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第89节

the lesser bourgeoisie-第89节

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enemy。 A mob of savages broke my instruments; and talked of stringing
me up。 They were just going to do it; when the captain of a vessel
took me prisoner and thrust me into the citadel of Belver; where I
spent three years in the harshest captivity。 Since them; as you may
well believe; I loathe the whole celestial system; though I was;
without knowing it; the first to observe the famous comet of 1811; but
I should have taken care not to say a word about it if it had not been
for Monsieur Flauguergues; who announced it。 Like all my pupils;
Phellion knows my aversion to stars; and he knew very well the worst
trick he could play me would be to saddle one on my back; and that
deputation that came to play the farce of congratulating me was mighty
lucky not to find me at home; for if they had; I can assure those
gentlemen of the Academy; they would have had a hot reception。〃

Everybody present thought the old mathematician's monomania quite
delightful; except la Peyrade; who now; in perceiving Felix Phellion's
part in the affair; regretted deeply having caused the explanation。

〃And yet; Monsieur Picot;〃 said Minard; 〃if Felix Phellion is only
guilty of attributing his discovery to you; it seems to me that his
indiscreet behavior has resulted in a certain compensation to you: the
cross of the Legion of honor; a pension; and the glory attached to
your name are not to be despised。〃

〃The cross and the pension I take;〃 said the old man; emptying his
glass; which; to Brigitte's terror; he set down upon the table with a
force that threatened to smash it。 〃The government has owed them to me
these twenty years; not for the discovery of stars;things that I
have always despised;but for my famous 'Treatise on Differential
Logarithms' (Kepler thought proper to call them monologarithms); which
is a sequel to the tables of Napier; also for my 'Postulatum' of
Euclid; of which I was the first to discover the solution; but above
all; for my 'Theory of Perpetual Motion;'four volumes in quarto with
plates; Paris; 1825。 You see; therefore; monsieur; that to give me
glory is bringing water to the Seine。 I had so little need of Monsieur
Felix Phellion to make me a position in the scientific world that I
turned him out of my house long ago。〃

〃Then it isn't the first star;〃 said Colleville; flippantly; 〃that he
dared to put upon you?〃

〃He did worse than that;〃 roared the old man; 〃he ruined my
reputation; he tarnished my name。 My 'Theory of Perpetual Motion;' the
printing of which cost me every penny I owned; though it ought to have
been printed gratis at the Royal Printing…office; was calculated to
make my fortune and render me immortal。 Well; that miserable Felix
prevented it。 From time to time; pretending to bring messages from my
editor; he would say; the young sycophant; 'Papa Picot; your book is
selling finely; here's five hundred francstwo hundred francsand
once it was two thousandwhich your publisher charged me to give
you。' This thing went on for years; and my publisher; who had the
baseness to enter into the plot; would say to me; when I went to the
shop: 'Yes; yes; it doesn't do badly; it BUBBLES; that book; we shall
soon be at the end of this edition。' I; who didn't suggest anything; I
pocketed my money; and thought to myself: 'My book is liked; little by
little its ideas are making their way; I may now expect; from day to
day; that some great capitalist will come to me and propose to apply
my system'〃

〃of 'Absorption of Liquids'?〃 asked Colleville; who had been
steadily filling the old fellow's glass。

〃No; monsieur; my 'Theory of Perpetual Motion;' 4 vols。 in quarto with
plates。 But no! days; weeks went by and nobody came; so; thinking that
my publisher did not put all the energy he should into the matter; I
tried to sell the second edition to another man。 It was that;
monsieur; that enabled me to discover the whole plot; on which; as I
said before; I turned that serpent out of my house。 In six years only
nine copies had been sold! Kept quiet in false security I had done
nothing for the propagation of my book; which had been left to take
care of itself; and thus it was that I; victim of black and wicked
jealousy; was shamefully despoiled of the value of my labors。〃

〃But;〃 said Minard; making himself the mouthpiece of the thoughts of
the company; 〃may we not see in that act a manner as ingenious as it
was delicate to〃

