the brotherhood of consolation-第7章

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bowing　to　the　four　men；　who　returned　the　bow　with　gravity。

〃We　thought　so；〃　said　an　old　man　named　Alain；　smiling。

〃Manon　spoke　of　a　second　breakfast；〃　said　Godefroid；　〃but　I　fear　that
I　have　already　broken　some　rule。　At　what　hour　do　you　rise？〃

〃Not　quite　so　early　as　the　old　monks；〃　said　Madame　de　la　Chanterie；
courteously；　〃but　as　early　as　the　working…men；six　in　winter；　half…
past　three　in　summer。　Our　bed…time　is　ruled　by　that　of　the　sun。　We　are
always　asleep　by　nine　in　winter　and　eleven　in　summer。　On　rising；　we
all　take　a　little　milk；　which　comes　from　our　farm；　after　saying　our
prayers；　except　the　Abbe　de　Veze；　who　says　the　first　mass；　at　six
o'clock　in　summer　and　seven　o'clock　in　winter；　at　Notre…Dame；　where
these　gentlemen　are　present　daily；　as　well　as　your　humble　servant。〃

Madame　de　la　Chanterie　ended　her　explanation　as　the　five　lodgers　took
their　seats　at　table。

The　dining…room；　painted　throughout　in　gray；　the　design　of　the
woodwork　being　in　the　style　of　Louis　XIV。；　adjoined　the　sort　of
antechamber　in　which　Manon　was　usually　stationed；　and　it　seemed　to　be
parallel　with　Madame　de　la　Chanterie's　bedroom；　which　also　opened　into
the　salon。　This　room　had　no　other　ornament　than　a　tall　clock。　The
furniture　consisted　of　six　chairs　with　oval　backs　covered　with
worsted…work；　done　probably　by　Madame　de　la　Chanterie's　own　hand；　two
buffets　and　a　table；　all　of　Mahogany；　on　which　Manon　did　not　lay　a
cloth　for　breakfast。　The　breakfast；　of　monastic　frugality；　was
composed　of　a　small　turbot　with　a　white　sauce；　potatoes；　a　salad；　and
four　dishes　of　fruit；peaches；　grapes；　strawberries；　and　fresh
almonds；　also；　for　relishes；　honey　in　the　comb　（as　in　Switzerland）；
radishes；　cucumbers；　sardines；　and　butter；the　whole　served　in　the
well…known　china　with　tiny　blue　flowers　and　green　leaves　on　a　white
ground；　which　was　no　doubt　a　luxury　in　the　days　of　Louis　XIV。；　but　had
now；　under　the　growing　demands　of　luxury；　come　to　be　regarded　as
common。

〃We　keep　the　fasts；〃　said　Monsieur　Alain。　〃As　we　go　to　mass　every
morning；　you　will　not　be　surprised　to　find　us　blindly　following　all
the　customs　of　the　Church；　even　the　severest。〃

〃And　you　shall　begin　by　imitating　us；〃　said　Madame　de　la　Chanterie；
with　a　glance　at　Godefroid；　whom　she　had　placed　beside　her。

Of　the　five　persons　present　Godefroid　knew　the　names　of　three；Madame
de　la　Chanterie；　the　Abbe　de　Veze；　and　Monsieur　Alain。　He　wished　to
know　those　of　the　other　two；　but　they　kept　silence　and　ate　their　food
with　the　attention　which　recluses　appear　to　give　to　every　detail　of　a
meal。

〃Does　this　fine　fruit　come　also　from　your　farm；　madame？〃　asked
Godefroid。

〃Yes；　monsieur；〃　she　replied。　〃We　have　a　little　model　farm；　like　the
government　itself；　we　call　it　our　country　house；　it　is　twelve　miles
from　here；　on　the　road　to　Italy；　near　Villeneuve…Saint…Georges。〃

〃It　is　a　property　that　belongs　to　us　all；　and　is　to　go　to　the
survivor；〃　said　the　goodman　Alain。

〃Oh；　it　is　not　very　considerable！〃　added　Madame　de　la　Chanterie；
rather　hastily；　as　if　she　feared　that　Godefroid　might　think　these
remarks　a　bait。

〃There　are　thirty　acres　of　tilled　land；〃　said　one　of　the　two
personages　still　unknown　to　Godefroid；　〃six　of　meadow；　and　an
enclosure　containing　four　acres；　in　which　our　house；　which　adjoins　the
farmhouse；　stands。〃

〃But　such　a　property　as　that；〃　said　Godefroid；　〃must　be　worth　a
hundred　thousand　francs。〃

〃Oh；　we　don't　get　anything　out　of　it　but　our　provisions！〃　said　the
same　personage。

He　was　a　tall；　grave；　spare　man；　with　all　the　appearance　of　having
served　in　the　army。　His　white　hair　showed　him　to　be　past　sixty；　and
his　face　betrayed　some　violent　grief　controlled　by　religion。

The　second　unnamed　person；　who　seemed　to　be　something　between　a　master
of　rhetoric　and　a　business　agent；　was　of　ordinary　height；　plump；　but
active　withal。　His　face　had　the　jovial　expression　which　characterizes
those　of　lawyers　and　notaries　in　Paris。

