the collection of antiquities-第12节

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s　splendid　mansion；　among　surroundings　befitting　his　rank。　Next　day　he　met　him　again。　This　time　the　Peer　of　France　was　lounging　on　foot　along　the　boulevard；　just　like　any　ordinary　mortal；　with　an　umbrella　in　his　hand；　he　did　not　even　wear　the　Blue　Ribbon；　without　which　no　knight　of　the　order　could　have　appeared　in　public　in　other　times。　And；　duke　and　peer　and　first　gentleman　of　the　bedchamber　though　he　was；　M。　de　Lenoncourt；　in　spite　of　his　high　courtesy；　could　not　repress　a　smile　as　he　read　his　relative's　letter；　and　that　smile　told　Victurnien　that　the　Collection　of　Antiquities　and　the　Tuileries　were　separated　by　more　than　sixty　leagues　of　road；　the　distance　of　several　centuries　lay　between　them。

The　names　of　the　families　grouped　about　the　throne　are　quite　different　in　each　successive　reign；　and　the　characters　change　with　the　names。　It　would　seem　that；　in　the　sphere　of　court；　the　same　thing　happens　over　and　over　again　in　each　generation；　but　each　time　there　is　a　quite　different　set　of　personages。　If　history　did　not　prove　that　this　is　so；　it　would　seem　incredible。　The　prominent　men　at　the　court　of　Louis　XVIII。；　for　instance；　had　scarcely　any　connection　with　the　Rivieres；　Blacas；　d'Avarays；　Vitrolles；　d'Autichamps；　Pasquiers；　Larochejaqueleins；　Decazes；　Dambrays；　Laines；　de　Villeles；　La　Bourdonnayes；　and　others　who　shone　at　the　court　of　Louis　XV。　Compare　the　courtiers　of　Henri　IV。　with　those　of　Louis　XIV。；　you　will　hardly　find　five　great　families　of　the　former　time　still　in　existence。　The　nephew　of　the　great　Richelieu　was　a　very　insignificant　person　at　the　court　of　Louis　XIV。；　while　His　Majesty's　favorite；　Villeroi；　was　the　grandson　of　a　secretary　ennobled　by　Charles　IX。　And　so　it　befell　that　the　d'Esgrignons；　all　but　princes　under　the　Valois；　and　all…powerful　in　the　time　of　Henri　IV。；　had　no　fortune　whatever　at　the　court　of　Louis　XVIII。；　which　gave　them　not　so　much　as　a　thought。　At　this　day　there　are　names　as　famous　as　those　of　royal　housesthe　Foix…Graillys；　for　instance；　or　the　d'Herouvillesleft　to　obscurity　tantamount　to　extinction　for　want　of　money；　the　one　power　of　the　time。

All　which　things　Victurnien　beheld　entirely　from　his　own　point　of　view；　he　felt　the　equality　that　he　saw　in　Paris　as　a　personal　wrong。　The　monster　Equality　was　swallowing　down　the　last　fragments　of　social　distinction　in　the　Restoration。　Having　made　up　his　mind　on　this　head；　he　immediately　proceeded　to　try　to　win　back　his　place　with　such　dangerous；　if　blunted　weapons；　as　the　age　left　to　the　noblesse。　It　is　an　expensive　matter　to　gain　the　attention　of　Paris。　To　this　end；　Victurnien　adopted　some　of　the　ways　then　in　vogue。　He　felt　that　it　was　a　necessity　to　have　horses　and　fine　carriages；　and　all　the　accessories　of　modern　luxury；　he　felt；　in　short；　〃that　a　man　must　keep　abreast　of　the　times；〃　as　de　Marsay　saidde　Marsay；　the　first　dandy　that　he　came　across　in　the　first　drawing…room　to　which　he　was　introduced。　For　his　misfortune；　he　fell　in　with　a　set　of　roues；　with　de　Marsay；　de　Ronquerolles；　Maxime　de　Trailles；　des　Lupeaulx；　Rastignac；　Ajuda…　Pinto；　Beaudenord；　de　la　Roche…Hugon；　de　Manerville；　and　the　Vandenesses；　whom　he　met　wherever　he　went；　and　a　great　many　houses　were　open　to　a　young　man　with　his　ancient　name　and　reputation　for　wealth。　He　went　to　the　Marquise　d'Espard's；　to　the　Duchesses　de　Grandlieu；　de　Carigliano；　and　de　Chaulieu；　to　the　Marquises　d'Aiglemont　and　de　Listomere；　to　Mme。　de　Serizy's；　to　the　Opera；　to　the　embassies　and　elsewhere。　The　Faubourg　Saint…Germain　has　its　provincial　genealogies　at　its　fingers'　ends；　a　great　name　once　recognized　and　adopted　therein　is　a　passport　which　opens　many　a　door　that　will　scarcely　turn　on　its　hinges　for　unknown　names　or　the　lions　of　a　lower　rank。

