the vicar of tours-第2章

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mere　costs　of　living　during　the　disastrous　years　of　the　Revolution。

When　Napoleon　restored　the　Catholic　worship　the　Abbe　Chapeloud　was

appointed　canon　of　the　cathedral　and　Birotteau　was　made　vicar　of　it。

Chapeloud　then　went　to　board　with　Mademoiselle　Gamard。　When　Birotteau

first　came　to　visit　his　friend；　he　thought　the　arrangement　of　the

rooms　excellent；　but　he　noticed　nothing　more。　The　outset　of　this

concupiscence　of　chattels　was　very　like　that　of　a　true　passion；　which

often　begins；　in　a　young　man；　with　cold　admiration　for　a　woman　whom　he

ends　in　loving　forever。



The　apartment；　reached　by　a　stone　staircase；　was　on　the　side　of　the

house　that　faced　south。　The　Abbe　Troubert　occupied　the　ground…floor；

and　Mademoiselle　Gamard　the　first　floor　of　the　main　building；　looking

on　the　street。　When　Chapeloud　took　possession　of　his　rooms　they　were

bare　of　furniture；　and　the　ceilings　were　blackened　with　smoke。　The

stone　mantelpieces；　which　were　very　badly　cut；　had　never　been　painted。

At　first；　the　only　furniture　the　poor　canon　could　put　in　was　a　bed；　a

table；　a　few　chairs；　and　the　books　he　possessed。　The　apartment　was

like　a　beautiful　woman　in　rags。　But　two　or　three　years　later；　an　old

lady　having　left　the　Abbe　Chapeloud　two　thousand　francs；　he　spent　that

sum　on　the　purchase　of　an　oak　bookcase；　the　relic　of　a　chateau　pulled

down　by　the　Bande　Noire；　the　carving　of　which　deserved　the　admiration

of　all　artists。　The　abbe　made　the　purchase　less　because　it　was　very

cheap　than　because　the　dimensions　of　the　bookcase　exactly　fitted　the

space　it　was　to　fill　in　his　gallery。　His　savings　enabled　him　to

renovate　the　whole　gallery；　which　up　to　this　time　had　been　neglected

and　shabby。　The　floor　was　carefully　waxed；　the　ceiling　whitened；　the

wood…work　painted　to　resemble　the　grain　and　knots　of　oak。　A　long　table

in　ebony　and　two　cabinets　by　Boulle　completed　the　decoration；　and　gave

to　this　gallery　a　certain　air　that　was　full　of　character。　In　the

course　of　two　years　the　liberality　of　devout　persons；　and　legacies；

though　small　ones；　from　pious　penitents；　filled　the　shelves　of　the

bookcase；　till　then　half　empty。　Moreover；　Chapeloud's　uncle；　an　old

Oratorian；　had　left　him　his　collection　in　folio　of　the　Fathers　of　the

Church；　and　several　other　important　works　that　were　precious　to　a

priest。



Birotteau；　more　and　more　surprised　by　the　successive　improvements　of

the　gallery；　once　so　bare；　came　by　degrees　to　a　condition　of

involuntary　envy。　He　wished　he　could　possess　that　apartment；　so

thoroughly　in　keeping　with　the　gravity　of　ecclestiastical　life。　The

passion　increased　from　day　to　day。　Working；　sometimes　for　days

together；　in　this　retreat；　the　vicar　could　appreciate　the　silence　and

the　peace　that　reigned　there。　During　the　following　year　the　Abbe

Chapeloud　turned　a　small　room　into　an　oratory；　which　his　pious　friends

took　pleasure　in　beautifying。　Still　later；　another　lady　gave　the　canon

a　set　of　furniture　for　his　bedroom；　the　covering　of　which　she　had

embroidered　under　the　eyes　of　the　worthy　man　without　his　ever

suspecting　its　destination。　The　bedroom　then　had　the　same　effect　upon

the　vicar　that　the　gallery　had　long　had；　it　dazzled　him。　Lastly；　about

three　years　before　the　Abbe　Chapeloud's　death；　he　completed　the

comfort　of　his　apartment　by　decorating　the　salon。　Though　the　furniture

was　plainly　covered　in　red　Utrecht　velvet；　it　fascinated　Birotteau。

From　the　day　when　the　canon's　friend　first　laid　eyes　on　the　red　damask

curtains；　the　mahogany　furniture；　the　Aubusson　carpet　which　adorned

the　vast　room；　then　lately　painted；　his　envy　of　Chapeloud's　apartment

became　a　monomania　hidden　within　his　breast。　To　live　there；　to　sleep

in　that　bed　with　the　silk　curtains　where　the　canon　slept；　to　have　all

Chapeloud's　comforts　about　him；　would　be；　Birotteau　felt；　complete

happiness；　he　saw　nothing　beyond　it。　All　the　envy；　all　the　ambition

which　the　things　of　this　world　give　birth　to　in　the　hearts　of　other

