Theworldlaybeforehim。Histailorhadbeensummonedandsounded,andhadfinallysurrendered。WhenRastignacmetM。deTrailles,hehadseenatoncehowgreatapartthetailorplaysinayoungman’scareer;atailoriseitheradeadlyenemyorastaunchfriend,withaninvoiceforabondoffriendship;betweenthesetwoextremesthereis,alack!nomiddleterm。InthisrepresentativeofhiscraftEugenediscoveredamanwhounderstoodthathiswasasortofpaternalfunctionforyoungmenattheirentranceintolife,whoregardedhimselfasastepping-
stonebetweenayoungman’spresentandfuture。AndRastignacingratitudemadetheman’sfortunebyanepigramofakindinwhichheexcelledatalaterperiodofhislife。
“Ihavetwiceknownapairoftrousersturnedoutbyhimmakeamatchoftwentythousandlivresayear!“
Fifteenhundredfrancs,andasmanysuitsofclothesashechosetoorder!AtthatmomentthepoorchildoftheSouthfeltnomoredoubtsofanykind。Theyoungmanwentdowntobreakfastwiththeindefinableairwhichtheconsciousnessofthepossessionofmoneygivestoyouth。Nosoonerarethecoinsslippedintoastudent’spocketthanhiswealth,inimaginationatleast,ispiledintoafantasticcolumn,whichaffordshimamoralsupport。
Hebeginstoholduphisheadashewalks;heisconsciousthathehasameansofbringinghispowerstobearonagivenpoint;
helooksyoustraightintheface;hisgesturesarequickanddecided;onlyyesterdayhewasdiffidentandshy,anyonemighthavepushedhimaside;to-morrow,hewilltakethewallofaprimeminister。Amiraclehasbeenwroughtinhim。Nothingisbeyondthereachofhisambition,andhisambitionsoarsatrandom;heislight-hearted,generous,andenthusiastic;inshort,thefledglingbirdhasdiscoveredthathehaswings。A
poorstudentsnatchesateverychancepleasuremuchasadogrunsallsortsofriskstostealabone,crackingitandsuckingthemarrowashefliesfrompursuit;butayoungmanwhocanrattleafewrunawaygoldcoinsinhispocketcantakehispleasuredeliberately,cantastethewholeofthesweetsofsecurepossession;hesoarsfaraboveearth;hehasforgottenwhatthewordPOVERTYmeans;allParisishis。Thosearedayswhenthewholeworldshinesradiantwithlight,wheneverythingglowsandsparklesbeforetheeyesofyouth,daysthatbringjoyousenergythatisneverbroughtintoharness,daysofdebtsandofpainfulfearsthatgohandinhandwitheverydelight。ThosewhodonotknowtheleftbankoftheSeinebetweentheRueSaint-JacquesandtheRuedesSaints-Peresknownothingoflife。
“Ah!ifthewomenofParisbutknew。”saidRastignac,ashedevouredMme。Vauquer’sstewedpearsatfiveforapenny,“theywouldcomehereinsearchofalover。”
JustthenaporterfromtheMessageriesRoyalesappearedatthedooroftheroom;theyhadpreviouslyheardthebellringasthewicketopenedtoadmithim。ThemanaskedforM。EugenedeRastignac,holdingouttwobagsforhimtotake,andaformofreceiptforhissignature。Vautrin’skeenglancecutEugenelikealash。
“Nowyouwillbeabletopayforthosefencinglessonsandgototheshootinggallery。”hesaid。
“Yourshiphascomein。”saidMme。Vauquer,eyeingthebags。
Mlle。Michonneaudidnotdaretolookatthemoney,forfearhereyesshouldbetrayhercupidity。
“Youhaveakindmother。”saidMme。Couture。
“Youhaveakindmother,sir。”echoedPoiret。
“Yes,mammahasbeendraineddry。”saidVautrin,“andnowyoucanhaveyourfling,gointosociety,andfishforheiresses,anddancewithcountesseswhohavepeachblossomintheirhair。Buttakemyadvice,youngman,anddon’tneglectyourpistolpractice。”
Vautrinstruckanattitude,asifhewerefacinganantagonist。
Rastignac,meaningtogivetheporteratip,feltinhispocketsandfoundnothing。Vautrinflungdownafrancpieceonthetable。
“Yourcreditisgood。”heremarked,eyeingthestudent,andRastignacwasforcedtothankhim,though,sincethesharpencounterofwitsatdinnerthatday,afterEugenecameinfromcallingonMme。deBeauseant,hehadmadeuphismindthatVautrinwasinsufferable。Foraweek,infact,theyhadbothkeptsilenceineachother’spresence,andwatchedeachother。Thestudenttriedinvaintoaccounttohimselfforthisattitude。
Anidea,ofcourse,gainsinforcebytheenergywithwhichitisexpressed;itstrikeswherethebrainsendsit,byalawasmathematicallyexactasthelawthatdeterminesthecourseofashellfromamortar。Theamountofimpressionitmakesisnottobedeterminedsoexactly。Sometimes,inanimpressiblenature,theideaworkshavoc,butthereare,noless,naturessorobustlyprotected,thatthissortofprojectilefallsflatandharmlessonskullsoftriplebrass,ascannon-shotagainstsolidmasonry;
thenthereareflaccidandspongy-fibrednaturesintowhichideasfromwithoutsinklikespentbulletsintotheearthworksofaredoubt。Rastignac’sheadwassomethingofthepowder-magazineorder;theleastshocksufficedtobringaboutanexplosion。Hewastooquick,tooyoung,nottobereadilyaccessibletoideas;
andopentothatsubtleinfluenceofthoughtandfeelinginotherswhichcausessomanystrangephenomenathatmakeanimpressionuponusofwhichweareallunconsciousatthetime。
Nothingescapedhismentalvision;hewaslynx-eyed;inhimthementalpowersofperception,whichseemlikeduplicatesofthesenses,hadthemysteriouspowerofswiftprojectionthatastonishesusinintellectsofahighorder——slingerswhoarequicktodetecttheweakspotinanyarmor。
InthepastmonthEugene’sgoodqualitiesanddefectshadrapidlydevelopedwithhischaracter。Intercoursewiththeworldandtheendeavortosatisfyhisgrowingdesireshadbroughtouthisdefects。ButRastignaccamefromtheSouthsideoftheLoire,andhadthegoodqualitiesofhiscountrymen。HehadtheimpetuouscourageoftheSouth,thatrushestotheattackofadifficulty,aswellasthesouthernimpatienceofdelayorsuspense。ThesetraitsareheldtobedefectsintheNorth;theymadethefortuneofMurat,buttheylikewisecutshorthiscareer。ThemoralwouldappeartobethatwhenthedashandboldnessoftheSouthsideoftheLoiremeets,inasoutherntemperament,withtheguileoftheNorth,thecharacteriscomplete,andsuchamanwillgainandkeepthecrownofSweden。
Rastignac,therefore,couldnotstandthefirefromVautrin’sbatteriesforlongwithoutdiscoveringwhetherthiswasafriendorafoe。Hefeltasifthisstrangebeingwasreadinghisinmostsoul,anddissectinghisfeelings,whileVautrinhimselfwassocloseandsecretivethatheseemedtohavesomethingoftheprofoundandunmovedserenityofasphinx,seeingandhearingallthingsandsayingnothing。Eugene,consciousofthatmoneyinhispocket,grewrebellious。
