father goriot(高老头)-第25节

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Aubry　by　name；　who　all　but　sent　him　to　the　colonies。

〃Feel　your　pulse。　Think　whether　you　can　get　up　morning　after　morning；　strengthened　in　yesterday's　purpose。　In　that　case　I　will　make　you　an　offer　that　no　one　would　decline。　Listen　attentively。　You　see；　I　have　an　idea　of　my　own。　My　idea　is　to　live　a　patriarchal　life　on　a　vast　estate；　say　a　hundred　thousand　acres；　somewhere　in　the　Southern　States　of　America。　I　mean　to　be　a　planter；　to　have　slaves；　to　make　a　few　snug　millions　by　selling　my　cattle；　timber；　and　tobacco；　I　want　to　live　an　absolute　monarch；　and　to　do　just　as　I　please；　to　lead　such　a　life　as　no　one　here　in　these　squalid　dens　of　lath　and　plaster　ever　imagines。　I　am　a　great　poet；　I　do　not　write　my　poems；　I　feel　them；　and　act　them。　At　this　moment　I　have　fifty　thousand　francs；　which　might　possibly　buy　forty　negroes。　I　want　two　hundred　thousand　francs；　because　I　want　to　have　two　hundred　negroes　to　carry　out　my　notions　of　the　patriarachal　life　properly。　Negroes；　you　see；　are　like　a　sort　of　family　ready　grown；　and　there　are　no　inquisitive　public　prosecutors　out　there　to　interfere　with　you。　That　investment　in　ebony　ought　to　mean　three　or　four　million　francs　in　ten　years'　time。　If　I　am　successful；　no　one　will　ask　me　who　I　am。　I　shall　be　Mr。　Four　Millions；　an　American　citizen。　I　shall　be　fifty　years　old　by　then；　and　sound　and　hearty　still；　I　shall　enjoy　life　after　my　own　fashion。　In　two　words；　if　I　find　you　an　heiress　with　a　million；　will　you　give　me　two　hundred　thousand　francs？　Twenty　per　cent　commission；　eh？　Is　that　too　much？　Your　little　wife　will　be　very　much　in　love　with　you。　Once　married；　you　will　show　signs　of　uneasiness　and　remorse；　for　a　couple　of　weeks　you　will　be　depressed。　Then；　some　night　after　sundry　grimacings；　comes　the　confession；　between　two　kisses；　'Two　hundred　thousand　francs　of　debts；　my　darling！'　This　sort　of　farce　is　played　every　day　in　Paris；　and　by　young　men　of　the　highest　fashion。　When　a　young　wife　has　given　her　heart；　she　will　not　refuse　her　purse。　Perhaps　you　are　thinking　that　you　will　lose　the　money　for　good？　Not　you。　You　will　make　two　hundred　thousand　francs　again　by　some　stroke　of　business。　With　your　capital　and　your　brains　you　should　be　able　to　accumulate　as　large　a　fortune　as　you　could　wish。　ERGO；　in　six　months　you　will　have　made　your　own　fortune；　and　our　old　friend　Vautrin's；　and　made　an　amiable　woman　very　happy；　to　say　nothing　of　your　people　at　home；　who　must　blow　on　their　fingers　to　warm　them；　in　the　winter；　for　lack　of　firewood。　You　need　not　be　surprised　at　my　proposal；　nor　at　the　demand　I　make。　Forty…seven　out　of　every　sixty　great　matches　here　in　Paris　are　made　after　just　such　a　bargain　as　this。　The　Chamber　of　Notaries　compels　my　gentleman　to〃

