two poets-第9章

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erest　into　Mme。　de　Bargeton's　monotonous　life。　The　place　of　controller　of　excise　fell　vacant；　and　M。　de　Barante　appointed　a　man　whose　adventurous　life　was　a　sufficient　passport　to　the　house　of　the　sovereign　lady　who　had　her　share　of　feminine　curiosity。

M。　de　Chatelethe　began　life　as　plain　Sixte　Chatelet；　but　since　1806　had　the　wit　to　adopt　the　particleM。　du　Chatelet　was　one　of　the　agreeable　young　men　who　escaped　conscription　after　conscription　by　keeping　very　close　to　the　Imperial　sun。　He　had　begun　his　career　as　private　secretary　to　an　Imperial　Highness；　a　post　for　which　he　possessed　every　qualification。　Personable　and　of　a　good　figure；　a　clever　billiard…player；　a　passable　amateur　actor；　he　danced　well；　and　excelled　in　most　physical　exercises；　he　could；　moreover；　sing　a　ballad　and　applaud　a　witticism。　Supple；　envious；　never　at　a　loss；　there　was　nothing　that　he　did　not　knownothing　that　he　really　knew。　He　knew　nothing；　for　instance；　of　music；　but　he　could　sit　down　to　the　piano　and　accompany；　after　a　fashion；　a　woman　who　consented　after　much　pressing　to　sing　a　ballad　learned　by　heart　in　a　month　of　hard　practice。　Incapable　though　he　was　of　any　feeling　for　poetry；　he　would　boldly　ask　permission　to　retire　for　ten　minutes　to　compose　an　impromptu；　and　return　with　a　quatrain；　flat　as　a　pancake；　wherein　rhyme　did　duty　for　reason。　M。　du　Chatelet　had　besides　a　very　pretty　talent　for　filling　in　the　ground　of　the　Princess'　worsted　work　after　the　flowers　had　been　begun；　he　held　her　skeins　of　silk　with　infinite　grace；　entertained　her　with　dubious　nothings　more　or　less　transparently　veiled。　He　was　ignorant　of　painting；　but　he　could　copy　a　landscape；　sketch　a　head　in　profile；　or　design　a　costume　and　color　it。　He　had；　in　short；　all　the　little　talents　that　a　man　could　turn　to　such　useful　account　in　times　when　women　exercised　more　influence　in　public　life　than　most　people　imagine。　Diplomacy　he　claimed　to　be　his　strong　point；　it　usually　is　with　those　who　have　no　knowledge；　and　are　profound　by　reason　of　their　emptiness；　and；　indeed；　this　kind　of　skill　possesses　one　signal　advantage；　for　it　can　only　be　displayed　in　the　conduct　of　the　affairs　of　the　great；　and　when　discretion　is　the　quality　required；　a　man　who　knows　nothing　can　safely　say　nothing；　and　take　refuge　in　a　mysterious　shake　of　the　head；　in　fact；　the　cleverest　practitioner　is　he　who　can　swim　with　the　current　and　keep　his　head　well　above　the　stream　of　events　which　he　appears　to　control；　a　man's　fitness　for　this　business　varying　inversely　as　his　specific　gravity。　But　in　this　particular　art　or　craft；　as　in　all　others；　you　shall　find　a　thousand　mediocrities　for　one　man　of　genius；　and　in　spite　of　Chatelet's　services；　ordinary　and　extraordinary；　Her　Imperial　Highness　could　not　procure　a　seat　in　the　Privy　Council　for　her　private　secretary；　not　that　he　would　not　have　made　a　delightful　Master　of　Requests；　like　many　another；　but　the　Princess　was　of　the　opinion　that　her　secretary　was　better　placed　with　her　than　anywhere　else　in　the　world。　He　was　made　a　Baron；　however；　and　went　to　Cassel　as　envoy…　extraordinary；　no　empty　form　of　words；　for　he　cut　a　very　extraordinary　figure　thereNapoleon　used　him　as　a　diplomatic　courier　in　the　thick　of　a　European　crisis。　Just　as　he　had　been　promised　the　post　of　minister　to　Jerome　in　Westphalia；　the　Empire　fell　to　pieces；　and　balked　of　his　ambassade　de　famille　as　he　called　it；　he　went　off　in　despair　to　Egypt　with　General　de　Montriveau。　A　strange　chapter　of　accidents　separated　him　from　his　traveling　companion；　and　for　two　long　years　Sixte　du　Chatelet　led　a　wandering　life　among　the　Arab　tribes　of　the　desert；　who　sold　and　resold　their　captivehis　talents　being　not　of　the　slightest　use　to　the　nomad　tribes。　At　length；　about　the　time　that　Montriveau　reached　Tangier；　Chatelet　found　himself　in　the　territory　of　the　Imam　of　Muscat；　had　the　luck　to　find　an　English　vessel　just　about　to　set　sail；　and　so　came　back　to　Paris　a　year　sooner　than　his　sometime　companion。　Once　in　Paris；　his　recent　misfortunes；　and　certain　connections　of　long　standing；　together　with　services　rendered　to　great　persons　now　in　power；　recommended　him　to　the　President　of　the　Council；　who　put　him　in　M。　de　Barante's　department　until　such　time　as　a　controllership　should　fall　vacant。　So　the　part　that　M。　du　Chatelet　once　had　played　in　the　history　of　the　Imperial　Princess；　his　reputation　for　success　with　women；　the　strange　story　of　his　travels　and　sufferings；　all　awakened　the　interest　of　the　ladies　of　Angouleme。

