the crime of sylvestre bonnard-第15章

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seated　upon　the　ramparts；　lifted　up　their　voices　like　crickets　among　the　leaves。

So　my　thoughts　were　wandering　when　three　young　men　seated　themselves　near　me。　　I　do　not　know　whether　each　one　of　them　had　come　in　three　boats；　like　the　monkey　of　Lafontaine；　but　the　three　certainly　displayed　themselves　over　the　space　of　twelve　chairs。　　I　took　pleasure　in　watching　them；　not　because　they　had　anything　very　extraordinary　about　them；　but　because　I　discerned　in　them　that　brave　joyous　manner　which　is　natural　to　youth。　　They　were　from　the　schools。　　I　was　less　assured　of　it　by　the　books　they　were　carrying　than　by　the　character　of　their　physiognomy。　　For　all　who　busy　themselves　with　the　things　of　the　mind　can　be　at　once　recognised　by　an　indescribably　something　which　is　common　to　all　of　them。　　I　am　very　fond　of　young　people；　and　these　pleased　me；　in　spite　of　a　certain　provoking　wild　manner　which　recalled　to　me　my　own　college　days　with　marvellous　vividness。　But　they　did　not　wear　velvet　doublets　and　long　hair；　as　we　used　to　do；　they　did　not　walk　about；　as　we　used　to　do；　〃Hell　and　malediction！〃　They　were　quite　properly　dressed；　and　neither　their　costume　nor　their　language　had　anything　suggestive　of　the　Middle　Ages。　　I　must　also　add　that　they　paid　considerable　attention　to　the　women　passing　on　the　terrace；　and　expressed　their　admiration　of　some　of　them　in　very　animated　language。　　But　their　reflections；　even　on　this　subject；　were　not　of　a　character　to　oblige　me　to　flee　from　my　seat。　　Besides；　so　long　as　youth　is　studious；　I　think　it　has　a　right　to　its　gaieties。

One　of　them；　having　made　some　gallant　pleasantry　which　I　forget；　the　smallest　and　darkest　of　the　three　exclaimed；　with　a　slight　Gascon　accent；

〃What　a　thing　to　say！　　Only　physiologists　like　us　have　any　right　to　occupy　ourselves　about　living　matter。　　As　for　you；　Gelis；　who　only　live　in　the　pastlike　all　your　fellow　archivists　and　paleographers　you　will　do　better　to　confine　yourself　to　those　stone　women　over　there；　who　are　your　contemporaries。〃

And　he　pointed　to　the　statues　of　the　Ladies　of　Ancient　France　which　towered　up；　all　white；　in　a　half…circle　under　the　trees　of　the　terrace。　　This　joke；　though　in　itself　trifling；　enabled　me　to　know　that　the　young　man　called　Gelis　was　a　student　at　the　Ecole　des　Chartes。　　From　the　conversation　which　followed　I　was　able　to　learn　that　his　neighbor；　blond　and　wan　almost　to　diaphaneity；　taciturn　and　sarcastic　was　Boulmier；　a　fellow　student。　　Gelis　and　the　future　doctor　（I　hope　he　will　become　one　some　day）　discoursed　together　with　much　fantasy　and　spirit。　　In　the　midst　of　the　loftiest　speculations　they　would　play　upon　words；　and　make　jokes　after　the　peculiar　fashion　of　really　witty　personsthat　is　to　say；　in　a　style　of　enormous　absurdity。　　I　need　hardly　say；　I　suppose；　that　they　only　deigned　to　maintain　the　most　monstrous　kind　of　paradoxes。　　They　employed　all　their　powers　of　imagination　to　make　themselves　as　ludicrous　as　possible；　and　all　their　powers　of　reasoning　to　assert　the　contrary　of　common　sense。　　All　the　better　for　them！　　I　do　not　like　to　see　young　folks　too　rational。

The　student　of　medicine；　after　glancing　at　the　title　of　the　book　that　Boulmier　held　in　his　hand；　exclaimed；

〃What！you　read　Micheletyou？〃

〃Yes；〃　replied　Boulmier；　very　gravely。　　〃I　like　novels。〃

Gelis；　who　dominated　both　by　his　fine　stature；　imperious　gestures；　and　ready　wit；　took　the　book；　turned　over　a　few　pages　rapidly；　and　said；

〃Michelet　always　had　a　great　propensity　to　emotional　tenderness。　　He　wept　sweet　tears　over　Maillard；　that　nice　little　man　introduced　la　paperasserie　into　the　September　massacres。　　But　as　emotional　tenderness　leads　to　fury；　he　becomes　all　at　once　furious　against　the　victims。　　There　was　no　help　for　it。　　It　is　the　sentimentality　of　the　age。　　The　assassin　is　pitied；　but　the　victim　is　considered　quite　unpardonable。　　In　his　later　manner　Michelet　is　more　Michelet　than　ever　before。　　There　is　no　common　sense　in　it；　it　is　simply　wonderful！　Neither　art　nor　science；　neither　criticism　nor　narrative；　only　furies　and　fainting…spells　and　epileptic　fits　over　matters　which　he　never　deigns　to　explain。　　Childish　outcriesenvies　de　femme　grosse！and　a　style；　my　friends！not　a　single　finished　phrase！　　It　is　astounding！〃

