honore de balzac-第24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！


mmittee。　Leon　Gozlan；　who　served　with　him；　acknowledged　his　influence。　〃Balzac；〃　he　wrote；　〃brought　to　the　Society　a　profound；　almost　diabolical　knowledge　of　the　chronic　wretchedness　of　the　profession；　a　rare　and　unequalled　ability　to　deal　with　the　aristocrats　of　the　publishing　world；　an　unconquerable　desire　to　limit　their　depredations；　which　he　had　brooded　over　on　the　Mount　Sinai　of　a　long　personal　experience；　and；　above　all　else；　an　admirable　conviction　of　the　inherent　dignity　of　the　man　of　letters。〃

It　was　Balzac's　ambition　to　form　a　sort　of　author's　league；　under　the　direction　of　〃literary　marshals；〃　of　whom　he　should　be　the　first；　and　including　in　its　membership　all　the　widely　scattered　men　of　letters；　banded　together　in　defense　of　their　material　and　moral　interests。　He　himself　set　an　example　by　requesting　the　support　of　the　Society　against　a　little　sheet　entitled　Les　Ecoles；　which　had　libelled　him　in　a　cartoon　in　which　he　was　represented　in　prison　for　debt；　wearing　his　monkish　robe　and　surrounded　by　gay　company。　The　cartoon　bore　the　following　legend：　〃The　Reverend　Father　Seraphitus　Mysticus　Goriot；　of　the　regular　order　of　the　Friars　of　Clichy；　at　last　taken　in　by　those　who　have　so　long　been　taken　in　by　him。〃　This　was　in　September；　1839；　and　on　the　22d　of　the　following　October　Balzac　appeared　as　the　representative　of　the　Society　of　Men　of　Letters　before　the　trial　court　of　Rouen；　in　an　action　which　it　had　begun　against　the　Memorial　de　Rouen；　for　having　reprinted　certain　published　matter　without　permission。　But　he　did　not　limit　himself　to　a　struggle　from　day　to　day；　to　discussions　in　committee　meetings；　to　appeals　to　the　legislature；his　ambition　was　to　become　himself　the　law…maker　for　the　writers。　In　May；　1840；　two　months　after　the　disastrous　failure　of　Vautrin；　he　offered　to　the　consideration　of　the　Society　of　Men　of　Letters　a　Literary　Code；　divided　into　titles；　paragraphs；　and　articles；　in　which　he　laid　down　the　principles　from　which　to　formulate　practical　rules　for　the　protection　of　the　interests　of　authors；　and　for　the　greater　glory　of　French　literature。

Having　been　appointed　a　member　of　the　Committee　of　Official　Relations；　a　committee　which　had　been　created　at　his　suggestion　for　the　purpose　of　seeing　that　men　of　letters　should　exercise　a　just　influence　over　the　government；　Balzac　drew　up　in　1841；　some　highly　important　Notes　to　be　submitted　to　Messieurs　the　Deputies　constituting　the　Committee　on　the　Law　of　literary　Property。　But　that　same　year；　after　having　worked　upon　a　Manifesto　which　the　Committee　was　to　present　to　the　ruling　powers；　he　handed　in　his　resignation　from　the　Society；　on　the　5th　of　October；　and　it　was　found　impossible　to　make　him　reconsider　his　decision。　It　may　be　that　he　had　received　some　slight　which　he　could　not　forgive；　or　perhaps　he　had　decided　that　it　was　to　his　interest　to　retain　in　his　own　name　the　right　to　authorise　the　republication　of　his　works。

At　this　period　he　had　attained　that　supremacy　of　which　he　had　formerly　dreamed　in　his　humble　mansarde　chamber　in　the　Rue　Lesdiguieres；　and　he　wished　to　have　it　crowned　by　some　sort　of　official　recognition。　He　made　up　his　mind　to　present　himself　for　election　to　the　Academie　Francaise；　in　December；　1839；　but　withdrew　in　favour　of　the　candidacy　of　Victor　Hugo；　notwithstanding　that　the　latter　begged　him；　in　a　dignified　and　gracious　message；　not　to　do　so。

An　intercourse　which；　without　being　especially　cordial；　was　fairly　frequent　had　been　established　between　these　two　great　writers　as　a　result　of　their　joint　labours　on　the　committee　of　the　Society　of　Men　of　Letters。　During　the　month　of　July；　1839；　Victor　Hugo　breakfasted　with　Balzac　at　Les　Jardies；　in　company　with　Gozlan；　for　the　purpose　of　discussing　the　great　project　of　the　Manifesto。　Gozlan；　who　formed　the　third　member　of　this　triangular　party；　has　left　the　following　delectable　account　of　the　interview：

〃Balzac　was　picturesquely　clad　in　rags；　his　trousers；　destitute　of　suspenders；　parted　company　with　his　ample　fancy　waistcoat；　his　downtrodden　shoes　parted　company　with　his　trousers；　his　necktie　formed　a　flaring　bow；　the　points　of　which　nearly　reached　his　ears；　and　his　beard　showed　a　vigorous　four　days'　growth。　As　for　Victor　Hugo；　he　wore　a　gray　hat　of　a　very　dubious　shade；　a　faded　blue　coat　with　gilt　buttons　resembling　a　casserole　in　colour　and　shape；　a　much　frayed　black　cravat；　and；　as　a　finishing　touch；　a　pair　of　green　spectacles　that　would　have　delighted　the　heart　of　the　head　clerk　of　a　county　sheriff；　enemy　of　solar　radiation！〃

They　made　the　circuit　of　the　property；　and　Victor　Hugo　remained　politely　cold　before　the　dithyrambic　praises　which　Balzac　lavished　on　his　garden。　He　smiled　only　once；　and　that　was　at　sight　of　a　walnut　tree；　the　only　tree　that　the　owner　of　Les　Jardies　had　acquired　from　the　community。

