the vicar of tours-第13章

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themselves　upon　him。



〃I　do　not　suppose；　monsieur；〃　said　Birotteau　at　last；　〃that　you　intend

to　deprive　me　of　the　things　that　belong　to　me。　Mademoiselle　may　have

been　impatient　to　give　you　better　lodgings；　but　she　ought　to　have　been

sufficiently　just　to　give　me　time　to　pack　my　books　and　remove　my

furniture。〃



〃Monsieur；〃　said　the　Abbe　Troubert；　coldly；　not　permitting　any　sign　of

emotion　to　appear　on　his　face；　〃Mademoiselle　Gamard　told　me　yesterday

of　your　departure；　the　cause　of　which　is　still　unknown　to　me。　If　she

installed　me　here　at　once；　it　was　from　necessity。　The　Abbe　Poirel　has

taken　my　apartment。　I　do　not　know　if　the　furniture　and　things　that　are

in　these　rooms　belong　to　you　or　to　Mademoiselle；　but　if　they　are

yours；　you　know　her　scrupulous　honesty；　the　sanctity　of　her　life　is

the　guarantee　of　her　rectitude。　As　for　me；　you　are　well　aware　of　my

simple　modes　of　living。　I　have　slept　for　fifteen　years　in　a　bare　room

without　complaining　of　the　dampness；which；　eventually　will　have

caused　my　death。　Nevertheless；　if　you　wish　to　return　to　this　apartment

I　will　cede　it　to　you　willingly。〃



After　hearing　these　terrible　words；　Birotteau　forgot　the　canonry　and

ran　downstairs　as　quickly　as　a　young　man　to　find　Mademoiselle　Gamard。

He　met　her　at　the　foot　of　the　staircase；　on　the　broad；　tiled　landing

which　united　the　two　wings　of　the　house。



〃Mademoiselle；〃　he　said；　bowing　to　her　without　paying　any　attention　to

the　bitter　and　derisive　smile　that　was　on　her　lips；　nor　to　the

extraordinary　flame　in　her　eyes　which　made　them　lucent　as　a　tiger's；

〃I　cannot　understand　how　it　is　that　you　have　not　waited　until　I

removed　my　furniture　before〃



〃What！〃　she　said；　interrupting　him；　〃is　it　possible　that　your　things

have　not　been　left　at　Madame　de　Listomere's？〃



〃But　my　furniture？〃



〃Haven't　you　read　your　deed？〃　said　the　old　maid；　in　a　tone　which　would

have　to　be　rendered　in　music　before　the　shades　of　meaning　that　hatred

is　able　to　put　into　the　accent　of　every　word　could　be　fully　shown。



Mademoiselle　Gamard　seemed　to　rise　in　stature；　her　eyes　shone；　her

face　expanded；　her　whole　person　quivered　with　pleasure。　The　Abbe

Troubert　opened　a　window　to　get　a　better　light　on　the　folio　volume　he

was　reading。　Birotteau　stood　as　if　a　thunderbolt　had　stricken　him。

Mademoiselle　Gamard　made　his　ears　hum　when　she　enunciated　in　a　voice

as　clear　as　a　cornet　the　following　sentence：



〃Was　it　not　agreed　that　if　you　left　my　house　your　furniture　should

belong　to　me；　to　indemnify　me　for　the　difference　in　the　price　of　board

paid　by　you　and　that　paid　by　the　late　venerable　Abbe　Chapeloud？　Now；

as　the　Abbe　Poirel　has　just　been　appointed　canon〃



Hearing　the　last　words　Birotteau　made　a　feeble　bow　as　if　to　take　leave

of　the　old　maid；　and　left　the　house　precipitately。　He　was　afraid　if　he

stayed　longer　that　he　should　break　down　utterly；　and　give　too　great　a

triumph　to　his　implacable　enemies。　Walking　like　a　dunken　man　he　at

last　reached　Madame　de　Listomere's　house；　where　he　found　in　one　of　the

lower　rooms　his　linen；　his　clothing；　and　all　his　papers　packed　in　a

trunk。　When　he　eyes　fell　on　these　few　remnants　of　his　possessions　the

unhappy　priest　sat　down　and　hid　his　face　in　his　hands　to　conceal　his

tears　from　the　sight　of　others。　The　Abbe　Poirel　was　canon！　He；

Birotteau；　had　neither　home；　nor　means；　nor　furniture！



Fortunately　Mademoiselle　Salomon　happened　to　drive　past　the　house；　and

the　porter；　who　saw　and　comprehended　the　despair　of　the　poor　abbe；

made　a　sign　to　the　coachman。　After　exchanging　a　few　words　with

Mademoiselle　Salomon　the　porter　persuaded　the　vicar　to　let　himself　be

placed；　half　dead　as　he　was；　in　the　carriage　of　his　faithful　friend；

to　whom　he　was　unable　to　speak　connectedly。　Mademoiselle　Salomon；

alarmed　at　the　momentary　derangement　of　a　head　that　was　always　feeble；

took　him　back　at　once　to　the　Alouette；　believing　that　this　beginning

