honore de balzac-第27节

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aris；　he　wrote　to　Lazard；　ordering　some　Chinese　Horns…of…plenty　and　some　〃very　fine　bookcases　ten　metres　long　by　three　high；　richly　ornamented　or　richly　carved。〃　And；　not　content　with　giving　these　instructions　to　the　dealer；　he　wrote　to　Mery；　who　had　entertained　him　at　Marseilles；　explaining　what　he　wanted　from　Lazard；　and　giving　the　following　excellent　lesson　in　the　art　of　bargaining：

〃While　you　are　jollying　the　worthy　Lazard；　do　me　the　favour　of　sending　from　time　to　time　some　of　your　friends　to　bargain　for　the　two　objects　in　question；　and　have　them　always　make　an　offer；　some　of　fifty；　others　of　a　hundred；　others　of　twenty…five　francs　less　than　yours。　After　a　fortnight　of　this　manoeuvring；　some　fine　morning　Lazard　will　let　you　have　them。〃

And　Balzac　added　a　postscript　to　this　little　lesson　in　the　fine　art　of　bargaining：　〃Never　become　a　collector；　for　if　you　do　you　give　yourself　into　the　keeping　of　a　demon　as　exacting　and　jealous　as　the　demon　of　gambling。〃　But　while　warning　his　friends　against　his　own　ruling　passion　he　surrendered　himself　to　it　with　passionate　delight。　During　his　leisure　hours　he　wandered　at　random　through　Paris；　like　a　hunter　on　the　trail　of　his　quarry；through　Paris　which　he　knew　down　to　the　remotest　of　its　back　alleys　and　which　he　loved　even　in　its　slums。　When　he　ran　across　some　rare　and　precious　piece；　or　something　that　merely　appealed　to　his　individual　taste；　he　derived　an　intense　joy　out　of　employing　all　his　trickery；　his　readiness　of　speech；　his　persuasive　powers；　to　beat　down　the　price　of　the　coveted　object。　It　was　a　battle　in　which　he　chose　to　come　out　conqueror。　It　pleased　him　to　be　recognised　as　a　man　with　the　business　instinct；　and　he　threw　out　his　chest　when　he　repeated　the　remark　of　his　publisher；　Souverain；　〃M。　de　Balzac　is　better　at　figures　than　Rothschild！〃

In　1846；　during　a　new　trip　to　Italy　with　Mme。　Hanska；　her　daughter　Anna　and　the　latter's　husband；　Count　Georges　Mniszech；　he　ransacked　all　Naples；　Rome　and　Genoa；　and　no　longer　confined　his　attention　to　furniture　and　bric…a…brac；　but　had　his　eye　open　for　paintings　as　well；　because　his　latest　ambition　was　to　found　a　gallery。　This　taste　for　paintings　came　to　him　rather　late　in　life；　for　his　artistic　appreciation　had　long　been　limited　to　the　works　of　Girodet；　a　taste　which　called　forth　many　a　sarcasm　from　the　far　better　informed　Theophile　Gautier。　In　Rome　Balzac　purchased　a　Sebastiano　del　Piombo；　a　Bronzino　and　a　Mierevelt；　he　hunted　up　some　Hobbemas　and　Holbeins；　he　secured　a　Natoire　and　a　Breughel；which　he　decided　to　sell；　as　it　proved　not　to　be　genuine；for　he　wanted　〃pictures　of　the　first　rank　or　none　at　all〃；　furthermore；　he　brought　back　to　Paris　a　Judgment　of　Paris；　attributed　to　Giorgione；　a　Greuze；a　sketch　of　his　wife；a　Van　Dyck；　a　Paul　Brill；　The　Sorceresses；　a　sketch　of　the　birth　of　Louis　XIV　representing　the　Adoration　of　the　Shepherds；　an　Aurora　by　Guido；　a　Rape　of　Europa；　by　Annibale　Carrachio　or　Domenichino；and　there　we　have　the　beginning　of　his　gallery　such　as　he　described　it　in　Cousin　Pons。　At　the　same　time　he　did　not　neglect　other　forms　of　art　for　the　sake　of　his　paintings；　he　acquired　a　Saxon　dinner　service　and　a　set　of　Dutch　furniture　from　Amsterdam；　Mme。　Hanska　sent　him　some　porcelains　from　Germany；　he　sent　to　Tours　for　a　writing　desk　and　a　commode　of　the　Louis　XVI　period；　he　bought　a　bed　supposed　to　have　belonged　to　Mme。　de　Pompadour　and　which　he　intended　for　his　guest　chamber；　besides　a　parlour　set　in　carved　woodwork；　〃of　the　last　degree　of　magnificence；〃　and　a　dining…room　fountain　made　by　Bernard　Palissy　for　Henry　II　or　Charles　IX。　Little　by　little　he　accumulated　these　marvels；　destined　to　adorn　his　home　after　the　marriage。