〃To give me alms! is that what you mean?〃 interrupted the old man;
with a roar that made Mademoiselle Minard jump in her chair; 〃to
humiliate me; dishonor meme; his old professor! Am I in need of
charity? Has Picot (Nepomucene); to whom his wife brought a dowry of
one hundred thousand francs; ever stretched out his palm to any one?
But in these days nothing is respected。 Old fellows; as they call us;
our religion and our good faith is taken advantage of so that these
youths may say to the public: 'Old drivellers; don't you see now they
are good for nothing? It needs US; the young generation; US; the
moderns; US; Young France; to bring them up on a bottle。' Young
greenhorn! let me see YOU try to feed ME! Old drivellers know more in
their little finger than you in your whole brain; and you'll never be
worth us; paltry little intriguer that you are! However; I know my day
of vengeance will come; that young Phellion can't help ending badly;
what he did to…day; reading a statement to the Academy; under my name;
was forgery; forgery! and the law will send him to the galleys for
that。〃

〃True;〃 said Colleville; 〃forgery of a public star。〃

Brigitte; who quaked for her glasses; and whose nerves were
exacerbated by the monstrous consumption of cakes and wine; now gave
the signal to return to the salon。 Besides; she had heard the door…
bell ring several times; announcing the arrival of guests for the
evening。 The question then was how to transplant the professor; and
Colleville politely offered him his arm。

〃No; monsieur;〃 he said; 〃you must allow me to stay where I am。 I am
not dressed for a party; and besides; a strong light hurts my eyes。
Moreover; I don't choose to give myself as a spectacle; it will be
best that my interview with Felix Phellion should take place between
'four…eyes;' as they say。〃

〃Well; let him alone; then;〃 said Brigitte to Colleville。

No one insisted;the old man having; unconsciously; pretty nigh
discrowned himself in the opinion of the company。 But before leaving;
the careful housewife removed everything that was at all fragile from
his reach; then; by way of a slight attention; she said:

〃Shall I send you some coffee?〃

〃I'll take it; madame;〃 responded pere Picot; 〃and some cognac with
it。〃

〃Oh! parbleu! he takes everything;〃 said Brigitte to the male
domestic; and she told the latter to keep an eye on the old madman。

When Brigitte returned to the salon she found that the Abbe Gondrin
had become the centre of a great circle formed by nearly the whole
company; and as she approached; she heard him say:

〃I thank Heaven for bestowing upon me such a pleasure。 I have never
felt an emotion like that aroused by the scene we have just witnessed;
even the rather burlesque form of this confidence; which was certainly
very artless; for it was quite involuntary; only adds to the honor of
the surprising generosity it revealed。 Placed as I am by my ministry
in the way of knowing of many charities; and often either the witness
or intermediary of good actions; I think I never in my life have met
with a more touching or a more ingenious devotion。 To keep the left
hand ignorant of what the right hand does is a great step in
Christianity; but to go so far as to rob one's self of one's own fame
to benefit another under such conditions is the gospel applied in its
highest precepts; it is being more than a Sister of Charity; it is
doing the work of an apostle of beneficence。 How I should like to know
that noble young man; and shake him by the hand。〃

With her arm slipped through that of her godmother; Celeste was
standing very near the priest; her ears intent upon his words; her arm
pressing tighter and tighter that of Madame Thuillier; as the abbe
analyzed the generous action of Felix Phellion; until at last she
whispered under her breath:

〃You hear; godmother; you hear!〃

To destroy the inevitable effect which this hearty praise would surely
have on Celeste; Thuillier hastened to say:

〃Unfortunately; Monsieur l'abbe; the young man of whom you speak so
warmly is not altogether unknown to you。 I have had occasion to tell
you about him; and to regret that it was not possible to follow out
certain plans which we once entertained for him; I allude to the very
compromising independence he affects in his religious opinions。〃

〃Ah! is that the young man?〃 said the abbe; 〃you surprise me much; I
must say such an idea would never have crossed my mind。〃

〃You will see him presently; Monsieur l'abbe;〃 said la Peyrade;
joining in the conversation; 〃and if you question him on certain
grounds you will have no difficulty in discovering the ravages that a
love of science can commit in the most gifted souls。〃

〃I am afraid I shall not see him;〃 said the abbe; 〃as my black gown
would

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