albert savarus-第7节

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Albert　quietly　kept　the　upper　hand　and　made　Alfred　Boucher　his　devoted
adherent。　Alfred　was　the　only　man　in　Besancon　with　whom　the　king　of
the　bar　was　on　familiar　terms。　Alfred　came　in　the　morning　to　discuss
the　articles　for　the　next　number　with　Albert　in　the　garden。　It　is
needless　to　say　that　the　trial　number　contained　a　〃Meditation〃　by
Alfred；　which　Savaron　approved。　In　his　conversations　with　Alfred；
Albert　would　let　drop　some　great　ideas；　subjects　for　articles　of　which
Alfred　availed　himself。　And　thus　the　merchant's　son　fancied　he　was
making　capital　out　of　the　great　man。　To　Alfred；　Albert　was　a　man　of
genius；　of　profound　politics。　The　commercial　world；　enchanted　at　the
success　of　the　/Review/；　had　to　pay　up　only　three…tenths　of　their
shares。　Two　hundred　more　subscribers；　and　the　periodical　would　pay　a
dividend　to　the　share…holders　of　five　per　cent；　the　editor　remaining
unpaid。　This　editing；　indeed；　was　beyond　price。

After　the　third　number　the　/Review/　was　recognized　for　exchange　by　all
the　papers　published　in　France；　which　Albert　henceforth　read　at　home。
This　third　number　included　a　tale　signed　〃A。　S。；〃　and　attributed　to
the　famous　lawyer。　In　spite　of　the　small　attention　paid　by　the　higher
circle　of　Besancon　to　the　/Review/　which　was　accused　of　Liberal　views；
this；　the　first　novel　produced　in　the　county；　came　under　discussion
that　mid…winter　at　Madame　de　Chavoncourt's。

〃Papa；〃　said　Rosalie；　〃a　/Review/　is　published　in　Besancon；　you　ought
to　take　it　in；　and　keep　it　in　your　room；　for　mamma　would　not　let　me
read　it；　but　you　will　lend　it　to　me。〃

Monsieur　de　Watteville；　eager　to　obey　his　dear　Rosalie；　who　for　the
last　five　months　had　given　him　so　many　proofs　of　filial　affection；
Monsieur　de　Watteville　went　in　person　to　subscribe　for　a　year　to　the
/Eastern　Review/；　and　lent　the　four　numbers　already　out　to　his
daughter。　In　the　course　of　the　night　Rosalie　devoured　the　talethe
first　she　had　ever　read　in　her　lifebut　she　had　only　known　life　for
two　months　past。　Hence　the　effect　produced　on　her　by　this　work　must
not　be　judged　by　ordinary　rules。　Without　prejudice　of　any　kind　as　to
the　greater　or　less　merit　of　this　composition　from　the　pen　of　a
Parisian　who　had　thus　imported　into　the　province　the　manner；　the
brilliancy；　if　you　will；　of　the　new　literary　school；　it　could　not　fail
to　be　a　masterpiece　to　a　young　girl　abandoning　all　her　intelligence
and　her　innocent　heart　to　her　first　reading　of　this　kind。

Also；　from　what　she　had　heard　said；　Rosalie　had　by　intuition　conceived
a　notion　of　it　which　strangely　enhanced　the　interest　of　this　novel。
She　hoped　to　find　in　it　the　sentiments；　and　perhaps　something　of　the
life　of　Albert。　From　the　first　pages　this　opinion　took　so　strong　a
hold　on　her；　that　after　reading　the　fragment　to　the　end　she　was
certain　that　it　was　no　mistake。　Here；　then；　is　this　confession；　in
which；　according　to　the　critics　of　Madame　de　Chavoncourt's　drawing…
room；　Albert　had　imitated　some　modern　writers　who；　for　lack　of
inventiveness；　relate　their　private　joys；　their　private　griefs；　or　the
mysterious　events　of　their　own　life。

*****

AMBITION　FOR　LOVE'S　SAKE

In　1823　two　young　men；　having　agreed　as　a　plan　for　a　holiday　to　make　a
tour　through　Switzerland；　set　out　from　Lucerne　one　fine　morning　in　the
month　of　July　in　a　boat　pulled　by　three　oarsmen。　They　started　for
Fluelen；　intending　to　stop　at　every　notable　spot　on　the　lake　of　the
Four　Cantons。　The　views　which　shut　in　the　waters　on　the　way　from
Lucerne　to　Fluelen　offer　every　combination　that　the　most　exacting
fancy　can　demand　of　mountains　and　rivers；　lakes　and　rocks；　brooks　and
pastures；　trees　and　torrents。　Here　are　austere　solitudes　and　charming
headlands；　smiling　and　trimly　kept　meadows；　forests　crowning
perpendicular　granite　cliffs；　like　plumes；　deserted　but　verdant
reaches　opening　out；　and　valleys　whose　beauty　seems　the　lovelier　in
the　dreamy　distance。

As　they　passed　the　pretty　hamlet　of　Gersau；　one　of　the　friends　looked
for　a　long　time　at　a　wooden　house　which　seemed　to　have　been　recently
built；　enclosed　by　a　paling；　and　standing　on　a　promontory；　almost
bathed　by　the　waters。　As　the　boat　rowed　past；　a　woman's　head　was
raised　against　the　background　of　the　room　on　the　upper　story　of　this
house；　to　admire　the　effect　of　the　boat　on　the　lake。　One　of　the　young
men　met　the　glance　thus　indifferently　given　by　the　unknown　fair。

