the vicar of tours-第15部分

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forgiveness　before　she　died。



The　Abbe　Troubert　followed　the　body　of　his　friend　to　the　grave；　at　the

verge　of　which　he　delivered　a　discourse　in　which；　thanks　to　his

eloquence；　the　narrow　life　the　old　maid　had　lived　was　enlarged　to

monumental　proportions。　Those　present　took　particular　note　of　the

following　words　in　the　peroration：



〃This　life　of　days　devoted　to　God　and　to　His　religion；　a　life　adorned

with　noble　actions　silently　performed；　and　with　modest　and　hidden

virtues；　was　crushed　by　a　sorrow　which　we　might　call　undeserved　if　we

could　forget；　here　at　the　verge　of　this　grave；　that　our　afflictions

are　sent　by　God。　The　numerous　friends　of　this　saintly　woman；　knowing

the　innocence　and　nobility　of　her　soul；　foresaw　that　she　would　issue

safely　from　her　trials　in　spite　of　the　accusations　which　blasted　her

life。　It　may　be　that　Providence　has　called　her　to　the　bosom　of　God　to

withdraw　her　from　those　trials。　Happy　they　who　can　rest　here　below　in

the　peace　of　their　own　hearts　as　Sophie　now　is　resting　in　her　robe　of

innocence　among　the　blest。〃



〃When　he　had　ended　his　pompous　discourse；〃　said　Monsieur　de　Bourbonne；

after　relating　the　incidents　of　the　internment　to　Madame　de　Listomere

when　whist　was　over；　the　doors　shut；　and　they　were　alone　with　the

baron；　〃this　Louis　XI。　in　a　cassockimagine　him　if　you　can！gave　a

last　flourish　to　the　sprinkler　and　aspersed　the　coffin　with　holy

water。〃　Monsieur　de　Bourbonne　picked　up　the　tongs　and　imitated　the

priest's　gesture　so　satirically　that　the　baron　and　his　aunt　could　not

help　laughing。　〃Not　until　then；〃　continued　the　old　gentleman；　〃did　he

contradict　himself。　Up　to　that　time　his　behavior　had　been　perfect；　but

it　was　no　doubt　impossible　for　him　to　put　the　old　maid；　whom　he

despised　so　heartily　and　hated　almost　as　much　as　he　hated　Chapeloud；

out　of　sight　forever　without　allowing　his　joy　to　appear　in　that　last

gesture。〃



The　next　day　Mademoiselle　Salomon　came　to　breakfast　with　Madame　de

Listomere；　chiefly　to　say；　with　deep　emotion：　〃Our　poor　Abbe　Birotteau

has　just　received　a　frightful　blow；　which　shows　the　most　determined

hatred。　He　is　appointed　curate　of　Saint…Symphorien。〃



Saint…Symphorien　is　a　suburb　of　Tours　lying　beyond　the　bridge。　That

bridge；　one　of　the　finest　monuments　of　French　architecture；　is

nineteen　hundred　feet　long；　and　the　two　open　squares　which　surround

each　end　are　precisely　alike。



〃Don't　you　see　the　misery　of　it？〃　she　said；　after　a　pause；　amazed　at

the　coldness　with　which　Madame　de　Listomere　received　the　news。　〃It　is

just　as　if　the　abbe　were　a　hundred　miles　from　Tours；　from　his　friends；

from　everything！　It　is　a　frightful　exile；　and　all　the　more　cruel

because　he　is　kept　within　sight　of　the　town　where　he　can　hardly　ever

come。　Since　his　troubles　he　walks　very　feebly；　yet　he　will　have　to

walk　three　miles　to　see　his　old　friends。　He　has　taken　to　his　bed；　just

now；　with　fever。　The　parsonage　at　Saint…Symphorien　is　very　cold　and

damp；　and　the　parish　is　too　poor　to　repair　it。　The　poor　old　man　will

be　buried　in　a　living　tomb。　Oh；　it　is　an　infamous　plot！〃



To　end　this　history　it　will　suffice　to　relate　a　few　events　in　a　simple

way；　and　to　give　one　last　picture　of　its　chief　personages。



