honore de balzac-第22部分
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s； and he wished to have it crowned by some sort of official recognition。 He made up his mind to present himself for election to the Academie Francaise； in December； 1839； but withdrew in favour of the candidacy of Victor Hugo； notwithstanding that the latter begged him； in a dignified and gracious message； not to do so。
An intercourse which； without being especially cordial； was fairly frequent had been established between these two great writers as a result of their joint labours on the committee of the Society of Men of Letters。 During the month of July； 1839； Victor Hugo breakfasted with Balzac at Les Jardies； in company with Gozlan； for the purpose of discussing the great project of the Manifesto。 Gozlan； who formed the third member of this triangular party； has left the following delectable account of the interview：
〃Balzac was picturesquely clad in rags； his trousers； destitute of suspenders； parted company with his ample fancy waistcoat； his downtrodden shoes parted company with his trousers； his necktie formed a flaring bow； the points of which nearly reached his ears； and his beard showed a vigorous four days' growth。 As for Victor Hugo； he wore a gray hat of a very dubious shade； a faded blue coat with gilt buttons resembling a casserole in colour and shape； a much frayed black cravat； and； as a finishing touch； a pair of green spectacles that would have delighted the heart of the head clerk of a county sheriff； enemy of solar radiation！〃
They made the circuit of the property； and Victor Hugo remained politely cold before the dithyrambic praises which Balzac lavished on his garden。 He smiled only once； and that was at sight of a walnut tree； the only tree that the owner of Les Jardies had acquired from the community。
Victor Hugo had revealed to him the enormous profits that he drew from his dramatic writings； and it is easy to believe that Balzac's persistent efforts to have a play produced were due to the momentary glimpse of a steady stream of wealth that was thus flashed before his dazzled eyes。 After the catastrophe of Vautrin； he still pursued his dramatic ambitions with Pamela Giraud and Mercadet； but failed to find any theatre that would consent to produce them。 What was worse； the year 1840 was； beyond all others； a frightful one for Balzac。 He faced his creditors like a stag at bay； and all the while he found the burden of Les Jardies becoming constantly heavier。 The walls surrounding the property had slipped on their clay foundation and broken down； while Balzac himself had sustained a serious fall on the steep slopes of his garden； and had consequently lost more than a month's work。 Furthermore； he underwent imprisonment at Sevres for having refused to take his turn at standing guard over his neighbours' vineyards。
In his distress he thought seriously of expatriating himself and setting out for Brazil； and； before coming to a final decision； he awaited only the success or failure of a publishing venture such as he had already undertaken in vain。 In the month of July； 1840； he started the Revue Parisienne； of which he was the sole editor； and through which he proclaimed a dictatorial authority over the arts and letters； society and the government。 He had to abandon it after the third number。
Balzac remained in France； but he was obliged to quit Les Jardies。 His creditors looked upon this property as their legitimate prey； and neither ruse nor sacrifice could any longer keep it from them。 He first made a fictitious sale of it to his architect； and then a real one； on the advice of his lawyer。 It had cost him more than ninety thousand francs； and he got back only seventeen thousand five hundred。 But he had lived there through some beautiful dreams and great hopes。
Chapter 9。
In Retirement。
Upon leaving Les Jardies； Balzac took refuge in the village of Passy； at No。 19； Rue Basse； and there buried himself。 （Thanks to M。 de Royaumont； this building has become the Balzac Museum； similar to that of Victor Hugo at Paris； and of Goethe at Frankfort。） It was there that he meant to make his last effort and either perish or conquer destiny。 Under the name of M。 de Brugnol he had hired a small one…storey pavilion； situated in a garden and hidden from sight by the houses facing on the street。 His address was known only to trusted friends； and it was now more difficult than ever to discover him。 And his life as literary galley…slave was now burdened； in this solitude； with new and overwhelming tasks。
In the midst of the stormy tumult of money troubles and creative labour there was only one single gleam of calm and tender light。 In November； 1840； he formed the project of going to Russia； and promised himself the pleasure of joining the Comtesse de Hanska at St。 Petersburg for two long months。 This hope； which he clung to with all the strength of his ardent nature； was not to be realised until 1843； for his departure was delayed from day to day through his financial embarrassment and unfulfilled contracts with publishers。
