honore de balzac-第3部分

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〃If　you　look　at　me　like　that；　M。　Balzac；　you　will　receive　the　ferrule。〃

The　ferrule！　The　thong　of　leather　that　cut　so　painfully　when　it　fell　with　dreaded　rhythm；　one；　two；　three；　on　the　tips　of　the　fingers　or　the　palm　of　the　hand。

Punishments　rained　heavily　on　Balzac；　the　bad　pupil；　who　seems　to　have　been　perpetually　in　disgrace　over　his　tasks　and　lessons。　These　punishments　included　the　extra　copying　of　lines　in　such　numbers　that　he　has　been　declared　the　inventor　of　the　three…pointed　pen；　and　then　there　was　imprisonment　in　the　dormitory；　〃the　wooden　breeches；〃　as　it　was　called　in　the　college；　and　where　he　remained　for　weeks　at　a　time。　Whether　he　suffered　from　these　punishments　and　from　the　contempt　of　his　teachers；　Honore　at　least　never　complained；　for　whatever　left　his　mind　free　to　follow　its　own　self…cultivation　was　a　welcome　opportunity。

He　had　a　tutor；　the　librarian　of　the　rich　Oratorian　library；　who　during　those　rare　recreation　hours；　when　he　had　no　extra　lines　to　copy；　was　supposed　to　give　him　special　lessons　in　mathematics。　But　by　a　tacit　agreement　the　teacher　paid　no　attention　to　the　pupil；　and　the　latter　was　permitted　to　read　and　carry　away　any　books　which　took　his　fancy。　In　point　of　fact；　no　book　seemed　to　him　too　austere　or　too　repellent　or　too　obscure　for　his　youthful　understanding。　He　absorbed　pell…mell　works　upon　religion；　treatises　of　chemistry　and　physics；　and　historical　and　philosophical　works。　He　even　developed　a　special　taste　for　dictionaries；　dreaming　over　the　exact　sense　of　words；　the　adventures　that　befall　them　in　the　course　of　time　and　their　final　destinies。

〃The　absorption　of　ideas　through　reading　had　become　in　his　case　a　curious　phenomenon；〃　so　Honore　de　Balzac　has　recorded　in　Louis　Lambert；　in　which　he　has　painted　in　the　person　of　his　hero　his　own　formative　years　in　the　college　school　of　Vendome。　〃His　eye　would　take　in　seven　or　eight　lines　at　once；　and　his　mind　would　grasp　the　meaning　with　a　velocity　equal　to　that　of　his　glance；　sometimes　even　a　single　word　in　a　phrase　was　enough　to　give　him　the　essence　of　it。　His　memory　was　prodigious。　He　retained　thoughts　acquired　through　reading　with　the　same　fidelity　as　those　suggested　to　him　in　the　course　of　reflection　or　conversation。　In　short；　he　possessed　every　kind　of　memory：　that　of　places；　of　names；　of　things；　and　of　faces。　Not　only　could　he　recall　objects　at　will；　but　he　could　see　them　again　within　himself　under　the　same　conditions　of　position　and　light　and　colour　as　they　had　been　at　the　moment　when　he　first　perceived　them。　This　same　power　applied　equally　to　the　most　intangible　processes　of　the　understanding。　He　could　remember；　according　to　his　own　expression；　not　merely　the　exact　spot　from　which　he　had　gleaned　a　thought　in　any　given　book；　but　also　the　conditions　of　his　own　mind　at　far…off　periods。　By　an　undreamed…of　privilege；　his　memory　could　thus　retrace　the　progress　and　entire　life　history　of　his　mind　from　the　earliest　acquired　ideas　down　to　the　latest　ones　to　unfold；　from　the　most　confused　down　to　the　most　lucid。　His　brain；　which　while　still　young　was　habituated　to　the　difficult　mechanism　of　the　concentration　of　human　forces；　drew　from　this　rich　storehouse　a　multitude　of　images　admirable　for　their　reality　and　freshness；　and　which　supplied　him　with　mental　nutriment　through　all　his　periods　of　clear…sighted　contemplation。〃

