came to stand by her mother's bed; lavishing tender words on her。
〃Oh my dear mother; how criminal I have been! You are ill; and I did not know it; my heart did not warn me。 However; here I am〃
〃Caroline〃
〃What is it?〃
〃They fetched a priest〃
〃But send for a doctor; bless me!〃 cried Mademoiselle de Bellefeuille。 〃Francoise; a doctor! How is it that these ladies never sent for a doctor?〃
〃They sent for a priest〃 repeated the old woman with a gasp。
〃She is so illand no soothing draught; nothing on her table!〃
The mother made a vague sign; which Caroline's watchful eye understood; for she was silent to let her mother speak。
〃They brought a priestto hear my confession; as they said。Beware; Caroline!〃 cried the old woman with an effort; 〃the priest made me tell him your benefactor's name。〃
〃But who can have told you; poor mother?〃
The old woman died; trying to look knowingly cunning。 If Mademoiselle de Bellefeuille had noted her mother's face she might have seen what no one ever will seeDeath laughing。
To enter into the interests that lay beneath this introduction to my tale; we must for a moment forget the actors in it; and look back at certain previous incidents; of which the last was closely concerned with the death of Madame Crochard。 The two parts will then form a wholea story which; by a law peculiar to life in Paris; was made up of two distinct sets of actions。
Towards the close of the month of November 1805; a young barrister; aged about six…and…twenty; was going down the stairs of the hotel where the High Chancellor of the Empire resided; at about three o'clock one morning。 Having reached the courtyard in full evening dress; under a keen frost; he could not help giving vent to an exclamation of dismayqualified; however; by the spirit which rarely deserts a Frenchmanat seeing no hackney coach waiting outside the gates; and hearing no noises such as arise from the wooden shoes or harsh voices of the hackney…coachmen of Paris。 The occasional pawing of the horses of the Chief Justice's carriagethe young man having left him still playing /bouillote/ with Cambaceresalone rang out in the paved court; which was scarcely lighted by the carriage lamps。 Suddenly the young lawyer felt a friendly hand on his shoulder; and turning round; found himself face to face with the Judge; to whom he bowed。 As the footman let down the steps of his carriage; the old gentleman; who had served the Convention; suspected the junior's dilemma。
〃All cats are gray in the dark;〃 said he good…humoredly。 〃The Chief Justice cannot compromise himself by putting a pleader in the right way! Especially;〃 he went on; 〃when the pleader is the nephew of an old colleague; one of the lights of the grand Council of State which gave France the Napoleonic Code。〃
At a gesture from the chief magistrate of France under the Empire; the foot…passenger got into the carriage。
〃Where do you live?〃 asked the great man; before the footman who awaited his orders had closed the door。
〃Quai des Augustins; monseigneur。〃
The horses started; and the young man found himself alone with the Minister; to whom he had vainly tried to speak before and after the sumptuous dinner given by Cambaceres; in fact; the great man had evidently avoided him throughout the evening。
〃Well; Monsieur /de/ Granville; you are on the high road!〃
〃So long as I sit by your Excellency's side〃
〃Nay; I am not jesting;〃 said the Minister。 〃You were called two years since; and your defence in the case of Simeuse and Hauteserre had raised you high in your profession。〃
〃I had supposed that my interest in those unfortunate emigres had done me no good。〃
〃You are still very young;〃 said the great man gravely。 〃But the High Chancellor;〃 he went on; after a pause; 〃was greatly pleased with you this evening。 Get a judgeship in the lower courts; we want men。 The nephew of a man in whom Cambaceres and I take great interest must not remain in the background for lack of encouragement。 Your uncle helped us to tide over a very stormy season; and services of that kind are not forgotten。〃 The Minister sat silent for a few minutes。 〃Before long;〃 he went on; 〃I shall have three vacancies open in the Lower Courts and in the Imperial Court in Paris。 Come to see me; and take the place you prefer。 Till then work hard; but do not be seen at my receptions。 In the first place; I am overwhelmed with work; and besides that; your rivals may suspect your purpose and do you harm with the patron。 Cambaceres and I; by not speaking a word to you this evening; have averted the accusation of favoritism。〃
As the great man ceased speaking; the carriage drew up on the Quai des Augustins; the young lawyer thanked his generous patron for the two lifts he had conferred on him; and then knocked at his door pretty loudly; for the bitter wind blew cold about his calves。 At last the old lodgekeeper pulled up the latch; and as the young man passed his window; called out in a hoarse voice; 〃Monsieur Granville; here is a letter for you。〃
The young man took the letter; and in spite of the cold; tried to identify the writing by the gleam of a dull lamp fast dying out。 〃From my father!〃 he exclaimed; as he took his bedroom candle; which the porter at last had lighted。 And he ran up to his room to read the following epistle:
〃Set off by the next mail; and if you can get here soon enough; your fortune is made。 Mademoiselle Angelique Bontems has lost her sister; she is now an only child; and; as we know; she does not hate you。 Madame Bontems can now leave her about forty thousand francs a year; besides whatever she may give her when she marries。 I have prepared the way。
〃Our friends will wonder to see a family of old nobility allying itself to the Bontems; old Bontems was a red republican of the deepest dye; owning large quantities of the nationalized land; that he bought for a mere song。 But he held nothing but convent lands; and the monks will not come back; and then; as you have already so far derogated as to become a lawyer; I cannot see why we should shrink from a further concession to the prevalent ideas。 The girl will have three hundred thousand francs; I can give you a hundred thousand; your mother's property must be worth fifty thousand crowns; more or less; so if you choose to take a judgeship; my dear son; you are quite in a position to become a senator as much as any other man。 My brother…in…law the Councillor of State will not indeed lend you a helping…hand; still; as he is not married; his property will some day be yours; and if you are not senator by your own efforts; you will get it through him。 Then you will be perched high enough to look on at events。 Farewell。 Yours affectionately。〃
So young Granville went to bed full of schemes; each fairer than the last。 Under the powerful protection of the High Chancellor; the Chief Justice; and his mother's brotherone of the originators of the Code he was about to make a start in a coveted position before the highest court of the Empire; and he already saw himself a member of the bench whence Napoleon selected the chief functionaries of the realm。 He could also promise himself a fortune handsome enough to keep up his rank; for which the slender income of five thousand francs from an estate left him by his mother would be quite insufficient。
To crown his ambitious dreams with a vision of happiness; he called up the guileless face of Mademoiselle Angelique Bontems; the companion of his childhood。 Until he came to boyhood his father and mother had made no objection to his intimacy with their neighbor's pretty little daughter; but when; during his brief holiday visits to Bayeux; his parents; who prided themselves on their good birth; saw what friends the young people were; they forbade his ever thinking of her。 Thus for ten years past Granville had only had occasional glimpses of the girl; whom he still sometimes thought of as 〃his little wife。〃 And in those brief moments when they met free from the active watchfulness of their families; they had scarcely exchanged a few vague civilities at the church door or in the street。 Their happiest days had been those when; brought together by one of those country festivities known in Normandy as /Assemblees/; they could steal a glance at each other from afar。
In the course of the last vacation Granville had twice seen Angelique; and her downcast eyes and drooping attitude had led him to suppose that she was crushed by some unknown tyranny。
He was off by seven next morning to the coach office in the Rue Notre… Dame…des…Victoires; and was so lucky as to find a vacant seat in the diligence then starting for Caen。
It was not without deep emotion that the young lawyer saw once more the spires of the cathedral at Bayeux。 As yet no hope of his life had been cheated; and his heart swelled with the generous feelings that expand in the youthful soul。
After the too lengthy feast of welcome prepared