M。　le　Baron　Sixte　du　Chatelet　informed　himself　as　to　the　manners　and　customs　of　the　upper　town；　and　took　his　cue　accordingly。　He　appeared　on　the　scene　as　a　jaded　man　of　the　world；　broken　in　health；　and　weary　in　spirit。　He　would　raise　his　hand　to　his　forehead　at　all　seasons；　as　if　pain　never　gave　him　a　moment's　respite；　a　habit　that　recalled　his　travels　and　made　him　interesting。　He　was　on　visiting　terms　with　the　authoritiesthe　general　in　command；　the　prefect；　the　receiver…　general；　and　the　bishop　but　in　every　house　he　was　frigid；　polite；　and　slightly　supercilious；　like　a　man　out　of　his　proper　place　awaiting　the　favors　of　power。　His　social　talents　he　left　to　conjecture；　nor　did　they　lose　anything　in　reputation　on　that　account；　then　when　people　began　to　talk　about　him　and　wish　to　know　him；　and　curiosity　was　still　lively；　when　he　had　reconnoitred　the　men　and　found　them　nought；　and　studied　the　women　with　the　eyes　of　experience　in　the　cathedral　for　several　Sundays；　he　saw　that　Mme。　de。　Bargeton　was　the　person　with　whom　it　would　be　best　to　be　on　intimate　terms。　Music；　he　thought；　should　open　the　doors　of　a　house　where　strangers　were　never　received。　Surreptitiously　he　procured　one　of　Miroir's　Masses；　learned　it　upon　the　piano；　and　one　fine　Sunday　when　all　Angouleme　went　to　the　cathedral；　he　played　the　organ；　sent　those　who　knew　no　better　into　ecstasies　over　the　performance；　and　stimulated　the　interest　felt　in　him　by　allowing　his　name　to　slip　out　through　the　attendants。　As　he　came　out　after　mass；　Mme。　de　Bargeton　complimented　him；　regretting　that　she　had　no　opportunity　of　playing　duets　with　such　a　musician；　and　naturally；　during　an　interview　of　her　own　seeking；　he　received　the　passport；　which　he　could　not　have　obtained　if　he　had　asked　for　it。

So　the　adroit　Baron　was　admitted　to　the　circle　of　the　queen　of　Angouleme；　and　paid　her　marked　attention。　The　elderly　beauhe　was　forty…five　years　oldsaw　that　all　her　youth　lay　dormant　and　ready　to　revive；　saw　treasures　to　be　turned　to　account；　and　possibly　a　rich　widow　to　wed；　to　say　nothing　of　expectations；　it　would　be　a　marriage　into　the　family　of　Negrepelisse；　and　for　him　this　meant　a　family　connection　with　the　Marquise　d'Espard；　and　a　political　career　in　Paris。　Here　was　a　fair　tree　to　cultivate　in　spite　of　the　ill…omened；　unsightly　mistletoe　that　grew　thick　upon　it；　he　would　hang　his　fortunes　upon　it；　and　prune　it；　and　wait　till　he　could　gather　its　golden　fruit。

High…born　Angouleme　shrieked　against　the　introduction　of　a　Giaour　into　the　sanctuary；　for　Mme。　de　Bargeton's　salon　was　a　kind　of　holy　of　holies　in　a　society　that　kept　itself　unspotted　from　the　world。　The　only　outsider　intimate　there　was　the　bishop；　the　prefect　was　admitted　twice　or　thrice　in　a　year；　the　receiver…general　was　never　received　at　all；　Mme。　de　Bargeton　would　go　to　concerts　and　〃at　homes〃　at　his　house；　but　she　never　accepted　invitations　to　dinner。　And　now；　she　who　had　declined　to　open　her　doors　to　the　receiver…general；　welcomed　a　mere　controller　of　excise！　Here　was　a　novel　order　of　precedence　for　snubbed　authority；　such　a　thing　it　had　never　entered　their　minds　to　conceive。

