the vicar of tours- 第11部分

Poirel's　nomination。　She　knew　nothing；　of　course；　of　the　fatal

agreement　made　by　the　abbe　with　Mademoiselle　Gamard；　for　the　excellent

reason　that　he　did　not　know　of　it　himself；　and　because　it　is　in　the

nature　of　things　that　the　comical　is　often　mingled　with　the　pathetic；

the　singular　replies　of　the　poor　abbe　made　her　smile。



〃Chapeloud　was　right；〃　he　said；　〃he　is　a　monster！〃



〃Who？〃　she　asked。



〃Chapeloud。　He　has　taken　all。〃



〃You　mean　Poirel？〃



〃No；　Troubert。〃



At　last　they　reached　the　Alouette；　where　the　priest's　friends　gave　him

such　tender　care　that　towards　evening　he　grew　calmer　and　was　able　to

give　them　an　account　of　what　had　happened　during　the　morning。



The　phlegmatic　old　fox　asked　to　see　the　deed　which；　on　thinking　the

matter　over；　seemed　to　him　to　contain　the　solution　of　the　enigma。

Birotteau　drew　the　fatal　stamped　paper　from　his　pocket　and　gave　it　to

Monsieur　de　Bourbonne；　who　read　it　rapidly　and　soon　came　upon　the

following　clause：



〃Whereas　a　difference　exists　of　eight　hundred　francs　yearly　between

the　price　of　board　paid　by　the　late　Abbe　Chapeloud　and　that　at　which

the　said　Sophie　Gamard　agrees　to　take　into　her　house；　on　the　above…

named　stipulated　condition；　the　said　Francois　Birotteau；　and　whereas

it　is　understood　that　the　undersigned　Francois　Birotteau　is　not　able

for　some　years　to　pay　the　full　price　charged　to　the　other　boarders　of

Mademoiselle　Gamard；　more　especially　the　Abbe　Troubert；　the　said

Birotteau　does　hereby　engage；　in　consideration　of　certain　sums　of

money　advanced　by　the　undersigned　Sophie　Gamard；　to　leave　her；　as

indemnity；　all　the　household　property　of　which　he　may　die　possessed；

or　to　transfer　the　same　to　her　should　he；　for　any　reason　whatever　or

at　any　time；　voluntarily　give　up　the　apartment　now　leased　to　him；　and

thus　derive　no　further　profit　from　the　above…named　engagements　made　by

Mademoiselle　Gamard　for　his　benefit〃



〃Confound　her！　what　an　agreement！〃　cried　the　old　gentleman。　〃The　said

Sophie　Gamard　is　armed　with　claws。〃



Poor　Birotteau　never　imagined　in　his　childish　brain　that　anything

could　ever　separate　him　from　that　house　where　he　expected　to　live　and

die　with　Mademoiselle　Gamard。　He　had　no　remembrance　whatever　of　that

clause；　the　terms　of　which　he　had　not　discussed；　for　they　had　seemed

quite　just　to　him　at　a　time　when；　in　his　great　anxiety　to　enter　the


old　maid's　house；　he　would　readily　have　signed　any　and　all　legal

documents　she　had　offered　him。　His　simplicity　was　so　guileless　and

Mademoiselle　Gamard's　conduct　so　atrocious；　the　fate　of　the　poor　old

man　seemed　so　deplorable；　and　his　natural　helplessness　made　him　so

touching；　that　in　the　first　glow　of　her　indignation　Madame　de

Listomere　exclaimed：　〃I　made　you　put　your　signature　to　that　document

which　has　ruined　you；　I　am　bound　to　give　you　back　the　happiness　of

which　I　have　deprived　you。〃



〃But；〃　remarked　Monsieur　de　Bourbonne；　〃that　deed　constitutes　a　fraud；

there　may　be　ground　for　a　lawsuit。〃



〃Then　Birotteau　shall　go　to　the　law。　If　he　loses　at　Tours　he　may　win

at　Orleans；　if　he　loses　at　Orleans；　he'll　win　in　Paris；〃　cried　the

Baron　de　Listomere。



〃But　if　he　does　go　to　law；〃　continued　Monsieur　de　Bourbonne；　coldly；

〃I　should　advise　him　to　resign　his　vicariat。〃



