honore de balzac-第25节
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wind them up。 Balzac remained as poor as ever； for he had to turn over to M。 Gavault all the money he took in； aside from what he needed for the strict necessities of life。 He admitted proudly that at this period there were times when he contented himself with eating a single small roll on the Boulevard； and that he had gone for days together with one franc as his sole cash on hand。
But a new edition was soon destined to put him on his feet； enable him to liquidate a portion of his floating debt and to pay back some of his biggest loans。 An agreement had been formed between Furne； Dubochet； Hetzel and Paulin to bring out an edition of his complete works under the glorious and definitive title of The Human Comedy。 But it meant a vast amount of work； all his older volumes to revise and new ones to write；a task that he estimated would require not less than seven years to finish。 If he had produced thirty thousand lines in 1841； he calculated that he was bound by his contracts to produce not less than forty thousand in 1842； not counting the work of correcting proofs of all the new editions of his published stories。
His mental powers were as fertile as ever； but his bodily strength； despite his robust constitution； sometimes broke down under the prodigious fever of creation。 Balzac's physician； Dr。 Nacquart； obliged him to take a rest。 〃I am ill；〃 he wrote at this time。 〃I have been resting all through the latter part of May （1841） in a bathtub； taking three…hour baths every day to keep down the inflammation which threatened me； and following a debilitating diet； which has resulted in what； in my case； amounts to a disease； namely； emptiness of the brain。 Not a stroke of work； not an atom of strength； and up to the beginning of this month I have remained in the agreeable condition of an oyster。 But at last Dr。 Nacquart is satisfied and I am back at my task and have just finished The Diaries of Two Young Brides and have written Ursule Mirouet； one of those privileged stories which you are going to read； and now I am starting in on a volume for the Montyon prize。〃 （Letters to a Foreign Lady； Volume 1； page 560； Letter of June…July； 1841。）
Every one of Balzac's novels cost him unimaginable and never ending toil。 After having brooded over his subject； planned the situation； characterised his personages； and decided upon the general philosophy that he intended to express； there followed the task of translating all that he had conceived and thought into an adequate literary form。 Balzac often proceeded in bursts of enthusiasm； flashes of illumination； and in a few nights would map out the entire scenario of a whole novel。 This first effort was in a certain sense the parent…cell； which little by little gathered to itself the elements necessary for the final composition of the work。 The proof sheets sent to Balzac always had broad margins； and it is not too much to say that he amplified the initial draft as though he were attaching the muscles and tendons to the bones of a skeleton； then one set of proofs followed another； while he imparted to his story a network of veins and arteries and a nervous system； infused blood into its veins and breathed into it his powerful breath of life；and all of a sudden there it was； a living； pulsating creation； within that envelope of words into which he had infused the best that he possessed in style and colour。 But he suffered bitter disillusions when the work was finally printed； the creator never found his creation sufficiently perfect。 Balzac suffered with all the sensibility of his artistic conscience from blemishes which he regarded as glaring faults； and which he followed up and corrected with unparalleled ardour。 He was aided in this task by Mme。 de Berny； his sister Laure； Charles Lemesle and Denoyers； and he himself； a literary giant； who did not hesitate to write to Mme。 Carraud that his work was in its own line a greater achievement than the Cathedral at Bourges was in architecture； spent whole days in shaping and reshaping a phrase； like some sublime mason whoby a prodigyhad built a cathedral single…handed and whose heart bled upon discovering a neglected carving in the shadow of some buttress and expended infinite pains to perfect it； although it was almost invisible amidst the vastness and the beauty of the whole structure。
Accordingly his work became steadily more laborious to Balzac； and from time to time we can hear him grumbling and groaning； we can see him at his task； his broad face contracted； his black eyes bloodshot； his skin bathed in perspiration and showing dark； almost greenish； in the candle…light； while his whole body trembled and quivered with the unseen effort of creation。 His fatigue was often extreme； the use of coffee troubled his stomach and heated his blood； he had a nervous twitching of the eyelids； and suffered from painful shortness of breath and a congested condition of the head that resulted in over…powering somnolence。
But he rallied and his will power dominated illness itself and imposed his own rules upon his overstrained body。 At the same time he dreamed of a calmer life； he pictured the delights of bucolic days and longed to know when this driving slavery was to end。 Accordingly we find him consulting a sorcerer； a reader of cards； the celebrated Balthazar； in regard to his future。 He was amazed to find how much of his past this man was able to reveal to him； a past made up of struggles and of obstacles overcome； and he joyously accepted predictions that assured him victory。 Balzac was superstitious； not in a vulgar way； but through a deep curiosity in the presence of those mysteries of the universe which are unexplained by science。 He believed himself to be endowed with magnetic powers； and； as a matter of fact； the irresistible effect of his words； the subtle force which emanated from his whole personality and confirmed by his contemporaries。 He believed in telepathy； he held that two beings who love each other； and whose sensibilities are in a certain degree in harmony； are able； even when far apart； mutually to respond to emotions felt by the one or the other。 He consulted clairvoyants as to the course of diet to be followed by Mme。 Hanska； and gravely communicated their replies to her； urging her to follow their advice。 Occurrences apparently quite trivial troubled him profoundly； and he was anxious for several days because he had lost a shirt…stud given him by Mme。 de Berny and could not determine what could be the meaning of the loss。 His sorcerer had predicted that he would shortly receive a letter which would change the entire course of his life； and； as a confirmation of his clairvoyance； Mme。 de Hanska announced a few months later the death of her husband； M。 de Hanski； which permitted Balzac to indulge in the highest hopes。
This event brought him an access of fresh courage； for in order to make the journey to St。 Petersburg it was essential that he should first achieve a triumph； brief； brilliant and complete。 He decided once again to make a bold attempt at the theatre； and the scene of battle was to be the Odeon。 He offered The Resources of Quinola to the manager； Lireux； who accepted it with enthusiasm。 Balzac read his comedy to its future interpreters；notwithstanding that he had as yet written only four acts of it；and calmly informed them that he would have to tell them the general substance of the fifth。 They were amazed at such bold disregard of professional usages； but it was passed over； for Lireux was all impatience to produce The Resources and to begin the rehearsals。
Warned by the failure of Vautrin； Balzac took the most minute care in arranging for the opening night audience which he relied upon to sweep Quinola heavenward on a mounting wave of glory。 To begin with； he did away with the claquers and fixed the price of admission at five francs； while the general scale of prices was as follows： balcony seats twenty five francs； stalls twenty francs； seats in the open boxes of the first tier twenty…five francs； open boxes of the second tier twenty francs； closed boxes of the second tier twenty five francs； baignoir boxes twenty francs。 He had no use for mere nobodies； but determined to sift out his audience from amongst the most distinguished men and women in all Paris； ministers； counts； princesses； academicians； and financiers。 He included the two Princesses Troubetskoi； the Countess Leon； the Countess Nariskine； the Aguados； the Rothschilds； the Doudeauvilles； the Castries； and he decided that there should be none but pretty women in the front seats of the open boxes。 And he counted upon piling up a fine little surplus； since the revenues of the box…office were in his hands for the first three nights。 Alas； on the night of March 19； 1842； The Resources of Quinola met with the same reception as Vautrin had done before it； in spite of all his precautions； his enemies had gained admission to the Odeon； and throughout the whole evening； from the first act onward； there was a ceaseless storm of hisses and cat…calls。 He had wasted four months； only to arrive at another defeat。
And all the while his financial difficulties were becoming keener； more pressing； more imminent； and Balzac； overburdened； recapitulated his disasters as
