albert savarus-第15章

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idea：　She　was　sacrificing　herself　for　/him/。

〃She　does　not　know　how　to　love；〃　thought　she。　〃Ah！　if　it　were　II
would　give　up　everything　to　a　man　who　loved　me　so。To　be　loved！
When；　by　whom　shall　I　be　loved？　That　little　Monsieur　de　Soulas　only
loves　my　money；　if　I　were　poor；　he　would　not　even　look　at　me。〃

〃Rosalie；　my　child；　what　are　you　thinking　about？　You　are　working
beyond　the　outline；〃　said　the　Baroness　to　her　daughter；　who　was　making
worsted…work　slippers　for　the　Baron。



Rosalie　spent　the　winter　of　1834…35　torn　by　secret　tumults；　but　in　the
spring；　in　the　month　of　April；　when　she　reached　the　age　of　nineteen；
she　sometimes　thought　that　it　would　be　a　fine　thing　to　triumph　over　a
Duchesse　d'Argaiolo。　In　silence　and　solitude　the　prospect　of　this
struggle　had　fanned　her　passion　and　her　evil　thoughts。　She　encouraged
her　romantic　daring　by　making　plan　after　plan。　Although　such
characters　are　an　exception；　there　are；　unfortunately；　too　many
Rosalies　in　the　world；　and　this　story　contains　a　moral　that　ought　to
serve　them　as　a　warning。

In　the　course　of　this　winter　Albert　de　Savarus　had　quietly　made
considerable　progress　in　Besancon。　Confident　of　success；　he　now
impatiently　awaited　the　dissolution　of　the　Chamber。　Among　the　men　of
the　moderate　party　he　had　won　the　suffrages　of　one　of　the　makers　of
Besancon；　a　rich　contractor；　who　had　very　wide　influence。

Wherever　they　settled　the　Romans　took　immense　pains；　and　spent
enormous　sums　to　have　an　unlimited　supply　of　good　water　in　every　town
of　their　empire。　At　Besancon　they　drank　the　water　from　Arcier；　a　hill
at　some　considerable　distance　from　Besancon。　The　town　stands　in　a
horseshoe　circumscribed　by　the　river　Doubs。　Thus；　to　restore　an
aqueduct　in　order　to　drink　the　same　water　that　the　Romans　drank；　in　a
town　watered　by　the　Doubs；　is　one　of　those　absurdities　which　only
succeed　in　a　country　place　where　the　most　exemplary　gravity　prevails。
If　this　whim　could　be　brought　home　to　the　hearts　of　the　citizens；　it
would　lead　to　considerable　outlay；　and　this　expenditure　would　benefit
the　influential　contractor。

Albert　Savaron　de　Savarus　opined　that　the　water　of　the　river　was　good
for　nothing　but　to　flow　under　the　suspension　bridge；　and　that　the　only
drinkable　water　was　that　from　Arcier。　Articles　were　printed　in　the
/Review/　which　merely　expressed　the　views　of　the　commercial　interest
of　Besancon。　The　nobility　and　the　citizens；　the　moderates　and　the
legitimists；　the　government　party　and　the　opposition；　everybody；　in
short；　was　agreed　that　they　must　drink　the　same　water　as　the　Romans；
and　boast　of　a　suspension　bridge。　The　question　of　the　Arcier　water　was
the　order　of　the　day　at　Besancon。　At　Besanconas　in　the　matter　of　the
two　railways　to　Versaillesas　for　every　standing　abusethere　were
private　interests　unconfessed　which　gave　vital　force　to　this　idea。　The
reasonable　folk　in　opposition　to　this　scheme；　who　were　indeed　but　few；
were　regarded　as　old　women。　No　one　talked　of　anything　but　of　Savaron's
two　projects。　And　thus；　after　eighteen　months　of　underground　labor；
the　ambitious　lawyer　had　succeeded　in　stirring　to　its　depths　the　most
stagnant　town　in　France；　the　most　unyielding　to　foreign　influence；　in
finding　the　length　of　its　foot；　to　use　a　vulgar　phrase；　and　exerting　a
preponderant　influence　without　stirring　from　his　own　room。　He　had
solved　the　singular　problem　of　how　to　be　powerful　without　being
popular。

In　the　course　of　this　winter　he　won　seven　lawsuits　for　various　priests
of　Besancon。　At　moments　he　could　breathe　freely　at　the　thought　of　his
coming　triumph。　This　intense　desire；　which　made　him　work　so　many
interests　and　devise　so　many　springs；　absorbed　the　last　strength　of
his　terribly　overstrung　soul。　His　disinterestedness　was　lauded；　and　he
took　his　clients'　fees　without　comment。　But　this　disinterestedness
was；　in　truth；　moral　usury；　he　counted　on　a　reward　far　greater　to　him
than　all　the　gold　in　the　world。

