登陆注册
15697000000034

第34章 "LOUISE DE NEGREPELISSE."(8)

A fierce thrill of excitement ran through him as he did so. He announced in an uncertain voice that, to prevent disappointment, he was about to read the masterpieces of a great poet, discovered only recently (for although Andre de Chenier's poems appeared in 1819, no one in Angouleme had so much as heard of him). Everybody interpreted this announcement in one way--it was a shift of Mme. de Bargeton's, meant to save the poet's self-love and to put the audience at ease.

Lucien began with Le Malade, and the poem was received with a murmur of applause; but he followed it with L'Aveugle, which proved too great a strain upon the average intellect. None but artists or those endowed with the artistic temperament can understand and sympathize with him in the diabolical torture of that reading. If poetry is to be rendered by the voice, and if the listener is to grasp all that it means, the most devout attention is essential; there should be an intimate alliance between the reader and his audience, or swift and subtle communication of the poet's thought and feeling becomes impossible.

Here this close sympathy was lacking, and Lucien in consequence was in the position of an angel who should endeavor to sing of heaven amid the chucklings of hell. An intelligent man in the sphere most stimulating to his faculties can see in every direction, like a snail; he has the keen scent of a dog, the ears of a mole; he can hear, and feel, and see all that is going on around him. A musician or a poet knows at once whether his audience is listening in admiration or fails to follow him, and feels it as the plant that revives or droops under favorable or unfavorable conditions. The men who had come with their wives had fallen to discussing their own affairs; by the acoustic law before mentioned, every murmur rang in Lucien's ear; he saw all the gaps caused by the spasmodic workings of jaws sympathetically affected, the teeth that seemed to grin defiance at him.

When, like the dove in the deluge, he looked round for any spot on which his eyes might rest, he saw nothing but rows of impatient faces.

Their owners clearly were waiting for him to make an end; they had come together to discuss questions of practical interest. With the exceptions of Laure de Rastignac, the Bishop, and two or three of the young men, they one and all looked bored. As a matter of fact, those who understand poetry strive to develop the germs of another poetry, quickened within them by the poet's poetry; but this glacial audience, so far from attaining to the spirit of the poet, did not even listen to the letter.

Lucien felt profoundly discouraged; he was damp with chilly perspiration; a glowing glance from Louise, to whom he turned, gave him courage to persevere to the end, but this poet's heart was bleeding from countless wounds.

"Do you find this very amusing, Fifine?" inquired the wizened Lili, who perhaps had expected some kind of gymnastics.

"Don't ask me what I think, dear; I cannot keep my eyes open when any one begins to read aloud."

"I hope that Nais will not give us poetry often in the evenings," said Francis. "If I am obliged to attend while somebody reads aloud after dinner, it upsets my digestion."

"Poor dearie," whispered Zephirine, "take a glass of eau sucree."

"It was very well declaimed," said Alexandre, "but I like whist better myself."

After this dictum, which passed muster as a joke from the play on the word "whist," several card-players were of the opinion that the reader's voice needed a rest, and on this pretext one or two couples slipped away into the card-room. But Louise, and the Bishop, and pretty Laure de Rastignac besought Lucien to continue, and this time he caught the attention of his audience with Chenier's spirited reactionary Iambes. Several persons, carried away by his impassioned delivery, applauded the reading without understanding the sense.

People of this sort are impressed by vociferation, as a coarse palate is ticked by strong spirits.

During the interval, as they partook of ices, Zephirine despatched Francis to examine the volume, and informed her neighbor Amelie that the poetry was in print.

Amelie brightened visibly.

"Why, that is easily explained," said she. "M. de Rubempre works for a printer. It is as if a pretty woman should make her own dresses," she added, looking at Lolotte.

"He printed his poetry himself!" said the women among themselves.

"Then, why does he call himself M. de Rubempre?" inquired Jacques. "If a noble takes a handicraft, he ought to lay his name aside."

"So he did as a matter of fact," said Zizine, "but his name was plebeian, and he took his mother's name, which is noble."

"Well, if his verses are printed, we can read them for ourselves," said Astolphe.

This piece of stupidity complicated the question, until Sixte du Chatelet condescended to inform these unlettered folk that the prefatory announcement was no oratorical flourish, but a statement of fact, and added that the poems had been written by a Royalist brother of Marie-Joseph Chenier, the Revolutionary leader. All Angouleme, except Mme. de Rastignac and her two daughters and the Bishop, who had really felt the grandeur of the poetry, were mystified, and took offence at the hoax. There was a smothered murmur, but Lucien did not heed it. The intoxication of the poetry was upon him; he was far away from the hateful world, striving to render in speech the music that filled his soul, seeing the faces about him through a cloudy haze. He read the sombre Elegy on the Suicide, lines in the taste of a by-gone day, pervaded by sublime melancholy; then he turned to the page where the line occurs, "Thy songs are sweet, I love to say them over," and ended with the delicate idyll Neere.

