There¡¡was¡¡this¡¡difference¡¡between¡¡the¡¡late¡¡Chapeloud¡¡and¡¡the¡¡vicar£»
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knew¡¡exactly¡¡how¡¡to¡¡judge¡¡of¡¡his¡¡landlady's¡¡character¡£¡¡The
confessional¡¡had¡¡taught¡¡him¡¡to¡¡understand¡¡the¡¡bitterness¡¡that¡¡the
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old¡¡maid£»¡¡he¡¡therefore¡¡calculated¡¡his¡¡own¡¡treatment¡¡of¡¡Mademoiselle
Gamard¡¡very¡¡wisely¡£¡¡She¡¡was¡¡then¡¡about¡¡thirty¡eight¡¡years¡¡old£»¡¡and
still¡¡retained¡¡a¡¡few¡¡pretensions£»¡¡which£»¡¡in¡¡well¡behaved¡¡persons¡¡of
her¡¡condition£»¡¡change£»¡¡rather¡¡later£»¡¡into¡¡strong¡¡personal¡¡self¡esteem¡£
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must¡¡pay¡¡her¡¡invariably¡¡the¡¡same¡¡attentions¡¡and¡¡be¡¡more¡¡infallible
than¡¡the¡¡pope¡¡himself¡£¡¡To¡¡compass¡¡this¡¡result£»¡¡he¡¡allowed¡¡no¡¡points¡¡of
contact¡¡between¡¡himself¡¡and¡¡her¡¡except¡¡those¡¡that¡¡politeness¡¡demanded£»
and¡¡those¡¡which¡¡necessarily¡¡exist¡¡between¡¡two¡¡persons¡¡living¡¡under¡¡the
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Mademoiselle¡¡Gamard¡¡to¡¡send¡¡his¡¡coffee¡¡to¡¡his¡¡own¡¡room¡£¡¡He¡¡also
avoided¡¡the¡¡annoyance¡¡of¡¡supper¡¡by¡¡taking¡¡tea¡¡in¡¡the¡¡houses¡¡of¡¡friends
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landlady¡¡except¡¡at¡¡dinner£»¡¡but¡¡he¡¡always¡¡came¡¡down¡¡to¡¡that¡¡meal¡¡a¡¡few
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answers¡£¡¡How¡¡she¡¡had¡¡slept£»¡¡her¡¡breakfast£»¡¡the¡¡trivial¡¡domestic
events£»¡¡her¡¡looks£»¡¡her¡¡health£»¡¡the¡¡weather£»¡¡the¡¡time¡¡the¡¡church
services¡¡had¡¡lasted£»¡¡the¡¡incidents¡¡of¡¡the¡¡mass£»¡¡the¡¡health¡¡of¡¡such¡¡or
such¡¡a¡¡priest£»these¡¡were¡¡the¡¡subjects¡¡of¡¡their¡¡daily¡¡conversation¡£
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Mademoiselle¡¡Gamard's¡¡capacities¡¡and¡¡virtues¡¡as¡¡mistress¡¡of¡¡a
household¡¡were¡¡great¡£¡¡He¡¡was¡¡sure¡¡of¡¡flattering¡¡the¡¡old¡¡maid's¡¡vanity
by¡¡praising¡¡the¡¡skill¡¡with¡¡which¡¡she¡¡made¡¡or¡¡prepared¡¡her¡¡preserves
and¡¡pickles¡¡and¡¡pates¡¡and¡¡other¡¡gastronomical¡¡inventions¡£¡¡To¡¡cap¡¡all£»
the¡¡wily¡¡canon¡¡never¡¡left¡¡his¡¡landlady's¡¡yellow¡¡salon¡¡after¡¡dinner
without¡¡remarking¡¡that¡¡there¡¡was¡¡no¡¡house¡¡in¡¡Tours¡¡where¡¡he¡¡could¡¡get
such¡¡good¡¡coffee¡¡as¡¡that¡¡he¡¡had¡¡just¡¡imbibed¡£
Thanks¡¡to¡¡this¡¡thorough¡¡understanding¡¡of¡¡Mademoiselle¡¡Gamard's
character£»¡¡and¡¡to¡¡the¡¡science¡¡of¡¡existence¡¡which¡¡he¡¡had¡¡put¡¡in
practice¡¡for¡¡the¡¡last¡¡twelve¡¡years£»¡¡no¡¡matter¡¡of¡¡discussion¡¡on¡¡the
internal¡¡arrangements¡¡of¡¡the¡¡household¡¡had¡¡ever¡¡come¡¡up¡¡between¡¡them¡£
