the vicar of tours-第6章

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

exactly　where　she　placed　it；　and　the　abbe　annoyed　her　terribly　by

moving　it；　which　he　did　nearly　every　evening。　How　is　this

sensitiveness　stupidly　spent　on　nothings　to　be　accounted　for？　what　is

the　object　of　it？　No　one　could　have　told　in　this　case；　Mademoiselle

Gamard　herself　knew　no　reason　for　it。　The　vicar；　though　a　sheep　by

nature；　did　not　like；　any　more　than　other　sheep；　to　feel　the　crook　too

often；　especially　when　it　bristled　with　spikes。　Not　seeking　to　explain

to　himself　the　patience　of　the　Abbe　Troubert；　Birotteau　simply

withdrew　from　the　happiness　which　Mademoiselle　Gamard　believed　that

she　seasoned　to　his　liking；for　she　regarded　happiness　as　a　thing　to

be　made；　like　her　preserves。　But　the　luckless　abbe　made　the　break　in　a

clumsy　way；　the　natural　way　of　his　own　naive　character；　and　it　was　not

carried　out　without　much　nagging　and　sharp…shooting；　which　the　Abbe

Birotteau　endeavored　to　bear　as　if　he　did　not　feel　them。



By　the　end　of　the　first　year　of　his　sojourn　under　Mademoiselle

Gamard's　roof　the　vicar　had　resumed　his　former　habits；　spending　two

evenings　a　week　with　Madame　de　Listomere；　three　with　Mademoiselle

Salomon；　and　the　other　two　with　Mademoiselle　Merlin　de　la　Blottiere。

These　ladies　belonged　to　the　aristocratic　circles　of　Tourainean

society；　to　which　Mademoiselle　Gamard　was　not　admitted。　Therefore　the

abbe's　abandonment　was　the　more　insulting；　because　it　made　her　feel

her　want　of　social　value；　all　choice　implies　contempt　for　the　thing

rejected。



〃Monsieur　Birotteau　does　not　find　us　agreeable　enough；〃　said　the　Abbe

Troubert　to　Mademoiselle　Gamard's　friends　when　she　was　forced　to　tell

them　that　her　〃evenings〃　must　be　given　up。　〃He　is　a　man　of　the　world；

and　a　good　liver！　He　wants　fashion；　luxury；　witty　conversation；　and

the　scandals　of　the　town。〃



These　words　of　course　obliged　Mademoiselle　Gamard　to　defend　herself　at

Birotteau's　expense。



〃He　is　not　much　a　man　of　the　world；〃　she　said。　〃If　it　had　not　been　for

the　Abbe　Chapeloud　he　would　never　have　been　received　at　Madame　de

Listomere's。　Oh；　what　didn't　I　lose　in　losing　the　Abbe　Chapeloud！　Such

an　amiable　man；　and　so　easy　to　live　with！　In　twelve　whole　years　I

never　had　the　slightest　difficulty　or　disagreement　with　him。〃



Presented　thus；　the　innocent　abbe　was　considered　by　this　bourgeois

society；　which　secretly　hated　the　aristocratic　society；　as　a　man

essentially　exacting　and　hard　to　get　along　with。　For　a　week

Mademoiselle　Gamard　enjoyed　the　pleasure　of　being　pitied　by　friends

who；　without　really　thinking　one　word　of　what　they　said；　kept

repeating　to　her：　〃How　COULD　he　have　turned　against　you？so　kind　and

gentle　as　you　are！〃　or；　〃Console　yourself；　dear　Mademoiselle　Gamard；

you　are　so　well　known　that〃　et　cetera。



Nevertheless；　these　friends；　enchanted　to　escape　one　evening　a　week　in

the　Cloister；　the　darkest；　dreariest；　and　most　out　of　the　way　corner

in　Tours；　blessed　the　poor　vicar　in　their　hearts。



Between　persons　who　are　perpetually　in　each　other's　company　dislike　or

love　increases　daily；　every　moment　brings　reasons　to　love　or　hate　each

other　more　and　more。　The　Abbe　Birotteau　soon　became　intolerable　to

Mademoiselle　Gamard。　Eighteen　months　after　she　had　taken　him　to　board；

and　at　the　moment　when　the　worthy　man　was　mistaking　the　silence　of

hatred　for　the　peacefulness　of　content；　and　applauding　himself　for

having；　as　he　said；　〃managed　matters　so　well　with　the　old　maid；〃　he

was　really　the　object　of　an　underhand　persecution　and　a　vengeance

deliberately　planned。　The　four　marked　circumstances　of　the　locked

door；　the　forgotten　slippers；　the　lack　of　fire；　and　the　removal　of　the

candlestick；　were　the　first　signs　that　revealed　to　him　a　terrible

enmity；　the　final　consequences　of　which　were　destined　not　to　strike

him　until　the　time　came　when　they　were　irreparable。



As　he　went　to　bed　the　worthy　vicar　worked　his　brainsquite　uselessly；

