at the sign of the cat and racket-第4章

按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！


their　father　was　rich；　they　were　as　skilled　in　darning　as　in
embroidery；　their　mother　often　talked　of　having　them　taught　to　cook；
so　that　they　might　know　how　to　order　a　dinner　and　scold　a　cook　with
due　knowledge。　They　knew　nothing　of　the　pleasures　of　the　world；　and；
seeing　how　their　parents　spent　their　exemplary　lives；　they　very　rarely
suffered　their　eyes　to　wander　beyond　the　walls　of　their　hereditary
home；　which　to　their　mother　was　the　whole　universe。　The　meetings　to
which　family　anniversaries　gave　rise　filled　in　the　future　of　earthly
joy　to　them。

When　the　great　drawing…room　on　the　second　floor　was　to　be　prepared　to
receive　companyMadame　Roguin；　a　Demoiselle　Chevrel；　fifteen　months
younger　than　her　cousin；　and　bedecked　with　diamonds；　young　Rabourdin；
employed　in　the　Finance　Office；　Monsieur　Cesar　Birotteau；　the　rich
perfumer；　and　his　wife；　known　as　Madame　Cesar；　Monsieur　Camusot；　the
richest　silk　mercer　in　the　Rue　des　Bourdonnais；　with　his　father…in…
law；　Monsieur　Cardot；　two　or　three　old　bankers；　and　some　immaculate
ladiesthe　arrangements；　made　necessary　by　the　way　in　which
everything　was　packed　awaythe　plate；　the　Dresden　china；　the
candlesticks；　and　the　glassmade　a　variety　in　the　monotonous　lives　of
the　three　women；　who　came　and　went　and　exerted　themselves　as　nuns
would　to　receive　their　bishop。　Then；　in　the　evening；　when　all　three
were　tired　out　with　having　wiped；　rubbed；　unpacked；　and　arranged　all
the　gauds　of　the　festival；　as　the　girls　helped　their　mother　to
undress；　Madame　Guillaume　would　say　to　them；　〃Children；　we　have　done
nothing　today。〃

When；　on　very　great　occasions；　〃the　portress　nun〃　allowed　dancing；
restricting　the　games　of　boston；　whist；　and　backgammon　within　the
limits　of　her　bedroom；　such　a　concession　was　accounted　as　the　most
unhoped　felicity；　and　made　them　happier　than　going　to　the　great　balls；
to　two　or　three　of　which　Guillaume　would　take　the　girls　at　the　time　of
the　Carnival。

And　once　a　year　the　worthy　draper　gave　an　entertainment；　when　he
spared　no　expense。　However　rich　and　fashionable　the　persons　invited
might　be；　they　were　careful　not　to　be　absent；　for　the　most　important
houses　on　the　exchange　had　recourse　to　the　immense　credit；　the
fortune；　or　the　time…honored　experience　of　Monsieur　Guillaume。　Still；
the　excellent　merchant's　daughters　did　not　benefit　as　much　as　might　be
supposed　by　the　lessons　the　world　has　to　offer　to　young　spirits。　At
these　parties；　which　were　indeed　set　down　in　the　ledger　to　the　credit
of　the　house；　they　wore　dresses　the　shabbiness　of　which　made　them
blush。　Their　style　of　dancing　was　not　in　any　way　remarkable；　and　their
mother's　surveillance　did　not　allow　of　their　holding　any　conversation
with　their　partners　beyond　Yes　and　No。　Also；　the　law　of　the　old　sign
of　the　Cat　and　Racket　commanded　that　they　should　be　home　by　eleven
o'clock；　the　hour　when　balls　and　fetes　begin　to　be　lively。　Thus　their
pleasures；　which　seemed　to　conform　very　fairly　to　their　father's
position；　were　often　made　insipid　by　circumstances　which　were　part　of
the　family　habits　and　principles。

As　to　their　usual　life；　one　remark　will　sufficiently　paint　it。　Madame
Guillaume　required　her　daughters　to　be　dressed　very　early　in　the
morning；　to　come　down　every　day　at　the　same　hour；　and　she　ordered
their　employments　with　monastic　regularity。　Augustine；　however；　had
been　gifted　by　chance　with　a　spirit　lofty　enough　to　feel　the　emptiness
of　such　a　life。　Her　blue　eyes　would　sometimes　be　raised　as　if　to
pierce　the　depths　of　that　gloomy　staircase　and　those　damp　store…rooms。
After　sounding　the　profound　cloistral　silence；　she　seemed　to　be
listening　to　remote；　inarticulate　revelations　of　the　life　of　passion；
which　accounts　feelings　as　of　higher　value　than　things。　And　at　such
moments　her　cheek　would　flush；　her　idle　hands　would　lay　the　muslin
sewing　on　the　polished　oak　counter；　and　presently　her　mother　would　say
in　a　voice；　of　which　even　the　softest　tones　were　sour；　〃Augustine；　my
treasure；　what　are　you　thinking　about？〃　It　is　possible　that　two
romances　discovered　by　Augustine　in　the　cupboard　of　a　cook　Madame
Guillaume　had　lately　discharged/Hippolyte　Comte　de　Douglas/　and　/Le
Comte　de　Comminges/may　have　contributed　to　develop　the　ideas　of　the
young　girl；　who　had　devoured　them　in　secret；　during　the　long　nights　of
the　past　winter。

