louis lambert-第4章

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inexhaustible　shop！　and　during　Mass　every　response　we　chanted　was
mixed　up　in　our　minds　with　our　secret　calculations。　Which　of　us　all
can　recollect　ever　having　had　a　sou　left　to　spend　on　the　Sunday
following？　And　which　of　us　but　obeyed　the　instinctive　law　of　social
existence　by　pitying；　helping；　and　despising　those　pariahs　who；　by　the
avarice　or　poverty　of　their　parents；　found　themselves　penniless？

Any　one　who　forms　a　clear　idea　of　this　huge　college；　with　its　monastic
buildings　in　the　heart　of　a　little　town；　and　the　four　plots　in　which
we　were　distributed　as　by　a　monastic　rule；　will　easily　conceive　of　the
excitement　that　we　felt　at　the　arrival　of　a　new　boy；　a　passenger
suddenly　embarked　on　the　ship。　No　young　duchess；　on　her　first
appearance　at　Court；　was　ever　more　spitefully　criticised　than　the　new
boy　by　the　youths　in　his　division。　Usually　during　the　evening　play…
hour　before　prayers；　those　sycophants　who　were　accustomed　to
ingratiate　themselves　with　the　Fathers　who　took　it　in　turns　two　and
two　for　a　week　to　keep　an　eye　on　us；　would　be　the　first　to　hear　on
trustworthy　authority：　〃There　will　be　a　new　boy　to…morrow！〃　and　then
suddenly　the　shout；　〃A　New　Boy！A　New　Boy！〃　rang　through　the　courts。
We　hurried　up　to　crowd　round　the　superintendent　and　pester　him　with
questions：

〃Where　was　he　coming　from？　What　was　his　name？　Which　class　would　he　be
in？〃　and　so　forth。

Louis　Lambert's　advent　was　the　subject　of　a　romance　worthy　of　the
/Arabian　Nights/。　I　was　in　the　fourth　class　at　the　timeamong　the
little　boys。　Our　housemasters　were　two　men　whom　we　called　Fathers　from
habit　and　tradition；　though　they　were　not　priests。　In　my　time　there
were　indeed　but　three　genuine　Oratorians　to　whom　this　title
legitimately　belonged；　in　1814　they　all　left　the　college；　which　had
gradually　become　secularized；　to　find　occupation　about　the　altar　in
various　country　parishes；　like　the　cure　of　Mer。

Father　Haugoult；　the　master　for　the　week；　was　not　a　bad　man；　but　of
very　moderate　attainments；　and　he　lacked　the　tact　which　is
indispensable　for　discerning　the　different　characters　of　children；　and
graduating　their　punishment　to　their　powers　of　resistance。　Father
Haugoult；　then；　began　very　obligingly　to　communicate　to　his　pupils　the
wonderful　events　which　were　to　end　on　the　morrow　in　the　advent　of　the
most　singular　of　〃new　boys。〃　Games　were　at　an　end。　All　the　children
came　round　in　silence　to　hear　the　story　of　Louis　Lambert；　discovered；
like　an　aerolite；　by　Madame　de　Stael；　in　a　corner　of　the　wood。
Monsieur　Haugoult　had　to　tell　us　all　about　Madame　de　Stael；　that
evening　she　seemed　to　me　ten　feet　high；　I　saw　at　a　later　time　the
picture　of　Corinne；　in　which　Gerard　represents　her　as　so　tall　and
handsome；　and；　alas！　the　woman　painted　by　my　imagination　so　far
transcended　this；　that　the　real　Madame　de　Stael　fell　at　once　in　my
estimation；　even　after　I　read　her　book　of　really　masculine　power；　/De
l'Allemagne/。

But　Lambert　at　that　time　was　an　even　greater　wonder。　Monsieur
Mareschal；　the　headmaster；　after　examining　him；　had　thought　of　placing
him　among　the　senior　boys。　It　was　Louis'　ignorance　of　Latin　that
placed　him　so　low　as　the　fourth　class；　but　he　would　certainly　leap　up
a　class　every　year；　and；　as　a　remarkable　exception；　he　was　to　be　one
of　the　〃Academy。〃　/Proh　pudor/！　we　were　to　have　the　honor　of　counting
among　the　〃little　boys〃　one　whose　coat　was　adorned　with　the　red　ribbon
displayed　by　the　〃Academicians〃　of　Vendome。　These　Academicians　enjoyed
distinguished　privileges；　they　often　dined　at　the　director's　table；
and　held　two　literary　meetings　annually；　at　which　we　were　all　present
to　hear　their　elucubrations。　An　Academician　was　a　great　man　in　embryo。
And　if　every　Vendome　scholar　would　speak　the　truth；　he　would　confess
that；　in　later　life；　an　Academician　of　the　great　French　Academy　seemed
to　him　far　less　remarkable　than　the　stupendous　boy　who　wore　the　cross
and　the　imposing　red　ribbon　which　were　the　insignia　of　our　〃Academy。〃