“Besogoodastowaitamoment。”hesaidtoVautrin,asthelatterrose,afterslowlyemptyinghiscoffee-cup,sipbysip。
“Whatfor?“inquiredtheolderman,asheputonhislarge-
brimmedhatandtookupthesword-canethathewaswonttotwirllikeamanwhowillfacethreeorfourfootpadswithoutflinching。
“Iwillrepayyouinaminute。”returnedEugene。Heunsealedoneofthebagsashespoke,countedoutahundredandfortyfrancs,andpushedthemtowardsMme。Vauquer。“Shortreckoningsmakegoodfriends“headded,turningtothewidow;“thatclearsouraccountstilltheendoftheyear。Canyougivemechangeforafive-francpiece?“
“Goodfriendsmakeshortreckonings。”echoedPoiret,withaglanceatVautrin。
“Hereisyourfranc。”saidRastignac,holdingoutthecointothesphinxintheblackwig。
“Anyonemightthinkthatyouwereafraidtoowemeatrifle。”
exclaimedthislatter,withasearchingglancethatseemedtoreadtheyoungman’sinmostthoughts;therewasasatiricalandcynicalsmileonVautrin’sfacesuchasEugenehadseenscoresoftimesalready;everytimehesawit,itexasperatedhimalmostbeyondendurance。
“Well……soIam。”heanswered。Heheldboththebagsinhishand,andhadrisentogouptohisroom。
Vautrinmadeasifheweregoingoutthroughthesitting-room,andthestudentturnedtogothroughtheseconddoorthatopenedintothesquarelobbyatthefootofthestaircase。
“Doyouknow,MonsieurleMarquisdeRastignacorama,thatwhatyouweresayingjustnowwasnotexactlypolite?“Vautrinremarked,asherattledhissword-caneacrossthepanelsofthesitting-roomdoor,andcameuptothestudent。
RastignaclookedcoollyatVautrin,drewhimtothefootofthestaircase,andshutthedining-roomdoor。Theywerestandinginthelittlesquarelobbybetweenthekitchenandthedining-room;
theplacewaslightedbyaniron-barredfanlightaboveadoorthatgaveaccessintothegarden。Sylviecameoutofherkitchen,andEugenechosethatmomenttosay:
MONSIEURVautrin,Iamnotamarquis,andmynameisnotRastignacorama。”
“Theywillfight。”saidMlle。Michonneau,inanindifferenttone。
“Fight!“echoedPoiret。
“Notthey。”repliedMme。Vauquer,lovinglyfingeringherpileofcoins。
“Buttheretheyareunderthelime-trees。”criedMlle。Victorine,whohadrisensothatshemightseeoutintothegarden。“Pooryoungman!hewasintheright,afterall。”
“Wemustgoupstairs,mypet。”saidMme。Couture;“itisnobusinessofours。”
Atthedoor,however,Mme。CoutureandVictorinefoundtheirprogressbarredbytheportlyformofSylviethecook。
“Whatevercanhavehappened?“shesaid。“M。VautrinsaidtoM。
Eugene,’Letushaveanexplanation!’thenhetookhimbythearm,andtheretheyare,outamongtheartichokes。”
Vautrincameinwhileshewasspeaking。“MammaVauquer。”hesaidsmiling,“don’tfrightenyourselfatall。Iamonlygoingtotrymypistolsunderthelime-trees。”
“Oh!monsieur。”criedVictorine,claspingherhandsasshespoke,“whydoyouwanttokillM。Eugene?“
Vautrinsteppedbackapaceortwo,andgazedatVictorine。
“Oh!thisissomethingfresh!“heexclaimedinabanteringtone,thatbroughtthecolorintothepoorgirl’sface。“Thatyoungfellowyonderisverynice,isn’the?“hewenton。“Youhavegivenmeanotion,myprettychild;Iwillmakeyoubothhappy。”
Mme。Couturelaidherhandonthearmofherward,anddrewthegirlaway,asshesaidinherear:
“Why,Victorine,Icannotimaginewhathascomeoveryouthismorning。”
“Idon’twantanyshotsfiredinmygarden。”saidMme。Vauquer。
“Youwillfrightentheneighborhoodandbringthepoliceuphereallinamoment。”
“Come,keepcool,MammaVauquer。”answeredVautrin。“There,there;it’sallright;wewillgototheshooting-gallery。”
HewentbacktoRastignac,layinghishandfamiliarlyontheyoungman’sarm。
“WhenIhavegivenyouoculardemonstrationofthefactthatI
canputabulletthroughtheaceonacardfivetimesrunningatthirty-fivepaces。”hesaid,“thatwon’ttakeawayyourappetite,Isuppose?Youlooktometobeinclinedtobeatriflequarrelsomethismorning,andasifyouwouldrushonyourdeathlikeablockhead。”
“Doyoudrawback?“askedEugene。
“Don’ttrytoraisemytemperature。”answeredVautrin,“itisnotcoldthismorning。Letusgoandsitoverthere。”headded,pointingtothegreen-paintedgardenseats;“noonecanoverhearus。Iwantalittletalkwithyou。Youarenotabadsortofyoungster,andIhavenoquarrelwithyou。Ilikeyou,takeTrump——confoundit!——takeVautrin’swordforit。Whatmakesmelikeyou?Iwilltellyouby-and-by。Meantime,IcantellyouthatIknowyouaswellasifIhadmadeyoumyself,asIwillprovetoyouinaminute。Putdownyourbags。”hecontinued,pointingtotheroundtable。
Rastignacdepositedhismoneyonthetable,andsatdown。Hewasconsumedwithcuriosity,whichthesuddenchangeinthemannerofthemanbeforehimhadexcitedtothehighestpitch。Herewasastrangebeingwho,amomentago,hadtalkedofkillinghim,andnowposedashisprotector。
“YouwouldliketoknowwhoIreallyam,whatIwas,andwhatI
donow。”Vautrinwenton。“Youwanttoknowtoomuch,youngster。
Come!come!keepcool!Youwillhearmoreastonishingthingsthanthat。Ihavehadmymisfortunes。Justhearmeoutfirst,andyoushallhaveyourturnafterwards。Hereismypastinthreewords。
WhoamI?Vautrin。WhatdoIdo?JustwhatIplease。Letuschangethesubject。Youwanttoknowmycharacter。Iamgood-
naturedtothosewhodomeagoodturn,ortothosewhoseheartsspeaktomine。Theselastmaydoanythingtheylikewithme;theymaybruisemyshins,andIshallnottellthemto’mindwhattheyareabout’;but,nomd’unepipe,thedevilhimselfisnotanugliercustomerthanIcanbeifpeopleannoyme,orifIdon’thappentotaketothem;andyoumayjustaswellknowatoncethatIthinknomoreofkillingamanthanofthat。”andhespatbeforehimashespoke。“Onlywhenitisabsolutelynecessarytodoso,Idomybesttokillhimproperly。Iamwhatyoucallanartist。IhavereadBenvenutoCellini’sMemoirs,suchasyouseeme;and,whatismore,inItalian:Afine-spiritedfellowhewas!
FromhimIlearnedtofollowtheexamplesetusbyProvidence,whostrikesusdownatrandom,andtoadmirethebeautifulwheneverandwhereveritisfound。And,settingotherquestionsaside,isitnotagloriousparttoplay,whenyoupityourselfagainstmankind,andtheluckisonyourside?IhavethoughtagooddealabouttheconstitutionofyourpresentsocialDis-
order。Aduelisdownrightchildish,myboy!utternonsenseandfolly!Whenoneoftwolivingmenmustbegotoutoftheway,nonebutanidiotwouldleavechancetodecidewhichitistobe;
andinaduelitisatoss-up——headsortails——andthereyouare!