Victor　Hugo　had　revealed　to　him　the　enormous　profits　that　he　drew　from　his　dramatic　writings；　and　it　is　easy　to　believe　that　Balzac's　persistent　efforts　to　have　a　play　produced　were　due　to　the　momentary　glimpse　of　a　steady　stream　of　wealth　that　was　thus　flashed　before　his　dazzled　eyes。　After　the　catastrophe　of　Vautrin；　he　still　pursued　his　dramatic　ambitions　with　Pamela　Giraud　and　Mercadet；　but　failed　to　find　any　theatre　that　would　consent　to　produce　them。　What　was　worse；　the　year　1840　was；　beyond　all　others；　a　frightful　one　for　Balzac。　He　faced　his　creditors　like　a　stag　at　bay；　and　all　the　while　he　found　the　burden　of　Les　Jardies　becoming　constantly　heavier。　The　walls　surrounding　the　property　had　slipped　on　their　clay　foundation　and　broken　down；　while　Balzac　himself　had　sustained　a　serious　fall　on　the　steep　slopes　of　his　garden；　and　had　consequently　lost　more　than　a　month's　work。　Furthermore；　he　underwent　imprisonment　at　Sevres　for　having　refused　to　take　his　turn　at　standing　guard　over　his　neighbours'　vineyards。

In　his　distress　he　thought　seriously　of　expatriating　himself　and　setting　out　for　Brazil；　and；　before　coming　to　a　final　decision；　he　awaited　only　the　success　or　failure　of　a　publishing　venture　such　as　he　had　already　undertaken　in　vain。　In　the　month　of　July；　1840；　he　started　the　Revue　Parisienne；　of　which　he　was　the　sole　editor；　and　through　which　he　proclaimed　a　dictatorial　authority　over　the　arts　and　letters；　society　and　the　government。　He　had　to　abandon　it　after　the　third　number。

Balzac　remained　in　France；　but　he　was　obliged　to　quit　Les　Jardies。　His　creditors　looked　upon　this　property　as　their　legitimate　prey；　and　neither　ruse　nor　sacrifice　could　any　longer　keep　it　from　them。　He　first　made　a　fictitious　sale　of　it　to　his　architect；　and　then　a　real　one；　on　the　advice　of　his　lawyer。　It　had　cost　him　more　than　ninety　thousand　francs；　and　he　got　back　only　seventeen　thousand　five　hundred。　But　he　had　lived　there　through　some　beautiful　dreams　and　great　hopes。



Chapter　9。　

In　Retirement。

Upon　leaving　Les　Jardies；　Balzac　took　refuge　in　the　village　of　Passy；　at　No。　19；　Rue　Basse；　and　there　buried　himself。　（Thanks　to　M。　de　Royaumont；　this　building　has　become　the　Balzac　Museum；　similar　to　that　of　Victor　Hugo　at　Paris；　and　of　Goethe　at　Frankfort。）　It　was　there　that　he　meant　to　make　his　last　effort　and　either　perish　or　conquer　destiny。　Under　the　name　of　M。　de　Brugnol　he　had　hired　a　small　one…storey　pavilion；　situated　in　a　garden　and　hidden　from　sight　by　the　houses　facing　on　the　street。　His　address　was　known　only　to　trusted　friends；　and　it　was　now　more　difficult　than　ever　to　discover　him。　And　his　life　as　literary　galley…slave　was　now　burdened；　in　this　solitude；　with　new　and　overwhelming　tasks。

In　the　midst　of　the　stormy　tumult　of　money　troubles　and　creative　labour　there　was　only　one　single　gleam　of　calm　and　tender　light。　In　November；　1840；　he　formed　the　project　of　going　to　Russia；　and　promised　himself　the　pleasure　of　joining　the　Comtesse　de　Hanska　at　St。　Petersburg　for　two　long　months。　This　hope；　which　he　clung　to　with　all　the　strength　of　his　ardent　nature；　was　not　to　be　realised　until　1843；　for　his　departure　was　delayed　from　day　to　day　through　his　financial　embarrassment　and　unfulfilled　contracts　with　publishers。

Shutting　himself　into　his　writing　den；　a　small　narrow　room　with　a　low　ceiling；　he　proceeded　to　finish　The　Village　Cure　and　The　Diaries　of　Two　Young　Brides；　he　began　A　Dark　Affair　for　a　journal　called　Le　Commerce；　The　Two　Brothers；　later　A　Bachelor's　Establishment；　for　La　Presse；　Les　Lecamus；　for　Le　Siecle；　The　Trials　and　Tribulations　of　an　English　Cat；　for　one　of　Hetzel's　publications；　Scenes　from　the　Private　and　Public　Life　of　Animals；　he　worked　upon　The　Peasants　and　wrote　Ursule　Mirouet；altogether　more　than　thirty　thousand　lines　in　the　newspaper　columns；　in　less　than　one　year！

Meanwhile　his　business　affairs；　so　entangled　that　he　himself　hardly　knew　where　he　stood；　in　spite　of　a　portfolio　bound　in　black　in　which　he　kept　his　promissory　notes　and　every　other　variety　of　commercial　paper；and　which　he　called　his　Compte　Melancoliques　（his　Melancholy　Accounts）；　adding　that　they　were　not　to　be　regarded　as　a　companion　volume　to　his　Contes　Drolatiques　（his　Droll　Tales）；began　to　assume　some　sort　of　order；　thanks　to　the　efforts　of　his　lawyer；　M。　Gavault；　who　had　undertaken　to　wind　them　up。　Balzac　remained　as　poor　as　ever；　for　he　had　to　turn　over　to　M。　Gavault　all　the　money