And；　in　the　hope　of　hastening　the　date；　he　made　one　supreme　effort；　with　his　brain　as　clear　and　as　fertile　as　in　the　periods　of　his　most　furious　production。　Between　1844　and　1847　he　produced；　in　addition　to　the　works　already　mentioned；　The　Peasants；　The　Splendour　and　Misery　of　Courtezans　（third　part）；　Cousin　Bette；　The　Involuntary　Comedians；　The　Last　Incarnation　of　Vautrin；　Cousin　Pons；　The　Deputy　from　Arcis；　and　The　Lesser　Bourgeoisie。　He　foresaw　the　dawn　of　his　deliverance：　he　would　be　able　to　achieve　his　gigantic　task　in　peace。

Balzac　was　fully　conscious　of　his　genius　and　of　the　greatness　of　the　monument　which　he　had　already　partly　raised。　He　objected　to　being　classed　with　the　men　of　letters　of　his　period；　and　for　some　time　past　had　claimed　recognition　as　standing　on　a　higher　level。　Eugene　de　Mirecourt　was　witness　of　a　scene　which　bore　evidence　to　his　justifiable　pride：

〃It　was　during　the　winter　of　1843；〃　he　wrote；　〃that　Messrs。　Maulde　and　Renon　published　a　Picture　of　the　Great　City；　which　was　edited　by　Marc　Fournier；　the　present　manager　of　the　Port…Saint…Martin　theatre。

〃One　evening　Balzac　entered　the　publishers'　office　and　said：

〃'Our　agreement；　gentlemen；　was　that　I　should　be　paid　for　my　Monograph　on　the　Parisian　Press　at　the　rate　of　five　hundred　francs　a　page。'

〃'That　is　so；'　they　replied。

〃'I　have　received　only　fifteen　hundred　francs　and　there　are　four　pages；　accordingly　you　still　owe　me　five　hundred　francs。'

〃'But　your　corrections；　M。　de　Balzac！　Have　you　any　idea　what　they　amounted　to？'

〃'There　was　nothing　said　about　my　paying　for　corrections。'

〃'That　is　true；'　replied　M。　Renon；　'but　I　ought　to　tell　you　that　Alexander　Dumas's　article；　Filles；　Lorettes　et　Courtisanes；　also　ran　to　four　pages；　yet　we　have　not　given　him　a　centime　more　than　we　have　given　you。'

〃Balzac　started　and　turned　pale。　It　is　evident　that　he　must　have　been　in　great　financial　need　before　he　would　have　come　to　make　such　a　request。　But　he　quite　forgot　this　in　the　face　of　the　words　he　had　just　heard。　For；　without　pressing　his　claim　further；　he　arose；　took　his　hat　and　said；　with　an　accent　of　solemn　dignity：

〃'From　the　moment　that　you　compare　me　with　that　negro　I　have　the　honour　of　wishing　you　good　evening！'

〃He　went　out。　And　that　was　how　the　mere　name　of　Alexandre　Dumas　saved　the　business　office　of　The　Great　City　five　hundred　francs。〃　（Balzac；　by　Eugene　de　Mirecourt；　pp。　80…82。）

