albert savarus-第6部分

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proposed　that　the　floor　should　be　of　asphalt。　Rosalie　suggested　a
hanging　chandelier　of　rustic　wood。

〃The　Wattevilles　are　having　something　charming　done　in　their　garden；〃
was　rumored　in　Besancon。

〃They　are　rich；　and　can　afford　a　thousand　crowns　for　a　whim〃

〃A　thousand　crowns！〃　exclaimed　Madame　de　Chavoncourt。

〃Yes；　a　thousand　crowns；〃　cried　young　Monsieur　de　Soulas。　〃A　man　has
been　sent　for　from　Paris　to　rusticate　the　interior　but　it　will　be　very
pretty。　Monsieur　de　Watteville　himself　is　making　the　chandelier；　and
has　begun　to　carve　the　wood。〃

〃Berquet　is　to　make　a　cellar　under　it；〃　said　an　Abbe。

〃No；〃　replied　young　Monsieur　de　Soulas；　〃he　is　raising　the　kiosk　on　a
concrete　foundation；　that　it　may　not　be　damp。〃

〃You　know　the　very　least　things　that　are　done　in　that　house；〃　said
Madame　de　Chavoncourt　sourly；　as　she　looked　at　one　of　her　great　girls
waiting　to　be　married　for　a　year　past。

Mademoiselle　de　Watteville；　with　a　little　flush　of　pride　in　thinking
of　the　success　of　her　Belvedere；　discerned　in　herself　a　vast
superiority　over　every　one　about　her。　No　one　guessed　that　a　little
girl；　supposed　to　be　a　witless　goose；　had　simply　made　up　her　mind　to
get　a　closer　view　of　the　lawyer　Savaron's　private　study。

Albert　Savaron's　brilliant　defence　of　the　Cathedral　Chapter　was　all
the　sooner　forgotten　because　the　envy　of　the　other　lawyers　was
aroused。　Also；　Savaron；　faithful　to　his　seclusion；　went　nowhere。
Having　no　friends　to　cry　him　up；　and　seeing　no　one；　he　increased　the
chances　of　being　forgotten　which　are　common　to　strangers　in　Besancon。
Nevertheless；　he　pleaded　three　times　at　the　Commercial　Tribunal　in
three　knotty　cases　which　had　to　be　carried　to　the　superior　Court。　He
thus　gained　as　clients　four　of　the　chief　merchants　of　the　place；　who
discerned　in　him　so　much　good　sense　and　sound　legal　purview　that　they
placed　their　claims　in　his　hands。

On　the　day　when　the　Watteville　family　inaugurated　the　Belvedere；
Savaron　also　was　founding　a　monument。　Thanks　to　the　connections　he　had
obscurely　formed　among　the　upper　class　of　merchants　in　Besancon；　he
was　starting　a　fortnightly　paper；　called　the　/Eastern　Review/；　with
the　help　of　forty　shares　of　five　hundred　francs　each；　taken　up　by　his
first　ten　clients；　on　whom　he　had　impressed　the　necessity　for
promoting　the　interests　of　Besancon；　the　town　where　the　traffic　should
meet　between　Mulhouse　and　Lyons；　and　the　chief　centre　between　Mulhouse
and　Rhone。

To　compete　with　Strasbourg；　was　it　not　needful　that　Besancon　should
become　a　focus　of　enlightenment　as　well　as　of　trade？　The　leading
questions　relating　to　the　interests　of　Eastern　France　could　only　be
dealt　with　in　a　review。　What　a　glorious　task　to　rob　Strasbourg　and
Dijon　of　their　literary　importance；　to　bring　light　to　the　East　of
France；　and　compete　with　the　centralizing　influence　of　Paris！　These
reflections；　put　forward　by　Albert；　were　repeated　by　the　ten
merchants；　who　believed　them　to　be　their　own。

Monsieur　Savaron　did　not　commit　the　blunder　of　putting　his　name　in
front；　he　left　the　finance　of　the　concern　to　his　chief　client；
Monsieur　Boucher；　connected　by　marriage　with　one　of　the　great
publishers　of　important　ecclesiastical　works；　but　he　kept　the
editorship；　with　a　share　of　the　profits　as　founder。　The　commercial
interest　appealed　to　Dole；　to　Dijon；　to　Salins；　to　Neufchatel；　to　the
Jura；　Bourg；　Nantua；　Lous…le…Saulnier。　The　concurrence　was　invited　of
the　learning　and　energy　of　every　scientific　student　in　the　districts
of　le　Bugey；　la　Bresse；　and　Franche　Comte。　By　the　influence　of
commercial　interests　and　common　feeling；　five　hundred　subscribers　were
booked　in　consideration　of　the　low　price；　the　/Review/　cost　eight
francs　a　quarter。

