two poets-第7章

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rought　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　to　his　quality　so　strenuously　that　he　ran　through　the　family　property　and　checked　the　course　of　its　fortunes。　Two　of　his　brothers　indeed；　great…uncles　of　the　present　Bargeton；　went　into　business　again；　for　which　reason　you　will　find　the　name　of　Mirault　among　Bordeaux　merchants　at　this　day。　The　lands　of　Bargeton；　in　Angoumois　in　the　barony　of　Rochefoucauld；　being　entailed；　and　the　house　in　Angouleme；　called　the　Hotel　Bargeton；　likewise；　the　grandson　of　M。　de　Bargeton　the　Waster　came　in　for　these　hereditaments；　though　the　year　1789　deprived　him　of　all　seignorial　rights　save　to　the　rents　paid　by　his　tenants；　which　amounted　to　some　ten　thousand　francs　per　annum。　If　his　grandsire　had　but　walked　in　the　ways　of　his　illustrious　progenitors；　Bargeton　I。　and　Bargeton　II。；　Bargeton　V。　（who　may　be　dubbed　Bargeton　the　Mute　by　way　of　distinction）　should　by　rights　have　been　born　to　the　title　of　Marquis　of　Bargeton；　he　would　have　been　connected　with　some　great　family　or　other；　and　in　due　time　he　would　have　been　a　duke　and　a　peer　of　France；　like　many　another；　whereas；　in　1805；　he　thought　himself　uncommonly　lucky　when　he　married　Mlle。　Marie…Louise…Anais　de　Negrepelisse；　the　daughter　of　a　noble　long　relegated　to　the　obscurity　of　his　manor…house；　scion　though　he　was　of　the　younger　branch　of　one　of　the　oldest　families　in　the　south　of　France。　There　had　been　a　Negrepelisse　among　the　hostages　of　St。　Louis。　The　head　of　the　elder　branch；　however；　had　borne　the　illustrious　name　of　d'Espard　since　the　reign　of　Henri　Quatre；　when　the　Negrepelisse　of　that　day　married　an　heiress　of　the　d'Espard　family。　As　for　M。　de　Negrepelisse；　the　younger　son　of　a　younger　son；　he　lived　upon　his　wife's　property；　a　small　estate　in　the　neighborhood　of　Barbezieux；　farming　the　land　to　admiration；　selling　his　corn　in　the　market　himself；　and　distilling　his　own　brandy；　laughing　at　those　who　ridiculed　him；　so　long　as　he　could　pile　up　silver　crowns；　and　now　and　again　round　out　his　estate　with　another　bit　of　land。

