the vicar of tours-第18章

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promotion　force　me　to　do　base　things；〃　thought　she。）



The　priest　remained　impassible；　but　his　calm　exterior　was　an

indication　of　violent　emotion。　Monsieur　Bourbonne　alone　had　fathomed

the　secret　of　that　apparent　tranquillity。　The　priest　had　triumphed！



〃Why　did　you　take　upon　yourself　to　bring　that　relinquishment；〃　he

asked；　with　a　feeling　analogous　to　that　which　impels　a　woman　to　fish

for　compliments。



〃I　could　not　avoid　a　feeling　of　compassion。　Birotteau；　whose　feeble

nature　must　be　well　known　to　you；　entreated　me　to　see　Madaemoiselle

Gamard　and　to　obtain　as　the　price　of　his　renunciation〃



The　priest　frowned。



〃of　rights　upheld　by　distinguished　lawyers；　the　portrait　of〃



Troubert　looked　fixedly　at　Madame　de　Listomere。



〃the　portrait　of　Chapeloud；〃　she　said；　continuing：　〃I　leave　you　to

judge　of　his　claim。〃　（〃You　will　be　certain　to　lose　your　case　if　we　go

to　law；　and　you　know　it；〃　thought　she。）



The　tone　of　her　voice　as　she　said　the　words　〃distinguished　lawyers〃

showed　the　priest　that　she　knew　very　well　both　the　strength　and

weakness　of　the　enemy。　She　made　her　talent　so　plain　to　this

connoisseur　emeritus　in　the　course　of　a　conversation　which　lasted　a

long　time　in　the　tone　here　given；　that　Troubert　finally　went　down　to

Mademoiselle　Gamard　to　obtain　her　answer　to　Birotteau's　request　for

the　portrait。



He　soon　returned。



〃Madame；〃　he　said；　〃I　bring　you　the　words　of　a　dying　woman。　'The　Abbe

Chapeloud　was　so　true　a　friend　to　me；'　she　said；　'that　I　cannot

consent　to　part　with　his　picture。'　As　for　me；〃　added　Troubert；　〃if　it

were　mine　I　would　not　yield　it。　My　feelings　to　my　late　friend　were　so

faithful　that　I　should　feel　my　right　to　his　portrait　was　above　that　of

others。〃



〃Well；　there's　no　need　to　quarrel　over　a　bad　picture。〃　（〃I　care　as

little　about　it　as　you　do；〃　thought　she。）　〃Keep　it；　and　I　will　have　a

copy　made　of　it。　I　take　some　credit　to　myself　for　having　averted　this

deplorable　lawsuit；　and　I　have　gained；　personally；　the　pleasure　of

your　acquaintance。　I　hear　you　have　a　great　talent　for　whist。　You　will

forgive　a　woman　for　curiosity；〃　she　said；　smiling。　〃If　you　will　come

and　play　at　my　house　sometimes　you　cannot　doubt　your　welcome。〃



Troubert　stroked　his　chin。　（〃Caught！　Bourbonne　was　right！〃　thought

she；　〃he　has　his　quantum　of　vanity！〃）



It　was　true。　The　vicar…general　was　feeling　the　delightful　sensation

which　Mirabeau　was　unable　to　subdue　when　in　the　days　of　his　power　he

found　gates　opening　to　his　carriage　which　were　barred　to　him　in

earlier　days。



〃Madame；〃　he　replied；　〃my　avocations　prevent　my　going　much　into

society；　but　for　you；　what　will　not　a　man　do？〃　（〃The　old　maid　is　going

to　die；　I'll　get　a　footing　at　the　Listomere's；　and　serve　them　if　they

serve　me；〃　thought　he。　〃It　is　better　to　have　them　for　friends　than

enemies。〃）



Madame　de　Listomere　went　home；　hoping　that　the　archbishop　would

complete　the　work　of　peace　so　auspiciously　begun。　But　Birotteau　was

fated　to　gain　nothing　by　his　relinquishment。　Mademoiselle　Gamard　died

the　next　day。　No　one　felt　surprised　when　her　will　was　opened　to　find

that　she　had　left　everything　to　the　Abbe　Troubert。　Her　fortune　was

appraised　at　three　hundred　thousand　francs。　The　vicar…general　sent　to

Madame　de　Listomere　two　notes　of　invitation　for　the　services　and　for

the　funeral　procession　of　his　friend；　one　for　herself　and　one　for　her

nephew。



〃We　must　go；〃　she　said。



〃It　can't　be　helped；〃　said　Monsieur　de　Bourbonne。　〃It　is　a　test　to

which　Troubert　puts　you。　Baron；　you　must　go　to　the　cemetery；〃　he

added；　turning　to　the　lieutenant；　who；　unluckily　for　him；　had　not　left

Tours。



The　services　took　place；　and　were　performed　with　unusual

ecclesiastical　magnificence。　Only　one　person　wept；　and　that　was

Birotteau；　who；　kneeling　in　a　side　chapel　and　seen　by　none；　believed

himself　guilty　of　the　death　and　prayed　sincerely　for　the　soul　of　the

deceased；　bitterly　deploring　that　he　was　not　able　to　obtain　her

