two poets- 第7部分

〃Have　I　the　pleasure　of　addressing　M。　Lucien　Chardon？〃

〃Yes；　sir；〃　said　the　foreman。

〃I　am　fortunate　in　this　opportunity　of　meeting　with　a　young　poet　destined　to　such　greatness；〃　returned　the　author。　〃Mme。　de　Bargeton　sent　me　here。〃

Lucien　flushed　red　at　the　name；　and　stammered　out　something　about　gratitude　for　the　interest　which　Mme。　de　Bargeton　took　in　him。　David　noticed　his　friend's　embarrassed　flush；　and　left　him　in　conversation　with　the　country　gentleman；　the　author　of　a　monograph　on　silkwork　cultivation；　prompted　by　vanity　to　print　the　effort　for　the　benefit　of　fellow…members　of　the　local　agricultural　society。

When　the　author　had　gone；　David　spoke。

〃Lucien；　are　you　in　love　with　Mme。　de　Bargeton？〃

〃Passionately。〃

〃But　social　prejudices　set　you　as　far　apart　as　if　she　were　living　at　Pekin　and　you　in　Greenland。〃

〃The　will　of　two　lovers　can　rise　victorious　over　all　things；〃　said　Lucien；　lowering　his　eyes。

〃You　will　forget　us；〃　returned　the　alarmed　lover；　as　Eve's　fair　face　rose　before　his　mind。

〃On　the　contrary；　I　have　perhaps　sacrificed　my　love　to　you；〃　cried　Lucien。

〃What　do　you　mean？〃

〃In　spite　of　my　love；　in　spite　of　the　different　motives　which　bid　me　obtain　a　secure　footing　in　her　house；　I　have　told　her　that　I　will　never　go　thither　again　unless　another　is　made　welcome　too；　a　man　whose　gifts　are　greater　than　mine；　a　man　destined　for　a　brilliant　future　David　Sechard；　my　brother；　my　friend。　I　shall　find　an　answer　waiting　when　I　go　home。　All　the　aristocrats　may　have　been　asked　to　hear　me　read　my　verses　this　evening；　but　I　shall　not　go　if　the　answer　is　negative；　and　I　will　never　set　foot　in　Mme。　de　Bargeton's　house　again。〃

David　brushed　the　tears　from　his　eyes；　and　wrung　Lucien's　hand。　The　clock　struck　six。

〃Eve　must　be　anxious；　good…bye；〃　Lucien　added　abruptly。

He　hurried　away。　David　stood　overcome　by　the　emotion　that　is　only　felt　to　the　full　at　his　age；　and　more　especially　in　such　a　position　as　his　the　friends　were　like　two　young　swans　with　wings　unclipped　as　yet　by　the　experiences　of　provincial　life。

〃Heart　of　gold！〃　David　exclaimed　to　himself；　as　his　eyes　followed　Lucien　across　the　workshop。



Lucien　went　down　to　L'Houmeau　along　the　broad　Promenade　de　Beaulieu；　the　Rue　du　Minage；　and　Saint…Peter's　Gate。　It　was　the　longest　way　round；　so　you　may　be　sure　that　Mme。　de　Bargeton's　house　lay　on　the　way。　So　delicious　it　was　to　pass　under　her　windows；　though　she　knew　nothing　of　his　presence；　that　for　the　past　two　months　he　had　gone　round　daily　by　the　Palet　Gate　into　L'Houmeau。

Under　the　trees　of　Beaulieu　he　saw　how　far　the　suburb　lay　from　the　city。　The　custom　of　the　country；　moreover；　had　raised　other　barriers　harder　to　surmount　than　the　mere　physical　difficulty　of　the　steep　flights　of　steps　which　Lucien　was　descending。　Youth　and　ambition　had　thrown　the　flying…bridge　of　glory　across　the　gulf　between　the　city　and　the　suburb；　yet　Lucien　was　as　uneasy　in　his　mind　over　his　lady's　answer　as　any　king's　favorite　who　has　tried　to　climb　yet　higher；　and　fears　that　being　over…bold　he　is　like　to　fall。　This　must　seem　a　dark　saying　to　those　who　have　never　studied　the　manners　and　customs　of　cities　divided　into　the　upper　and　lower　town；　wherefore　it　is　necessary　to　enter　here　upon　some　topographical　details；　and　this　so　much　the　more　if　the　reader　is　to　comprehend　the　position　of　one　of　the　principal　characters　in　the　storyMme。　de　Bargeton。

