下载辰思小说免费APP
"Andyet，MonsieurPicot，"saidMinard，"ifFelixPhellionisonlyguiltyofattributinghisdiscoverytoyou，itseemstomethathisindiscreetbehaviorhasresultedinacertaincompensationtoyou：thecrossoftheLegionofhonor，apension，andthegloryattachedtoyournamearenottobedespised。"
"ThecrossandthepensionItake，"saidtheoldman，emptyinghisglass，which，toBrigitte’sterror，hesetdownuponthetablewithaforcethatthreatenedtosmashit。"Thegovernmenthasowedthemtomethesetwentyyears；notforthediscoveryofstars，——thingsthatI
havealwaysdespised，——butformyfamous’TreatiseonDifferentialLogarithms’（Keplerthoughtpropertocallthemmonologarithms），whichisasequeltothetablesofNapier；alsoformy’Postulatum’ofEuclid，ofwhichIwasthefirsttodiscoverthesolution；butaboveall，formy’TheoryofPerpetualMotion，’——fourvolumesinquartowithplates；Paris，1825。Yousee，therefore，monsieur，thattogivemegloryisbringingwatertotheSeine。IhadsolittleneedofMonsieurFelixPhelliontomakemeapositioninthescientificworldthatI
turnedhimoutofmyhouselongago。"
"Thenitisn’tthefirststar，"saidColleville，flippantly，"thathedaredtoputuponyou？"
"Hedidworsethanthat，"roaredtheoldman；"heruinedmyreputation，hetarnishedmyname。My’TheoryofPerpetualMotion，’theprintingofwhichcostmeeverypennyIowned，thoughitoughttohavebeenprintedgratisattheRoyalPrinting—office，wascalculatedtomakemyfortuneandrendermeimmortal。Well，thatmiserableFelixpreventedit。Fromtimetotime，pretendingtobringmessagesfrommyeditor，hewouldsay，theyoungsycophant，’PapaPicot，yourbookissellingfinely；here’sfivehundredfrancs——twohundredfrancs——andonceitwastwothousand——whichyourpublisherchargedmetogiveyou。’Thisthingwentonforyears，andmypublisher，whohadthebasenesstoenterintotheplot，wouldsaytome，whenIwenttotheshop：’Yes，yes，itdoesn’tdobadly，itBUBBLES，thatbook；weshallsoonbeattheendofthisedition。’I，whodidn’tsuggestanything，I
pocketedmymoney，andthoughttomyself：’Mybookisliked，littlebylittleitsideasaremakingtheirway；Imaynowexpect，fromdaytoday，thatsomegreatcapitalistwillcometomeandproposetoapplymysystem——’"
"——of’AbsorptionofLiquids’？"askedColleville，whohadbeensteadilyfillingtheoldfellow’sglass。
"No，monsieur，my’TheoryofPerpetualMotion，’4vols。inquartowithplates。Butno！days，weekswentbyandnobodycame；so，thinkingthatmypublisherdidnotputalltheenergyheshouldintothematter，I
triedtosellthesecondeditiontoanotherman。Itwasthat，monsieur，thatenabledmetodiscoverthewholeplot，onwhich，asI
saidbefore，Iturnedthatserpentoutofmyhouse。Insixyearsonlyninecopieshadbeensold！KeptquietinfalsesecurityIhaddonenothingforthepropagationofmybook，whichhadbeenlefttotakecareofitself；andthusitwasthatI，victimofblackandwickedjealousy，wasshamefullydespoiledofthevalueofmylabors。"
"But，"saidMinard，makinghimselfthemouthpieceofthethoughtsofthecompany，"maywenotseeinthatactamannerasingeniousasitwasdelicateto——"
"Togivemealms！isthatwhatyoumean？"interruptedtheoldman，witharoarthatmadeMademoiselleMinardjumpinherchair；"tohumiliateme，dishonorme——me，hisoldprofessor！AmIinneedofcharity？HasPicot（Nepomucene），towhomhiswifebroughtadowryofonehundredthousandfrancs，everstretchedouthispalmtoanyone？
Butinthesedaysnothingisrespected。Oldfellows，astheycallus，ourreligionandourgoodfaithistakenadvantageofsothattheseyouthsmaysaytothepublic：’Olddrivellers，don’tyouseenowtheyaregoodfornothing？ItneedsUS，theyounggeneration，US，themoderns，US，YoungFrance，tobringthemuponabottle。’Younggreenhorn！letmeseeYOUtrytofeedME！Olddrivellersknowmoreintheirlittlefingerthanyouinyourwholebrain，andyou’llneverbeworthus，paltrylittleintriguerthatyouare！However，Iknowmydayofvengeancewillcome；thatyoungPhellioncan’thelpendingbadly；
