the collection of antiquities-第11节

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is。

　　〃In　this　extremity　his　father　thinks　it　necessary　to　send　the　　　　Count　to　Paris　to　ask　for　the　King's　favor　at　court。　Paris　is　a　　　very　dangerous　place　for　a　lad；　if　he　is　to　keep　steady　there；　he　　　must　have　the　grain　of　sense　which　makes　notaries　of　us。　Besides；　　　I　should　be　heartbroken　to　think　of　the　poor　boy　living　amid　such　　　hardships　as　we　have　known。Do　you　remember　the　pleasure　with　　　which　we　spent　a　day　and　a　night　there　waiting　to　see　The　Marriage　　　of　Figaro？　Oh；　blind　that　we　were！We　were　happy　and　poor；　but　a　　　noble　cannot　be　happy　in　poverty。　A　noble　in　wantit　is　a　thing　　　against　nature！　Ah！　Sorbier；　when　one　has　known　the　satisfaction　　　of　propping　one　of　the　grandest　genealogical　trees　in　the　kingdom　　　in　its　fall；　it　is　so　natural　to　interest　oneself　in　it　and　to　　　grow　fond　of　it；　and　love　it　and　water　it　and　look　to　see　it　　　blossom。　So　you　will　not　be　surprised　at　so　many　precautions　on　my　　　part；　you　will　not　wonder　when　I　beg　the　help　of　your　lights；　so　　　that　all　may　go　well　with　our　young　man。

　　〃Keep　yourself　informed　of　his　movements　and　doings；　of　the　　　company　which　he　keeps；　and　watch　over　his　connections　with　women。　　　M。　le　Chevalier　says　that　an　opera　dancer　often　costs　less　than　a　　　court　lady。　Obtain　information　on　that　point　and　let　me　know。　If　　　you　are　too　busy；　perhaps　Mme。　Sorbier　might　know　what　becomes　of　　　the　young　man；　and　where　he　goes。　The　idea　of　playing　the　part　of　　　guardian　angel　to　such　a　noble　and　charming　boy　might　have　　　attractions　for　her。　God　will　remember　her　for　accepting　the　　　sacred　trust。　Perhaps　when　you　see　M。　le　Comte　Victurnien；　her　　　heart　may　tremble　at　the　thought　of　all　the　dangers　awaiting　him　　　in　Paris；　he　is　very　young；　and　handsome；　clever；　and　at　the　same　　　time　disposed　to　trust　others。　If　he　forms　a　connection　with　some　　　designing　woman；　Mme。　Sorbier　could　counsel　him　better　than　you　　　yourself　could　do。　The　old　man…servant　who　is　with　him　can　tell　　　you　many　things；　sound　Josephin；　I　have　told　him　to　go　to　you　in　　　delicate　matters。

　　〃But　why　should　I　say　more？　We　once　were　clerks　together；　and　a　　　pair　of　scamps；　remember　our　escapades；　and　be　a　little　bit　young　　　again；　my　old　friend；　in　your　dealings　with　him。　The　sixty　　　thousand　francs　will　be　remitted　to　you　in　the　shape　of　a　bill　on　　　the　Treasury　by　a　gentlemen　who　is　going　to　Paris；〃　and　so　forth。



If　the　old　couple　to　whom　this　epistle　was　addressed　had　followed　out　Chesnel's　instructions；　they　would　have　been　compelled　to　take　three　private　detectives　into　their　pay。　And　yet　there　was　ample　wisdom　shown　in　Chesnel's　choice　of　a　depositary。　A　banker　pays　money　to　any　one　accredited　to　him　so　long　as　the　money　lasts；　whereas；　Victurnien　was　obliged；　every　time　that　he　was　in　want　of　money；　to　make　a　personal　visit　to　the　notary；　who　was　quite　sure　to　use　the　right　of　remonstrance。

