honore de balzac-第5部分

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rs）；　and　that　he　should　meet　all　his　needs　out　of　this　sum。　Honore　would　have　accepted　a　bare　and　penniless　liberty　with　equal　fervour　and　enthusiasm。

For　the　sake　of　economy；　the　Balzac　family　decided　upon　a　provincial　life；　and　removed　to　Villeparisis；　in　the　department　of　Seine…et…Oise；　where　they　secured　a　small　yet　comfortable　bourgeois　house。　This　was　in　the　early　months　of　1819；　Honore；　at　the　age　of　twenty…one；　was　left　alone　in　Paris。

They　had　installed　him　in　a　garret；　high　up　under　a　mansarde　roof；　in　the　Rue　Lesdiguieres；　No。　9；　and　it　was　he　himself　who　chose　this　lodging　because　of　the　ease　with　which　he　could　reach　the　Arsenal　library　during　the　daytime；　while　at　night　he　would　stay　at　home　and　work。

Ah；　what　a　long；　deep　breath　he　drew；　and　how　heartily　he　laughed　his　silent；　inward　laugh；　as　he　stood　with　crossed　arms　and　let　his　black　eyes　make　inspection　of　his　cramped　and　miserable　dwelling。　He　was　free；　free！　Here　was　his　desk；　covered　with　brown　leather；　his　ink　and　pens；　here　were　four　chairs　and　a　cupboard　in　which　to　hang　his　clothes　and　store　away　a　few　plates　and　his　precious　coffee　pot；　there　was　his　monastic　bed；　and　beyond　it　some　shelves　nailed　to　the　wall　to　hold　his　books。　He　sat　down　and　dreamed；　for　he　had　just　won　his　first　victory；　he　was　no　longer　accountable　to　anyone　in　the　world　for　each　and　every　hour　of　his　life。

〃I　rejoiced；〃　he　has　written　in　The　Magic　Skin；　〃at　the　thought　that　I　was　going　to　live　upon　bread　and　milk；　like　a　hermit　in　the　Thebiade；　plunged　in　the　world　of　books　and　ideas；　in　an　inaccessible　sphere；　in　the　midst　of　all　the　tumult　of　Paris；　the　sphere　of　work　and　of　silence；　in　which；　after　the　manner　of　a　chrysalis；　I　was　about　to　build　myself　a　tomb；　in　order　to　emerge　again　brilliant　and　glorious。〃　Next；　he　calculates　what　his　expenses　were　during　this　studious　retreat：　〃Three　cents'　worth　of　bread；　two　of　milk；　three　of　sausage　prevented　me　from　dying　of　hunger　and　kept　my　mind　in　a　lucid　condition。。。　My　lodgings　cost　me　three　cents　a　day；　I　burned　three　cents'　worth　of　oil　per　night；　I　did　my　own　housework；　I　wore　flannel　night…shirts；　in　order　to　cut　down　my　laundry　bill　to　two　cents　a　day。　I　warmed　my　room　with　coal　instead　of　wood；　for　I　found　that　the　cost　divided　by　the　number　of　days　in　the　year　never　exceeded　two　cents。　I　had　a　supply　of　suits；　underclothing　and　shoes　sufficient　to　last　a　year；　and　I　did　not　need　to　dress　excepting　to　go　to　the　libraries　and　do　a　few　errands。　The　sum　total　of　these　expenses　amounted　to　only　eighteen　cents；　which　left　me　two　cents　over　for　emergencies。〃　Balzac　somewhat　exaggerates　his　poverty　and　reduces　his　expenses　to　suit　the　pleasure　of　his　poetic　fantasy；　but　undoubtedly　it　was　a　brusque　transition　from　the　bourgeois　comfort　of　family　life　to　the　austerity　of　his　garret。

Nevertheless；　he　was　exuberant　and　joyous；as　irresponsible　as　a　young　colt　freshly　turned　out　to　pasture。　His　sister　Laure；　now　living　at　Villeparisis　with　her　parents；　continued　to　receive　his　confidences。　He　wrote　her　the　most　minute　details　of　his　solitary　existence；jesting　and　burlesquing　in　a　vein　of　frank　and　familiar　humour。

〃You　ask；　my　dear　sister；　for　details　of　my　domestic　arrangements　and　manner　of　living；　well；　here　they　are：

〃I　wrote　directly　to　mamma；　in　regard　to　the　cost　of　my　purchases；a　little　subterfuge　to　get　an　increased　allowance；but　now　you　are　going　to　tremble：　it　is　much　worse　than　a　purchase；I　have　acquired　a　servant！

