honorine-第6章

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enjoyed　the　comforts　of　modern　life；　he　had　fine　horses；　supplied　by　a
coachman　to　whom　I　paid　so　much　a　month　for　each　horse；　his　dinners　on
his　reception　days；　furnished　by　Chevet　at　a　price　agreed　upon；　did
him　credit；　his　daily　meals　were　prepared　by　an　excellent　cook　found
by　my　uncle；　and　helped　by　two　kitchenmaids。　The　expenditure　for
housekeeping；　not　including　purchases；　was　no　more　than　thirty
thousand　francs　a　year；　we　had　two　additional　men…servants；　whose　care
restored　the　poetical　aspect　of　the　house；　for　this　old　palace；
splendid　even　in　its　rust；　had　an　air　of　dignity　which　neglect　had
dishonored。

〃　'I　am　no　longer　astonished；'　said　he；　on　hearing　of　these　results；
'at　the　fortunes　made　by　servants。　In　seven　years　I　have　had　two
cooks；　who　have　become　rich　restaurant…keepers。'

〃Early　in　the　year　1826　the　Count　had；　no　doubt；　ceased　to　watch　me；
and　we　were　as　closely　attached　as　two　men　can　be　when　one　is
subordinate　to　the　other。　He　had　never　spoken　to　me　of　my　future
prospects；　but　he　had　taken　an　interest；　both　as　a　master　and　as　a
father；　in　training　me。　He　often　required　me　to　collect　materials　for
his　most　arduous　labors；　I　drew　up　some　of　his　reports；　and　he
corrected　them；　showing　the　difference　between　his　interpretation　of
the　law；　his　views　and　mine。　When　at　last　I　had　produced　a　document
which　he　could　give　in　as　his　own　he　was　delighted；　this　satisfaction
was　my　reward；　and　he　could　see　that　I　took　it　so。　This　little
incident　produced　an　extraordinary　effect　on　a　soul　which　seemed　so
stern。　The　Count　pronounced　sentence　on　me；　to　use　a　legal　phrase；　as
supreme　and　royal　judge；　he　took　my　head　in　his　hands；　and　kissed　me
on　the　forehead。

〃　'Maurice；'　he　exclaimed；　'you　are　no　longer　my　apprentice；　I　know
not　yet　what　you　will　be　to　mebut　if　no　change　occurs　in　my　life；
perhaps　you　will　take　the　place　of　a　son。'

〃Comte　Octave　had　introduced　me　to　the　best　houses　in　Paris；　whither　I
went　in　his　stead；　with　his　servants　and　carriage；　on　the　too　frequent
occasions　when；　on　the　point　of　starting；　he　changed　his　mind；　and
sent　for　a　hackney　cab　to　take　himWhere？that　was　the　mystery。　By
the　welcome　I　met　with　I　could　judge　of　the　Count's　feelings　towards
me；　and　the　earnestness　of　his　recommendations。　He　supplied　all　my
wants　with　the　thoughtfulness　of　a　father；　and　with　all　the　greater
liberality　because　my　modesty　left　it　to　him　always　to　think　of　me。
Towards　the　end　of　January　1827；　at　the　house　of　the　Comtesse　de
Serizy；　I　had　such　persistent　ill…luck　at　play　that　I　lost　two
thousand　francs；　and　I　would　not　draw　them　out　of　my　savings。　Next
morning　I　asked　myself；　'Had　I　better　ask　my　uncle　for　the　money；　or
put　my　confidence　in　the　Count？'

〃I　decided　on　the　second　alternative。

〃　'Yesterday；'　said　I；　when　he　was　at　breakfast；　'I　lost　persistently
at　play；　I　was　provoked；　and　went　on；　I　owe　two　thousand　francs。　Will
you　allow　me　to　draw　the　sum　on　account　of　my　year's　salary？'

〃　'No；'　said　he；　with　the　sweetest　smile；　'when　a　man　plays　in
society；　he　must　have　a　gambling　purse。　Draw　six　thousand　francs；　pay
your　debts。　Henceforth　we　must　go　halves；　for　since　you　are　my
representative　on　most　occasions；　your　self…respect　must　not　be　made
to　suffer　for　it。'

〃I　made　no　speech　of　thanks。　Thanks　would　have　been　superfluous
between　us。　This　shade　shows　the　character　of　our　relations。　And　yet
we　had　not　yet　unlimited　confidence　in　each　other；　he　did　not　open　to
me　the　vast　subterranean　chambers　which　I　had　detected　in　his　secret
life；　and　I；　for　my　part；　never　said　to　him；　'What　ails　you？　From　what
are　you　suffering？'

