the crime of sylvestre bonnard-第34章

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n　yours。　　She　has　a　great　deal　to　learn　yet；　and　you　are　not　a　master　to　be　despised。　　When　that　miserable　notary　Mouchewho　subsequently　committed　his　rascalities　at　so　opportune　a　momentpaid　you　the　honour　of　a　visit；　you　explained　to　him　your　ideas　of　education　with　all　the　fervour　of　high　enthusiasm。　　Then　you　attempted　to　put　that　system　of　yours　into　practice；Jeanne　is　certainly　an　ungrateful　girl；　and　Gelis　a　much　too　seductive　young　man！

But　still；unless　I　put　him　out　of　the　house；　which　would　be　a　detestably　ill…mannered　and　ill…natured　thing　to　do；I　must　continue　to　receive　him。　　He　has　been　waiting　ever　so　long　in　my　little　parlour；　in　front　of　those　Sevres　vases　with　which　King　Louis　Philippe　so　graciously　presented　me。　　The　Moissonneurs　and　the　Pecheurs　of　Leopold　Robert　are　painted　upon　those　porcelain　vases；　which　Gelis　nevertheless　dares　to　call　frightfully　ugly；　with　the　warm　approval　of　Jeanne；　whom　he　has　absolutely　bewitched。

〃My　dear　lad；　excuse　me　for　having　kept　you　waiting　so　long。　　I　had　a　little　bit　of　work　to　finish。〃

I　am　telling　the　truth。　　Meditation　is　work；　but　of　course　Gelis　does　not　know　what　I　mean；　he　thinks　I　am　referring　to　something　archaeological；　and；　his　question　in　regard　to　the　health　of　Mademoiselle　Jeanne　having　been　answered　by　a　〃Very　well　indeed；〃　uttered　in　that　extremely　dry　tone　which　reveals　my　moral　authority　as　guardian；　we　begin　to　converse　about　historical　subjects。　　We　first　enter　upon　generalities。　　Generalities　are　sometimes　extremely　serviceable。　　I　try　to　inculcate　into　Monsieur　Gelis　some　respect　for　that　generation　of　historians　to　which　I　belong。　　I　say　to　him；

〃History；　which　was　formerly　an　art；　and　which　afforded　place　for　the　fullest　exercise　of　the　imagination；　has　in　our　time　become　a　science；　the　study　of　which　demands　absolute　exactness　of　knowledge。〃

Gelis　asks　leave　to　differ　from　me　on　this　subject。　　He　tells　me　he　does　not　believe　that　history　is　a　science；　or　that　it　could　possibly　ever　become　a　science。

〃In　the　first　place；〃　he　says　to　me；　〃what　is　history？　　The　written　representation　of　past　events。　　But　what　is　an　event？　　Is　it　merely　a　commonplace　fact？　　It　is　any　fact？　　No！　　You　say　yourself　it　is　a　noteworthy　fact。　　Now；　how　is　the　historian　to　tell　whether　a　fact　is　noteworthy　or　not？　　He　judges　it　arbitrarily；　according　to　his　tastes　and　his　caprices　and　his　ideasin　short；　as　an　artist？　　For　facts　cannot　by　reason　of　their　own　intrinsic　character　be　divided　into　historical　facts　and　non…historical　facts。　　But　any　fact　is　something　exceedingly　complex。　　Will　the　historian　represent　facts　in　all　their　complexity？　　No；　that　is　impossible。　　Then　he　will　represent　them　stripped　of　the　greater　part　of　the　peculiarities　which　constituted　them；　and　consequently　lopped；　mutilated；　different　from　what　they　really　were。　　As　for　the　inter…relation　of　facts；　needless　to　speak　of　it！　　If　a　so…called　historical　fact　be　brought　into　noticeas　is　very　possibleby　one　or　more　facts　which　are　not　historical　at　all；　and　are　for　that　very　reason　unknown；　how　is　the　historian　going　to　establish　the　relation　of　these　facts　one　to　another？　　And　in　saying　this；　Monsieur　Bonnard；　I　am　supposing　that　the　historian　has　positive　evidence　before　him；　whereas　in　reality　he　feels　confidence　only　in　such　or　such　a　witness　for　sympathetic　reasons。　　History　is　not　a　science；　it　is　an　art；　and　one　can　succeed　in　that　art　only　through　the　exercise　of　his　faculty　of　imagination。〃

Monsieur　Gelis　reminds　me　very　much　at　this　moment　of　a　certain　young　fool　whom　I　heard　talking　wildly　one　day　in　the　garden　of　the　Luxembourg；　under　the　statue　of　Marguerite　of　Navarre。　　But　at　another　turn　of　the　conversation　we　find　ourselves　face　to　face　with　Walter　Scott；　whose　work　my　disdainful　young　friend　pleases　to　term　〃rococo；　troubadourish；　and　only　fit　to　inspire　somebody　engaged　in　making　designs　for　cheap　bronze　clocks。〃　　Those　are　his　very　words！