〃What　must　I　do？〃　said　Rastignac；　eagerly　interrupting　Vautrin's　speech。

〃Next　to　nothing；〃　returned　the　other；　with　a　slight　involuntary　movement；　the　suppressed　exultation　of　the　angler　when　he　feels　a　bite　at　the　end　of　his　line。　〃Follow　me　carefully！　The　heart　of　a　girl　whose　life　is　wretched　and　unhappy　is　a　sponge　that　will　thirstily　absorb　love；　a　dry　sponge　that　swells　at　the　first　drop　of　sentiment。　If　you　pay　court　to　a　young　girl　whose　existence　is　a　compound　of　loneliness；　despair；　and　poverty；　and　who　has　no　suspicion　that　she　will　come　into　a　fortune；　good　Lord！　it　is　quint　and　quatorze　at　piquet；　it　is　knowing　the　numbers　of　the　lottery　before…hand；　it　is　speculating　in　the　funds　when　you　have　news　from　a　sure　source；　it　is　building　up　a　marriage　on　an　indestructible　foundation。　The　girl　may　come　in　for　millions；　and　she　will　fling　them；　as　if　they　were　so　many　pebbles；　at　your　feet。　'Take　it；　my　beloved！　Take　it；　Alfred；　Adolphe；　Eugene！'　or　whoever　it　was　that　showed　his　sense　by　sacrificing　himself　for　her。　And　as　for　sacrificing　himself；　this　is　how　I　understand　it。　You　sell　a　coat　that　is　getting　shabby；　so　that　you　can　take　her　to　the　Cadran　bleu；　treat　her　to　mushrooms　on　toast；　and　then　go　to　the　Ambigu…Comique　in　the　evening；　you　pawn　your　watch　to　buy　her　a　shawl。　I　need　not　remind　you　of　the　fiddle…faddle　sentimentality　that　goes　down　so　well　with　all　women；　you　spill　a　few　drops　of　water　on　your　stationery；　for　instance；　those　are　the　tears　you　shed　while　far　away　from　her。　You　look　to　me　as　if　you　were　perfectly　acquainted　with　the　argot　of　the　heart。　Paris；　you　see；　is　like　a　forest　in　the　New　World；　where　you　have　to　deal　with　a　score　of　varieties　of　savagesIllinois　and　Hurons；　who　live　on　the　proceed　of　their　social　hunting。　You　are　a　hunter　of　millions；　you　set　your　snares；　you　use　lures　and　nets；　there　are　many　ways　of　hunting。　Some　hunt　heiresses；　others　a　legacy；　some　fish　for　souls；　yet　others　sell　their　clients；　bound　hand　and　foot。　Every　one　who　comes　back　from　the　chase　with　his　game…　bag　well　filled　meets　with　a　warm　welcome　in　good　society。　In　justice　to　this　hospitable　part　of　the　world；　it　must　be　said　that　you　have　to　do　with　the　most　easy　and　good…natured　of　great　cities。　If　the　proud　aristocracies　of　the　rest　of　Europe　refuse　admittance　among　their　ranks　to　a　disreputable　millionaire；　Paris　stretches　out　a　hand　to　him；　goes　to　his　banquets；　eats　his　dinners；　and　hobnobs　with　his　infamy。〃

