albert savarus-第6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！

such　carefulness　as　made　Mariette；　the　ladies'…maid；　smile。

〃It　is　the　first　time　I　ever　knew　mademoiselle　to　be　so　fidgety；〃　said
Mariette。

〃It　strikes　me；〃　said　Rosalie；　with　a　glance　at　Mariette；　which
brought　poppies　to　her　cheeks；　〃that　you　too　are　more　particular　on
some　days　than　on　others。〃

As　she　went　down　the　steps；　across　the　courtyard；　and　through　the
gates；　Rosalie's　heart　beat；　as　everybody's　does　in　anticipation　of　a
great　event。　Hitherto；　she　had　never　known　what　it　was　to　walk　in　the
streets；　for　a　moment　she　had　felt　as　though　her　mother　must　read　her
schemes　on　her　brow；　and　forbid　her　going　to　confession；　and　she　now
felt　new　blood　in　her　feet；　she　lifted　them　as　though　she　trod　on
fire。　She　had；　of　course；　arranged　to　be　with　her　confessor　at　a
quarter…past　eight；　telling　her　mother　eight；　so　as　to　have　about　a
quarter　of　an　hour　near　Albert。　She　got　to　church　before　Mass；　and
after　a　short　prayer；　went　to　see　if　the　Abbe　Giroud　were　in　his
confessional；　simply　to　pass　the　time；　and　she　thus　placed　herself　in
such　a　way　as　to　see　Albert　as　he　came　into　church。

The　man　must　have　been　atrociously　ugly　who　did　not　seem　handsome　to
Mademoiselle　de　Watteville　in　the　frame　of　mind　produced　by　her
curiosity。　And　Albert　Savaron；　who　was　really　very　striking；　made　all
the　more　impression　on　Rosalie　because　his　mien；　his　walk；　his
carriage；　everything　down　to　his　clothing；　had　the　indescribable　stamp
which　can　only　be　expressed　by　the　word　Mystery。

He　came　in。　The　church；　till　now　gloomy；　seemed　to　Rosalie　to　be
illuminated。　The　girl　was　fascinated　by　his　slow　and　solemn　demeanor；
as　of　a　man　who　bears　a　world　on　his　shoulders　and　whose　deep　gaze；
whose　very　gestures；　combine　to　express　a　devastating　or　absorbing
thought。　Rosalie　now　understood　the　Vicar…General's　words　in　their
fullest　extent。　Yes；　those　eyes　of　tawny　brown；　shot　with　golden
lights；　covered　ardor　which　revealed　itself　in　sudden　flashes。
Rosalie；　with　a　recklessness　which　Mariette　noted；　stood　in　the
lawyer's　way；　so　as　to　exchange　glances　with　him；　and　this　glance
turned　her　blood；　for　it　seethed　and　boiled　as　though　its　warmth　were
doubled。

As　soon　as　Albert　had　taken　a　seat；　Mademoiselle　de　Watteville　quickly
found　a　place　whence　she　could　see　him　perfectly　during　all　the　time
the　Abbe　might　leave　her。　When　Mariette　said；　〃Here　is　Monsieur
Giroud；〃　it　seemed　to　Rosalie　that　the　interview　had　lasted　no　more
than　a　few　minutes。　By　the　time　she　came　out　from　the　confessional；
Mass　was　over。　Albert　had　left　the　church。

〃The　Vicar…General　was　right；〃　thought　she。　〃/He/　is　unhappy。　Why
should　this　eaglefor　he　has　the　eyes　of　an　eagleswoop　down　on
Besancon？　Oh；　I　must　know　everything！　But　how？〃

Under　the　smart　of　this　new　desire　Rosalie　set　the　stitches　of　her
worsted…work　with　exquisite　precision；　and　hid　her　meditations　under　a
little　innocent　air；　which　shammed　simplicity　to　deceive　Madame　de
Watteville。

From　that　Sunday；　when　Mademoiselle　de　Watteville　had　met　that　look；
or；　if　you　please；　received　this　baptism　of　firea　fine　expression　of
Napoleon's　which　may　be　well　applied　to　loveshe　eagerly　promoted　the
plan　for　the　Belvedere。

〃Mamma；〃　said　she　one　day　when　two　columns　were　turned；　〃my　father　has
taken　a　singular　idea　into　his　head；　he　is　turning　columns　for　a
Belvedere　he　intends　to　erect　on　the　heap　of　stones　in　the　middle　of
the　garden。　Do　you　approve　of　it？　It　seems　to　me〃

〃I　approve　of　everything　your　father　does；〃　said　Madame　de　Watteville
drily；　〃and　it　is　a　wife's　duty　to　submit　to　her　husband　even　if　she
does　not　approve　of　his　ideas。　Why　should　I　object　to　a　thing　which　is
of　no　importance　in　itself；　if　only　it　amuses　Monsieur　de　Watteville？〃

〃Well；　because　from　thence　we　shall　see　into　Monsieur　de　Soulas'
rooms；　and　Monsieur　de　Soulas　will　see　us　when　we　are　there。　Perhaps
remarks　may　be　made〃

〃Do　you　presume；　Rosalie；　to　guide　your　parents；　and　think　you　know
more　than　they　do　of　life　and　the　proprieties？〃

〃I　say　no　more；　mamma。　Besides；　my　father　said　that　there　would　be　a
room　in　the　grotto；　where　it　would　be　cool；　and　where　we　can　take
coffee。〃

〃Your　father　has　had　an　excellent　idea；〃　said　Madame　de　Watteville；
who　forthwith　went　to　look　at　the　columns。

She　gave　her　entire　approbation　to　the　Baron　de　Watteville's　design；
while　choosing　for　the　erection　of　this　monument　a　spot　at　the　bottom
of　the　garden；　which　could　not　be　seen　from　Monsieur　de　Soulas'
windows；　but　whence　they　could　perfectly　see　into　Albert　Savaron's
rooms。　A　builder　was　sent　for；　who　undertook　to　construct　a　grotto；　of
which　the　top　should　be　reached　by　a　path　three　feet　wide　through　the
rock…work；　where　periwinkles　would　grow；　iris；　clematis；　ivy；
honeysuckle；　and　Virginia　creeper。　The　Baroness　desired　that　the
inside　should　be　lined　with　rustic　wood…work；　such　as　was　then　the
fashion　for　flower…stands；　with　a　looking…glass　against　the　wall；　an
ottoman　forming　a　box；　and　a　table　of　inlaid　bark。　Monsieur　de　Soulas
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