the collection of antiquities-第31章

按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！


asting　attachment　on　a　children's　game　of　〃make…believe〃　love；　which　was　bound　to　end　as　boy…and…girl　romances　usually　do。　When　Mlle。　de　Troisville's　marriage　with　General　Montcornet　was　announced；　Mme。　Blondet；　a　dying　woman；　went　to　the　bride　and　solemnly　implored　her　never　to　abandon　Emile；　and　to　use　her　influence　for　him　in　society　in　Paris；　whither　the　General's　fortune　summoned　her　to　shine。

Luckily　for　Emile；　he　was　able　to　make　his　own　way。　He　made　his　appearance；　at　the　age　of　twenty；　as　one　of　the　masters　of　modern　literature；　and　met　with　no　less　success　in　the　society　into　which　he　was　launched　by　the　father　who　at　first　could　afford　to　bear　the　expense　of　the　young　man's　extravagance。　Perhaps　Emile's　precocious　celebrity　and　the　good　figure　that　he　made　strengthened　the　bonds　of　his　friendship　with　the　Countess。　Perhaps　Mme。　de　Montcornet；　with　the　Russian　blood　in　her　veins　（her　mother　was　the　daughter　of　the　Princess　Scherbelloff）；　might　have　cast　off　the　friend　of　her　childhood　if　he　had　been　a　poor　man　struggling　with　all　his　might　among　the　difficulties　which　beset　a　man　of　letters　in　Paris；　but　by　the　time　that　the　real　strain　of　Emile's　adventurous　life　began；　their　attachment　was　unalterable　on　either　side。　He　was　looked　upon　as　one　of　the　leading　lights　of　journalism　when　young　d'Esgrignon　met　him　at　his　first　supper　party　in　Paris；　his　acknowledged　position　in　the　world　of　letters　was　very　high；　and　he　towered　above　his　reputation。　Goodman　Blondet　had　not　the　faintest　conception　of　the　power　which　the　Constitutional　Government　had　given　to　the　press；　nobody　ventured　to　talk　in　his　presence　of　the　son　of　whom　he　refused　to　hear。　And　so　it　came　to　pass　that　he　knew　nothing　of　Emile　whom　he　had　cursed　and　Emile's　greatness。

Old　Blondet's　integrity　was　as　deeply　rooted　in　him　as　his　passion　for　flowers；　he　knew　nothing　but　law　and　botany。　He　would　have　interviews　with　litigants；　listen　to　them；　chat　with　them；　and　show　them　his　flowers；　he　would　accept　rare　seeds　from　them；　but　once　on　the　bench；　no　judge　on　earth　was　more　impartial。　Indeed；　his　manner　of　proceeding　was　so　well　known；　that　litigants　never　went　near　him　except　to　hand　over　some　document　which　might　enlighten　him　in　the　performance　of　his　duty；　and　nobody　tried　to　throw　dust　in　his　eyes。　With　his　learning；　his　lights；　and　his　way　of　holding　his　real　talents　cheap；　he　was　so　indispensable　to　President　du　Ronceret；　that；　matrimonial　schemes　apart；　that　functionary　would　have　done　all　that　he　could；　in　an　underhand　way；　to　prevent　the　vice…president　from　retiring　in　favor　of　his　son。　If　the　learned　old　man　left　the　bench；　the　President　would　be　utterly　unable　to　do　without　him。

Goodman　Blondet　did　not　know　that　it　was　in　Emile's　power　to　fulfil　all　his　wishes　in　a　few　hours。　The　simplicity　of　his　life　was　worthy　of　one　of　Plutarch's　men。　In　the　evening　he　looked　over　his　cases；　next　morning　he　worked　among　his　flowers；　and　all　day　long　he　gave　decisions　on　the　bench。　The　pretty　maid…servant；　now　of　ripe　age；　and　wrinkled　like　an　Easter　pippin；　looked　after　the　house；　and　they　lived　according　to　the　established　customs　of　the　strictest　parsimony。　Mlle。　Cadot　always　carried　the　keys　of　her　cupboards　and　fruit…loft　about　with　her。　She　was　indefatigable。　She　went　to　market　herself；　she　cooked　and　dusted　and　swept；　and　never　missed　mass　of　a　morning。　To　give　some　idea　of　the　domestic　life　of　the　household；　it　will　be　enough　to　remark　that　the　father　and　son　never　ate　fruit　till　it　was　beginning　to　spoil；　because　Mlle。　Cadot　always　brought　out　anything　that　would　not　keep。　No　one　in　the　house　ever　tasted　the　luxury　of　new　bread；　and　all　the　fast　days　in　the　calendar　were　punctually　observed。　The　gardener　was　put　on　rations　like　a　soldier；　the　elderly　Valideh　always　kept　an　eye　upon　him。　And　she；　for　her　part；　was　so　deferentially　treated；　that　she　took　her　meals　with　the　family；　and　in　consequence　was　continually　trotting　to　and　fro　between　the　kitchen　and　the　parlor　at　breakfast　and　dinner　time。

