the collection of antiquities-第27部分

快捷操作: 按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页 按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页 按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部! 如果本书没有阅读完，想下次继续接着阅读，可使用上方 "收藏到我的浏览器" 功能 和 "加入书签" 功能！


His　marriage　was　the　second　cause　of　his　obscurity。　As　a　man　of　forty；　he　was　rash　enough　to　marry　a　girl　of　eighteen；　by　whom　he　had　a　son　named　Joseph　in　the　first　year　of　their　marriage。　Three　years　afterwards　Mme。　Blondet；　then　the　prettiest　woman　in　the　town；　inspired　in　the　prefect　of　the　department　a　passion　which　ended　only　with　her　death。　The　prefect　was　the　father　of　her　second　son　Emile；　the　whole　town　knew　this；　old　Blondet　himself　knew　it。　The　wife　who　might　have　roused　her　husband's　ambition；　who　might　have　won　him　away　from　his　flowers；　positively　encouraged　the　judge　in　his　botanical　tastes。　She　no　more　cared　to　leave　the　place　than　the　prefect　cared　to　leave　his　prefecture　so　long　as　his　mistress　lived。

Blondet　felt　himself　unequal　at　his　age　to　a　contest　with　a　young　wife。　He　sought　consolation　in　his　greenhouse；　and　engaged　a　very　pretty　servant…maid　to　assist　him　to　tend　his　ever…changing　bevy　of　beauties。　So　while　the　judge　potted；　pricked　out；　watered；　layered；　slipped；　blended；　and　induced　his　flowers　to　break；　Mme。　Blondet　spent　his　substance　on　the　dress　and　finery　in　which　she　shone　at　the　prefecture。　One　interest　alone　had　power　to　draw　her　away　from　the　tender　care　of　a　romantic　affection　which　the　town　came　to　admire　in　the　end；　and　this　interest　was　Emile's　education。　The　child　of　love　was　a　bright　and　pretty　boy；　while　Joseph　was　no　less　heavy　and　plain…　featured。　The　old　judge；　blinded　by　paternal　affection　loved　Joseph　as　his　wife　loved　Emile。

For　a　dozen　years　M。　Blondet　bore　his　lot　with　perfect　resignation。　He　shut　his　eyes　to　his　wife's　intrigue　with　a　dignified；　well…bred　composure；　quite　in　the　style　of　an　eighteenth　century　grand　seigneur；　but；　like　all　men　with　a　taste　for　a　quiet　life；　he　could　cherish　a　profound　dislike；　and　he　hated　his　younger　son。　When　his　wife　died；　therefore；　in　1818；　he　turned　the　intruder　out　of　the　house；　and　packed　him　off　to　Paris　to　study　law　on　an　allowance　of　twelve　hundred　francs　for　all　resource；　nor　could　any　cry　of　distress　extract　another　penny　from　his　purse。　Emile　Blondet　would　have　gone　under　if　it　had　not　been　for　his　real　father。

M。　Blondet's　house　was　one　of　the　prettiest　in　the　town。　It　stood　almost　opposite　the　prefecture；　with　a　neat　little　court　in　front。　A　row　of　old…fashioned　iron　railings　between　two　brick…work　piers　enclosed　it　from　the　street；　and　a　low　wall；　also　of　brick；　with　a　second　row　of　railings　along　the　top；　connected　the　piers　with　the　neighboring　house。　The　little　court；　a　space　about　ten　fathoms　in　width　by　twenty　in　length；　was　cut　in　two　by　a　brick　pathway　which　ran　from　the　gate　to　the　house　door　between　a　border　on　either　side。　Those　borders　were　always　renewed；　at　every　season　of　the　year　they　exhibited　a　successful　show　of　blossom；　to　the　admiration　of　the　public。　All　along　the　back　of　the　gardenbeds　a　quantity　of　climbing　plants　grew　up　and　covered　the　walls　of　the　neighboring　houses　with　a　magnificent　mantle；　the　brick…work　piers　were　hidden　in　clusters　of　honeysuckle；　and；　to　crown　all；　in　a　couple　of　terra…cotta　vases　at　the　summit；　a　pair　of　acclimatized　cactuses　displayed　to　the　astonished　eyes　of　the　ignorant　those　thick　leaves　bristling　with　spiny　defences　which　seem　to　be　due　to　some　plant　disease。