Five　months　later　the　vicar…general　was　made　Bishop　of　Troyes；　and

Madame　de　Listomere　was　dead；　leaving　an　annuity　of　fifteen　hundred

francs　to　the　Abbe　Birotteau。　The　day　on　which　the　dispositions　in　her

will　were　made　known　Monseigneur　Hyacinthe；　Bishop　of　Troyes；　was　on

the　point　of　leaving　Tours　to　reside　in　his　diocese；　but　he　delayed

his　departure　on　receiving　the　news。　Furious　at　being　foiled　by　a

woman　to　whom　he　had　lately　given　his　countenance　while　she　had　been

secretly　holding　the　hand　of　a　man　whom　he　regarded　as　his　enemy；

Troubert　again　threatened　the　baron's　future　career；　and　put　in

jeopardy　the　peerage　of　his　uncle。　He　made　in　the　salon　of　the

archbishop；　and　before　an　assembled　party；　one　of　those　priestly

speeches　which　are　big　with　vengeance　and　soft　with　honied　mildness。

The　Baron　de　Listomere　went　the　next　day　to　see　this　implacable　enemy；

who　must　have　imposed　sundry　hard　conditions　on　him；　for　the　baron's

subsequent　conduct　showed　the　most　entire　submission　to　the　will　of

the　terrible　Jesuit。



The　new　bishop　made　over　Mademoiselle　Gamard's　house　by　deed　of　gift

to　the　Chapter　of　the　cathedral；　he　gave　Chapeloud's　books　and

bookcases　to　the　seminary；　he　presented　the　two　disputed　pictures　to

the　Chapel　of　the　Virgin；　but　he　kept　Chapeloud's　portrait。　No　one

knew　how　to　explain　this　almost　total　renunciation　of　Mademoiselle

Gamard's　bequest。　Monsieur　de　Bourbonne　supposed　that　the　bishop　had

secretly　kept　moneys　that　were　invested；　so　as　to　support　his　rank

with　dignity　in　Paris；　where　of　course　he　would　take　his　seat　on　the

Bishops'　bench　in　the　Upper　Chamber。　It　was　not　until　the　night　before

Monseigneur　Troubert's　departure　from　Tours　that　the　sly　old　fox

unearthed　the　hidden　reason　of　this　strange　action；　the　deathblow

given　by　the　most　persistent　vengeance　to　the　feeblest　of　victims。

Madame　de　Listomere's　legacy　to　Birotteau　was　contested　by　the　Baron

de　Listomere　under　a　pretence　of　undue　influence！



A　few　days　after　the　case　was　brought　the　baron　was　promoted　to　the

rank　of　captain。　As　a　measure　of　ecclesiastical　discipline；　the　curate

of　Saint…Symphorien　was　suspended。　His　superiors　judged　him　guilty。

The　murderer　of　Sophie　Gamard　was　also　a　swindler。　If　Monseigneur

Troubert　had　kept　Mademoiselle　Gamard's　property　he　would　have　found

it　difficult　to　make　the　ecclestiastical　authorities　censure

Birotteau。



At　the　moment　when　Monseigneur　Hyacinthe；　Bishop　of　Troyes；　drove

along　the　quay　Saint…Symphorien　in　a　post…chaise　on　his　way　to　Paris

poor　Birotteau　had　been　placed　in　an　armchair　in　the　sun　on　a　terrace

above　the　road。　The　unhappy　priest；　smitten　by　the　archbishop；　was

pale　and　haggard。　Grief；　stamped　on　every　feature；　distorted　the　face

that　was　once　so　mildly　gay。　Illness　had　dimmed　his　eyes；　formerly

brightened　by　the　pleasures　of　good　living　and　devoid　of　serious

ideas；　with　a　veil　which　simulated　thought。　It　was　but　the　skeleton　of

the　old　Birotteau　who　had　rolled　only　one　year　earlier　so　vacuous　but

so　content　along　the　Cloister。　The　bishop　cast　one　look　of　pity　and

contempt　upon　his　victim；　then　he　consented　to　forget　him；　and　went

his　way。



There　is　no　doubt　that　Troubert　would　have　been　in　other　times　a

Hildebrand　or　an　Alexander　the　Sixth。　In　these　days　the　Church　is　no

