the brotherhood of consolation-第1章

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The　Brotherhood　of　Consolation

by　Honore　de　Balzac

Translated　by　Katharine　Prescott　Wormeley






FIRST　EPISODE

MADAME　DE　LA　CHANTERIE



I

THE　MALADY　OF　THE　AGE

On　a　fine　evening　in　the　month　of　September；　1836；　a　man　about　thirty
years　of　age　was　leaning　on　the　parapet　of　that　quay　from　which　a
spectator　can　look　up　the　Seine　from　the　Jardin　des　Plantes　to　Notre…
Dame；　and　down；　along　the　vast　perspective　of　the　river；　to　the
Louvre。　There　is　not　another　point　of　view　to　compare　with　it　in　the
capital　of　ideas。　We　feel　ourselves　on　the　quarter…deck；　as　it　were；
of　a　gigantic　vessel。　We　dream　of　Paris　from　the　days　of　the　Romans　to
those　of　the　Franks；　from　the　Normans　to　the　Burgundians；　the　Middle…
Ages；　the　Valois；　Henri　IV。；　Louis　XIV。；　Napoleon；　and　Louis…Philippe。
Vestiges　are　before　us　of　all　those　sovereignties；　in　monuments　that
recall　their　memory。　The　cupola　of　Sainte…Genevieve　towers　above　the
Latin　quarter。　Behind　us　rises　the　noble　apsis　of　the　cathedral。　The
Hotel　de　Ville　tells　of　revolutions；　the　Hotel…Dieu；　of　the　miseries
of　Paris。　After　gazing　at　the　splendors　of　the　Louvre　we　can；　by
taking　two　steps；　look　down　upon　the　rags　and　tatters　of　that　ignoble
nest　of　houses　huddling　between　the　quai　de　la　Tournelle　and　the
Hotel…Dieu；a　foul　spot；　which　a　modern　municipality　is　endeavoring
at　the　present　moment　to　remove。

In　1836　this　marvellous　scene　presented　still　another　lesson　to　the
eye：　between　the　Parisian　leaning　on　the　parapet　and　the　cathedral　lay
the　〃Terrain〃　（such　was　the　ancient　name　of　this　barren　spot）；　still
strewn　with　the　ruins　of　the　Archiepiscopal　Palace。　When　we
contemplate　from　that　quay　so　many　commemorating　scenes；　when　the　soul
has　grasped　the　past　as　it　does　the　present　of　this　city　of　Paris；
then　indeed　Religion　seems　to　have　alighted　there　as　if　to　spread　her
hands　above　the　sorrows　of　both　banks　and　extend　her　arms　from　the
faubourg　Saint…Antoine　to　the　faubourg　Saint…Marceau。　Let　us　hope　that
this　sublime　unity　may　be　completed　by　the　erection　of　an　episcopal
palace　of　the　Gothic　order；　which　shall　replace　the　formless　buildings
now　standing　between　the　〃Terrain；〃　the　rue　d'Arcole；　the　cathedral；
and　the　quai　de　la　Cite。

This　spot；　the　heart　of　ancient　Paris；　is　the　loneliest　and　most
melancholy　of　regions。　The　waters　of　the　Seine　break　there　noisily；
the　cathedral　casts　its　shadows　at　the　setting　of　the　sun。　We　can
easily　believe　that　serious　thoughts　must　have　filled　the　mind　of　a
man　afflicted　with　a　moral　malady　as　he　leaned　upon　that　parapet。
Attracted　perhaps　by　the　harmony　between　his　thoughts　and　those　to
which　these　diverse　scenes　gave　birth；　he　rested　his　hands　upon　the
coping　and　gave　way　to　a　double　contemplation；of　Paris；　and　of
himself！　The　shadows　deepened；　the　lights　shone　out　afar；　but　still　he
did　not　move；　carried　along　as　he　was　on　the　current　of　a　meditation；
such　as　comes　to　many　of　us；　big　with　the　future　and　rendered　solemn
by　the　past。

After　a　while　he　heard　two　persons　coming　towards　him；　whose　voices
had　caught　his　attention　on　the　bridge　which　joins　the　Ile　de　la　Cite
with　the　quai　de　la　Tournelle。　These　persons　no　doubt　thought
themselves　alone；　and　therefore　spoke　louder　than　they　would　have　done
in　more　frequented　places。　The　voices　betrayed　a　discussion　which
apparently；　from　the　few　words　that　reached　the　ear　of　the　involuntary
listener；　related　to　a　loan　of　money。　Just　as　the　pair　approached　the
quay；　one　of　them；　dressed　like　a　working　man；　left　the　other　with　a
despairing　gesture。　The　other　stopped　and　called　after　him；　saying：

〃You　have　not　a　sou　to　pay　your　way　across　the　bridge。　Take　this；〃　he
added；　giving　the　man　a　piece　of　money；　〃and　remember；　my　friend；　that
God　Himself　is　speaking　to　us　when　a　good　thought　comes　into　our
hearts。〃

