agree delightfully, keep a carriage, and are the happiest people on

earth. Pierre Grassou never emerges from the bourgeois circle, in



which he is considered one of the greatest artists of the period. Not

a family portrait is painted between the barrier du Trone and the rue



du Temple that is not done by this great painter; none of them costs

less than five hundred francs. The great reason which the bourgeois



families have for employing him is this:--

"Say what you will of him, he lays by twenty thousand francs a year



with his notary."

As Grassou took a creditable part on the occasion of the riots of May



12th he was appointed an officer of the Legion of honor. He is a major

in the National Guard. The Museum of Versailles felt it incumbent to



order a battle-piece of so excellent a citizen, who thereupon walked

about Paris to meet his old comrades and have the happiness of saying



to them:--

"The King has given me an order for the Museum of Versailles."



Madame de Fougeres adores her husband, to whom she has presented two

children. This painter, a good father and a good husband, is unable to



eradicate from his heart a fatal thought, namely, that artists laugh

at his work; that his name is a term of contempt in the studios; and



that the feuilletons take no notice of his pictures. But he still

works on; he aims for the Academy, where, undoubtedly, he will enter.



And--oh! vengeance which dilates his heart!--he buys the pictures of

celebrated artists who are pinched for means, and he substitutes these



true works of arts that are not his own for the wretched daubs in the

collection at Ville d'Avray.



There are many mediocrities more aggressive and more mischievous than

that of Pierre Grassou, who is, moreover, anonymously benevolent and



truly obliging.

ADDENDUM



The following personages appear in other stories of the Human Comedy.

Bridau, Joseph



The Purse

A Bachelor's Establishment



A Distinguished Provincial at Paris

A Start in Life



Modeste Mignon

Another Study of Woman



Letters of Two Brides

Cousin Betty



The Member for Arcis

Cardot (Parisian notary)



The Muse of the Department

A Man of Business



Jealousies of a Country Town

The Middle Classes



Cousin Pons

Grassou, Pierre



A Bachelor's Establishment

Cousin Betty



The Middle Classes

Cousin Pons



Lora, Leon de

The Unconscious Humorists



A Bachelor's Establishment

A Start in Life



Honorine

Cousin Betty



Beatrix

Magus, Elie



The Vendetta

A Marriage Settlement



A Bachelor's Establishment

Cousin Pons



Schinner, Hippolyte

The Purse



A Bachelor's Establishment

A Start in Life



Albert Savarus

The Government Clerks



Modeste Mignon

The Imaginary Mistress



The Unconscious Humorists

End

• magnificent [mæg´nifisənt] a.壮丽的；豪华的 (初中英语单词)


• painting [´peintiŋ] n.绘画；(油)画；着色 (初中英语单词)


• pretend [pri´tend] v.假装；借口；妄求 (初中英语单词)


• retreat [ri´tri:t] v.&n.退却；撤退；放弃 (初中英语单词)


• genius [´dʒi:niəs] n.天才(人物)；天赋 (初中英语单词)


• orderly [´ɔ:dəli] a.整洁的 n.勤务兵 (初中英语单词)


• beginning [bi´giniŋ] n.开始，开端；起源 (初中英语单词)


• invitation [,invi´teiʃən] n.邀请；请帖；吸引 (初中英语单词)


• collection [kə´lekʃən] n.收集；征收；募捐 (初中英语单词)


• innocent [´inəsənt] a.无罪的；单纯的 (初中英语单词)


• stupid [´stju:pid] a.愚蠢的；糊涂的 (初中英语单词)


• worthy [´wə:ði] a.有价值的；值得的 (初中英语单词)


• painter [´peintə] n.画家；(油)漆工 (初中英语单词)


• standing [´stændiŋ] n.持续 a.直立的 (初中英语单词)


• enthusiasm [in´θju:ziæzəm] n.热心；狂热；爱好 (初中英语单词)


• triumph [´traiəmf] n.胜利 vi.得胜，战胜 (初中英语单词)


• monsieur [mə´sjə:] n.先生 (初中英语单词)


• opening [´əupəniŋ] n.开放；开端 a.开始的 (初中英语单词)


• gallery [´gæləri] n.画廊；美术馆；长廊 (初中英语单词)


• physician [fi´ziʃən] n.(内科)医生 (初中英语单词)


• button [´bʌtn] n.钮扣 vt.扣上(扣子) (初中英语单词)