NowI,forinstance,canhittheaceinthemiddleofacardfivetimesrunning,sendonebulletafteranotherthroughthesamehole,andatthirty-fivepaces,moreover!Withthatlittleaccomplishmentyoumightthinkyourselfcertainofkillingyourman,mightn’tyou。Well,Ihavefired,attwentypaces,andmissed,andtheroguewhohadneverhandledapistolinhislife——
lookhere!“——heunbuttonedhiswaistcoatandexposedhischest,covered,likeabear’sback,withashaggyfell;thestudentgaveastartledshudder——“hewasarawlad,buthemadehismarkonme。”theextraordinarymanwenton,drawingRastignac’sfingersoveradeepscaronhisbreast。ButthathappenedwhenImyselfwasamereboy;Iwasone-and-twentythenyourage,andIhadsomebeliefsleft——inawoman’slove,andinapackofrubbishthatyouwillbeoverheadandearsindirectly。YouandIweretohavefoughtjustnow,weren’twe?Youmighthavekilledme。
SupposethatIwereputundertheearth,wherewouldyoube?Youwouldhavetoclearoutofthis,gotoSwitzerland,drawonpapa’spurse——andhehasnonetoomuchinitasitis。Imeantoopenyoureyestoyourrealposition,thatiswhatIamgoingtodo:butIshalldoitfromthepointofviewofamanwho,afterstudyingtheworldveryclosely,seesthattherearebuttwoalternatives——stupidobedienceorrevolt。Iobeynobody;isthatclear?Now,doyouknowhowmuchyouwillwantatthepaceyouaregoing?Amillion;andpromptly,too,orthatlittleheadofourswillbeswayingtoandfrointhedrag-netsatSaint-Cloud,whilewearegonetofindoutwhetherornothereisaSupremeBeing。Iwillputyouinthewayofthatmillion。”
HestoppedforamomentandlookedatEugene。
“Aha!youdonotlooksosourlyatpapaVautrinnow!Atthementionofthemillionyoulooklikeayounggirlwhensomebodyhassaid,’Iwillcomeforyouthisevening!’andshebetakesherselftohertoiletteasacatlicksitswhiskersoverasaucerofmilk。Allright。Come,now,letusgointothequestion,youngman;allbetweenourselves,youknow。Wehaveapapaandmammadownyonder,agreat-aunt,twosistersagedeighteenandseventeen,twoyoungbrothersonefifteen,andtheotherten,thatisabouttheroll-callofthecrew。Theauntbringsupthetwosisters;thecurecomesandteachestheboysLatin。Boiledchestnutsareofteneronthetablethanwhitebread。Papamakesasuitofclotheslastalongwhile;ifmammahasadifferentdresswinterandsummer,itisaboutasmuchasshehas;thesistersmanageasbesttheycan。Iknowallaboutit;Ihavelivedinthesouth。
“Thatishowthingsareathome。Theysendyoutwelvehundredfrancsayear,andthewholepropertyonlybringsinthreethousandfrancsalltold。Wehaveacookandamanservant;papaisabaron,andwemustkeepupappearances。Thenwehaveourambitions;weareconnectedwiththeBeauseants,andwegoafootthroughthestreets;wewanttoberich,andwehavenotapenny;
weeatMme。Vauquer’smesses,andwelikegranddinnersintheFaubourgSaint-Germain;wesleeponatruckle-bed,anddreamofamansion!Idonotblameyouforwantingthesethings。Whatsortofmendothewomenrunafter?Menofambition。Menofambitionhavestrongerframes,theirbloodisricheriniron,theirheartsarewarmerthanthoseofordinarymen。Womenfeelthatwhentheirpowerisgreatest,theylooktheirbest,andthatthosearetheirhappiesthours;theylikepowerinmen,andpreferthestrongestevenifitisapowerthatmaybetheirowndestruction。Iamgoingtomakeaninventoryofyourdesiresinordertoputthequestionatissuebeforeyou。Hereitis:——
“Weareashungryasawolf,andthosenewly-cutteethofoursaresharp;whatarewetodotokeepthepotboiling?Inthefirstplace,wehavetheCodetobrowseupon;itisnotamusing,andwearenonethewiserforit,butthatcannotbehelped。Sofarsogood。WemeantomakeanadvocateofourselveswithaprospectofonedaybeingmadePresidentofaCourtofAssize,whenweshallsendpoordevils,ourbetters,tothegalleyswithaT。F。*[*Travauxforces。]ontheirshoulders,sothattherichmaybeconvincedthattheycansleepinpeace。Thereisnofuninthat;andyouarealongwhilecomingtoit;for,tobeginwith,therearetwoyearsofnauseousdrudgeryinParis,weseeallthelollipopsthatwelongforoutofourreach。Itistiresometowantthingsandnevertohavethem。Ifyouwereapallidcreatureofthemolluskorder,youwouldhavenothingtofear,butitisdifferentwhenyouhavethehotbloodofalionandarereadytogetintoascoreofscrapeseverydayofyourlife。ThisistheghastliestformoftortureknowninthisinfernoofGod’smaking,andyouwillgiveintoit。Orsupposethatyouareagoodboy,drinknothingstrongerthanmilk,andbemoanyourhardlot;you,withyourgenerousnature,willendurehardshipsthatwoulddriveadogmad,andmakeastart,afterlongwaiting,asdeputytosomerascalorotherinaholeofaplacewheretheGovernmentwillflingyouathousandfrancsayearlikethescrapsthatarethrowntothebutcher’sdog。Barkatthieves,pleadthecauseoftherich,sendmenofhearttotheguillotine,thatisyourwork!
Manythanks!Ifyouhavenoinfluence,youmayrotinyourprovincialtribunal。AtthirtyyouwillbeaJusticewithtwelvehundredfrancsayearifyouhavenotflungoffthegownforgoodbeforethen。Bythetimeyouarefortyyoumaylooktomarryamiller’sdaughter,anheiresswithsomesixthousandlivresayear。Muchobliged!Ifyouhaveinfluence,youmaypossiblybeaPublicProsecutorbythetimeyouarethirty;withasalaryofathousandcrowns,youcouldlooktomarrythemayor’sdaughter。Somepettypieceofpoliticaltrickery,suchasmistakingVilleleforManuelinabulletinthenamesrhyme,andthatquietsyourconscience,andyouwillprobablybeaProcureurGeneralbythetimeyouareforty,withachanceofbecomingadeputy。Pleasetoobserve,mydearboy,thatourconsciencewillhavebeenalittledamagedintheprocess,andthatweshallenduretwentyyearsofdrudgeryandhiddenpoverty,andthatoursistersarewearingDian’slivery。Ihavethehonortocallyourattentiontoanotherfact:towit,thattherearebuttwentyProcureursGenerauxatatimeinallFrance,whiletherearesometwentythousandofyouyoungmenwhoaspiretothatelevatedposition;thattherearesomemountebanksamongyouwhowouldselltheirfamilytoscrewtheirfortunesapeghigher。
Ifthissortofthingsickensyou,tryanothercourse。TheBarondeRastignacthinksofbecominganadvocate,doeshe?There’saniceprospectforyou!Tenyearsofdrudgerystraightaway。Youareobligedtoliveattherateofathousandfrancsamonth;youmusthavealibraryoflawbooks,liveinchambers,gointosociety,godownonyourkneestoaskasolicitorforbriefs,lickthedustoffthefloorofthePalaisdeJustice。Ifthiskindofbusinessledtoanything,Ishouldnotsayno;butjustgivemethenamesoffiveadvocateshereinPariswhobythetimethattheyarefiftyaremakingfiftythousandfrancsayear!Bah!
Iwouldsoonerturnpirateonthehighseasthanhavemysoulshrivelupinsidemelikethat。Howwillyoufindthecapital?
Thereisbutoneway,marryawomanwhohasmoney。Thereisnofuninit。Haveyouamindtomarry?Youhangastonearoundyourneck;forifyoumarryformoney,whatbecomesofourexaltednotionsofhonorandsoforth?Youmightaswellflyinthefaceofsocialconventionsatonce。Isitnothingtocrawllikeaserpentbeforeyourwife,tolickhermother’sfeet,todescendtodirtyactionsthatwouldsickenswine——faugh!——nevermindifyouatleastmakeyourfortune。Butyouwillbeasdolefulasadripstoneifyoumarryformoney。Itisbettertowrestlewithmenthantowrangleathomewithyourwife。Youareatthecrosswayoftheroadsoflife,myboy;chooseyourway。
“Butyouhavechosenalready。YouhavegonetoseeyourcousinofBeauseant,andyouhavehadaninklingofluxury;youhavebeentoMme。deRestaud’shouse,andinFatherGoriot’sdaughteryouhaveseenaglimpseoftheParisienneforthefirsttime。Thatdayyoucamebackwithawordwrittenonyourforehead。Iknewit,Icouldreadit——’SUCCESS!’Yes,successatanyprice。
’Bravo,’saidItomyself,’hereisthesortoffellowforme。’