The　old　city　of　Angouleme　is　perched　aloft　on　a　crag　like　a　sugar…　loaf；　overlooking　the　plain　where　the　Charente　winds　away　through　the　meadows。　The　crag　is　an　outlying　spur　on　the　Perigord　side　of　a　long；　low　ridge　of　hill；　which　terminates　abruptly　just　above　the　road　from　Paris　to　Bordeaux；　so　that　the　Rock　of　Angouleme　is　a　sort　of　promontory　marking　out　the　line　of　three　picturesque　valleys。　The　ramparts　and　great　gateways　and　ruined　fortress　on　the　summit　of　the　crag　still　remain　to　bear　witness　to　the　importance　of　this　stronghold　during　the　Religious　Wars；　when　Angouleme　was　a　military　position　coveted　alike　of　Catholics　and　Calvinists；　but　its　old…world　strength　is　a　source　of　weakness　in　modern　days；　Angouleme　could　not　spread　down　to　the　Charente；　and　shut　in　between　its　ramparts　and　the　steep　sides　of　the　crag；　the　old　town　is　condemned　to　stagnation　of　the　most　fatal　kind。

The　Government　made　an　attempt　about　this　very　time　to　extend　the　town　towards　Perigord；　building　a　Prefecture；　a　Naval　School；　and　barracks　along　the　hillside；　and　opening　up　roads。　But　private　enterprise　had　been　beforehand　elsewhere。　For　some　time　past　the　suburb　of　L'Houmeau　had　sprung　up；　a　mushroom　growth　at　the　foot　of　the　crag　and　along　the　river…side；　where　the　direct　road　runs　from　Paris　to　Bordeaux。　Everybody　has　heard　of　the　great　paper…mills　of　Angouleme；　established　perforce　three　hundred　years　ago　on　the　Charente　and　its　branch　streams；　where　there　was　a　sufficient　fall　of　water。　The　largest　State　factory　of　marine　ordnance　in　France　was　established　at　Ruelle；　some　six　miles　away。　Carriers；　wheelwrights；　posthouses；　and　inns；　every　agency　for　public　conveyance；　every　industry　that　lives　by　road　or　river；　was　crowded　together　in　Lower　Angouleme；　to　avoid　the　difficulty　of　the　ascent　of　the　hill。　Naturally；　too；　tanneries；　laundries；　and　all　such　waterside　trades　stood　within　reach　of　the　Charente；　and　along　the　banks　of　the　river　lay　the　stores　of　brandy　and　great　warehouses　full　of　the　water…borne　raw　material；　all　the　carrying　trade　of　the　Charente；　in　short；　had　lined　the　quays　with　buildings。

So　the　Faubourg　of　L'Houmeau　grew　into　a　busy　and　prosperous　city；　a　second　Angouleme　rivaling　the　upper　town；　the　residence　of　the　powers　that　be；　the　lords　spiritual　and　temporal　of　Angouleme；　though　L'Houmeau；　with　all　its　business　and　increasing　greatness；　was　still　a　mere　appendage　of　the　city　above。　The　noblesse　and　officialdom　dwelt　on　the　crag；　trade　and　wealth　remained　below。　No　love　was　lost　between　these　two　sections　of　the　community　all　the　world　over；　and　in　Angouleme　it　would　have　been　hard　to　say　which　of　the　two　camps　detested　the　other　the　more　cordially。　Under　the　Empire　the　machinery　worked　fairly　smoothly；　but　the　Restoration　wrought　both　sides　to　the　highest　pitch　of　exasperation。

Nearly　every　house　in　the　upper　town　of　Angouleme　is　inhabited　by　noble；　or　at　any　rate　by　old　burgher；　families；　who　live　independently　on　their　incomesa　sort　of　autochthonous　nation　who　suffer　no　aliens　to　come　among　them。　Possibly；　after　two　hundred　years　of　unbroken　residence；　and　it　may　be　an　intermarriage　or　two　with　one　of　the　primordial　houses；　a　family　from　some　neighboring　district　may　be　adopted；　but　in　the　eyes　of　the　aboriginal　race　they　are　still　newcomers　of　yesterday。