of　mental　alienation　was　an　effect　produced　by　the　sudden　news　of　Abbe

Poirel's　nomination。　She　knew　nothing；　of　course；　of　the　fatal

agreement　made　by　the　abbe　with　Mademoiselle　Gamard；　for　the　excellent

reason　that　he　did　not　know　of　it　himself；　and　because　it　is　in　the

nature　of　things　that　the　comical　is　often　mingled　with　the　pathetic；

the　singular　replies　of　the　poor　abbe　made　her　smile。



〃Chapeloud　was　right；〃　he　said；　〃he　is　a　monster！〃



〃Who？〃　she　asked。



〃Chapeloud。　He　has　taken　all。〃



〃You　mean　Poirel？〃



〃No；　Troubert。〃



At　last　they　reached　the　Alouette；　where　the　priest's　friends　gave　him

such　tender　care　that　towards　evening　he　grew　calmer　and　was　able　to

give　them　an　account　of　what　had　happened　during　the　morning。



The　phlegmatic　old　fox　asked　to　see　the　deed　which；　on　thinking　the

matter　over；　seemed　to　him　to　contain　the　solution　of　the　enigma。

Birotteau　drew　the　fatal　stamped　paper　from　his　pocket　and　gave　it　to

Monsieur　de　Bourbonne；　who　read　it　rapidly　and　soon　came　upon　the

following　clause：



〃Whereas　a　difference　exists　of　eight　hundred　francs　yearly　between

the　price　of　board　paid　by　the　late　Abbe　Chapeloud　and　that　at　which

the　said　Sophie　Gamard　agrees　to　take　into　her　house；　on　the　above…

named　stipulated　condition；　the　said　Francois　Birotteau；　and　whereas

it　is　understood　that　the　undersigned　Francois　Birotteau　is　not　able

for　some　years　to　pay　the　full　price　charged　to　the　other　boarders　of

Mademoiselle　Gamard；　more　especially　the　Abbe　Troubert；　the　said

Birotteau　does　hereby　engage；　in　consideration　of　certain　sums　of

money　advanced　by　the　undersigned　Sophie　Gamard；　to　leave　her；　as

indemnity；　all　the　household　property　of　which　he　may　die　possessed；

or　to　transfer　the　same　to　her　should　he；　for　any　reason　whatever　or

at　any　time；　voluntarily　give　up　the　apartment　now　leased　to　him；　and

thus　derive　no　further　profit　from　the　above…named　engagements　made　by

Mademoiselle　Gamard　for　his　benefit〃



〃Confound　her！　what　an　agreement！〃　cried　the　old　gentleman。　〃The　said

Sophie　Gamard　is　armed　with　claws。〃



Poor　Birotteau　never　imagined　in　his　childish　brain　that　anything

could　ever　separate　him　from　that　house　where　he　expected　to　live　and

die　with　Mademoiselle　Gamard。　He　had　no　remembrance　whatever　of　that

clause；　the　terms　of　which　he　had　not　discussed；　for　they　had　seemed

quite　just　to　him　at　a　time　when；　in　his　great　anxiety　to　enter　the


old　maid's　house；　he　would　readily　have　signed　any　and　all　legal

documents　she　had　offered　him。　His　simplicity　was　so　guileless　and

Mademoiselle　Gamard's　conduct　so　atrocious；　the　fate　of　the　poor　old

man　seemed　so　deplorable；　and　his　natural　helplessness　made　him　so

touching；　that　in　the　first　glow　of　her　indignation　Madame　de

Listomere　exclaimed：　〃I　made　you　put　your　signature　to　that　document

which　has　ruined　you；　I　am　bound　to　give　you　back　the　happiness　of

which　I　have　deprived　you。〃



〃But；〃　remarked　Monsieur　de　Bourbonne；　〃that　deed　constitutes　a　fraud；

there　may　be　ground　for　a　lawsuit。〃



〃Then　Birotteau　shall　go　to　the　law。　If　he　loses　at　Tours　he　may　win

at　Orleans；　if　he　loses　at　Orleans；　he'll　win　in　Paris；〃　cried　the

Baron　de　Listomere。



〃But　if　he　does　go　to　law；〃　continued　Monsieur　de　Bourbonne；　coldly；

〃I　should　advise　him　to　resign　his　vicariat。〃



〃We　will　consult　lawyers；〃　said　Madame　de　Listomere；　〃and　go　to　law　if

law　is　best。　But　this　affair　is　so　disgraceful　for　Mademoiselle

Gamard；　and　is　likely　to　be　so　injurious　to　the　Abbe　Troubert；　that　I

think　we　can　compromise。〃



After　mature　deliberation　all　present　promised　their　assistance　to　the

Abbe　Birotteau　in　the　struggle　which　was　now　inevitable　between　the

poor　priest　and　his　antagonists　and　all　their　adherents。　A　true

presentiment；　an　infallible　provincial　instinct；　led　them　to　couple

the　names　of　Gamard　and　Troubert。　But　none　of　the　persons　assembled　on

this　occasion　in　Madame　de　Listomere's　salon；　except　the　old　fox；　had

any　real　idea　of　the　nature　and　importance　of