The　dress　of　these　four　personages　revealed　a　neatness　due　to　the　most
scrupulous　personal　care。　The　same　hand；　and　it　was　that　of　Manon；
could　be　seen　in　every　detail。　Their　coats　were　perhaps　ten　years　old；
but　they　were　preserved；　like　the　coats　of　vicars；　by　the　occult　power
of　the　servant…woman；　and　the　constant　care　with　which　they　were　worn。
These　men　seemed　to　wear　on　their　backs　the　livery　of　a　system　of
life；　they　belonged　to　one　thought；　their　looks　said　the　same　word；
their　faces　breathed　a　gentle　resignation；　a　provoking　quietude。

〃Is　it　an　indiscretion；　madame；〃　said　Godefroid；　〃to　ask　the　names　of
these　gentlemen？　I　am　ready　to　explain　my　life；　can　I　know　as　much　of
theirs　as　custom　will　allow？〃

〃That　gentleman；〃　said　Madame　de　la　Chanterie；　motioning　to　the　tall；
thin　man；　〃is　Monsieur　Nicolas；　he　is　a　colonel　of　gendarmerie；
retired　with　the　rank　of　brigadier…general。　And　this；〃　she　added；
looking　towards　the　stout　little　man；　〃is　a　former　councillor　of　the
royal　courts　of　Paris；　who　retired　from　the　magistracy　in　1830。　His
name　is　Monsieur　Joseph。　Though　you　have　only　been　with　us　one　day；　I
will　tell　you　that　in　the　world　Monsieur　Nicolas　once　bore　the　name　of
the　Marquis　de　Montauran；　and　Monsieur　Joseph　that　of　Lecamus；　Baron
de　Tresnes；　but　for　us；　as　for　the　world；　those　names　no　longer　exist。
These　gentlemen　are　without　heirs；　they　only　advance　by　a　little　the
oblivion　which　awaits　their　names；　they　are　simply　Monsieur　Nicolas
and　Monsieur　Joseph；　as　you　will　be　Monsieur　Godefroid。〃

As　he　heard　those　names；one　so　celebrated　in　the　annals　of　royalism
by　the　catastrophe　which　put　an　end　to　the　uprising　of　the　Chouans；
the　other　so　revered　in　the　halls　of　the　old　parliament　of　Paris；
Godefroid　could　not　repress　a　quiver。　He　looked　at　these　relics　of　the
grandest　things　of　the　fallen　monarchy；the　/noblesse/　and　the　law；
and　he　could　see　no　movement　of　the　features；　no　change　in　the
countenance；　that　revealed　the　presence　of　a　worldly　thought。　Those
men　no　longer　remembered；　or　did　not　choose　to　remember；　what　they　had
been。　This　was　Godefroid's　first　lesson。

〃Each　of　your　names；　gentlemen；　is　a　whole　history　in　itself；〃　he　said
respectfully。

〃Yes；　the　history　of　my　time；ruins；〃　replied　Monsieur　Joseph。

〃You　are　in　good　company；〃　said　Monsieur　Alain。

The　latter　can　be　described　in　a　word：　he　was　the　small　bourgeois　of
Paris；　the　worthy　middle…class　being　with　a　kindly　face；　relieved　by
pure　white　hair；　but　made　insipid　by　an　eternal　smile。

As　for　the　priest；　the　Abbe　de　Veze；　his　presence　said　all。　The　priest
who　fulfils　his　mission　is　known　by　the　first　glance　he　gives　you；　and
by　the　glance　that　others　who　know　him　give　to　him。

That　which　struck　Godefroid　most　forcibly　at　first　was　the　profound
respect　which　the　four　lodgers　manifested　for　Madame　de　la　Chanterie。
They　all　seemed；　even　the　priest；　in　spite　of　the　sacred　character　his
functions　gave　him；　to　regard　her　as　a　queen。　Godefroid　also　noticed
their　sobriety。　Each　seemed　to　eat　only　for　nourishment。　Madame　de　la
Chanterie　took；　as　did　the　rest；　a　single　peach　and　half　a　bunch　of
grapes；　but　she　told　her　new　lodger；　as　she　offered　him　the　various
dishes；　not　to　imitate　such　temperance。

Godefroid's　curiosity　was　excited　to　the　highest　degree　by　this　first
entrance　on　his　new　life。　When　they　returned　to　the　salon　after
breakfast；　he　was　left　alone；　Madame　de　la　Chanterie　retired　to　the
embrasure　of　a　window　and　held　a　little　private　council　with　her　four
friends。　This　conference；　entirely　devoid　of　animation；　lasted　half　an
hour。　They　spoke　together　in　a　low　voice；　exchanging　words　which　each
of　them　appeared　to　have　thought　over。　From　time　to　time　Monsieur
Alain　and　Monsieur　Joseph　consulted　a　note…book；　turning　over　its
leaves。

〃See　the　faubourg；〃　said　Madame　de　la　Chanterie　to　Monsieur　Joseph；
who　left　the　house。

That　was　the　only　word　Godefroid　distinguished。

〃And　you　the　Saint…Marceau　quarter；〃　she　continued；　addressing
Monsieur　Nicolas。　〃Hunt　through　the　faubourg　Saint…Germain　and　see　if
you　can　find　what　we　want；〃　this　to　the　Abbe　de　Veze；　who　went　away
immediately。　〃And　you；　my　dear　Alain；〃　she　added；　smiling　at　the
latter；　〃make　an　exami