Driving a BargainCunctando restituit rem.
ENNIUS'Answer me, without lying, if you can, you miserable1 bookworm; howdo you come to know Madame de Renal? When have you spoken toher?'
'I have never spoken to her,' replied Julien, 'I have never seen the ladyexcept in church.'
'But you must have looked at her, you shameless scoundrel?'
'Never! You know that in church I see none but God,' Julien addedwith a hypocritical air, calculated, to his mind, to ward3 off further blows.
'There is something behind this, all the same,' replied the suspiciouspeasant, and was silent for a moment; 'but I shall get nothing out of you,you damned hypocrite. The fact is, I'm going to be rid of you, and mysaw will run all the better without you. You have made a friend of theparson or someone, and he's got you a fine post. Go and pack your traps,and I'll take you to M. de Renal's where you're to be tutor to thechildren.'
'What am I to get for that?'
'Board, clothing and three hundred francs in wages.'
'I do not wish to be a servant,'
'Animal, who ever spoke2 of your being a servant? Would I allow myson to be a servant?'
'But, with whom shall I have my meals?'
This question left old Sorel at a loss; he felt that if he spoke he might beguilty of some imprudence; he flew into a rage with Julien, upon whomhe showered abuse, accusing him of greed, and left him to go and consult his other sons.
Presently Julien saw them, each leaning upon his axe5 and deliberatingtogether. After watching them for some time, Julien, seeing that he couldmake out nothing of their discussion, went and took his place on the farside of the saw, so as not to be taken by surprise. He wanted time to consider this sudden announcement which was altering his destiny, but felthimself to be incapable6 of prudence4; his imagination was wholly takenup with forming pictures of what he would see in M. de Renal's finehouse.
'I must give up all that,' he said to himself, 'rather than let myself bebrought down to feeding with the servants. My father will try to forceme; I would sooner die. I have saved fifteen francs and eight sous, I shallrun away tonight; in two days, by keeping to side-roads where I neednot fear the police, I can be at Besancon; there I enlist7 as a soldier, and, ifnecessary, cross the border into Switzerland. But then, good-bye toeverything, good-bye to that fine clerical profession which is a stepping-stone to everything.'
This horror of feeding with the servants was not natural to Julien; hewould, in seeking his fortune, have done other things far more disagreeable. He derived8 this repugnance9 from Rousseau's Confessions10. It was theone book that helped his imagination to form any idea of the world. Thecollection of reports of the Grand Army and the Memorial de Sainte-Helenecompleted his Koran. He would have gone to the stake for those threebooks. Never did he believe in any other. Remembering a saying of theold Surgeon-Major, he regarded all the other books in the world as liars,written by rogues11 in order to obtain advancement12.
With his fiery13 nature Julien had one of those astonishing memories sooften found in foolish people. To win over the old priest Chelan, uponwhom he saw quite clearly that his own future depended, he hadlearned by heart the entire New Testament14 in Latin; he knew also M. deMaistre's book Du Pape, and had as little belief in one as in the other.
As though by a mutual15 agreement, Sorel and his son avoided speakingto one another for the rest of the day. At dusk, Julien went to the cure forhis divinity lesson, but did not think it prudent16 to say anything to him ofthe strange proposal that had been made to his father. 'It may be a trap,'
he told himself; 'I must pretend to have forgotten about it.'
Early on the following day, M. de Renal sent for old Sorel, who, afterkeeping him waiting for an hour or two, finally appeared, beginning ashe entered the door a hundred excuses interspersed17 with as many reverences18. By dint19 of giving voice to every sort of objection, Sorel succeeded in gathering20 that his son was to take his meals with the master and mistress of the house, and on days when they had company in a room byhimself with the children. Finding an increasing desire to raise difficulties the more he discerned a genuine anxiety on the Mayor's part, andbeing moreover filled with distrust and bewilderment, Sorel asked to seethe21 room in which his son was to sleep. It was a large chamber22 very decently furnished, but the servants were already engaged in carrying intoit the beds of the three children.
At this the old peasant began to see daylight; he at once asked with assurance to see the coat which would be given to his son. M. de Renalopened his desk and took out a hundred francs.
'With this money, your son can go to M. Durand, the clothier, and gethimself a suit of black.'
'And supposing I take him away from you,' said the peasant, who hadcompletely forgotten the reverential forms of address. 'Will he take thisblack coat with him?'
'Certainly.'
'Oh, very well!' said Sorel in a drawling tone, 'then there's only onething for us still to settle: the money you're to give him.'
'What!' M. de Renal indignantly exclaimed, 'we agreed upon that yesterday: I give three hundred francs; I consider that plenty, if not toomuch.'
