honore de balzac-第17部分
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ned to my rooms and summoned my vendor of wood and my grocer； in order to settle my accounts； and； in place of a five hundred franc bank note； slipped each of them one of the widow's five hundred franc promissory notes！ By four o'clock I was free once more and ready to meet the next day's obligations。 My mind is at ease for a month to come。 I can seat myself once more in the fragile swing of my dreams and let my imagination keep me swinging。 Ecco； Signora！
〃My dear； faithful wife…to…be； did I not owe you this faithful picture of your future home life in Paris？ Yes； but here are five thousand francs squandered； out of the twenty…seven thousand； and before setting out for Geneva I still have ten thousand to pay： three thousand to my mother； one thousand to my sister； and six thousand in judgments and costs。'Good gracious； my dear man； where will you raise all that？' Out of my ink…well！〃 （Letter dated October 31； 1833。）
The tone of the correspondence had become more tender and confidential； mirroring back an intimate picture of a laborious existence； laden with anxieties；and the reason is that Balzac now knew his 〃Foreign Lady；〃 for he had met her at Neufchatel； whence he returned overflowing with enthusiasm。 From the date of the very first letters he had received his imagination had taken fire； and he had responded with an answering ardour to this woman who had so ingenuously laid bare her heart to him。 It was a romantic adventure upon which he set forth rejoicing。 He had sent to the fair unknown a lock of his hair； which he had allowed to remain for some time uncut； in order to send one as long as possible； he had presented her with a perfumed casket； destined to be the mysterious receptacle of his letters； a friend had drawn a sketch of his apartment in the Rue Cassini； so that she might see what a pleasant little den the toiler had； and lastly he inserted in a copy of The Country Doctor an aquarelle； in which he was portrayed in the somewhat exaggerated guise of his own Doctor Bernassis。 This was a sacrifice to which he consented for love's sake； because he had always refused to let anyone； even Gerard； paint his portrait； insisting 〃that he was not handsome enough to be worth preserving in oil。〃
But letter…writing and delicate attentions in the form of gifts were far from satisfying him。 He wanted to see her； to talk with her； to put into speech shades of feeling so delicate that the written word was powerless to reproduce them。 And presently chance aided and abetted him。 Mme。 Hanska left Wierzchnownia for a summer vacation in Switzerland； and Balzac； on the trail of one of those business opportunities for which he was ever on the watch； was obliged to go to Besancon at precisely the same season。 His mission related to the manufacture of a special kind of paper； to be made exclusively for his works； and which he imagined would speedily make his fortune。 Since she was to be at Neufchatel and he at Besancon； how could they resist the pleasure of a first meeting？ Permission was asked to call； and permission was granted； and Balzac； impatient and intoxicated with hope； left Paris； September 22d； arrived at Neufchatel on the 25th； and for five days enjoyed profound happiness； tender and unalloyed。 They met； and the sentiments born of their correspondence； far from being destroyed by this meeting； were on the contrary exalted into trembling avowals； transports and protestations of eternal love。 Balzac returned to Paris radiant with his new…found joy。 He wrote as follows to his sister Laure； the habitual recipient of his confidences：
〃I found down yonder all that is needed to flatter the thousand vanities of that animal known as man； of which species the poet still remains the vainest variety。 But why do I use the word vanity？ No； that has nothing to do with it。 I am happy； very happy in thought； and so far all for the best and in all honour 。 。 。
〃I say nothing to you of her colossal wealth； of what consequence is that； beside a perfection of beauty which I can compare to no one except the Princess of Bellejoyeuse； only infinitely better？〃
Mme。 Hanska was profoundly religious and a practical Catholic； and from this time onward she exerted an influence over the trend of Balzac's thoughts。 Indeed； he brought back from their first interviews the germ idea of his mystical story； Seraphita。 The project of the special paper having failed to materialise at Besancon； he tried to carry it out through the mediation of Mme。 Carraud； but with no better success。
The Country Doctor proved a source of nothing but disappointments to Balzac； who received an adverse decision from the courts； in the lawsuit bought by Mame； because he had failed to furnish copy at the stipulated dates； and found himself facing a judgment of three thousand francs damages； besides another thousand francs for corrections made at his expense。 The cost of the latter was； for that matter； always charged to him by his publishers in all his contracts； because his method of work raised this item to an unreasonable sum。 For one of his short stories； Pierette； Balzac demanded no less than seventeen successive revised proofs。 And his corrections； his additions and his suppressions formed such an inextricable tangle that the typesetters refused to work more than an hour at a time over his copy。