〃We　will　consult　lawyers；〃　said　Madame　de　Listomere；　〃and　go　to　law　if

law　is　best。　But　this　affair　is　so　disgraceful　for　Mademoiselle

Gamard；　and　is　likely　to　be　so　injurious　to　the　Abbe　Troubert；　that　I

think　we　can　compromise。〃



After　mature　deliberation　all　present　promised　their　assistance　to　the

Abbe　Birotteau　in　the　struggle　which　was　now　inevitable　between　the

poor　priest　and　his　antagonists　and　all　their　adherents。　A　true

presentiment；　an　infallible　provincial　instinct；　led　them　to　couple

the　names　of　Gamard　and　Troubert。　But　none　of　the　persons　assembled　on

this　occasion　in　Madame　de　Listomere's　salon；　except　the　old　fox；　had

any　real　idea　of　the　nature　and　importance　of　such　a　struggle。

Monsieur　de　Bourbonne　took　the　poor　abbe　aside　into　a　corner　of　the

room。



〃Of　the　fourteen　persons　now　present；〃　he　said；　in　a　low　voice；　〃not

one　will　stand　by　you　a　fortnight　hence。　If　the　time　comes　when　you

need　some　one　to　support　you　you　may　find　that　I　am　the　only　person　in

Tours　bold　enough　to　take　up　your　defence；　for　I　know　the　provinces

and　men　and　things；　and；　better　still；　I　know　self…interests。　But

these　friends　of　yours；　though　full　of　the　best　intentions；　are

leading　you　astray　into　a　bad　path；　from　which　you　won't　be　able　to

extricate　yourself。　Take　my　advice；　if　you　want　to　live　in　peace；

resign　the　vicariat　of　Saint…Gatien　and　leave　Tours。　Don't　say　where

you　are　going；　but　find　some　distant　parish　where　Troubert　cannot　get

hold　of　you。〃



〃Leave　Tours！〃　exclaimed　the　vicar；　with　indescribable　terror。



To　him　it　was　a　kind　of　death；　the　tearing　up　of　all　the　roots　by

which　he　held　to　life。　Celibates　substitute　habits　for　feelings；　and

when　to　that　moral　system；　which　makes　them　pass　through　life　instead

of　really　living　it；　is　added　a　feeble　character；　external　things

assume　an　extraordinary　power　over　them。　Birotteau　was　like　certain

vegetables；　transplant　them；　and　you　stop　their　ripening。　Just　as　a

tree　needs　daily　the　same　sustenance；　and　must　always　send　its　roots

into　the　same　soil；　so　Birotteau　needed　to　trot　about　Saint…Gatien；

and　amble　along　the　Mail　where　he　took　his　daily　walk；　and　saunter

through　the　streets；　and　visit　the　three　salons　where；　night　after

night；　he　played　his　whist　or　his　backgammon。



〃Ah！　I　did　not　think　of　it！〃　replied　Monsieur　de　Bourbonne；　gazing　at

the　priest　with　a　sort　of　pity。



All　Tours　was　soon　aware　that　Madame　la　Baronne　de　Listomere；　widow　of

a　lieutenant…general；　had　invited　the　Abbe　Birotteau；　vicar　of　Saint…

Gatien；　to　stay　at　her　house。　That　act；　which　many　persons　questioned；

presented　the　matter　sharply　and　divided　the　town　into　parties；

especially　after　Mademoiselle　Salomon　spoke　openly　of　a　fraud　and　a

lawsuit。　With　the　subtle　vanity　which　is　common　to　old　maids；　and　the

fanatic　self…love　which　characterizes　them；　Mademoiselle　Gamard　was

deeply　wounded　by　the　course　taken　by　Madame　de　Listomere。　The

baroness　was　a　woman　of　high　rank；　elegant　in　her　habits　and　ways；

whose　good　taste；　courteous　manners；　and　true　piety　could　not　be

gainsaid。　By　receivng　Birotteau　as　her　guest　she　gave　a　formal　denial

to　all　Mademoiselle　Gamard's　assertions；　and　indirectly　censured　her

conduct　by　maintaining　the　vicar's　cause　against　his　former　landlady。



It　is　necessary　for　the　full　understanding　of　this　history　to　explain

