the vicar of tours-第8章

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opinions　on　politics；　religion；　and　literature　would　delight　observing

minds。　It　would　be　highly　entertaining　to　transcribe　the　reasons　on

which　they　mutually　doubted　the　death　of　Napoleon　in　1820；　or　the

conjectures　by　which　they　mutually　believed　that　the　Dauphin　was

living；rescued　from　the　Temple　in　the　hollow　of　a　huge　log　of　wood。

Who　could　have　helped　laughing　to　hear　them　assert　and　prove；　by

reasons　evidently　their　own；　that　the　King　of　France　alone　imposed　the

taxes；　that　the　Chambers　were　convoked　to　destroy　the　clergy；　that

thirteen　hundred　thousand　persons　had　perished　on　the　scaffold　during

the　Revolution？　They　frequently　discussed　the　press；　without　either　of

them　having　the　faintest　idea　of　what　that　modern　engine　really　was。

Monsieur　Birotteau　listened　with　acceptance　to　Mademoiselle　Gamard

when　she　told　him　that　a　man　who　ate　an　egg　every　morning　would　die　in

a　year；　and　that　facts　proved　it；　that　a　roll　of　light　bread　eaten

without　drinking　for　several　days　together　would　cure　sciatica；　that

all　the　workmen　who　assisted　in　pulling　down　the　Abbey　Saint…Martin

had　died　in　six　months；　that　a　certain　prefect；　under　orders　from

Bonaparte；　had　done　his　best　to　damage　the　towers　of　Saint…Gatien；

with　a　hundred　other　absurd　tales。



But　on　this　occasion　poor　Birotteau　felt　he　was　tongue…tied；　and　he

resigned　himself　to　eat　a　meal　without　engaging　in　conversation。　After

a　while；　however；　the　thought　crossed　his　mind　that　silence　was

dangerous　for　his　digestion；　and　he　boldly　remarked；　〃This　coffee　is

excellent。〃



That　act　of　courage　was　completely　wasted。　Then；　after　looking　at　the

scrap　of　sky　visible　above　the　garden　between　the　two　buttresses　of

Saint…Gatien；　the　vicar　again　summoned　nerve　to　say；　〃It　will　be　finer

weather　to…day　than　it　was　yesterday。〃



At　that　remark　Mademoiselle　Gamard　cast　her　most　gracious　look　on　the

Abbe　Troubert；　and　immediately　turned　her　eyes　with　terrible　severity

on　Birotteau；　who　fortunately　by　that　time　was　looking　on　his　plate。



No　creature　of　the　feminine　gender　was　ever　more　capable　of　presenting

to　the　mind　the　elegaic　nature　of　an　old　maid　than　Mademoiselle　Sophie

Gamard。　In　order　to　describe　a　being　whose　character　gives　a　momentous

interest　to　the　petty　events　of　the　present　drama　and　to　the　anterior

lives　of　the　actors　in　it；　it　may　be　useful　to　give　a　summary　of　the

ideas　which　find　expression　in　the　being　of　an　Old　Maid；remembering

always　that　the　habits　of　life　form　the　soul；　and　the　soul　forms　the

physical　presence。



Though　all　things　in　society　as　well　as　in　the　universe　are　said　to

have　a　purpose；　there　do　exist　here　below　certain　beings　whose　purpose

and　utility　seem　inexplicable。　Moral　philosophy　and　political　economy

both　condemn　the　individual　who　consumes　without　producing；　who　fills

a　place　on　the　earth　but　does　not　shed　upon　it　either　good　or　evil；

for　evil　is　sometimes　good　the　meaning　of　which　is　not　at　once　made

manifest。　It　is　seldom　that　old　maids　of　their　own　motion　enter　the

ranks　of　these　unproductive　beings。　Now；　if　the　consciousness　of　work

done　gives　to　the　workers　a　sense　of　satisfaction　which　helps　them　to

support　life；　the　certainty　of　being　a　useless　burden　must；　one　would

think；　produce　a　contrary　effect；　and　fill　the　minds　of　such　fruitless

beings　with　the　same　contempt　for　themselves　which　they　inspire　in

others。　This　harsh　social　reprobation　is　one　of　the　causes　which

contribute　to　fill　the　souls　of　old　maids　with　the　distress　that

appears　in　their　faces。　Prejudice；　in　which　there　is　truth；　does　cast；

throughout　the　world　but　especially　in　France；　a　great　stigma　on　the

woman　with　whom　no　man　has　been　willing　to　share　the　blessings　or

endure　the　ills　of　life。　Now；　there　comes　to　all　unmarried　women　a

period　when　the　world；　be　it　right　or　wrong；　condemns　them　on　the　fact

of　this　contempt；　this　rejection。　If　they　are　ugly；　the　goodness　of