〃Let　us　stop　here；〃　said　he　to　his　friend。　〃We　meant　to　make　Lucerne
our　headquarters　for　seeing　Switzerland；　you　will　not　take　it　amiss；
Leopold；　if　I　change　my　mind　and　stay　here　to　take　charge　of　our
possessions。　Then　you　can　go　where　you　please；　my　journey　is　ended。
Pull　to　land；　men；　and　put　us　out　at　this　village；　we　will　breakfast
here。　I　will　go　back　to　Lucerne　to　fetch　all　our　luggage；　and　before
you　leave　you　will　know　in　which　house　I　take　a　lodging；　where　you
will　find　me　on　your　return。〃

〃Here　or　at　Lucerne；〃　replied　Leopold；　〃the　difference　is　not　so　great
that　I　need　hinder　you　from　following　your　whim。〃

These　two　youths　were　friends　in　the　truest　sense　of　the　word。　They
were　of　the　same　age；　they　had　learned　at　the　same　school；　and　after
studying　the　law；　they　were　spending　their　holiday　in　the　classical
tour　in　Switzerland。　Leopold；　by　his　father's　determination；　was
already　pledged　to　a　place　in　a　notary's　office　in　Paris。　His　spirit
of　rectitude；　his　gentleness；　and　the　coolness　of　his　senses　and　his
brain；　guaranteed　him　to　be　a　docile　pupil。　Leopold　could　see　himself
a　notary　in　Paris；　his　life　lay　before　him　like　one　of　the　highroads
that　cross　the　plains　of　France；　and　he　looked　along　its　whole　length
with　philosophical　resignation。

The　character　of　his　companion；　whom　we　will　call　Rodolphe；　presented
a　strong　contrast　with　Leopold's；　and　their　antagonism　had　no　doubt
had　the　result　of　tightening　the　bond　that　united　them。　Rodolphe　was
the　natural　son　of　a　man　of　rank；　who　was　carried　off　by　a　premature
death　before　he　could　make　any　arrangements　for　securing　the　means　of
existence　to　a　woman　he　fondly　loved　and　to　Rodolphe。　Thus　cheated　by
a　stroke　of　fate；　Rodolphe's　mother　had　recourse　to　a　heroic　measure。
She　sold　everything　she　owed　to　the　munificence　of　her　child's　father
for　a　sum　of　more　than　a　hundred　thousand　francs；　bought　with　it　a
life　annuity　for　herself　at　a　high　rate；　and　thus　acquired　an　income
of　about　fifteen　thousand　francs；　resolving　to　devote　the　whole　of　it
to　the　education　of　her　son；　so　as　to　give　him　all　the　personal
advantages　that　might　help　to　make　his　fortune；　while　saving；　by
strict　economy；　a　small　capital　to　be　his　when　he　came　of　age。　It　was
bold；　it　was　counting　on　her　own　life；　but　without　this　boldness　the
good　mother　would　certainly　have　found　it　impossible　to　live　and　to
bring　her　child　up　suitably；　and　he　was　her　only　hope；　her　future；　the
spring　of　all　her　joys。

Rodolphe；　the　son　of　a　most　charming　Parisian　woman；　and　a　man　of
mark；　a　nobleman　of　Brabant；　was　cursed　with　extreme　sensitiveness。
From　his　infancy　he　had　in　everything　shown　a　most　ardent　nature。　In
him　mere　desire　became　a　guiding　force　and　the　motive　power　of　his
whole　being；　the　stimulus　to　his　imagination；　the　reason　of　his
actions。　Notwithstanding　the　pains　taken　by　a　clever　mother；　who　was
alarmed　when　she　detected　this　predisposition；　Rodolphe　wished　for
things　as　a　poet　imagines；　as　a　mathematician　calculates；　as　a　painter
sketches；　as　a　musician　creates　melodies。　Tender…hearted；　like　his
mother；　he　dashed　with　inconceivable　violence　and　impetus　of　thought
after　the　object　of　his　desires；　he　annihilated　time。　While　dreaming
of　the　fulfilment　of　his　schemes；　he　always　overlooked　the　means　of
attainment。　〃When　my　son　has　children；〃　said　his　other；　〃he　will　want
them　born　grown　up。〃

This　fine　frenzy；　carefully　directed；　enabled　Rodolphe　to　achieve　his
studies　with　brilliant　results；　and　to　become　what　the　English　call　an
accomplished　gentleman。　His　mother　was　then　proud　of　him；　though　still
fearing　a　catastrophe　if　ever　a　passion　should　possess　a　heart　at　once
so　tender　and　so　susceptible；　so　vehement　and　so　kind。　Therefore；　the
judicious　mother　had　encouraged　the　friendship　which　bound　Leopold　to
Rodolphe　and　Rodolphe　to　Leopold；　since　she　saw　in　the　cold　and
faithful　young　notary；　a　guardian；　a　comrade；　who　might　to　a　certain
extent　take　her　place　if　by　some　misfortune　she　should　be　lost　to　her
son。　Rodolphe's　mother；　still　handsome　at　three…and…forty；　had
inspired　Leopold　with　an　ardent　passion。　This　circumstance　made　the
two　young　men　even　more　intimate。

So　Leopold；　knowing　Rodolphe　well；　was　not　surprised　to　find　him
stopping　at　a　village　and　giving　up　the　projected　journey　to　Saint…
Gothard；　on　the　strength　of　a　single　glance　at　the　upper　window　of　a
house。　While　breakfast　was　prepared　for　them　at　the　Swan　Inn；　the
friends　walked　round　the　hamlet　and　came　to　the　neighborhood　of　the
pretty　new　house；　here；　while　gazing　about　him　and　talking　to　the
inhabitants；　Rodolphe　discovered　the　residence　of　some　decent　folk；
who　were　willing　to　take　him　as　a　boarder；　a　very　frequent　custom　in
Switzerland。　They　offered　him　a　bedroom　looking　over　the　lake　and　the
mountains；　and　from　whence