Those　who　by　dint　of　mental　effort　can　understand　a　kind　of　pettiness　which；　for　that　matter；　can　be　found　on　any　and　every　social　level；　will　realize　the　awe　with　which　the　bourgeoisie　of　Angouleme　regarded　the　Hotel　de　Bargeton。　The　inhabitant　of　L'Houmeau　beheld　the　grandeur　of　that　miniature　Louvre；　the　glory　of　the　Angoumoisin　Hotel　de　Rambouillet；　shining　at　a　solar　distance；　and　yet；　within　it　there　was　gathered　together　all　the　direst　intellectual　poverty；　all　the　decayed　gentility　from　twenty　leagues　round　about。

Political　opinion　expanded　itself　in　wordy　commonplaces　vociferated　with　emphasis；　the　Quotidienne　was　comparatively　Laodicean　in　its　loyalty；　and　Louis　XVIII。　a　Jacobin。　The　women；　for　the　most　part；　were　awkward；　silly；　insipid；　and　ill　dressed；　there　was　always　something　amiss　that　spoiled　the　whole；　nothing　in　them　was　complete；　toilette　or　talk；　flesh　or　spirit。　But　for　his　designs　on　Mme。　de　Bargeton；　Chatelet　could　not　have　endured　the　society。　And　yet　the　manners　and　spirit　of　the　noble　in　his　ruined　manor…house；　the　knowledge　of　the　traditions　of　good　breeding；these　things　covered　a　multitude　of　deficiencies。　Nobility　of　feeling　was　far　more　real　here　than　in　the　lofty　world　of　Paris。　You　might　compare　these　country　Royalists；　if　the　metaphor　may　be　allowed；　to　old…fashioned　silver　plate；　antiquated　and　tarnished；　but　weighty；　their　attachment　to　the　House　of　Bourbon　as　the　House　of　Bourbon　did　them　honor。　The　very　fixity　of　their　political　opinions　was　a　sort　of　faithfulness。　The　distance　that　they　set　between　themselves　and　the　bourgeoisie；　their　very　exclusiveness；　gave　them　a　certain　elevation；　and　enhanced　their　value。　Each　noble　represented　a　certain　price　for　the　townsmen；　as　Bambara　Negroes；　we　are　told；　attach　a　money　value　to　cowrie　shells。

Some　of　the　women；　flattered　by　M。　du　Chatelet；　discerned　in　him　the　superior　qualities　lacking　in　the　men　of　their　own　sect；　and　the　insurrection　of　self…love　was　pacified。　These　ladies　all　hoped　to　succeed　to　the　Imperial　Highness。　Purists　were　of　the　opinion　that　you　might　see　the　intruder　in　Mme。　de　Bargeton's　house；　but　not　elsewhere。　Du　Chatelet　was　fain　to　put　up　with　a　good　deal　of　insolence；　but　he　held　his　ground　by　cultivating　the　clergy。　He　encouraged　the　queen　of　Angouleme　in　foibles　bred　of　the　soil；　he　brought　her　all　the　newest　books；　he　read　aloud　the　poetry　that　appeared。　Together　they　went　into　ecstasies　over　these　poets；　she　in　all　sincerity；　he　with　suppressed　yawns；　but　he　bore　with　the　Romantics　with　a　patience　hardly　to　be　expected　of　a　man　of　the　Imperial　school；　who　scarcely　could　make　out　what　the　young　writers　meant。　Not　so　Mme。　de　Bargeton；　she　waxed　enthusiastic　over　the　renaissance；　due　to　the　return　of　the　Bourbon　Lilies；　she　loved　M。　de　Chateaubriand　for　calling　Victor　Hugo　〃a　sublime　child。〃　It　depressed　her　that　she　could　only　know　genius　from　afar；　she　sighed　for　Paris；　where　great　men　live。　For　these　reasons　M。　du　Chatelet　thought　he　had　done　a　wonderfully　clever　thing　when　he　told　the　lady　that　at　that　moment　in　Angouleme　there　was　〃another　sublime　child；〃　a　young　poet；　a　rising　star　whose　glory　surpassed　the　whole　Parisian　galaxy；　though　he　knew　it　not。　A　great　man　of　the　future　had　been　born　in　L'Houmeau！　The　headmaster　of　the　school　had　shown　the　Baron　some　admirable　verses。　The　poor　and　humble　lad　was　a　second　Chatterton；　with　none　of　the　political　baseness　and　ferocious　hatred　of　the　great　ones　of　earth　that　led　his　English　prototype　to　turn　pamphleteer　and　revile　his　benefactors。　Mme。　de　Bargeton　in　her　little　circle　of　five　or　six　persons；　who　were　supposed　to　share　her　tastes　for　art　and　letters；　because　this　one　scraped　a　fi