Such　was　the　mental　condition　of　Honore　at　the　time　when　he　was　regarded　by　his　masters　as　a　dullard；　a　mediocre　pupil　who　might　as　well　be　left　to　reap　the　consequences　of　his　own　laziness。　Clad　in　his　grey　uniform；　ill　shod　and　with　hands　red　and　swollen　from　chilblains；　he　held　aloof　from　his　comrades；　indifferent　alike　to　their　games　and　their　taunts。　The　ruddy　colour　of　well…rounded　cheeks；　due　to　long　walks　in　the　open　air　of　the　countryside　around　Tours；　had　disappeared　and　his　face　was　now　as　white　and　delicate　as　a　young　girl's；　while　his　eyes　had　become　blacker　and　more　mysterious　than　ever。

Honore　de　Balzac　received　visits　from　his　parents　at　Easter　and　at　the　time　of　the　distribution　of　prizes。　It　was　a　joyous　occasion；　long　awaited　by　the　boy；　who　retained　the　warmest　affection　for　his　family。　But　his　joy　was　short…lived。　The　pupil　Balzac　had　won　no　prizes；　he　had　received　black　marks；　he　had　done　no　work；　consequently；　instead　of　the　loving　greeting　that　he　expected；　he　was　met　only　with　words　of　disappointment　and　censure；　he　was　told　that　he　did　not　appreciate　the　sacrifices　that　were　being　made　to　educate　him；　he　was　idle　and　lazy；　they　hoped　that　next　year　he　would　do　better　and　at　last　give　them　some　little　satisfaction。

Honore　listened　to　these　reproofs　with　bowed　head；　and　probably　he　made　promises；　in　his　desire　to　bring　a　smile　to　their　faces　and　to　receive　some　of　those　endearments　that　he　had　hungered　for；　through　long　days　of　solitude。　But　each　year　he　again　took　up　his　interrupted　dream；　more　laboriously　and　more　fiercely　than　before。

The　college　school　at　Vendome　possesses　a　literary　society　whose　membership　is　confined　to　the　Greats；　and　which　gives　performances　of　scenes　from　tragedies　and　comedies；　poetic　recitations；　etc。　Honore　conceived　the　ambition　to　have　some　writing　of　his　own　produced　by　this　society。　He　practised　rhyming；　composed　poems；　and　undertook　an　epic；　one　line　of　which　has　remained　famous；

〃O　Inca！　luckless　and　unhappy　king；〃

for　it　made　him　the　butt　and　by…word　of　the　entire　school。　He　was　nicknamed　〃The　Poet；〃　and　laughed　at　for　his　formless　efforts。　The　director　of　the　school；　M。　Mareschal；　told　him　a　fable；　with　the　charitable　intent　of　turning　him　aside　from　his　ambitions。　There　was　once　upon　a　time　a　young　linnet　in　a　soft　and　downy　nest；　but　the　young　linnet　longed　for　the　free　and　open　air　and　the　blue　sky。　Its　wings　had　not　yet　grown；　and　yet　the　imprudent　bird　made　up　its　mind　to　fly。　What　happened？　Why；　simply　that　the　young　linnet　fell　from　the　tree　in　which　the　nest　was　built；　and　hurt　itself　pitifully。　Warning　to　poets　who　presume　too　far　upon　their　powers。　Honore　disregarded　the　fable；　just　as　he　had　disregarded　reproofs；　mockery　and　punishment；　and　burrowed　deeper　than　ever　into　the　Oratorian　library；　in　a　sort　of　somber　phrensy。　He　neglected　his　studies　and　assigned　tasks　for　the　sake　of　the　secret　and　forbidden　work　that　constituted　what　he　called　later　on；　in　Louis　Lambert；　his　contraband　studies。　Although　he　continued　to　write　poetry；　his　mind　as　it　ripened　and　gathered　strength　in　its　singular　solitude　aspired　to　still　loftier　works；　based　upon　metaphysics　and　pure　reason。