• whisper [´wispə] v.耳语 n.低语；沙沙声 (初中英语单词)


• canvas [´kænvəs] n.帆布；油画(布) (初中英语单词)


• carriage [´kæridʒ] n.马车；客车；货运 (初中英语单词)


• circle [´sə:kəl] n.圆圈 v.环绕；盘旋 (初中英语单词)


• temple [´tempəl] n.庙宇；寺院；太阳穴 (初中英语单词)


• thereupon [,ðeərə´pɔn] ad.因此；于是 (初中英语单词)


• unable [ʌn´eibəl] a.不能的；无能为力的 (初中英语单词)


• academy [ə´kædəmi] n.专科学校；学会；协会 (初中英语单词)


• undoubtedly [ʌn´dautidli] ad.无疑地，确实地 (初中英语单词)


• wretched [´retʃid] a.可怜的；倒霉的 (初中英语单词)


• moreover [mɔ:´rəuvə] ad.再者，此外，而且 (初中英语单词)


• portrait [´pɔ:trit] n.肖像；相片；雕像 (高中英语单词)


• invasion [in´veiʒən] n.入侵；侵害；侵犯 (高中英语单词)


• pleasantly [´plezntli] ad.令人愉快地；舒适地 (高中英语单词)


• attraction [ə´trækʃən] n.吸引(力)；引力 (高中英语单词)


• royalty [´rɔiəlti] n.王位；特权阶层；版税 (高中英语单词)


• legion [´li:dʒən] n.军团；大批 (高中英语单词)


• summit [´sʌmit] n.顶(点)；绝顶 (高中英语单词)


• landscape [´lændskeip] n.风景；景色；风景画 (高中英语单词)


• mansion [´mænʃən] n.大厦；宅第；官邸 (高中英语单词)


• pretence [pri´tens] n.假装；托词；无理要求 (高中英语单词)


• esteem [i´sti:m] n.尊重 vt.认为；感到 (高中英语单词)


• barrier [´bæriə] n.栅栏；屏障；障碍 (高中英语单词)


• namely [´neimli] ad.即，也就是 (高中英语单词)


• contempt [kən´tempt] n.轻蔑；受辱；不顾 (高中英语单词)


• vengeance [´vendʒəns] n.报复，复仇 (高中英语单词)


• distinguished [di´stiŋgwiʃt] a.卓越的，著名的 (高中英语单词)


• unconscious [ʌn´kɔnʃəs] a.无意识的；不觉察的 (高中英语单词)


• imaginary [i´mædʒinəri] a.想象的；虚构的 (高中英语单词)


• chateau [´ʃætəu] n.城堡；公馆，邸宅 (英语四级单词)


• compensate [´kɔmpenseit] v.赔偿；补偿；酬报 (英语四级单词)


• conveyance [kən´veiəns] n.运送；传达；传播 (英语四级单词)


• absurdity [əb´sə:diti] n.荒谬，愚蠢；谬论 (英语四级单词)


• prospective [prə´spektiv] a.预期的；未来的 (英语四级单词)


• theatrical [θi´ætrikəl] a.戏院的；戏剧(性)的 (英语四级单词)


• elderly [´eldəli] a. 较老的，年长的 (英语四级单词)


• utility [ju:´tiliti] n.有用 a.有各种用途的 (英语四级单词)


• aggressive [ə´gresiv] a.进攻的；侵略的 (英语四级单词)


• mischievous [´mistʃivəs] a.有害的；淘气的 (英语四级单词)


• provincial [prə´vinʃəl] a.省的 n.外省人 (英语四级单词)


• ferocious [fə´rəuʃəs] a.凶猛的；残忍的 (英语六级单词)


• taking [´teikiŋ] a.迷人的 n.捕获物 (英语六级单词)


• idolatry [ai´dɔlətri] n.偶像崇拜；过度崇信 (英语六级单词)


• modestly [´mɔdistli] ad.谦虚地；有节制地 (英语六级单词)


• retired [ri´taiəd] a.退休的；通职的 (英语六级单词)


• fabulous [´fæbjuləs] a.难以置信的；惊人的 (英语六级单词)


• calling [´kɔ:liŋ] n.点名；职业；欲望 (英语六级单词)


• delightfully [di´laitfuli] ad.大喜，欣然 (英语六级单词)


• versailles [vɛə´sail] n.凡尔赛(宫) (英语六级单词)


• benevolent [bi´nevələnt] a.仁慈的；乐善好施的 (英语六级单词)