It　was　a　plain…looking　house；　built　of　brick；　with　brick…work　arches　above　the　windows；　and　bright　green　Venetian　shutters　to　make　it　gay。　Through　the　glass　door　you　could　look　straight　across　the　house　to　the　opposite　glass　door；　at　the　end　of　a　long　passage；　and　down　the　central　alley　in　the　garden　beyond；　while　through　the　windows　of　the　dining…room　and　drawing…room；　which　extended；　like　the　passage　from　back　to　front　of　the　house；　you　could　often　catch　further　glimpses　of　the　flower…beds　in　a　garden　of　about　two　acres　in　extent。　Seen　from　the　road；　the　brick…work　harmonized　with　the　fresh　flowers　and　shrubs；　for　two　centuries　had　overlaid　it　with　mosses　and　green　and　russet　tints。　No　one　could　pass　through　the　town　without　falling　in　love　with　a　house　with　such　charming　surroundings；　so　covered　with　flowers　and　mosses　to　the　roof…ridge；　where　two　pigeons　of　glazed　crockery　ware　were　perched　by　way　of　ornament。

M。　Blondet　possessed　an　income　of　about　four　thousand　livres　derived　from　land；　besides　the　old　house　in　the　town。　He　meant　to　avenge　his　wrongs　legitimately　enough。　He　would　leave　his　house；　his　lands；　his　seat　on　the　bench　to　his　son　Joseph；　and　the　whole　town　knew　what　he　meant　to　do。　He　had　made　a　will　in　that　son's　favor；　he　had　gone　as　far　as　the　Code　will　permit　a　man　to　go　in　the　way　of　disinheriting　one　child　to　benefit　another；　and　what　was　more；　he　had　been　putting　by　money　for　the　past　fifteen　years　to　enable　his　lout　of　a　son　to　buy　back　from　Emile　that　portion　of　his　father's　estate　which　could　not　legally　be　taken　away　from　him。

Emile　Blondet　thus　turned　adrift　had　contrived　to　gain　distinction　in　Paris；　but　so　far　it　was　rather　a　name　than　a　practical　result。　Emile's　indolence；　recklessness；　and　happy…go…lucky　ways　drove　his　real　father　to　despair；　and　when　that　father　died；　a　half…ruined　man；　turned　out　of　office　by　one　of　the　political　reactions　so　frequent　under　the　Restoration；　it　was　with　a　mind　uneasy　as　to　the　future　of　a　man　endowed　with　the　most　brilliant　qualities。

Emile　Blondet　found　support　in　a　friendship　with　a　Mlle。　de　Troisville；　whom　he　had　known　before　her　marriage　with　the　Comte　de　Montcornet。　His　mother　was　living　when　the　Troisvilles　came　back　after　the　emigration；　she　was　related　to　the　family；　distantly　it　is　true；　but　the　connection　was　close　enough　to　allow　her　to　introduce　Emile　to　the　house。　She；　poor　woman；　foresaw　the　future。　She　knew　that　when　she　died　her　son　would　lose　both　mother　and　father；　a　thought　which　made　death　doubly　bitter；　so　she　tried　to　interest　others　in　him。　She　encouraged　the　liking　that　sprang　up　between　Emile　and　the　eldest　daughter　of　the　house　of　Troisville；　but　while　the　liking　was　exceedingly　strong　on　the　young　lady's　part；　a　marriage　was　out　of　the　question。　It　was　a　romance　on　the　pattern　of　Paul　et　Virginie。　Mme。　Blondet　did　what　she　could　to　teach　her　son　to　look　to　the　Troisvilles；　to　found　a　lasting　attachment　on　a　children's　game　of　〃make…believe〃　love；　which　was　bound　to　end　as　boy…and…girl　romances　usually　do。　When　Mlle。　de　Troisville's　marriage　with　General　Montcornet　was　announced；　Mme。　Blondet；　a　dying　woman；　went　to　the　bride　and　solemnly　implored　her　never　to　abandon　Emile；　and　to　use　her　influence　for　him　in　society　in　Paris；　whither　the　General's　fortune　summoned　her　to　shine。