'That was your offer, I do not deny it,' said old Sorel, speaking evenmore slowly; then, by a stroke of genius which will astonish only thosewho do not know the Franc-Comtois peasant, he added, looking M. deRenal steadily23 in the face: 'We can do better elsewhere.'
At these words the Mayor was thrown into confusion. He recoveredhimself, however, and, after an adroit24 conversation lasting25 fully26 twohours, in which not a word was said without a purpose, the peasant'sshrewdness prevailed over that of the rich man, who was not dependenton his for his living. All the innumerable conditions which were to determine Julien's new existence were finally settled; not only was hissalary fixed27 at four hundred francs, but it was to be paid in advance, onthe first day of each month.
'Very well! I shall let him have thirty-five francs,' said M. de Renal.
'To make a round sum, a rich and generous gentleman like our Mayor,'
the peasant insinuated28 in a coaxing29 voice, 'will surely go as far as thirty-six.'
'All right,' said M. de Renal, 'but let us have no more of this.'
For once, anger gave him a tone of resolution. The peasant saw that hecould advance no farther. Thereupon M. de Renal began in turn to makeheadway. He utterly30 refused to hand over the thirty-six francs for thefirst month to old Sorel, who was most eager to receive the money on hisson's behalf. It occurred to M. de Renal that he would be obliged to describe to his wife the part he had played throughout this transaction.
'Let me have back the hundred francs I gave you,' he said angrily. 'M.
Durand owes me money. I shall go with your son to choose the blackcloth.'
After this bold stroke, Sorel prudently31 retired32 upon his expressions ofrespect; they occupied a good quarter of an hour. In the end, seeing thatthere was certainly nothing more to be gained, he withdrew. His finalreverence ended with the words:
'I shall send my son up to the chateau33.'
It was thus that the Mayor's subordinates spoke of his house whenthey wished to please him.
Returning to his mill, Sorel looked in vain for his son. Doubtful as towhat might be in store for him, Julien had left home in the dead of night.
He had been anxious to find a safe hiding-place for his books and hisCross of the Legion of Honour. He had removed the whole of his treasures to the house of a young timber-merchant, a friend of his, by thename of Fouque, who lived on the side of the high mountain overlookingVerrieres.
When he reappeared: 'Heaven knows, you damned idler,' his fathersaid to him, 'whether you will ever have enough honour to pay me forthe cost of your keep, which I have been advancing to you all theseyears! Pack up your rubbish, and off with you to the Mayor's.'
Julien, astonished not to receive a thrashing, made haste to set off. Butno sooner was he out of sight of his terrible father than he slackened hispace. He decided34 that it would serve the ends of his hypocrisy35 to pay avisit to the church.
The idea surprises you? Before arriving at this horrible idea, the soulof the young peasant had had a long way to go.
When he was still a child, the sight of certain dragoons of the 6th, intheir long, white cloaks, and helmets adorned36 with long crests37 of blackhorsehair, who were returning from Italy, and whom Julien saw tying their horses to the barred window of his father's house, drove him madwith longing38 for a military career.
Later on he listened with ecstasy39 to the accounts of the battles of theBridge of Lodi, Arcole and Rivoli given him by the old Surgeon-Major.
He noticed the burning gaze which the old man directed at his Cross.
But when Julien was fourteen, they began to build a church at Verrieres, one that might be called magnificent for so small a town. Therewere, in particular, four marble pillars the sight of which impressed Julien; they became famous throughout the countryside, owing to thedeadly enmity which they aroused between the Justice of the Peace andthe young vicar, sent down from Besancon, who was understood to bethe spy of the Congregation. The Justice of the Peace came within an aceof losing his post, such at least was the common report. Had he notdared to have a difference of opinion with a priest who, almost everyfortnight, went to Besancon, where he saw, people said, the Right Reverend Lord Bishop40?
In the midst of all this, the Justice of the Peace, the father of a largefamily, passed a number of sentences which appeared unjust; all of thesewere directed against such of the inhabitants as read the Constitutionnel.
The right party was triumphant41. The sums involved amounted, it wastrue, to no more than four or five francs; but one of these small fines waslevied upon a nailsmith, Julien's godfather. In his anger, this man exclaimed: 'What a change! And to think that, for twenty years and more,the Justice was reckoned such an honest man!' The Surgeon-Major,Julien's friend, was dead.
All at once Julien ceased to speak of Napoleon; he announced his intention of becoming a priest, and was constantly to be seen, in hisfather's sawmill, engaged in learning by heart a Latin Bible which thecure had lent him. The good old man, amazed at his progress, devotedwhole evenings to instructing him in divinity. Julien gave utterance42 inhis company to none but pious43 sentiments. Who could have supposedthat that girlish face, so pale and gentle, hid the unshakeable determination to expose himself to the risk of a thousand deaths rather than fail tomake his fortune?