The failure of the work on which he had counted so much and the loss of his lawsuit did not discourage him。 To borrow his own phrase； he 〃buried himself in the most frightful labours。〃 Between the end of 1833 and 1834 he produced Eugenie Grandet； The Illustrious Gaudissart； The Girl with the Golden Eyes； and The Search for the Absolute。 The paper which he used for writing was a large octavo in form； with a parchment finish。 His manuscripts often bore curious annotations and drawings。 On the cover of that of Eugenie Grandet he had drawn a ground plan of old Grandet's house； and had compiled a list of names； from which he chose those of the characters in the story。 Balzac attached an extreme importance to proper names； and he did not decide which to give to his heroes until after long meditation； for he believed that names were significant； even to the extent of influencing their destinies。 The manuscript of The Search for the Absolute bears witness to his constant preoccupation about money。 He had inscribed on it the following account：
Total for June 7；505 francs。 Total for July 1；500 francs。 Floating debt 3；700 francs。 12；705 francs。
And melancholically he wrote below it； 〃Deficit； 1；705！〃 His writing was small； compressed； irregular and often far from easy to read； when he suppressed a passage； he used a form of pothook erasure which rendered the condemned phrase absolutely illegible。
In 1834； Honore de Balzac； while still keeping his apartment in the Rue Cassini； transferred his residence to Chaillot； No。 13； Rue des Bastailles （now the Avenue d'Iena）； in a house situated on the site of the hotel of Prince Roland Bonaparte。 This was his bachelor quarters； where he received his letters； under the name of Madame the Widow Durand。 He had by no means abandoned his projects of luxurious surroundings； and in The Girl with the Golden Eyes he has given a description of his own parlour； which shows that he had in a measure already realised his desires：
〃One…half of the boudoir；〃 he wrote； 〃described an easy and graceful semicircle； while the opposite side was perfectly square； and in the centre glistened a mantelpiece of white marble and gold。 The entrance was through a side door； hidden by a rich portiere of tapestry； and facing a window。 Within the horseshoe curve was a genuine Turkish divan； that is to say； a mattress resting directly upon the floor； a mattress as large as a bed； a divan fifty feet in circumference and covered with white cashmere； relieved by tufts of black and poppy…red silk arranged in a diamond pattern。 The headboard of this immense bed rose several inches above the numerous cushions which still further enriched it by the good taste of their harmonious tints。 The walls of this boudoir were covered with red cloth； overlaid with India muslin fluted like a Corinthian column； the flutings being alternately hollowed and rounded； and finished at top and bottom with a band of poppy…red cloth embroidered with black arabesques。 Seen through the muslin； the poppy…red turned to rose colour； the colour emblematic of love； and the same effect was repeated in the window curtains； which were also of India muslin lined with rose…coloured taffeta and ornamented with fringes of mixed black and poppy…red。 Six vermilion sconces； each containing two candles； were fixed at even intervals to the wall； for the purpose of lighting the divan。 The ceiling； from the centre of which hung a chandelier of dull vermilion； was a dazzling white； and the cornice was gilded。 The carpet resembled an Oriental shawl； exhibiting the patterns and recalling the poetry of Persia； the land where it had been woven by the hands of slaves。 The furniture was all upholstered in white cashmere； emphasised by trimmings of the same combination of black and poppy…red。 The clock； the candle…sticks； all the ornaments； were of white marble and gold。 The only table in the room had a cashmere covering。 Graceful jardinieres contained roses of all species having blossoms of red or white。〃
Theophile Gautier has borne witness to the accuracy of this description； but as though wishing to show him the double aspect of his life； Balzac； after willingly exhibiting in detail all the luxury of his boudoir； led him to a corner recess； necessitated by the rounded form of one side of the room； and there； hidden behind the ostentatious decoration； there was nothing but a narrow iron cot； a table and a chair； this was where he worked。
Balzac disliked being disturbed while working； and； for the double reason of avoiding unwelcome visitors and throwing his creditors off the scent； he had invented a whole series of pass…words； which it was necessary to know before one could penetrate to his apartment。 A visitor； let into the secret； would say to the porter； 〃The season for plums has arrived；〃 thanks to which he acquired the right to enter the house。 But this was only the first degree of initiation。 A ser
