CHAPTER XXVII. THE H?TEL CRéCY.

ronearewetojudgeourneighbour’sconduct,toquestiontheworld’swisdom:whereveranaccumulationofsmalldefencesisfound,whethersurroundingtheprude’svirtueorthemanoftheworld’srespectability,there,besure,itisneeded. WereachedtheH?telCrécyPaulinawasreadyMrs.Brettonwaswithherand,underherescortandthatofM.deBassompierre,weweresoonconductedtotheplaceofassembly,andseatedingoodseats,ataconvenientdistancefromtheTribune.TheyouthoftheAthénéeweremarshalledbeforeus,themunicipalityandtheirbourgmestrewereinplacesofhonour,theyoungprinces,withtheirtutors,occupiedaconspicuousposition,andthebodyofthebuildingwascrowdedwiththearistocracyandfirstburghersofthetown. Concerningtheidentityoftheprofessorbywhomthe“discours”wastobedelivered,Ihadasyetentertainedneithercarenorquestion.SomevagueexpectationIhadthatasavantwouldstandupanddeliveraformalspeech,halfdogmatismtotheAthenians,halfflatterytotheprinces. TheTribunewasyetemptywhenweentered,butintenminutesafteritwasfilledsuddenly,inasecondoftime,ahead,chest,andarmsgrewabovethecrimsondesk.ThisheadIknew:itscolour,shape,port,expression,werefamiliarbothtomeandMissFanshawetheblacknessandclosenessofcranium,theamplitudeandpalenessofbrow,thebluenessandfireofglance,weredetailssodomesticatedinthememory,andsoknitwithmanyawhimsicalassociation,asalmostbythistheirsuddenapparition,toticklefancytoalaugh.Indeed,Iconfess,formypart,IdidlaughtillIwaswarmbutthenIbentmyhead,andmademyhandkerchiefandaloweredveilthesoleconfidantsofmymirth. IthinkIwasgladtoseeM.PaulIthinkitwasratherpleasantthanotherwise,tobeholdhimsetupthere,fierceandfrank,darkandcandid,testyandfearless,aswhenregnantonhisestradeinclass.Hispresencewassuchasurprise:Ihadnotoncethoughtofexpectinghim,thoughIknewhefilledthechairofBellesLettresinthecollege.WithhiminthatTribune,Ifeltsurethatneitherformalismnorflatterywouldbeourdoombutforwhatwasvouchsafedus,forwhatwaspouredsuddenly,rapidly,continuously,onourheads—IownIwasnotprepared. Hespoketotheprinces,thenobles,themagistrates,andtheburghers,withjustthesameease,withalmostthesamepointed,cholericearnestness,withwhichhewaswonttoharanguethethreedivisionsoftheRueFossette.Thecollegiansheaddressed,notasschoolboys,butasfuturecitizensandembryopatriots.ThetimeswhichhavesincecomeonEuropehadnotbeenforetoldyet,andM.Emanuel’sspiritseemednewtome.WhowouldhavethoughttheflatandfatsoilofLabassecourcouldyieldpoliticalconvictionsandnationalfeelings,suchaswerenowstronglyexpressed?OfthebearingofhisopinionsIneedheregivenospecialindicationyetitmaybepermittedmetosaythatIbelievedthelittlemannotmoreearnestthanrightinwhathesaid:withallhisfirehewassevereandsensiblehetrampledUtopiantheoriesunderhisheelherejectedwilddreamswithscorn—butwhenhelookedinthefaceoftyranny—oh,thenthereopenedalightinhiseyeworthseeingandwhenhespokeofinjustice,hisvoicegavenouncertainsound,butremindedmeratheroftheband-trumpet,ringingattwilightfromthepark. Idonotthinkhisaudienceweregenerallysusceptibleofsharinghisflameinitspuritybutsomeofthecollegeyouthcaughtfireasheeloquentlytoldthemwhatshouldbetheirpathandendeavourintheircountry’sandinEurope’sfuture.Theygavehimalong,loud,ringingcheer,asheconcluded:withallhisfierceness,hewastheirfavouriteprofessor. AsourpartylefttheHall,hestoodattheentrancehesawandknewme,andliftedhishatheofferedhishandinpassing,andutteredthewords“Qu’enditesvous?”—questioneminentlycharacteristic,andremindingme,eveninthishismomentoftriumph,ofthatinquisitiverestlessness,thatabsenceofwhatIconsidereddesirableself-control,whichwereamongsthisfaults.HeshouldnothavecaredjustthentoaskwhatIthought,orwhatanybodythought,buthedidcare,andhewastoonaturaltoconceal,tooimpulsivetorepresshiswish.Well!ifIblamedhisover-eagerness,Ilikedhisnaiveté.Iwouldhavepraisedhim:Ihadplentyofpraiseinmyheartbut,alas!nowordsonmylips.Whohaswordsattherightmoment?Istammeredsomelameexpressionsbutwastrulygladwhenotherpeople,comingupwithprofusecongratulations,coveredmydeficiencybytheirredundancy. AgentlemanintroducedhimtoM.deBassompierreandtheCount,whohadlikewisebeenhighlygratified,askedhimtojoinhisfriends(forthemostpartM.Emanuel’slikewise),andtodinewiththemattheH?telCrécy.Hedeclineddinner,forhewasamanalwayssomewhatshyatmeetingtheadvancesofthewealthy:therewasastrengthofsturdyindependenceinthestringingofhissinews—notobtrusive,butpleasantenoughtodiscoverasoneadvancedinknowledgeofhischaracterhepromised,however,tostepinwithhisfriend,M.A——,aFrenchAcademician,inthecourseoftheevening. Atdinnerthatday,GinevraandPaulinaeachlooked,inherownway,verybeautifultheformer,perhaps,boastedtheadvantageinmaterialcharms,butthelattershonepre-eminentforattractionsmoresubtleandspiritual:forlightandeloquenceofeye,forgraceofmien,forwinningvarietyofexpression.Ginevra’sdressofdeepcrimsonrelievedwellherlightcurls,andharmonizedwithherrose-likebloom.Paulina’sattire—infashionclose,thoughfaultlesslyneat,butintextureclearandwhite—madetheeyegratefulforthedelicatelifeofhercomplexion,forthesoftanimationofhercountenance,forthetenderdepthofhereyes,forthebrownshadowandbounteousflowofherhair—darkerthanthatofherSaxoncousin,aswerealsohereyebrows,hereyelashes,herfullirids,andlargemobilepupils.Naturehavingtracedallthesedetailsslightly,andwithacarelesshand,inMissFanshawe’scaseandinMissdeBassompierre’s,wroughtthemtoahighanddelicatefinish. Paulinawasawedbythesavants,butnotquitetomutism:sheconversedmodestly,diffidentlynotwithouteffort,butwithsotrueasweetness,sofineandpenetratingasense,thatherfathermorethanoncesuspendedhisowndiscoursetolisten,andfixedonheraneyeofprouddelight.ItwasapoliteFrenchman,M.Z——,averylearned,butquiteacourtlyman,whohaddrawnherintodiscourse.IwascharmedwithherFrenchitwasfaultless—thestructurecorrect,theidiomstrue,theaccentpureGinevra,whohadlivedhalfherlifeontheContinent,coulddonothinglikeitnotthatwordseverfailedMissFanshawe,butrealaccuracyandpuritysheneitherpossessed,norinanynumberofyearswouldacquire.Here,too,M.deBassompierrewasgratifiedfor,onthepointoflanguage,h