Mlle。　Blandureau's　parents　had　consented　to　her　marriage　with　Joseph　Blondet　upon　one　conditionthe　penniless　and　briefless　barrister　must　be　an　assistant　judge。　So；　with　the　desire　of　fitting　his　son　to　fill　the　position；　old　M。　Blondet　racked　his　brains　to　hammer　the　law　into　his　son's　head　by　dint　of　lessons；　so　as　to　make　a　cut…and…dried　lawyer　of　him。　As　for　Blondet　junior；　he　spent　almost　every　evening　at　the　Blandureaus'　house；　to　which　also　young　Fabien　du　Ronceret　had　been　admitted　since　his　return；　without　raising　the　slightest　suspicion　in　the　minds　of　father　or　son。

Everything　in　this　life　of　theirs　was　measured　with　an　accuracy　worthy　of　Gerard　Dow's　Money　Changer；　not　a　grain　of　salt　too　much；　not　a　single　profit　foregone；　but　the　economical　principles　by　which　it　was　regulated　were　relaxed　in　favor　of　the　greenhouse　and　garden。　〃The　garden　was　the　master's　craze；〃　Mlle。　Cadot　used　to　say。　The　master's　blind　fondness　for　Joseph　was　not　a　craze　in　her　eyes；　she　shared　the　father's　predilection；　she　pampered　Joseph；　she　darned　his　stockings；　and　would　have　been　better　pleased　if　the　money　spent　on　the　garden　had　been　put　by　for　Joseph's　benefit。

That　garden　was　kept　in　marvelous　order　by　a　single　man；　the　paths；　covered　with　river…sand；　continually　turned　over　with　the　rake；　meandered　among　the　borders　full　of　the　rarest　flowers。　Here　were　all　kinds　of　color　and　scent；　here　were　lizards　on　the　walls；　legions　of　little　flower…pots　standing　out　in　the　sun；　regiments　of　forks　and　hoes；　and　a　host　of　innocent　things；　a　combination　of　pleasant　results　to　justify　the　gardener's　charming　hobby。

At　the　end　of　the　greenhouse　the　judge　had　set　up　a　grandstand；　an　amphitheatre　of　benches　to　hold　some　five　or　six　thousand　pelargoniums　in　potsa　splendid　and　famous　show。　People　came　to　see　his　geraniums　in　flower；　not　only　from　the　neighborhood；　but　even　from　the　departments　round　about。　The　Empress　Marie　Louise；　passing　through　the　town；　had　honored　the　curiously　kept　greenhouse　with　a　visit；　so　much　was　she　impressed　with　the　sight；　that　she　spoke　of　it　to　Napoleon；　and　the　old　judge　received　the　Cross　of　the　Legion　of　Honor。　But　as　the　learned　gardener　never　mingled　in　society　at　all；　and　went　nowhere　except　to　the　Blandureaus；　he　had　no　suspicion　of　the　President's　underhand　manoeuvres；　and　others　who　could　see　the　President's　intentions　were　far　too　much　afraid　of　him　to　interfere　or　to　warn　the　inoffensive　Blondets。

As　for　Michu；　that　young　man　with　his　powerful　connections　gave　much　more　thought　to　making　himself　agreeable　to　the　women　in　the　upper　social　circles　to　which　he　was　introduced　by　the　Cinq…Cygnes；　than　to　the　extremely　simple　business　of　a　provincial　Tribunal。　With　his　independent　means　（he　had　an　income　of　twelve　thousand　livres）；　he　was　courted　by　mothers　of　daughters；　and　led　a　frivolous　life。　He　did　just　enough　at　the　Tribunal　to　satisfy　his　conscience；　much　as　a　schoolboy　does　his　exercises；　saying　ditto　on　all　occasions；　with　a　〃Yes；　dear　President。〃　But　underneath　the　appearance　of　indifference　lurked　the　unusual　powers　of　the　Paris　law　student　who　had　distinguished　himself　as　one　of　the　staff　of　prosecuting　counsel　before　he　came　to　the　provinces。　He　was　accustomed　to　taking　broad　views　of　things；　he　could　do　rapidly　what　the　President　and　Blondet　could　only　do　after　much　thinking；　and　very　often　solved　knotty　points　for　them。　In　delicate　conjunctures　the　President　and　Vice…President　took　counsel　with　their　junior；　confided　thorny　questions　to　him；　and　never　failed　to　wonder　at　the　readiness　with　which　he　brought　back　a　task　in　which　old　Blondet　found　nothing　to　criticise。　Michu　was　sure　of　the　influence　of　the　most　crabbed　aristocrats；　and　he　was　young　and　rich；　he　lived；　therefore；　above　the　level　of　departmental　intrigues　and　pettinesses。　He　was　an　indispensable　man　at　picnics；　he　frisked　with　young　ladies　and　paid　court　to　their　mothers；　he　danced　at　balls；　he　gambled　like　a　capitalist。　In　short；　he　played　his　part　of　young　lawyer　of　fashion　to　admiration；　without；　at　the　same　time；　compromising　his　dignity；　which　he　knew　how　to　assert　at　the　right　moment　like　a　man　of　spirit。　He　won　golden　opinions　by　the　manner　in