The　Vicar　of　Tours
  by　Honore　de　Balzac
  Translated　by　Katharine　Prescott　Wormeley
  DEDICATION
  To　David；　Sculptor：
  The　permanence　of　the　work　on　which　I　inscribe　your　name
  twice　made　illustrious　in　this　centuryis　very　problematical；
  whereas　you　have　graven　mine　in　bronze　which　survives　nations
  if　only　in　their　coins。　The　day　may　come　when　numismatists；
  discovering　amid　the　ashes　of　Paris　existences　perpetuated　by
  you；　will　wonder　at　the　number　of　heads　crowned　in　your
  atelier　and　endeavour　to　find　in　them　new　dynasties。
  To　you；　this　divine　privilege；　to　me；　gratitude。
  De　Balzac。
  THE　VICAR　OF　TOURS
  I
  Early　in　the　autumn　of　1826　the　Abbe　Birotteau；　the　principal
  personage　of　this　history；　was　overtaken　by　a　shower　of　rain　as　he
  returned　home　from　a　friend's　house；　where　he　had　been　passing　the
  evening。　He　therefore　crossed；　as　quickly　as　his　corpulence　would
  allow；　the　deserted　little　square　called　〃The　Cloister；〃　which　lies
  directly　behind　the　chancel　of　the　cathedral　of　Saint…Gatien　at　Tours。
  The　Abbe　Birotteau；　a　short　little　man；　apoplectic　in　constitution　and
  about　sixty　years　old；　had　already　gone　through　several　attacks　of
  gout。　Now；　among　the　petty　miseries　of　human　life　the　one　for　which
  the　worthy　priest　felt　the　deepest　aversion　was　the　sudden　sprinkling
  of　his　shoes；　adorned　with　silver　buckles；　and　the　wetting　of　their
  soles。　Notwithstanding　the　woollen　socks　in　which　at　all　seasons　he
  enveloped　his　feet　with　the　extreme　care　that　ecclesiastics　take　of
  themselves；　he　was　apt　at　such　times　to　get　them　a　little　damp；　and
  the　next　day　gout　was　sure　to　give　him　certain　infallible　proofs　of
  constancy。　Nevertheless；　as　the　pavement　of　the　Cloister　was　likely　to
  be　dry；　and　as　the　abbe　had　won　three　francs　ten　sous　in　his　rubber
  with　Madame　de　Listomere；　he　bore　the　rain　resignedly　from　the　middle
  of　the　place　de　l'Archeveche；　where　it　began　to　come　down　in　earnest。
  Besides；　he　was　fondling　his　chimera；a　desire　already　twelve　years
  old；　the　desire　of　a　priest；　a　desire　formed　anew　every　evening　and
  now；　apparently；　very　near　accomplishment；　in　short；　he　had　wrapped
  himself　so　completely　in　the　fur　cape　of　a　canon　that　he　did　not　feel
  the　inclemency　of　the　weather。　During　the　evening　several　of　the
  company　who　habitually　gathered　at　Madame　de　Listomere's　had　almost
  guaranteed　to　him　his　nomination　to　the　office　of　canon　（then　vacant
  in　the　metropolitan　Chapter　of　Saint…Gatien）；　assuring　him　that　no　one
  deserved　such　promotion　as　he；　whose　rights；　long　overlooked；　were
  indisputable。
  If　he　had　lost　the　rubber；　if　he　had　heard　that　his　rival；　the　Abbe
  Poirel；　was　named　canon；　the　worthy　man　would　have　thought　the　rain
  extremely　chilling；　he　might　even　have　thought　ill　of　life。　But　it　so
  chanced　that　he　was　in　one　of　those　rare　moments　when　happy　inward
  sensations　make　a　man　oblivious　of　discomfort。　In　hastening　his　steps
  he　obeyed　a　more　mechanical　impulse；　and　truth　（so　essential　in　a
  history　of　manners　and　morals）　compels　us　to　say　that　he　was　thinking
  of　neither　rain　nor　gout。
  In　former　days　there　was　in　the　Cloister；　on　the　side　towards　the
  Grand'Rue；　a　cluster　of　houses　forming　a　Close　and　belonging　to　the
  cathedral；　where　several　of　the　dignitaries　of　the　Chapter　lived。
  After　the　confiscation　of　ecclesiastical　property　the　town　had　turned
  the　passage　through　this　close　into　a　narrow　street；　called　the　Rue　de
  la　Psalette；　by　which　pedestrians　passed　from　the　Cloister　to　the
  Grand'Rue。　The　name　of　this　street；　proves　clearly　enough　that　the
  precentor　and　his　pupils　and　those　connected　with　the　choir　formerly
  lived　there。　The　other　side；　the　left　side；　of　the　street　is　occupied
  by　a　single　house；　the　walls　of　which　are　overshadowed　by　the
  buttresses　of　Saint…Gatien；　which　have　their　base　in　the　narrow　little
  garden　of　the　house；　leaving　it　doubtful　whether　the　cathedral　was
  built　before　or　after　this　venerable　dwelling。　An　archaeologist
  examining　the　arabesques；　the　shape　of　the　windows；　the　arch　of　the
  door；　the　whole　exterior　of　the　house；　now　mellow　with　age；　would　see
  at　once　that　it　had　always　been　a　part　of　the　magnificent　edifice　with
  which　it　is　blended。
  An　antiquary　（had　there　been　one　at　Tours；one　of　the　least　literary
  towns　in　all　France）　would　even　discover；　where　the　narrow　street
  enters　the　Cloister；　several　vestiges　of　an　old　arcade；　which　formerly
  made　a　portico　to　these　ecclesiastical　dwellings；　and　was；　no　doubt；
