two poets-第8章

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of　love；　and　David　loved　to　give　way。　He　felt　that　his　friend's　physical　beauty　implied　a　real　superiority；　which　he　accepted；　looking　upon　himself　as　one　made　of　coarser　and　commoner　human　clay。

〃The　ox　for　patient　labor　in　the　fields；　the　free　life　for　the　bird；〃　he　thought　to　himself。　〃I　will　be　the　ox；　and　Lucien　shall　be　the　eagle。〃

So　for　three　years　these　friends　had　mingled　the　destinies　bright　with　such　glorious　promise。　Together　they　read　the　great　works　that　appeared　above　the　horizon　of　literature　and　science　since　the　Peace　the　poems　of　Schiller；　Goethe；　and　Byron；　the　prose　writings　of　Scott；　Jean…Paul；　Berzelius；　Davy；　Cuvier；　Lamartine；　and　many　more。　They　warmed　themselves　beside　these　great　hearthfires；　they　tried　their　powers　in　abortive　creations；　in　work　laid　aside　and　taken　up　again　with　new　glow　of　enthusiasm。　Incessantly　they　worked　with　the　unwearied　vitality　of　youth；　comrades　in　poverty；　comrades　in　the　consuming　love　of　art　and　science；　till　they　forgot　the　hard　life　of　the　present；　for　their　minds　were　wholly　bent　on　laying　the　foundations　of　future　fame。

〃Lucien；〃　said　David；　〃do　you　know　what　I　have　just　received　from　Paris？〃　He　drew　a　tiny　volume　from　his　pocket。　〃Listen！〃

And　David　read；　as　a　poet　can　read；　first　Andre　de　Chenier's　Idyll　Neerc；　then　Le　Malade；　following　on　with　the　Elegy　on　a　Suicide；　another　elegy　in　the　classic　taste；　and　the　last　two　Iambes。

〃So　that　is　Andre　de　Chenier！〃　Lucien　exclaimed　again　and　again。　〃It　fills　one　with　despair！〃　he　cried　for　the　third　time；　when　David　surrendered　the　book　to　him；　unable　to　read　further　for　emotion。〃A　poet　rediscovered　by　a　poet！〃　said　Lucien；　reading　the　signature　of　the　preface。

〃After　Chenier　had　written　those　poems；　he　thought　that　he　had　written　nothing　worth　publishing；〃　added　David。

Then　Lucien　in　his　turn　read　aloud　the　fragment　of　an　epic　called　L'Aveugle　and　two　or　three　of　the　Elegies；　till；　when　he　came　upon　the　line

　　If　they　know　not　bliss；　is　there　happiness　on　earth？

He　pressed　the　book　to　his　lips；　and　tears　came　to　the　eyes　of　either；　for　the　two　friends　were　lovers　and　fellow…worshipers。

The　vine…stems　were　changing　color　with　the　spring；　covering　the　rifted；　battered　walls　of　the　old　house　where　squalid　cracks　were　spreading　in　every　direction；　with　fluted　columns　and　knots　and　bas…　reliefs　and　uncounted　masterpieces　of　I　know　not　what　order　of　architecture；　erected　by　fairy　hands。　Fancy　had　scattered　flowers　and　crimson　gems　over　the　gloomy　little　yard；　and　Chenier's　Camille　became　for　David　the　Eve　whom　he　worshiped；　for　Lucien　a　great　lady　to　whom　he　paid　his　homage。　Poetry　had　shaken　out　her　starry　robe　above　the　workshop　where　the　〃monkeys〃　and　〃bears〃　were　grotesquely　busy　among　types　and　presses。　Five　o'clock　struck；　but　the　friends　felt　neither　hunger　nor　thirst；　life　had　turned　to　a　golden　dream；　and　all　the　treasures　of　the　world　lay　at　their　feet。　Far　away　on　the　horizon　lay　the　blue　streak　to　which　Hope　points　a　finger　in　storm　and　stress；　and　a　siren　voice　sounded　in　their　ears；　calling；　〃Come；　spread　your　wings；　through　that　streak　of　gold　or　silver　or　azure　lies　the　sure　way　of　escape　from　evil　fortune！〃

Just　at　that　moment　the　low　glass　door　of　the　workshop　was　opened；　and　out　came　Cerizet；　an　apprentice　（David　had　brought　the　urchin　from　Paris）。　This　youth　introduced　a　stranger；　who　saluted　the　friends　politely；　and　spoke　to　David。

〃This；　sir；　is　a　monograph　which　I　am　desirous　of　printing；〃　said　he；　drawing　a　huge　package　of　manuscript　from　his　pocket。　〃Will　you　oblige　me　with　an　estimate？〃

〃We　do　not　undertake　work　on　such　a　scale；　sir；〃　David　answered；　without　looking　at　the　manuscript。　〃You　had　better　see　the　Messieurs　Cointet　about　it。〃

〃Still　we　have　a　very　pretty　type　which　might　suit　it；〃　put　in　Lucien；　taking　up　the　roll。　〃We　must　ask　you　to　be　kind　enough；　sir；　to　leave　your　commission　with　us　and　call　again　to…morrow；　and　we　will　give　you　an　estimate。〃

