honore de balzac-第24部分

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en　so　long　desired；　and　he　strove　towards　it　with　all　his　tenacious　energy；　as　towards　a　supreme　goal。　For　the　next　seven　years　his　every　act　was　designed　as　a　preparation　for　his　marriage；　the　future　organisation　of　his　life；　when　he　should　become　the　husband　of　Countess　Hanska。　He　concerned　himself　with　her　financial　affairs；　with　the　lawsuit　brought　against　her　after　the　death　of　her　husband；　with　the　difficulties　arising　from　a　contested　inheritance；　and　from　a　distance　he　gave　her　advice　as　to　the　management　of　her　property　and　the　investment　of　her　principal。　And　at　the　same　time　he　kept　her　informed　of　his　efforts　to　find　a　home　worthy　of　their　happiness；　told　her　of　household　furnishings　he　had　bought；　and　sketched　the　various　scales　of　domestic　and　social　life　which　one　could　live　according　to　the　amount　of　one's　income。

These　were　no　longer　dreams；　practically　speaking；　but　projects　for　an　assured　future。　Nevertheless；　he　was　still　destined　to　pass　through　many　a　disastrous　period　before　the　triumph　came。　In　1843　he　was　a　candidate　for　the　Academie　Francaise；　and　he　had　reason　to　believe　that　he　would　be　welcomed　there　with　especial　honours。　His　already　extensive　achievements；　surpassing　all　contemporary　production；　were　further　augmented　by　Honorine；　The　Muse　of　the　Department；　Lost　Illusions　（part　three）；　The　Sufferings　of　an　Inventor；　a　Monograph　on　the　Parisian　Press；　which　had　aroused　great　anger；　The　Splendour　and　Misery　of　Courtezans　（second　part）；　Modeste　Mignon；　and　Madame　de　la　Chanterie　（later　The　Seamy　Side　of　Contemporary　History）；　and　there　was　no　other　writer　who　was　in　a　position　to　dispute　the　sceptre　with　him。　Nevertheless；　legitimate　as　his　candidacy　was；　he　felt　the　opposition　to　it；　and；　realising　the　cause；　he　wrote　to　Nodier；　who　was　supporting　him；　this　proudly　sad　letter：

〃MY　GOOD　NODIER；

〃I　know　to…day　so　surely　that　my　financial　position　is　one　of　the　reasons　for　the　opposition　to　my　candidacy　for　the　Academie；　that　I　beg　you；　though　with　profound　regret；　not　to　use　your　influence　in　my　favour。

〃If　I　am　debarred　from　the　Academie　by　reason　of　a　most　honourable　poverty；　I　shall　never　again　present　myself　in　the　days　when　prosperity　accords　me　her　favours。　I　am　writing　to　the　same　effect　to　our　friend　Victor　Hugo；　who　has　been　working　for　me。

〃God　give　you　health；　my　good　Nodier。〃

And；　this　letter　being　written；　Balzac　once　more　buried　himself　in　his　work　with　such　energy　that　he　had　a　rush　of　blood　to　the　head；　together　with　such　atrocious　neuralgic　pains　that　it　was　necessary　to　apply　leeches。　None　the　less　he　continued　to　work；　and；　if　he　went　out　at　all；　it　was　for　the　purpose　of　visiting　his　printers　or　going　on　the　trail　of　works　of　art。　From　the　time　that　the　question　of　his　marriage　was　assured　he　began　an　assiduous　search　for　beautiful　adornments　for　his　future　home；　their　home；　and　he　prided　himself　on　his　instinct　as　a　collector　and　his　cleverness　as　a　buyer。　He　could　get　the　upper　hand　of　the　oldest　antiquary。　He　had　bought　some　Florentine　furniture　worthy　of　the　Louvre；　a　commode　and　a　writing…desk　that　had　belonged　to　Marie　de　Medicis；　for　thirteen　hundred　and　fifty　francsa　unique　bargain！and　he　could　sell　them　again　at　a　profit　of　thousands　of　francs　if　he　wished　to。　Perhaps　he　would　consent　to　part　with　the　commode；　but　he　intended　to　keep　the　writing　desk　and　place　it　between　two　ebony　wardrobes　which　he　already　possessed；　and　it　would　cost　him　nothing；　because　the　sale　of　the　other　piece；　the　commode；　would　cover　the　entire　cost！　And　although　in　his　letters　to　Mme。　Hanska　he　defended　himself　against　the　charge　of　prodigality；　these　〃good　bargains〃　still　continued。　A　clock　of　royal　magnificence　and　two　vases　of　pale　green　garnet；　also　Bouchardon's　〃Christ〃　in　a　frame　by　Brustolone。　And　for　years　he　continued　in　pursuit　of　bric…a…brac；　paintings　and　other　works　of　art。　In　1845；　on　his　way　home　after　accompanying　Mme。　Hanska　to　Naples；　he　passed　through　Marseilles；　where　he　found　some　Chinese　vases　and　plates　at　Lazard's　curio　shop；　and；　after　reaching　Paris；　he　wrote　to　Lazard；　ordering　some　Chinese　Horns…of…plenty　and　some　〃very　fine　bookcases　ten　metres　long　by　three　high；　richly　ornamented　or　richly　carved。〃　And；　not　content　with　giving　these　instructions　to　the　dealer；　he　wrote　to　Mery；　who　had　entertained　him　at　Marseilles；　explaining　what　he　wanted　from　Lazard；　and　giving　the　following　excellent　lesson　in　the　art　of　bargaining：

