the brotherhood of consolation-第3章

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the　boulevard　des　Italiens；he　was　startled　to　learn　the　success　of　a
man　endowed　apparently　with　less　gifts；　less　means；　less　fortune　than
himself；　but　who　had　bent　his　will　each　morning　to　the　purpose
resolved　upon　the　night　before。　The　sick　soul　then　determined　to
imitate　that　simple　action。

〃Social　existence　is　like　the　soil；〃　his　comrade　had　said　to　him；　〃it
makes　us　a　return　in　proportion　to　our　efforts。〃

Godefroid　was　in　debt。　As　a　first　test；　a　first　task；　he　resolved　to
live　in　some　retired　place；　and　pay　his　debts　from　his　income。　To　a
man　accustomed　to　spend　six　thousand　francs　when　he　had　but　five；　it
was　no　small　undertaking　to　bring　himself　to　live　on　two　thousand。
Every　morning　he　studied　advertisements；　hoping　to　find　the　offer　of
some　asylum　where　his　expenses　could　be　fixed；　where　he　might　have　the
solitude　a　man　wants　when　he　makes　a　return　upon　himself；　examines
himself；　and　endeavors　to　give　himself　a　vocation。　The　manners　and
customs　of　bourgeois　boarding…houses　shocked　his　delicacy；　sanitariums
seemed　to　him　unhealthy；　and　he　was　about　to　fall　back　into　the　fatal
irresolution　of　persons　without　will；　when　the　following　advertisement
met　his　eye：

　　〃To　Let。　A　small　lodging　for　seventy　francs　a　month；　suitable　for
　　an　ecclesiastic。　A　quiet　tenant　desired。　Board　supplied；　the　rooms
　　can　be　furnished　at　a　moderate　cost　if　mutually　acceptable。

　　〃Inquire　of　M。　Millet；　grocer；　rue　Chanoinesse；　near　Notre…Dame；
　　where　all　further　information　can　be　obtained。〃

Attracted　by　a　certain　kindliness　concealed　beneath　these　words；　and
the　middle…class　air　which　exhaled　from　them；　Godefroid　had；　on　the
afternoon　when　we　found　him　on　the　quay；　called　at　four　o'clock　on　the
grocer；　who　told　him　that　Madame　de　la　Chanterie　was　then　dining；　and
did　not　receive　any　one　when　at　her　meals。　The　lady；　he　said；　was
visible　in　the　evening　after　seven　o'clock；　or　in　the　morning　between
ten　and　twelve。　While　speaking；　Monsieur　Millet　examined　Godefroid；
and　made　him　submit　to　what　magistrates　call　the　〃first　degree　of
interrogation。〃

〃Was　monsieur　unmarried？　Madame　wished　a　person　of　regular　habits；　the
gate　was　closed　at　eleven　at　the　latest。　Monsieur　certainly　seemed　of
an　age　to　suit　Madame　de　la　Chanterie。〃

〃How　old　do　you　think　me？〃　asked　Godefroid。

〃About　forty！〃　replied　the　grocer。

This　ingenuous　answer　threw　the　young　man　into　a　state　of　misanthropic
gloom。　He　went　off　and　dined　at　a　restaurant　on　the　quai　de　la
Tournelle；　and　afterwards　went　to　the　parapet　to　contemplate　Notre…
Dame　at　the　moment　when　the　fires　of　the　setting　sun　were　rippling　and
breaking　about　the　manifold　buttresses　of　the　apsis。

The　young　man　was　floating　between　the　promptings　of　despair　and　the
moving　voice　of　religious　harmonies　sounding　in　the　bell　of　the
cathedral　when；　amid　the　shadows；　the　silence；　the　half…veiled　light
of　the　moon；　he　heard　the　words　of　the　priest。　Though；　like　most　of
the　sons　of　our　century；　he　was　far　from　religious；　his　sensibilities
were　touched　by　those　words；　and　he　returned　to　the　rue　Chanoinesse；
although　he　had　almost　made　up　his　mind　not　to　do　so。

The　priest　and　Godefroid　were　both　surprised　when　they　entered
together　the　rue　Massilon；　which　is　opposite　to　the　small　north　portal
of　the　cathedral；　and　turned　together　into　the　rue　Chanoinesse；　at　the
point　where；　towards　the　rue　de　la　Colombe；　it　becomes　the　rue　des
Marmousets。　When　Godefroid　stopped　before　the　arched　portal　of　Madame
de　la　Chanterie's　house；　the　priest　turned　towards　him　and　examined
him　by　the　light　of　the　hanging　street…lamp；　probably　one　of　the　last
to　disappear　from　the　heart　of　old　Paris。

〃Have　you　come　to　see　Madame　de　la　Chanterie；　monsieur？〃　said　the
priest。

〃Yes；〃　replied　Godefroid。　〃The　words　I　heard　you　say　to　that　workman
show　me　that；　if　you　live　here；　this　house　must　be　salutary　for　the
soul。〃

〃Then　you　were　a　witness　of　my　defeat；〃　said　the　priest；　raising　the
knocker　of　the　door；　〃for　I　did　not　succeed。〃

〃I　thought；　on　the　contrary；　it　was　the　workman　who　did　not　succeed；
he　demanded　money　energetically。〃