〃Why！〃　I　exclaim；　zealous　to　defend　the　magnificent　creator　of　'The　Bride　of　Lammermoor'　and　'The　Fair　Maid　of　Perth；'　〃the　whole　past　lives　in　those　admirable　novels　of　his；that　is　history；　that　is　epic！〃

〃It　is　frippery；〃　Gelis　answers　me。

And；will　you　believe　it？this　crazy　boy　actually　tells　me　that　no　matter　how　learned　one　may　be；　one　cannot　possibly　know　just　how　men　used　to　live　five　or　ten　centuries　ago；　because　it　is　only　with　the　very　greatest　difficulty　that　one　can　picture　them　to　oneself　even　as　they　were　only　ten　or　fifteen　years　ago。　　In　his　opinion；　the　historical　poem；　the　historical　novel；　the　historical　painting；　are　all；　according　to　their　kind；　abominably　false　as　branches　of　art。

〃In　all　the　arts；〃　he　adds；　〃the　artist　can　only　reflect　his　own　soul。　　His　work；　no　matter　how　it　may　be　dressed　up；　is　of　necessity　contemporary　with　himself；　being　the　reflection　of　his　own　mind。　What　do　we　admire　in　the　'Divine　　Comedy'　unless　it　be　the　great　soul　of　Dante？　　And　the　marbles　of　Michael　Angelo；　what　do　they　represent　to　us　that　is　at　all　extraordinary　unless　it　be　Michael　Angelo　himself？　　The　artist　either　communicates　his　own　life　to　his　creations；　or　else　merely　whittles　out　puppets　and　dresses　up　dolls。〃

What　a　torrent　of　paradoxes　and　irreverences！　　But　boldness　in　a　young　man　is　not　displeasing　to　me。　　Gelis　gets　up　from　his　chair　and　sits　down　again。　　I　know　perfectly　well　what　is　worrying　him；　and　whom　he　is　waiting　for。　　And　now　he　begins　to　talk　to　me　about　his　being　able　to　make　fifteen　hundred　francs　a　year；　to　which　he　can　add　the　revenue　he　derives　from　a　little　property　that　he　has　inheritedtwo　thousand　francs　a　year　more。　　And　I　am　not　in　the　least　deceived　as　to　the　purpose　of　these　confidences　on　his　part。　I　know　perfectly　well　that　he　is　only　making　his　little　financial　statements　in　order　to　persuade　me　that　he　is　comfortably　circumstanced；　steady；　fond　of　home；　comparatively　independentor；　to　put　the　matter　in　the　fewest　words　possible；　able　to　marry。　　Quod　erat　demonstrandum；as　the　geometricians　say。

He　has　got　up　and　sat　down　just　twenty　times。　　He　now　rises　for　the　twenty…first　time；　and；　as　he　has　not　been　able　to　see　Jeanne；　he　goes　away　feeling　as　unhappy　as　possible。

The　moment　he　has　gone；　Jeanne　comes　into　the　City　of　Books；　under　the　pretext　of　looking　for　Hannibal。　　She　is　also　quite　unhappy；　and　her　voice　becomes　singularly　plaintive　as　she　calls　her　pet　to　give　him　some　milk。　　Look　at　that　sad　little　face；　Bonnard！　　Tyrant；　gaze　upon　thy　work！　　Thou　hast　been　able　to　keep　them　from　seeing　each　other；　but　they　have　now　both　of　them　the　same　expression　of　countenance；　and　thou　mayest　discern　from　that　similarity　of　expression　that　in　spite　of　thee　they　are　united　in　thought。　　Cassandra；　be　happy！　　Bartholo；　rejoice！　　This　is　what　it　means　to　be　a　guardian！　　Just　see　her　kneeling　down　there　on　the　carpet　with　Hannibal's　head　between　her　hands！

Yes；　caress　the　stupid　animal！pity　him！moan　over　him！we　know　very　well；　you　little　rogue；　the　real　cause　of　all　these　sighs　and　plaints！　　Nevertheless；　it　makes　a　very　pretty　picture。　　I　look　at　it　for　a　long　time；　then；　throwing　a　glance　around　my　library；　I　exclaim；

〃Jeanne；　I　am　tired　of　all　those　books；　we　must　sell　them。〃


September　20。


It　is　done！they　are　betrothed。　　Gelis；　who　is　an　orphan；　as　Jeanne　is；　did　not　make　his　proposal　to　me　in　person。　　He　got　one　of　his　professors；　an　old　colleague　of　mine；　highly　esteemed　for　his　learning　and　character；　to　come　to　me　on　his　behalf。　　But　what　a　love　messenger！　　Great　Heavens！　　A　bearneat　a　bear　of　the　Pyrenees；　but　a　literary　bear；　and　this　latter　variety　of　bear　is　much　more　ferocious　than　the　former。

