two poets-第26章

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　made　a　beginning；〃　he　added；　with　bitterness　in　his　tone；　as　he　took　a　vengeful　glance　round　the　circle；　〃the　time　of　gestation　is　long〃

〃Then　it　will　be　a　case　of　difficult　labor；〃　interrupted　M。　du　Hautoy。

〃Your　excellent　mother　might　assist　you；〃　suggested　the　Bishop。

The　epigram；　innocently　made　by　the　good　prelate；　the　long…looked…for　revenge；　kindled　a　gleam　of　delight　in　all　eyes。　The　smile　of　satisfied　caste　that　traveled　from　mouth　to　mouth　was　aggravated　by　M。　de　Bargeton's　imbecility；　he　burst　into　a　laugh；　as　usual；　some　moments　later。

〃Monseigneur；　you　are　talking　a　little　above　our　heads；　these　ladies　do　not　understand　your　meaning；〃　said　Mme。　de　Bargeton；　and　the　words　paralyzed　the　laughter；　and　drew　astonished　eyes　upon　her。　〃A　poet　who　looks　to　the　Bible　for　his　inspiration　has　a　mother　indeed　in　the　Church。M。　de　Rubempre；　will　you　recite　Saint　John　in　Patmos　for　us；　or　Belshazzar's　Feast；　so　that　his　lordship　may　see　that　Rome　is　still　the　Magna　Parens　of　Virgil？〃

The　women　exchanged　smiles　at　the　Latin　words。

The　bravest　and　highest　spirits　know　times　of　prostration　at　the　outset　of　life。　Lucien　had　sunk　to　the　depths　at　the　blow；　but　he　struck　the　bottom　with　his　feet；　and　rose　to　the　surface　again；　vowing　to　subjugate　this　little　world。　He　rose　like　a　bull；　stung　to　fury　by　a　shower　of　darts；　and　prepared　to　obey　Louise　by　declaiming　Saint　John　in　Patmos；　but　by　this　time　the　card…tables　had　claimed　their　complement　of　players；　who　returned　to　the　accustomed　groove　to　find　amusement　there　which　poetry　had　not　afforded　them。　They　felt　besides　that　the　revenge　of　so　many　outraged　vanities　would　be　incomplete　unless　it　were　followed　up　by　contemptuous　indifference；　so　they　showed　their　tacit　disdain　for　the　native　product　by　leaving　Lucien　and　Mme。　de　Bargeton　to　themselves。　Every　one　appeared　to　be　absorbed　in　his　own　affairs；　one　chattered　with　the　prefect　about　a　new　crossroad；　another　proposed　to　vary　the　pleasures　of　the　evening　with　a　little　music。　The　great　world　of　Angouleme；　feeling　that　it　was　no　judge　of　poetry；　was　very　anxious；　in　the　first　place；　to　hear　the　verdict　of　the　Pimentels　and　the　Rastignacs；　and　formed　a　little　group　about　them。　The　great　influence　wielded　in　the　department　by　these　two　families　was　always　felt　on　every　important　occasion；　every　one　was　jealous　of　them；　every　one　paid　court　to　them；　foreseeing　that　they　might　some　day　need　that　influence。

〃What　do　you　think　of　our　poet　and　his　poetry？〃　Jacques　asked　of　the　Marquise。　Jacques　used　to　shoot　over　the　lands　belonging　to　the　Pimentel　family。

〃Why；　it　is　not　bad　for　provincial　poetry；〃　she　said；　smiling；　〃and　besides；　such　a　beautiful　poet　cannot　do　anything　amiss。〃

Every　one　thought　the　decision　admirable；　it　traveled　from　lip　to　lip；　gaining　malignance　by　the　way。　Then　Chatelet　was　called　upon　to　accompany　M。　du　Bartas　on　the　piano　while　he　mangled　the　great　solo　from　Figaro；　and　the　way　being　opened　to　music；　the　audience；　as　in　duty　bound　listened　while　Chatelet　in　turn　sang　one　of　Chateaubriand's　ballads；　a　chivalrous　ditty　made　in　the　time　of　the　Empire。　Duets　followed；　of　the　kind　usually　left　to　boarding…school　misses；　and　rescued　from　the　schoolroom　by　Mme。　du　Brossard；　who　meant　to　make　a　brilliant　display　of　her　dear　Camille's　talents　for　M。　de　Severac's　benefit。

Mme。　du　Bargeton；　hurt　by　the　contempt　which　every　one　showed　her　poet；　paid　back　scorn　for　scorn　by　going　to　her　boudoir　during　these　performances。　She　was　followed　by　the　prelate。　His　Vicar…General　had　just　been　explaining　the　profound　irony　of　the　epigram　into　which　he　had　been　entrapped；　and　the　Bishop　wished　to　make　amends。　Mlle。　de　Rastignac；　fascinated　by　the　poetry；　also　slipped　into　the　boudoir　without　her　mother's　knowledge。

Louise　drew　Lucien　to　her　mattress…cushioned　sofa；　and　with　no　one　to　see　or　hear；　she　murmured　in　his　ear；　〃Dear　angel；　they　did　not　understand　you；　but；　'Thy　songs　are　sweet；　I　love　to　say　them　over。'　〃

And　Lucien　took　comfort　from　the　pretty　speech；　and　forgot　his　woes　for　a　little。

