two poets-第25章

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w　new　words　such　as　'immense；　infinite；　solitude；　intelligence'；　you　have　lakes；　and　the　words　of　the　Almighty；　a　kind　of　Christianized　Pantheism；　enriched　with　the　most　extraordinary　and　unheard…of　rhymes。　We　are　in　quite　another　latitude；　in　fact；　we　have　left　the　North　for　the　East；　but　the　darkness　is　just　as　thick　as　before。〃

〃If　the　ode　is　obscure；　the　declaration　is　very　clear；　it　seems　to　me；〃　said　Zephirine。

〃And　the　archangel's　armor　is　a　tolerably　thin　gauze　robe；〃　said　Francis。

Politeness　demanded　that　the　audience　should　profess　to　be　enchanted　with　the　poem；　and　the　women；　furious　because　they　had　no　poets　in　their　train　to　extol　them　as　angels；　rose；　looked　bored　by　the　reading；　murmuring；　〃Very　nice！〃　〃Charming！〃　〃Perfect！〃　with　frigid　coldness。

〃If　you　love　me；　do　not　congratulate　the　poet　or　his　angel；〃　Lolotte　laid　her　commands　on　her　dear　Adrien　in　imperious　tones；　and　Adrien　was　fain　to　obey。

〃Empty　words；　after　all；〃　Zephirine　remarked　to　Francis；　〃and　love　is　a　poem　that　we　live。〃

〃You　have　just　expressed　the　very　thing　that　I　was　thinking；　Zizine；　but　I　should　not　have　put　it　so　neatly；〃　said　Stanislas；　scanning　himself　from　top　to　toe　with　loving　attention。

〃I　would　give；　I　don't　know　how　much；　to　see　Nais'　pride　brought　down　a　bit；〃　said　Amelie；　addressing　Chatelet。　〃Nais　sets　up　to　be　an　archangel；　as　if　she　were　better　than　the　rest　of　us；　and　mixes　us　up　with　low　people；　his　father　was　an　apothecary；　and　his　mother　is　a　nurse；　his　sister　works　in　a　laundry；　and　he　himself　is　a　printer's　foreman。〃

〃If　his　father　sold　biscuits　for　worms〃　（vers）；　said　Jacques；　〃he　ought　to　have　made　his　son　take　them。〃

〃He　is　continuing　in　his　father's　line　of　business；　for　the　stuff　that　he　has　just　been　reading　to　us　is　a　drug　in　the　market；　it　seems；〃　said　Stanislas；　striking　one　of　his　most　killing　attitudes。　〃Drug　for　drug；　I　would　rather　have　something　else。〃

Every　one　apparently　combined　to　humiliate　Lucien　by　various　aristocrats'　sarcasms。　Lili　the　religious　thought　it　a　charitable　deed　to　use　any　means　of　enlightening　Nais；　and　Nais　was　on　the　brink　of　a　piece　of　folly。　Francis　the　diplomatist　undertook　the　direction　of　the　silly　conspiracy；　every　one　was　interested　in　the　progress　of　the　drama；　it　would　be　something　to　talk　about　to…morrow。　The　ex…consul；　being　far　from　anxious　to　engage　in　a　duel　with　a　young　poet　who　would　fly　into　a　rage　at　the　first　hint　of　insult　under　his　lady's　eyes；　was　wise　enough　to　see　that　the　only　way　of　dealing　Lucien　his　deathblow　was　by　the　spiritual　arm　which　was　safe　from　vengeance。　He　therefore　followed　the　example　set　by　Chatelet　the　astute；　and　went　to　the　Bishop。　Him　he　proceeded　to　mystify。

He　told　the　Bishop　that　Lucien's　mother　was　a　woman　of　uncommon　powers　and　great　modesty；　and　that　it　was　she　who　found　the　subjects　for　her　son's　verses。　Nothing　pleased　Lucien　so　much；　according　to　the　guileful　Francis；　as　any　recognition　of　her　talentshe　worshiped　his　mother。　Then；　having　inculcated　these　notions；　he　left　the　rest　to　time。　His　lordship　was　sure　to　bring　out　the　insulting　allusion；　for　which　he　had　been　so　carefully　prepared；　in　the　course　of　conversation。

When　Francis　and　the　Bishop　joined　the　little　group　where　Lucien　stood；　the　circle　who　gave　him　the　cup　of　hemlock　to　drain　by　little　sips　watched　him　with　redoubled　interest。　The　poet；　luckless　young　man；　being　a　total　stranger；　and　unaware　of　the　manners　and　customs　of　the　house；　could　only　look　at　Mme。　de　Bargeton　and　give　embarrassed　answers　to　embarrassing　questions。　He　knew　neither　the　names　nor　condition　of　the　people　about　him；　the　women's　silly　speeches　made　him　blush　for　them；　and　he　was　at　his　wits'　end　for　a　reply。　He　felt；　moreover；　how　very　far　removed　he　was　from　these　divinities　of　Angouleme　when　he　heard　himself　addressed　sometimes　as　M。　Chardon；　sometimes　as　M。　de　Rubempre；　while　they　addressed　each　other　as　Lolotte；　Adrien；　Astolphe；　Lili　and　Fifine。　His　confusion　rose　to　a　height　when；　taking　Lili　for　a　man's　surname；　he　addressed　the　coarse　M。　de　Senonches　as　M。　Lili；　that　Nimrod　broke　in　upon　him　with　a　〃MONSIEUR　LULU？〃　and　Mme。　de　Bargeton　flushed　red　to　the　eyes。

