honore de balzac-第22节
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efforts； he ceased to look forward to a day of liberation。
But he missed his routine of exhausting labour； he sighed for his table； his candles； his white paper； he wanted to get back to his feverish nights； his days of meditation； in his secluded and silent workroom where； better than anywhere else； all his heroic personages quivered into being； and he beheld all the various lives of his creation with a bitter； almost terrible joy。 He returned to Paris during the first half of June； lamenting： 〃My head refuses to do any intellectual work； I feel that it is full of ideas； yet it is impossible to get them out； I am incapable of concentrating my thoughts； of compelling them to consider a subject from all its sides and then determine its development。 I do not know when this imbecile condition will pass off； perhaps it is only that I am out of practice。 When a workman has left his tools behind him for a time his hand becomes clumsy； it has； so to speak； undergone a divorce from them； he must needs begin again little by little to establish that fraternity due to habit and which binds the hand to the implement and the implement to the hand。〃 But his discouragement did not last long； for he soon had his implement in hand again； with a stronger grip on it than ever。
Chapter 8。
At Les Jardies。
It was in 1835 that Balzac conceived the idea of acquiring some land； situated between Sevres and Ville…d'Avray； for the purpose of building a house。 He wished in this way to give a guarantee to his mother； evade compulsory service in the National Guard； and become a landed proprietor。 He had explored all the suburbs of Paris before deciding upon a hillside with a steep slope； as ill adapted to building as to cultivation。 But； having definitely made his choice； he acquired sections from the adjacent holdings of three peasants； thus obtaining a lot forty square rods in extent； to which he naturally hoped to add later on。 He calculated that he would not have to spend more than twenty…five thousand francs； which he could borrow；in point of fact； the total cost came to more than ninety thousand；and that the interest to be paid would not come to more than the rent he was then paying for his apartment。 The first step was to surround his property with walls； and Balzac then christened it with the name of Les Jardies。 He laughed with sheer contentment； foreseeing himself in his mind's eye already installed in his own abode； far from Paris； and yet near to it； and beyond the reach of importunate visitors and the curiosity of cheap journalism。 Nevertheless Les Jardies cost him as much sarcasm and ridicule as his monstrous walking…stick set with turquoises。 He had given his own plans to his architects； and he himself attentively superintended his contractors and masons。 He experienced all the annoyances incident to construction； delays in the work； disputes with the workmen； the worry of raising money and meeting payments； and the impossibility of obtaining exactly what he wished。 He was impatient to take possession of his own home； but the completion of it was delayed from month to month； it was to have been ready for occupancy by November 30； 1837； yet on his return from Sardinia in June 1838； it was not yet finished。 But he was so eager to move in that in defiance of his physician's orders he installed himself in August； in the midst of all the confusion and with the workmen still all around him。 It was a dreadful condition of things； the upturned ground； the empty chambers； the chill of new plaster； and an irritating sense of things not finished and pushed along in haste； but he was exultant； and distracted his own attention by admiring the beauty of the surrounding landscape。
How delightful it was to live at Les Jardies！ It required not more than ten minutes to reach the heart of Paris； the Madeleine； and it cost but ten sous。 The Rue des Batailles and the Rue Cassini were at the other end of the world； and you must needs spend a couple of francs for the shortest drive which wasted an hour；such was the fashion in which Balzac dreamed！ And he would gaze at his acre of ground； bare； ploughed…up clay； without a tree or a blade of grass； and he found no trouble in transforming it mentally into an eden of 〃plants； fragrance and shrubbery。〃 He planned to fill it with twenty…year magnolias； sixteen…year lindens； twelve…year poplars； birches and grape vines which would yield him fine white grapes the very next year。 And then he would earn thirty thousand francs and buy two more acres of land； which he would turn into an orchard and kitchen…garden。