Youwantedmoney。Wherewasitalltocomefrom?Youhavedrainedyoursisters’littlehoardallbrothersspongemoreorlessontheirsisters。Thosefifteenhundredfrancsofyoursgottogether,Godknowshow!inacountrywheretherearemorechestnutsthanfive-francpieceswillslipawaylikesoldiersafterpillage。And,then,whatwillyoudo?Shallyoubegintowork?Work,orwhatyouunderstandbyworkatthismoment,means,foramanofPoiret’scalibre,anoldageinMammaVauquer’slodging-house。Therearefiftythousandyoungmeninyourpositionatthismoment,allbentasyouareonsolvingoneandthesameproblem——howtoacquireafortunerapidly。Youarebutaunitinthataggregate。Youcanguess,therefore,whateffortsyoumustmake,howdesperatethestruggleis。Therearenotfiftythousandgoodpositionsforyou;youmustfightanddevouroneanotherlikespidersinapot。Doyouknowhowamanmakeshiswayhere?Bybrilliantgeniusorbyskilfulcorruption。Youmusteithercutyourwaythroughthesemassesofmenlikeacannonball,orstealamongthemlikeaplague。Honestyisnothingtothepurpose。Menbowbeforethepowerofgenius;theyhateit,andtrytoslanderit,becausegeniusdoesnotdividethespoil;
butifgeniuspersists,theybowbeforeit。Tosumitallupinaphrase,iftheyfailtosmothergeniusinthemud,theyfallontheirkneesandworshipit。Corruptionisagreatpowerintheworld,andtalentisscarce。Socorruptionistheweaponofsuperfluousmediocrity;youwillbemadetofeelthepointofiteverywhere。Youwillseewomenwhospendmorethantenthousandfrancsayearondress,whiletheirhusband’ssalaryhiswholeincomeissixthousandfrancs。Youwillseeofficialsbuyingestatesontwelvethousandfrancsayear。YouwillseewomenwhosellthemselvesbodyandsoultodriveinacarriagebelongingtothesonofapeerofFrance,whohasarighttodriveinthemiddlerankatLongchamp。YouhaveseenthatpoorsimpletonofaGoriotobligedtomeetabillwithhisdaughter’snameatthebackofit,thoughherhusbandhasfiftythousandfrancsayear。
IdefyyoutowalkacoupleofyardsanywhereinPariswithoutstumblingonsomeinfernalcomplication。I’llbetmyheadtoaheadofthatsaladthatyouwillstirupahornet’snestbytakingafancytothefirstyoung,rich,andprettywomanyoumeet。Theyarealldodgingthelaw,allatloggerheadswiththeirhusbands。IfIweretobegintotellyouallthatvanityornecessityvirtueisnotoftenmixedupinit,youmaybesure,allthatvanityandnecessitydrivethemtodoforlovers,finery,housekeeping,orchildren,Ishouldnevercometoanend。
Soanhonestmanisthecommonenemy。
“Butdoyouknowwhatanhonestmanis?Here,inParis,anhonestmanisthemanwhokeepshisowncounsel,andwillnotdividetheplunder。Iamnotspeakingnowofthosepoorbond-slaveswhodotheworkoftheworldwithoutarewardfortheirtoil——GodAlmighty’soutcasts,Icallthem。Amongthem,Igrantyou,isvirtueinalltheflowerofitsstupidity,butpovertyisnolesstheirportion。Atthismoment,IthinkIseethelongfacesthosegoodfolkwouldpullifGodplayedapracticaljokeonthemandstayedawayattheLastJudgment。
“Well,then,ifyoumeantomakeafortunequickly,youmusteitherberichtobeginwith,ormakepeoplebelievethatyouarerich。Itisnouseplayinghereexceptforhighstakes;oncetaketolowplay,itisallupwithyou。Ifinthescoresofprofessionsthatareopentoyou,therearetenmenwhoriseveryrapidly,peoplearesuretocallthemthieves。Youcandrawyourownconclusions。Suchislife。Itisnocleanerthanakitchen;
itreekslikeakitchen;andifyoumeantocookyourdinner,youmustexpecttosoilyourhands;therealartisingettingthemcleanagain,andthereinliesthewholemoralityofourepoch。IfItakethistoneinspeakingoftheworldtoyou,Ihavetherighttodoso;Iknowitwell。DoyouthinkthatIamblamingit?Farfromit;theworldhasalwaysbeenasitisnow。
Moralists’strictureswillneverchangeit。Mankindarenotperfect,butoneageismoreorlesshypocriticalthananother,andthensimpletonssaythatitsmoralityishighorlow。Idonotthinkthattherichareanyworsethanthepoor;manismuchthesame,highorlow,orwhereverheis。Inamillionofthesehumancattletheremaybehalfascoreofboldspiritswhoriseabovetherest,abovethelaws;Iamoneofthem。Andyou,ifyouareclevererthanyourfellows,makestraighttoyourend,andholdyourheadhigh。Butyoumustlayyouraccountwithenvyandslanderandmediocrity,andeveryman’shandwillbeagainstyou。
NapoleonmetwithaMinisterofWar,Aubrybyname,whoallbutsenthimtothecolonies。
“Feelyourpulse。Thinkwhetheryoucangetupmorningaftermorning,strengthenedinyesterday’spurpose。InthatcaseIwillmakeyouanofferthatnoonewoulddecline。Listenattentively。
Yousee,Ihaveanideaofmyown。Myideaistoliveapatriarchallifeonavastestate,sayahundredthousandacres,somewhereintheSouthernStatesofAmerica。Imeantobeaplanter,tohaveslaves,tomakeafewsnugmillionsbysellingmycattle,timber,andtobacco;Iwanttoliveanabsolutemonarch,andtodojustasIplease;toleadsuchalifeasnoonehereinthesesqualiddensoflathandplastereverimagines。
Iamagreatpoet;Idonotwritemypoems,Ifeelthem,andactthem。AtthismomentIhavefiftythousandfrancs,whichmightpossiblybuyfortynegroes。Iwanttwohundredthousandfrancs,becauseIwanttohavetwohundrednegroestocarryoutmynotionsofthepatriarachallifeproperly。Negroes,yousee,arelikeasortoffamilyreadygrown,andtherearenoinquisitivepublicprosecutorsouttheretointerferewithyou。Thatinvestmentinebonyoughttomeanthreeorfourmillionfrancsintenyears’time。IfIamsuccessful,noonewillaskmewhoI
am。IshallbeMr。FourMillions,anAmericancitizen。Ishallbefiftyyearsoldbythen,andsoundandheartystill;Ishallenjoylifeaftermyownfashion。Intwowords,ifIfindyouanheiresswithamillion,willyougivemetwohundredthousandfrancs?Twentypercentcommission,eh?Isthattoomuch?Yourlittlewifewillbeverymuchinlovewithyou。Oncemarried,youwillshowsignsofuneasinessandremorse;foracoupleofweeksyouwillbedepressed。Then,somenightaftersundrygrimacings,comestheconfession,betweentwokisses,’Twohundredthousandfrancsofdebts,mydarling!’ThissortoffarceisplayedeverydayinParis,andbyyoungmenofthehighestfashion。Whenayoungwifehasgivenherheart,shewillnotrefuseherpurse。
Perhapsyouarethinkingthatyouwilllosethemoneyforgood?
Notyou。Youwillmaketwohundredthousandfrancsagainbysomestrokeofbusiness。Withyourcapitalandyourbrainsyoushouldbeabletoaccumulateaslargeafortuneasyoucouldwish。ERGO,insixmonthsyouwillhavemadeyourownfortune,andouroldfriendVautrin’s,andmadeanamiablewomanveryhappy,tosaynothingofyourpeopleathome,whomustblowontheirfingerstowarmthem,inthewinter,forlackoffirewood。Youneednotbesurprisedatmyproposal,noratthedemandImake。Forty-sevenoutofeverysixtygreatmatcheshereinParisaremadeafterjustsuchabargainasthis。TheChamberofNotariescompelsmygentlemanto——“
“WhatmustIdo?“saidRastignac,eagerlyinterruptingVautrin’sspeech。
“Nexttonothing。”returnedtheother,withaslightinvoluntarymovement,thesuppressedexultationoftheanglerwhenhefeelsabiteattheendofhisline。“Followmecarefully!Theheartofagirlwhoselifeiswretchedandunhappyisaspongethatwillthirstilyabsorblove;adryspongethatswellsatthefirstdropofsentiment。Ifyoupaycourttoayounggirlwhoseexistenceisacompoundofloneliness,despair,andpoverty,andwhohasnosuspicionthatshewillcomeintoafortune,goodLord!itisquintandquatorzeatpiquet;itisknowingthenumbersofthelotterybefore-hand;itisspeculatinginthefundswhenyouhavenewsfromasuresource;itisbuildingupamarriageonanindestructiblefoundation。Thegirlmaycomeinformillions,andshewillflingthem,asiftheyweresomanypebbles,atyourfeet。’Takeit,mybeloved!Takeit,Alfred,Adolphe,Eugene!’orwhoeveritwasthatshowedhissensebysacrificinghimselfforher。Andasforsacrificinghimself,thisishowIunderstandit。