〃What　could　he　be　doing　during　those　long　evenings？　He　would　often
come　in　on　foot　or　in　a　hackney　cab　when　I　returned　in　a　carriageI；
his　secretary！　Was　so　pious　a　man　a　prey　to　vices　hidden　under
hypocrisy？　Did　he　expend　all　the　powers　of　his　mind　to　satisfy　a
jealousy　more　dexterous　than　Othello's？　Did　he　live　with　some　woman
unworthy　of　him？　One　morning；　on　returning　from　I　have　forgotten　what
shop；　where　I　had　just　paid　a　bill；　between　the　Church　of　Saint…Paul
and　the　Hotel　de　Ville；　I　came　across　Comte　Octave　in　such　eager
conversation　with　an　old　woman　that　he　did　not　see　me。　The　appearance
of　this　hag　filled　me　with　strange　suspicions；　suspicions　that　were
all　the　better　founded　because　I　never　found　that　the　Count　invested
his　savings。　Is　it　not　shocking　to　think　of？　I　was　constituting　myself
my　patron's　censor。　At　that　time　I　knew　that　he　had　more　than　six
hundred　thousand　francs　to　invest；　and　if　he　had　bought　securities　of
any　kind；　his　confidence　in　me　was　so　complete　in　all　that　concerned
his　pecuniary　interests；　that　I　certainly　should　have　known　it。

〃Sometimes；　in　the　morning；　the　Count　took　exercise　in　his　garden；　to
and　fro；　like　a　man　to　whom　a　walk　is　the　hippogryph　ridden　by　dreamy
melancholy。　He　walked　and　walked！　And　he　rubbed　his　hands　enough　to
rub　the　skin　off。　And　then；　if　I　met　him　unexpectedly　as　he　came　to
the　angle　of　a　path；　I　saw　his　face　beaming。　His　eyes；　instead　of　the
hardness　of　a　turquoise；　had　that　velvety　softness　of　the　blue
periwinkle；　which　had　so　much　struck　me　on　the　occasion　of　my　first
visit；　by　reason　of　the　astonishing　contrast　in　the　two　different
looks；　the　look　of　a　happy　man；　and　the　look　of　an　unhappy　man。　Two　or
three　times　at　such　a　moment　he　had　taken　me　by　the　arm　and　led　me　on；
then　he　had　said；　'What　have　you　come　to　ask？'　instead　of　pouring　out
his　joy　into　my　heart　that　opened　to　him。　But　more　often；　especially
since　I　could　do　his　work　for　him　and　write　his　reports；　the　unhappy
man　would　sit　for　hours　staring　at　the　goldfish　that　swarmed　in　a
handsome　marble　basin　in　the　middle　of　the　garden；　round　which　grew　an
amphitheatre　of　the　finest　flowers。　He；　an　accomplished　statesman；
seemed　to　have　succeeded　in　making　a　passion　of　the　mechanical
amusement　of　crumbling　bread　to　fishes。

〃This　is　how　the　drama　was　disclosed　of　this　second　inner　life；　so
deeply　ravaged　and　storm…tossed；　where；　in　a　circle　overlooked　by
Dante　in　his　/Inferno/；　horrible　joys　had　their　birth。〃

The　Consul…General　paused。



〃On　a　certain　Monday；〃　he　resumed；　〃as　chance　would　have　it；　M。　le
President　de　Grandville　and　M。　de　Serizy　（at　that　time　Vice…President
of　the　Council　of　State）　had　come　to　hold　a　meeting　at　Comte　Octave's
house。　They　formed　a　committee　of　three；　of　which　I　was　the　secretary。
The　Count　had　already　got　me　the　appointment　of　Auditor　to　the　Council
of　State。　All　the　documents　requisite　for　their　inquiry　into　the
political　matter　privately　submitted　to　these　three　gentlemen　were
laid　out　on　one　of　the　long　tables　in　the　library。　MM。　de　Grandville
and　de　Serizy　had　trusted　to　the　Count　to　make　the　preliminary
examination　of　the　papers　relating　to　the　matter。　To　avoid　the
necessity　for　carrying　all　the　papers　to　M。　de　Serizy；　as　president　of
the　commission；　it　was　decided　that　they　should　meet　first　in　the　Rue
Payenne。　The　Cabinet　at　the　Tuileries　attached　great　importance　to
this　piece　of　work；　of　which　the　chief　burden　fell　on　meand　to　which
I　owed　my　appointment；　in　the　course　of　that　year；　to　be　Master　of
Appeals。

〃Though　the　Comtes　de　Grandville　and　de　Serizy；　whose　habits　were　much
the　same　as　my　patron's；　never　dined　away　from　home；　we　were　still
discussing　the　matter　at　a　late　hour；　when　we　were　startled　by　the
man…servant　calling　me　aside　to　say；　'MM。　the　Cures　of　Saint…Paul　and
of　the　White　Friars　have　been　waiting　in　the　drawing…room　for　two
hours。'

〃It　was　nine　o'clock。

〃　'Well；　gentlemen；　you　find　yourselves　compelled　to　dine　with
priests；'　said　Comte　Octave　to　his　colleagues。　'I　do　not　know　whether
Grandville　can　overcome　his　horror　of　a　priest's　gown'

〃　'It　depends　on　the　priest。'

〃　'One　of　them　is　my　uncle；　and　the　other　is　the　Abbe　Gaudron；'　said
I。　'Do　not　be　alarmed；　the　Abbe　Fontanon　is　no　longer　second　priest　at
Saint…Paul'

〃　'Well；　let　us　dine；'　replied　the　President　de　Grandville。　'A　bigot
frightens　me；　but　there　is　no　one　so　cheerful　as　a　truly　pious　man。'

〃We　went　into　the　drawing…room。　The　dinner　was　delightful。　Men　of　real
information；　politicians　to　whom　business