father goriot(高老头)-第36节

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You　are　in　debt；　and　I　want　you　to　come　over　to　my　way　of　thinking　after　sober　reflection；　and　not　in　a　fit　of　passion　or　desperation。　Perhaps　you　want　a　thousand　crowns。　There；　you　can　have　them　if　you　like。〃

The　tempter　took　out　a　pocketbook；　and　drew　thence　three　banknotes；　which　he　fluttered　before　the　student's　eyes。　Eugene　was　in　a　most　painful　dilemma。　He　had　debts；　debts　of　honor。　He　owed　a　hundred　louis　to　the　Marquis　d'Ajuda　and　to　the　Count　de　Trailles；　he　had　not　the　money；　and　for　this　reason　had　not　dared　to　go　to　Mme。　de　Restaud's　house；　where　he　was　expected　that　evening。　It　was　one　of　those　informal　gatherings　where　tea　and　little　cakes　are　handed　round；　but　where　it　is　possible　to　lose　six　thousand　francs　at　whist　in　the　course　of　a　night。

〃You　must　see；〃　said　Eugene；　struggling　to　hide　a　convulsive　tremor；　〃that　after　what　has　passed　between　us；　I　cannot　possibly　lay　myself　under　any　obligation　to　you。〃

〃Quite　right；　I　should　be　sorry　to　hear　you　speak　otherwise；〃　answered　the　tempter。　〃You　are　a　fine　young　fellow；　honorable；　brave　as　a　lion；　and　as　gentle　as　a　young　girl。　You　would　be　a　fine　haul　for　the　devil！　I　like　youngsters　of　your　sort。　Get　rid　of　one　or　two　more　prejudices；　and　you　will　see　the　world　as　it　is。　Make　a　little　scene　now　and　then；　and　act　a　virtuous　part　in　it；　and　a　man　with　a　head　on　his　shoulders　can　do　exactly　as　he　likes　amid　deafening　applause　from　the　fools　in　the　gallery。　Ah！　a　few　days　yet；　and　you　will　be　with　us；　and　if　you　would　only　be　tutored　by　me；　I　would　put　you　in　the　way　of　achieving　all　your　ambitions。　You　should　no　sooner　form　a　wish　than　it　should　be　realized　to　the　full；　you　should　have　all　your　desireshonors；　wealth；　or　women。　Civilization　should　flow　with　milk　and　honey　for　you。　You　should　be　our　pet　and　favorite；　our　Benjamin。　We　would　all　work　ourselves　to　death　for　you　with　pleasure；　every　obstacle　should　be　removed　from　your　path。　You　have　a　few　prejudices　left；　so　you　think　that　I　am　a　scoundrel；　do　you？　Well；　M。　de　Turenne；　quite　as　honorable　a　man　as　you　take　yourself　to　be；　had　some　little　private　transactions　with　bandits；　and　did　not　feel　that　his　honor　was　tarnished。　You　would　rather　not　lie　under　any　obligation　to　me；　eh？　You　need　not　draw　back　on　that　account；〃　Vautrin　went　on；　and　a　smile　stole　over　his　lips。　〃Take　these　bits　of　paper　and　write　across　this；〃　he　added；　producing　a　piece　of　stamped　paper；　〃Accepted　the　sum　of　three　thousand　five　hundred　francs　due　this　day　twelvemonth；　and　fill　in　the　date。　The　rate　of　interest　is　stiff　enough　to　silence　any　scruples　on　your　part；　it　gives　you　the　right　to　call　me　a　Jew。　You　can　call　quits　with　me　on　the　score　of　gratitude。　I　am　quite　willing　that　you　should　despise　me　to…day；　because　I　am　sure　that　you　will　have　a　kindlier　feeling　towards　me　later　on。　You　will　find　out　fathomless　depths　in　my　nature；　enormous　and　concentrated　forces　that　weaklings　call　vices；　but　you　will　never　find　me　base　or　ungrateful。　In　short；　I　am　neither　a　pawn　nor　a　bishop；　but　a　castle；　a　tower　of　strength；　my　boy。〃