  harmonious　in　style　with　the　general　character　of　the　architecture。
  The　house　of　which　we　speak；　standing　on　the　north　side　of　the
  cathedral；　was　always　in　the　shadow　thrown　by　that　vast　edifice；　on
  which　time　had　cast　its　dingy　mantle；　marked　its　furrows；　and　shed　its
  chill　humidity；　its　lichen；　mosses；　and　rank　herbs。　The　darkened
  dwelling　was　wrapped　in　silence；　broken　only　by　the　bells；　by　the
  chanting　of　the　offices　heard　through　the　windows　of　the　church；　by
  the　call　of　the　jackdaws　nesting　in　the　belfries。　The　region　is　a
  desert　of　stones；　a　solitude　with　a　character　of　its　own；　an　arid
  spot；　which　could　only　be　inhabited　by　beings　who　had　either　attained
  to　absolute　nullity；　or　were　gifted　with　some　abnormal　strength　of
  soul。　The　house　in　question　had　always　been　occupied　by　abbes；　and　it
  belonged　to　an　old　maid　named　Mademoiselle　Gamard。　Though　the　property
  had　been　bought　from　the　national　domain　under　the　Reign　of　Terror　by
  the　father　of　Mademoiselle　Gamard；　no　one　objected　under　the
  Restoration　to　the　old　maid's　retaining　it；　because　she　took　priests
  to　board　and　was　very　devout；　it　may　be　that　religious　persons　gave
  her　credit　for　the　intention　of　leaving　the　property　to　the　Chapter。
  The　Abbe　Birotteau　was　making　his　way　to　this　house；　where　he　had
  lived　for　the　last　two　years。　His　apartment　had　been　（as　was　now　the
  canonry）　an　object　of　envy　and　his　〃hoc　erat　in　votis〃　for　a　dozen
  years。　To　be　Mademoiselle　Gamard's　boarder　and　to　become　a　canon　were
  the　two　great　desires　of　his　life；　in　fact　they　do　present　accurately
  the　ambition　of　a　priest；　who；　considering　himself　on　the　highroad　to
  eternity；　can　wish　for　nothing　in　this　world　but　good　lodging；　good
  food；　clean　garments；　shoes　with　silver　buckles；　a　sufficiency　of
  things　for　the　needs　of　the　animal；　and　a　canonry　to　satisfy　self…
  love；　that　inexpressible　sentiment　which　follows　us；　they　say；　into
  the　presence　of　God；for　there　are　grades　among　the　saints。　But　the
  covetous　desire　for　the　apartment　which　the　Abbe　Birotteau　was　now
  inhabiting　（a　very　harmless　desire　in　the　eyes　of　worldly　people）　had
  been　to　the　abbe　nothing　less　than　a　passion；　a　passion　full　of
  obstacles；　and；　like　more　guilty　passions；　full　of　hopes；　pleasures；
  and　remorse。
  The　interior　arrangements　of　the　house　did　not　allow　Mademoiselle
  Gamard　to　take　more　than　two　lodgers。　Now；　for　about　twelve　years
  before　the　day　when　Birotteau　went　to　live　with　her　she　had　undertaken
  to　keep　in　health　and　contentment　two　priests；　namely；　Monsieur　l'Abbe
  Troubert　and　Monsieur　l'Abbe　Chapeloud。　The　Abbe　Troubert　still　lived。
  The　Abbe　Chapeloud　was　dead；　and　Birotteau　had　stepped　into　his　place。
  The　late　Abbe　Chapeloud；　in　life　a　canon　of　Saint…Gatien；　had　been　an
  intimate　friend　of　the　Abbe　Birotteau。　Every　time　that　the　latter　paid
  a　visit　to　the　canon　he　had　constantly　admired　the　apartment；　the
  furniture　and　the　library。　Out　of　this　admiration　grew　the　desire　to
  possess　these　beautiful　things。　It　had　been　impossible　for　the　Abbe
  Birotteau　to　stifle　this　desire；　though　it　often　made　him　suffer
  terribly　when　he　reflected　that　the　death　of　his　best　friend　could
  alone　satisfy　his　secret　covetousness；　which　increased　as　time　went
  on。　The　Abbe　Chapeloud　and　his　friend　Birotteau　were　not　rich。　Both
  were　sons　of　peasants；　and　their　slender　savings　had　been　spent　in　the
  mere　costs　of　living　during　the　disastrous　years　of　the　Revolution。
  When　Napoleon　restored　the　Catholic　worship　the　Abbe　Chapeloud　was
  appointed　canon　of　the　cathedral　and　Birotteau　was　made　vicar　of　it。
  Chapeloud　then　went　to　board　with　Mademoiselle　Gamard。　When　Birotteau
  first　came　to　visit　his　friend；　he　thought　the　arrangement　of　the
  rooms　excellent；　but　he　noticed　nothing　more。　The　outset　of　this
  concupiscence　of　chattels　was　very　like　that　of　a　true　passion；　which
  often　begins；　in　a　young　man；　with　cold　admiration　for　a　woman　whom　he
  ends　in　loving　forever。
  The　apartment；　reached　by　a　stone　staircase；　was　on　the　side　of　the
  house　that　faced　south。　The　Abbe　Troubert　occupied　the　ground…floor；
  and　Mademoiselle　Gamard　the　first　floor　of　the　main　building；　looking
  on　the　street。　When　Chapeloud　took　possession　of　his　rooms　they　were
  bare　of　furniture；　and　the　ceilings　were　blackened　with　smoke。　The
  stone　mantelpieces；　which　were　very　badly　cut；　had　never　been　painted。
  At　first；　the　only　furniture　the　poor　canon