the crime of sylvestre bonnard-第24章

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〃Monsieur　de　Lessay；　on　finding　that　I　had　graduated　at　the　Ecole　des　Chartes；　judged　me　worthy　to　assist　him　in　preparing　his　historical　atlas。　　The　plan　was　to　illustrate；　by　a　series　of　maps；　what　the　old　philosopher　termed　the　Vicissitudes　of　Empires　from　the　time　of　Noah　down　to　that　of　Charlemagne。　　Monsieur　de　Lessay　had　stored　up　in　his　head　all　the　errors　of　the　eighteenth　century　in　regard　to　antiquity。　　I　belonged；　so　far　as　my　historical　studies　were　concerned；　to　the　new　school；　and　I　was　just　at　that　age　when　one　does　not　know　how　to　dissemble。　　The　manner　in　which　the　old　man　understood；　or；　rather；　misunderstood；　the　epoch　of　the　Barbarians　his　obstinate　determination　to　find　in　remote　antiquity　only　ambitious　princes；　hypocritical　and　avaricious　prelates；　virtuous　citizens；　poet…philosophers；　and　other　personages　who　never　existed　outside　of　the　novels　of　Marmontel；made　me　dreadfully　unhappy；　and　at　first　used　to　excite　me　into　attempts　at　argument；rational　enough；　but　perfectly　useless　and　sometimes　dangerous；　for　Monsieur　de　Lessay　was　very　irascible；　and　Clementine　was　very　beautiful。　Between　her　and　him　I　passed　many　hours　of　torment　and　of　delight。　　I　was　in　love；　I　was　a　coward；　and　I　granted　to　him　all　that　he　demanded　of　me　in　regard　to　the　political　and　historical　aspect　which　the　Earththat　was　at　a　later　day　to　bear　Clementinepresented　in　the　time　of　Abraham；　of　Menes；　and　of　Deucalion。

〃As　fast　as　we　drew　our　maps；　Mademoiselle　de　Lessay　tinted　them　in　water…colours。　　Bending　over　the　table；　she　held　the　brush　lightly　between　two　fingers；　the　shadow　of　her　eyelashes　descended　upon　her　cheeks；　and　bather　her　half…closed　eyes　in　a　delicious　penumbra。　Sometimes　she　would　lift　her　head；　and　I　would　see　her　lips　pout。　There　was　so　much　expression　in　her　beauty　that　she　could　not　breathe　without　seeming　to　sigh；　and　her　most　ordinary　poses　used　to　throw　me　into　the　deepest　ecstasies　of　admiration。　　Whenever　I　gazed　at　her　I　fully　agreed　with　Monsieur　de　Lessay　that　Jupiter　had　once　reigned　as　a　despot…king　over　the　mountainous　regions　of　Thessaly；　and　that　Orpheus　had　committed　the　imprudence　of　leaving　the　teaching　of　philosophy　to　the　clergy。　　I　am　not　now　quite　sure　whether　I　was　a　coward　or　a　hero　when　I　accorded　al　this　to　the　obstinate　old　man。

〃Mademoiselle　de　Lessay；　I　must　acknowledge；　paid　very　little　attention　to　me。　　But　this　indifference　seemed　to　me　so　just　and　so　natural　that　I　never　even　dreamed　of　thinking　I　had　a　right　to　complain　about　it；　it　made　me　unhappy；　but　without　my　knowing　that　I　was　unhappy　at　the　time。　　I　was　hopeful；we　had　then　only　got　as　far　as　the　First　Assyrian　Empire。

〃Monsieur　de　Lessay　came　every　evening　to　take　coffee　with　my　father。　I　do　not　know　how　they　became　such　friends；　for　it　would　have　been　difficult　to　find　two　characters　more　oppositely　constituted。　　My　father　was　a　man　who　admired　very　few　things；　but　was　still　capable　of　excusing　a　great　many。　　Still；　as　he　grew　older；　he　evinced　more　and　more　dislike　of　everything　in　the　shape　of　exaggeration。　　He　clothed　his　ideas　with　a　thousand　delicate　shades　of　expression；　and　never　pronounced　an　opinion　without　all　sorts　of　reservations。　These　conversational　habits；　natural　to　a　finely　trained　mind；　used　greatly　to　irritate　the　dry；　terse　old　aristocrat；　who　was　never　in　the　least　disarmed　by　the　moderation　of　an　adversaryquite　the　contrary！　　I　always　foresaw　one　danger。　　That　danger　was　Bonaparte。　My　father　had　not　himself　retained　an　particular　affection　for　his　memory；　but；　having　worked　under　his　direction；　he　did　not　like　to　hear　him　abused；　especially　in　favour　of　the　Bourbons；　against　whom　he　had　serious　reason　to　feel　resentment。　　Monsieur　de　Lessay；　more　of　a　Voltairean　and　a　Legitimist　than　ever；　now　traced　back　to　Bonaparte　the　origin　of　every　social；　political；　and　religious　evil。　Such　being　the　situation；　the　idea　of　Uncle　Victor　made　me　feel　particularly　uneasy。　　This　terrible　uncle　had　become　absolutely　unsufferable　now　that　his　sister　was　no　longer　there　to　calm　him　down。　　The　harp　of　David　was　broken；　and　Saul　was　wholly　delivered　over　to　the　spirit　of　madness。　　The　fall　of　Charles　X。　had　increased　the　audacity　of　the　old　Napoleonic　veteran；　who　uttered　all　imaginable　bravadoes。　　He　no　longer　frequented　our　house；　which　had　become　too　silent　for　him。　　But　sometimes；　at　the　dinner…hour；　we　would　see　him　suddenly　make　his　appearance；　all　covered　with　flowers；　like　a　mausoleum。　　Ordinarily　he　would　sit　down　to　table　with　an　oath；　growled　out　from　the　very　bottom　of　his　chest；　and　brag；　between　every　two　mouthfuls；　of　his　good　fortune　with　the　ladies　as　a　vieux　brave。　　Then；　when　the　dinner　was　over；　he　would　fold　up　his　napkin　in　the　shape　of　a　bishop's　mitre；　gulp　down　half　a　decanter　of　brandy；　and　rush　away　with　the　hurried　air　of　a　man　terrified　at　the　mere　idea　of　remaining　for　any　length　of　time；　without　drinking；　in　conversation　with　an　old　philosopher　and　a　young　scholar。　　I　felt　perfectly　sure　that；　if　ever　he　and　Monsieur　de　Lessay　should　come　together；　all　would　be　lost。　　But　that　day　came；　Madame！

