the collection of antiquities-第19节

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every　supper…party　he　heard；　like　Don　Juan；　the　heavy　tread　of　the　statue　outside　upon　the　stairs。　He　felt　an　unaccountable　creeping　of　the　flesh；　a　warning　that　the　sirocco　of　debt　is　nigh　at　hand。　He　reckoned　on　chance。　For　five　years　he　had　never　turned　up　a　blank　in　the　lottery；　his　purse　had　always　been　replenished。　After　Chesnel　had　come　du　Croisier　（he　told　himself）；　after　du　Croisier　surely　another　gold　mine　would　pour　out　its　wealth。　And　besides；　he　was　winning　great　sums　at　play；　his　luck　at　play　had　saved　him　several　unpleasant　steps　already；　and　often　a　wild　hope　sent　him　to　the　Salon　des　Etrangers　only　to　lose　his　winnings　afterwards　at　whist　at　the　club。　His　life　for　the　past　two　months　had　been　like　the　immortal　finale　of　Mozart's　Don　Giovanni；　and　of　a　truth；　if　a　young　man　has　come　to　such　a　plight　as　Victurnien's；　that　finale　is　enough　to　make　him　shudder。　Can　anything　better　prove　the　enormous　power　of　music　than　that　sublime　rendering　of　the　disorder　and　confusion　arising　out　of　a　life　wholly　give　up　to　sensual　indulgence？　that　fearful　picture　of　a　deliberate　effort　to　shut　out　the　thought　of　debts　and　duels；　deceit　and　evil　luck？　In　that　music　Mozart　disputes　the　palm　with　Moliere。　The　terrific　finale；　with　its　glow；　its　power；　its　despair　and　laughter；　its　grisly　spectres　and　elfish　women；　centres　about　the　prodigal's　last　effort　made　in　the　after…supper　heat　of　wine；　the　frantic　struggle　which　ends　the　drama。　Victurnien　was　living　through　this　infernal　poem；　and　alone。　He　saw　visions　of　himselfa　friendless；　solitary　outcast；　reading　the　words　carved　on　the　stone；　the　last　words　on　the　last　page　of　the　book　that　had　held　him　spellboundTHE　END！

Yes；　for　him　all　would　be　at　an　end；　and　that　soon。　Already　he　saw　the　cold；　ironical　eyes　which　his　associates　would　turn　upon　him；　and　their　amusement　over　his　downfall。　Some　of　them　he　knew　were　playing　high　on　that　gambling…table　kept　open　all　day　long　at　the　Bourse；　or　in　private　houses　at　the　clubs；　and　anywhere　and　everywhere　in　Paris；　but　not　one　of　these　men　could　spare　a　banknote　to　save　an　intimate。　There　was　no　help　for　itChesnel　must　be　ruined。　He　had　devoured　Chesnel's　living。

He　sat　with　the　Duchess　in　their　box　at　the　Italiens；　the　whole　house　envying　them　their　happiness；　and　while　he　smiled　at　her；　all　the　Furies　were　tearing　at　his　heart。　Indeed；　to　give　some　idea　of　the　depths　of　doubt；　despair；　and　incredulity　in　which　the　boy　was　groveling；　he　who　so　clung　to　lifethe　life　which　the　angel　had　made　so　fairwho　so　loved　it；　that　he　would　have　stooped　to　baseness　merely　to　live；　he；　the　pleasure…loving　scapegrace；　the　degenerate　d'Esgrignon；　had　even　taken　out　his　pistols；　had　gone　so　far　as　to　think　of　suicide。　He　who　would　never　have　brooked　the　appearance　of　an　insult　was　abusing　himself　in　language　which　no　man　is　likely　to　hear　except　from　himself。