And　he　handed　the　book　back　to　his　comrade。　　〃This　is　amusing　madness；〃　I　thought　to　myself；　〃and　not　quite　so　devoid　of　common　sense　as　it　appears。　　This　young　man；　though　only　playing　has　sharply　touched　the　defect　in　the　cuirass。〃

But　the　Provencal　student　declared　that　history　was　a　thoroughly　despicable　exercise　of　rhetoric。　　According　to　him；　the　only　true　history　was　the　natural　history　of　man。　　Michelet　was　in　the　right　path　when　he　came　in　contact　with　the　fistula　of　Louis　XIV。；　but　he　fell　back　into　the　old　rut　almost　immediately　afterwards。

After　this　judicious　expression　of　opinion；　the　young　physiologist　went　to　join　a　party　of　passing　friends。　　The　two　archivists；　less　well　acquainted　in　the　neighbourhood　of　a　garden　so　far　from　the　Rue　Paradis…au…Marais；　remained　together；　and　began　to　chat　about　their　studies。　　Gelis；　who　had　completed　his　third　class…year；　was　preparing　a　thesis　on　the　subject　of　which　he　expatiated　with　youthful　enthusiasm。　　Indeed；　I　thought　the　subject　a　very　good　one；　particularly　because　I　had　recently　thought　myself　called　upon　to　treat　a　notable　part　of　it。　　It　was　the　Monasticon　Gallicanum。　The　young　erudite　（I　give　him　the　name　as　a　presage）　wanted　to　describe　all　the　engravings　made　about　1690　for　the　work　which　Dom　Michel　Germain　would　have　had　printed　but　for　the　one　irremediable　hindrance　which　is　rarely　foreseen　and　never　avoided。　　Dom　Michel　Germain　would　have　had　printed　but　for　the　one　irremediable　hindrance　which　is　rarely　foreseen　and　never　avoided。　　Dom　Michel　Germain　left　his　manuscript　complete；　however；　and　in　good　order　when　he　died。　Shall　I　be　able　to　do　as　much　with　mine？but　that　is　not　the　present　question。　　So　far　as　I　am　able　to　understand；　Monsieur　Gelis　intends　to　devote　a　brief　archaeological　notice　to　each　of　the　abbeys　pictured　by　the　humble　engravers　of　Dom　Michel　Germain。

His　friend　asked　him　whether　he　was　acquainted　with　all　the　manuscripts　and　printed　documents　relating　to　the　subject。　　It　was　then　that　I　pricked　up　my　ears。　　They　spoke　at　first　of　original　sources；　and　I　must　confess　they　did　so　in　a　satisfactory　manner；　despite　their　innumerable　and　detestable　puns。　　Then　they　began　to　speak　about　contemporary　studies　on　the　subject。

〃Have　you　read；〃　asked　Boulmier；　〃the　notice　of　Courajod？〃

〃Good！〃　I　thought　to　myself。

〃Yes；〃　replied　Gelis；　〃it　is　accurate。〃

〃Have　you　read；〃　said　Boulmier；　〃the　article　of　Tamisey　de　Larroque　in　the　'Revue　des　Questions　Historiques'？〃

〃Good！〃　I　thought　to　myself；　for　the　second　time。

〃Yes；〃　replied　Gelis；　〃it　is　full　of　things。〃。。。

〃Have　you　read；〃　said　Boulmier；　〃the　'Tableau　des　Abbayes　Benedictines　en　1600；'　by　Sylvestre　Bonnard？〃

〃Good！〃　I　said　to　myself；　for　the　third　time。

〃Mai　foi！　no！〃　replied　Gelis。　　〃Bonnard　is　an　idiot！〃　　Turning　my　head；　I　perceived　that　the　shadow　had　reached　the　place　where　I　was　sitting。　　It　was　growing　chilly；　and　I　thought　to　myself　what　a　fool　I　was　to　have　remained　sitting　there；　at　the　risk　of　getting　rheumatism；　just　to　listen　to　the　impertinence　of　those　two　young　fellows！

〃Well！　well！〃　I　said　to　myself　as　I　got　up。　　〃Let　this　prattling　fledgling　write　his　thesis　and　sustain　it！　　He　will　find　my　colleague；　Quicherat；　or　some　other　professor　at　the　school；　to　show　him　what　an　ignoramus　he　is。　　I　consider　him　neither　more　nor　less　than　a　rascal；　and　really；　now　that　I　come　to　think　of　it；　what　he　said　about　Michelet　awhile　ago　was　quite　insufferable；　outrageous！　　To　talk　in　that　way　about　an　old　master　replete　with　genius！　　It　was　simply　abominable！〃


