albert savarus-第2章

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cost；　one　with　another；　eight　hundred　francs　a　year。　His　bills　for
articles　received　from　Paris；　such　as　perfumery；　cravats；　jewelry；
patent　blacking；　and　clothes；　ran　to　another　twelve　hundred　francs。
Add　to　this　the　groom；　or　tiger；　the　horses；　a　very　superior　style　of
dress；　and　six　hundred　francs　a　year　for　rent；　and　you　will　see　a
grand　total　of　three　thousand　francs。

Now；　Monsieur　de　Soulas'　father　had　left　him　only　four　thousand　francs
a　year；　the　income　from　some　cottage　farms　which　lent　painful
uncertainty　to　the　rents。　The　lion　had　hardly　three　francs　a　day　left
for　food；　amusements；　and　gambling。　He　very　often　dined　out；　and
breakfasted　with　remarkable　frugality。　When　he　was　positively　obliged
to　dine　at　his　own　cost；　he　sent　his　tiger　to　fetch　a　couple　of　dishes
from　a　cookshop；　never　spending　more　than　twenty…five　sous。

Young　Monsieur　de　Soulas　was　supposed　to　be　a　spendthrift；　recklessly
extravagant；　whereas　the　poor　man　made　the　two　ends　meet　in　the　year
with　a　keenness　and　skill　which　would　have　done　honor　to　a　thrifty
housewife。　At　Besancon　in　those　days　no　one　knew　how　great　a　tax　on　a
man's　capital　were　six　francs　spent　in　polish　to　spread　on　his　boots
or　shoes；　yellow　gloves　at　fifty　sous　a　pair；　cleaned　in　the　deepest
secrecy　to　make　them　three　times　renewed；　cravats　costing　ten　francs；
and　lasting　three　months；　four　waistcoats　at　twenty…five　francs；　and
trousers　fitting　close　to　the　boots。　How　could　he　do　otherwise；　since
we　see　women　in　Paris　bestowing　their　special　attention　on　simpletons
who　visit　them；　and　cut　out　the　most　remarkable　men　by　means　of　these
frivolous　advantages；　which　a　man　can　buy　for　fifteen　louis；　and　get
his　hair　curled　and　a　fine　linen　shirt　into　the　bargain？

If　this　unhappy　youth　should　seem　to　you　to　have　become　a　/lion/　on
very　cheap　terms；　you　must　know　that　Amedee　de　Soulas　had　been　three
times　to　Switzerland；　by　coach　and　in　short　stages；　twice　to　Paris；
and　once　from　Paris　to　England。　He　passed　as　a　well…informed　traveler；
and　could　say；　〃In　England；　where　I　went　。　。　。〃　The　dowagers　of　the
town　would　say　to　him；　〃You；　who　have　been　in　England　。　。　。〃　He　had
been　as　far　as　Lombardy；　and　seen　the　shores　of　the　Italian　lakes。　He
read　new　books。　Finally；　when　he　was　cleaning　his　gloves；　the　tiger
Babylas　replied　to　callers；　〃Monsieur　is　very　busy。〃　An　attempt　had
been　made　to　withdraw　Monsieur　Amedee　de　Soulas　from　circulation　by
pronouncing　him　〃A　man　of　advanced　ideas。〃　Amedee　had　the　gift　of
uttering　with　the　gravity　of　a　native　the　commonplaces　that　were　in
fashion；　which　gave　him　the　credit　of　being　one　of　the　most
enlightened　of　the　nobility。　His　person　was　garnished　with　fashionable
trinkets；　and　his　head　furnished　with　ideas　hall…marked　by　the　press。

In　1834　Amedee　was　a　young　man　of　five…and…twenty；　of　medium　height；
dark；　with　a　very　prominent　thorax；　well…made　shoulders；　rather　plump
legs；　feet　already　fat；　white　dimpled　hands；　a　beard　under　his　chin；
moustaches　worthy　of　the　garrison；　a　good…natured；　fat；　rubicund　face；
a　flat　nose；　and　brown　expressionless　eyes；　nothing　Spanish　about　him。
He　was　progressing　rapidly　in　the　direction　of　obesity；　which　would　be
fatal　to　his　pretensions。　His　nails　were　well　kept；　his　beard　trimmed；
the　smallest　details　of　his　dress　attended　to　with　English　precision。
Hence　Amedee　de　Soulas　was　looked　upon　as　the　finest　man　in　Besancon。
A　hairdresser　who　waited　upon　him　at　a　fixed　houranother　luxury；
costing　sixty　francs　a　yearheld　him　up　as　the　sovereign　authority　in
matters　of　fashion　and　elegance。

