the vicar of tours-第5章

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rebuilt　a　smoky　chimney。



For　twelve　years　the　Abbe　Birotteau　had　seen　his　friend　Chapeloud　in

that　house　without　ever　giving　a　thought　to　the　motive　of　the　canon's

extreme　circumspection　in　his　relations　to　Mademoiselle　Gamard。　When

he　came　himself　to　live　with　that　saintly　woman　he　was　in　the

condition　of　a　lover　on　the　point　of　being　made　happy。　Even　if　he　had

not　been　by　nature　purblind　of　intellect；　his　eyes　were　too　dazzled　by

his　new　happiness　to　allow　him　to　judge　of　the　landlady；　or　to　reflect

on　the　limits　which　he　ought　to　impose　on　their　daily　intercourse。

Mademoiselle　Gamard；　seen　from　afar　and　through　the　prism　of　those

material　felicities　which　the　vicar　dreamed　of　enjoying　in　her　house；

seemed　to　him　a　perfect　being；　a　faultless　Christian；　essentially

charitable；　the　woman　of　the　Gospel；　the　wise　virgin；　adorned　by　all

those　humble　and　modest　virtues　which　shed　celestial　fragrance　upon

life。



So；　with　the　enthusiasm　of　one　who　attains　an　object　long　desired；

with　the　candor　of　a　child；　and　the　blundering　foolishness　of　an　old

man　utterly　without　worldly　experience；　he　fell　into　the　life　of

Mademoiselle　Gamard　precisely　as　a　fly　is　caught　in　a　spider's　web。

The　first　day　that　he　went　to　dine　and　sleep　at　the　house　he　was

detained　in　the　salon　after　dinner；　partly　to　make　his　landlady's

acquaintance；　but　chiefly　by　that　inexplicable　embarrassment　which

often　assails　timid　people　and　makes　them　fear　to　seem　impolite　by

breaking　off　a　conversation　in　order　to　take　leave。　Consequently　he

remained　there　the　whole　evening。　Then　a　friend　of　his；　a　certain

Mademoiselle　Salomon　de　Villenoix；　came　to　see　him；　and　this　gave

Mademoiselle　Gamard　the　happiness　of　forming　a　card…table；　so　that

when　the　vicar　went　to　bed　he　felt　that　he　had　passed　a　very　agreeable

evening。　Knowing　Mademoiselle　Gamard　and　the　Abbe　Troubert　but

slightly；　he　saw　only　the　superficial　aspects　of　their　characters；　few

persons　bare　their　defects　at　once；　they　generally　take　on　a　becoming

veneer。



The　worthy　abbe　was　thus　led　to　suggest　to　himself　the　charming　plan

of　devoting　all　his　evenings　to　Mademoiselle　Gamard；　instead　of

spending　them；　as　Chapeloud　had　done；　elsewhere。　The　old　maid　had　for

years　been　possessed　by　a　desire　which　grew　stronger　day　by　day。　This

desire；　often　formed　by　old　persons　and　even　by　pretty　women；　had

become　in　Mademoiselle　Gamard's　soul　as　ardent　a　longing　as　that　of

Birotteau　for　Chapeloud's　apartment；　and　it　was　strengthened　by　all

those　feelings　of　pride；　egotism；　envy；　and　vanity　which　pre…exist　in

the　breasts　of　worldly　people。



This　history　is　of　all　time；　it　suffices　to　widen　slightly　the　narrow

circle　in　which　these　personages　are　about　to　act　to　find　the

coefficient　reasons　of　events　which　take　place　in　the　very　highest

spheres　of　social　life。



Mademoiselle　Gamard　spent　her　evenings　by　rotation　in　six　or　eight

different　houses。　Whether　it　was　that　she　disliked　being　obliged　to　go

out　to　seek　society；　and　considered　that　at　her　age　she　had　a　right　to

expect　some　return；　or　that　her　pride　was　wounded　at　receiving　no

company　in　her　house；　or　that　her　self…love　craved　the　compliments　she

saw　her　various　hostesses　receive；certain　it　is　that　her　whole

ambition　was　to　make　her　salon　a　centre　towards　which　a　given　number

of　persons　should　nightly　make　their　way　with　pleasure。　One　morning　as

she　left　Saint…Gatien；　after　Birotteau　and　his　friend　Mademoiselle

Salomon　had　spent　a　few　evenings　with　her　and　with　the　faithful　and

patient　Troubert；　she　said　to　certain　of　her　good　friends　whom　she　met

at　the　church　door；　and　whose　slave　she　had　hitherto　considered

herself；　that　those　who　wished　to　see　her　could　certainly　come　once　a

week　to　her　house；　where　she　had　friends　enough　to　make　a　card…table；

she　could　not　leave　the　Abbe　Birotteau；　Mademoiselle　Salomon　had　not

missed　a　single　evening　that　week；　she　was　devoted　to　friends；　andet