〃Alas！〃　replied　the　priest；　〃one　of　the　great　evils　of　revolutions　in
France　is　that　each　offers　a　fresh　premium　to　the　ambitions　of　the
lower　classes。　To　get　out　of　his　condition；　to　make　his　fortune　（which
is　regarded　to…day　as　the　only　social　standard）；　the　working…man
throws　himself　into　some　of　those　monstrous　associations　which；　if
they　do　not　succeed；　ought　to　bring　the　speculators　to　account　before
human　justice。　This　is　what　trusts　often　lead　to。〃

The　porter　opened　a　heavy　door。　The　priest　said　to　Godefroid：
〃Monsieur　has　perhaps　come　about　the　little　suite　of　rooms？〃

〃Yes；　monsieur。〃

The　priest　and　Godefroid　then　crossed　a　wide　courtyard；　at　the　farther
end　of　which　loomed　darkly　a　tall　house　flanked　by　a　square　tower
which　rose　above　the　roof；　and　appeared　to　be　in　a　dilapidated
condition。　Whoever　knows　the　history　of　Paris；　knows　that　the　soil
before　and　around　the　cathedral　has　been　so　raised　that　there　is　not　a
vestige　now　of　the　twelve　steps　which　formerly　led　up　to　it。　To…day
the　base　of　the　columns　of　the　porch　is　on　a　level　with　the　pavement；
consequently　what　was　once　the　ground…floor　of　the　house　of　which　we
speak　is　now　its　cellar。　A　portico；　reached　by　a　few　steps；　leads　to
the　entrance　of　the　tower；　in　which　a　spiral　stairway　winds　up　round　a
central　shaft　carved　with　a　grape…vine。　This　style；　which　recalls　the
stairways　of　Louis　XII。　at　the　chateau　of　Blois；　dates　from　the
fourteenth　century。　Struck　by　these　and　other　evidences　of　antiquity；
Godefroid　could　not　help　saying；　with　a　smile；　to　the　priest：　〃This
tower　is　not　of　yesterday。〃

〃It　sustained；　they　say；　an　assault　of　the　Normans；　and　probably
formed　part　of　the　first　palace　of　the　kings　of　Paris；　but；　according
to　actual　tradition；　it　was　certainly　the　dwelling　of　the　famous　Canon
Fulbert；　the　uncle　of　Heloise。〃

As　he　ended　these　words；　the　priest　opened　the　door　of　the　apartment
which　appeared　now　to　be　the　ground…floor　of　the　house；　but　was　in
reality　towards　both　the　front　and　back　courtyard　（for　there　was　a
small　interior　court）　on　the　first　floor。

In　the　antechamber　a　maid…servant；　wearing　a　cambric　cap　with　fluted
frills　for　its　sole　decoration；　was　knitting　by　the　light　of　a　little
lamp。　She　stuck　her　needles　into　her　hair；　held　her　work　in　her　hand；
and　rose　to　open　the　door　of　a　salon　which　looked　out　on　the　inner
court。　The　dress　of　the　woman　was　somewhat　like　that　of　the　Sisters　of
Mercy。

〃Madame；　I　bring　you　a　tenant；〃　said　the　priest；　ushering　Godefroid
into　the　salon；　where　the　latter　saw　three　persons　sitting　in
armchairs　near　Madame　de　la　Chanterie。

These　three　persons　rose；　the　mistress　of　the　house　rose；　then；　when
the　priest　had　drawn　up　another　armchair　for　Godefroid；　and　when　the
future　tenant　had　seated　himself　in　obedience　to　a　gesture　of　Madame
de　la　Chanterie；　accompanied　by　the　old…fashioned　words；　〃Be　seated；
monsieur；〃　the　man　of　the　boulevards　fancied　himself　at　some　enormous
distance　from　Paris；in　lower　Brittany　or　the　wilds　of　Canada。

Silence　has　perhaps　its　own　degrees。　Godefroid；　already　penetrated
with　the　silence　of　the　rues　Massillon　and　Chanoinesse；　where　two
carriages　do　not　pass　in　a　month；　and　grasped　by　the　silence　of　the
courtyard　and　the　tower；　may　have　felt　that　he　had　reached　the　very
heart　of　silence　in　this　still　salon；　guarded　by　so　many　old　streets；
old　courts；　old　walls。

This　part　of　the　Ile；　which　is　called　〃the　Cloister；〃　has　preserved
the　character　of　all　cloisters；　it　is　damp；　cold；　and　monastically
silent　even　at　the　noisiest　hours　of　the　day。　It　will　be　remarked；
also；　that　this　portion　of　the　Cite；　crowded　between　the　flank　of
Notre…Dame　and　the　river；　faces　the　north；　and　is　always　in　the　shadow
of　the　cathedral。　The　east　winds　swirl　through　it　unopposed；　and　the
fogs　of　the　Seine　are　caught　and　retained　by　the　black　walls　of　the
old　metropolitan　church。　No　one　will　therefore　be　surprised　at　the
sensations　Godefroid　felt　when　he　found　himself　in　this　old　dwelling；
in　presence　of　four　silent　human　beings；　who　seemed　as　solemn