And　so　Augustine's　expression　of　vague　longing；　her　gentle　voice；　her
jasmine　skin；　and　her　blue　eyes　had　lighted　in　poor　Lebas'　soul　a
flame　as　ardent　as　it　was　reverent。　From　an　easily　understood　caprice；
Augustine　felt　no　affection　for　the　orphan；　perhaps　she　did　not　know
that　he　loved　her。　On　the　other　hand；　the　senior　apprentice；　with　his
long　legs；　his　chestnut　hair；　his　big　hands　and　powerful　frame；　had
found　a　secret　admirer　in　Mademoiselle　Virginie；　who；　in　spite　of　her
dower　of　fifty　thousand　crowns；　had　as　yet　no　suitor。　Nothing　could　be
more　natural　than　these　two　passions　at　cross…purposes；　born　in　the
silence　of　the　dingy　shop；　as　violets　bloom　in　the　depths　of　a　wood。
The　mute　and　constant　looks　which　made　the　young　people's　eyes　meet　by
sheer　need　of　change　in　the　midst　of　persistent　work　and　cloistered
peace；　was　sure；　sooner　or　later；　to　give　rise　to　feelings　of　love。
The　habit　of　seeing　always　the　same　face　leads　insensibly　to　our
reading　there　the　qualities　of　the　soul；　and　at　last　effaces　all　its
defects。

〃At　the　pace　at　which　that　man　goes；　our　girls　will　soon　have　to　go　on
their　knees　to　a　suitor！〃　said　Monsieur　Guillaume　to　himself；　as　he
read　the　first　decree　by　which　Napoleon　drew　in　advance　on　the
conscript　classes。

From　that　day　the　old　merchant；　grieved　at　seeing　his　eldest　daughter
fade；　remembered　how　he　had　married　Mademoiselle　Chevrel　under　much
the　same　circumstances　as　those　of　Joseph　Lebas　and　Virginie。　A　good
bit　of　business；　to　marry　off　his　daughter；　and　discharge　a　sacred
debt　by　repaying　to　an　orphan　the　benefit　he　had　formerly　received
from　his　predecessor　under　similar　conditions！　Joseph　Lebas；　who　was
now　three…and…thirty；　was　aware　of　the　obstacle　which　a　difference　of
fifteen　years　placed　between　Augustine　and　himself。　Being　also　too
clear…sighted　not　to　understand　Monsieur　Guillaume's　purpose；　he　knew
his　inexorable　principles　well　enough　to　feel　sure　that　the　second
would　never　marry　before　the　elder。　So　the　hapless　assistant；　whose
heart　was　as　warm　as　his　legs　were　long　and　his　chest　deep；　suffered
in　silence。

This　was　the　state　of　the　affairs　in　the　tiny　republic　which；　in　the
heart　of　the　Rue　Saint…Denis；　was　not　unlike　a　dependency　of　La
Trappe。　But　to　give　a　full　account　of　events　as　well　as　of　feelings；
it　is　needful　to　go　back　to　some　months　before　the　scene　with　which
this　story　opens。　At　dusk　one　evening；　a　young　man　passing　the
darkened　shop　of　the　Cat　and　Racket；　had　paused　for　a　moment　to　gaze
at　a　picture　which　might　have　arrested　every　painter　in　the　world。　The
shop　was　not　yet　lighted；　and　was　as　a　dark　cave　beyond　which　the
dining…room　was　visible。　A　hanging　lamp　shed　the　yellow　light　which
lends　such　charm　to　pictures　of　the　Dutch　school。　The　white　linen；　the
silver；　the　cut　glass；　were　brilliant　accessories；　and　made　more
picturesque　by　strong　contrasts　of　light　and　shade。　The　figures　of　the
head　of　the　family　and　his　wife；　the　faces　of　the　apprentices；　and　the
pure　form　of　Augustine；　near　whom　a　fat　chubby…cheeked　maid　was
standing；　composed　so　strange　a　group；　the　heads　were　so　singular；　and
every　face　had　so　candid　an　expression；　it　was　so　easy　to　read　the
peace；　the　silence；　the　modest　way　of　life　in　this　family；　that　to　an
artist　accustomed　to　render　nature；　there　was　something　hopeless　in
any　attempt　to　depict　this　scene；　come　upon　by　chance。　The　stranger
was　a　young　painter；　who；　seven　years　before；　had　gained　the　first
prize　for　painting。　He　had　now　just　come　back　from　Rome。　His　soul；
full…fed　with　poetry；　his　eyes；　satiated　with　Raphael　and　Michael
Angelo；　thirsted　for　real　nature　after　long　dwelling　in　the　pompous
land　where　art　has　everywhere　left　something　grandiose。　Right　or
wrong；　this　was　his　personal　feeling。　His　heart；　which　had　long　been　a
prey　to　the　fire　of　Italian　passion；　craved　one　of　those　modest