louis lambert-第4章

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I　was　led　to　make　in　anticipation　of　Lambert's　arrival。　I　was　then
twelve　years　old。　I　felt　sympathy　from　the　first　for　the　boy　whose
temperament　had　some　points　of　likeness　to　my　own。　I　was　at　last　to
have　a　companion　in　daydreams　and　meditations。　Though　I　knew　not　yet
what　glory　meant；　I　thought　it　glory　to　be　the　familiar　friend　of　a
child　whose　immortality　was　foreseen　by　Madame　de　Stael。　To　me　Louis
Lambert　was　as　a　giant。

The　looked…for　morrow　came　at　last。　A　minute　before　breakfast　we　heard
the　steps　of　Monsieur　Mareschal　and　of　the　new　boy　in　the　quiet
courtyard。　Every　head　was　turned　at　once　to　the　door　of　the　classroom。
Father　Haugoult；　who　participated　in　our　torments　of　curiosity；　did
not　sound　the　whistle　he　used　to　reduce　our　mutterings　to　silence　and
bring　us　back　to　our　tasks。　We　then　saw　this　famous　new　boy；　whom
Monsieur　Mareschal　was　leading　by　the　hand。　The　superintendent
descended　from　his　desk；　and　the　headmaster　said　to　him　solemnly；
according　to　etiquette：　〃Monsieur；　I　have　brought　you　Monsieur　Louis
Lambert；　will　you　place　him　in　the　fourth　class？　He　will　begin　work
to…morrow。〃

Then；　after　speaking　a　few　words　in　an　undertone　to　the　class…master；
he　said：

〃Where　can　he　sit？〃

It　would　have　been　unfair　to　displace　one　of　us　for　a　newcomer；　so　as
there　was　but　one　desk　vacant；　Louis　Lambert　came　to　fill　it；　next　to
me；　for　I　had　last　joined　the　class。　Though　we　still　had　some　time　to
wait　before　lessons　were　over；　we　all　stood　up　to　look　at　Louis
Lambert。　Monsieur　Mareschal　heard　our　mutterings；　saw　how　eager　we
were；　and　said；　with　the　kindness　that　endeared　him　to　us　all：

〃Well；　well；　but　make　no　noise；　do　not　disturb　the　other　classes。〃

These　words　set　us　free　to　play　some　little　time　before　breakfast；　and
we　all　gathered　round　Lambert　while　Monsieur　Mareschal　walked　up　and
down　the　courtyard　with　Father　Haugoult。

There　were　about　eighty　of　us　little　demons；　as　bold　as　birds　of　prey。
Though　we　ourselves　had　all　gone　through　this　cruel　novitiate；　we
showed　no　mercy　on　a　newcomer；　never　sparing　him　the　mockery；　the
catechism；　the　impertinence；　which　were　inexhaustible　on　such
occasions；　to　the　discomfiture　of　the　neophyte；　whose　manners；
strength；　and　temper　were　thus　tested。　Lambert；　whether　he　was　stoical
or　dumfounded；　made　no　reply　to　any　questions。　One　of　us　thereupon
remarked　that　he　was　no　doubt　of　the　school　of　Pythagoras；　and　there
was　a　shout　of　laughter。　The　new　boy　was　thenceforth　Pythagoras
through　all　his　life　at　the　college。　At　the　same　time；　Lambert's
piercing　eye；　the　scorn　expressed　in　his　face　for　our　childishness；　so
far　removed　from　the　stamp　of　his　own　nature；　the　easy　attitude　he
assumed；　and　his　evident　strength　in　proportion　to　his　years；　infused
a　certain　respect　into　the　veriest　scamps　among　us。　For　my　part；　I
kept　near　him；　absorbed　in　studying　him　in　silence。



Louis　Lambert　was　slightly　built；　nearly　five　feet　in　height；　his　face
was　tanned；　and　his　hands　were　burnt　brown　by　the　sun；　giving　him　an
appearance　of　manly　vigor；　which；　in　fact；　he　did　not　possess。　Indeed；
two　months　after　he　came　to　the　college；　when　studying　in　the
classroom　had　faded　his　vivid；　so　to　speak；　vegetable　coloring；　he
became　as　pale　and　white　as　a　woman。

