albert savarus-第2节

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maintained　in　its　place；　without　the　help　of　his　hands；　by　the
contraction　of　his　cheek；　and　eye…socket；　the　chief　towns　of　some
departments　had　their　sub…lions；　who　protested　by　the　smartness　of
their　trouser…straps　against　the　untidiness　of　their　fellow…townsmen。

Thus；　in　1834；　Besancon　could　boast　of　a　/lion/；　in　the　person　of
Monsieur　Amedee…Sylvain　de　Soulas；　spelt　Souleyas　at　the　time　of　the
Spanish　occupation。　Amedee　de　Soulas　is　perhaps　the　only　man　in
Besancon　descended　from　a　Spanish　family。　Spain　sent　men　to　manage　her
business　in　the　Comte；　but　very　few　Spaniards　settled　there。　The
Soulas　remained　in　consequence　of　their　connection　with　Cardinal
Granvelle。　Young　Monsieur　de　Soulas　was　always　talking　of　leaving
Besancon；　a　dull　town；　church…going；　and　not　literary；　a　military
centre　and　garrison　town；　of　which　the　manners　and　customs　and
physiognomy　are　worth　describing。　This　opinion　allowed　of　his　lodging；
like　a　man　uncertain　of　the　future；　in　three　very　scantily　furnished
rooms　at　the　end　of　the　Rue　Neuve；　just　where　it　opens　into　the　Rue　de
la　Prefecture。

Young　Monsieur　de　Soulas　could　not　possibly　live　without　a　tiger。　This
tiger　was　the　son　of　one　of　his　farmers；　a　small　servant　aged
fourteen；　thick…set；　and　named　Babylas。　The　lion　dressed　his　tiger
very　smartlya　short　tunic…coat　of　iron…gray　cloth；　belted　with
patent　leather；　bright　blue　plush　breeches；　a　red　waistcoat；　polished
leather　top…boots；　a　shiny　hat　with　black　lacing；　and　brass　buttons
with　the　arms　of　Soulas。　Amedee　gave　this　boy　white　cotton　gloves　and
his　washing；　and　thirty…six　francs　a　month　to　keep　himselfa　sum　that
seemed　enormous　to　the　grisettes　of　Besancon：　four　hundred　and　twenty
francs　a　year　to　a　child　of　fifteen；　without　counting　extras！　The
extras　consisted　in　the　price　for　which　he　could　sell　his　turned
clothes；　a　present　when　Soulas　exchanged　one　of　his　horses；　and　the
perquisite　of　the　manure。　The　two　horses；　treated　with　sordid　economy；
cost；　one　with　another；　eight　hundred　francs　a　year。　His　bills　for
articles　received　from　Paris；　such　as　perfumery；　cravats；　jewelry；
patent　blacking；　and　clothes；　ran　to　another　twelve　hundred　francs。
Add　to　this　the　groom；　or　tiger；　the　horses；　a　very　superior　style　of
dress；　and　six　hundred　francs　a　year　for　rent；　and　you　will　see　a
grand　total　of　three　thousand　francs。

Now；　Monsieur　de　Soulas'　father　had　left　him　only　four　thousand　francs
a　year；　the　income　from　some　cottage　farms　which　lent　painful
uncertainty　to　the　rents。　The　lion　had　hardly　three　francs　a　day　left
for　food；　amusements；　and　gambling。　He　very　often　dined　out；　and
breakfasted　with　remarkable　frugality。　When　he　was　positively　obliged
to　dine　at　his　own　cost；　he　sent　his　tiger　to　fetch　a　couple　of　dishes
from　a　cookshop；　never　spending　more　than　twenty…five　sous。