Victurnien　found　his　relatives　both　amiable　and　ready　to　welcome　him　so　long　as　he　did　not　appear　as　a　suppliant；　he　saw　at　once　that　the　surest　way　of　obtaining　nothing　was　to　ask　for　something。　At　Paris；　if　the　first　impulse　moves　people　to　protect；　second　thoughts　（which　last　a　good　deal　longer）　impel　them　to　despise　the　protege。　Independence；　vanity；　and　pride；　all　the　young　Count's　better　and　worse　feelings　combined；　led　him；　on　the　contrary；　to　assume　an　aggressive　attitude。　And　therefore　the　Ducs　de　Verneuil；　de　Lenoncourt；　de　Chaulieu；　de　Navarreins；　d'Herouville；　de　Grandlieu；　and　de　Maufrigneuse；　the　Princes　de　Cadignan　and　de　Blamont…Chauvry；　were　delighted　to　present　the　charming　survivor　of　the　wreck　of　an　ancient　family　at　court。

Victurnien　went　to　the　Tuileries　in　a　splendid　carriage　with　his　armorial　bearings　on　the　panels；　but　his　presentation　to　His　Majesty　made　it　abundantly　clear　to　him　that　the　people　occupied　the　royal　mind　so　much　that　his　nobility　was　like　to　be　forgotten。　The　restored　dynasty；　moreover；　was　surrounded　by　triple　ranks　of　eligible　old　men　and　gray…headed　courtiers；　the　young　noblesse　was　reduced　to　a　cipher；　and　this　Victurnien　guessed　at　once。　He　saw　that　there　was　no　suitable　place　for　him　at　court；　nor　in　the　government；　nor　the　army；　nor；　indeed；　anywhere　else。　So　he　launched　out　into　the　world　of　pleasure。　Introduced　at　the　Elyess…Bourbon；　at　the　Duchesse　d'Angouleme's；　at　the　Pavillon　Marsan；　he　met　on　all　sides　with　the　surface　civilities　due　to　the　heir　of　an　old　family；　not　so　old　but　it　could　be　called　to　mind　by　the　sight　of　a　living　member。　And；　after　all；　it　was　not　a　small　thing　to　be　remembered。　In　the　distinction　with　which　Victurnien　was　honored　lay　the　way　to　the　peerage　and　a　splendid　marriage；　he　had　taken　the　field　with　a　false　appearance　of　wealth；　and　his　vanity　would　not　allow　him　to　declare　his　real　position。　Besides；　he　had　been　so　much　complimented　on　the　figure　that　he　made；　he　was　so　pleased　with　his　first　success；　that；　like　many　other　young　men；　he　felt　ashamed　to　draw　back。　He　took　a　suite　of　rooms　in　the　Rue　du　Bac；　with　stables　and　a　complete　equipment　for　the　fashionable　life　to　which　he　had　committed　himself。　These　preliminaries　cost　him　fifty　thousand　francs；　which　money；　moreover；　the　young　gentleman　managed　to　draw　in　spite　of　all　Chesnel's　wise　precautions；　thanks　to　a　series　of　unforeseen　events。

