the red inn-第9节

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〃Oh；　oh！〃　I　said　to　myself；　〃here　is　secret　unanimity　to　forbid　the

marriage；　and　secret　unanimity　to　sanction　it！　How　shall　I　solve　that

problem？〃



〃Where　does　the　father…in…law　live？〃　asked　one　my　school…friends；

heedlessly；　being　less　sophisticated　than　the　others。



〃There's　no　longer　a　father…in…law；〃　I　replied。　〃Hitherto；　my

conscience　has　spoken　plainly　enough　to　make　your　verdict　superfluous。

If　to…day　its　voice　is　weakened；　here　is　the　cause　of　my　cowardice。　I

received；　about　two　months　ago；　this　all…seducing　letter。〃



And　I　showed　them　the　following　invitation；　which　I　took　from　my

pocket…book：



　　〃You　are　invited　to　be　present　at　the　funeral　procession；　burial

　　services；　and　interment　of　Monsieur　Jean…Frederic　Taillefer；　of

　　the　house　of　Taillefer　and　Company；　formerly　Purveyor　of

　　Commissary…meats；　in　his　lifetime　chevalier　of　the　Legion　of

　　honor；　and　of　the　Golden　Spur；　captain　of　the　first　company　of　the

　　Grenadiers　of　the　National　Guard　of　Paris；　deceased；　May　1st；　at

　　his　residence；　rue　Joubert；　which　will　take　place　at；　etc。；　etc。



　　〃On　the　part　of；　etc。〃



〃Now；　what　am　I　do　to？〃　I　continued；　〃I　will　put　the　question　before

you　in　a　broad　way。　There　is　undoubtedly　a　sea　of　blood　in

Mademoiselle　Taillefer's　estates；　her　inheritance　from　her　father　is　a

vast　Aceldama。　I　know　that。　BUT　Prosper　Magnan　left　no　heirs；　BUT；

again；　I　have　been　unable　to　discover　the　family　of　the　merchant　who

was　murdered　at　Andernach。　To　whom　therefore　can　I　restore　that

fortune？　And　ought　it　to　be　wholly　restored？　Have　I　the　right　to

betray　a　secret　surprised　by　me；to　add　a　murdered　head　to　the　dowry

of　an　innocent　girl；　to　give　her　for　the　rest　of　her　life　bad　dreams；

to　deprive　her　of　all　her　illusions；　and　say；　'Your　gold　is　stained

with　blood'？　I　have　borrowed　the　'Dictionary　of　Cases　of　Conscience'

from　an　old　ecclesiastic；　but　I　can　find　nothing　there　to　solve　my

doubts。　Shall　I　found　pious　masses　for　the　repose　of　the　souls　of

Prosper　Magnan；　Wahlenfer；　and　Taillefer？　Here　we　are　in　the　middle　of

the　nineteenth　century！　Shall　I　build　a　hospital；　or　institute　a　prize

for　virtue？　A　prize　for　virtue　would　be　given　to　scoundrels；　and　as

for　hospitals；　they　seem　to　me　to　have　become　in　these　days　the

protectors　of　vice。　Besides；　such　charitable　actions；　more　or　less

profitable　to　vanity；　do　they　constitute　reparation？and　to　whom　do　I

owe　reparation？　But　I　love；　I　love　passionately。　My　love　is　my　life。

If　I；　without　apparent　motive；　suggest　to　a　young　girl　accustomed　to

luxury；　to　elegance；　to　a　life　fruitful　of　all　enjoyments　of　art；　a

young　girl　who　loves　to　idly　listen　at　the　opera　to　Rossini's　music；

if　to　her　I　should　propose　that　she　deprive　herself　of　fifteen　hundred

thousand　francs　in　favor　of　broken…down　old　men；　or　scrofulous

paupers；　she　would　turn　her　back　on　me　and　laugh；　or　her　confidential

friend　would　tell　her　that　I'm　a　crazy　jester。　If　in　an　ecstasy　of

love；　I　should　paint　to　her　the　charms　of　a　modest　life；　and　a　little

home　on　the　banks　of　the　Loire；　if　I　were　to　ask　her　to　sacrifice　her

Parisian　life　on　the　altar　of　our　love；　it　would　be；　in　the　first

place；　a　virtuous　lie；　in　the　next；　I　might　only　be　opening　the　way　to

some　painful　experience；　I　might　lose　the　heart　of　a　girl　who　loves

society；　and　balls；　and　personal　adornment；　and　ME　for　the　time　being。

Some　slim　and　jaunty　officer；　with　a　well…frizzed　moustache；　who　can

play　the　piano；　quote　Lord　Byron；　and　ride　a　horse　elegantly；　may　get

her　away　from　me。　What　shall　I　do？　For　Heaven's　sake；　give　me　some

advice！〃



The　honest　man；　that　species　of　puritan　not　unlike　the　father　of

Jeannie　Deans；　of　whom　I　have　already　told　you；　and　who；　up　to　the

present　moment　hadn't　uttered　a　word；　shrugged　his　shoulders；　as　he

looked　at　me　and　said：



〃Idiot！　why　did　you　ask　him　if　he　came　from　Beauvais？〃









ADDENDUM



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



Taillefer；　Jean…Frederic

　　The　Firm　of　Nucingen

　　Father　Goriot

　　The　Magic　Skin



Taillefer；　Victorine

　　Father　Goriot











End