同类推荐
  • 菽园杂记

    菽园杂记

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。
  • 手臂录

    手臂录

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。
  • 庸吏庸言

    庸吏庸言

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。
  • Mr. Gladstone and Genesis

    Mr. Gladstone and Genesis

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。
  • 胜朝彤史拾遗记

    胜朝彤史拾遗记

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。
热门推荐
  • 媛静

    媛静

    奈何桥边,谁苦苦哀求留下,又是谁为了再次见你一面,每日承受着灵魂撕裂之痛。再次见到你,人还是那个人,可心却不是那颗心了。那夜你大婚整个冥界欢庆,我以为我可以一直像这样远远的看着你过得好,可终究……孟婆常问我值得吗?没有值不值得,只有心甘情愿。
  • 总裁,假戏真做!

    总裁,假戏真做!

    晚上八点四十分。帝都国际机场:“喂,冷茹你回国了没?”“妈咪我都说了,我才二十三不着急找,我呢!要嫁就嫁给一个事业有成的,英俊潇洒帅气又萌萌哒的并且颜值超高的!哈哈!其他的别给我介绍,拜拜,我等会还要去王氏找王晴还有茹羽呢!”说完顾冷茹快速的挂断了电话,上车前又给张茹羽打了个电话“亲爱的,我回来了!你在干嘛呢”此时,在一栋别墅里,一个欧式客厅内;“啊!你回来啦
  • 穿越之神王的小宠妻

    穿越之神王的小宠妻

    她,是现代的喋血杀手佣兵女王,曾经翻手为云覆手为雨,却逃不过最信任的人的背叛。他,是异世的孤高神王,在世人中的所有的高高在上,在她的面前都土崩瓦解。一段旷世奇缘就此展开。。。。
  • 全职狂龙

    全职狂龙

    穷酸小子龙阳告白被校花拒绝,从而走上重回王者的道路。完美校花?柔情小妹?贤惠御姐?不不不,我一生只爱她。喂喂喂!你们说就说,别乱摸啊!!
  • 娑婆之主

    娑婆之主

    一花一世界,一叶一菩提。当末法时代迎来灵气复苏,当一处处灵界被打开,当神仙重新出现在大地上……
  • exo之冥幽雪彤

    exo之冥幽雪彤

    是一个关于女主复仇的小说,是因为身边的''''(我不说你们应该也知道)有意者可以加偶滴QQ,会在文章里出现Q号滴!
  • 山丘上野草的泪水

    山丘上野草的泪水

    这是一部正统的悲剧,换句话说就是主人公在故事结尾以某种方式死去。如书中主人公小刀在实现最后心愿后面带笑容死去,再就像书中的斧头在故事结尾他的精神已死,落得家破人亡的结局。书中的主人公以男性为主,故事讲述他们各自的爱这就是书名中的山丘,他们又都来自社会底层——野草,故事脉络又是正统的悲剧——泪水,人生一条闪着涟漪的哀伤河流,倒映的七彩世界掩饰了琐碎、痛苦和不公。人生一出无法选择角色的舞台剧,自以为是剧中主角,其实只不过是过路人。
  • 剑鸣逍遥之七星轩辕

    剑鸣逍遥之七星轩辕

    ”我的名字叫轩辕少卿,我是上古轩辕黄帝的后代,但我还是传说中的轮回之体,曾经的我,是四象大陆麒麟国的大师兄,但现在的我,只是一个弑师逃窜的可怜人罢了。但我的兄弟南宫易,是我一生中最对不起的人
  • 冥界公主的死亡游戏

    冥界公主的死亡游戏

    她为复仇而活,一心只为复仇,本以为自己不会再有感情,却不想在复仇的时误打误撞走上了爱情之路,她在爱情路上一波三折,身边好友的爱情都已开花,她的爱情又是怎样的呢?呵~白毅伟,白潇念,我回来了,不过我的到来伴随着死亡。当初你灭我家族,如今我便屠你满门。放心我给你们准备了一份礼物,让你们陪我玩一场游戏,一场生与死的游戏。
  • 只要在路上,全世界都会帮你

    只要在路上,全世界都会帮你

    四年前,我未曾踏出过国门;四年前,我的英语四级最高38分。如今,我用自行车围着地球绕了一圈;如今,我可以同各国的朋友们随意“摆龙门阵”。当路走得足够远,当风景看得足够多,我蓦然发现,是旅途中所遇见的那些人那些事,支撑着我走到今天。我住过80couchsurfing和warmshowers家庭,地球居民不分国界,那一个个热情的拥抱和热切的笑脸,特别是伊朗的卡尚爸爸在离别时的潸然泪下,爱尔兰妈妈为我缝补衣至凌晨四点,一路上获得的帮助铭记终身。那些在路上的日子,每一公里都是上天赠予的美丽新世界。难以想象的艰辛与这些美好时光同在,即使我们是陌生人,终究会被这个世界温暖着。