〃'A　servant！　What　are　you　thinking　of；　my　brother？'

〃Yes；　a　servant。　He　has　as　odd　a　name　as　the　servant　of　Dr。　Nacquart　（Balzac's　physician）；　his　is　called　Tranquil；　mine　is　called　Myself。　A　bad　bargain；　beyond　question！　Myself　is　lazy；　awkward；　and　improvident。　When　his　master　is　hungry　or　thirsty；　he　sometimes　has　neither　bread　nor　water　to　offer　him；　he　does　not　even　know　how　to　protect　him　from　the　wind　which　blows　in　through　door　and　window；　as　Tulou　blows　upon　his　flute；　but　less　agreeably。

〃As　soon　as　I　am　awake；　I　ring　for　Myself；　and　he　makes　up　my　bed。　Then　he　starts　in　sweeping；　but　he　is　far　from　expert　in　that　line　of　exercise。

〃'Myself！'

〃'What　do　you　wish；　sir？'

〃'Look　at　that　spider's…web；　where　that　big　fly　is　buzzing　loud　enough　to　deafen　me！　Look　at　the　sweepings　scattered　under　the　bed！　Look　at　the　dust　on　the　window…panes；　so　thick　that　I　can　hardly　see！'

〃'But　Monsieur；　I　do　not　see　。　。　。'

〃'Come；　hold　your　tongue！　No　answering　back！'

〃Accordingly；　he　holds　his　tongue。

〃He　brushes　my　coat　and　he　sweeps　my　room　while　he　sings；　and　he　sings　while　he　sweeps；　laughs　while　he　talks；　and　talks　while　he　laughs。　All　things　considered；　he　is　a　good　lad。　He　has　carefully　put　away　my　linen　in　the　wardrobe　beside　the　chimney；　after　first　lining　it　with　white　paper；　out　of　six　cents'　worth　of　blue　paper；　with　the　border　thrown　in；　he　has　made　me　a　screen。　He　has　painted　the　room　white；　from　the　book…shelves　to　the　chimney。　When　he　ceases　to　be　satisfied；a　thing　which　has　not　yet　occurred；I　shall　send　him　to　Villeparisis；　to　get　some　fruit；　or　else　to　Albi　to　see　how　my　cousin　is。〃　（April　12；　1819。）

Honore　de　Balzac　was　intoxicated　with　his　liberty；　and　revelled　in　it　to　his　heart's　content。　He　could　dream；　idle；　read　or　work；　according　to　his　mood。　Ideas　swarmed　in　his　brain；　and　every　day　he　drafted　projects　for　tragedies；　comedies；　novels　and　operas。　He　did　not　know　which　of　all　these　to　work　out　to　a　finish；　for　every　one　of　them　seemed　to　him　capable　of　being　developed　into　a　masterpiece。　He　brooded　over　a　possible　novel　which　was　to　be　called　Coquecigrue；　but　he　doubted　whether　he　had　the　ability　to　carry　it　out　according　to　his　conception；　so；　after　long　hesitation；　he　decided　in　favour　of　a　classic　drama　in　verse；　Cromwell；　which　he　considered　the　finest　subject　in　modern　history。　Honore　de　Balzac　rhymed　ahead　desperately；　laboriously；　for　versification　was　not　his　strong　point；　and　he　had　infinite　trouble　in　expressing；　with　the　required　dignity；　the　lamentations　of　the　Queen　of　England。　His　study　of　the　great　masters　hampered　him：　〃I　devour　our　four　tragic　authors。　Crebillon　reassures　me；　Voltaire　fills　me　with　terror；　Corneille　transports　me；　and　Racine　makes　me　throw　down　my　pen。〃　Nevertheless；　he　refused　to　renounce　his　hopes。　He　had　promised　to　produce　a　masterpiece；　he　was　pledged　to　achieve　a　masterpiece；　and　the　price　of　it　was　to　be　a　blessed　independence。

In　the　silence　of　his　mansarde　garret　he　worked；　with　his　brow　congested；　his　head　enveloped　in　a　Dantesque　cap；　his　legs　wrapped　in　a　venerable　Touraine　great…coat；　his　shoulders　guaranteed　against　the　cold；　thanks　to　an　old　family　shawl。　He　toiled　over　his　alexandrian　lines；　he　sent　fragments　of　his　tragedy　to　Laure；　asking　her　for　advice：　〃Don't　flatter　me；　be　severe。〃　Yet　he　had　high　ambitions：　〃I　want　my　tragedy　to　be　the　breviary　of　peoples　and　kings！〃　he　wrote。　〃I　must　make　my　debut　with　a　masterpiece；　or　wring　my　neck。〃