〃The　captain　was　almost　hidden　by　flowers　that　day；　and　seemed　so　much　like　a　monument　commemorating　the　glories　of　the　Empire　that　one　would　have　liked　to　pass　a　garland　of　immortelles　over　each　of　his　arms。　　He　was　in　an　extraordinarily　good　humour；　and　the　first　person　to　profit　by　that　good　humour　was　our　cookfor　he　put　his　arm　around　her　waist　while　she　was　placing　the　roast　on　the　table。

〃After　dinner　he　pushed　away　the　decanter　presented　to　him；　observing　that　he　was　going　to　burn　some　brandy　in　his　coffee　later　on。　　I　asked　him　tremblingly　whether　he　would　not　prefer　to　have　his　coffee　at　once。　　He　was　very　suspicious；　and　not　at　all　dull　of　comprehensionmy　Uncle　Victor。　　My　precipitation　seemed　to　him　in　very　bad　taste；　for　he　looked　at　me　in　a　peculiar　way；　and　said；

〃'Patience！　my　nephew。　　It　isn't　the　business　of　the　baby　of　the　regiment　to　sound　the　retreat！　　Devil　take　it！　　You　must　be　in　a　great　hurry；　Master　Pedant；　to　see　if　I've　got　spurs　on　my　boots！'

〃It　was　evident　the　captain　had　divined　that　I　wanted　him　to　go。　And　I　knew　him　well　enough　to　be　sure　that　he　was　going　to　stay。　He　stayed。　　The　least　circumstances　of　that　evening　remain　impressed　on　my　memory。　　My　uncle　was　extremely　jovial。　　The　mere　idea　of　being　in　somebody's　way　was　enough　to　keep　him　in　good　humour。　　He　told　us；　in　regular　barrack　style；　ma　foi！　a　certain　story　about　a　monk；　a　trumpet；　and　five　bottles　of　Chambertin；　which　must　have　been　much　enjoyed　in　the　garrison　society；　but　which　I　would　not　venture　to　repeat　to　you；　Madame；　even　if　I　could　remember　it。　　When　we　passed　into　the　parlour；　the　captain　called　attention　to　the　bad　condition　of　our　andirons；　and　learnedly　discoursed　on　the　merits　of　rotten…stone　as　a　brass…polisher。　　Not　a　word　on　the　subject　of　politics。　　He　was　husbanding　his　forces。　Eight　o'clock　sounded　from　the　ruins　of　Carthage　on　the　mantlepiece。　It　was　Monsieur　de　Lessay's　hour。　　A　few　moments　later　he　entered　the　parlour　with　his　daughter。　　The　ordinary　evening　chat　began。　Clementine　sat　down　and　began　to　work　on　some　embroidery　beside　the　lamp；　whose　shade　left　her　pretty　head　in　a　soft　shadow；　and　threw　down　upon　her　fingers　a　radiance　that　made　them　seem　almost　self…　luminous。　　Monsieur　de　Lessay　spoke　of　a　comet　announced　by　the　astronomers；　and　developed　some　theories　in　relation　to　the　subject；　which；　however　audacious；　betrayed　at　least　a　certain　degree　of　intellectual　culture。　　My　father；　who　knew　a　good　deal　about　astronomy；　advanced　some　sound　ideas　of　his　own；　which　he　ended　up　with　his　eternal；　'But　what　do　we　know　about　it；　after　all？'　　In　my　turn　I　cited　the　opinion　of　our　neighbour　of　the　Observatory　the　great　Arago。　　My　Uncle　Victor　declared　that　comets　had　a　peculiar　influence　on　the　quality　of　wines；　and　related　in　support　of　this　view　a　jolly　tavern…story。　　I　was　so　delighted　with　the　turn　the　conversation　had　taken　that　I　did　all　in　my　power　to　maintain　it　in　the　same　groove；　with　the　help　of　my　most　recent　studies；　by　a　long　exposition　of　the　chemical　composition　of　those　nebulous　bodies　which；　although　extending　over　a　length　of　billions　of　lea