〃What　manner　of　man　are　you？〃　cried　Eugene。　〃Were　you　created　to　torment　me？〃

〃Why　no；　I　am　a　good…natured　fellow；　who　is　willing　to　do　a　dirty　piece　of　work　to　put　you　high　and　dry　above　the　mire　for　the　rest　of　your　days。　Do　you　ask　the　reason　of　this　devotion？　All　right；　I　will　tell　you　that　some　of　these　days。　A　word　or　two　in　your　ear　will　explain　it。　I　have　begun　by　shocking　you；　by　showing　you　the　way　to　ring　the　changes；　and　giving　you　a　sight　of　the　mechanism　of　the　social　machine；　but　your　first　fright　will　go　off　like　a　conscript's　terror　on　the　battlefield。　You　will　grow　used　to　regarding　men　as　common　soldiers　who　have　made　up　their　minds　to　lose　their　lives　for　some　self…constituted　king。　Times　have　altered　strangely。　Once　you　could　say　to　a　bravo；　'Here　are　a　hundred　crowns；　go　and　kill　Monsieur　So…and…so　for　me；'　and　you　could　sup　quietly　after　turning　some　one　off　into　the　dark　for　the　least　thing　in　the　world。　But　nowadays　I　propose　to　put　you　in　the　way　of　a　handsome　fortune；　you　have　only　to　nod　your　head；　it　won't　compromise　you　in　any　way；　and　you　hesitate。　'Tis　an　effeminate　age。〃

Eugene　accepted　the　draft；　and　received　the　banknotes　in　exchange　for　it。

〃Well；　well。　Come；　now；　let　us　talk　rationally；〃　Vautrin　continued。　〃I　mean　to　leave　this　country　in　a　few　months'　time　for　America；　and　set　about　planting　tobacco。　I　will　send　you　the　cigars　of　friendship。　If　I　make　money　at　it；　I　will　help　you　in　your　career。　If　I　have　no　childrenwhich　will　probably　be　the　case；　for　I　have　no　anxiety　to　raise　slips　of　myself　hereyou　shall　inherit　my　fortune。　That　is　what　you　may　call　standing　by　a　man；　but　I　myself　have　a　liking　for　you。　I　have　a　mania；　too；　for　devoting　myself　to　some　one　else。　I　have　done　it　before。　You　see；　my　boy；　I　live　in　a　loftier　sphere　than　other　men　do；　I　look　on　all　actions　as　means　to　an　end；　and　the　end　is　all　that　I　look　at。　What　is　a　man's　life　to　me？　Not　THAT；〃　he　said；　and　he　snapped　his　thumb…nail　against　his　teeth。　〃A　man；　in　short；　is　everything　to　me；　or　just　nothing　at　all。　Less　than　nothing　if　his　name　happens　to　be　Poiret；　you　can　crush　him　like　a　bug；　he　is　flat　and　he　is　offensive。　But　a　man　is　a　god　when　he　is　like　you；　he　is　not　a　machine　covered　with　a　skin；　but　a　theatre　in　which　the　greatest　sentiments　are　displayedgreat　thoughts　and　feelingsand　for　these；　and　these　only；　I　live。　A　sentiment　what　is　that　but　the　whole　world　in　a　thought？　Look　at　Father　Goriot。　For　him；　his　two　girls　are　the　whole　universe；　they　are　the　clue　by　which　he　finds　his　way　through　creation。　Well；　for　my　own　part；　I　have　fathomed　the　depths　of　life；　there　is　only　one　real　sentimentcomradeship　between　man　and　man。　Pierre　and　Jaffier；　that　is　my　passion。　I　knew　Venice　Preserved　by　heart。　Have　you　met　many　men　plucky　enough　when　a　comrade　says；　'Let　us　bury　a　dead　body！'　to　go　and　do　it　without　a　word　or　plaguing　him　by　taking　a　high　moral　tone？　I　have　done　it　myself。　I　should　not　talk　like　this　to　just　everybody；　but　you　are　not　like　an　ordinary　man；　one　can　talk　to　you；　you　can　understand　things。　You　will　not　dabble　about　much　longer　among　the　tadpoles　in　these　swamps。　Well；　then；　it　is　all　settled。　You　will　marry。　Both　of　us　carry　our　point。　Mine　is　made　of　iron；　and　will　never　soften；　he！　he！〃