how　the　natural　discernment　and　spirit　of　analysis　which　old　women

bring　to　bear　on　the　actions　of　others　gave　power　to　Mademoiselle

Gamard；　and　what　were　the　resources　on　her　side。　Accompanied　by　the

taciturn　Abbe　Troubert　she　made　a　round　of　evening　visits　to　five　or

six　houses；　at　each　of　which　she　met　a　circle　of　a　dozen　or　more

persons；　united　by　kindred　tastes　and　the　same　general　situation　in

life。　Among　them　were　one　or　two　men　who　were　influenced　by　the　gossip

and　prejudices　of　their　servants；　five　or　six　old　maids　who　spent

their　time　in　sifting　the　words　and　scrutinizing　the　actions　of　their

neighbours　and　others　in　the　class　below　them；　besides　these；　there

were　several　old　women　who　busied　themselves　in　retailing　scandal；

keeping　an　exact　account　of　each　person's　fortune；　striving　to　control

or　influence　the　actions　of　others；　prognosticating　marriages；　and

blaming　the　conduct　of　friends　as　sharply　as　that　of　enemies。　These

persons；　spread　about　the　town　like　the　capillary　fibres　of　a　plant；

sucked　in；　with　the　thirst　of　a　leaf　for　the　dew；　the　news　and　the

secrets　of　each　household；　and　transmitted　them　mechanically　to　the

Abbe　Troubert；　as　the　leaves　convey　to　the　branch　the　moisture　they

absorb。



Accordingly；　during　every　evening　of　the　week；　these　good　devotees；

excited　by　that　need　of　emotion　which　exists　in　all　of　us；　rendered　an

exact　account　of　the　current　condition　of　the　town　with　a　sagacity

worthy　of　the　Council　of　Ten；　and　were；　in　fact；　a　species　of　police；

armed　with　the　unerring　gift　of　spying　bestowed　by　passions。　When　they

had　divined　the　secret　meaning　of　some　event　their　vanity　led　them　to

appropriate　to　themselves　the　wisdom　of　their　sanhedrim；　and　set　the

tone　to　the　gossip　of　their　respective　spheres。　This　idle　but　ever

busy　fraternity；　invisible；　yet　seeing　all　things；　dumb；　but

perpetually　talking；　possessed　an　influence　which　its　nonentity　seemed

to　render　harmless；　though　it　was　in　fact　terrible　in　its　effects　when

it　concerned　itself　with　serious　interests。　For　a　long　time　nothing

had　entered　the　sphere　of　these　existences　so　serious　and　so　momentous

to　each　one　of　them　as　the　struggle　of　Birotteau；　supported　by　Madame

de　Listomere；　against　Mademoiselle　Gamard　and　the　Abbe　Troubert。　The

three　salons　of　Madame　de　Listomere　and　the　Demoiselles　Merlin　de　la

Blottiere　and　de　Villenoix　being　considered　as　enemies　by　all　the

salons　which　Mademoiselle　Gamard　frequented；　there　was　at　the　bottom

of　the　quarrel　a　class　sentiment　with　all　its　jealousies。　It　was　the

old　Roman　struggle　of　people　and　senate　in　a　molehill；　a　tempest　in　a

teacup；　as　Montesquieu　remarked　when　speaking　of　the　Republic　of　San

Marino；　whose　public　offices　are　filled　by　the　day　only；despotic

power　being　easily　seized　by　any　citizen。



But　this　tempest；　petty　as　it　seems；　did　develop　in　the　souls　of　these

persons　as　many　passions　as　would　have　been　called　forth　by　the

highest　social　interests。　It　is　a　mistake　to　think　that　none　but　souls

concerned　in　mighty　projects；　which　stir　their　lives　and　set　them

foaming；　find　time　too　fleeting。　The　hours　of　the　Abbe　Troubert　fled

by　as　eagerly；　laden　with　thoughts　as　anxious；　harassed　by　despairs

and　hopes　as　deep　as　the　cruellest　hours　of　the　gambler；　the　lover；　or