He　left　du　Croisier's　letter　lying　open　on　the　bed。　Josephin　had　brought　it　in　at　nine　o'clock。　Victurnien's　furniture　had　been　seized；　but　he　slept　none　the　less。　After　he　came　back　from　the　Opera；　he　and　the　Duchess　had　gone　to　a　voluptuous　retreat；　where　they　often　spent　a　few　hours　together　after　the　most　brilliant　court　balls　and　evening　parties　and　gaieties。　Appearances　were　very　cleverly　saved。　Their　love…nest　was　a　garret　like　any　other　to　all　appearance；　Mme。　de　Maufrigneuse　was　obliged　to　bow　her　head　with　its　court　feathers　or　wreath　of　flowers　to　enter　in　at　the　door；　but　within　all　the　peris　of　the　East　had　made　the　chamber　fair。　And　now　that　the　Count　was　on　the　brink　of　ruin；　he　had　longed　to　bid　farewell　to　the　dainty　nest；　which　he　had　built　to　realize　a　day…dream　worthy　of　his　angel。　Presently　adversity　would　break　the　enchanted　eggs；　there　would　be　no　brood　of　white　doves；　no　brilliant　tropical　birds；　no　more　of　the　thousand　bright…winged　fancies　which　hover　above　our　heads　even　to　the　last　days　of　our　lives。　Alas！　alas！　in　three　days　he　must　be　gone；　his　bills　had　fallen　into　the　hands　of　the　money…lenders；　the　law　proceedings　had　reached　the　last　stage。

An　evil　thought　crossed　his　brain。　He　would　fly　with　the　Duchess；　they　would　live　in　some　undiscovered　nook　in　the　wilds　of　North　or　South　America；　buthe　would　fly　with　a　fortune；　and　leave　his　creditors　to　confront　their　bills。　To　carry　out　the　plan；　he　had　only　to　cut　off　the　lower　portion　of　that　letter　with　du　Croisier's　signature；　and　to　fill　in　the　figures　to　turn　it　into　a　bill；　and　present　it　to　the　Kellers。　There　was　a　dreadful　struggle　with　temptation；　tears　shed；　but　the　honor　of　the　family　triumphed；　subject　to　one　condition。　Victurnien　wanted　to　be　sure　of　his　beautiful　Diane；　he　would　do　nothing　unless　she　should　consent　to　their　flight。　So　he　went　to　the　Duchess　in　the　Rue　Faubourg　Saint…Honore；　and　found　her　in　coquettish　morning　dress；　which　cost　as　much　in　thought　as　in　money；　a　fit　dress　in　which　to　begin　to　play　the　part　of　Angel　at　eleven　o'clock　in　the　morning。

Mme。　de　Maufrigneuse　was　somewhat　pensive。　Cares　of　a　similar　kind　were　gnawing　her　mind；　but　she　took　them　gallantly。　Of　all　the　various　feminine　organizations　classified　by　physiologists；　there　is　one　that　has　something　indescribably　terrible　about　it。　Such　women　combine　strength　of　soul　and　clear　insight；　with　a　faculty　for　prompt　decision；　and　a　recklessness；　or　rather　resolution　in　a　crisis　which　would　shake　a　man's　nerves。　And　these　powers　lie　out　of　sight　beneath　an　appearance　of　the　most　graceful　helplessness。　Such　women　only　among　womankind　afford　examples　of　a　phenomenon　which　Buffon　recognized　in　men　alone；　to　wit；　the　union；　or　rather　the　disunion；　of　two　different　natures　in　one　human　being。　Other　women　are　wholly　women；　wholly　tender；　wholly　devoted；　wholly　mothers；　completely　null　and　completely　tiresome；　nerves　and　brain　and　blood　are　all　in　harmony；　but　the　Duchess；　and　others　like　her；　are　capable　of　rising　to　the　highest　heights　of　feelings；　or　of　showing　the　most　selfish　insensibility。　It　is　one　of　the　glories　of　Moliere　that　he　has　given　us　a　wonderful　portrait　of　such　a　woman；　from　one　point　of　view　only；　in　that　greatest　of　his　full…length　figuresCelimene；　Celimene　is　the　typical　aristocratic　woman；　as　Figaro；　the　second　edition　of　Panurge；　represents　the　people。