whathedidto—day，readingastatementtotheAcademy，undermyname，wasforgery，forgery！andthelawwillsendhimtothegalleysforthat。"
"True，"saidColleville，"forgeryofapublicstar。"
Brigitte，whoquakedforherglasses，andwhosenerveswereexacerbatedbythemonstrousconsumptionofcakesandwine，nowgavethesignaltoreturntothesalon。Besides，shehadheardthedoor—
bellringseveraltimes，announcingthearrivalofguestsfortheevening。Thequestionthenwashowtotransplanttheprofessor，andCollevillepolitelyofferedhimhisarm。
"No，monsieur，"hesaid，"youmustallowmetostaywhereIam。Iamnotdressedforaparty，andbesides，astronglighthurtsmyeyes。
Moreover，Idon’tchoosetogivemyselfasaspectacle；itwillbebestthatmyinterviewwithFelixPhellionshouldtakeplacebetween’four—eyes，’astheysay。"
"Well，lethimalone，then，"saidBrigittetoColleville。
Nooneinsisted，——theoldmanhaving，unconsciously，prettynighdiscrownedhimselfintheopinionofthecompany。Butbeforeleaving，thecarefulhousewiferemovedeverythingthatwasatallfragilefromhisreach；then，bywayofaslightattention，shesaid：——
"ShallIsendyousomecoffee？"
"I’lltakeit，madame，"respondedperePicot，"andsomecognacwithit。"
"Oh！parbleu！hetakeseverything，"saidBrigittetothemaledomestic，andshetoldthelattertokeepaneyeontheoldmadman。
WhenBrigittereturnedtothesalonshefoundthattheAbbeGondrinhadbecomethecentreofagreatcircleformedbynearlythewholecompany，andassheapproached，sheheardhimsay：——
"IthankHeavenforbestowinguponmesuchapleasure。Ihaveneverfeltanemotionlikethatarousedbythescenewehavejustwitnessed；
eventheratherburlesqueformofthisconfidence，whichwascertainlyveryartless，foritwasquiteinvoluntary，onlyaddstothehonorofthesurprisinggenerosityitrevealed。PlacedasIambymyministryinthewayofknowingofmanycharities，andofteneitherthewitnessorintermediaryofgoodactions，IthinkIneverinmylifehavemetwithamoretouchingoramoreingeniousdevotion。TokeepthelefthandignorantofwhattherighthanddoesisagreatstepinChristianity；buttogosofarastorobone’sselfofone’sownfametobenefitanotherundersuchconditionsisthegospelappliedinitshighestprecepts；itisbeingmorethanaSisterofCharity；itisdoingtheworkofanapostleofbeneficence。HowIshouldliketoknowthatnobleyoungman，andshakehimbythehand。"
Withherarmslippedthroughthatofhergodmother，Celestewasstandingverynearthepriest，herearsintentuponhiswords，herarmpressingtighterandtighterthatofMadameThuillier，astheabbeanalyzedthegenerousactionofFelixPhellion，untilatlastshewhisperedunderherbreath：——
"Youhear，godmother，youhear！"
TodestroytheinevitableeffectwhichthisheartypraisewouldsurelyhaveonCeleste，Thuillierhastenedtosay：——
"Unfortunately，Monsieurl’abbe，theyoungmanofwhomyouspeaksowarmlyisnotaltogetherunknowntoyou。Ihavehadoccasiontotellyouabouthim，andtoregretthatitwasnotpossibletofollowoutcertainplanswhichweonceentertainedforhim；Ialludetotheverycompromisingindependenceheaffectsinhisreligiousopinions。"
"Ah！isthattheyoungman？"saidtheabbe；"yousurprisememuch；I
mustsaysuchanideawouldneverhavecrossedmymind。"
"Youwillseehimpresently，Monsieurl’abbe，"saidlaPeyrade，joiningintheconversation，"andifyouquestionhimoncertaingroundsyouwillhavenodifficultyindiscoveringtheravagesthataloveofsciencecancommit
后续内容为VIP可读请开通VIP，或购买此章节