men　concentrated　themelves　for　Birotteau　in　the　deep　and　secret

longing　he　felt　for　an　apartment　like　that　which　the　Abbe　Chapeloud

had　created　for　himself。　When　his　friend　fell　ill　he　went　to　him　out

of　true　affection；　but　all　the　same；　when　he　first　heard　of　his

illness；　and　when　he　sat　by　his　bed　to　keep　him　company；　there　arose

in　the　depths　of　his　consciousness；　in　spite　of　himself；　a　crowd　of

thoughts　the　simple　formula　of　which　was　always；　〃If　Chapeloud　dies　I

can　have　this　apartment。〃　And　yetBirotteau　having　an　excellent

heart；　contracted　ideas；　and　a　limited　mindhe　did　not　go　so　far　as

to　think　of　means　by　which　to　make　his　friend　bequeath　to　him　the

library　and　the　furniture。



The　Abbe　Chapeloud；　an　amiable；　indulgent　egoist；　fathomed　his

friend's　desiresnot　a　difficult　thing　to　doand　forgave　them；　which

may　seem　less　easy　to　a　priest；　but　it　must　be　remembered　that　the

vicar；　whose　friendship　was　faithful；　did　not　fail　to　take　a　daily

walk　with　his　friend　along　their　usual　path　in　the　Mail　de　Tours；

never　once　depriving　him　of　an　instant　of　the　time　devoted　for　over

twenty　years　to　that　exercise。　Birotteau；　who　regarded　his　secret

wishes　as　crimes；　would　have　been　capable；　out　of　contrition；　of　the

utmost　devotion　to　his　friend。　The　latter　paid　his　debt　of　gratitude

for　a　friendship　so　ingenuously　sincere　by　saying；　a　few　days　before

his　death；　as　the　vicar　sat　by　him　reading　the　〃Quotidienne〃　aloud：

〃This　time　you　will　certainly　get　the　apartment。　I　feel　it　is　all　over

with　me　now。〃



Accordingly；　it　was　found　that　the　Abbe　Chapeloud　had　left　his　library

and　all　his　furniture　to　his　friend　Birotteau。　The　possession　of　these

things；　so　keenly　desired；　and　the　prospect　of　being　taken　to　board　by

Mademoiselle　Gamard；　certainly　did　allay　the　grief　which　Birotteau

felt　at　the　death　of　his　friend　the　canon。　He　might　not　have　been

willing　to　resuscitate　him；　but　he　mourned　him。　For　several　days　he

was　like　Gargantus；　who；　when　his　wife　died　in　giving　birth　to

Pantagruel；　did　not　know　whether　to　rejoice　at　the　birth　of　a　son　or

grieve　at　having　buried　his　good　Babette；　and　therefore　cheated

himself　by　rejoicing　at　the　death　of　his　wife；　and　deploring　the

advent　of　Pantagruel。



The　Abbe　Birotteau　spent　the　first　days　of　his　mourning　in　verifying

the　books　in　HIS　library；　in　making　use　of　HIS　furniture；　in　examining

the　whole　of　his　inheritance；　saying　in　a　tone　which；　unfortunately；

was　not　noted　at　the　time；　〃Poor　Chapeloud！〃　His　joy　and　his　grief　so

completely　absorbed　him　that　he　felt　no　pain　when　he　found　that　the

office　of　canon；　in　which　the　late　Chapeloud　had　hoped　his　friend

Birotteau　might　succeed　him；　was　given　to　another。　Mademoiselle　Gamard

having　cheerfully　agreed　to　take　the　vicar　to　board；　the　latter　was

thenceforth　a　participator　in　all　those　felicities　of　material　comfort

of　which　the　deceased　canon　had　been　wont　to　boast。



Incalculable　they　were！　According　to　the　Abbe　Chapeloud　none　of　the

priests　who　inhabited　the　city　of　Tours；　not　even　the　archbishop；　had

ever　been　the　object　of　such　minute　and　delicate　attentions　as　those

bestowed　by　Mademoiselle　Gamard　on　her　two　lodgers。　The　first　words

the　canon　said　to　his　friend　when　they　met　for　their　walk　on　the　Mail

referred　usually　to　the　succulent　dinner　he　had　just　eaten；　and　it　was

a　very　rare　thing　if　during　the　walks　of　each　week　he　did　not　say　at

least　fourteen　times；　〃That　excellent　spinster　certainly　has　a

vocation　for　serving　ecclesiastics。〃



〃Just　think；〃　the　canon　would　say　to　Birotteau；　〃that　for　twelve

consecutive　years　nothing　has　ever　been　amiss；linen　in　perfect

order；　bands；　albs；　surplices；　I　find　everything　in　its　place；　always

in　sufficient　quantity；　and　smelling　of　orris…root。　My　furniture　is

rubbed　and　kept　so　bright　that　I　don't　know　when　I　have　seen　any　dust

did　you　ever　see　a　speck　of　it　in　my　rooms？　Then　the　firewood　is　so

well　selected。　The　least　little　things　are　excellent。　In　fact；

Mademoiselle　Gamard　keeps　an　incessant　w