His　head　was　unusually　large。　His　hair；　of　a　fine；　bright　black　in
masses　of　curls；　gave　wonderful　beauty　to　his　brow；　of　which　the
proportions　were　extraordinary　even　to　us　heedless　boys；　knowing
nothing；　as　may　be　supposed；　of　the　auguries　of　phrenology；　a　science
still　in　its　cradle。　The　distinction　of　this　prophetic　brow　lay
principally　in　the　exquisitely　chiseled　shape　of　the　arches　under
which　his　black　eyes　sparkled；　and　which　had　the　transparency　of
alabaster；　the　line　having　the　unusual　beauty　of　being　perfectly　level
to　where　it　met　the　top　of　the　nose。　But　when　you　saw　his　eyes　it　was
difficult　to　think　of　the　rest　of　his　face；　which　was　indeed　plain
enough；　for　their　look　was　full　of　a　wonderful　variety　of　expression；
they　seemed　to　have　a　soul　in　their　depths。　At　one　moment
astonishingly　clear　and　piercing；　at　another　full　of　heavenly
sweetness；　those　eyes　became　dull；　almost　colorless；　as　it　seemed；
when　he　was　lost　in　meditation。　They　then　looked　like　a　window　from
which　the　sun　had　suddenly　vanished　after　lighting　it　up。　His　strength
and　his　voice　were　no　less　variable；　equally　rigid；　equally
unexpected。　His　tone　could　be　as　sweet　as　that　of　a　woman　compelled　to
own　her　love；　at　other　times　it　was　labored；　rough；　rugged；　if　I　may
use　such　words　in　a　new　sense。　As　to　his　strength；　he　was　habitually
incapable　of　enduring　the　fatigue　of　any　game；　and　seemed　weakly；
almost　infirm。　But　during　the　early　days　of　his　school…life；　one　of
our　little　bullies　having　made　game　of　this　sickliness；　which　rendered
him　unfit　for　the　violent　exercise　in　vogue　among　his　fellows；　Lambert
took　hold　with　both　hands　of　one　of　the　class…tables；　consisting　of
twelve　large　desks；　face　to　face　and　sloping　from　the　middle；　he
leaned　back　against　the　class…master's　desk；　steadying　the　table　with
his　feet　on　the　cross…bar　below；　and　said：

〃Now；　ten　of　you　try　to　move　it！〃

I　was　present；　and　can　vouch　for　this　strange　display　of　strength；　it
was　impossible　to　move　the　table。

Lambert　had　the　gift　of　summoning　to　his　aid　at　certain　times　the　most
extraordinary　powers；　and　of　concentrating　all　his　forces　on　a　given
point。　But　children；　like　men；　are　wont　to　judge　of　everything　by
first　impressions；　and　after　the　first　few　days　we　ceased　to　study
Louis；　he　entirely　belied　Madame　de　Stael's　prognostications；　and
displayed　none　of　the　prodigies　we　looked　for　in　him。

After　three　months　at　school；　Louis　was　looked　upon　as　a　quite
ordinary　scholar。　I　alone　was　allowed　really　to　know　that　sublimewhy
should　I　not　say　divine？soul；　for　what　is　nearer　to　God　than　genius
in　the　heart　of　a　child？　The　similarity　of　our　tastes　and　ideas　made
us　friends　and　chums；　our　intimacy　was　so　brotherly　that　our　school…
fellows　joined　our　two　names；　one　was　never　spoken　without　the　other；
and　to　call　either　they　always　shouted　〃Poet…and…Pythagoras！〃　Some
other　names　had　been　known　coupled　in　a　like　manner。　Thus　for　two
years　I　was　the　school　friend　of　poor　Louis　Lambert；　and　during　that
time　my　life　was　so　identified　with　his；　that　I　am　enabled　now　to
write　his　intellectual　biography。

It　was　long　before　I　fully　knew　the　poetry　and　the　wealth　of　ideas
that　lay　hidden　in　my　companion's　heart　and　brain。　It　was　not　till　I
was　thirty　years　of　age；　till　my　experience　was　matured　and　condensed；
till　the　flash　of　an　intense　illumination　had　thrown　a　fresh　light
upon　it；　that　I　was　capable　of　understanding　all　the　bearings　of　the
phenomena　which　I　witnessed　at　that　early　time。　I　benefited　by　them
without　understanding　their　greatness　or　their　processes；　indeed；　I
have　forgotten　some；　or　remember　only　the　most　conspicuous　facts；
still；　my　memory　is　now　able　to　co…ordinate　them；　and　I　have　mastered
the　secrets　of　that　fertile　brain　by　looking　back　to　the　delightful
days　of　our　boyish　affection。　So　it　was　time　alone　that　initiated　me
into　the　meaning　of　the　events　and　facts　that　were　crowded　into　that
obscure　life；　as　into　that　of　many　another　man　who　is　lost　to　science。
Indeed；　this　narrative；　so　far　as　the　expression　and　appreciation　of
many　things　is　concerned；　will　be　found　full　of　what　may　be　termed
moral　anachronisms；　which　perhaps　will　not　detract　from　its　peculiar
interest。