Yousellacoatthatisgettingshabby,sothatyoucantakehertotheCadranbleu,treathertomushroomsontoast,andthengototheAmbigu-Comiqueintheevening;youpawnyourwatchtobuyherashawl。Ineednotremindyouofthefiddle-faddlesentimentalitythatgoesdownsowellwithallwomen;youspillafewdropsofwateronyourstationery,forinstance;thosearethetearsyoushedwhilefarawayfromher。Youlooktomeasifyouwereperfectlyacquaintedwiththeargotoftheheart。Paris,yousee,islikeaforestintheNewWorld,whereyouhavetodealwithascoreofvarietiesofsavages——IllinoisandHurons,wholiveontheproceedoftheirsocialhunting。Youareahunterofmillions;yousetyoursnares;youuseluresandnets;therearemanywaysofhunting。Somehuntheiresses,othersalegacy;
somefishforsouls,yetothersselltheirclients,boundhandandfoot。Everyonewhocomesbackfromthechasewithhisgame-
bagwellfilledmeetswithawarmwelcomeingoodsociety。Injusticetothishospitablepartoftheworld,itmustbesaidthatyouhavetodowiththemosteasyandgood-naturedofgreatcities。IftheproudaristocraciesoftherestofEuroperefuseadmittanceamongtheirrankstoadisreputablemillionaire,Parisstretchesoutahandtohim,goestohisbanquets,eatshisdinners,andhobnobswithhisinfamy。”
“Butwhereissuchagirltobefound?“askedEugene。
“Underyoureyes;sheisyoursalready。”
“Mlle。Victorine?“
“Precisely。”
“Andwhatwasthatyousaid?“
“Sheisinlovewithyoualready,yourlittleBaronnedeRastignac!“
“Shehasnotapenny。”Eugenecontinued,muchmystified。
“Ah!nowwearecomingtoit!Justanotherwordortwo,anditwillallbeclearenough。Herfather,Taillefer,isanoldscoundrel;itissaidthathemurderedoneofhisfriendsatthetimeoftheRevolution。Heisoneofyourcomediansthatsetsuptohaveopinionsofhisown。Heisabanker——seniorpartnerinthehouseofFredericTailleferandCompany。Hehasoneson,andmeanstoleaveallhehastotheboy,totheprejudiceofVictorine。Formypart,Idon’tliketoseeinjusticeofthissort。IamlikeDonQuixote,Ihaveafancyfordefendingtheweakagainstthestrong。IfitshouldpleaseGodtotakethatyouthawayfromhim,Tailleferwouldhaveonlyhisdaughterleft;
hewouldwanttoleavehismoneytosomeoneorother;anabsurdnotion,butitisonlyhumannature,andheisnotlikelytohaveanymorechildren,asIknow。Victorineisgentleandamiable;
shewillsoontwistherfatherroundherfingers,andsethisheadspinninglikeaGermantopbyplyinghimwithsentiment!Shewillbetoomuchtouchedbyyourdevotiontoforgetyou;youwillmarryher。ImeantoplayProvidenceforyou,andProvidenceistodomywill。IhaveafriendwhomIhaveattachedcloselytomyself,acolonelintheArmyoftheLoire,whohasjustbeentransferredintothegarderoyale。Hehastakenmyadviceandturnedultra-royalist;heisnotoneofthosefoolswhoneverchangetheiropinions。Ofallpiecesofadvice,mycherub,I
wouldgiveyouthis——don’tsticktoyouropinionsanymorethantoyourwords。Ifanyoneasksyouforthem,lethimhavethem——
ataprice。Amanwhoprideshimselfongoinginastraightlinethroughlifeisanidiotwhobelievesininfallibility。Therearenosuchthingsasprinciples;thereareonlyevents,andtherearenolawsbutthoseofexpediency:amanoftalentacceptseventsandthecircumstancesinwhichhefindshimself,andturnseverythingtohisownends。Iflawsandprincipleswerefixedandinvariable,nationswouldnotchangethemasreadilyaswechangeourshirts。Theindividualisnotobligedtobemoreparticularthanthenation。AmanwhoseservicestoFrancehavebeenoftheveryslightestisafetichlookedonwithsuperstitiousawebecausehehasalwaysseeneverythinginred;butheisgood,atthemost,tobeputintotheMuseumofArtsandCrafts,amongtheautomaticmachines,andlabeledLaFayette;whiletheprinceatwhomeverybodyflingsastone,themanwhodespiseshumanitysomuchthathespitsasmanyoathsasheisaskedforinthefaceofhumanity,savedFrancefrombeingtorninpiecesattheCongressofVienna;andtheywhoshouldhavegivenhimlaurelsflingmudathim。Oh!Iknowsomethingofaffairs,Icantellyou;Ihavethesecretsofmanymen!Enough。WhenIfindthreemindsinagreementastotheapplicationofaprinciple,Ishallhaveafixedandimmovableopinion——Ishallhavetowaitalongwhilefirst。IntheTribunalsyouwillnotfindthreejudgesofthesameopiniononasinglepointoflaw。ToreturntothemanI
wastellingyouof。HewouldcrucifyJesusChristagain,ifI
badehim。AtawordfromhisoldchumVautrinhewillpickaquarrelwithascampthatwillnotsendsomuchasfivefrancstohissister,poorgirl,and“hereVautrinrosetohisfeetandstoodlikeafencing-masterabouttolunge——“turnhimoffintothedark!“headded。
“Howfrightful!“saidEugene。“Youdonotreallymeanit?M。
Vautrin,youarejoking!“
“There!there!Keepcool!“saidtheother。“Don’tbehavelikeababy。Butifyoufindanyamusementinit,beindignant,flareup!SaythatIamascoundrel,arascal,arogue,abandit;butdonotcallmeablacklegnoraspy!There,outwithit,fireaway!Iforgiveyou;itisquitenaturalatyourage。Iwaslikethatmyselfonce。Onlyrememberthis,youwilldoworsethingsyourselfsomeday。Youwillflirtwithsomeprettywomanandtakehermoney。Youhavethoughtofthat,ofcourse。”saidVautrin,“forhowareyoutosucceedunlessloveislaidundercontribution?Therearenotwowaysaboutvirtue,mydearstudent;iteitheris,oritisnot。Talkofdoingpenanceforyoursins!Itisanicesystemofbusiness,whenyoupayforyourcrimebyanactofcontrition!Youseduceawomanthatyoumaysetyourfootonsuchandsucharungofthesocialladder;yousowdissensionamongthechildrenofafamily;youdescend,inshort,toeverybaseactionthatcanbecommittedathomeorabroad,togainyourownendsforyourownpleasureoryourprofit;andcanyouimaginethattheseareactsoffaith,hope,orcharity?Howisitthatadandy,whoinanighthasrobbedaboyofhalfhisfortune,getsonlyacoupleofmonthsinprison;
whileapoordevilwhostealsabanknoteforathousandfrancs,withaggravatingcircumstances,iscondemnedtopenalservitude?
Thoseareyourlaws。Notasingleprovisionbutlandsyouinsomeabsurdity。Thatmanwithyellowglovesandagoldentonguecommitsmanyamurder;heshedsnoblood,buthedrainshisvictim’sveinsassurely;adesperadoforcesopenadoorwithacrowbar,darkdeedsbothofthem!YouyourselfwilldoeveryoneofthosethingsthatIsuggesttoyouto-day,barthebloodshed。
Doyoubelievethatthereisanyabsolutestandardinthisworld?
DespisemankindandfindoutthemeshesthatyoucanslipthroughinthenetoftheCode。Thesecretofagreatsuccessforwhichyouareatalosstoaccountisacrimethathasneverbeenfoundout,becauseitwasproperlyexecuted。”
“Silence,sir!Iwillnothearanymore;youmakemedoubtmyself。Atthismomentmysentimentsareallmyscience。”
“Justasyouplease,myfinefellow;Ididthinkyouweresoweak-minded。”saidVautrin,“Ishallsaynomoreaboutit。Onelastword,however。”andhelookedhardatthestudent——“youhavemysecret。”hesaid。
“Ayoungmanwhorefusesyourofferknowsthathemustforgetit。”
“Quiteright,quiteright;Iamgladtohearyousayso。Somebodyelsemightnotbesoscrupulous,yousee。KeepinmindwhatI
wanttodoforyou。Iwillgiveyouafortnight。Theofferisstillopen。”
“Whataheadofironthemanhas!“saidEugenetohimself,ashewatchedVautrinwalkunconcernedlyawaywithhiscaneunderhisarm。“YetMme。deBeauseantsaidasmuchmoregracefully;hehasonlystatedthecaseincruderlanguage。Hewouldtearmyheartwithclawsofsteel。WhatmademethinkofgoingtoMme。deNucingen?HeguessedmymotivesbeforeIknewthemmyself。Tosumitup,thatoutlawhastoldmemoreaboutvirtuethanallIhavelearnedfrommenandbooks。Ifvirtueadmitsofnocompromises,I
havecertainlyrobbedmysisters。”hesaid,throwingdownthebagsonthetable。
Hesatdownagainandfell,unconsciousofhissurroundings,intodeepthought。
“Tobefaithfultoanidealofvirtue!Aheroicmartyrdom!Pshaw!