Young　Monsieur　de　Soulas　was　supposed　to　be　a　spendthrift；　recklessly
extravagant；　whereas　the　poor　man　made　the　two　ends　meet　in　the　year
with　a　keenness　and　skill　which　would　have　done　honor　to　a　thrifty
housewife。　At　Besancon　in　those　days　no　one　knew　how　great　a　tax　on　a
man's　capital　were　six　francs　spent　in　polish　to　spread　on　his　boots
or　shoes；　yellow　gloves　at　fifty　sous　a　pair；　cleaned　in　the　deepest
secrecy　to　make　them　three　times　renewed；　cravats　costing　ten　francs；
and　lasting　three　months；　four　waistcoats　at　twenty…five　francs；　and
trousers　fitting　close　to　the　boots。　How　could　he　do　otherwise；　since
we　see　women　in　Paris　bestowing　their　special　attention　on　simpletons
who　visit　them；　and　cut　out　the　most　remarkable　men　by　means　of　these
frivolous　advantages；　which　a　man　can　buy　for　fifteen　louis；　and　get
his　hair　curled　and　a　fine　linen　shirt　into　the　bargain？

If　this　unhappy　youth　should　seem　to　you　to　have　become　a　/lion/　on
very　cheap　terms；　you　must　know　that　Amedee　de　Soulas　had　been　three
times　to　Switzerland；　by　coach　and　in　short　stages；　twice　to　Paris；
and　once　from　Paris　to　England。　He　passed　as　a　well…informed　traveler；
and　could　say；　〃In　England；　where　I　went　。　。　。〃　The　dowagers　of　the
town　would　say　to　him；　〃You；　who　have　been　in　England　。　。　。〃　He　had
been　as　far　as　Lombardy；　and　seen　the　shores　of　the　Italian　lakes。　He
read　new　books。　Finally；　when　he　was　cleaning　his　gloves；　the　tiger
Babylas　replied　to　callers；　〃Monsieur　is　very　busy。〃　An　attempt　had
been　made　to　withdraw　Monsieur　Amedee　de　Soulas　from　circulation　by
pronouncing　him　〃A　man　of　advanced　ideas。〃　Amedee　had　the　gift　of
uttering　with　the　gravity　of　a　native　the　commonplaces　that　were　in
fashion；　which　gave　him　the　credit　of　being　one　of　the　most
enlightened　of　the　nobility。　His　person　was　garnished　with　fashionable
trinkets；　and　his　head　furnished　with　ideas　hall…marked　by　the　press。

In　1834　Amedee　was　a　young　man　of　five…and…twenty；　of　medium　height；
dark；　with　a　very　prominent　thorax；　well…made　shoulders；　rather　plump
legs；　feet　already　fat；　white　dimpled　hands；　a　beard　under　his　chin；
moustaches　worthy　of　the　garrison；　a　good…natured；　fat；　rubicund　face；
a　flat　nose；　and　brown　expressionless　eyes；　nothing　Spanish　about　him。
He　was　progressing　rapidly　in　the　direction　of　obesity；　which　would　be
fatal　to　his　pretensions。　His　nails　were　well　kept；　his　beard　trimmed；
the　smallest　details　of　his　dress　attended　to　with　English　precision。
Hence　Amedee　de　Soulas　was　looked　upon　as　the　finest　man　in　Besancon。
A　hairdresser　who　waited　upon　him　at　a　fixed　houranother　luxury；
costing　sixty　francs　a　yearheld　him　up　as　the　sovereign　authority　in
matters　of　fashion　and　elegance。

Amedee　slept　late；　dressed　and　went　out　towards　noon；　to　go　to　one　of
his　farms　and　practise　pistol…shooting。　He　attached　as　much　importance
to　this　exercise　as　Lord　Byron　did　in　his　later　days。　Then；　at　three
o'clock　he　came　home；　admired　on　horseback　by　the　grisettes　and　the
ladies　who　happened　to　be　at　their　windows。　After　an　affectation　of
study　or　business；　which　seemed　to　engage　him　till　four；　he　dressed　to
dine　out；　spent　the　evening　in　the　drawing…rooms　of　the　aristocracy　of
Besancon　playing　whist；　and　went　home　to　bed　at　eleven。　No　life　could
be　more　above　board；　more　prudent；　or　more　irreproachable；　for　he
punctually　attended　the　services　at　church　on　Sundays　and　holy　days。