In　order　to　hasten　his　liberation　from　debt　and　his　settlement　with　creditors；　Balzac　tried　to　augment　the　sums　which　he　received　from　editors　and　publishers　with　the　profits　from　various　speculations。　He　expected　a　rise　in　value　of　the　shares　which　he　held　in　the　company　of　the　Chemins　de　Fer　du　Nord；　and；　either　trusting　to　reliable　information　or　else　himself　possessing　an　intimate　knowledge　of　the　development　of　real　estate　in　Paris；　he　urged　Mme。　Hanska　to　invest　her　capital　in　land　in　the　Monceau　district。　He　cited　the　example　of　Louis…Philippe；　who　was　the　cleverest　speculator　of　his　time；　and　who　had　acquired　tracts　of　immense　extent。

After　the　close　of　1846　Balzac　retired　from　the　outside　world　and　gave　himself　up　almost　entirely　to　his　great　work。　Through　an　intermediary　he　had　purchased　the　residence　of　the　financier；　Baujon；　in　the　Rue　Fortunee；　and　with　great　secrecy　he　had　it　repaired　and　redecorated；　with　a　view　to　making　it　habitable　at　the　earliest　possible　date。　Here　he　deposited　his　wealth　of　furnishings；which　had　already　begun　to　excite　public　wonderment；　owing　to　certain　indiscreet　revelations；but　his　life；　which　had　always　been　closely　hidden；　had　now　become　practically　unknown。　He　was　unwilling　to　show　himself　again　in　public　until　he　could　return　in　triumph　after　his　marriage。　Mme。　Hanska　visited　Paris　a　second　time；　in　1847；　and　approved　of　all　his　arrangements。　Balzac　in　return　went　to　Wierzchownia　that　same　year；　and　he　was　dazzled　by　the　vastness　of　her　estates；which　were　equal　in　extent　to　a　whole　department　of　France；and　by　the　possibilities　of　neglected　and　undeveloped　resources　which　might　be　made　to　yield　millions。　After　his　return　to　Paris　he　had　but　one　desire：　to　go　back　to　Wierzchownia；　celebrate　his　marriage；　and　realise　the　dream　which　he　had　tenaciously　pursued　for　seventeen　years。

He　remained　in　Paris　six　months；　living　in　his　new　home　in　the　Rue　Fortunee；　denying　himself　to　all　but　his　most　intimate　friends；　and　hiding　his　prosperity　until　the　day　should　come　when　he　could　announce　his　good　fortune　to　the　world　at　large。　One　of　the　last　portraits　of　Balzac　at　this　period　is　the　one　traced　by　Champfleury；　whom　he　had　received　as　a　disciple　and　fervent　admirer：

〃M。　de　Balzac；〃　he　wrote；　〃descended　the　stairs　enveloped　in　his　famous　monk's　robe。　His　face　is　round；　his　black　eyes　are　excessively　brilliant；　the　general　tone　of　his　complexion　verges　upon　olive；　with　patches　of　violent　red　in　the　cheeks；　and　pure　yellow　towards　the　temples　and　around　the　eyes。　His　abundant　hair　is　a　dense　black；　intermingled　with　threads　of　silver；　it　is　an　astonishing　head　of　hair。　In　spite　of　the　amplitude　of　his　dressing…gown；　his　girth　appears　enormous。〃　And；　further　on；　he　gives　us　this　second　sketch：　〃but　at　the　age　of　forty…nine　M。　de　Balzac　ought　to　be　painted　rather　than　sculptured。　His　keen　black　eyes；　his　powerful　growth　of　hair　intermingled　with　white；　the　violent　tones　of　pure　yellow　and　red　which　succeed　each　other　crudely　in　his　cheeks；　and　the　singular　character　of　the　hairs　of　his　beard；　all　combine　to　give　him　the　air　of　a　festive　wild　boar；　that　the　modern　sculptors　would　ha