Shutting himself into his writing den； a small narrow room with a low ceiling； he proceeded to finish The Village Cure and The Diaries of Two Young Brides； he began A Dark Affair for a journal called Le Commerce； The Two Brothers； later A Bachelor's Establishment； for La Presse； Les Lecamus； for Le Siecle； The Trials and Tribulations of an English Cat； for one of Hetzel's publications； Scenes from the Private and Public Life of Animals； he worked upon The Peasants and wrote Ursule Mirouet；altogether more than thirty thousand lines in the newspaper columns； in less than one year！
Meanwhile his business affairs； so entangled that he himself hardly knew where he stood； in spite of a portfolio bound in black in which he kept his promissory notes and every other variety of commercial paper；and which he called his Compte Melancoliques （his Melancholy Accounts）； adding that they were not to be regarded as a companion volume to his Contes Drolatiques （his Droll Tales）；began to assume some sort of order； thanks to the efforts of his lawyer； M。 Gavault； who had undertaken to wind them up。 Balzac remained as poor as ever； for he had to turn over to M。 Gavault all the money he took in； aside from what he needed for the strict necessities of life。 He admitted proudly that at this period there were times when he contented himself with eating a single small roll on the Boulevard； and that he had gone for days together with one franc as his sole cash on hand。
But a new edition was soon destined to put him on his feet； enable him to liquidate a portion of his floating debt and to pay back some of his biggest loans。 An agreement had been formed between Furne； Dubochet； Hetzel and Paulin to bring out an edition of his complete works under the glorious and definitive title of The Human Comedy。 But it meant a vast amount of work； all his older volumes to revise and new ones to write；a task that he estimated would require not less than seven years to finish。 If he had produced thirty thousand lines in 1841； he calculated that he was bound by his contracts to produce not less than forty thousand in 1842； not counting the work of correcting proofs of all the new editions of his published stories。
His mental powers were as fertile as ever； but his bodily strength； despite his robust constitution； sometimes broke down under the prodigious fever of creation。 Balzac's physician； Dr。 Nacquart； obliged him to take a rest。 〃I am ill；〃 he wrote at this time。 〃I have been resting all through the latter part of May （1841） in a bathtub； taking three…hour baths every day to keep down the inflammation which threatened me； and following a debilitating diet； which has resulted in what； in my case； amounts to a disease； namely； emptiness of the brain。 Not a stroke of work； not an atom of strength； and up to the beginning of this month I have remained in the agreeable condition of an oyster。 But at last Dr。 Nacquart is satisfied and I am back at my task and have just finished The Diaries of Two Young Brides and have written Ursule Mirouet； one of those privileged stories which you are going to read； and now I am starting in on a volume for the Montyon prize。〃 （Letters to a Foreign Lady； Volume 1； page 560； Letter of June…July； 1841。）
Every one of Balzac's novels cost him unimaginable and never ending toil。 After having brooded over his subject； planned the situation； characterised his personages； and decided upon the general philosophy that he intended to express； there followed the task of translating all that he had conceived and thought into an adequate literary form。 Balzac often proceeded in bursts of enthusiasm； flashes of illumination； and in a few nights would map out the entire scenario of a whole novel。 This first effort was in a certain sense the parent…cell； which little by little gathered to itself the elements necessary for the final composition of the work。 The proof sheets sent to Balzac always had broad margins； and it is not too much to say that he amplified the initial draft as though he were attaching the muscles and tendons to the bones of a skeleton； then one set of proofs followed another； while he imparted to his story a network of veins and arteries and a nervous system； infused blood into its veins and breathed into it his powerful breath of life；and all of a sudden there it was； a living； pulsating creation； within that envelope of words into which he had infused the best that he possessed in style and colour。 But he suffered bitter disillusions when the work was finally printed； the creator never found his creation sufficiently perfect。 Balzac suffered with all the sensibility of his artistic conscience from blemishes which he regarded as glaring faults； and which he followed up and corrected with unparalleled ardour。 He was aided in this task by Mme。 de Berny； his sister Laure； Charles Lemesle and Denoyers； and he himself； a literary giant； who did not hesitate to write to Mme。 Carraud that his work was in its own line a greater achievement than the Cathedral at Bourges was in architecture； spent whole days in shaping and reshaping a phrase； like some sublime mason whoby a prodigyhad built a cathedral single…handed and whose heart bled upon discovering a neglected carving in the sh