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that¡¡he¡¡obtained¡¡without¡¡the¡¡least¡¡difficulty¡¡all¡¡the¡¡concessions¡¡that
were¡¡necessary¡¡to¡¡the¡¡happiness¡¡and¡¡tranquility¡¡of¡¡his¡¡life¡£¡¡The
result¡¡was¡¡that¡¡Mademoiselle¡¡Gamard¡¡frequently¡¡remarked¡¡to¡¡her¡¡friends
and¡¡acquaintances¡¡that¡¡the¡¡Abbe¡¡Chapeloud¡¡was¡¡a¡¡very¡¡amiable¡¡man£»
extremely¡¡easy¡¡to¡¡live¡¡with£»¡¡and¡¡a¡¡fine¡¡mind¡£
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about¡¡him¡£¡¡Completely¡¡involved¡¡in¡¡the¡¡round¡¡of¡¡her¡¡life£»¡¡like¡¡a
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directly¡¡before£»¡¡the¡¡place¡¡intended¡¡for¡¡friends¡¡but¡¡now¡¡occupied¡¡by¡¡a
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completely£»¡¡and¡¡the¡¡intermingling¡¡of¡¡their¡¡interests¡¡was¡¡so¡¡obvious
that¡¡many¡¡persons¡¡of¡¡her¡¡social¡¡sphere¡¡believed¡¡that¡¡the¡¡Abbe¡¡Troubert
had¡¡designs¡¡on¡¡the¡¡old¡¡maid's¡¡property£»¡¡and¡¡was¡¡binding¡¡her¡¡to¡¡him
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seemed¡¡to¡¡be¡¡obeying¡¡without¡¡ever¡¡letting¡¡her¡¡percieve¡¡in¡¡him¡¡the
slightest¡¡wish¡¡on¡¡his¡¡part¡¡to¡¡govern¡¡her¡£
When¡¡the¡¡Abbe¡¡Chapeloud¡¡died£»¡¡the¡¡old¡¡maid£»¡¡who¡¡desired¡¡a¡¡lodger¡¡with
quiet¡¡ways£»¡¡naturally¡¡thought¡¡of¡¡the¡¡vicar¡£¡¡Before¡¡the¡¡canon's¡¡will
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Troubert£»¡¡who¡¡was¡¡not¡¡very¡¡comfortable¡¡on¡¡the¡¡ground¡floor¡£¡¡But¡¡when
the¡¡Abbe¡¡Birotteau£»¡¡on¡¡receiving¡¡his¡¡legacy£»¡¡came¡¡to¡¡settle¡¡in¡¡writing
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dared¡¡not¡¡propose¡¡the¡¡exchange£»¡¡and¡¡accordingly¡¡sacrificed¡¡her
sentiments¡¡of¡¡friendship¡¡to¡¡the¡¡demands¡¡of¡¡self¡interest¡£¡¡But¡¡in¡¡order
to¡¡console¡¡her¡¡beloved¡¡canon£»¡¡Mademoiselle¡¡took¡¡up¡¡the¡¡large¡¡white
Chateau¡Renaud¡¡bricks¡¡that¡¡made¡¡the¡¡floors¡¡of¡¡his¡¡apartment¡¡and
replaced¡¡them¡¡by¡¡wooden¡¡floors¡¡laid¡¡in¡¡¡¨point¡¡de¡¡Hongrie¡£¡¨¡¡She¡¡also
rebuilt¡¡a¡¡smoky¡¡chimney¡£
For¡¡twelve¡¡years¡¡the¡¡Abbe¡¡Birotteau¡¡had¡¡seen¡¡his¡¡friend¡¡Chapeloud¡¡in
that¡¡house¡¡without¡¡ever¡¡giving¡¡a¡¡thought¡¡to¡¡the¡¡motive¡¡of¡¡the¡¡canon's
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his¡¡new¡¡happiness¡¡to¡¡allow¡¡him¡¡to¡¡judge¡¡of¡¡the¡¡landlady£»¡¡or¡¡to¡¡reflect
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life¡£
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man¡¡utterly¡¡without¡¡worldly¡¡experience£»¡¡he¡¡fell¡¡into¡¡the¡¡life¡¡of
Mademoiselle¡¡Gamard¡¡precisely¡¡as¡¡a¡¡fly¡¡is¡¡caught¡¡in¡¡a¡¡spider's¡¡web¡£
The¡¡first¡¡day¡¡that¡¡he¡¡went¡¡to¡¡dine¡¡and¡¡sleep¡¡at¡¡the¡¡house¡¡he¡¡was
