A Drama on the Seashore.docx

A Drama on the Seashore.docx

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ADramaontheSeashore

ADramaontheSeashorebyHonoredeBalzacTranslatedbyKatharinePrescottWormeleyDEDICATION

ToMadamelaPrincesseCarolineGalitzindeGenthod,neeComtesseWalewska.HomageandremembrancesofTheAuthor.

ADRAMAONTHESEASHORE

Nearlyallyoungmenhaveacompasswithwhichtheydelightinmeasuringthefuture.Whentheirwillisequaltothebreadthoftheangleatwhichtheyopenittheworldistheirs.Butthisphenomenonoftheinnerlifetakesplaceonlyatacertainage.Thatage,whichforallmenliesbetweentwenty-twoandtwenty-eight,istheperiodofgreatthoughts,offreshconceptions,becauseitistheageofimmensedesires.Afterthatage,shortastheseed-time,comesthatofexecution.Thereare,asitwere,twoyouths,--theyouthofbelief,theyouthofaction;theseareoftencommingledinmenwhomNaturehasfavoredandwho,likeCaesar,likeNewton,likeBonaparte,arethegreatestamonggreatmen.

Iwasmeasuringhowlongatimeitmighttakeathoughttodevelop.

Compassinhand,standingonarocksomehundredfathomsabovetheocean,thewavesofwhichwerebreakingonthereefbelow,Isurveyedmyfuture,fillingitwithbooksasanengineerorbuildertracesonvacantgroundapalaceorafort.

Theseawasbeautiful;Ihadjustdressedafterbathing;andIawaitedPauline,whowasalsobathing,inagranitecoveflooredwithfinesand,themostcoquettishbath-roomthatNatureeverdevisedforherwater-fairies.ThespotwasatthefartherendofCroisic,adaintylittlepeninsulainBrittany;itwasfarfromtheport,andsoinaccessiblethatthecoast-guardseldomthoughtitnecessarytopassthatway.Tofloatinetherafterfloatingonthewave!

--ah!

whowouldnothavefloatedonthefutureasIdid!

WhywasIthinking?

Whencecomesevil?

--whoknows!

Ideasdropintoourheartsorintoourheadswithoutconsultingus.Nocourtesanwasevermorecapriciousnormoreimperiousthanconceptionistoartists;wemustgraspit,likefortune,bythehairwhenitcomes.

Astrideuponmythought,likeAstolpheonhishippogriff,Iwasgallopingthroughworlds,suitingthemtomyfancy.Presently,asI

lookedaboutmetofindsomeomenfortheboldproductionsmywildimaginationwasurgingmetoundertake,aprettycry,thecryofawomanissuingrefreshedandjoyousfromabath,roseabovethemurmuroftheripplingfringesastheirfluxandrefluxmarkedawhitelinealongtheshore.Hearingthatnoteasitgushedfromasoul,IfanciedIsawamongtherocksthefootofanangel,whowithoutspreadwingscriedouttome,"Thoushaltsucceed!

"Icamedownradiant,light-

hearted;Iboundedlikeapebblerollingdownarapidslope.Whenshesawme,shesaid,--

"Whatisit?

"

Ididnotanswer;myeyesweremoist.Thenightbefore,Paulinehadunderstoodmysorrows,asshenowunderstoodmyjoy,withthemagicalsensitivenessofaharpthatobeysthevariationsoftheatmosphere.

Humanlifehasgloriousmoments.Togetherwewalkedinsilencealongthebeach.Theskywascloudless,theseawithoutaripple;othersmighthavethoughtthemmerelytwobluesurfaces,theoneabovetheother,butwe--wewhoheardwithouttheneedofwords,wewhocouldevokebetweenthesetwoinfinitudestheillusionsthatnourishyouth,--wepressedeachother'shandsateverychangeinthesheetofwaterorthesheetsofair,forwetookthoseslightphenomenaasthevisibletranslationofourdoublethought.Whohasnevertastedinweddedlovethatmomentofillimitablejoywhenthesoulseemsfreedfromthetrammelsofflesh,andfindsitselfrestored,asitwere,totheworldwhenceitcame?

Aretherenothourswhenfeelingsclaspeachotherandflyupward,likechildrentakinghandsandrunning,theyscarceknowwhy?

Itwasthuswewentalong.

Atthemomentwhenthevillageroofsbegantoshowlikeafaintgraylineonthehorizon,wemetafisherman,apoormanreturningtoCroisic.Hisfeetwerebare;hislinentrousersraggedroundthebottom;hisshirtofcommonsailcloth,andhisjackettatters.Thisabjectpovertypainedus;itwaslikeadiscordamidourharmonies.Welookedateachother,grievingmutuallythatwehadnotatthatmomentthepowertodipintothetreasuryofAboulCasem.Butwesawasplendidlobsterandacrabfastenedtoastringwhichthefishermanwasdanglinginhisrighthand,whilewiththeleftheheldhistackleandhisnet.

Weaccostedhimwiththeintentionofbuyinghishaul,--anideawhichcametousboth,andwasexpressedinasmile,towhichIrespondedbyaslightpressureofthearmIheldanddrewtowardmyheart.Itwasoneofthosenothingsofwhichmemorymakespoemswhenwesitbythefireandrecallthehourwhenthatnothingmovedus,andtheplacewhereitdidso,--amiragetheeffectsofwhichhaveneverbeennoteddown,thoughitappearsontheobjectsthatsurroundusinmomentswhenlifesitslightlyandourheartsarefull.Theloveliestsceneryisthatwemakeourselves.Whatmanwithanypoesyinhimdoesnotremembersomemeremassofrock,whichholds,itmaybe,agreaterplaceinhismemorythanthecelebratedlandscapesofotherlands,soughtatgreatcost.Besidethatrock,tumultuousthoughts!