everyonebelievesinvirtue,butwhoisvirtuous?NationshavemadeanidolofLiberty,butwhatnationonthefaceoftheearthisfree?Myyouthisstilllikeablueandcloudlesssky。IfI
setmyselftoobtainwealthorpower,doesitmeanthatImustmakeupmymindtolie,andfawn,andcringe,andswagger,andflatter,anddissemble?Toconsenttobetheservantofotherswhohavelikewisefawned,andlied,andflattered?MustIcringetothembeforeIcanhopetobetheiraccomplice?Well,then,I
decline。Imeantoworknoblyandwithasingleheart。Iwillworkdayandnight;Iwillowemyfortunetonothingbutmyownexertions。Itmaybetheslowestofallroadstosuccess,butI
shalllaymyheadonthepillowatnightuntroubledbyevilthoughts。Isthereagreaterthingthanthis——tolookbackoveryourlifeandknowthatitisstainlessasalily?Iandmylifearelikeayoungmanandhisbetrothed。Vautrinhasputbeforemeallthatcomesaftertenyearsofmarriage。Thedevil!myheadisswimming。Idonotwanttothinkatall;theheartisasureguide。”
EugenewasrousedfromhismusingsbythevoiceofthestoutSylvie,whoannouncedthatthetailorhadcome,andEugenethereforemadehisappearancebeforethemanwiththetwomoneybags,andwasnotillpleasedthatitshouldbeso。Whenhehadtriedonhisdresssuit,heputonhisnewmorningcostume,whichcompletelymetamorphosedhim。
“IamquiteequaltoM。deTrailles。”hesaidtohimself。“Inshort,Ilooklikeagentleman。”
“Youaskedme,sir,ifIknewthehouseswhereMme。deNucingengoes。”FatherGoriot’svoicespokefromthedoorwayofEugene’sroom。”
“Yes。”
“Verywellthen,sheisgoingtotheMarechaleCarigliano’sballonMonday。Ifyoucanmanagetobethere,Ishallhearfromyouwhethermytwogirlsenjoyedthemselves,andhowtheyweredressed,andallaboutitinfact。”
“Howdidyoufindthatout,mygoodGoriot?“saidEugene,puttingachairbythefireforhisvisitor。
“Hermaidtoldme。IhearallabouttheirdoingsfromThereseandConstance。”headdedgleefully。
Theoldmanlookedlikealoverwhoisstillyoungenoughtobemadehappybythediscoveryofsomelittlestratagemwhichbringshiminformationofhislady-lovewithoutherknowledge。
“YOUwillseethemboth!“hesaid,givingartlessexpressiontoapangofjealousy。
“Idonotknow。”answeredEugene。“IwillgotoMme。deBeauseantandaskherforanintroductiontotheMarechale。”
EugenefeltathrillofpleasureatthethoughtofappearingbeforetheVicomtesse,dressedashenceforwardhealwaysmeanttobe。The“abyssesofthehumanheart。”inthemoralists’phrase,areonlyinsidiousthoughts,involuntarypromptingsofpersonalinterest。Theinstinctofenjoymentturnsthescale;thoserapidchangesofpurposewhichhavefurnishedthetextforsomuchrhetoricarecalculationspromptedbythehopeofpleasure。
Rastignacbeholdinghimselfwelldressedandimpeccableastoglovesandboots,forgothisvirtuousresolutions。Youth,moreover,whenbentuponwrongdoingdoesnotdaretobeholdhimselfinthemirrorofconsciousness;matureagehasseenitself;andthereinliesthewholedifferencebetweenthesetwophasesoflife。
AfriendshipbetweenEugeneandhisneighbor,FatherGoriot,hadbeengrowingupforseveraldayspast。ThissecretfriendshipandtheantipathythatthestudenthadbeguntoentertainforVautrinarosefromthesamepsychologicalcauses。Theboldphilosopherwhoshallinvestigatetheeffectsofmentalactionuponthephysicalworldwilldoubtlessfindmorethanoneproofofthematerialnatureofoursentimentsinotheranimals。Whatphysiognomistisasquicktodiscerncharacterasadogistodiscoverfromastranger’sfacewhetherthisisafriendorno?
Thoseby-words——“atoms。”“affinities“——arefactssurvivinginmodernlanguagesfortheconfusionofphilosophicwiseacreswhoamusethemselvesbywinnowingthechaffoflanguagetofinditsgrammaticalroots。WeFEELthatweareloved。Oursentimentsmakethemselvesfeltineverything,evenatagreatdistance。Aletterisalivingsoul,andsofaithfulanechoofthevoicethatspeaksinit,thatfinernatureslookuponaletterasoneoflove’smostprecioustreasures。FatherGoriot’saffectionwasoftheinstinctiveorder,acanineaffectionraisedtoasublimepitch;hehadscentedcompassionintheair,andthekindlyrespectandyouthfulsympathyinthestudent’sheart。Thisfriendshiphad,however,scarcelyreachedthestageatwhichconfidencesaremade。ThoughEugenehadspokenofhiswishtomeetMme。deNucingen,itwasnotbecausehecountedontheoldmantointroducehimtoherhouse,forhehopedthathisownaudacitymightstandhimingoodstead。AllthatFatherGoriothadsaidasyetabouthisdaughtershadreferredtotheremarksthatthestudenthadmadesofreelyinpubliconthatdayofthetwovisits。
“HowcouldyouthinkthatMme。deRestaudboreyouagrudgeformentioningmyname?“hehadsaidonthedayfollowingthatsceneatdinner。“Mydaughtersareveryfondofme;Iamahappyfather;butmysons-in-lawhavebehavedbadlytome,andratherthanmaketroublebetweenmydarlingsandtheirhusbands,I
choosetoseemydaughterssecretly。Fatherswhocanseetheirdaughtersatanytimehavenoideaofallthepleasurethatallthismysterygivesme;IcannotalwaysseeminewhenIwish,doyouunderstand?SowhenitisfineIwalkoutintheChamps-
Elysees,afterfindingoutfromtheirwaiting-maidswhethermydaughtersmeantogoout。Iwaitneartheentrance;myheartbeatsfastwhenthecarriagesbegintocome;Iadmirethemintheirdresses,andastheypasstheygivemealittlesmile,anditseemsasifeverythingwaslightedupformebyarayofbrightsunlight。Iwait,fortheyalwaysgobackthesameway,andthenIseethemagain;thefreshairhasdonethemgoodandbroughtcolorintotheircheeks;allaboutmepeoplesay,’Whatabeautifulwomanthatis!’anditdoesmyheartgoodtohearthem。
“Aretheynotmyownfleshandblood?Ilovetheveryhorsesthatdrawthem;Ienvythelittlelap-dogontheirknees。Theirhappinessismylife。Everyonelovesafterhisownfashion,andminedoesnooneanyharm;whyshouldpeopletroubletheirheadsaboutme?Iamhappyinmyownway。Isthereanylawagainstgoingtoseemygirlsintheeveningwhentheyaregoingouttoaball?AndwhatadisappointmentitiswhenIgettheretoolate,andamtoldthat’Madamehasgoneout!’OnceIwaitedtillthreeo’clockinthemorningforNasie;Ihadnotseenherfortwowholedays。Iwassopleased,thatitwasalmosttoomuchforme!
Pleasedonotspeakofmeunlessitistosayhowgoodmydaughtersaretome。Theyarealwayswantingtoheappresentsuponme,butIwillnothaveit。’Justkeepyourmoney,’Itellthem。’WhatshouldIdowithit?Iwantnothing。’AndwhatamI,sir,afterall?Anoldcarcase,whosesoulisalwayswheremydaughtersare。WhenyouhaveseenMme。deNucingen,tellmewhichyoulikethemost。”saidtheoldmanafteramoment’spause,whileEugeneputthelasttouchestohistoilette。ThestudentwasabouttogoouttowalkintheGardenoftheTuileriesuntilthehourwhenhecouldventuretoappearinMme。deBeauseant’sdrawing-room。
Thatwalkwasaturning-pointinEugene’scareer。Severalwomennoticedhim;helookedsohandsome,soyoung,andsowelldressed。Thisalmostadmiringattentiongaveanewturntohisthoughts。Heforgothissistersandtheauntwhohadrobbedherselfforhim;henolongerrememberedhisownvirtuousscruples。Hehadseenhoveringabovehisheadthefiendsoeasytomistakeforanangel,theDevilwithrainbowwings,whoscattersrubies,andaimshisgoldenshaftsatpalacefronts,whoinvestswomenwithpurple,andthroneswithaglorythatdazzlestheeyesoffoolstilltheyforgetthesimpleoriginsofroyaldominion;hehadheardtherustleofthatVanitywhosetinselseemstoustobethesymbolofpower。HowevercynicalVautrin’swordshadbeen,theyhadmadeanimpressiononhismind,asthesordidfeaturesoftheoldcronewhowhispers,“Alover,andgoldintorrents。”remainengravenonayounggirl’smemory。
Eugeneloungedaboutthewalkstillitwasnearlyfiveo’clock,thenhewenttoMme。deBeauseant,andreceivedoneoftheterribleblowsagainstwhichyoungheartsaredefenceless。
HithertotheVicomtessehadreceivedhimwiththekindlyurbanity,theblandgraceofmannerthatistheresultoffinebreeding,butisonlycompletewhenitcomesfromtheheart。
TodayMme。deBeauseantbowedconstrainedly,andspokecurtly:
“M。deRastignac,Icannotpossiblyseeyou,atleastnotatthismoment。Iamengaged……”
Anobserver,andRastignacinstantlybecameanobserver,couldreadthewholehistory,thecharacterandcustomsofcaste,inthephrase,inthetonesofhervoice,inherglanceandbearing。
Hecaughtaglimpseoftheironhandbeneaththevelvetglove——
thepersonality,theegoismbeneaththemanner,thewoodbeneaththevarnish。Inshort,heheardthatunmistakableITHEKINGthatissuesfromtheplumedcanopyofthethrone,andfindsitslastechounderthecrestofthesimplestgentleman。
Eugenehadtrustedtooimplicitlytothegenerosityofawoman;
hecouldnotbelieveinherhaughtiness。Likealltheunfortunate,hehadsubscribed,inallgoodfaith,thegenerouscompactwhichshouldbindthebenefactortotherecipient,andthefirstarticleinthatbond,betweentwolarge-heartednatures,isaperfectequality。Thekindnesswhichknitstwosoulstogetherisasrare,asdivine,andaslittleunderstoodasthepassionoflove,forbothloveandkindnessarethelavishgenerosityofnoblenatures。RastignacwassetupongoingtotheDuchessedeCarigliano’sball,soheswalloweddownthisrebuff。
“Madame。”hefalteredout,“Iwouldnothavecometotroubleyouaboutatriflingmatter;besokindastopermitmetoseeyoulater,Icanwait。”
“Verywell,comeanddinewithme。”shesaid,alittleconfusedbytheharshwayinwhichshehadspoken,forthisladywasasgenuinelykind-heartedasshewashigh-born。
Eugenewastouchedbythissuddenrelenting,butnonethelesshesaidtohimselfashewentaway,“Crawlinthedust,putupwitheverykindoftreatment。Whatmusttherestoftheworldbelikewhenoneofthekindestofwomenforgetsallherpromisesofbefriendingmeinamoment,andtossesmeasidelikeanoldshoe?