〃Right　or　wrong　（in　my　opinion　wrong）　Gelis　says　that　he　does　not　want　any　dowry；　he　takes　your　ward　with　nothing　but　her　chemise。　Say　yes；　and　the　thing　is　settled！　　Make　haste　about　it！　　I　want　to　show　you　two　or　three　very　curious　old　tokens　from　Lorraine　which　I　am　sure　you　never　saw　before。〃

That　is　literally　what　he　said　to　me。　　I　answered　him　that　I　would　consult　Jeanne；　and　I　found　no　small　pleasure　in　telling　him　that　my　ward　had　a　dowry。

Her　dowrythere　it　is　in　front　of　me！　　It　is　my　library。　　Henri　and　Jeanne　have　not　even　the　faintest　suspicion　about　it；　and　the　fact　is　I　am　commonly　believed　to　be　much　richer　than　I　am。　　I　have　the　face　of　an　old　miser。　　It　is　certainly　a　lying　face；　but　its　untruthfulness　has　often　won　for　me　a　great　deal　of　consideration。　There　is　nobody　so　much　respected　in　this　world　as　a　stingy　rich　man。

I　have　consulted　Jeanne；but　what　was　the　need　of　listening　for　her　answer？　　It　is　done！　　They　are　betrothed。

It　would　ill　become　my　character　as　well　as　my　face　to　watch　these　young　people　any　longer　for　the　mere　purpose　of　noting　down　their　words　and　gestures。　　Noli　me　tangere：that　is　the　maxim　for　all　charming　love　affairs。　　I　know　my　duty。　　It　is　to　respect　all　the　little　secrets　of　that　innocent　soul　intrusted　to　me。　　Let　these　children　love　each　other　all　they　can！　　Never　a　word　of　their　fervent　outpouring　of　mutual　confidences；　never　a　hint　of　their　artless　self…betrayals；　will　be　set　down　in　this　diary　by　the　old　guardian　whose　authority　was　so　gentle　and　so　brief。

At　all　events；　I　am　not　going　to　remain　with　my　arms　folded；　and　if　they　have　their　business　to　attend　to；　I　have　mine　also。　　I　am　preparing　a　catalogue　of　my　books；　with　a　view　to　having　them　all　sold　at　auction。　　It　is　a　task　which　saddens　and　amuses　me　at　the　same　time。　　I　linger　over　it；　perhaps　a　good　deal　longer　than　I　ought　to　do；　turning　the　leaves　of　all　those　works　which　have　become　so　familiar　to　my　thought；　to　my　touch；　to　my　sighteven　out　of　all　necessity　and　reason。　　But　it　is　a　farewell；　and　it　has　ever　been　in　the　nature　of　man　to　prolong　a　farewell。

This　ponderous　volume　here；　which　has　served　me　so　much　for　thirty　long　years；　how　can　I　leave　it　without　according　it　every　kindness　that　a　faithful　servant　deserves？　　And　this　one　again；　which　has　so　often　consoled　me　by　its　wholesome　doctrines；　must　I　not　bow　down　before　it　for　the　last　time；　as　to　a　Master？　　But　each　time　that　I　meet　with　a　volume　which　led　me　into　error；　which　ever　afflicted　me　with　false　dates；　omissions；　lies；　and　other　plagues　of　the　archaeologist；　I　say　to　it　with　bitter　joy：　　〃Go！　imposter；　traitor；　false…witness！　flee　thou　far　away　from　me　for　ever；vade　retro！　all　absurdly　covered　with　gold　as　thou　art！　and　I　pray　it　may　befall　theethanks　to　thy　usurped　reputation　and　thy　comely　morocco　attire　to　take　thy　place　in　the　cabinet　of　some　banker…bibliomaniac；　whom　thou　wilt　never　be　able　to　seduce　as　thou　has　seduced　me；　because　he　will　never　read　one　single　line　of　thee。〃

I　laid　aside　some　books　I　must　always　keepthose　books　which　were　given　to　me　as　souvenirs。　　As　I　placed　among　them　the　manuscript　of　the　〃Golden　Legend；〃　I　could　not　but　kiss　it　in　memory　of　Madame　Trepof；　who　remained　grateful　to　me　in　spite　of　her　high　position　and　all　her　wealth；　and　who　became　my　benefactress　merely　to　prove　to　me　that　she　felt　I　had　once　done　her　a　kindness。。。。　　Thus　I　had　made　a　reserve。　　It　was　then　that；　for　the　first　time；　I　felt　myself　inclined　to　commit　a　deliberate　crime。　　All　through　that　night　I　was　strongly　tempted；　by　morning　the　temptation　had　become　irresistible。