首页 >出版文学> Father Goriot>第4章

第4章

  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。