To Julien, making a fortune meant in the first place leaving Verrieres;he loathed44 his native place. Everything that he saw there froze hisimagination.
>
From his earliest boyhood, he had had moments of exaltation. At suchtimes he dreamed with rapture45 that one day he would be introduced tothe beautiful ladies of Paris; he would manage to attract their attentionby some brilliant action. Why should he not be loved by one of them, asBonaparte, when still penniless, had been loved by the brilliant Madamede Beauharnais? For many years now, perhaps not an hour of Julien's lifehad passed without his reminding himself that Bonaparte, an obscuresubaltern with no fortune, had made himself master of the world withhis sword. This thought consoled him for his misfortunes which hedeemed to be great, and enhanced his joy when joy came his way.
The building of the church and the sentences passed by the Justicebrought him sudden enlightenment; an idea which occurred to himdrove him almost out of his senses for some weeks, and finally took possession of him with the absolute power of the first idea which a passionate46 nature believes itself to have discovered.
'When Bonaparte made a name for himself, France was in fear of beinginvaded; military distinction was necessary and fashionable. Today wesee priests at forty drawing stipends47 of a hundred thousand francs, thatis to say three times as much as the famous divisional commanders under Napoleon. They must have people to support them. Look at theJustice here, so wise a man, always so honest until now, sacrificing hishonour, at his age, from fear of offending a young vicar of thirty. I mustbecome a priest.'
On one occasion, in the midst of his new-found piety48, after Julien hadbeen studying divinity for two years, he was betrayed by a sudden blazeof the fire that devoured49 his spirit. This was at M. Chelan's; at a dinnerparty of priests, to whom the good cure had introduced him as an educational prodigy50, he found himself uttering frenzied51 praise of Napoleon.
He bound his right arm across his chest, pretending that he had put thearm out of joint52 when shifting a fir trunk, and kept it for two months inthis awkward position. After this drastic penance53, he forgave himself.
Such is the young man of eighteen, but weak in appearance, whom youwould have said to be, at the most, seventeen, who, carrying a small parcel under his arm, was entering the magnificent church of Verrieres.
He found it dark and deserted54. In view of some festival, all the windows in the building had been covered with crimson55 cloth; the effect ofthis, when the sun shone, was a dazzling blaze of light, of the most imposing56 and most religious character. Julien shuddered57. Being alone in the church, he took his seat on the bench that had the most handsome appearance. It bore the arms of M. de Renal.
On the desk in front, Julien observed a scrap58 of printed paper, spreadout there as though to be read. He looked at it closely and saw:
'Details of the execution and of the last moments of Louis Jenrel, executed at Besancon, on the … '
The paper was torn. On the other side he read the opening words of aline, which were: 'The first step.'
'Who can have put this paper here?' said Julien. 'Poor wretch59!' he added with a sigh, 'his name has the same ending as mine.' And hecrumpled up the paper.
On his way out, Julien thought he saw blood by the holy water stoup;it was some of the water that had been spilt: the light from the red curtains which draped the windows made it appear like blood.
Finally, Julien felt ashamed of his secret terror.
'Should I prove coward?' he said to himself. 'To arms!'
This phrase, so often repeated in the old Surgeon's accounts of battles,had a heroic sound in Julien's ears. He rose and walked rapidly to M. deRenal's house.
Despite these brave resolutions, as soon as he caught sight of thehouse twenty yards away he was overcome by an unconquerable shyness. The iron gate stood open; it seemed to him magnificent. He wouldhave now to go in through it.
Julien was not the only person whose heart was troubled by his arrivalin this household. Madame de Renal's extreme timidity was disconcertedby the idea of this stranger who, in the performance of his duty, wouldbe constantly coming between her and her children. She was accustomedto having her sons sleep in her own room. That morning, many tears hadflowed when she saw their little beds being carried into the apartmentintended for the tutor. In vain did she beg her husband to let the bed ofStanislas Xavier, the youngest boy, be taken back to her room.
Womanly delicacy60 was carried to excess in Madame de Renal. Sheformed a mental picture of a coarse, unkempt creature, employed toscold her children, simply because he knew Latin, a barbarous tongue forthe sake of which her sons would be whipped.