It　was　very　unusual　to　be　one　of　that　illustrious　body　before
attaining　to　the　second　class；　for　the　Academicians　were　expected　to
hold　public　meetings　every　Thursday　during　the　holidays；　and　to　read
tales　in　verse　or　prose；　epistles；　essays；　tragedies；　dramas
compositions　far　above　the　intelligence　of　the　lower　classes。　I　long
treasured　the　memory　of　a　story　called　the　〃Green　Ass；〃　which　was；　I
think；　the　masterpiece　of　this　unknown　Society。　In　the　fourth；　and　an
Academician！　This　boy　of　fourteen；　a　poet　already；　the　protege　of
Madame　de　Stael；　a　coming　genius；　said　Father　Haugoult；　was　to　be　one
of　us！　a　wizard；　a　youth　capable　of　writing　a　composition　or　a
translation　while　we　were　being　called　into　lessons；　and　of　learning
his　lessons　by　reading　them　through　but　once。　Louis　Lambert　bewildered
all　our　ideas。　And　Father　Haugoult's　curiosity　and　impatience　to　see
this　new　boy　added　fuel　to　our　excited　fancy。

〃If　he　has　pigeons；　he　can　have　no　pigeon…house；　there　is　not　room　for
another。　Well；　it　cannot　be　helped；〃　said　one　boy；　since　famous　as　an
agriculturist。

〃Who　will　sit　next　to　him？〃　said　another。

〃Oh；　I　wish　I　might　be　his　chum！〃　cried　an　enthusiast。

In　school　language；　the　word　here　rendered　chum/faisant/；　or　in　some
schools；　/copin/expressed　a　fraternal　sharing　of　the　joys　and　evils
of　your　childish　existence；　a　community　of　interests　that　was　fruitful
of　squabbling　and　making　friends　again；　a　treaty　of　alliance　offensive
and　defensive。　It　is　strange；　but　never　in　my　time　did　I　know　brothers
who　were　chums。　If　man　lives　by　his　feelings；　he　thinks　perhaps　that
he　will　make　his　life　the　poorer　if　he　merges　an　affection　of　his　own
choosing　in　a　natural　tie。

The　impression　made　upon　me　by　Father　Haugoult's　harangue　that　evening
is　one　of　the　most　vivid　reminiscences　of　my　childhood；　I　can　compare
it　with　nothing　but　my　first　reading　of　/Robinson　Crusoe/。　Indeed；　I
owe　to　my　recollection　of　these　prodigious　impressions　an　observation
that　may　perhaps　be　new　as　to　the　different　sense　attached　to　words　by
each　hearer。　The　word　in　itself　has　no　final　meaning；　we　affect　a　word
more　than　it　affects　us；　its　value　is　in　relation　to　the　images　we
have　assimilated　and　grouped　round　it；　but　a　study　of　this　fact　would
require　considerable　elaboration；　and　lead　us　too　far　from　our
immediate　subject。

Not　being　able　to　sleep；　I　had　a　long　discussion　with　my　next　neighbor
in　the　dormitory　as　to　the　remarkable　being　who　on　the　morrow　was　to
be　one　of　us。　This　neighbor；　who　became　an　officer；　and　is　now　a
writer　with　lofty　philosophical　views；　Barchou　de　Penhoen；　has　not
been　false　to　his　pre…destination；　nor　to　the　hazard　of　fortune　by
which　the　only　two　scholars　of　Vendome；　of　whose　fame　Vendome　ever
hears；　were　brought　together　in　the　same　classroom；　on　the　same　form；
and　under　the　same　roof。　Our　comrade　Dufaure　had　not；　when　this　book
was　published；　made　his　appearance　in　public　life　as　a　lawyer。　The
translator　of　Fichte；　the　expositor　and　friend　of　Ballanche；　was
already　interested；　as　I　myself　was；　in　metaphysical　questions；　we
often　talked　nonsense　together　about　God；　ourselves；　and　nature。　He　at
that　time　affected　pyrrhonism。　Jealous　of　his　place　as　leader；　he
doubted　Lambert's　precocious　gifts；　while　I；　having　lately　read　/Les
Enfants　celebres/；　overwhelmed　him　with　evidence；　quoting　young
Montcalm；　Pico　della　Mirandola；　Pascalin　short；　a　score　of　early
developed　brains；　anomalies　that　are　famous　in　the　history　of　the
human　mind；　and　Lambert's　predecessors。

I　was　at　the　time　passionately　addicted　to　reading。　My　father；　who　was
ambitious　to　see　me　in　the　Ecole　Polytechnique；　paid　for　me　to　have　a
special　course　of　private　lessons　in　mathematics。　My　mathematical
master　was　the　librarian　of　the　college；　and　allowed　me　to　help　myself
to　books　without　much　caring　what　I　chose　to　take　from　the　library；　a
quiet　spot　where　I　went　to　him　during　play…hours　to　have　my　lesson。
Either　he　was　no　great　mathematician；　or　he　was　absorbed　in　some　grand
scheme；　for　he　very　willingly　left　me　to　read　when　I　ought　to　have
been　learning；　while　he　worked　at　I　knew　not　what。　So；　by　a　tacit
understanding　between　us；　I　made　no　complaints　of　bein