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breaking¡¡off¡¡a¡¡conversation¡¡in¡¡order¡¡to¡¡take¡¡leave¡£¡¡Consequently¡¡he
remained¡¡there¡¡the¡¡whole¡¡evening¡£¡¡Then¡¡a¡¡friend¡¡of¡¡his£»¡¡a¡¡certain
Mademoiselle¡¡Salomon¡¡de¡¡Villenoix£»¡¡came¡¡to¡¡see¡¡him£»¡¡and¡¡this¡¡gave
Mademoiselle¡¡Gamard¡¡the¡¡happiness¡¡of¡¡forming¡¡a¡¡card¡table£»¡¡so¡¡that
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persons¡¡bare¡¡their¡¡defects¡¡at¡¡once£»¡¡they¡¡generally¡¡take¡¡on¡¡a¡¡becoming
veneer¡£
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of¡¡devoting¡¡all¡¡his¡¡evenings¡¡to¡¡Mademoiselle¡¡Gamard£»¡¡instead¡¡of
spending¡¡them£»¡¡as¡¡Chapeloud¡¡had¡¡done£»¡¡elsewhere¡£¡¡The¡¡old¡¡maid¡¡had¡¡for
years¡¡been¡¡possessed¡¡by¡¡a¡¡desire¡¡which¡¡grew¡¡stronger¡¡day¡¡by¡¡day¡£¡¡This
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become¡¡in¡¡Mademoiselle¡¡Gamard's¡¡soul¡¡as¡¡ardent¡¡a¡¡longing¡¡as¡¡that¡¡of
Birotteau¡¡for¡¡Chapeloud's¡¡apartment£»¡¡and¡¡it¡¡was¡¡strengthened¡¡by¡¡all
those¡¡feelings¡¡of¡¡pride£»¡¡egotism£»¡¡envy£»¡¡and¡¡vanity¡¡which¡¡pre¡exist¡¡in
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circle¡¡in¡¡which¡¡these¡¡personages¡¡are¡¡about¡¡to¡¡act¡¡to¡¡find¡¡the
coefficient¡¡reasons¡¡of¡¡events¡¡which¡¡take¡¡place¡¡in¡¡the¡¡very¡¡highest
spheres¡¡of¡¡social¡¡life¡£
Mademoiselle¡¡Gamard¡¡spent¡¡her¡¡evenings¡¡by¡¡rotation¡¡in¡¡six¡¡or¡¡eight
different¡¡houses¡£¡¡Whether¡¡it¡¡was¡¡that¡¡she¡¡disliked¡¡being¡¡obliged¡¡to¡¡go
out¡¡to¡¡seek¡¡society£»¡¡and¡¡considered¡¡that¡¡at¡¡her¡¡age¡¡she¡¡had¡¡a¡¡right¡¡to
expect¡¡some¡¡return£»¡¡or¡¡that¡¡her¡¡pride¡¡was¡¡wounded¡¡at¡¡receiving¡¡no
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of¡¡persons¡¡should¡¡nightly¡¡make¡¡their¡¡way¡¡with¡¡pleasure¡£¡¡One¡¡morning¡¡as
she¡¡left¡¡Saint¡Gatien£»¡¡after¡¡Birotteau¡¡and¡¡his¡¡friend¡¡Mademoiselle
Salomon¡¡had¡¡spent¡¡a¡¡few¡¡evenings¡¡with¡¡her¡¡and¡¡with¡¡the¡¡faithful¡¡and
patient¡¡Troubert£»¡¡she¡¡said¡¡to¡¡certain¡¡of¡¡her¡¡good¡¡friends¡¡whom¡¡she¡¡met
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herself£»¡¡that¡¡those¡¡who¡¡wished¡¡to¡¡see¡¡her¡¡could¡¡certainly¡¡come¡¡once¡¡a
week¡¡to¡¡her¡¡house£»¡¡where¡¡she¡¡had¡¡friends¡¡enough¡¡to¡¡make¡¡a¡¡card¡table£»
she¡¡could¡¡not¡¡leave¡¡the¡¡Abbe¡¡Birotteau£»¡¡Mademoiselle¡¡Salomon¡¡had¡¡not
missed¡¡a¡¡single¡¡evening¡¡that¡¡week£»¡¡she¡¡was¡¡devoted¡¡to¡¡friends£»¡¡andet
cetera£»¡¡et¡¡cetera¡£¡¡Her¡¡speech¡¡was¡¡all¡¡the¡¡more¡¡humbly¡¡haughty¡¡and
softly¡¡persuasive¡¡because¡¡Mademoiselle¡¡Salomon
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