Luckily　for　Emile；　he　was　able　to　make　his　own　way。　He　made　his　appearance；　at　the　age　of　twenty；　as　one　of　the　masters　of　modern　literature；　and　met　with　no　less　success　in　the　society　into　which　he　was　launched　by　the　father　who　at　first　could　afford　to　bear　the　expense　of　the　young　man's　extravagance。　Perhaps　Emile's　precocious　celebrity　and　the　good　figure　that　he　made　strengthened　the　bonds　of　his　friendship　with　the　Countess。　Perhaps　Mme。　de　Montcornet；　with　the　Russian　blood　in　her　veins　（her　mother　was　the　daughter　of　the　Princess　Scherbelloff）；　might　have　cast　off　the　friend　of　her　childhood　if　he　had　been　a　poor　man　struggling　with　all　his　might　among　the　difficulties　which　beset　a　man　of　letters　in　Paris；　but　by　the　time　that　the　real　strain　of　Emile's　adventurous　life　began；　their　attachment　was　unalterable　on　either　side。　He　was　looked　upon　as　one　of　the　leading　lights　of　journalism　when　young　d'Esgrignon　met　him　at　his　first　supper　party　in　Paris；　his　acknowledged　position　in　the　world　of　letters　was　very　high；　and　he　towered　above　his　reputation。　Goodman　Blondet　had　not　the　faintest　conception　of　the　power　which　the　Constitutional　Government　had　given　to　the　press；　nobody　ventured　to　talk　in　his　presence　of　the　son　of　whom　he　refused　to　hear。　And　so　it　came　to　pass　that　he　knew　nothing　of　Emile　whom　he　had　cursed　and　Emile's　greatness。

Old　Blondet's　integrity　was　as　deeply　rooted　in　him　as　his　passion　for　flowers；　he　knew　nothing　but　law　and　botany。　He　would　have　interviews　with　litigants；　listen　to　them；　chat　with　them；　and　show　them　his　flowers；　he　would　accept　rare　seeds　from　them；　but　once　on　the　bench；　no　judge　on　earth　was　more　impartial。　Indeed；　his　manner　of　proceeding　was　so　well　known；　that　litigants　never　went　near　him　except　to　hand　over　some　document　which　might　enlighten　him　in　the　performance　of　his　duty；　and　nobody　tried　to　throw　dust　in　his　eyes。　With　his　learning；　his　lights；　and　his　way　of　holding　his　real　talents　cheap；　he　was　so　indispensable　to　President　du　Ronceret；　that；　matrimonial　schemes　apart；　that　functionary　would　have　done　all　that　he　could；　in　an　underhand　way；　to　prevent　the　vice…president　from　retiring　in　favor　of　his　son。　If　the　learned　old　man　left　the　bench；　the　President　would　be　utterly　unable　to　do　without　him。

Goodman　Blondet　did　not　know　that　it　was　in　Emile's　power　to　fulfil　all　his　wishes　in　a　few　hours。　The　simplicity　of　his　life　was　worthy　of　one　of　Plutarch's　men。　In　the　evening　he　looked　over　his　cases；　next　morning　he　worked　among　his　flowers；　and　all　day　long　he　gave　decisions　on　the　bench。　The　pretty　maid…servant；　now　of　ripe　age；　and　wrinkled　like　an　Easter　pip