cetera；　et　cetera。　Her　speech　was　all　the　more　humbly　haughty　and

softly　persuasive　because　Mademoiselle　Salomon　de　Villenoix　belonged

to　the　most　aristocatic　society　in　Tours。　For　though　Mademoiselle

Salomon　came　to　Mademoiselle　Gamard's　house　solely　out　of　friendship

for　the　vicar；　the　old　maid　triumphed　in　receiving　her；　and　saw　that；

thanks　to　Birotteau；　she　was　on　the　point　of　succeeding　in　her　great

desire　to　form　a　circle　as　numerous　and　as　agreeable　as　those　of

Madame　de　Listomere；　Mademoiselle　Merlin　de　la　Blottiere；　and　other

devout　ladies　who　were　in　the　habit　of　receiving　the　pious　and

ecclesiastical　society　of　Tours。



But　alas！　the　abbe　Birotteau　himself　caused　this　cherished　hope　to

miscarry。　Now　if　those　persons　who　in　the　course　of　their　lives　have

attained　to　the　enjoyment　of　a　long　desired　happiness　and　have

therefore　comprehended　the　joy　of　the　vicar　when　he　stepped　into

Chapeloud's　vacant　place；　they　will　also　have　gained　some　faint　idea

of　Mademoiselle　Gamard's　distress　at　the　overthrow　of　her　favorite

plan。



After　accepting　his　happiness　in　the　old　maid's　salon　for　six　months

with　tolerable　patience；　Birotteau　deserted　the　house　of　an　evening；

carrying　with　him　Mademoiselle　Salomon。　In　spite　of　her　utmost　efforts

the　ambitious　Gamard　had　recruited　barely　six　visitors；　whose　faithful

attendance　was　more　than　problematical；　and　boston　could　not　be　played

night　after　night　unless　at　least　four　persons　were　present。　The

defection　of　her　two　principal　guests　obliged　her　therefore　to　make

suitable　apologies　and　return　to　her　evening　visiting　among　former

friends；　for　old　maids　find　their　own　company　so　distasteful　that　they

prefer　to　seek　the　doubtful　pleasures　of　society。



The　cause　of　this　desertion　is　plain　enough。　Although　the　vicar　was

one　of　those　to　whom　heaven　is　hereafter　to　belong　in　virtue　of　the

decree　〃Blessed　are　the　poor　in　spirit；〃　he　could　not；　like　some

fools；　endure　the　annoyance　that　other　fools　caused　him。　Persons

without　minds　are　like　weeds　that　delight　in　good　earth；　they　want　to

be　amused　by　others；　all　the　more　because　they　are　dull　within。　The

incarnation　of　ennui　to　which　they　are　victims；　joined　to　the　need

they　feel　of　getting　a　divorce　from　themselves；　produces　that　passion

for　moving　about；　for　being　somewhere　else　than　where　they　are；　which

distinguishes　their　species；and　also　that　of　all　beings　devoid　of

sensitiveness；　and　those　who　have　missed　their　destiny；　or　who　suffer

by　their　own　fault。



Without　really　fathoming　the　vacuity　and　emptiness　of　Mademoiselle

Gamard's　mind；　or　stating　to　himself　the　pettiness　of　her　ideas；　the

poor　abbe　perceived；　unfortunately　too　late；　the　defects　which　she

shared　with　all　old　maids；　and　those　which　were　peculiar　to　herself。

The　bad　points　of　others　show　out　so　strongly　against　the　good　that

they　usually　strike　our　eyes　before　they　wound　us。　This　moral

phenomenon　might；　at　a　pinch；　be　made　to　excuse　the　tendency　we　all

have；　more　or　less；　to　gossip。　It　is　so　natural；　socially　speaking；　to

laugh　at　the　failings　of　others　that　we　ought　to　forgive　the　ridicule

our　own　absurdities　excite；　and　be　annoyed　only　by　calumny。　But　in

this　instance　the　eyes　of　the　good　vicar　never　reached　the　optical

range　which　enables　men　of　the　world　to　see　and　evade　their

neighbours'　rough　points。　Before　he　could　be　brought　to　perceive　the

faults　of　his　landlady　he　was　forced　to　undergo　the　warning　which

Nature　gives　to　all　her　creaturespain。



Old　maids　who　have　never　yielded　in　their　habits　of　life　or　in　their

characters　to　other　lives　and　other　characters；　as　the　fate　of　woman

exacts；　have；　as　a　general　thing；　a　mania　for　making　others　give　way

to　them。　In　Mademoiselle　Gamard　this　sentiment　had　degenerated　into

despotism；　but　a　despotism　that　could　only　exercise　itself　on　little

things。　For　instance　（among　a　hundred　other　examples）；　the　basket　of

counters　placed　on　the　card…table　for　the　Abbe　Birotteau　was　to　stand

exactly　where　she　placed　it；　and　the　ab