So；　the　Duchess；　being　overwhelmed　with　debt；　laid　it　upon　herself　to　give　no　more　than　a　moment's　thought　to　the　avalanche　of　cares；　and　to　take　her　resolution　once　and　for　all；　Napoleon　could　take　up　or　lay　down　the　burden　of　his　thoughts　in　precisely　the　same　way。　The　Duchess　possessed　the　faculty　of　standing　aloof　from　herself；　she　could　look　on　as　a　spectator　at　the　crash　when　it　came；　instead　of　submitting　to　be　buried　beneath。　This　was　certainly　great；　but　repulsive　in　a　woman。　When　she　awoke　in　the　morning　she　collected　her　thoughts；　and　by　the　time　she　had　begun　to　dress　she　had　looked　at　the　danger　in　its　fullest　extent　and　faced　the　possibilities　of　terrific　downfall。　She　pondered。　Should　she　take　refuge　in　a　foreign　country？　Or　should　she　go　to　the　King　and　declare　her　debts　to　him？　Or　again；　should　she　fascinate　a　du　Tillet　or　a　Nucingen；　and　gamble　on　the　stock　exchange　to　pay　her　creditors？　The　city　man　would　find　the　money；　he　would　be　intelligent　enough　to　bring　her　nothing　but　the　profits；　without　so　much　as　mentioning　the　losses；　a　piece　of　delicacy　which　would　gloss　all　over。　The　catastrophe；　and　these　various　ways　of　averting　it；　had　all　been　reviewed　quite　coolly；　calmly；　and　without　trepidation。

As　a　naturalist　takes　up　some　king　of　butterflies　and　fastens　him　down　on　cotton…wool　with　a　pin；　so　Mme。　de　Maufrigneuse　had　plucked　love　out　of　her　heart　while　she　pondered　the　necessity　of　the　moment；　and　was　quite　ready　to　replace　the　beautiful　passion　on　its　immaculate　setting　so　soon　as　her　duchess'　coronet　was　safe。　SHE　knew　none　of　the　hesitation　which　Cardinal　Richelieu　hid　from　all　the　world　but　Pere　Joseph；　none　of　the　doubts　that　Napoleon　kept　at　first　entirely　to　himself。　〃Either　the　one　or　the　other；〃　she　told　herself。

She　was　sitting　by　the　fire；　giving　orders　for　her　toilette　for　a　drive　in　the　Bois　if　the　weather　should　be　fine；　when　Victurnien　came　in。

The　Comte　d'Esgrignon；　with　all　his　stifled　capacity；　his　so　keen　intellect；　was　in　exactly　the　state　which　might　have　been　looked　for　in　the　woman。　His　heart　was　beating　violently；　the　perspiration　broke　out　over　him　as　he　stood　in　his　dandy's　trappings；　he　was　afraid　as　yet　to　lay　a　hand　on　the　corner…stone　which　upheld　the　pyramid　of　his　life　with　Diane。　So　much　it　cost　him　to　know　the　truth。　The　cleverest　men　are　fain　to　deceive　themselves　on　one　or　two　points　if　the　truth　once　known　is　likely　to　humiliate　them　in　their　own　eyes；　and　damage　themselves　with　themselves。　Victurnien　forced　his　own　irresolution　into　the　field　by　committing　himself。

〃What　is　the　matter　with　you？〃　Diane　de　Maufrigneuse　had　said　at　once；　at　the　sight　of　her　beloved　Victurnien's　face。

〃Why；　dear　Diane；　I　am　in　such　a　perplexity；　a　man　gone　to　the　bottom　and　at　his　last　gasp　is　happy　in　comparison。〃

〃Pshaw！　it　is　nothing；〃　said　she；　〃you　are　a　child。　Let　us　see　now；　tell　me　about　it。〃

〃I　am　hopelessly　in　debt。　I　have　come　to　the　end　of　my　tether。〃

〃Is　that　all？〃　said　she；　smiling　at　h