The house which was the object of so many witticisms was a small three…storied structure； containing on the ground floor a dining…room and parlour； on the next a bed…chamber and dressing…room； and on the upper floor Balzac's working room。 A balcony supported by brick pillars completely surrounded the second story； and the staircasethe famous staircaseascended on the outside of the house。 The whole was painted brick colour； excepting the corners； which had stone trimmings。
Behind the house itself； at a distance of some sixty feet； were the outhouses； including； on the ground floor； the kitchen； pantry； bathroom； stables； carriage…house and harness…room； on the floor above an apartment to let； and on the top floor the servants' quarters and a guest chamber。 Furthermore； Balzac had a spring of water on his own grounds！
For months all Paris talked of the staircase at Les Jardies which Balzac； great architect that he was； had forgotten to put into the plans for his house。 Under the caption； 〃Literary Indiscretions；〃 the following humorous note appeared in La Caricature Provisoire；
〃M。 de Balzac； after having successively inhabited the four corners of the globe and the twelve wards of Paris； seems to have definitely transferred his domicile to the midst of an isolated plain in the outskirts of Ville…d'Avray； he occupies a house which he has had built there for his own particular accommodation by a direct descendant of the marvellous architect to whom the world owes the cathedral of Cologne。 This house； in which no doors or windows are to be found； and which is entered through a square hole cut in the roof； is furnished throughout with an oriental luxury of which even the pashas themselves would be incapable of forming an idea。 The great novelist's private study has a floor inlaid with young girl's teeth and hung with superb cashmere rugs that have been sent him by all the crowned heads of the universe。 As to the furniture； the chairs； sofas and divans； they are one and all stuffed with women's hair； both blonde and brunette； sent to the author of La Grenadiere by a number of women of thirty who did not hesitate a minute to despoil themselves of their most beautiful adornment；a sacrifice all the more rare since they have passed the age at which the hair would grow again！〃
Balzac removed to Les Jardies as soon as the walls of the dwelling had been raised and the floorings laid； and he lived there before there was a piece of furniture in any of the rooms； aside from the few indispensable things。 Leon Gozlan has amusingly related the manner in which the novelist supplied their lack by an effort of imagination。 He wrote on the walls with charcoal what he intended the interior decoration of his house to be： 〃Here a wainscoting of Parian marble； here a stylobate of cedar wood； here a ceiling painted by Eugene Delacroix； here an Aubusson tapestry； here a mantelpiece of cipolino marble； here doors on the Trianon model； here an inlaid floor of rare tropical woods。〃
Leon Gozlan says that 〃Balzac did not resent pleasantries at the expense of these imaginary furnishings；〃 and he adds； 〃he laughed as heartily as I； if not more so； the day when I wrote； in characters larger than his own； on the wall of his bed…chamber； which was as empty as any of the others：
〃HERE A PAINTING BY RAPHAEL； BEYOND ALL PRICE； AND THE LIKE OF WHICH HAS NEVER BEEN SEEN。'〃
Balzac laughed； but Gozlan did not understand that he found more pleasure in desiring things than in actually possessing them； for in the former case he was limited only by the extent of his own desires； which were almost infinite。
Among the various speculative schemes which Balzac dreamed of； in connection with Les Jardies； and which were to make his fortune；a dairy； vineyards which were to produce Malaga and Tokay wine； the creation of a village； etc。；particular mention should be made of his plans for the cultivation of pineapples； which we have upon the authority of Theophile Gautier：
〃Here was the project；〃 he tells us； 〃a hundred thousand square feet of pineapples were to be planted in the grounds of Les Jardies； metamorphosed into hothouses which would require only a moderate amount of heating； thanks to the natural warmth of the situation。 The pineapples were expected to sell at five francs each； instead of a louis （twenty francs）； which was the ordinary price； in other words； five hundred thousand francs for the season's crop； from this amount a hundred thousand francs would have to be deducted for the cost of cultivation； the glass frames； and the coal； accordingly； there would remain a net profit of four hundred thous