〃But　where　is　such　a　girl　to　be　found？〃　asked　Eugene。

〃Under　your　eyes；　she　is　yours　already。〃

〃Mlle。　Victorine？〃

〃Precisely。〃

〃And　what　was　that　you　said？〃

〃She　is　in　love　with　you　already；　your　little　Baronne　de　Rastignac！〃

〃She　has　not　a　penny；〃　Eugene　continued；　much　mystified。

〃Ah！　now　we　are　coming　to　it！　Just　another　word　or　two；　and　it　will　all　be　clear　enough。　Her　father；　Taillefer；　is　an　old　scoundrel；　it　is　said　that　he　murdered　one　of　his　friends　at　the　time　of　the　Revolution。　He　is　one　of　your　comedians　that　sets　up　to　have　opinions　of　his　own。　He　is　a　bankersenior　partner　in　the　house　of　Frederic　Taillefer　and　Company。　He　has　one　son；　and　means　to　leave　all　he　has　to　the　boy；　to　the　prejudice　of　Victorine。　For　my　part；　I　don't　like　to　see　injustice　of　this　sort。　I　am　like　Don　Quixote；　I　have　a　fancy　for　defending　the　weak　against　the　strong。　If　it　should　please　God　to　take　that　youth　away　from　him；　Taillefer　would　have　only　his　daughter　left；　he　would　want　to　leave　his　money　to　some　one　or　other；　an　absurd　notion；　but　it　is　only　human　nature；　and　he　is　not　likely　to　have　any　more　children；　as　I　know。　Victorine　is　gentle　and　amiable；　she　will　soon　twist　her　father　round　her　fingers；　and　set　his　head　spinning　like　a　German　top　by　plying　him　with　sentiment！　She　will　be　too　much　touched　by　your　devotion　to　forget　you；　you　will　marry　her。　I　mean　to　play　Providence　for　you；　and　Providence　is　to　do　my　will。　I　have　a　friend　whom　I　have　attached　closely　to　myself；　a　colonel　in　the　Army　of　the　Loire；　who　has　just　been　transferred　into　the　garde　royale。　He　has　taken　my　advice　and　turned　ultra…royalist；　he　is　not　one　of　those　fools　who　never　change　their　opinions。　Of　all　pieces　of　advice；　my　cherub；　I　would　give　you　thisdon't　stick　to　your　opinions　any　more　than　to　your　words。　If　any　one　asks　you　for　them；　let　him　have　them　at　a　price。　A　man　who　prides　himself　on　going　in　a　straight　line　through　life　is　an　idiot　who　believes　in　infallibility。　There　are　no　such　things　as　principles；　there　are　only　events；　and　there　are　no　laws　but　those　of　expediency：　a　man　of　talent　accepts　events　and　the　circumstances　in　which　he　finds　himself；　and　turns　everything　to　his　own　ends。　If　laws　and　principles　were　fixed　and　invariable；　nations　would　not　change　them　as　readily　as　we　change　our　shirts。　The　individual　is　not　obliged　to　be　more　particular　than　the　nation。　A　man　whose　services　to　France　have　been　of　the　very　slightest　is　a　fetich　looked　on　with　superstitious　awe　because　he　has　always　seen　everything　in　red；　but　he　is　good；　at　the　most；　to　be　put　into　the　Museum　of　Arts　and　Crafts；　among　the　automatic　machines；　and　labeled　La　Fayette；　while　the　prince　at　whom　everybody　flings　a　stone；　the　man　who　despises　humanity　so　much　that　he　spits　as　many　oaths　as　he　is　asked　for　in　the　face　of　humanity；　saved　France　from　being　torn　in　pieces　at　the　Congress　of　Vienna；　and　they　who　should　have　given　him　laurels　fling　mud　at　him。　Oh！　I　know　something　of　affairs；　I　can　tell　you；　I　have　the　secrets　of　many　men！　Enough。　When　I　find　three　minds　in　agreement　as　to　the　application　of　a　principle；　I　shall　have　a　fixed　and　immovable　opinionI　shall　have　to　wait　a　long　while　first。　In　the　Tribunals　you　will　not　find　three　judges　of　the　same　opinion　on　a　single　point　of　law。　To　return　to　the　man　I　was　telling　you　of。　He　would　crucify　Jesus　Christ　again；　if　I　bade　him。　At　a　word　from　his　old　chum　Vautrin　he　will　pick　a　quarrel　with　a　scamp　that　will　not　send　so　much　as　five　francs　to　his　sister；　poor　girl；　and〃　（here　Vautrin　rose　to　his　feet　and　stood　like　a　fencing…master　about　to　lunge）〃turn　him　off　into　the　dark！〃　he　added。

〃How　frightful！〃　said　Eugene。　〃You　do　not　really　mean　it？　M。　Vautrin；　you　are　joking！〃

〃There！　there！　Keep　cool！〃　said　the　other。　〃Don't　behave　like　a　baby。　But　if　you　find　any　amusement　in　it；　be　indignant；　flare　up！　Say　that　I　am　a　scoundrel；　a　rascal；　a　rogue；　a　bandit；　but　do　not　call　me　a　blackleg　nor　a　spy！　There；　out　with　it；　fire　away！　I　forgive　you；　it　is　quite　natural　at　your　age。　I　was　like　that