This　last　remark　made　the　dreamer　at　the　parapet　quiver。　The　man　who
made　it　little　knew　that；　to　use　a　proverbial　expression；　he　was
killing　two　birds　with　one　stone；　addressing　two　miseries；a　working
life　brought　to　despair；　a　suffering　soul　without　a　compass；　the
victim　of　what　Panurge's　sheep　call　progress；　and　what；　in　France；　is
called　equality。　The　words；　simple　in　themselves；　became　sublime　from
the　tone　of　him　who　said　them；　in　a　voice　that　possesses　a　spell。　Are
there　not；　in　fact；　some　calm　and　tender　voices　that　produce　upon　us
the　same　effect　as　a　far　horizon　outlook？

By　his　dress　the　dreamer　knew　him　to　be　a　priest；　and　he　saw　by　the
last　gleams　of　the　fading　twilight　a　white；　august；　worn　face。　The
sight　of　a　priest　issuing　from　the　beautiful　cathedral　of　Saint…
Etienne　in　Vienna；　bearing　the　Extreme　Unction　to　a　dying　person；
determined　the　celebrated　tragic　author　Werner　to　become　a　Catholic。
Almost　the　same　effect　was　produced　upon　the　dreamer　when　he　looked
upon　the　man　who　had；　all　unknowing；　given　him　comfort；　on　the
threatening　horizon　of　his　future　he　saw　a　luminous　space　where　shone
the　blue　of　ether；　and　he　followed　that　light　as　the　shepherds　of　the
Gospel　followed　the　voices　that　cried　to　them：　〃Christ；　the　Lord；　is
born　this　day。〃

The　man　who　had　said　the　beneficent　words　passed　on　by　the　wall　of　the
cathedral；　taking；　as　a　result　of　chance；　which　often　leads　to　great
results；　the　direction　of　the　street　from　which　the　dreamer　came；　and
to　which　he　was　now　returning；　led　by　the　faults　of　his　life。

This　dreamer　was　named　Godefroid。　Whoever　reads　this　history　will
understand　the　reasons　which　lead　the　writer　to　use　the　Christian
names　only　of　some　who　are　mentioned　in　it。　The　motives　which　led
Godefroid；　who　lived　in　the　quarter　of　the　Chaussee…d'Antin；　to　the
neighborhood　of　Notre…Dame　at　such　an　hour　were　as　follows：

The　son　of　a　retail　shopkeeper；　whose　economy　enabled　him　to　lay　by　a
sort　of　fortune；　he　was　the　sole　object　of　ambition　to　his　father　and
mother；　who　dreamed　of　seeing　him　a　notary　in　Paris。　For　this　reason；
at　the　age　of　seven；　he　was　sent　to　an　institution；　that　of　the　Abbe
Liautard；　to　be　thrown　among　children　of　distinguished　families　who；
during　the　Empire；　chose　this　school　for　the　education　of　their　sons
in　preference　to　the　lyceums；　where　religion　was　too　much　overlooked。
Social　inequalities　were　not　noticeable　among　schoolmates；　but　in
1821；　his　studies　being　ended；　Godefroid；　who　was　then　with　a　notary；
became　aware　of　the　distance　that　separated　him　from　those　with　whom
he　had　hitherto　lived　on　familiar　terms。

Obliged　to　go　through　the　law　school；　he　there　found　himself　among　a
crowd　of　the　sons　of　the　bourgeoisie；　who；　without　fortunes　to　inherit
or　hereditary　distinctions；　could　look　only　to　their　own　personal
merits　or　to　persistent　toil。　The　hopes　that　his　father　and　mother；
then　retired　from　business；　placed　upon　him　stimulated　the　youth's
vanity　without　exciting　his　pride。　His　parents　lived　simply；　like　the
thrifty　Dutch；　spending　only　one　fourth　of　an　income　of　twelve
thousand　francs。　They　intended　their　savings；　together　with　half　their
capital；　for　the　purchase　of　a　notary's　practice　for　their　son。
Subjected　to　the　rule　of　this　domestic　economy；　Godefroid　found　his
immediate　state　so　disproportioned　to　the　visions　of　himself　and　his
parents；　that　he　grew　discouraged。　In　some　feeble　natures
discouragement　turns　to　envy；　others；　in　whom　necessity；　will；
reflection；　stand　in　place　of　talent；　march　straight　and　resolutely　in
the　path　traced　out　for　bourgeois　ambitions。　Godefroid；　on　the
contrary；　revolted；　wished　to　shine；　tried　several　brilliant　ways；　and
blinded　his　eyes。　He　endeavored　to　succeed；　but　all　his　efforts　ended
in　proving　the　fact　of　his　own　impotence。　Admitting　at　last　the
inequality　that　existed　between　his　desires　and　his　capacities；　he
began　to　hate　all　social　supremacies；　became　a　Liberal；　and　attempted
to　reach　celebrity　by　writing　a　book；　but　he　learned；　to　his　cost；　to
regard　talent　as　he　did　nobility。　Having　tried　the　law；　the　notariat；
and　literature；　without　distinguishing　himself　in　any　way；　his　mind
now　turned　to　the　magistracy。

About　this　time　his　father　died。　His　mother；　who　contented　herself　in
her　old　age　with　two　thousand　francs　a　year；　gave　the　rest　of　the