〃While　you　are　jollying　the　worthy　Lazard；　do　me　the　favour　of　sending　from　time　to　time　some　of　your　friends　to　bargain　for　the　two　objects　in　question；　and　have　them　always　make　an　offer；　some　of　fifty；　others　of　a　hundred；　others　of　twenty…five　francs　less　than　yours。　After　a　fortnight　of　this　manoeuvring；　some　fine　morning　Lazard　will　let　you　have　them。〃

And　Balzac　added　a　postscript　to　this　little　lesson　in　the　fine　art　of　bargaining：　〃Never　become　a　collector；　for　if　you　do　you　give　yourself　into　the　keeping　of　a　demon　as　exacting　and　jealous　as　the　demon　of　gambling。〃　But　while　warning　his　friends　against　his　own　ruling　passion　he　surrendered　himself　to　it　with　passionate　delight。　During　his　leisure　hours　he　wandered　at　random　through　Paris；　like　a　hunter　on　the　trail　of　his　quarry；through　Paris　which　he　knew　down　to　the　remotest　of　its　back　alleys　and　which　he　loved　even　in　its　slums。　When　he　ran　across　some　rare　and　precious　piece；　or　something　that　merely　appealed　to　his　individual　taste；　he　derived　an　intense　joy　out　of　employing　all　his　trickery；　his　readiness　of　speech；　his　persuasive　powers；　to　beat　down　the　price　of　the　coveted　object。　It　was　a　battle　in　which　he　chose　to　come　out　conqueror。　It　pleased　him　to　be　recognised　as　a　man　with　the　business　instinct；　and　he　threw　out　his　chest　when　he　repeated　the　remark　of　his　publisher；　Souverain；　〃M。　de　Balzac　is　better　at　figures　than　Rothschild！〃

In　1846；　during　a　new　trip　to　Italy　with　Mme。　Hanska；　her　daughter　Anna　and　the　latter's　husband；　Count　Georges　Mniszech；　he　ransacked　all　Naples；　Rome　and　Genoa；　and　no　longer　confined　his　attention　to　furniture　and　bric…a…brac；　but　had　his　eye　open　for　paintings　as　well；　because　his　latest　ambition　was　to　found　a　gallery。　This　taste　for　paintings　came　to　him　rather　late　in　life；　for　his　artistic　appreciation　had　long　been　limited　to　the　works　of　Girodet；　a　taste　which　called　forth　many　a　sarcasm　from　the　far　better　informed　Theophile　Gautier。　In　Rome　Balzac　purchased　a　Sebastiano　del　Piombo；　a　Bronzino　and　a　Mierevelt；　he　hunted　up　some　Hobbemas　and　Holbeins；　he　secured　a　Natoire　and　a　Breughel；which　he　decided　to　sell；　as　it　proved　not　to　be　genuine；for　he　wanted　〃pictures　of　the　first　rank　or　none　at　all〃；　furthermore；　he　brought　back　to　Paris　a　Judgment　of　Paris；　attributed　to　Giorgione；　a　Greuze；a　sketch　of　his　wife；a　Van　Dyck；　a　Paul　Brill；　The　Sorceresses；　a　sketch　of　the　birth　of　Louis　XIV　representing　the　Adoration　of　the　Shepherds；　an　Aurora　by　Guido；　a　Rape　of　Europa；　by　Annibale　Carrachio　or　Domenichino；and　there　we　have　the　beginning　of　his　gallery　such　as　he　described　it　in　Cousin　Pons。　At　the　same　time　he　did　not　neglect　other　forms　of　art　for　the　sake　of　his　paintings；　he　acquired　a　Saxon　dinner　service　and　a　set　of　Dutch　furniture　from　Amsterdam；　Mme。　Hanska　sent　him　some　porcelains　from　Germany；　he　sent　to　Tours　for　a　writing　desk　and　a　commode　of　the　Louis　XVI　period；　he　bought　a　bed　supposed　to　have　belonged　to　Mme。　de　Pompadour　and　which　he　intended　for　his　guest　chamber；　besides　a　parlour　set　in　carved　woodwork；　〃of　the　last　degree　of　magnificence；〃　and　a　dining…room　fountain　made　by　Bernard　Palissy　for　Henry　II　or　Charles　IX。　Little　by　little　he　accumulated　these　marvels；　destined　to　adorn　his　home　after　the　marriage。

