the firm of nucingen-第5节

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ubens'　Madonnas　he　was　double…faced　as　a　prince；　and　as　knowing　as　an　old　attorney；　in　short；　at　the　age　of　ten　he　was　nothing　more　nor　less　than　a　blossom　of　depravity；　gambling　and　swearing；　partial　to　jam　and　punch；　pert　as　a　feuilleton；　impudent　and　light…fingered　as　any　Paris　street…arab。　He　had　been　a　source　of　honor　and　profit　to　a　well…known　English　lord；　for　whom　he　had　already　won　seven　hundred　thousand　francs　on　the　race…course。　The　aforesaid　nobleman　set　no　small　store　on　Toby。　His　tiger　was　a　curiosity；　the　very　smallest　tiger　in　town。　Perched　aloft　on　the　back　of　a　thoroughbred；　Joby　looked　like　a　hawk。　Yetthe　great　man　dismissed　him。　Not　for　greediness；　not　for　dishonesty；　nor　murder；　nor　rudeness　to　my　lady；　nor　for　cutting　holes　in　my　lady's　own　woman's　pockets；　nor　because　he　had　been　'got　at'　by　some　of　his　master's　rivals　on　the　turf；　nor　for　playing　games　of　a　Sunday；　nor　for　bad　behavior　of　any　sort　or　description。　Toby　might　have　done　all　these　things；　he　might　even　have　spoken　to　milord　before　milord　spoke　to　him；　and　his　noble　master　might；　perhaps；　have　pardoned　that　breach　of　the　law　domestic。　Milord　would　have　put　up　with　a　good　deal　from　Toby；　he　was　very　fond　of　him。　Toby　could　drive　a　tandem　dog…cart；　riding　on　the　wheeler；　postilion　fashion；　his　legs　did　not　reach　the　shafts；　he　looked　in　fact　very　much　like　one　of　the　cherub　heads　circling　about　the　Eternal　Father　in　old　Italian　pictures。　But　an　English　journalist　wrote　a　delicious　description　of　the　little　angel；　in　the　course　of　which　he　said　that　Paddy　was　quite　too　pretty　for　a　tiger；　in　fact；　he　offered　to　bet　that　Paddy　was　a　tame　tigress。　The　description；　on　the　heads　of　it；　was　calculated　to　poison　minds　and　end　in　something　'improper。'　And　the　superlative　of　'improper'　is　the　way　to　the　gallows。　Milord's　circumspection　was　highly　approved　by　my　lady。

〃But　poor　Toby；　now　that　his　precise　position　in　insular　zoology　had　been　called　in　question；　found　himself　hopelessly　out　of　place。　At　that　time　Godefroid　had　blossomed　out　at　the　French　Embassy　in　London；　where　he　learned　the　adventures　of　Toby；　Joby；　Paddy。　Godefroid　found　the　infant　weeping　over　a　pot　of　jam　（he　had　already　lost　the　guineas　with　which　milord　gilded　his　misfortune）。　Godefroid　took　possession　of　him；　and　so　it　fell　out　that　on　his　return　among　us　he　brought　back　with　him　the　sweetest　thing　in　tigers　from　England。　He　was　known　by　his　tigeras　Couture　is　known　by　his　waistcoatsand　found　no　difficulty　in　entering　the　fraternity　of　the　club　yclept　to…day　the　Grammont。　He　had　renounced　the　diplomatic　career；　he　ceased　accordingly　to　alarm　the　susceptibilites　of　the　ambitious；　and　as　he　had　no　very　dangerous　amount　of　intellect；　he　was　well　looked　upon　everywhere。

〃Some　of　us　would　feel　mortified　if　we　saw　only　smiling　faces　wherever　we　went；　we　enjoy　the　sour　contortions　of　envy。　Godefroid　did　not　like　to　be　disliked。　Every　one　has　his　taste。　Now　for　the　solid；　practical　aspects　of　life！