April　17。


〃Therese；　give　me　my　new　hat；　my　best　frock…coat；　and　my　silver…　headed　cane。〃

But　Therese　is　deaf　as　a　sack　of　charcoal　and　slow　as　Justice。　Years　have　made　her　so。　　The　worst　is　that　she　thinks　she　can　hear　well　and　move　about　well；　and；　proud　of　her　sixty　years　of　upright　domesticity；　she　serves　her　old　master　with　the　most　vigilant　despotism。

〃What　did　I　tell　you？〃　。。。And　now　she　will　not　give　me　my　silver…　headed　cane；　for　fear　that　I　might　lose　it！　　It　is　true　that　I　often　forget　umbrellas　and　walking…sticks　in　the　omnibuses　and　booksellers'　shops。　　But　I　have　a　special　reason　for　wanting　to　take　out　with　me　to…day　my　old　cane　with　the　engraved　silver　head　representing　Don　Quixote　charging　a　windmill；　lance　in　rest；　while　Sancho　Panza；　with　uplifted　arms；　vainly　conjures　him　to　a　stop。　　That　cane　is　all　that　came　to　me　from　the　heritage　of　my　uncle；　Captain　Victor；　who　in　his　lifetime　resembled　Don　Quixote　much　more　than　Sancho　Panza；　and　who　loved　blows　quite　as　much　as　most　people　fear　them。

For　thirty　years　I　have　been　in　the　habit　of　carrying　this　cane　upon　all　memorable　or　solemn　visits　which　I　make；　and　those　two　figures　of　knight　and　squire　give　me　inspiration　and　counsel。　　I　imagine　I　can　hear　them　speak。　　Don　Quixote　says；

〃Think　well　about　great　things；　and　know　that　thought　is　the　only　reality　in　this　world。　　Lift　up　Nature　to　thine　own　stature；　and　let　the　whole　universe　be　for　thee　no　more　than　the　reflection　of　thine　own　heroic　soul。　　Combat　for　honour's　sake：　　that　alone　is　worthy　of　a　man！　and　if　it　should　fall　thee　to　receive　wounds；　shed　thy　blood　as　a　beneficent　dew；　and　smile。〃

And　Sancho　Panza　says　to　me　in　his　turn；

〃Remain　just　what　heaven　made　thee；　comrade！　　Prefer　the　bread…crust　which　has　become　dry　in　thy　wallet　to　all　the　partridges　that　roast　in　the　kitchen　of　lords。　　Obey　thy　master；　whether　he　by　a　wise　man　or　a　fool；　and　do　not　cumber　thy　brain　with　too　many　useless　things。　Fear　blows；　'tis　verily　tempting　God　to　seek　after　danger！〃

But　if　the　incomparable　knight　and　his　matchless　squire　are　imagined　only　upon　this　cane　of　mine；　they　are　realities　to　my　inner　conscience。　　Within　every　one　of　us　there　lives　both　a　Don　Quixote　and　a　Sancho　Panza　to　whom　we　hearken　by　turns；　and　though　Sancho　most　persuades　us；　it　is　Don　Quixote　that　we　find　ourselves　obliged　to　admire。。。。　　But　a　truce　to　this　dotage！and　let　us　go　to　see　Madame　de　Gabry　about　some　matters　more　important　than　the　everyday　details　of　life。。。。


Same　day。


I　found　Madame　de　Gabry　dressed　in　black；　just　buttoning　her　gloves。

〃I　am　ready；〃　she　said。

Ready！so　I　have　always　found　her　upon　any　occasion　of　doing　a　kindness。

After　some　compliments　about　the　good　health　of　her　husband；　who　was　taking　a　walk　at　the　time；　we　descended　the　stairs　and　got　into　the　carriage。

I　do　not　know　what　secret　influence　I　feared　to　dissipate　by　breaking　silence；　but　we　followed　the　great　deserted　drives　without　speaking；　looking　at　the　crosses；　the　monumental　columns；　and　the　mortuary　wreaths　awaiting　sad　purchasers。

The　vehicle　at　last　halted　at　the　extreme　verge　of　the　land　of　the　living；　before　the　gate　upon　which　words　of　hope　are　graven。

〃Follow　me；〃　said　Madame　de　Gabry；　whose　tall　stature　I　noticed　then　for　the　first　time。　　She　first　walked　down　an　alley　of　cypresses；　and　then　took　a　very　narrow　path　contrived　between　the　tombs。　Finally；　halting　before　a　plain　slab；　she　said　to　me；