Amedee　slept　late；　dressed　and　went　out　towards　noon；　to　go　to　one　of
his　farms　and　practise　pistol…shooting。　He　attached　as　much　importance
to　this　exercise　as　Lord　Byron　did　in　his　later　days。　Then；　at　three
o'clock　he　came　home；　admired　on　horseback　by　the　grisettes　and　the
ladies　who　happened　to　be　at　their　windows。　After　an　affectation　of
study　or　business；　which　seemed　to　engage　him　till　four；　he　dressed　to
dine　out；　spent　the　evening　in　the　drawing…rooms　of　the　aristocracy　of
Besancon　playing　whist；　and　went　home　to　bed　at　eleven。　No　life　could
be　more　above　board；　more　prudent；　or　more　irreproachable；　for　he
punctually　attended　the　services　at　church　on　Sundays　and　holy　days。

To　enable　you　to　understand　how　exceptional　is　such　a　life；　it　is
necessary　to　devote　a　few　words　to　an　account　of　Besancon。　No　town
ever　offered　more　deaf　and　dumb　resistance　to　progress。　At　Besancon
the　officials；　the　employes；　the　military；　in　short；　every　one　engaged
in　governing　it；　sent　thither　from　Paris　to　fill　a　post　of　any　kind；
are　all　spoken　of　by　the　expressive　general　name　of　/the　Colony/。　The
colony　is　neutral　ground；　the　only　ground　where；　as　in　church；　the
upper　rank　and　the　townsfolk　of　the　place　can　meet。　Here；　fired　by　a
word；　a　look；　or　gesture；　are　started　those　feuds　between　house　and
house；　between　a　woman　of　rank　and　a　citizen's　wife；　which　endure　till
death；　and　widen　the　impassable　gulf　which　parts　the　two　classes　of
society。　With　the　exception　of　the　Clermont…Mont…Saint…Jean；　the
Beauffremont；　the　de　Scey；　and　the　Gramont　families；　with　a　few　others
who　come　only　to　stay　on　their　estates　in　the　Comte；　the　aristocracy
of　Besancon　dates　no　further　back　than　a　couple　of　centuries；　the　time
of　the　conquest　by　Louis　XIV。　This　little　world　is　essentially　of　the
/parlement/；　and　arrogant；　stiff；　solemn；　uncompromising；　haughty
beyond　all　comparison；　even　with　the　Court　of　Vienna；　for　in　this　the
nobility　of　Besancon　would　put　the　Viennese　drawing…rooms　to　shame。　As
to　Victor　Hugo；　Nodier；　Fourier；　the　glories　of　the　town；　they　are
never　mentioned；　no　one　thinks　about　them。　The　marriages　in　these
families　are　arranged　in　the　cradle；　so　rigidly　are　the　greatest
things　settled　as　well　as　the　smallest。　No　stranger；　no　intruder；　ever
finds　his　way　into　one　of　these　houses；　and　to　obtain　an　introduction
for　the　colonels　or　officers　of　title　belonging　to　the　first　families
in　France　when　quartered　there；　requires　efforts　of　diplomacy　which
Prince　Talleyrand　would　gladly　have　mastered　to　use　at　a　congress。

In　1834　Amedee　was　the　only　man　in　Besancon　who　wore　trouser…straps；
this　will　account　for　the　young　man's　being　regarded　as　a　lion。　And　a
little　anecdote　will　enable　you　to　understand　the　city　of　Besancon。

Some　time　before　the　opening　of　this　story；　the　need　arose　at　the
prefecture　for　bringing　an　editor　from　Paris　for　the　official
newspaper；　to　enable　it　to　hold　its　own　against　the　little　/Gazette/；
dropped　at　Besancon　by　the　great　/Gazette/；　and　the　/Patriot/；　which
frisked　in　the　hands　of　the　Republicans。　Paris　sent　them　a　young　man；
knowing　nothing　about　la　Franche　Comte；　who　began　by　writing　them　a
leading　article　of　the　school　of　the　/Charivari/。　The　chief　of　the
moderate　party；　a　member　of　the　municipal　council；　sent　for　the
journalist　and　said　to　him；　〃You　must　understand；　monsieur；　that　we
are　serious；　more　than　serioustiresome；　we　resent　being　amused；　and
are　furious　at　having　been　made　to　laugh。　Be　as　hard　of　digestion　as
the　toughest　disquisitions　in　the　Revue　des　Deux　Mondes；　and　you　will
hardly　reach　the　level　of　Besancon。〃

The　editor　took　the　hint；　and　thenceforth　spoke　the　most
incomprehensible　philosophical　lingo。　His　success　was　complete。

If　young　Monsieur　de　Soulas　did　not　fall　in　the　esteem　of　Besancon
society；　it　was　out　of　pure　vanity　on　its　part；　the　aristocracy　were
happy　to　affect　a　modern　air；　and　to　be　able　to　show　any　Parisians　of
rank　who　visited　the　Comte　a　young　man　who　bore　some　likeness　to　them。