Thereawholelifeevolved;thereallfearsdispersed;theretheraysofhopedescendedtothesoul!

Atthismoment,thesun,sympathizingwiththesethoughtsofloveandofthefuture,hadcastanardentglowuponthesavageflanksoftherock;afewwildmountainflowerswerevisible;thestillnessandthesilencemagnifiedthatruggedpile,--

reallysombre,thoughtintedbythedreamer,andbeautifulbeneathitsscantyvegetation,thewarmchamomile,theVenus'tresseswiththeirvelvetleaves.Oh,lingeringfestival;oh,gloriousdecorations;oh,happyexaltationofhumanforces!

OncealreadythelakeofBriennehadspokentomethus.TherockofCroisicmaybeperhapsthelastofthesemyjoys.Ifso,whatwillbecomeofPauline?

"Haveyouhadagoodcatchto-day,myman?

"Isaidtothefisherman.

"Yes,monsieur,"hereplied,stoppingandturningtowardustheswarthyfaceofthosewhospendwholedaysexposedtothereflectionofthesunuponthewater.

Thatfacewasanemblemoflongresignation,ofthepatienceofafishermanandhisquietways.Themanhadavoicewithoutharshness,kindlips,evidentlynoambition,andsomethingfrailandpunyabouthim.Anyothersortofcountenancewould,atthatmoment,havejarreduponus.

"Whereshallyousellyourfish?

"

"Inthetown."

"Howmuchwilltheypayyouforthatlobster?

"

"Fifteensous."

"Andthecrab?

"

"Twentysous."

"Whysomuchdifferencebetweenalobsterandacrab?

"

"Monsieur,thecrabismuchmoredelicateeating.Besides,it'sasmaliciousasamonkey,anditseldomletsyoucatchit."

"Willyouletusbuythetwoforahundredsous?

"askedPauline.

Themanseemedpetrified.

"Youshallnothaveit!

"Isaidtoher,laughing."I'llpaytenfrancs;weshouldcounttheemotionsin."

"Verywell,"shesaid,"thenI'llpaytenfrancs,twosous."

"Tenfrancs,tensous."

"Twelvefrancs."

"Fifteenfrancs."

"Fifteenfrancs,fiftycentimes,"shesaid.

"Onehundredfrancs."

"Onehundredandfiftyfrancs."

Iyielded.Wewerenotrichenoughatthatmomenttobidhigher.Ourpoorfishermandidnotknowwhethertobeangryatahoax,ortogomadwithjoy;wedrewhimfromhisquandarybygivinghimthenameofourlandladyandtellinghimtotakethelobsterandthecrabtoherhouse.

"Doyouearnenoughtoliveon?

"Iaskedtheman,inordertodiscoverthecauseofhisevidentpenury.

"Withgreathardships,andalwayspoorly,"hereplied."Fishingonthecoast,whenonehasn'taboatordeep-seanets,nothingbutpoleandline,isaveryuncertainbusiness.Youseewehavetowaitforthefish,ortheshell-fish;whereasarealfishermanputsouttoseaforthem.ItissohardtoearnalivingthiswaythatI'mtheonlymaninthesepartswhofishesalong-shore.Ispendwholedayswithoutgettinganything.Tocatchacrab,itmustgotosleep,asthisonedid,andalobstermustbesillyenoughtostayamongtherocks.SometimesafterahightidethemusselscomeinandIgrabthem."

"Well,takingonedaywithanother,howmuchdoyouearn?

"

"Oh,elevenortwelvesous.IcoulddowiththatifIwerealone;butIhavegotmyoldfathertokeep,andhecan'tdoanything,thegoodman,becausehe'sblind."

Atthesewords,saidsimply,PaulineandIlookedateachotherwithoutaword;thenIasked,--

"Haven'tyouawife,orsomegoodfriend?

"

HecastuponusoneofthemostlamentableglancesthatIeversawasheanswered,--

"IfIhadawifeImustabandonmyfather;Icouldnotfeedhimandawifeandchildrentoo."

"Well,mypoorlad,whydon'tyoutrytoearnmoreatthesaltmarshes,orbycarryingthesalttotheharbor?

"

"Ah,monsieur,Icouldn'tdothatworkthreemonths.Iamnotstrongenough,andifIdiedmyfatherwouldhavetobeg.Iamforcedtotakeabusinesswhichonlyneedsalittleknackandagreatdealofpatience."

"Buthowcantwopersonsliveontwelvesousaday?

"

"Oh,monsieur,weeatcakesmadeofbuckwheat,andbarnacleswhichI

getofftherocks."

"Howoldareyou?

"

"Thirty-seven."

"DidyoueverleaveCroisic?

"

"IwentoncetoGuerandetodrawfortheconscription;andIwenttoSavenaytothemessieurswhomeasureforthearmy.IfIhadbeenhalfaninchtallerthey'dhavemademeasoldier.Ishouldhavediedofmyfirstmarch,andmypoorfatherwouldto-daybebegginghisbread."

Ihadthoughtoutmanydramas;Paulinewasaccustomedtogreatemotionsbesideamansosufferingasmyself;well,neverhadeitherofuslistenedtowordssomovingasthese.Wewalkedoninsilence,measuring,eachofus,thesilentdepthsofthatobscurelife,admiringthenobilityofadevotionwhichwas