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miserable
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| adj.悲惨的，痛苦的；可怜的，糟糕的 | |
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spoke
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| n.（车轮的）辐条；轮辐；破坏某人的计划；阻挠某人的行动 v.讲，谈（speak的过去式）；说；演说；从某种观点来说 | |
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ward
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| n.守卫，监护，病房，行政区，由监护人或法院保护的人（尤指儿童）；vt.守护，躲开 | |
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prudence
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| n.谨慎，精明，节俭 | |
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axe
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| n.斧子；v.用斧头砍，削减 | |
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incapable
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| adj.无能力的，不能做某事的 | |
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enlist
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| vt.谋取(支持等)，赢得；征募；vi.入伍 | |
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derived
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| vi.起源；由来；衍生；导出v.得到( derive的过去式和过去分词 )；（从…中）得到获得；源于；（从…中）提取 | |
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repugnance
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| n.嫌恶 | |
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confessions
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| n.承认( confession的名词复数 )；自首；声明；（向神父的）忏悔 | |
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rogues
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| n.流氓( rogue的名词复数 )；无赖；调皮捣蛋的人；离群的野兽 | |
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advancement
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| n.前进，促进，提升 | |
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fiery
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| adj.燃烧着的，火红的；暴躁的；激烈的 | |
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testament
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| n.遗嘱；证明 | |
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mutual
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| adj.相互的，彼此的；共同的，共有的 | |
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prudent
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| adj.谨慎的，有远见的，精打细算的 | |
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interspersed
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| adj.[医]散开的；点缀的v.intersperse的过去式和过去分词 | |
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reverences
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| n.尊敬，崇敬( reverence的名词复数 )；敬礼 | |
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dint
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| n.由于，靠；凹坑 | |
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gathering
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| n.集会，聚会，聚集 | |
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seethe
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| vi.拥挤，云集；发怒，激动，骚动 | |
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chamber
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| n.房间，寝室；会议厅；议院；会所 | |
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steadily
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| adv.稳定地；不变地；持续地 | |
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adroit
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| adj.熟练的，灵巧的 | |
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lasting
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| adj.永久的，永恒的；vbl.持续，维持 | |
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fully
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| adv.完全地，全部地，彻底地；充分地 | |
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fixed
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| adj.固定的，不变的，准备好的；(计算机)固定的 | |
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insinuated
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| v.暗示( insinuate的过去式和过去分词 )；巧妙或迂回地潜入；（使）缓慢进入；慢慢伸入 | |
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coaxing
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| v.哄，用好话劝说( coax的现在分词 )；巧言骗取；哄劝，劝诱；“锻炼”效应 | |
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utterly
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| adv.完全地，绝对地 | |
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prudently
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| adv. 谨慎地，慎重地 | |
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retired
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| adj.隐退的，退休的，退役的 | |
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chateau
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| n.城堡，别墅 | |
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decided
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| adj.决定了的，坚决的；明显的，明确的 | |
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hypocrisy
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| n.伪善，虚伪 | |
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adorned
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| [计]被修饰的 | |
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crests
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| v.到达山顶（或浪峰）( crest的第三人称单数 )；到达洪峰，达到顶点 | |
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longing
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| n.（for）渴望 | |
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ecstasy
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| n.狂喜，心醉神怡，入迷 | |
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bishop
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| n.主教，（国际象棋）象 | |
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triumphant
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| adj.胜利的，成功的；狂欢的，喜悦的 | |
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utterance
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| n.用言语表达，话语，言语 | |
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pious
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| adj.虔诚的；道貌岸然的 | |
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loathed
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| v.憎恨，厌恶( loathe的过去式和过去分词 )；极不喜欢 | |
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rapture
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| n.狂喜；全神贯注；着迷；v.使狂喜 | |
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passionate
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| adj.热情的，热烈的，激昂的，易动情的，易怒的，性情暴躁的 | |
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stipends
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| n.（尤指牧师的）薪俸( stipend的名词复数 ) | |
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piety
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| n.虔诚，虔敬 | |
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devoured
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| 吞没( devour的过去式和过去分词 )； 耗尽； 津津有味地看； 狼吞虎咽地吃光 | |
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prodigy
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| n.惊人的事物，奇迹，神童，天才，预兆 | |
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frenzied
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| a.激怒的；疯狂的 | |
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joint
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| adj.联合的，共同的；n.关节，接合处；v.连接，贴合 | |
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penance
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| n.（赎罪的）惩罪 | |
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deserted
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| adj.荒芜的，荒废的，无人的，被遗弃的 | |
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crimson
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| n./adj.深(绯)红色(的)；vi.脸变绯红色 | |
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imposing
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| adj.使人难忘的，壮丽的，堂皇的，雄伟的 | |
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shuddered
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| v.战栗( shudder的过去式和过去分词 )；发抖；（机器、车辆等）突然震动；颤动 | |
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scrap
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| n.碎片；废料；v.废弃，报废 | |
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wretch
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| n.可怜的人，不幸的人；卑鄙的人 | |
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delicacy
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| n.精致，细微，微妙，精良；美味，佳肴 | |
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