按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！
idea： She was sacrificing herself for /him/。
〃She does not know how to love；〃 thought she。 〃Ah！ if it were II
would give up everything to a man who loved me so。To be loved！
When； by whom shall I be loved？ That little Monsieur de Soulas only
loves my money； if I were poor； he would not even look at me。〃
〃Rosalie； my child； what are you thinking about？ You are working
beyond the outline；〃 said the Baroness to her daughter； who was making
worsted…work slippers for the Baron。
Rosalie spent the winter of 1834…35 torn by secret tumults； but in the
spring； in the month of April； when she reached the age of nineteen；
she sometimes thought that it would be a fine thing to triumph over a
Duchesse d'Argaiolo。 In silence and solitude the prospect of this
struggle had fanned her passion and her evil thoughts。 She encouraged
her romantic daring by making plan after plan。 Although such
characters are an exception； there are； unfortunately； too many
Rosalies in the world； and this story contains a moral that ought to
serve them as a warning。
In the course of this winter Albert de Savarus had quietly made
considerable progress in Besancon。 Confident of success； he now
impatiently awaited the dissolution of the Chamber。 Among the men of
the moderate party he had won the suffrages of one of the makers of
Besancon； a rich contractor； who had very wide influence。
Wherever they settled the Romans took immense pains； and spent
enormous sums to have an unlimited supply of good water in every town
of their empire。 At Besancon they drank the water from Arcier； a hill
at some considerable distance from Besancon。 The town stands in a
horseshoe circumscribed by the river Doubs。 Thus； to restore an
aqueduct in order to drink the same water that the Romans drank； in a
town watered by the Doubs； is one of those absurdities which only
succeed in a country place where the most exemplary gravity prevails。
If this whim could be brought home to the hearts of the citizens； it
would lead to considerable outlay； and this expenditure would benefit
the influential contractor。
Albert Savaron de Savarus opined that the water of the river was good
for nothing but to flow under the suspension bridge； and that the only
drinkable water was that from Arcier。 Articles were printed in the
/Review/ which merely expressed the views of the commercial interest
of Besancon。 The nobility and the citizens； the moderates and the
legitimists； the government party and the opposition； everybody； in
short； was agreed that they must drink the same water as the Romans；
and boast of a suspension bridge。 The question of the Arcier water was
the order of the day at Besancon。 At Besanconas in the matter of the
two railways to Versaillesas for every standing abusethere were
private interests unconfessed which gave vital force to this idea。 The
reasonable folk in opposition to this scheme； who were indeed but few；
were regarded as old women。 No one talked of anything but of Savaron's
two projects。 And thus； after eighteen months of underground labor；
the ambitious lawyer had succeeded in stirring to its depths the most
stagnant town in France； the most unyielding to foreign influence； in
finding the length of its foot； to use a vulgar phrase； and exerting a
preponderant influence without stirring from his own room。 He had
solved the singular problem of how to be powerful without being
popular。
In the course of this winter he won seven lawsuits for various priests
of Besancon。 At moments he could breathe freely at the thought of his
coming triumph。 This intense desire； which made him work so many
interests and devise so many springs； absorbed the last strength of
his terribly overstrung soul。 His disinterestedness was lauded； and he
took his clients' fees without comment。 But this disinterestedness
was； in truth； moral usury； he counted on a reward far greater to him
than all the gold in the world。
In the month of October 1834 he had brought； ostensibly to serve a
merchant who was in difficulties； with money lent him by Leopold
Hannequin； a house which gave him a qualification for election。 He had
not seemed to seek or desire this advantageous bargain。
〃You are really a remarkable man；〃 said the Abbe de Grancey； who； of
course； had watched and understood the lawyer。 The Vicar…General had
come to introduce to him a Canon who needed his professional advice。
〃You are a priest who has taken the wrong turning。〃 This observation
struck Savarus。
Rosalie； on her part； had made up her mind； in her strong girl's head；
to get Monsieur de Savarus into the drawing…room and acquainted with
the society of the Hotel de Rupt。 So far she had limited her desires
to seeing and hearing Albert。 She had compounded； so to speak； and a
composition is often no more than a truce。
Les Rouxey； the inherited estate of the Wattevilles； was worth just
ten thousand francs a year； but in other hands it would have yielded a
great deal more。 The Baron in his indifferencefor his wife was to
have； and in fact had； forty thousand francs a yearleft the
management of les Rouxey to a sort of factotum； an old servant of the
Wattevilles named Modinier。 Nevertheless； whenever the Baron and his
wife wished to go out of the town； they went to les Rouxey； which is
very picturesquely situated。 The chateau and the park were； in fact；
created by the famous Watteville； who in his active old age was
passionately attached to this magnificent spot。
Between two precipitous hillslittle peaks with bare summits known as
the great and the little Rouxeyin the heart of a ravine where the
torrents from the heights； with the Dent de Vilard at their head； come
tumbling to join the lovely upper waters of the Doubs； Watteville had
a huge dam constructed； leaving two cuttings for the overflow。 Above
this dam he made a beautiful lake； and below it two cascades； and
these； uniting a few yards below the falls； formed a lovely little
river to irrigate the barren； uncultivated valley； and these two hills
he enclosed in a ring fence； and built himself a retreat on the dam；
which he widened to two acres by accumulating above it all the soil
which had to be removed to make a channel for the river and the
irrigation canals。
When the Baron de Watteville thus obtained the lake above his dam he
was owner of the two hills； but not of the upper valley thus flooded；
through which there had been at all times a right…of…way to where it
ends in a horseshoe under the Dent de Vilard。 But this ferocious old
man was so widely dreaded； that so long as he lived no claim was urged
by the inhabitants of Riceys； the little village on the further side
of the Dent de Vilard。 When the Baron died； he left the slopes of the
two Rouxey hills joined by a strong wall； to protect from inundation
the two lateral valleys opening into the valley of Rouxey； to the
right and left at the foot of the Dent de Vilard。 Thus he died the
master of the Dent de Vilard。
His heirs asserted their protectorate of the village of Riceys； and so
maintained the usurpation。 The old assassin； the old renegade； the old
Abbe Watteville； ended his career by planting trees and making a fine