Chesnel's　letter　certainly　reached　his　friend's　office；　but　Maitre　Sorbier　was　dead；　and　Mme。　Sorbier；　a　matter…of…fact　person；　seeing　it　was　a　business　letter；　handed　it　on　to　her　husband's　successor。　Maitre　Cardot；　the　new　notary；　informed　the　young　Count　that　a　draft　on　the　Treasury　made　payable　to　the　deceased　would　be　useless；　and　by　way　of　reply　to　the　letter；　which　had　cost　the　old　provincial　notary　so　much　thought；　Cardot　despatched　four　lines　intended　not　to　reach　Chesnel's　heart；　but　to　produce　the　money。　Chesnel　made　the　draft　payable　to　Sorbier's　young　successor；　and　the　latter；　feeling　but　little　inclination　to　adopt　his　correspondent's　sentimentality；　was　delighted　to　put　himself　at　the　Count's　orders；　and　gave　Victurnien　as　much　money　as　he　wanted。

Now　those　who　know　what　life　in　Paris　means；　know　that　fifty　thousand　francs　will　not　go　very　far　in　furniture；　horses；　carriages；　and　elegance　generally；　but　it　must　be　borne　in　mind　that　Victurnien　immediately　contracted　some　twenty　thousand　francs'　worth　of　debts　besides；　and　his　tradespeople　at　first　were　not　at　all　anxious　to　be　paid；　for　our　young　gentleman's　fortune　had　been　prodigiously　increased；　partly　by　rumor；　partly　by　Josephin；　that　Chesnel　in　livery。

Victurnien　had　not　been　in　town　a　month　before　he　was　obliged　to　repair　to　his　man　of　business　for　ten　thousand　francs；　he　had　only　been　playing　whist　with　the　Ducs　de　Navarreins；　de　Chaulieu；　and　de　Lenoncourt；　and　now　and　again　at　his　club。　He　had　begun　by　winning　some　thousands　of　francs　but　pretty　soon　lost　five　or　six　thousand；　which　brought　home　to　him　the　necessity　of　a　purse　for　play。　Victurnien　had　the　spirit　that　gains　goodwill　everywhere；　and　puts　a　young　man　of　a　great　family　on　a　level　with　the　very　highest。　He　was　not　merely　admitted　at　once　into　the　band　of　patrician　youth；　but　was　even　envied　by　the　rest。　It　was　intoxicating　to　him　to　feel　that　he　was　envied；　nor　was　he　in　this　mood　very　likely　to　think　of　reform。　Indeed；　he　had　completely　lost　his　head。　He　would　not　think　of　the　means；　he　dipped　into　his　money…bags　as　if　they　could　be　refilled　indefinitely；　he　deliberately　shut　his　eyes　to　the　inevitable　results　of　the　system。　In　that　dissipated　set；　in　the　continual　whirl　of　gaiety；　people　take　the　actors　in　their　brilliant　costumes　as　they　find　them；　no　one　inquires　whether　a　man　can　afford　to　make　the　figure　he　does；　there　is　nothing　in　worse　taste　than　inquiries　as　to　ways　and　means。　A　man　ought　to　renew　his　wealth　perpetually；　and　as　Nature　does　below　the　surface　and　out　of　sight。　People　talk　if　somebody　comes　to　grief；　they　joke　about　a　newcomer's　fortune　till　their　minds　are　set　at　rest；　and　at　this　they　draw　the　line。　Victurnien　d'Esgrignon；　with　all　the　Faubourg　Saint…Germain　to　back　him；　with　all　his　protectors　exaggerating　the　amount　of　his　fortune　（were　it　only　to　rid　themselves　of　responsibility）；　and　magnifying　his　possessions　in　the　most　refined　and　well…bred　way；　with　a　hint　or　a　word；　with　all　these　advantages　to　repeatVicturnien　was；　in　fact；　an　eligible　Count。　He　was　handsome；　witty；　sound　in　politics；　his　father　still　possesse