All　this　hidden　labor；　all　this　dust　thrown　in　people's　eyes；　this
display　of　folly　and　latent　prudence；　had　an　object；　or　the　/lion/　of
Besancon　would　have　been　no　son　of　the　soil。　Amedee　wanted　to　achieve
a　good　marriage　by　proving　some　day　that　his　farms　were　not　mortgaged；
and　that　he　had　some　savings。　He　wanted　to　be　the　talk　of　the　town；　to
be　the　finest　and　best…dressed　man　there；　in　order　to　win　first　the
attention；　and　then　the　hand；　of　Mademoiselle　Rosalie　de　Watteville。

In　1830；　at　the　time　when　young　Monsieur　de　Soulas　was　setting　up　in
business　as　a　dandy；　Rosalie　was　but　fourteen。　Hence；　in　1834；
Mademoiselle　de　Watteville　had　reached　the　age　when　young　persons　are
easily　struck　by　the　peculiarities　which　attracted　the　attention　of
the　town　to　Amedee。　There　are　so　many　/lions/　who　become　/lions/　out
of　self…interest　and　speculation。　The　Wattevilles；　who　for　twelve
years　had　been　drawing　an　income　of　fifty　thousand　francs　a　year；　did
not　spend　more　than　four…and…twenty　thousand　francs　a　year；　while
receiving　all　the　upper　circle　of　Besancon　every　Monday　and　Friday。　On
Monday　they　gave　a　dinner；　on　Friday　an　evening　party。　Thus；　in　twelve
years；　what　a　sum　must　have　accumulated　from　twenty…six　thousand
francs　a　year；　saved　and　invested　with　the　judgment　that　distinguishes
those　old　families！　It　was　very　generally　supposed　that　Madame　de
Watteville；　thinking　she　had　land　enough；　had　placed　her　savings　in
the　three　per　cents；　in　1830。　Rosalie's　dowry　would　therefore；　as　the
best　informed　opined；　amount　to　about　twenty　thousand　francs　a　year。
So　for　the　last　five　years　Amedee　had　worked　like　a　mole　to　get　into
the　highest　favor　of　the　severe　Baroness；　while　laying　himself　out　to
flatter　Mademoiselle　de　Watteville's　conceit。

Madame　de　Watteville　was　in　the　secret　of　the　devices　by　which　Amedee
succeeded　in　keeping　up　his　rank　in　Besancon；　and　esteemed　him　highly
for　it。　Soulas　had　placed　himself　under　her　wing　when　she　was　thirty；
and　at　that　time　had　dared　to　admire　her　and　make　her　his　idol；　he　had
got　so　far　as　to　be　allowedhe　alone　in　the　worldto　pour　out　to　her
all　the　unseemly　gossip　which　almost　all　very　precise　women　love　to
hear；　being　authorized　by　their　superior　virtue　to　look　into　the　gulf
without　falling；　and　into　the　devil's　snares　without　being　caught。　Do
you　understand　why　the　lion　did　not　allow　himself　the　very　smallest
intrigue？　He　lived　a　public　life；　in　the　street　so　to　speak；　on
purpose　to　play　the　part　of　a　lover　sacrificed　to　duty　by　the
Baroness；　and　to　feast　her　mind　with　the　sins　she　had　forbidden　to　her
senses。　A　man　who　is　so　privileged　as　to　be　allowed　to　pour　light
stories　into　the　ear　of　a　bigot　is　in　her　eyes　a　charming　man。　If　this
exemplary　youth　had　better　known　the　human　heart；　he　might　without
risk　have　allowed　himself　some　flirtations　among　the　grisettes　of
Besancon　who　looked　up　to　him　as　a　king；　his　affairs　might　perhaps
have　been　all　the　more　hopeful　with　the　strict　and　prudish　Baroness。
To　Rosalie　our　Cato　affected　prodigality；　he　professed　a　life　of
elegance；　showing　her　in　perspective　the　splendid　part　played　by　a
woman　of　fashion　in　Paris；　whither　he　meant　to　go　as　Depute。

All　these　manoeuvres　were　crowned　with　complete　success。　In　1834　the
mothers　of　the　forty　noble　families　composing　the　high　society　of
Besancon　quoted　Monsieur　Amedee　de　Soulas　as　the　most　charming　young
man　in　the　town；　no　one　would　have　dared　to　dispute　his　place　as　cock
of　the　walk　at　the　Hotel　de　Rupt；　and　all　Besancon　regarded　him　as
Rosalie　de　Watteville's　future　husband。　There　had　even　been　some
exchange　of　ideas　on　the　subjec