第2章

A member of the Historical and Antiquarian Society of Moscow, he had once published important memoirs upon Slavonic antiquities and upon some of the disputed questions in the history of the Lower Empire.Hardly was he installed at Geierfels, before he occupied himself in fitting up his library, but a few volumes of which he had carried to Martinique.He at once ordered from Moscow most of the books he had left, and also sent large orders to German bookstores.When his "seraglio," as he called it, was nearly complete, he again became absorbed in study, and particularly in that of the Greek historians of the Byzantine Empire, of whose collective works he had the good fortune to possess the Louvre edition in thirty-six volumes folio; and he soon formed the ambitious project of writing a complete history of that Empire from Constantine the Great to the taking of Constantinople.So absorbed did he become in this great design, that he scarcely ate or drank;but the further he advanced in his researches the more he became dismayed by the magnitude of the enterprise, and he conceived the idea of procuring an intelligent assistant, upon whom he could shift a part of the task.As he proposed to write his voluminous work in French, it was in France this living instrument which he needed must be sought, and he therefore broached the project to Dr.

Lerins, one of his old acquaintances in Paris."For nearly three years," he wrote to the Doctor, "I have dwelt in a veritable owl's nest, and I should be much obliged to you if you would procure for me a young night bird, who could endure life two or three years in such an ugly hole without dying of ennui.Understand me, I must have a secretary who is not contented with writing a fine hand and knowing French a little better than I do: I wish him to be a consummate philologist, and a hellenist of the first order,--one of those men who ought to be met with in Paris,--born to belong to the Institute, but so dependent upon circumstances as to make that position impossible.If you succeed in finding this priceless being, I will give him the best room in my castle and a salary of twelve thousand francs.I stipulate that he shall not be a fool.

As to character, I say nothing about it; he will do me the favor to have such as will suit me."M.Lerins was intimate with a young man from Lorraine named Gilbert Saville, a savant of great merit, who had left Nancy several years before to seek his fortune in Paris.At the age of twenty-seven he had presented, in a competition opened by the Academy of Inscriptions, an essay on the Etruscan language, which took the prize and was unanimously declared a masterpiece of sagacious erudition.He had hoped for some time that this first success, which had gained him renown among learned men, would aid him in obtaining some lucrative position and rescue him from the precarious situation in which he found himself.Nothing resulted from it.His merits compelled esteem; the charm of his frank and courteous manner won him universal good will; his friends were numerous; he was well received and caressed; he even obtained, without seeking it, the entree to more than one salon, where he met men of standing who could be useful to him and assure him a successful future.All this however amounted to nothing, and no position was offered.What worked most to his prejudice was an independence of opinion and character which was a part of his nature.Only to look at him was to know that such a man could not be tied down, and the only language which this able philologist could not learn was the jargon of society.Add to this that Gilbert had a speculative, dreamy temperament and the pride and indolence which are its accessories.To bestir himself and to importune were torture to him.A promise made to him could be forgotten with impunity, for he was not the man to revive it; and besides, as he never complained himself, no one was disposed to complain for him.In short, among those who had been desirous of protecting and advancing him, it was said: "What need has he of our assistance? Such remarkable talent will make its own way." Others thought, without expressing it: "Let us be guarded, this is another Letronne,--once 'foot in the stirrup,' God only knows where he will stop." Others said and thought: "This young man is charming,--he is so discreet,--not like such and such a person." All those cited as not "discreet," were provided for.

The difficulties of his life had rendered Gilbert serious and reflective, but they had neither hardened his heart nor quenched his imagination.He was too wise to revolt against his fate, but determined to be superior to it."Thou art all thou canst be,"said he to himself; "but do not flatter thyself that thou hast reached the measure of my aspirations."After having read M.Leminof's letter, Dr.Lerins went in search of Gilbert.He described Count Kostia to him according to his remote recollections, but he asked him, before deciding, to weigh the matter deliberately.After quitting his young friend he muttered to himself--"After all, I hope he will refuse.He would be too much of a prize for that boyard.Of his very Muscovite face, I remember only an enormous pair of eyebrows,--the loftiest and bushiest I ever saw, and perhaps there is nothing more of him! There are men who are all in the eyebrows!"