for　he　was　soon　at　the　end　of　themto　explain　to　himself　the

extraordinarily　discourteous　conduct　of　Mademoiselle　Gamard。　The　fact

was　that；　having　all　along　acted　logically　in　obeying　the　natural　laws

of　his　own　egotism；　it　was　impossible　that　he　should　now　perceive　his

own　faults　towards　his　landlady。



Though　the　great　things　of　life　are　simple　to　understand　and　easy　to

express；　the　littlenesses　require　a　vast　number　of　details　to　explain

them。　The　foregoing　events；　which　may　be　called　a　sort　of　prologue　to

this　bourgeois　drama；　in　which　we　shall　find　passions　as　violent　as

those　excited　by　great　interests；　required　this　long　introduction；　and

it　would　have　been　difficult　for　any　faithful　historian　to　shorten　the

account　of　these　minute　developments。





II



The　next　morning；　on　awaking；　Birotteau　thought　so　much　of　his

prospective　canonry　that　he　forgot　the　four　circumstances　in　which　he

had　seen；　the　night　before；　such　threatening　prognostics　of　a　future

full　of　misery。　The　vicar　was　not　a　man　to　get　up　without　a　fire。　He

rang　to　let　Marianne　know　that　he　was　awake　and　that　she　must　come　to

him；　then　he　remained；　as　his　habit　was；　absorbed　in　somnolent

musings。　The　servant's　custom　was　to　make　the　fire　and　gently　draw　him

from　his　half　sleep　by　the　murmured　sound　of　her　movements；a　sort　of

music　which　he　loved。　Twenty　minutes　passed　and　Marianne　had　not

appeared。　The　vicar；　now　half　a　canon；　was　about　to　ring　again；　when

he　let　go　the　bell…pull；　hearing　a　man's　step　on　the　staircase。　In　a

minute　more　the　Abbe　Troubert；　after　discreetly　knocking　at　the　door；

obeyed　Birotteau's　invitation　and　entered　the　room。　This　visit；　which

the　two　abbe's　usually　paid　each　other　once　a　month；　was　no　surprise

to　the　vicar。　The　canon　at　once　exclaimed　when　he　saw　that　Marianne

had　not　made　the　fire　of　his　quasi…colleague。　He　opened　the　window　and

called　to　her　harshly；　telling　her　to　come　at　once　to　the　abbe；　then；

turning　round　to　his　ecclesiastical　brother；　he　said；　〃If　Mademoiselle

knew　that　you　had　no　fire　she　would　scold　Marianne。〃



After　this　speech　he　inquired　about　Birotteau's　health；　and　asked　in　a

gentle　voice　if　he　had　had　any　recent　news　that　gave　him　hopes　of　his

canonry。　The　vicar　explained　the　steps　he　had　taken；　and　told；

naively；　the　names　of　the　persons　with　whom　Madam　de　Listomere　was

using　her　influence；　quite　unaware　that　Troubert　had　never　forgiven

that　lady　for　not　admitting　himthe　Abbe　Troubert；　twice　proposed　by

the　bishop　as　vicar…general！to　her　house。



It　would　be　impossible　to　find　two　figures　which　presented　so　many

contrasts　to　each　other　as　those　of　the　two　abbes。　Troubert；　tall　and

lean；　was　yellow　and　bilious；　while　the　vicar　was　what　we　call；

familiarly；　plump。　Birotteau's　face；　round　and　ruddy；　proclaimed　a

kindly　nature　barren　of　ideas；　while　that　of　the　Abbe　Troubert；　long

and　ploughed　by　many　wrinkles；　took　on　at　times　an　expression　of

sarcasm；　or　else　of　contempt；　but　it　was　necessary　to　watch　him　very

closely　before　those　sentiments　could　be　detected。　The　canon's

habitual　condition　was　perfect　calmness；　and　his　eyelids　were　usually

lowered　over　his　orange…colored　eyes；　which　could；　however；　give　clear

and　piercing　glances　when　he　liked。　Reddish　hair　added　to　the　gloomy

effect　of　this　countenance；　which　was　always　obscured　by　the　veil

which　deep　meditation　drew　across　its　features。　Many　persons　at　first

sight　thought　him　absorbed　in　high　and　earnest　ambitions；　but　those

who　claimed　to　know　him　better　denied　that　impression；　insisting　that

he　was　only　stupidly　dull　under　Mademoiselle　Gamard's　despotism；　or

else　worn　out　by　too　much　fasting。　He　seldom　spoke；　and　never　laughed。

When　it　did　so　happen　that　he　felt　agreeably　moved；　a　feeble　smile

would　flicker　on　his　lips　and　lose　itself　in　the　wrinkles　of　his　face。



Birotteau；　on　the　other　hand；　was　all　expansion；　all　frankness；　he

loved　good　things　and　was　amused　by　trifles　with　the　simplicity　of　a

man　who　knew　no　spit