To　avoid　hurting　the　conceit　of　the　provincials　by　refusing　their
articles；　the　lawyer　hit　on　the　good　idea　of　suggesting　a　desire　for
the　literary　management　of　this　/Review/　to　Monsieur　Boucher's　eldest
son；　a　young　man　of　two…and…twenty；　very　eager　for　fame；　to　whom　the
snares　and　woes　of　literary　responsibilities　were　utterly　unknown。
Albert　quietly　kept　the　upper　hand　and　made　Alfred　Boucher　his　devoted
adherent。　Alfred　was　the　only　man　in　Besancon　with　whom　the　king　of
the　bar　was　on　familiar　terms。　Alfred　came　in　the　morning　to　discuss
the　articles　for　the　next　number　with　Albert　in　the　garden。　It　is
needless　to　say　that　the　trial　number　contained　a　〃Meditation〃　by
Alfred；　which　Savaron　approved。　In　his　conversations　with　Alfred；
Albert　would　let　drop　some　great　ideas；　subjects　for　articles　of　which
Alfred　availed　himself。　And　thus　the　merchant's　son　fancied　he　was
making　capital　out　of　the　great　man。　To　Alfred；　Albert　was　a　man　of
genius；　of　profound　politics。　The　commercial　world；　enchanted　at　the
success　of　the　/Review/；　had　to　pay　up　only　three…tenths　of　their
shares。　Two　hundred　more　subscribers；　and　the　periodical　would　pay　a
dividend　to　the　share…holders　of　five　per　cent；　the　editor　remaining
unpaid。　This　editing；　indeed；　was　beyond　price。

After　the　third　number　the　/Review/　was　recognized　for　exchange　by　all
the　papers　published　in　France；　which　Albert　henceforth　read　at　home。
This　third　number　included　a　tale　signed　〃A。　S。；〃　and　attributed　to
the　famous　lawyer。　In　spite　of　the　small　attention　paid　by　the　higher
circle　of　Besancon　to　the　/Review/　which　was　accused　of　Liberal　views；
this；　the　first　novel　produced　in　the　county；　came　under　discussion
that　mid…winter　at　Madame　de　Chavoncourt's。

〃Papa；〃　said　Rosalie；　〃a　/Review/　is　published　in　Besancon；　you　ought
to　take　it　in；　and　keep　it　in　your　room；　for　mamma　would　not　let　me
read　it；　but　you　will　lend　it　to　me。〃

Monsieur　de　Watteville；　eager　to　obey　his　dear　Rosalie；　who　for　the
last　five　months　had　given　him　so　many　proofs　of　filial　affection；
Monsieur　de　Watteville　went　in　person　to　subscribe　for　a　year　to　the
/Eastern　Review/；　and　lent　the　four　numbers　already　out　to　his
daughter。　In　the　course　of　the　night　Rosalie　devoured　the　talethe
first　she　had　ever　read　in　her　lifebut　she　had　only　known　life　for
two　months　past。　Hence　the　effect　produced　on　her　by　this　work　must
not　be　judged　by　ordinary　rules。　Without　prejudice　of　any　kind　as　to
the　greater　or　less　merit　of　this　composition　from　the　pen　of　a
Parisian　who　had　thus　imported　into　the　province　the　manner；　the
brilliancy；　if　you　will；　of　the　new　literary　school；　it　could　not　fail
to　be　a　masterpiece　to　a　young　girl　abandoning　all　her　intelligence
and　her　innocent　heart　to　her　first　reading　of　this　kind。