〃Glory　is　not　to　be　had　cheaply；〃　Mme。　de　Bargeton　continued；　taking　his　hand　and　holding　it　tightly　in　her　own。　〃Endure　your　woes；　my　friend；　you　will　be　great　one　day；　your　pain　is　the　price　of　your　immortality。　If　only　I　had　a　hard　struggle　before　me！　God　preserve　you　from　the　enervating　life　without　battles；　in　which　the　eagle's　wings　have　no　room　to　spread　themselves。　I　envy　you；　for　if　you　suffer；　at　least　you　live。　You　will　put　out　your　strength；　you　will　feel　the　hope　of　victory；　your　strife　will　be　glorious。　And　when　you　shall　come　to　your　kingdom；　and　reach　the　imperial　sphere　where　great　minds　are　enthroned；　then　remember　the　poor　creatures　disinherited　by　fate；　whose　intellects　pine　in　an　oppressive　moral　atmosphere；　who　die　and　have　never　lived；　knowing　all　the　while　what　life　might　be；　think　of　the　piercing　eyes　that　have　seen　nothing；　the　delicate　senses　that　have　only　known　the　scent　of　poison　flowers。　Then　tell　in　your　song　of　plants　that　wither　in　the　depths　of　the　forest；　choked　by　twining　growths　and　rank；　greedy　vegetation；　plants　that　have　never　been　kissed　by　the　sunlight；　and　die；　never　having　put　forth　a　blossom。　It　would　be　a　terribly　gloomy　poem；　would　it　not；　a　fanciful　subject？　What　a　sublime　poem　might　be　made　of　the　story　of　some　daughter　of　the　desert　transported　to　some　cold；　western　clime；　calling　for　her　beloved　sun；　dying　of　a　grief　that　none　can　understand；　overcome　with　cold　and　longing。　It　would　be　an　allegory；　many　lives　are　like　that。〃

〃You　would　picture　the　spirit　which　remembers　Heaven；〃　said　the　Bishop；　〃some　one　surely　must　have　written　such　a　poem　in　the　days　of　old；　I　like　to　think　that　I　see　a　fragment　of　it　in　the　Song　of　Songs。〃

〃Take　that　as　your　subject；〃　said　Laure　de　Rastignac；　expressing　her　artless　belief　in　Lucien's　powers。

〃The　great　sacred　poem　of　France　is　still　unwritten；〃　remarked　the　Bishop。　〃Believe　me；　glory　and　success　await　the　man　of　talent　who　shall　work　for　religion。〃

〃That　task　will　be　his；〃　said　Mme。　de　Bargeton　rhetorically。　〃Do　you　not　see　the　first　beginnings　of　the　vision　of　the　poem；　like　the　flame　of　dawn；　in　his　eyes？〃

〃Nais　is　treating　us　very　badly；〃　said　Fifine；　〃what　can　she　be　doing？〃

〃Don't　you　hear？〃　said　Stanislas。　〃She　is　flourishing　away；　using　big　words　that　you　cannot　make　head　or　tail　of。〃

Amelie；　Fifine；　Adrien；　and　Francis　appeared　in　the　doorway　with　Mme。　de　Rastignac；　who　came　to　look　for　her　daughter。

〃Nais；〃　cried　the　two　ladies；　both　delighted　to　break　in　upon　the　quiet　chat　in　the　boudoir；　〃it　would　be　very　nice　of　you　to　come　and　play　something　for　us。〃

〃My　dear　child；　M。　de　Rubempre　is　just　about　to　recite　his　Saint　John　in　Patmos；　a　magnificent　biblical　poem。〃

〃Biblical！〃　echoed　Fifine　in　amazement。

Amelie　and　Fifine　went　back　to　the　drawing…room；　taking　the　word　back　with　them　as　food　for　laughter。　Lucien　pleaded　a　defective　memory　and　excused　himself。　When　he　reappeared；　nobody　took　the　slightest　notice　of　him；　every　one　was　chatting　or　busy　at　the　card…tables；　the　poet's　aureole　had　been　plucked　away；　the　landowners　had　no　use　for　him；　the　more　pretentious　sort　looked　upon　him　as　an　enemy　to　their　ignorance；　while　the　women　were　jealous　of　Mme。　de　Bargeton；　the　Beatrice　of　this　modern　Dante；　to　use　the　Vicar…General's　phrase；　and　looked　at　him　with　cold；　scornful　eyes。

〃So　this　is　society！〃　Lucien　said　to　himself　as　he　went　down　to　L'Houmeau　by　the　steps　of　Beaulieu；　for　there　are　times　when　we　choose　to　take　the　longest　way；　that　the　physical　exercise　of　walking　may　promote　the　flow　of　ideas。

So　far　from　being　disheartened；　the　fury　of　repulsed　ambition　gave　Lucien　new　strength。　Like　all　those　whose　instincts　bring　them　to　a　higher　social　sphere　which　they　reach　before　they　can　hold　their　own　in　it；　Lucien　vowed　to　make　any　sacrifice　to　the　end　that　he　might　remain　on　that　higher　social　level。　One　by　one　he　drew　out　the　poisoned　shafts　on　his　way　home；　talking　aloud　to　himself；　scoffing　at　the　fools　with　whom　he　had　to　do；　inventing　neat　answers　to　their　idiotic　questions；　desperately　vexed　that　the　witty　responses　occurred　to　him　so　late　in　the　day。　By　the　time　that