Victurnien　heard　that　he　was　to　be　allowed　two　thousand　francs　every　month；　and　thought　that　he　betrayed　his　joy。　He　knew　nothing　of　Paris。　He　fancied　that　he　could　keep　up　princely　state　on　such　a　sum。

Next　day　he　started　on　his　journey。　All　the　benedictions　of　the　Collection　of　Antiquities　went　with　him；　he　was　kissed　by　the　dowagers；　good　wishes　were　heaped　on　his　head；　his　old　father；　his　aunt；　and　Chesnel　went　with　him　out　of　the　town；　tears　filling　the　eyes　of　all　three。　The　sudden　departure　supplied　material　for　conversation　for　several　evenings；　and　what　was　more；　it　stirred　the　rancorous　minds　of　the　salon　du　Croisier　to　the　depths。　The　forage…　contractor；　the　president；　and　others　who　had　vowed　to　ruin　the　d'Esgrignons；　saw　their　prey　escaping　out　of　their　hands。　They　had　based　their　schemes　of　revenge　on　a　young　man's　follies；　and　now　he　was　beyond　their　reach。

The　tendency　in　human　nature；　which　often　gives　a　bigot　a　rake　for　a　daughter；　and　makes　a　frivolous　woman　the　mother　of　a　narrow　pietist；　that　rule　of　contraries；　which；　in　all　probability；　is　the　〃resultant〃　of　the　law　of　similarities；　drew　Victurnien　to　Paris　by　a　desire　to　which　he　must　sooner　or　later　have　yielded。　Brought　up　as　he　had　been　in　the　old…fashioned　provincial　house；　among　the　quiet；　gentle　faces　that　smiled　upon　him；　among　sober　servants　attached　to　the　family；　and　surroundings　tinged　with　a　general　color　of　age；　the　boy　had　only　seen　friends　worthy　of　respect。　All　of　those　about　him；　with　the　exception　of　the　Chevalier；　had　example　of　venerable　age；　were　elderly　men　and　women；　sedate　of　manner；　decorous　and　sententious　of　speech。　He　had　been　petted　by　those　women　in　gray　gowns　and　embroidered　mittens　described　by　Blondet。　The　antiquated　splendors　of　his　father's　house　were　as　little　calculated　as　possible　to　suggest　frivolous　thoughts；　and　lastly；　he　had　been　educated　by　a　sincerely　religious　abbe；　possessed　of　all　the　charm　of　old　age；　which　has　dwelt　in　two　centuries；　and　brings　to　the　Present　its　gifts　of　the　dried　roses　of　experience；　the　faded　flowers　of　the　old　customs　of　its　youth。　Everything　should　have　combined　to　fashion　Victurnien　to　serious　habits；　his　whole　surroundings　from　childhood　bade　him　continue　the　glory　of　a　historic　name；　by　taking　his　life　as　something　noble　and　great；　and　yet　Victurnien　listened　to　dangerous　promptings。

For　him；　his　noble　birth　was　a　stepping…stone　which　raised　him　above　other　men。　He　felt　that　the　idol　of　Noblesse；　before　which　they　burned　incense　at　home；　was　hollow；　he　had　come　to　be　one　of　the　commonest　as　well　as　one　of　the　worst　types　from　a　social　point　of　viewa　consistent　egoist。　The　aristocratic　cult　of　the　EGO　simply　taught　him　to　follow　his　own　fancies；　he　had　been　idolized　by　those　who　had　the　care　of　him　in　childhood；　and　adored　by　the　companions　who　shared　in　his　boyish　escapades；　and　so　he　had　formed　a　habit　of　looking　and　judging　everything　as　it　affected　his　own　pleasure；　he　took　it　as　a　matter　of　course　when　good　souls　saved　him　from　the　consequences　of　his　follies；　a　piece　of　mistaken　kindness　which　could　only　lead　to　his　ruin。　Victurnien's　early　training；　noble　and　pious　though　it　was；　had　isolated　him　too　much。　He　was　out　of　the　current　of　the　life　of　the　time；　for　the　life　of　a　provincial　town　is　certainly　not　in　the　main　current　of　the　age；　Victurnien's　true　destiny　lifted　him　above　it。　He　had　learned　to　think　of　an　action；　not　as　it　affected　others；　nor　relatively；　but　absolutely　from　his　own　point　of　view。　Like　despots；　he　made　the　law　to　suit　the　circumstance；　a　system　which　works　in　the　lives　of　prodigal　sons　the　same　confusion　which　fancy　brings　into　art。