Prefects；　receivers…general；　and　various　administrations　that　have　come　and　gone　during　the　last　forty　years；　have　tried　to　tame　the　ancient　families　perched　aloft　like　wary　ravens　on　their　crag；　the　said　families　were　always　willing　to　accept　invitations　to　dinners　and　dances；　but　as　to　admitting　the　strangers　to　their　own　houses；　they　were　inexorable。　Ready　to　scoff　and　disparage；　jealous　and　niggardly；　marrying　only　among　themselves；　the　families　formed　a　serried　phalanx　to　keep　out　intruders。　Of　modern　luxury　they　had　no　notion；　and　as　for　sending　a　boy　to　Paris；　it　was　sending　him；　they　thought　to　certain　ruin。　Such　sagacity　will　give　a　sufficient　idea　of　the　old…world　manners　and　customs　of　this　society；　suffering　from　thick…headed　Royalism；　infected　with　bigotry　rather　than　zeal；　all　stagnating　together；　motionless　as　their　town　founded　upon　a　rock。　Yet　Angouleme　enjoyed　a　great　reputation　in　the　provinces　round　about　for　its　educational　advantages；　and　neighboring　towns　sent　their　daughters　to　its　boarding　schools　and　convents。

It　is　easy　to　imagine　the　influence　of　the　class　sentiment　which　held　Angouleme　aloof　from　L'Houmeau。　The　merchant　classes　are　rich；　the　noblesse　are　usually　poor。　Each　side　takes　its　revenge　in　scorn　of　the　other。　The　tradespeople　in　Angouleme　espouse　the　quarrel。　〃He　is　a　man　of　L'Houmeau！〃　a　shopkeeper　of　the　upper　town　will　tell　you；　speaking　of　a　merchant　in　the　lower　suburb；　throwing　an　accent　into　the　speech　which　no　words　can　describe。　When　the　Restoration　defined　the　position　of　the　French　noblesse；　holding　out　hopes　to　them　which　could　only　be　realized　by　a　complete　and　general　topsy…turvydom；　the　distance　between　Angouleme　and　L'Houmeau；　already　more　strongly　marked　than　the　distance　between　the　hill　and　plain；　was　widened　yet　further。　The　better　families；　all　devoted　as　one　man　to　the　Government；　grew　more　exclusive　here　than　in　any　other　part　of　France。　〃The　man　of　L'Houmeau〃　became　little　better　than　a　pariah。　Hence　the　deep；　smothered　hatred　which　broke　out　everywhere　with　such　ugly　unanimity　in　the　insurrection　of　1830　and　destroyed　the　elements　of　a　durable　social　system　in　France。　As　the　overweening　haughtiness　of　the　Court　nobles　detached　the　provincial　noblesse　from　the　throne；　so　did　these　last　alienate　the　bourgeoisie　from　the　royal　cause　by　behavior　that　galled　their　vanity　in　every　possible　way。

So　〃a　man　of　L'Houmeau；〃　a　druggist's　son；　in　Mme。　de　Bargeton's　house　was　nothing　less　than　a　little　revolution。　Who　was　responsible　for　it？　Lamartine　and　Victor　Hugo；　Casimir　Delavigne　and　Canalis；　Beranger　and　Chateaubriand。　Davrigny；　Benjamin　Constant　and　Lamennais；　Cousin　and　Michaud；all　the　old　and　young　illustrious　names　in　literature　in　short；　Liberals　and　Royalists；　alike　must　divide　the　blame　among　them。　Mme。　de　Bargeton　loved　art　and　letters；　eccentric　taste　on　her　part；　a　craze　deeply　deplored　in　Angouleme。　In　justice　to　the　lady；　it　is　necessary　to　give　a　sketch　of　the　previous　history　of　a　woman　born　to　shine；　and　left　by　unlucky　circumstances　in　the　shade；　a　woman　whose　influence　decided　Lucien's　career。

M。　de　Bargeton　was　the　great…grandson　of　an　alderman　of　Bordeaux　named　Mirault；　ennobled　under　Louis　XIII。　for　long　tenure　of　office。　His　son；　bearing　the　name　of　Mirault　de　Bargeton；　became　an　officer　in　the　household　troops　of　Louis　XIV。；　and　married　so　great　a　fortune　that　in　the　reign　of　Louis　XV。　his　son　dropped　the　Mirault　and　was　called　simply　M。　de　Bargeton。　This　M。　de　Bargeton；　the　alderman's　grandson；　lived　up