In　the　month　of　October　1834　he　had　brought；　ostensibly　to　serve　a
merchant　who　was　in　difficulties；　with　money　lent　him　by　Leopold
Hannequin；　a　house　which　gave　him　a　qualification　for　election。　He　had
not　seemed　to　seek　or　desire　this　advantageous　bargain。

〃You　are　really　a　remarkable　man；〃　said　the　Abbe　de　Grancey；　who；　of
course；　had　watched　and　understood　the　lawyer。　The　Vicar…General　had
come　to　introduce　to　him　a　Canon　who　needed　his　professional　advice。
〃You　are　a　priest　who　has　taken　the　wrong　turning。〃　This　observation
struck　Savarus。

Rosalie；　on　her　part；　had　made　up　her　mind；　in　her　strong　girl's　head；
to　get　Monsieur　de　Savarus　into　the　drawing…room　and　acquainted　with
the　society　of　the　Hotel　de　Rupt。　So　far　she　had　limited　her　desires
to　seeing　and　hearing　Albert。　She　had　compounded；　so　to　speak；　and　a
composition　is　often　no　more　than　a　truce。

Les　Rouxey；　the　inherited　estate　of　the　Wattevilles；　was　worth　just
ten　thousand　francs　a　year；　but　in　other　hands　it　would　have　yielded　a
great　deal　more。　The　Baron　in　his　indifferencefor　his　wife　was　to
have；　and　in　fact　had；　forty　thousand　francs　a　yearleft　the
management　of　les　Rouxey　to　a　sort　of　factotum；　an　old　servant　of　the
Wattevilles　named　Modinier。　Nevertheless；　whenever　the　Baron　and　his
wife　wished　to　go　out　of　the　town；　they　went　to　les　Rouxey；　which　is
very　picturesquely　situated。　The　chateau　and　the　park　were；　in　fact；
created　by　the　famous　Watteville；　who　in　his　active　old　age　was
passionately　attached　to　this　magnificent　spot。

Between　two　precipitous　hillslittle　peaks　with　bare　summits　known　as
the　great　and　the　little　Rouxeyin　the　heart　of　a　ravine　where　the
torrents　from　the　heights；　with　the　Dent　de　Vilard　at　their　head；　come
tumbling　to　join　the　lovely　upper　waters　of　the　Doubs；　Watteville　had
a　huge　dam　constructed；　leaving　two　cuttings　for　the　overflow。　Above
this　dam　he　made　a　beautiful　lake；　and　below　it　two　cascades；　and
these；　uniting　a　few　yards　below　the　falls；　formed　a　lovely　little
river　to　irrigate　the　barren；　uncultivated　valley；　and　these　two　hills
he　enclosed　in　a　ring　fence；　and　built　himself　a　retreat　on　the　dam；
which　he　widened　to　two　acres　by　accumulating　above　it　all　the　soil
which　had　to　be　removed　to　make　a　channel　for　the　river　and　the
irrigation　canals。

When　the　Baron　de　Watteville　thus　obtained　the　lake　above　his　dam　he
was　owner　of　the　two　hills；　but　not　of　the　upper　valley　thus　flooded；
through　which　there　had　been　at　all　times　a　right…of…way　to　where　it
ends　in　a　horseshoe　under　the　Dent　de　Vilard。　But　this　ferocious　old
man　was　so　widely　dreaded；　that　so　long　as　he　lived　no　claim　was　urged
by　the　inhabitants　of　Riceys；　the　little　village　on　the　further　side
of　the　Dent　de　Vilard。　When　the　Baron　died；　he　left　the　slopes　of　the
two　Rouxey　hills　joined　by　a　strong　wall；　to　protect　from　inundation
the　two　lateral　valleys　opening　into　the　valley　of　Rouxey；　to　the
right　and　left　at　the　foot　of　the　Dent　de　Vilard。　Thus　he　died　the
master　of　the　Dent　de　Vilard。

His　heirs　asserted　their　protectorate　of　the　village　of　Riceys；　and　so
maintained　the　usurpation。　The　old　assassin；　the　old　renegade；　the　old
Abbe　Watteville；　ended　his　career　by　planting　trees　and　making　a　fine
road　over　the　shoulder　of　one　of　the　Rouxey　hills　to　join　the
highroad。　The　estate　belonging　to　this　park　and　house　was　extensive；
but　badly　cultivated；　there　were　chalets　on　both　hills　and　neglected
forests　of　timber。　It　was　all　wild　and　deserted；　left　to　the　care　of
nature；　abandoned　to　chance　growths；　but　full　of　sublime　and
unexpected　beauty。　You　may　now　imagine　les　Rouxey。