Victurnien　was　quick…sighted；　he　saw　clearly　and　without　illusion；　but　he　acted　on　impulse；　and　unwisely。　An　indefinable　flaw　of　character；　often　seen　in　young　men；　but　impossible　to　explain；　led　him　to　will　one　thing　and　do　another。　In　spite　of　an　active　mind；　which　showed　itself　in　unexpected　ways；　the　senses　had　but　to　assert　themselves；　and　the　darkened　brain　seemed　to　exist　no　longer。　He　might　have　astonished　wise　men；　he　was　capable　of　setting　fools　agape。　His　desires；　like　a　sudden　squall　of　bad　weather；　overclouded　all　the　clear　and　lucid　spaces　of　his　brain　in　a　moment；　and　then；　after　the　dissipations　which　he　could　not　resist；　he　sank；　utterly　exhausted　in　body；　heart；　and　mind；　into　a　collapsed　condition　bordering　upon　imbecility。　Such　a　character　will　drag　a　man　down　into　the　mire　if　he　is　left　to　himself；　or　bring　him　to　the　highest　heights　of　political　power　if　he　has　some　stern　friend　to　keep　him　in　hand。　Neither　Chesnel；　nor　the　lad's　father；　nor　Aunt　Armande　had　fathomed　the　depths　of　a　nature　so　nearly　akin　on　many　sides　to　the　poetic　temperament；　yet　smitten　with　a　terrible　weakness　at　its　core。



By　the　time　the　old　town　lay　several　miles　away；　Victurnien　felt　not　the　slightest　regret；　he　thought　no　more　about　the　father；　who　had　loved　ten　generations　in　his　son；　nor　of　the　aunt；　and　her　almost　insane　devotion。　He　was　looking　forward　to　Paris　with　vehement　ill…　starred　longings；　in　thought　he　had　lived　in　that　fairyland；　it　had　been　the　background　of　his　brightest　dreams。　He　imagined　that　he　would　be　first　in　Paris；　as　he　had　been　in　the　town　and　the　department　where　his　father's　name　was　potent；　but　it　was　vanity；　not　pride；　that　filled　his　soul；　and　in　his　dreams　his　pleasures　were　to　be　magnified　by　all　the　greatness　of　Paris。　The　distance　was　soon　crossed。　The　traveling　coach；　like　his　own　thoughts；　left　the　narrow　horizon　of　the　province　for　the　vast　world　of　the　great　city；　without　a　break　in　the　journey。　He　stayed　in　the　Rue　de　Richelieu；　in　a　handsome　hotel　close　to　the　boulevard；　and　hastened　to　take　possession　of　Paris　as　a　famished　horse　rushes　into　a　meadow。

He　was　not　long　in　finding　out　the　difference　between　country　and　town；　and　was　rather　surprised　than　abashed　by　the　change。　His　mental　quickness　soon　discovered　how　small　an　entity　he　was　in　the　midst　of　this　all…comprehending　Babylon；　how　insane　it　would　be　to　attempt　to　stem　the　torrent　of　new　ideas　and　new　ways。　A　single　incident　was　enough。　He　delivered　his　father's　letter　of　introduction　to　the　Duc　de　Lenoncourt；　a　noble　who　stood　high　in　favor　with　the　King。　He　saw　the　duke　in　his　splendid　mansion；　among　surroundings　befitting　his　rank。　Next　day　he　met　him　again。　This　time　the