longer　a　political　power；　and　does　not　absorb　the　whole　strength　of

her　solitaries。　Celibacy；　however；　presents　the　inherent　vice　of

concentating　the　faculties　of　man　upon　a　single　passion；　egotism；

which　renders　celibates　either　useless　or　mischievous。　We　live　at　a

period　when　the　defect　of　governments　is　to　make　Man　for　Society

rather　than　Society　for　Man。　There　is　a　perpetual　struggle　going　on

between　the　Individual　and　the　Social　system　which　insists　on　using

him；　while　he　is　endeavoring　to　use　it　to　his　own　profit；　whereas；　in

former　days；　man；　really　more　free；　was　also　more　loyal　to　the　public

weal。　The　round　in　which　men　struggle　in　these　days　has　been

insensibly　widened；　the　soul　which　can　grasp　it　as　a　whole　will　ever

be　a　magnificent　exception；　for；　as　a　general　thing；　in　morals　as　in

physics；　impulsion　loses　in　intensity　what　it　gains　in　extension。

Society　can　not　be　based　on　exceptions。　Man　in　the　first　instance　was

purely　and　simply；　father；　his　heart　beat　warmly；　concentrated　in　the

one　ray　of　Family。　Later；　he　lived　for　a　clan；　or　a　small　community；

hence　the　great　historical　devotions　of　Greece　and　Rome。　After　that　he

was　a　man　of　caste　or　of　a　religion；　to　maintain　the　greatness　of

which　he　often　proved　himself　sublime；　but　by　that　time　the　field　of

his　interests　became　enlarged　by　many　intellectual　regions。　In　our

day；　his　life　is　attached　to　that　of　a　vast　country；　sooner　or　later

his　family　will　be；　it　is　predicted；　the　entire　universe。



Will　this　moral　cosmopolitanism；　the　hope　of　Christian　Rome；　prove　to

be　only　a　sublime　error？　It　is　so　natural　to　believe　in　the

realization　of　a　noble　vision；　in　the　Brotherhood　of　Man。　But；　alas！

the　human　machine　does　not　have　such　divine　proportions。　Souls　that

are　vast　enough　to　grasp　a　range　of　feelings　bestowed　on　great　men

only　will　never　belong　to　either　fathers　of　families　or　simple

citizens。　Some　physiologists　have　thought　that　as　the　brain　enlarges

the　heart　narrows；　but　they　are　mistaken。　The　apparent　egotism　of　men

who　bear　a　science；　a　nation；　a　code　of　laws　in　their　bosom　is　the

noblest　of　passions；　it　is；　as　one　may　say；　the　maternity　of　the

masses；　to　give　birth　to　new　peoples；　to　produce　new　ideas　they　must

unite　within　their　mighty　brains　the　breasts　of　woman　and　the　force　of

God。　The　history　of　such　men　as　Innocent　the　Third　and　Peter　the

Great；　and　all　great　leaders　of　their　age　and　nation　will　show；　if

need　be；　in　the　highest　spheres　the　same　vast　thought　of　which

Troubert　was　made　the　representative　in　the　quiet　depths　of　the

Cloister　of　Saint…Gatien。







ADDENDUM



The　following　personages　appear　in　other　stories　of　the　Human　Comedy。



Birotteau；　Abbe　Francois　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　Troubert；　Abbe　Hyacinthe

　　　　　The　Lily　of　the　Valley　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　The　Member　for　Arcis

　　　　　Cesar　Birotteau

　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　Villenoix；　Pauline　Salomon　de

Bourbonne；　De　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　Louis　Lambert

　　　　　Madame　Firmiani　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　A　Seaside　Tragedy



Listomere；　Baronne　de

　　　　　Cesar　Birotteau

　　　　　The　Muse　of　the　Department











End