forgiveness　before　she　died。



The　Abbe　Troubert　followed　the　body　of　his　friend　to　the　grave；　at　the

verge　of　which　he　delivered　a　discourse　in　which；　thanks　to　his

eloquence；　the　narrow　life　the　old　maid　had　lived　was　enlarged　to

monumental　proportions。　Those　present　took　particular　note　of　the

following　words　in　the　peroration：



〃This　life　of　days　devoted　to　God　and　to　His　religion；　a　life　adorned

with　noble　actions　silently　performed；　and　with　modest　and　hidden

virtues；　was　crushed　by　a　sorrow　which　we　might　call　undeserved　if　we

could　forget；　here　at　the　verge　of　this　grave；　that　our　afflictions

are　sent　by　God。　The　numerous　friends　of　this　saintly　woman；　knowing

the　innocence　and　nobility　of　her　soul；　foresaw　that　she　would　issue

safely　from　her　trials　in　spite　of　the　accusations　which　blasted　her

life。　It　may　be　that　Providence　has　called　her　to　the　bosom　of　God　to

withdraw　her　from　those　trials。　Happy　they　who　can　rest　here　below　in

the　peace　of　their　own　hearts　as　Sophie　now　is　resting　in　her　robe　of

innocence　among　the　blest。〃



〃When　he　had　ended　his　pompous　discourse；〃　said　Monsieur　de　Bourbonne；

after　relating　the　incidents　of　the　internment　to　Madame　de　Listomere

when　whist　was　over；　the　doors　shut；　and　they　were　alone　with　the

baron；　〃this　Louis　XI。　in　a　cassockimagine　him　if　you　can！gave　a

last　flourish　to　the　sprinkler　and　aspersed　the　coffin　with　holy

water。〃　Monsieur　de　Bourbonne　picked　up　the　tongs　and　imitated　the

priest's　gesture　so　satirically　that　the　baron　and　his　aunt　could　not

help　laughing。　〃Not　until　then；〃　continued　the　old　gentleman；　〃did　he

contradict　himself。　Up　to　that　time　his　behavior　had　been　perfect；　but

it　was　no　doubt　impossible　for　him　to　put　the　old　maid；　whom　he

despised　so　heartily　and　hated　almost　as　much　as　he　hated　Chapeloud；

out　of　sight　forever　without　allowing　his　joy　to　appear　in　that　last

gesture。〃



The　next　day　Mademoiselle　Salomon　came　to　breakfast　with　Madame　de

Listomere；　chiefly　to　say；　with　deep　emotion：　〃Our　poor　Abbe　Birotteau

has　just　received　a　frightful　blow；　which　shows　the　most　determined

hatred。　He　is　appointed　curate　of　Saint…Symphorien。〃



Saint…Symphorien　is　a　suburb　of　Tours　lying　beyond　the　bridge。　That

bridge；　one　of　the　finest　monuments　of　French　architecture；　is

nineteen　hundred　feet　long；　and　the　two　open　squares　which　surround

each　end　are　precisely　alike。



〃Don't　you　see　the　misery　of　it？〃　she　said；　after　a　pause；　amazed　at

the　coldness　with　which　Madame　de　Listomere　received　the　news。　〃It　is

just　as　if　the　abbe　were　a　hundred　miles　from　Tours；　from　his　friends；

from　everything！　It　is　a　frightful　exile；　and　all　the　more　cruel

because　he　is　kept　within　sight　of　the　town　where　he　can　hardly　ever

come。　Since　his　troubles　he　walks　very　feebly；　yet　he　will　have　to

walk　three　miles　to　see　his　old　friends。　He　has　taken　to　his　bed；　just

now；　with　fever。　The　parsonage　at　Saint…Symphorien　is　very　cold　and

damp；　and　the　parish　is　too　poor　to　repair　it。　The　poor　old　man　will

be　buried　in　a　living　tomb。　Oh；　it　is　an　infamous　plot！〃



To　end　this　history　it　will　suffice　to　relate　a　few　events　in　a　simple

way；　and　to　give　one　last　picture　of　its　chief　personages。



Five　months　later　the　vicar…general　was　made　Bishop　of　Troyes；　and

Madame　de　Listomere　was　dead；　leaving　an　annuity　of　fifteen　hundred

francs　to　the　Abbe　Birotteau。　The　day　on　which　the　dispositions　in　her

will　were　made　known　Monseigneur　Hyacinthe；　Bishop　of　Troyes；　was　on

the　point　of　leaving　Tours　to　reside　in　his　diocese；　but　he　delayed

his　departure　on　receiving　the　news。　Furious　at　being　foiled　by　a

woman　to　whom　he　had　lately　given　his　countenance　while　she　had　been

secretly　holding　the　hand　of　a　man　whom　he　regarded　as　his　enemy；

Troubert　again　threatened　the　baron's　future　career；　and　put　in

jeopardy　the　peerage　of　his　uncle。　He　made　in　the　salon　of　the

archbishop；　and　before　an　assembled　party；　one　of　those　priestly

speeches　which　are　bi