To　enable　you　to　understand　how　exceptional　is　such　a　life；　it　is
necessary　to　devote　a　few　words　to　an　account　of　Besancon。　No　town
ever　offered　more　deaf　and　dumb　resistance　to　progress。　At　Besancon
the　officials；　the　employes；　the　military；　in　short；　every　one　engaged
in　governing　it；　sent　thither　from　Paris　to　fill　a　post　of　any　kind；
are　all　spoken　of　by　the　expressive　general　name　of　/the　Colony/。　The
colony　is　neutral　ground；　the　only　ground　where；　as　in　church；　the
upper　rank　and　the　townsfolk　of　the　place　can　meet。　Here；　fired　by　a
word；　a　look；　or　gesture；　are　started　those　feuds　between　house　and
house；　between　a　woman　of　rank　and　a　citizen's　wife；　which　endure　till
death；　and　widen　the　impassable　gulf　which　parts　the　two　classes　of
society。　With　the　exception　of　the　Clermont…Mont…Saint…Jean；　the
Beauffremont；　the　de　Scey；　and　the　Gramont　families；　with　a　few　others
who　come　only　to　stay　on　their　estates　in　the　Comte；　the　aristocracy
of　Besancon　dates　no　further　back　than　a　couple　of　centuries；　the　time
of　the　conquest　by　Louis　XIV。　This　little　world　is　essentially　of　the
/parlement/；　and　arrogant；　stiff；　solemn；　uncompromising；　haughty
beyond　all　comparison；　even　with　the　Court　of　Vienna；　for　in　this　the
nobility　of　Besancon　would　put　the　Viennese　drawing…rooms　to　shame。　As
to　Victor　Hugo；　Nodier；　Fourier；　the　glories　of　the　town；　they　are
never　mentioned；　no　one　thinks　about　them。　The　marriages　in　these
families　are　arranged　in　the　cradle；　so　rigidly　are　the　greatest
things　settled　as　well　as　the　smallest。　No　stranger；　no　intruder；　ever
finds　his　way　into　one　of　these　houses；　and　to　obtain　an　introduction
for　the　colonels　or　officers　of　title　belonging　to　the　first　families
in　France　when　quartered　there；　requires　efforts　of　diplomacy　which
Prince　Talleyrand　would　gladly　have　mastered　to　use　at　a　congress。

In　1834　Amedee　was　the　only　man　in　Besancon　who　wore　trouser…straps；
this　will　account　for　the　young　man's　being　regarded　as　a　lion。　And　a
little　anecdote　will　enable　you　to　understand　the　city　of　Besancon。

Some　time　before　the　opening　of　this　story；　the　need　arose　at　the
prefecture　for　bringing　an　editor　from　Paris　for　the　official
newspaper；　to　enable　it　to　hold　its　own　against　the　little　/Gazette/；
dropped　at　Besancon　by　the　great　/Gazette/；　and　the　/Patriot/；　which
frisked　in　the　hands　of　the　Republicans。　Paris　sent　them　a　young　man；
knowing　nothing　about　la　Franche　Comte；　who　began　by　writing　them　a
leading　article　of　the　school　of　the　/Charivari/。　The　chief　of　the
moderate　party；　a　member　of　the　municipal　council；　sent　for　the
journalist　and　said　to　him；　〃You　must　understand；　monsieur；　that　we
are　serious；　more　than　serioustiresome；　we　resent　being　amused；　and
are　furious　at　having　been　made　to　laugh。　Be　as　hard　of　digestion　as
the　toughest　disquisitions　in　the　Revue　des　Deux　Mondes；　and　you　will
hardly　reach　the　level　of　Besancon。〃

The　editor　took　the　hint；　and　thencefo