It　is　unnecessary　to　complicate　this　story　by　relating　all　the
prodigious　trouble　and　the　inventiveness　stamped　with　genius；　by　which
Rosalie　achieved　her　end　without　allowing　it　to　be　suspected。　It　is
enough　to　say　that　it　was　in　obedience　to　her　mother　that　she　left
Besancon　in　the　month　of　May　1835；　in　an　antique　traveling　carriage
drawn　by　a　pair　of　sturdy　hired　horses；　and　accompanied　her　father　to
les　Rouxey。

To　a　young　girl　love　lurks　in　everything。　When　she　rose；　the　morning
after　her　arrival；　Mademoiselle　de　Watteville　saw　from　her　bedroom
window　the　fine　expanse　of　water；　from　which　the　light　mists　rose　like
smoke；　and　were　caught　in　the　firs　and　larches；　rolling　up　and　along
the　hills　till　they　reached　the　heights；　and　she　gave　a　cry　of
admiration。

〃They　loved　by　the　lakes！　/She/　lives　by　a　lake！　A　lake　is　certainly
full　of　love！〃　she　thought。

A　lake　fed　by　snows　has　opalescent　colors　and　a　translucency　that
makes　it　one　huge　diamond；　but　when　it　is　shut　in　like　that　of　les
Rouxey；　between　two　granite　masses　covered　with　pines；　when　silence
broods　over　it　like　that　of　the　Savannas　or　the　Steppes；　then　every
one　must　exclaim　as　Rosalie　did。

〃We　owe　that；〃　said　her　father；　〃to　the　notorious　Watteville。〃

〃On　my　word；〃　said　the　girl；　〃he　did　his　best　to　earn　forgiveness。　Let
us　go　in　a　boat　to　the　further　end；　it　will　give　us　an　appetite　for
breakfast。〃

The　Baron　called　two　gardener　lads　who　knew　how　to　row；　and　took　with
him　his　prime　minister　Modinier。　The　lake　was　about　six　acres　in
breadth；　in　some　places　ten　or　twelve；　and　four　hundred　in　length。
Rosalie　soon　found　herself　at　the　upper　end　shut　in　by　the　Dent　de
Vilard；　the　Jungfrau　of　that　little　Switzerland。

〃Here　we　are；　Monsieur　le　Baron；〃　said　Modinier；　signing　to　the
gardeners　to　tie　up　the　boat；　〃will　you　come　and　look？〃

〃Look　at　what？〃　asked　Rosalie。

〃Oh；　nothing！〃　exclaimed　the　Baron。　〃But　you　are　a　sensible　girl；　we
have　some　little　secrets　between　us；　and　I　may　tell　you　what　ruffles
my　mind。　Some　difficulties　have　arisen　since　1830　between　the　village
authorities　of　Riceys　and　me；　on　account　of　this　very　Dent　de　Vilard；
and　I　want　to　settle　the　matter　without　your　mother's　knowing　anything
about　it；　for　she　is　stubborn；　she　is　capable　of　flinging　fire　and
flames　broadcast；　particularly　if　she　should　hear　that　the　Mayor　of
Riceys；　a　republican；　got　up　this　action　as　a　sop　to　his　people。〃

Rosalie　had　presence　of　mind　enough　to　disguise　her　delight；　so　as　to
work　more　effectually　on　her　father。

〃What　action？〃　said　she。

〃Mademoiselle；　the　people　of　Riceys；〃　said　Modinier；　〃have　long
enjoyed　the　right　of　grazing　and　cutting　fodder　on　their　side　of　the
Dent　de　Vilard。　Now　Monsieur　Chantonnit；　the　Maire　since　1830；
declares　that　the　whole　Dent　belongs　to　his　district；　and　maintains
that　a　hundred　years　ago；　or　more；　there　was　a　way　through　our
grounds。　You　understand　that　in　that　case　we　should　no　longer　have
them　to　ourselves。　Then　this　barbarian　would　end　by　saying；　what　the
old　men　in　the　village　say；　that　the　ground　occupied　by　the　lake　was
appropriated　by　the　Abbe　de　Watteville。　That　would　be　the　end　of　les
Rouxey；　what　next？〃

〃Indeed；　my　child；　between　ourselves；　it　is　the　truth；〃　said　Monsieur
de　Watteville　simply。　〃The　land　is　an　usurpation；　with　no　title…deed
but　lapse　of　time。　And；　therefore；　to　avoid　all　worry；　I　should　wish
to　come　to　a　friendly　understanding　as　to　my　border　line　on　this　side
of　the　Dent　de　Vilard；　and　I　will　then　raise　a　wall。〃

〃If　you　give　way　to　the　municipality；　it　will　swallow　you　up。　You
ought　to　have　threatened　Riceys。〃

〃That　is　just　what　I　told　the