Soitiseveryoneforhimself?Itistruethatherhouseisnotashop,andIhaveputmyselfinthewrongbyneedingherhelp。
Youshouldcutyourwaythroughtheworldlikeacannonball,asVautrinsaid。”
Butthestudent’sbitterthoughtsweresoondissipatedbythepleasurewhichhepromisedhimselfinthisdinnerwiththeVicomtesse。Fateseemedtodeterminethatthesmallestaccidentsinhislifeshouldcombinetourgehimintoacareer,whichtheterriblesphinxoftheMaisonVauquerhaddescribedasafieldofbattlewhereyoumusteitherslayorbeslain,andcheattoavoidbeingcheated。Youleaveyourconscienceandyourheartatthebarriers,andwearamaskonenteringintothisgameofgrimearnest,where,asinancientSparta,youmustsnatchyourprizewithoutbeingdetectedifyouwoulddeservethecrown。
OnhisreturnhefoundtheVicomtessegraciousandkindly,asshehadalwaysbeentohim。Theywenttogethertothedining-room,wheretheVicomtewaswaitingforhiswife。InthetimeoftheRestorationtheluxuryofthetablewascarried,asiswellknown,tothehighestdegree,andM。deBeauseant,likemanyjadedmenoftheworld,hadfewpleasuresleftbutthoseofgoodcheer;inthismatter,infact,hewasagourmandoftheschoolsofLouisXVIII。andoftheDucd’Escars,andluxurywassupplementedbysplendor。Eugene,diningforthefirsttimeinahousewherethetraditionsofgrandeurhaddescendedthroughmanygenerations,hadneverseenanyspectaclelikethisthatnowmethiseyes。InthetimeoftheEmpire,ballshadalwaysendedwithasupper,becausetheofficerswhotookpartinthemmustbefortifiedforimmediateservice,andeveninParismightbecalledupontoleavetheballroomforthebattlefield。ThisarrangementhadgoneoutoffashionundertheMonarchy,andEugenehadsofaronlybeenaskedtodances。Theself-possessionwhichpre-eminentlydistinguishedhiminlaterlifealreadystoodhimingoodstead,andhedidnotbetrayhisamazement。Yetashesawforthefirsttimethefinelywroughtsilverplate,thecompletenessofeverydetail,thesumptuousdinner,noiselesslyserved,itwasdifficultforsuchanardentimaginationnottopreferthislifeofstudiedandrefinedluxurytothehardshipsofthelifewhichhehadchosenonlythatmorning。
Histhoughtswentbackforamomenttothelodging-house,andwithafeelingofprofoundloathing,hevowedtohimselfthatatNewYearhewouldgo;promptedatleastasmuchbyadesiretoliveamongcleanersurroundingsasbyawishtoshakeoffVautrin,whosehugehandheseemedtofeelonhisshoulderatthatmoment。Whenyouconsiderthenumberlessforms,clamorousormute,thatcorruptiontakesinParis,common-sensebeginstowonderwhatmentalaberrationpromptedtheStatetoestablishgreatcollegesandschoolsthere,andassembleyoungmeninthecapital;howitisthatprettywomenarerespected,orthatthegoldcoindisplayedinthemoney-changer’swoodensaucersdoesnottaketoitselfwingsinthetwinklingofaneye;andwhenyoucometothinkfurther,howcomparativelyfewcasesofcrimethereare,andtocountupthemisdemeanorscommittedbyyouth,istherenotacertainamountofrespectduetothesepatientTantaluseswhowrestlewiththemselvesandnearlyalwayscomeoffvictorious?ThestrugglesofthepoorstudentinParis,ifskilfullydrawn,wouldfurnishamostdramaticpictureofmoderncivilization。
InvainMme。deBeauseantlookedatEugeneasifaskinghimtospeak;thestudentwastongue-tiedintheVicomte’spresence。
“AreyougoingtotakemetotheItaliensthisevening?“theVicomtesseaskedherhusband。
“YoucannotdoubtthatIshouldobeyyouwithpleasure。”heanswered,andtherewasasarcastictingeinhispolitenesswhichEugenedidnotdetect,“butIoughttogotomeetsomeoneattheVarietes。”
“Hismistress。”saidshetoherself。
“Then,isnotAjudacomingforyouthisevening?“inquiredtheVicomte。
“No。”sheanswered,petulantly。
“Verywell,then,ifyoureallymusthaveanarm,takethatofM。
deRastignac。”
TheVicomtessturnedtoEugenewithasmile。
“Thatwouldbeaverycompromisingstepforyou。”shesaid。
“’AFrenchmanlovesdanger,becauseindangerthereisglory,’
toquoteM。deChateaubriand。”saidRastignac,withabow。
AfewmomentslaterhewassittingbesideMme。deBeauseantinabrougham,thatwhirledthemthroughthestreetsofParistoafashionabletheatre。Itseemedtohimthatsomefairymagichadsuddenlytransportedhimintoaboxfacingthestage。Allthelorgnettesofthehousewerepointedathimasheentered,andattheVicomtesseinhercharmingtoilette。Hewentfromenchantmenttoenchantment。
“Youmusttalktome,youknow。”saidMme。deBeauseant。“Ah!
look!ThereisMme。deNucingeninthethirdboxfromours。HersisterandM。deTraillesareontheotherside。”
TheVicomtesseglancedasshespokeattheboxwhereMlle。deRochefideshouldhavebeen;M。d’Ajudawasnotthere,andMme。deBeauseant’sfacelightedupinamarvelousway。
“Sheischarming。”saidEugene,afterlookingatMme。deNucingen。
“Shehaswhiteeyelashes。”
“Yes,butshehassuchaprettyslenderfigure!“
“Herhandsarelarge。”
“Suchbeautifuleyes!“
“Herfaceislong。”
“Yes,butlengthgivesdistinction。”
“Itisluckyforherthatshehassomedistinctioninherface。
Justseehowshefidgetswithheropera-glass!TheGoriotbloodshowsitselfineverymovement。”saidtheVicomtesse,muchtoEugene’sastonishment。
Indeed,Mme。deBeauseantseemedtobeengagedinmakingasurveyofthehouse,andtobeunconsciousofMme。Nucingen’sexistence;
butnomovementmadebythelatterwaslostupontheVicomtesse。
ThehousewasfulloftheloveliestwomeninParis,sothatDelphinedeNucingenwasnotalittleflatteredtoreceivetheundividedattentionofMme。deBeauseant’syoung,handsome,andwell-dressedcousin,whoseemedtohavenoeyesforanyoneelse。
“Ifyoulookathersopersistently,youwillmakepeopletalk,M。deRastignac。Youwillneversucceedifyouflingyourselfatanyone’sheadlikethat。”
“Mydearcousin。”saidEugene,“youhaveprotectedmeindeedsofar,andnowifyouwouldcompleteyourwork,Ionlyaskofyouafavorwhichwillcostyoubutlittle,andbeofverygreatservicetome。Ihavelostmyheart。”
“Already!“
“Yes。”
“Andtothatwoman!“
“HowcouldIaspiretofindanyoneelsetolistentome?“heasked,withakeenglanceathiscousin。“HerGracetheDuchessedeCariglianoisafriendoftheDuchessedeBerri。”hewenton,afterapause;“youaresuretoseeher,willyoubesokindastopresentmetoher,andtotakemetoherballonMonday?I
shallmeetMme。deNucingenthere,andenterintomyfirstskirmish。”
“Willingly。”shesaid。“Ifyouhavealikingforheralready,youraffairsoftheheartareliketoprosper。ThatisdeMarsayoverthereinthePrincesseGalathionne’sbox。Mme。deNucingenisrackedwithjealousy。Thereisnobettertimeforapproachingawoman,especiallyifshehappenstobeabanker’swife。AllthoseladiesoftheChaussee-d’Antinloverevenge。”
“Then,whatwouldyoudoyourselfinsuchacase?“
“Ishouldsufferinsilence。”
AtthispointtheMarquisd’AjudaappearedinMme。deBeauseant’sbox。
“Ihavemadeamuddleofmyaffairstocometoyou。”hesaid,“andIamtellingyouaboutit,sothatitmaynotbeasacrifice。”
EugenesawtheglowofjoyontheVicomtesse’sface,andknewthatthiswaslove,andlearnedthedifferencebetweenloveandtheaffectationsofParisiancoquetry。Headmiredhiscousin,grewmute,andyieldedhisplacetoM。d’Ajudawithasigh。