Circumstances　unusual　enough　in　out…of…the…way　places　in　the　country　had　inspired　Mme。　de　Bargeton　with　a　taste　for　music　and　reading。　During　the　Revolution　one　Abbe　Niollant；　the　Abbe　Roze's　best　pupil；　found　a　hiding…place　in　the　old　manor…house　of　Escarbas；　and　brought　with　him　his　baggage　of　musical　compositions。　The　old　country　gentleman's　hospitality　was　handsomely　repaid；　for　the　Abbe　undertook　his　daughter's　education。　Anais；　or　Nais；　as　she　was　called　must　otherwise　have　been　left　to　herself；　or；　worse　still；　to　some　coarse…　minded　servant…maid。　The　Abbe　was　not　only　a　musician；　he　was　well　and　widely　read；　and　knew　both　Italian　and　German；　so　Mlle。　de　Negrepelise　received　instruction　in　those　tongues；　as　well　as　in　counterpoint。　He　explained　the　great　masterpieces　of　the　French；　German；　and　Italian　literatures；　and　deciphered　with　her　the　music　of　the　great　composers。　Finally；　as　time　hung　heavy　on　his　hands　in　the　seclusion　enforced　by　political　storms；　he　taught　his　pupil　Latin　and　Greek　and　some　smatterings　of　natural　science。　A　mother　might　have　modified　the　effects　of　a　man's　education　upon　a　young　girl；　whose　independent　spirit　had　been　fostered　in　the　first　place　by　a　country　life。　The　Abbe　Niollant；　an　enthusiast　and　a　poet；　possessed　the　artistic　temperament　in　a　peculiarly　high　degree；　a　temperament　compatible　with　many　estimable　qualities；　but　prone　to　raise　itself　above　bourgeois　prejudices　by　the　liberty　of　its　judgments　and　breadth　of　view。　In　society　an　intellect　of　this　order　wins　pardon　for　its　boldness　by　its　depth　and　originality；　but　in　private　life　it　would　seem　to　do　positive　mischief；　by　suggesting　wanderings　from　the　beaten　track。　The　Abbe　was　by　no　means　wanting　in　goodness　of　heart；　and　his　ideas　were　therefore　the　more　contagious　for　this　high…spirited　girl；　in　whom　they　were　confirmed　by　a　lonely　life。　The　Abbe　Niollant's　pupil　learned　to　be　fearless　in　criticism　and　ready　in　judgement；　it　never　occurred　to　her　tutor　that　qualities　so　necessary　in　a　man　are　disadvantages　in　a　woman　destined　for　the　homely　life　of　a　house…　mother。　And　though　the　Abbe　constantly　impressed　it　upon　his　pupil　that　it　behoved　her　to　be　the　more　modest　and　gracious　with　the　extent　of　her　attainments；　Mlle。　de　Negrepelisse　conceived　an　excellent　opinion　of　herself　and　a　robust　contempt　for　ordinary　humanity。　All　those　about　her　were　her　inferiors；　or　persons　who　hastened　to　do　her　bidding；　till　she　grew　to　be　as　haughty　as　a　great　lady；　with　none　of　the　charming　blandness　and　urbanity　of　a　great　lady。　The　instincts　of　vanity　were　flattered　by　the　pride　that　the　poor　Abbe　took　in　his　pupil；　the　pride　of　an　author　who　sees　himself　in　his　work；　and　for　her　misfortune　she　met　no　one　with　whom　she　could　measure　herself。　Isolation　is　one　of　the　greatest　drawbacks　of　a　country　life。　We　lose　the　habit　of　putting　ourselves　to　any　inconvenience　for　the　sake　of　others　when　there　is　no　one　for　whom　to　make　the　trifling　sacrifices　of　personal　effort　required　by　dress　and　manner。　And　everything　in　us　shares　in　the　change　for　the　worse；　the　form　and　the　spirit　deteriorate　together。

With　no　social　intercourse　to　compel　self…repression；　Mlle。　de　Negrepelisse's　bold　ideas　passed　into　her　manner　and　the　expression　of　her　face。　There　was　a　cavalier　air　about　her；　a　something　that　seems　at　first　original；　but　only　suited　to　women　of　adventurous　life。　So　this　education；　and　the　consequent　asperities　of　character；　which　would　have　been　softened　down　in　a　higher　social　sphere；　could　only　serve　to　make　her　ridiculous　at　Angouleme　so　soon　as　her　adorers　should　cease　to　worship　eccentricities　that　charm　only　in　youth。

As　for　M。　de　Negrepelisse；　he　would　have　given　all　his　daughter's　books　to　save　the　life　of　a　sick　bullock；　and　so　miserly　was　he；　that　he　would　not　have　given　her　two　farthings　over　and　above　the　allowance　to　which　she　had　a　right；　even　if　it　had　been　a　question　of　some　indispensable　trifle　for　her　education。

In　1802　the　Abbe　died；　before　the　marriage　of　his　dear　child；　a　marriage　which　he；　doubtless；　would　never　have　advised。　The　old　father　found　his　daughter　a　great　care　now　that　the　Abbe　was　gone。　The　high…　spirited　girl；　with　nothing　else　to　do；　was　sure　to　break　into　rebellion　against　his　niggardliness；　and　he　felt　quite　unequal　to　the　struggle。　Like　all　young　women　who　leave　the　appointed　track　of　woman's　life；　Nais　had　her　own　opinions　about　marriage；　and　had　no　great　inclination　thereto。　She　shrank　from　submitting　herself；　body　and　soul；　to　the　feeble；　undignified　specimens　of　mankind　whom　she　had　chanced　to　meet。　She　wished　to　rule；　marriage　meant　obedience；　and　between　obedience　to　coarse　caprices　and　a　mind　without　indulgence　for　her　tastes；　and　flight　with　a　lover　who　should　please　her；　she　would　not　have　hesitated　for　a　moment。

M。　de　Negrepelisse　maintained　sufficient　of　the　tradition　of　birth　to　dread　a　mesalliance。　Like　many　another　parent；　he　resolved　to　marry　his　daughter；　not　so　much　on　her　account　as　for　his　own　peace　of　mind。　A　noble　or　a　country　gentleman　was　the　man　for　him；　somebody　not　too　clever；　incapable　of　haggling　over　the　account　of　the　trust；　stupid　enough　and　easy　enough　to　allow　Nais　to　have　her　own　way；　and　disinterest