〃A　woman　must　be　blind　indeed　to　bring　this　little　fellow　among　us！〃　muttered　Senonches。

Zephirine　turned　to　speak　to　the　Marquise　de　Pimentel〃Do　you　not　see　a　strong　likeness　between　M。　Chardon　and　M。　de　Cante…Croix；　madame？〃　she　asked　in　a　low　but　quite　audible　voice。

〃The　likeness　is　ideal；〃　smiled　Mme。　de　Pimentel。

〃Glory　has　a　power　of　attraction　to　which　we　can　confess；〃　said　Mme。　de　Bargeton；　addressing　the　Marquise。　〃Some　women　are　as　much　attracted　by　greatness　as　others　by　littleness；〃　she　added；　looking　at　Francis。

The　was　beyond　Zephirine's　comprehension；　she　thought　her　consul　a　very　great　man；　but　the　Marquise　laughed；　and　her　laughter　ranged　her　on　Nais'　side。

〃You　are　very　fortunate；　monsieur；〃　said　the　Marquis　de　Pimentel；　addressing　Lucien　for　the　purpose　of　calling　him　M。　de　Rubempre；　and　not　M。　Chardon；　as　before；　〃you　should　never　find　time　heavy　on　your　hands。〃

〃Do　you　work　quickly？〃　asked　Lolotte；　much　in　the　way　that　she　would　have　asked　a　joiner　〃if　it　took　long　to　make　a　box。〃

The　bludgeon　stroke　stunned　Lucien；　but　he　raised　his　head　at　Mme。　de　Bargeton's　reply

〃My　dear；　poetry　does　not　grow　in　M。　de　Rubempre's　head　like　grass　in　our　courtyards。〃

〃Madame；　we　cannot　feel　too　reverently　towards　the　noble　spirits　in　whom　God　has　set　some　ray　of　this　light；〃　said　the　Bishop；　addressing　Lolotte。　〃Yes；　poetry　is　something　holy。　Poetry　implies　suffering。　How　many　silent　nights　those　verses　that　you　admire　have　cost！　We　should　bow　in　love　and　reverence　before　the　poet；　his　life　here　is　almost　always　a　life　of　sorrow；　but　God　doubtless　reserves　a　place　in　heaven　for　him　among　His　prophets。　This　young　man　is　a　poet；〃　he　added　laying　a　hand　on　Lucien's　head；　〃do　you　not　see　the　sign　of　Fate　set　on　that　high　forehead　of　his？〃

Glad　to　be　so　generously　championed；　Lucien　made　his　acknowledgments　in　a　grateful　look；　not　knowing　that　the　worthy　prelate　was　to　deal　his　deathblow。

Mme。　de　Bargeton's　eyes　traveled　round　the　hostile　circle。　Her　glances　went　like　arrows　to　the　depths　of　her　rivals'　hearts；　and　left　them　twice　as　furious　as　before。

〃Ah；　monseigneur；〃　cried　Lucien；　hoping　to　break　thick　heads　with　his　golden　sceptre；　〃but　ordinary　people　have　neither　your　intellect　nor　your　charity。　No　one　heeds　our　sorrows；　our　toil　is　unrecognized。　The　gold…digger　working　in　the　mine　does　not　labor　as　we　to　wrest　metaphors　from　the　heart　of　the　most　ungrateful　of　all　languages。　If　this　is　poetryto　give　ideas　such　definite　and　clear　expressions　that　all　the　world　can　see　and　understandthe　poet　must　continually　range　through　the　entire　scale　of　human　intellects；　so　that　he　can　satisfy　the　demands　of　all；　he　must　conceal　hard　thinking　and　emotion；　two　antagonistic　powers；　beneath　the　most　vivid　color；　he　must　know　how　to　make　one　word　cover　a　whole　world　of　thought；　he　must　give　the　results　of　whole　systems　of　philosophy　in　a　few　picturesque　lines；　indeed；　his　songs　are　like　seeds　that　must　break　into　blossom　in　other　hearts　wherever　they　find　the　soil　prepared　by　personal　experience。　How　can　you　express　unless　you　first　have　felt？　And　is　not　passion　suffering。　Poetry　is　only　brought　forth　after　painful　wanderings　in　the　vast　regions　of　thought　and　life。　There　are　men　and　women　in　books；　who　seem　more　really　alive　to　us　than　men　and　women　who　have　lived　and　diedRichardson's　Clarissa；　Chenier's　Camille；　the　Delia　of　Tibullus；　Ariosto's　Angelica；　Dante's　Francesca；　Moliere's　Alceste；　Beaumarchais'　Figaro；　Scott's　Rebecca　the　Jewess；　the　Don　Quixote　of　Cervantes；do　we　not　owe　these　deathless　creations　to　immortal　throes？〃

〃And　what　are　you　going　to　create　for　us？〃　asked　Chatelet。

〃If　I　were　to　announce　such　conceptions；　I　should　give　myself　out　for　a　man　of　genius；　should　I　not？〃　answered　Lucien。　〃And　besides；　such　sublime　creations　demand　a　long　experience　of　the　world　and　a　study　of　human　passion　and　interests　which　I　could　not　possibly　have　made；　but　I　have　made　a　beginning；〃　he　added；　with　bitterness　in　his　tone；　as　he　took　a　vengeful　glance　round　the　ci