“Hownoble,howsublimeawomaniswhensheloveslikethat!“hesaidtohimself。“AndHEcouldforsakeherforadoll!Oh!howcouldanyoneforsakeher?“
Therewasaboy’spassionateindignationinhisheart。HecouldhaveflunghimselfatMme。deBeauseant’sfeet;helongedforthepowerofthedevilifhecouldsnatchherawayandhideherinhisheart,asaneaglesnatchesupsomewhiteyeanlingfromtheplainsandbearsittoitseyrie。Itwashumiliatingtohimtothinkthatinallthisgalleryoffairpictureshehadnotonepictureofhisown。“Tohaveamistressandanalmostroyalpositionisasignofpower。”hesaidtohimself。AndhelookedatMme。deNucingenasamanmeasuresanotherwhohasinsultedhim。
TheVicomtesseturnedtohim,andtheexpressionofhereyesthankedhimathousandtimesforhisdiscretion。Thefirstactcametoanendjustthen。
“DoyouknowMme。deNucingenwellenoughtopresentM。deRastignactoher?“sheaskedoftheMarquisd’Ajuda。
“Shewillbedelighted。”saidtheMarquis。ThehandsomePortugueseroseashespokeandtookthestudent’sarm,andinanothermomentEugenefoundhimselfinMme。deNucingen’sbox。
“Madame。”saidtheMarquis,“IhavethehonorofpresentingtoyoutheChevalierEugenedeRastignac;heisacousinofMme。deBeauseant’s。Youhavemadesodeepanimpressionuponhim,thatI
thoughtIwouldfillupthemeasureofhishappinessbybringinghimnearertohisdivinity。”
Wordsspokenhalfjestinglytocovertheirsomewhatdisrespectfulimport;butsuchanimplication,ifcarefullydisguised,nevergivesoffencetoawoman。Mme。deNucingensmiled,andofferedEugenetheplacewhichherhusbandhadjustleft。
“Idonotventuretosuggestthatyoushouldstaywithme,monsieur。”shesaid。“ThosewhoaresofortunateastobeinMme。
deBeauseant’scompanydonotdesiretoleaveit。”
“Madame。”Eugenesaid,loweringhisvoice,“IthinkthattopleasemycousinIshouldremainwithyou。BeforemylordMarquiscamewewerespeakingofyouandofyourexceedinglydistinguishedappearance。”headdedaloud。
M。d’Ajudaturnedandleftthem。
“Areyoureallygoingtostaywithme,monsieur?“askedtheBaroness。“Thenweshallmakeeachother’sacquaintance。Mme。deRestaudtoldmeaboutyou,andhasmademeanxioustomeetyou。”
“Shemustbeveryinsincere,then,forshehasshutherdooronme。”
“What?“
“Madame,Iwilltellyouhonestlythereasonwhy;butImustcraveyourindulgencebeforeconfidingsuchasecrettoyou。Iamyourfather’sneighbor;IhadnoideathatMme。deRestaudwashisdaughter。Iwasrashenoughtomentionhisname;Imeantnoharm,butIannoyedyoursisterandherhusbandverymuch。YoucannotthinkhowseverelytheDuchessedeLangeaisandmycousinblamedthisapostasyonadaughter’spart,asapieceofbadtaste。Itoldthemallaboutit,andtheybothburstoutlaughing。ThenMme。deBeauseantmadesomecomparisonbetweenyouandyoursister,speakinginhightermsofyou,andsayinghowveryfondyouwereofmyneighbor,M。Goriot。And,indeed,howcouldyouhelplovinghim?HeadoresyousopassionatelythatI
amjealousalready。Wetalkedaboutyouthismorningfortwohours。SothiseveningIwasquitefullofallthatyourfatherhadtoldme,andwhileIwasdiningwithmycousinIsaidthatyoucouldnotbeasbeautifulasaffectionate。Mme。deBeauseantmeanttogratifysuchwarmadmiration,Ithink,whenshebroughtmehere,tellingme,inhergraciousway,thatIshouldseeyou。”
“Then,evennow,Ioweyouadebtofgratitude,monsieur。”saidthebanker’swife。“Weshallbequiteoldfriendsinalittlewhile。”
“Althoughafriendshipwithyoucouldnotbelikeanordinaryfriendship。”saidRastignac;“Ishouldneverwishtobeyourfriend。”
Suchstereotypedphrasesasthese,inthemouthsofbeginners,possessanunfailingcharmforwomen,andareinsipidonlywhenreadcoldly;forayoungman’stone,glanceandattitudegiveasurpassingeloquencetothebanalphrases。Mme。deNucingenthoughtthatRastignacwasadorable。Then,woman-like,beingatalosshowtoreplytothestudent’soutspokenadmiration,sheansweredapreviousremark。
“Yes,itisverywrongofmysistertotreatourpoorfatherasshedoes。”shesaid;“hehasbeenaProvidencetous。ItwasnotuntilM。deNucingenpositivelyorderedmeonlytoreceivehiminthemorningsthatIyieldedthepoint。ButIhavebeenunhappyaboutitforalongwhile;Ihaveshedmanytearsoverit。Thisviolencetomyfeelings,withmyhusband’sbrutaltreatment,havebeentwocausesofmyunhappymarriedlife。ThereiscertainlynowomaninPariswhoselotseemsmoreenviablethanmine,andyet,inreality,thereisnotonesomuchtobepitied。YouwillthinkImustbeoutofmysensestotalktoyoulikethis;butyouknowmyfather,andIcannotregardyouasastranger。”
“Youwillfindnoone。”saidEugene,“wholongsaseagerlyasI
dotobeyours。Whatdoallwomenseek?Happiness。”Heansweredhisownquestioninlow,vibratingtones。“Andifhappinessforawomanmeansthatsheistobelovedandadored,tohaveafriendtowhomshecanpouroutherwishes,herfancies,hersorrowsandjoys;towhomshecanlaybareherheartandsoul,andallherfairdefectsandhergraciousvirtues,withoutfearofabetrayal;believeme,thedevotionandthewarmththatneverfailscanonlybefoundintheheartofayoungmanwho,atabaresignfromyou,wouldgotohisdeath,whoneitherknowsnorcarestoknowanythingasyetoftheworld,becauseyouwillbealltheworldtohim。Imyself,youseeyouwilllaughatmysimplicity,havejustcomefromaremotecountrydistrict;IamquitenewtothisworldofParis;Ihaveonlyknowntrueandlovinghearts;andImadeupmymindthathereIshouldfindnolove。ThenIchancedtomeetmycousin,andtoseemycousin’sheartfromverynear;Ihavedivinedtheinexhaustibletreasuresofpassion,and,likeCherubino,Iamtheloverofallwomen,untilthedaycomeswhenIfindTHEwomantowhomImaydevotemyself。AssoonasIsawyou,assoonasIcameintothetheatrethisevening,Ifeltmyselfbornetowardsyouasifbythecurrentofastream。Ihadsooftenthoughtofyoualready,butI
hadneverdreamedthatyouwouldbesobeautiful!Mme。deBeauseanttoldmethatImustnotlooksomuchatyou。Shedoesnotknowthecharmofyourredlips,yourfairface,norseehowsoftyoureyesare……Ialsoambeginningtotalknonsense;
butletmetalk。”
Nothingpleasesawomanbetterthantolistentosuchwhisperedwordsasthese;themostpuritanicalamongthemlistensevenwhensheoughtnottoreplytothem;andRastignac,havingoncebegun,continuedtopourouthisstory,droppinghisvoice,thatshemightleanandlisten;andMme。deNucingen,smiling,glancedfromtimetotimeatdeMarsay,whostillsatinthePrincesseGalathionne’sbox。
RastignacdidnotleaveMme。deNucingentillherhusbandcametotakeherhome。
“Madame。”Eugenesaid,“IshallhavethepleasureofcallinguponyoubeforetheDuchessedeCarigliano’sball。”
“IfMatameinfitesyoutocome。”saidtheBaron,athicksetAlsatian,withindicationsofasinistercunninginhisfull-mooncountenance,“youarequidesureofbeingwellreceifed。”
“Myaffairsseemtobeinapromisingway。”saidEugenetohimself——“’Canyouloveme?’Iaskedher,andshedidnotresentit。Thebitisinthehorse’smouth,andIhaveonlytomountandride;“andwiththathewenttopayhisrespectstoMme。deBeauseant,whowasleavingthetheatreond’Ajuda’sarm。
第4章