the vicar of tours-第14章

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any　real　idea　of　the　nature　and　importance　of　such　a　struggle。

Monsieur　de　Bourbonne　took　the　poor　abbe　aside　into　a　corner　of　the

room。



〃Of　the　fourteen　persons　now　present；〃　he　said；　in　a　low　voice；　〃not

one　will　stand　by　you　a　fortnight　hence。　If　the　time　comes　when　you

need　some　one　to　support　you　you　may　find　that　I　am　the　only　person　in

Tours　bold　enough　to　take　up　your　defence；　for　I　know　the　provinces

and　men　and　things；　and；　better　still；　I　know　self…interests。　But

these　friends　of　yours；　though　full　of　the　best　intentions；　are

leading　you　astray　into　a　bad　path；　from　which　you　won't　be　able　to

extricate　yourself。　Take　my　advice；　if　you　want　to　live　in　peace；

resign　the　vicariat　of　Saint…Gatien　and　leave　Tours。　Don't　say　where

you　are　going；　but　find　some　distant　parish　where　Troubert　cannot　get

hold　of　you。〃



〃Leave　Tours！〃　exclaimed　the　vicar；　with　indescribable　terror。



To　him　it　was　a　kind　of　death；　the　tearing　up　of　all　the　roots　by

which　he　held　to　life。　Celibates　substitute　habits　for　feelings；　and

when　to　that　moral　system；　which　makes　them　pass　through　life　instead

of　really　living　it；　is　added　a　feeble　character；　external　things

assume　an　extraordinary　power　over　them。　Birotteau　was　like　certain

vegetables；　transplant　them；　and　you　stop　their　ripening。　Just　as　a

tree　needs　daily　the　same　sustenance；　and　must　always　send　its　roots

into　the　same　soil；　so　Birotteau　needed　to　trot　about　Saint…Gatien；

and　amble　along　the　Mail　where　he　took　his　daily　walk；　and　saunter

through　the　streets；　and　visit　the　three　salons　where；　night　after

night；　he　played　his　whist　or　his　backgammon。



〃Ah！　I　did　not　think　of　it！〃　replied　Monsieur　de　Bourbonne；　gazing　at

the　priest　with　a　sort　of　pity。



All　Tours　was　soon　aware　that　Madame　la　Baronne　de　Listomere；　widow　of

a　lieutenant…general；　had　invited　the　Abbe　Birotteau；　vicar　of　Saint…

Gatien；　to　stay　at　her　house。　That　act；　which　many　persons　questioned；

presented　the　matter　sharply　and　divided　the　town　into　parties；

especially　after　Mademoiselle　Salomon　spoke　openly　of　a　fraud　and　a

lawsuit。　With　the　subtle　vanity　which　is　common　to　old　maids；　and　the

fanatic　self…love　which　characterizes　them；　Mademoiselle　Gamard　was

deeply　wounded　by　the　course　taken　by　Madame　de　Listomere。　The

baroness　was　a　woman　of　high　rank；　elegant　in　her　habits　and　ways；

whose　good　taste；　courteous　manners；　and　true　piety　could　not　be

gainsaid。　By　receivng　Birotteau　as　her　guest　she　gave　a　formal　denial

to　all　Mademoiselle　Gamard's　assertions；　and　indirectly　censured　her

conduct　by　maintaining　the　vicar's　cause　against　his　former　landlady。



It　is　necessary　for　the　full　understanding　of　this　history　to　explain

how　the　natural　discernment　and　spirit　of　analysis　which　old　women

bring　to　bear　on　the　actions　of　others　gave　power　to　Mademoiselle

Gamard；　and　what　were　the　resources　on　her　side。　Accompanied　by　the

taciturn　Abbe　Troubert　she　made　a　round　of　evening　visits　to　five　or

six　houses；　at　each　of　which　she　met　a　circle　of　a　dozen　or　more

persons；　united　by　kindred　tastes　and　the　same　general　situation　in

life。　Among　them　were　one　or　two　men　who　were　influenced　by　the　gossip

and　prejudices　of　their　servants；　five　or　six　old　maids　who　spent

their　time　in　sifting　the　words　and　scrutinizing　the　actions　of　their

neighbours　and　others　in　the　class　below　them；　besides　these；　there

were　several　old　women　who　busied　themselves　in　retailing　scandal；

keeping　an　exact　account　of　each　person's　fortune；　striving　to　control

or　influence　the　actions　of　others；　prognosticating　marriages；　and

blaming　the　conduct　of　friends　as　sharply　as　that　of　enemies。　These

persons；　spread　about　the　town　like　the　capillary　fibres　of　a　plant；

sucked　in；　with　the　thirst　of　a　leaf　for　the　dew；　the　news　and　the

secrets　of　each　household；　and　transmitted　them　mechanically　to　the

Abbe　Troubert；　as　the　leaves　convey　to　the　branch　the　moisture　they

absorb。