〃The　distinguishing　feature　of　his　chambers；　where　I　have　licked　my　lips　over　breakfast　more　than　once；　was　a　mysterious　dressing…closet；　nicely　decorated；　and　comfortably　appointed；　with　a　grate　in　it　and　a　bath…tub。　It　gave　upon　a　narrow　staircase；　the　folding　doors　were　noiseless；　the　locks　well　oiled；　the　hinges　discreet；　the　window　panes　of　frosted　glass；　the　curtain　impervious　to　light。　While　the　bedroom　was；　as　it　ought　to　have　been；　in　a　fine　disorder　which　would　suit　the　most　exacting　painter　in　water…colors；　while　everything　therein　was　redolent　of　the　Bohemian　life　of　a　young　man　of　fashion；　the　dressing…　closet　was　like　a　shrinewhite；　spotless；　neat；　and　warm。　There　were　no　draughts　from　door　or　window；　the　carpet　had　been　made　soft　for　bare　feet　hastily　put　to　the　floor　in　a　sudden　panic　of　alarmwhich　stamps　him　as　your　thoroughbred　dandy　that　knows　life；　for　here；　in　a　few　moments；　he　may　show　himself　either　a　noodle　or　a　master　in　those　little　details　in　which　a　man's　character　is　revealed。　The　Marquise　previously　quotedno；　it　was　the　Marquise　de　Rochefidecame　out　of　that　dressing…closet　in　a　furious　rage；　and　never　went　back　again。　She　discovered　nothing　'improper'　in　it。　Godefroid　used　to　keep　a　little　cupboard　full　of〃

〃Waistcoats？〃　suggested　Finot。

〃Come；　now；　just　like　you；　great　Turcaret　that　you　are。　（I　shall　never　form　that　fellow。）　Why；　no。　Full　of　cakes；　and　fruit；　and　dainty　little　flasks　of　Malaga　and　Lunel；　an　en　cas　de　nuit　in　Louis　Quatorze's　style；　anything　that　can　tickle　the　delicate　and　well…bred　appetite　of　sixteen　quarterings。　A　knowing　old　man…servant；　very　strong　in　matters　veterinary；　waited　on　the　horses　and　groomed　Godefroid。　He　had　been　with　the　late　M。　de　Beaudenord；　Godefroid's　father；　and　bore　Godefroid　an　inveterate　affection；　a　kind　of　heart　complaint　which　has　almost　disappeared　among　domestic　servants　since　savings　banks　were　established。

〃All　material　well…being　is　based　upon　arithmetic。　You　to　whom　Paris　is　known　down　to　its　very　excrescences；　will　see　that　Beaudenord　must　have　acquired　about　seventeen　thousand　livres　per　annum；　for　he　paid　some　seventeen　francs　of　taxes　and　spent　a　thousand　crowns　on　his　own　whims。　Well；　dear　boys；　when　Godefroid　came　of　age；　the　Marquis　d'Aiglemont　submitted　to　him　such　an　account　of　his　trust　as　none　of　us　would　be　likely　to　give　a　nephew；　Godefroid's　name　was　inscribed　as　the　owner　of　eighteen　thousand　livres　of　rentes；　a　remnant　of　his　father's　wealth　spared　by　the　harrow　of　the　great　reduction　under　the　Republic　and　the　hailstorms　of　Imperial　arrears。　D'Aiglemont；　that　upright　guardian；　also　put　his　ward　in　possession　of　some　thirty　thousand　francs　of　savings　invested　with　the　firm　of　Nucingen；　saying　with　all　the　charm　of　a　grand　seigneur　and　the　indulgence　of　a　soldier　of　the　Empire；　that　he　had　contrived　to　put　it　aside　for　his　ward's　young　man's　follies。　'If　you　will　take　my　advice；　Godefroid；'　added　he；　'instead　of　squandering　the　money　like　a　fool；　as　so　many　young　men　do；　let　it　go　in　follies　that　will　be　useful　to　you　afterwards。　Take　an　attache's　post　at　Turin；　and　then　go　to　Naples；　and　from　Naples　to　London；　and　you　will　be　amused　and　learn　something　for　your　money。　Afterwards；　if　you　think　of　a　career；　the　time　and　the　money　will　not　have　been　thrown　away。'　The　late　lamented　d'Aiglemont　had　more　sense　than　people　credited　him　with；　which　is　more　than　can　be　said　of　some　of　us。〃

