第30章

One of them, having made some gallant pleasantry which I forget, the smallest and darkest of the three exclaimed, with a slight Gascon accent, "What a thing to say! Only physiologists like us have any right to occupy ourselves about living matter.As for you, Gelis, who only live in the past--like all your fellow archivists and paleographers--you will do better to confine yourself to those stone women over there, who are your contemporaries."And he pointed to the statues of the Ladies of Ancient France which towered up, all white, in a half-circle under the trees of the terrace.This joke, though in itself trifling, enabled me to know that the young man called Gelis was a student at the Ecole des Chartes.From the conversation which followed I was able to learn that his neighbor, blond and wan almost to diaphaneity, taciturn and sarcastic was Boulmier, a fellow student.Gelis and the future doctor (I hope he will become one some day) discoursed together with much fantasy and spirit.In the midst of the loftiest speculations they would play upon words, and make jokes after the peculiar fashion of really witty persons--that is to say, in a style of enormous absurdity.I need hardly say, I suppose, that they only deigned to maintain the most monstrous kind of paradoxes.They employed all their powers of imagination to make themselves as ludicrous as possible, and all their powers of reasoning to assert the contrary of common sense.All the better for them! I do not like to see young folks too rational.

The student of medicine, after glancing at the title of the book that Boulmier held in his hand, exclaimed, "What!--you read Michelet--you?""Yes," replied Boulmier, very gravely."I like novels."Gelis, who dominated both by his fine stature, imperious gestures, and ready wit, took the book, turned over a few pages rapidly, and said, "Michelet always had a great propensity to emotional tenderness.He wept sweet tears over Maillard, that nice little man introduced la paperasserie into the September massacres.But as emotional tenderness leads to fury, he becomes all at once furious against the victims.There was no help for it.It is the sentimentality of the age.The assassin is pitied, but the victim is considered quite unpardonable.In his later manner Michelet is more Michelet than ever before.There is no common sense in it; it is simply wonderful!

Neither art nor science, neither criticism nor narrative; only furies and fainting-spells and epileptic fits over matters which he never deigns to explain.Childish outcries--envies de femme grosse!--and a style, my friends!--not a single finished phrase! It is astounding!"And he handed the book back to his comrade."This is amusing madness," I thought to myself, "and not quite so devoid of common sense as it appears.This young man, though only playing has sharply touched the defect in the cuirass."But the Provencal student declared that history was a thoroughly despicable exercise of rhetoric.According to him, the only true history was the natural history of man.Michelet was in the right path when he came in contact with the fistula of Louis XIV., but he fell back into the old rut almost immediately afterwards.

After this judicious expression of opinion, the young physiologist went to join a party of passing friends.The two archivists, less well acquainted in the neighbourhood of a garden so far from the Rue Paradis-au-Marais, remained together, and began to chat about their studies.Gelis, who had completed his third class-year, was preparing a thesis on the subject of which he expatiated with youthful enthusiasm.Indeed, I thought the subject a very good one, particularly because I had recently thought myself called upon to treat a notable part of it.It was the Monasticon Gallicanum.

The young erudite (I give him the name as a presage) wanted to describe all the engravings made about 1690 for the work which Dom Michel Germain would have had printed but for the one irremediable hindrance which is rarely foreseen and never avoided.Dom Michel Germain would have had printed but for the one irremediable hindrance which is rarely foreseen and never avoided.Dom Michel Germain left his manuscript complete, however, and in good order when he died.

Shall I be able to do as much with mine?--but that is not the present question.So far as I am able to understand, Monsieur Gelis intends to devote a brief archaeological notice to each of the abbeys pictured by the humble engravers of Dom Michel Germain.

His friend asked him whether he was acquainted with all the manuscripts and printed documents relating to the subject.It was then that I pricked up my ears.They spoke at first of original sources; and I must confess they did so in a satisfactory manner, despite their innumerable and detestable puns.Then they began to speak about contemporary studies on the subject.

"Have you read," asked Boulmier, "the notice of Courajod?""Good!" I thought to myself.

"Yes," replied Gelis; "it is accurate."

"Have you read," said Boulmier, "the article of Tamisey de Larroque in the 'Revue des Questions Historiques'?""Good!" I thought to myself, for the second time.

"Yes," replied Gelis, "it is full of things."...

"Have you read," said Boulmier, "the 'Tableau des Abbayes Benedictines en 1600,' by Sylvestre Bonnard?""Good!" I said to myself, for the third time.

"Mai foi! no!" replied Gelis."Bonnard is an idiot!" Turning my head, I perceived that the shadow had reached the place where I was sitting.It was growing chilly, and I thought to myself what a fool I was to have remained sitting there, at the risk of getting rheumatism, just to listen to the impertinence of those two young fellows!