In　the　course　of　the　first　few　months　after　coming　to　Vendome；　Louis
became　the　victim　of　a　malady　which；　though　the　symptoms　were
invisible　to　the　eye　of　our　superiors；　considerably　interfered　with
the　exercise　of　his　remarkable　gifts。　Accustomed　to　live　in　the　open
air；　and　to　the　freedom　of　a　purely　haphazard　education；　happy　in　the
tender　care　of　an　old　man　who　was　devoted　to　him；　used　to　meditating
in　the　sunshine；　he　found　it　very　hard　to　submit　to　college　rules；　to
walk　in　the　ranks；　to　live　within　the　four　walls　of　a　room　where
eighty　boys　were　sitting　in　silence　on　wooden　forms　each　in　front　of
his　desk。　His　senses　were　developed　to　such　perfection　as　gave　them
the　most　sensitive　keenness；　and　every　part　of　him　suffered　from　this
life　in　common。

The　effluvia　that　vitiated　the　air；　mingled　with　the　odors　of　a
classroom　that　was　never　clean；　nor　free　from　the　fragments　of　our
breakfasts　or　snacks；　affected　his　sense　of　smell；　the　sense　which；
being　more　immediately　connected　than　the　others　with　the　nerve…
centers　of　the　brain；　must；　when　shocked；　cause　invisible　disturbance
to　the　organs　of　thought。

Besides　these　elements　of　impurity　in　the　atmosphere；　there　were
lockers　in　the　classrooms　in　which　the　boys　kept　their　miscellaneous
plunderpigeons　killed　for　fete　days；　or　tidbits　filched　from　the
dinner…table。　In　each　classroom；　too；　there　was　a　large　stone　slab；　on
which　two　pails　full　of　water　were　kept　standing；　a　sort　of　sink；
where　we　every　morning　washed　our　faces　and　hands；　one　after　another；
in　the　master's　presence。　We　then　passed　on　to　a　table；　where　women
combed　and　powdered　our　hair。　Thus　the　place；　being　cleaned　but　once　a
day　before　we　were　up；　was　always　more　or　less　dirty。　In　spite　of
numerous　windows　and　lofty　doors；　the　air　was　constantly　fouled　by　the
smells　from　the　washing…place；　the　hairdressing；　the　lockers；　and　the
thousand　messes　made　by　the　boys；　to　say　nothing　of　their　eighty
closely　packed　bodies。　And　this　sort　of　/humus/；　mingling　with　the　mud
we　brought　in　from　the　playing…yard；　produced　a　suffocatingly
pestilent　muck…heap。

The　loss　of　the　fresh　and　fragrant　country　air　in　which　he　had
hitherto　lived；　the　change　of　habits　and　strict　discipline；　combined
to　depress　Lambert。　With　his　elbow　on　his　desk　and　his　head　supported
on　his　left　hand；　he　spent　the　hours　of　study　gazing　at　the　trees　in
the　court　or　the　clouds　in　the　sky；　he　seemed　to　be　thinking　of　his
lessons；　but　the　master；　seeing　his　pen　motionless；　or　the　sheet
before　him　still　a　blank；　would　call　out：

〃Lambert；　you　are　doing　nothing！〃

This　〃/you　are　doing　nothing/！〃　was　a　pin…thrust　that　wounded　Louis　to
the　quick。　And　then　he　never　earned　the　rest　of　the　play…time；　he
always　had　impositions　to　write。　The　imposition；　a　punishment　which
varies　according　to　the　practice　of　different　schools；　consisted　at
Vendome　of　a　certain　number　of　lines　to　be　written　out　in　play　hours。
Lambert　and　I　were　so　overpowered　with　impositions；　that　we　had　not
six　free　days　during　the　two　years　of　our　school　friendship。　But　for
the　books　we　took　out　of　the　library；　which　maintained　some　vitality
in　our　brains；　this　system　of　discipline　would　have　reduced　us　to
idiotcy。　Want　of　exercise　is　fatal　to　children。　The　habit　of
preserving　a　dignified　appearance；　begun　in　tender　infancy；　has；　it　is
said；　a　visible　effect　on　the　constitution　of　royal　personages　when
the　faults　of　such　an　education　are　not　counteracted　by　the　life　of
the　battle…field　or　the　laborious　sport　of　hunting。　And　if　the　laws　of
etiquette　and　Court　manners　can　act　on　the　spinal　marrow　to　such　an
extent　as　to　affect　the　pelvis　of　kings；　to　soften　their　cerebral
tissue；　and　so　degenerate　the　race；　wh