Accordingly；　during　every　evening　of　the　week；　these　good　devotees；

excited　by　that　need　of　emotion　which　exists　in　all　of　us；　rendered　an

exact　account　of　the　current　condition　of　the　town　with　a　sagacity

worthy　of　the　Council　of　Ten；　and　were；　in　fact；　a　species　of　police；

armed　with　the　unerring　gift　of　spying　bestowed　by　passions。　When　they

had　divined　the　secret　meaning　of　some　event　their　vanity　led　them　to

appropriate　to　themselves　the　wisdom　of　their　sanhedrim；　and　set　the

tone　to　the　gossip　of　their　respective　spheres。　This　idle　but　ever

busy　fraternity；　invisible；　yet　seeing　all　things；　dumb；　but

perpetually　talking；　possessed　an　influence　which　its　nonentity　seemed

to　render　harmless；　though　it　was　in　fact　terrible　in　its　effects　when

it　concerned　itself　with　serious　interests。　For　a　long　time　nothing

had　entered　the　sphere　of　these　existences　so　serious　and　so　momentous

to　each　one　of　them　as　the　struggle　of　Birotteau；　supported　by　Madame

de　Listomere；　against　Mademoiselle　Gamard　and　the　Abbe　Troubert。　The

three　salons　of　Madame　de　Listomere　and　the　Demoiselles　Merlin　de　la

Blottiere　and　de　Villenoix　being　considered　as　enemies　by　all　the

salons　which　Mademoiselle　Gamard　frequented；　there　was　at　the　bottom

of　the　quarrel　a　class　sentiment　with　all　its　jealousies。　It　was　the

old　Roman　struggle　of　people　and　senate　in　a　molehill；　a　tempest　in　a

teacup；　as　Montesquieu　remarked　when　speaking　of　the　Republic　of　San

Marino；　whose　public　offices　are　filled　by　the　day　only；despotic

power　being　easily　seized　by　any　citizen。



But　this　tempest；　petty　as　it　seems；　did　develop　in　the　souls　of　these

persons　as　many　passions　as　would　have　been　called　forth　by　the

highest　social　interests。　It　is　a　mistake　to　think　that　none　but　souls

concerned　in　mighty　projects；　which　stir　their　lives　and　set　them

foaming；　find　time　too　fleeting。　The　hours　of　the　Abbe　Troubert　fled

by　as　eagerly；　laden　with　thoughts　as　anxious；　harassed　by　despairs

and　hopes　as　deep　as　the　cruellest　hours　of　the　gambler；　the　lover；　or

the　statesman。　God　alone　is　in　the　secret　of　the　energy　we　expend　upon

our　occult　triumphs　over　man；　over　things；　over　ourselves。　Though　we

know　not　always　whither　we　are　going　we　know　well　what　the　journey

costs　us。　If　it　be　permissible　for　the　historian　to　turn　aside　for　a

moment　from　the　drama　he　is　narrating　and　ask　his　readers　to　cast　a

glance　upon　the　lives　of　these　old　maids　and　abbes；　and　seek　the　cause

of　the　evil　which　vitiates　them　at　their　source；　we　may　find　it

demonstrated　that　man　must　experience　certain　passions　before　he　can

develop　within　him　those　virtues　which　give　grandeur　to　life　by

widening　his　sphere　and　checking　the　selfishness　which　is　inherent　in

every　created　being。



Madame　de　Listomere　returned　to　town　without　being　aware　that　for　the

previous　week　her　friends　had　felt　obliged　to　refute　a　rumour　（at

which　she　would　have　laughed　had　she　known　if　it）　that　her　affection

for　her　nephew　had　an　almost　criminal　motive。　She　took　Birotteau　to

her　lawyer；　who　did　not　regard　the　case　as　an　easy　one。　The　vicar's

friends；　inspired　by　the　belief　that　justice　was　certain　in　so　good　a

cause；　or　inclined　to　procrastinate　in　a　matter　which　did　not　concern

them　personally；　had　put　off　bringing　the　suit　until　they　returned　to

Tours。　Consequently　the　friends　of　Mademoiselle　Gamard　had　taken　the

initiative；　and　told　the　affair　wherever　they　could　to　the　injury　of

Birotteau。　The　lawyer；　whose　practice　was　exclusively　among　the　most

devout　church　people；　amazed　Madame　de　Listomere　by　advising　her　not

to　embark　on　such　a　suit；　he　ended　the　consultation　by　saying　that　〃he

himself　would　not　be　able　to　undertake　it；　for；　according　to　the　terms

of　the　deed；　Mademoiselle　Gamard　had　the　law　on　her　side；　and　in

equity；　that　is　to　say　outside　of　strict　legal　justice；　the　Abbe

Birotteau　would　undoubtedly　seem　to　the　judges　as　well　as　to　all

respectable　laymen　to　have　derogated　from　the　peaceable；　conciliatory；

and　mild　characte