their　characters　ought　to　have　compensated　for　their　natural

imperfections；　if；　on　the　contrary；　they　are　handsome；　that　fact

argues　that　their　misfortune　has　some　serious　cause。　It　is　impossible

to　say　which　of　the　two　classes　is　most　deserving　of　rejection。　If；　on

the　other　hand；　their　celibacy　is　deliberate；　if　it　proceeds　from　a

desire　for　independence；　neither　men　nor　mothers　will　forgive　their

disloyalty　to　womanly　devotion；　evidenced　in　their　refusal　to　feed

those　passions　which　render　their　sex　so　affecting。　To　renounce　the

pangs　of　womanhood　is　to　abjure　its　poetry　and　cease　to　merit　the

consolations　to　which　mothers　have　inalienable　rights。



Moreover；　the　generous　sentiments；　the　exquisite　qualities　of　a　woman

will　not　develop　unless　by　constant　exercise。　By　remaining　unmarried；

a　creature　of　the　female　sex　becomes　void　of　meaning；　selfish　and

cold；　she　creates　repulsion。　This　implacable　judgment　of　the　world　is

unfortunately　too　just　to　leave　old　maids　in　ignorance　of　its　causes。

Such　ideas　shoot　up　in　their　hearts　as　naturally　as　the　effects　of

their　saddened　lives　appear　upon　their　features。　Consequently　they

wither；　because　the　constant　expression　of　happiness　which　blooms　on

the　faces　of　other　women　and　gives　so　soft　a　grace　to　their　movements

has　never　existed　for　them。　They　grow　sharp　and　peevish　because　all

human　beings　who　miss　their　vocation　are　unhappy；　they　suffer；　and

suffering　gives　birth　to　the　bitterness　of　ill…will。　In　fact；　before

an　old　maid　blames　herself　for　her　isolation　she　blames　others；　and

there　is　but　one　step　between　reproach　and　the　desire　for　revenge。



But　more　than　this；　the　ill　grace　and　want　of　charm　noticeable　in

these　women　are　the　necessary　result　of　their　lives。　Never　having　felt

a　desire　to　please；　elegance　and　the　refinements　of　good　taste　are

foreign　to　them。　They　see　only　themselves　in　themselves。　This　instinct

brings　them；　unconsciously；　to　choose　the　things　that　are　most

convenient　to　themselves；　at　the　sacrifice　of　those　which　might　be

more　agreeable　to　others。　Without　rendering　account　to　their　own　minds

of　the　difference　between　themselves　and　other　women；　they　end　by

feeling　that　difference　and　suffering　under　it。　Jealousy　is　an

indelible　sentiment　in　the　female　breast。　An　old　maid's　soul　is

jealous　and　yet　void；　for　she　knows　but　one　sidethe　miserable　side

of　the　only　passion　men　will　allow　（because　it　flatters　them）　to

women。　Thus　thwarted　in　all　their　hopes；　forced　to　deny　themselves　the

natural　development　of　their　natures；　old　maids　endure　an　inward

torment　to　which　they　never　grow　accustomed。　It　is　hard　at　any　age；

above　all　for　a　woman；　to　see　a　feeling　of　repulsion　on　the　faces　of

others；　when　her　true　destiny　is　to　move　all　hearts　about　her　to

emotions　of　grace　and　love。　One　result　of　this　inward　trouble　is　that

an　old　maid's　glance　is　always　oblique；　less　from　modesty　than　from

fear　and　shame。　Such　beings　never　forgive　society　for　their　false

position　because　they　never　forgive　themselves　for　it。



Now　it　is　impossible　for　a　woman　who　is　perpetually　at　war　with

herself　and　living　in　contradiction　to　her　true　life；　to　leave　others

in　peace　or　refrain　from　envying　their　happines。　The　whole　range　of

these　sad　truths　could　be　read　in　the　dulled　gray　eyes　of　Mademoiselle

Gamard；　the　dark　circles　that　surrounded　those　eyes　told　of　the　inward

conflicts　of　her　solitary　life。　All　the　wrinkles　on　her　face　were　in

straight　lines。　The　structure　of　her　forehead　and　cheeks　was　rigid　and

prominent。　She　allowed；　with　apparent　indifference；　certain　scattered

hairs；　once　brown；　to　grow　upon　her　chin。　Her　thin　lips　scarcely

covered　teeth　that　were　too　long；　though　still　quite　white。　Her

complexion　was　dark；　and　her　hair；　originally　black；　had　turned　gray

from　frightful　headaches；a　misfortune　which　obliged　her　to　wear　a

false　front。　Not　knowing　how　to　put　it　on　so　as　to　conceal　the

junction　between　the　real　and　the　false；　there　were　often　little　gaps

between　the　border　of　her　cap　and　the　black　string　with