And；　in　the　hope　of　hastening　the　date；　he　made　one　supreme　effort；　with　his　brain　as　clear　and　as　fertile　as　in　the　periods　of　his　most　furious　production。　Between　1844　and　1847　he　produced；　in　addition　to　the　works　already　mentioned；　The　Peasants；　The　Splendour　and　Misery　of　Courtezans　（third　part）；　Cousin　Bette；　The　Involuntary　Comedians；　The　Last　Incarnation　of　Vautrin；　Cousin　Pons；　The　Deputy　from　Arcis；　and　The　Lesser　Bourgeoisie。　He　foresaw　the　dawn　of　his　deliverance：　he　would　be　able　to　achieve　his　gigantic　task　in　peace。

Balzac　was　fully　conscious　of　his　genius　and　of　the　greatness　of　the　monument　which　he　had　already　partly　raised。　He　objected　to　being　classed　with　the　men　of　letters　of　his　period；　and　for　some　time　past　had　claimed　recognition　as　standing　on　a　higher　level。　Eugene　de　Mirecourt　was　witness　of　a　scene　which　bore　evidence　to　his　justifiable　pride：

〃It　was　during　the　winter　of　1843；〃　he　wrote；　〃that　Messrs。　Maulde　and　Renon　published　a　Picture　of　the　Great　City；　which　was　edited　by　Marc　Fournier；　the　present　manager　of　the　Port…Saint…Martin　theatre。

〃One　evening　Balzac　entered　the　publishers'　office　and　said：

〃'Our　agreement；　gentlemen；　was　that　I　should　be　paid　for　my　Monograph　on　the　Parisian　Press　at　the　rate　of　five　hundred　francs　a　page。'

〃'That　is　so；'　they　replied。

〃'I　have　received　only　fifteen　hundred　francs　and　there　are　four　pages；　accordingly　you　still　owe　me　five　hundred　francs。'

〃'But　your　corrections；　M。　de　Balzac！　Have　you　any　idea　what　they　amounted　to？'

〃'There　was　nothing　said　about　my　paying　for　corrections。'

〃'That　is　true；'　replied　M。　Renon；　'but　I　ought　to　tell　you　that　Alexander　Dumas's　article；　Filles；　Lorettes　et　Courtisanes；　also　ran　to　four　pages；　yet　we　have　not　given　him　a　centime　more　than　we　have　given　you。'

〃Balzac　started　and　turned　pale。　It　is　evident　that　he　must　have　been　in　great　financial　need　before　he　would　have　come　to　make　such　a　request。　But　he　quite　forgot　this　in　the　face　of　the　words　he　had　just　heard。　For；　without　pressing　his　claim　further；　he　arose；　took　his　hat　and　said；　with　an　accent　of　solemn　dignity：

〃'From　the　moment　that　you　compare　me　with　that　negro　I　have　the　honour　of　wishing　you　good　evening！'

〃He　went　out。　And　that　was　how　the　mere　name　of　Alexandre　Dumas　saved　the　business　office　of　The　Great　City　five　hundred　francs。〃　（Balzac；　by　Eugene　de　Mirecourt；　pp。　80…82。）

In　order　to　hasten　his　liberation　from　debt　and　his　settlement　with　creditors；　Balzac　tried　to　augment　th