Also；　from　what　she　had　heard　said；　Rosalie　had　by　intuition　conceived
a　notion　of　it　which　strangely　enhanced　the　interest　of　this　novel。
She　hoped　to　find　in　it　the　sentiments；　and　perhaps　something　of　the
life　of　Albert。　From　the　first　pages　this　opinion　took　so　strong　a
hold　on　her；　that　after　reading　the　fragment　to　the　end　she　was
certain　that　it　was　no　mistake。　Here；　then；　is　this　confession；　in
which；　according　to　the　critics　of　Madame　de　Chavoncourt's　drawing…
room；　Albert　had　imitated　some　modern　writers　who；　for　lack　of
inventiveness；　relate　their　private　joys；　their　private　griefs；　or　the
mysterious　events　of　their　own　life。

*****

AMBITION　FOR　LOVE'S　SAKE

In　1823　two　young　men；　having　agreed　as　a　plan　for　a　holiday　to　make　a
tour　through　Switzerland；　set　out　from　Lucerne　one　fine　morning　in　the
month　of　July　in　a　boat　pulled　by　three　oarsmen。　They　started　for
Fluelen；　intending　to　stop　at　every　notable　spot　on　the　lake　of　the
Four　Cantons。　The　views　which　shut　in　the　waters　on　the　way　from
Lucerne　to　Fluelen　offer　every　combination　that　the　most　exacting
fancy　can　demand　of　mountains　and　rivers；　lakes　and　rocks；　brooks　and
pastures；　trees　and　torrents。　Here　are　austere　solitudes　and　charming
headlands；　smiling　and　trimly　kept　meadows；　forests　crowning
perpendicular　granite　cliffs；　like　plumes；　deserted　but　verdant
reaches　opening　out；　and　valleys　whose　beauty　seems　the　lovelier　in
the　dreamy　distance。

As　they　passed　the　pretty　hamlet　of　Gersau；　one　of　the　friends　looked
for　a　long　time　at　a　wooden　house　which　seemed　to　have　been　recently
built；　enclosed　by　a　paling；　and　standing　on　a　promontory；　almost
bathed　by　the　waters。　As　the　boat　rowed　past；　a　woman's　head　was
raised　against　the　background　of　the　room　on　the　upper　story　of　this
house；　to　admire　the　effect　of　the　boat　on　the　lake。　One　of　the　young
men　met　the　glance　thus　indifferently　given　by　the　unknown　fair。

〃Let　us　stop　here；〃　said　he　to　his　friend。　〃We　meant　to　make　Lucerne
our　headquarters　for　seeing　Switzerland；　you　will　not　take　it　amiss；
Leopold；　if　I　change　my　mind　and　stay　here　to　take　charge　of　our
possessions。　Then　you　can　go　where　you　please；　my　journey　is　ended。
Pull　to　land；　men；　and　put　us　out　at　this　village；　we　will　breakfast
here。　I　will　go　back　to　Lucerne　to　fetch　all　our　luggage；　and　before
you　leave　you　will　know　in　which　house　I　take　a　lodging；　where　you
will　find　me　on　your　return。〃

〃Here　or　at　Lucerne；〃　replied　Leopold；　〃the　difference　is　not　so　great
that　I　need　hinder　you　from　following　your　whim。〃

These　two　youths　were　friends　in　the　truest　sense　of　the　word。　They
were　of　the　same　age；　they　had　learned　at　the　same　school；　and　after
studying　the　law；　they　were　spending　their　holiday　in　the　classical
tour　in　Switzerland。　Leopold；　by　his　father's　determination；　was
already　pledged　to　a　place　in　a　notary's　office　in　Paris。　His　spirit
of　rectitude；　his　gentleness；　and　the　coolness　of　his　senses　and　his
brain；　guaranteed　him　to　be　a　docile　pupil。　Leopold　could　see　himself
a　notary　in　Paris；　his　life　lay　before　him　like　one　of　the　highroads
that　cross　the　plains　of　France；　and　he　looked　along　its　whole　length
with　philosophical　resignation。

The　character　of　his　companion；　whom　we　will　call　Rodolphe；　presented
a　strong　contrast　with　Leopold's；　and　their　antagonism　had　no　doubt
had　the　result　of　tightening　the　bond　that　united　them。　Rodolphe　was
the　natural　son　of　a　man　of　rank；　who　was　carried　off　by　a　premature
death　before　he　could　make　any　arrangements　for　securing　the　means　of
existence　to　a　woman　he　fondly　loved　and　to　Rodolphe。　Thus　cheated　by
a　stroke　of　fate；　Rodolphe's　mother　had　recourse　to　a　heroic　measure。
She