〃Have　I　the　pleasure　of　addressing　M。　Lucien　Chardon？〃

〃Yes；　sir；〃　said　the　foreman。

〃I　am　fortunate　in　this　opportunity　of　meeting　with　a　young　poet　destined　to　such　greatness；〃　returned　the　author。　〃Mme。　de　Bargeton　sent　me　here。〃

Lucien　flushed　red　at　the　name；　and　stammered　out　something　about　gratitude　for　the　interest　which　Mme。　de　Bargeton　took　in　him。　David　noticed　his　friend's　embarrassed　flush；　and　left　him　in　conversation　with　the　country　gentleman；　the　author　of　a　monograph　on　silkwork　cultivation；　prompted　by　vanity　to　print　the　effort　for　the　benefit　of　fellow…members　of　the　local　agricultural　society。

When　the　author　had　gone；　David　spoke。

〃Lucien；　are　you　in　love　with　Mme。　de　Bargeton？〃

〃Passionately。〃

〃But　social　prejudices　set　you　as　far　apart　as　if　she　were　living　at　Pekin　and　you　in　Greenland。〃

〃The　will　of　two　lovers　can　rise　victorious　over　all　things；〃　said　Lucien；　lowering　his　eyes。

〃You　will　forget　us；〃　returned　the　alarmed　lover；　as　Eve's　fair　face　rose　before　his　mind。

〃On　the　contrary；　I　have　perhaps　sacrificed　my　love　to　you；〃　cried　Lucien。

〃What　do　you　mean？〃

〃In　spite　of　my　love；　in　spite　of　the　different　motives　which　bid　me　obtain　a　secure　footing　in　her　house；　I　have　told　her　that　I　will　never　go　thither　again　unless　another　is　made　welcome　too；　a　man　whose　gifts　are　greater　than　mine；　a　man　destined　for　a　brilliant　future　David　Sechard；　my　brother；　my　friend。　I　shall　find　an　answer　waiting　when　I　go　home。　All　the　aristocrats　may　have　been　asked　to　hear　me　read　my　verses　this　evening；　but　I　shall　not　go　if　the　answer　is　negative；　and　I　will　never　set　foot　in　Mme。　de　Bargeton's　house　again。〃

David　brushed　the　tears　from　his　eyes；　and　wrung　Lucien's　hand。　The　clock　struck　six。

〃Eve　must　be　anxious；　good…bye；〃　Lucien　added　abruptly。

He　hurried　away。　David　stood　overcome　by　the　emotion　that　is　only　felt　to　the　full　at　his　age；　and　more　especially　in　such　a　position　as　his　the　friends　were　like　two　young　swans　with　wings　unclipped　as　yet　by　the　experiences　of　provincial　life。

〃Heart　of　gold！〃　David　exclaimed　to　himself；　as　his　eyes　followed　Lucien　across　the　workshop。



Lucien　went　down　to　L'Houmeau　along　the　broad　Promenade　de　Beaulieu；　the　Rue　du　Minage；　and　Saint…Peter's　Gate。　It　was　the　longest　way　round；　so　you　may　be　sure　that　Mme。　de　Bargeton's　house　lay　on　the　way。　So　delicious　it　was　to　pass　under　her　windows；　though　she　knew　nothing　of　his　presence；　that　for　the　past　two　months　he　had　gone　round　daily　by　the　Palet　Gate　into　L'Houmeau。

Under　the　trees　of　Beaulieu　he　saw　how　far　the　suburb　lay　from　the　city。　The　custom　of　the　country；　moreover；　had　raised　other　barriers　harder　to　surmount　than　the　mere　physical　difficulty　of　the　steep　flights　of　steps　which　Lucien　was　descending。　Youth　and　ambition　had　thrown　the　flying…bridge　of　glory　across　the　gulf　between　the　city　and　the　suburb；　yet　Lucien　was　as　uneasy　in　his　mind　over　his　lady's　answer　as　any　king's　favorite　who　has　tried　to　climb　yet　higher；　and　fears　that　being　over…bold　he　is　like　to　fall。　This　must　seem　a　dark　saying　to　those　who　have　never　studied　the　manners　and　customs　of　cities　divided　into　the　upper　and　lower　town；　wherefore　it　is　necessary　to　enter　here　upon　some　topographical　details；　and　this　so　much　the　more　if　the　reader　is　to　comprehend　the　position　of　one　of　the　principal　characters　in　the　storyMme。　de　Bargeton。

The　old　city　of　Angouleme　is　perched　aloft　on　a　crag　like　a　sugar…　loaf；　overlooking　the　plain　where　the　Charente　winds　away　through　the　meadows。　The　crag　is　an　outlying　spur　on　the　Perigord　side　of　a　long；　low　ridge　of　hill；　which　terminates　abruptly　just　above　the　road　from　Paris　to　Bordeaux；　so　that　the　Rock　of　Angouleme　is　a　sort　of　promontory　marking　out　the　line　of　three　picturesque　valleys。　The　ramparts　and　great　gateways　and　ruined　fortress　on　the　summit　of　the　crag　still　remain　to　bear　witness　to　the　importance　of　this　stronghold　during　the　Religious　Wars；　when　Angouleme　was　a　military　position　coveted　alike　of　Catholics　and　Calvinists；　but　its　old…world　strength　is　a　source　of　weakness　in　modern　days；　Angouleme　could　not　spread　down　to　the　Charente；　and　shut　in　between　its　ramparts　and　the　steep　sides　of　the　crag；　the　old