While　his　comrades　translated　Virgil　and　Demosthenes；　he　had　begun　to　write　a　Treatise　upon　the　Will；　a　symbolic　work　which　contained　the　germs　of　his　entire　destiny。　His　fellow　students；　rendered　curious　by　his　sustained　application；　continuing　month　after　month；　tried　in　vain　to　steal　glimpses　over　his　shoulder；　but　Honore　de　Balzac　would　permit　no　profane　eye　to　fall　upon　his　manuscript。　He　eluded　their　persistence　and　entrusted　the　precious　pages　to　a　box　which　he　could　secure　under　lock　and　key。　A　conspiracy　was　formed。　They　wanted　to　know　what　he　had　been　writing　all　this　time　with　such　serious　intent　that　nothing　could　take　his　attention　from　it。　During　a　recreation　period　Honore　was　copying；　as　usual；　some　extra　lines　as　a　punishment。　A　turbulent　troupe　invaded　the　classroom　and　flung　themselves　upon　the　box　which　concealed　the　manuscript。　They　wanted　to　know　and　they　were　going　to　know！　Honore　defended　the　box　energetically；　for　it　was　his　heart　and　brain　which　they　wanted　to　know；　it　was　all　his　knowledge　and　beautiful　dreams　that　they　wished　to　lay　bare　to　the　light　of　day。　There　followed　a　veritable　battle　around　that　little　wooden　casket。　Attracted　by　the　outcries　of　the　assailants；　one　of　the　masters；　Father　Haugoult；　arrived　in　the　midst　of　the　tumult。　Balzac's　crime　was　proclaimed；　he　was　hiding　papers　in　his　box　and　refused　to　show　them。　The　master　straightway　ordered　this　bad　pupil　to　surrender　these　secret　and　forbidden　writings。　Honore　could　not　do　otherwise　than　obey；　for　the　box　would　be　broken　open　if　he　did　not　unlock　it　of　his　own　accord；　so；　with　trembling　hands；　he　despoiled　himself　of　his　treasures。

With　careless　fingers　the　master　fumbled　over　the　manuscript　and　with　an　air　of　disdain　and　a　voice　of　severity　summed　up　the　case　against　this　bad　pupil：

〃And　it　was　for　the　sake　of　such　nonsense　that　you　have　been　neglecting　your　duties！〃

Honore　held　back　his　tears；　profoundly　hurt　at　this　blow　to　his　dreams　and　his　creative　pride；　but　he　retained　a　confused　sense　of　injustice　and　a　conviction　of　the　superior　quality　of　his　work。

He　had　now　been　at　the　Vendome　school　for　more　than　six　years；　and　had　given　himself　up　to　a　prodigious　amount　of　work；　the　extent　of　which　no　one　even　suspected。　He　had　grown　thin　and　pallid　and　half　dazed；　intoxicated　with　the　ideas　which　whirled　within　his　brain　without　system　or　order。　He　seemed　to　be　attacked　by　some　grave　malady；　the　cause　of　which　could　not　be　explained。　The　director　of　the　school；　M。　Mareschal　Duplessis；　became　anxious　and　wrote　to　the　boy's　parents　to　come　and　take　him　out　of　school。　They　came　post…haste。　Honore　was　apparently　in　a　somnambulistic　state；　hardly　answering　the　questions　put　to　him；　his　features　were　drawn　and　haggard；　for　he　had　been　carrying　too　heavy　a　burden　of　readings；　feelings　and　thoughts。　His　family　could　no　more　understand　than　his　masters　did　the　origin　of　his　strange　disorder。　And　Mme。　Sallambier；　who　had　come　to　live　with　her　daughter　at　Tours；　after　the　death　of　her　husband　in　1804；　summed　up　the　opinion　of　the　family：

〃That　is　the　state　in　which　the　schools　give　us　back　the　fine　children　that　we　send　them！〃



Chapter　2。　

The　Garret。

His　dazed　condition；　however；　soon　passed　away　after　Honore's　removal　from　the　Vendome　school。　He　was　required　to　take　long　walks　and　play　outdoor　games；　in　consequence　of　which　his　cheeks　filled　out　and　regained　their　natural　healthy　colour。　In　appearance　he　was　now　a　big　lad；　naive　and　contented；　who　laughingly　submitted　to　his　sisters'　teasing。　But　he　had　put　his　ideas　in　order：　the　new　and　troubled　wine　of　books；　to　the　intoxication　of　which　he　had　succumbed；　had　clarified　itself；　his　intellect　was　now　exceptionally　pr