Meanwhile　Cromwell　did　not　wholly　absorb　him。　Honore　de　Balzac　was　already　a　fluent　writer；　full　of　clamorous　ideas　and　schemes　that　each　day　were　born　anew。　Between　two　speeches　of　his　play；　he　would　sketch　a　brief　romance　of　the　old…fashioned　type；　draft　the　rhymes　of　a　comic　opera；　which　he　would　later　decide　to　give　up；　because　of　the　difficulty　of　finding　a　composer；　hampered　as　he　was　by　his　isolation。　In　addition　to　his　literary　occupations；　he　took　an　anxious　interest　in　politics。　〃I　am　more　than　ever　attached　to　my　career；〃　he　wrote　to　his　sister　Laure；　〃for　a　host　of　reasons；　of　which　I　will　give　you　only　those　that　you　would　not　be　likely　to　guess　of　your　own　accord。　Our　revolutions　are　very　far　from　being　ended；　considering　the　way　that　things　are　going；　I　foresee　many　a　coming　storm。　Good　or　bad；　the　representative　system　demands　immense　talent；　big　writers　will　necessarily　be　sought　after　in　political　crises；　for　do　they　not　supplement　their　other　knowledge　with　the　spirit　of　observation　and　a　profound　understanding　of　the　human　heart？

〃If　I　should　become　a　shining　light　（which；　of　course；　is　precisely　the　thing　that　we　do　not　yet　know）；　I　may　some　day　achieve　something　besides　a　literary　reputation；　and　add　to　the　title　of　'great　writer'　that　of　great　citizen。　That　is　an　ambition　which　is　also　tempting！　Nothing；　nothing　but　love　and　glory　can　ever　fill　the　vast　recesses　of　my　heart；　within　which　you　are　cherished　as　you　deserve　to　be。〃

In　order　to　enlighten　himself　in　regard　to　the　legislative　elections；　he　appealed　to　one　of　his　correspondents；　M。　Dablin；　a　rich　hardware　merchant　and　friend　of　the　family；　who　had　often　come　to　the　aid　of　his　slender　purse。　He　asked　him　for　a　list　of　the　deputies；　and　inquired　what　their　political　opinions　were　and　how　the　parties　would　be　divided　in　the　new　Chamber；　and　when　he　did　not　receive　as　prompt　an　answer　as　he　had　expected；　he　repeated　his　questions　with　a　certain　show　of　impatience。　At　this　period　of　isolation；　M。　Dablin　was　also　his　factotum　and　his　mentor。　Balzac　commissioned　him　to　buy　a　Bible；　carefully　specifying　that　the　text　must　be　in　French　as　well　as　Latin；　he　wished　to　read　the　Sicilian　Vespers；　he　felt　it　his　duty；　as　a　simple　soldier　in　the　ranks　of　literature；　to　attend　a　performance　of　Cinna；　by　the　great　General　Corneille；　from　the　safe　seclusion　of　a　screened　box；　and　he　would　be　glad　to　see　Girodet's　Endymion　at　the　Exposition；　〃some　morning　when　there　is　no　one　else　there；〃　in　order　not　to　betray　his　incognito！

How　happy　he　was　during　those　hours　of　liberty　that　were　never　to　return　and　which　he　was　destined　to　remember　with　unparalleled　emotion；　in　his　subsequent　inferno　of　ceaseless　toil！　He　was　utterly　irresponsible；　he　made　an　orgy　out　of　a　melon　or　a　jar　of　preserves　sent　him　from　Villeparisis；　and　he　decorated　his　garret　with　flowers；　which　were　the　gift　of　Laure；　his　beloved　confidante。　He　had　his　dreams　and　his　hours　of　exultation；　when　he　listened　to　the　mingled　sounds　of　Paris；　which　rose　faintly　to　his　dormer　window　during　the　beautiful　golden　evenings　of　springtime；　evenings　that　seemed　to　young　and　ambitious　hearts　so　heavy…laden　with　ardent　melancholy　and　hope；　and　he　would　cry　aloud：　〃I　realised　today　that　wealth　does　not　make　happiness；　and　that　the　time　that　I　am