〃A　young　fellow　that　starts　with　an　assured　income　of　eighteen　thousand　livres　at　one…and…twenty　is　lost；〃　said　Couture。

〃Unless　he　is　miserly；　or　very　much　above　the　ordinary　level；〃　added　Blondet。

〃Well；　Godefroid　sojourned　in　the　four　capitals　of　Italy；〃　continued　Bixiou。　〃He　lived　in　England　and　Germany；　he　spent　some　little　time　at　St。　Petersburg；　he　ran　over　Holland　but　he　parted　company　with　the　aforesaid　thirty　thousand　francs　by　living　as　if　he　had　thirty　thousand　a　year。　Everywhere　he　found　the　same　supreme　de　volaille；　the　same　aspics；　and　French　wines；　he　heard　French　spoken　wherever　he　went　in　short；　he　never　got　away　from　Paris。　He　ought；　of　course；　to　have　tried　to　deprave　his　disposition；　to　fence　himself　in　triple　brass；　to　get　rid　of　his　illusions；　to　learn　to　hear　anything　said　without　a　blush；　and　to　master　the　inmost　secrets　of　the　Powers。Pooh！　with　a　good　deal　of　trouble　he　equipped　himself　with　four　languagesthat　is　to　say；　he　laid　in　a　stock　of　four　words　for　one　idea。　Then　he　came　back；　and　certain　tedious　dowagers；　styled　'conquests'　abroad；　were　left　disconsolate。　Godefroid　came　back；　shy；　scarcely　formed；　a　good　fellow　with　a　confiding　disposition；　incapable　of　saying　ill　of　any　one　who　honored　him　with　an　admittance　to　his　house；　too　staunch　to　be　a　diplomatist；　altogether　he　was　what　we　call　a　thoroughly　good　fellow。〃

〃To　cut　it　short；　a　brat　with　eighteen　thousand　livres　per　annum　to　drop　over　the　first　investment　that　turns　up；〃　said　Couture。

〃That　confounded　Couture　has　such　a　habit　of　anticipating　dividends；　that　he　is　anticipating　the　end　of　my　tale。　Where　was　I？　Oh！　Beaudenord　came　back。　When　he　took　up　his　abode　on　the　Quai　Malaquais；　it　came　to　pass　that　a　thousand　francs　over　and　above　his　needs　was　altogether　insufficient　to　keep　up　his　share　of　a　box　at　the　Italiens　and　the　Opera　properly。　When　he　lost　twenty…five　or　thirty　louis　at　play　at　one　swoop；　naturally　he　paid；　when　he　won；　he　spent　the　money；　so　should　we　if　we　were　fools　enough　to　be　drawn　into　a　bet。　Beaudenord；　feeling　pinched　with　his　eighteen　thousand　francs；　saw　the　necessity　of　creating　what　we　to…day　call　a　balance　in　hand。　It　was　a　great　notion　of　his　'not　to　get　too　deep。'　He　took　counsel　of　his　sometime　guardian。　'The　funds　are　now　at　par；　my　dear　boy；'　quoth　d'Aiglemont；　'sell　out。　I　have　sold　mine　and　my　wife's。　Nucingen　has　all　my　capital；　and　is　giving　me　six　per　cent；　do　likewise；　you　will　have　one　per　cent　the　more　upon　your　capital；　and　with　that　you　will　be　quite　comfortable。'

〃In　three　days'　time　our　Godefroid　was　comfortable。　His　increase　of　income　exactly　supplied　his　superfluities；　his　material　happiness　was　complete。

〃Suppose　that　it　were　possible　to　read　the　minds　of　all　the　young　men　in　Paris　at　one　glance　（as；　it　appears；　will　be　done　at　the　Day　of　Judgment　with　all