Vautrin　went　out。　He　would　not　wait　to　hear　the　student's　repudiation；　he　wished　to　put　Eugene　at　his　ease。　He　seemed　to　understand　the　secret　springs　of　the　faint　resistance　still　made　by　the　younger　man；　the　struggles　in　which　men　seek　to　preserve　their　self…respect　by　justifying　their　blameworthy　actions　to　themselves。

〃He　may　do　as　he　likes；　I　shall　not　marry　Mlle。　Taillefer；　that　is　certain；〃　said　Eugene　to　himself。

He　regarded　this　man　with　abhorrence；　and　yet　the　very　cynicism　of　Vautrin's　ideas；　and　the　audacious　way　in　which　he　used　other　men　for　his　own　ends；　raised　him　in　the　student's　eyes；　but　the　thought　of　a　compact　threw　Eugene　into　a　fever　of　apprehension；　and　not　until　he　had　recovered　somewhat　did　he　dress；　call　for　a　cab；　and　go　to　Mme。　de　Restaud's。

For　some　days　the　Countess　had　paid　more　and　more　attention　to　a　young　man　whose　every　step　seemed　a　triumphal　progress　in　the　great　world；　it　seemed　to　her　that　he　might　be　a　formidable　power　before　long。　He　paid　Messieurs　de　Trailles　and　d'Ajuda；　played　at　whist　for　part　of　the　evening；　and　made　good　his　losses。　Most　men　who　have　their　way　to　make　are　more　or　less　of　fatalists；　and　Eugene　was　superstitious；　he　chose　to　consider　that　his　luck　was　heaven's　reward　for　his　perseverance　in　the　right　way。　As　soon　as　possible　on　the　following　morning　he　asked　Vautrin　whether　the　bill　he　had　given　was　still　in　the　other's　possession；　and　on　receiving　a　reply　in　the　affirmative；　he　repaid　the　three　thousand　francs　with　a　not　unnatural　relief。

〃Everything　is　going　on　well；〃　said　Vautrin。

〃But　I　am　not　your　accomplice；〃　said　Eugene。

〃I　know；　I　know；〃　Vautrin　broke　in。　〃You　are　still　acting　like　a　child。　You　are　making　mountains　out　of　molehills　at　the　outset。〃

Two　days　later；　Poiret　and　Mlle。　Michonneau　were　sitting　together　on　a　bench　in　the　sun。　They　had　chosen　a　little　frequented　alley　in　the　Jardin　des　Plantes；　and　a　gentleman　was　chatting　with　them；　the　same　person；　as　a　matter　of　fact；　about　whom　the　medical　student　had；　not　without　good　reason；　his　own　suspicions。

〃Mademoiselle；〃　this　M。　Gondureau　was　saying；　〃I　do　not　see　any　cause　for　your　scruples。　His　Excellency；　Monseigneur　the　Minister　of　Police〃

〃Yes；　his　Excellency　is　taking　a　personal　interest　in　the　matter；〃　said　Gondureau。

Who　would　think　it　probable　that　Poiret；　a　retired　clerk；　doubtless　possessed　of　some　notions　of　civic　virtue；　though　there　might　be　nothing　else　in　his　headwho　would　think　it　likely　that　such　a　man　would　continue　to　lend　an　ear　to　this　supposed　independent　gentleman　of　the　Rue　de　Buffon；　when　the　latter　dropped　the　mask　of　a　decent　citizen　by　that　word　〃police；〃　and　gave　a　glimpse　of　the　features　of　a　detective　from　the　Rue　de　Jerusalem？　And　yet　nothing　was　more　natural。　Perhaps　the　following　remarks　from　the　hitherto　unpublished　records　made　by　certain　observers　will　throw　a　light　on　the　particular　species