the collection of antiquities-第7节

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find　a　budding　Faublas；　who　looked　the　part　to　admiration；　and　put　him　in　mind　of　his　own　young　days。　So；　making　no　allowance　for　the　difference　of　the　times；　he　sowed　the　maxims　of　a　roue　of　the　Encyclopaedic　period　broadcast　in　the　boy's　mind。　He　told　wicked　anecdotes　of　the　reign　of　His　Majesty　Louis　XV。；　he　glorified　the　manners　and　customs　of　the　year　1750；　he　told　of　the　orgies　in　petites　maisons；　the　follies　of　courtesans；　the　capital　tricks　played　on　creditors；　the　manners；　in　short；　which　furnished　forth　Dancourt's　comedies　and　Beaumarchais'　epigrams。　And　unfortunately；　the　corruption　lurking　beneath　the　utmost　polish　tricked　itself　out　in　Voltairean　wit。　If　the　Chevalier　went　rather　too　far　at　times；　he　always　added　as　a　corrective　that　a　man　must　always　behave　himself　like　a　gentleman。

Of　all　this　discourse；　Victurnien　comprehended　just　so　much　as　flattered　his　passions。　From　the　first　he　saw　his　old　father　laughing　with　the　Chevalier。　The　two　elderly　men　considered　that　the　pride　of　a　d'Esgrignon　was　a　sufficient　safeguard　against　anything　unbefitting；　as　for　a　dishonorable　action；　no　one　in　the　house　imagined　that　a　d'Esgrignon　could　be　guilty　of　it。　HONOR；　the　great　principle　of　Monarchy；　was　planted　firm　like　a　beacon　in　the　hearts　of　the　family；　it　lighted　up　the　least　action；　it　kindled　the　least　thought　of　a　d'Esgrignon。　〃A　d'Esgrignon　ought　not　to　permit　himself　to　do　such　and　such　a　thing；　he　bears　a　name　which　pledges　him　to　make　a　future　worthy　of　the　past〃a　noble　teaching　which　should　have　been　sufficient　in　itself　to　keep　alive　the　tradition　of　noblessehad　been；　as　it　were；　the　burden　of　Victurnien's　cradle　song。　He　heard　them　from　the　old　Marquis；　from　Mlle。　Armande；　from　Chesnel；　from　the　intimates　of　the　house。　And　so　it　came　to　pass　that　good　and　evil　met；　and　in　equal　forces；　in　the　boy's　soul。

At　the　age　of　eighteen；　Victurnien　went　into　society。　He　noticed　some　slight　discrepancies　between　the　outer　world　of　the　town　and　the　inner　world　of　the　Hotel　d'Esgrignon；　but　he　in　no　wise　tried　to　seek　the　causes　of　them。　And；　indeed；　the　causes　were　to　be　found　in　Paris。　He　had　yet　to　learn　that　the　men　who　spoke　their　minds　out　so　boldly　in　evening　talk　with　his　father；　were　extremely　careful　of　what　they　said　in　the　presence　of　the　hostile　persons　with　whom　their　interests　compelled　them　to　mingle。　His　own　father　had　won　the　right　of　freedom　of　speech。　Nobody　dreamed　of　contradicting　an　old　man　of　seventy；　and　besides；　every　one　was　willing　to　overlook　fidelity　to　the　old　order　of　things　in　a　man　who　had　been　violently　despoiled。

Victurnien　was　deceived　by　appearances；　and　his　behavior　set　up　the　backs　of　the　townspeople。　In　his　impetuous　way　he　tried　to　carry　matters　with　too　high　a　hand　over　some　difficulties　in　the　way　of　sport；　which　ended　in　formidable　lawsuits；　hushed　up　by　Chesnel　for　money　paid　down。　Nobody　dared　to　tell　the　Marquis　of　these　things。　You　may　judge　of　his　astonishment　if　he　had　heard　that　his　son　had　been　prosecuted　for　shooting　over　his　lands；　his　domains；　his　covers；　under　the　reign　of　a　son　of　St。　Louis！　People　were　too　much　afraid　of　the　possible　consequences　to　tell　him　about　such　trifles；　Chesnel　said。

The　young　Count　indulged　in　other　escapades　in　the　town。　These　the　Chevalier　regarded　as　〃amourettes；〃　but　they　cost　Chesnel　something　considerable　in　portions　for　forsaken　damsels　seduced　under　imprudent　promises　of　marriage：　yet　other　cases　there　were　which　came　under　an　article　of　the　Code　as　to　the　abduction　of　minors；　and　but　for　Chesnel's　timely　intervention；　the　new　law　would　have　been　allowed　to　take　its　brutal　course；　and　it　is　hard　to　say　where　the　Count　might　have　ended。　Victurnien　grew　the　bolder　for　these　victories　over　bourgeois　justice。　He　was　so　accustomed　to　be　pulled　out　of　scrapes；　that　he　never　thought　twice　before　any　prank。　Courts　of　law；　in　his　opinion；　were　bugbears　to　frighten　people　who　had　no　hold　on　him。　Things　which　he　would　have　blamed　in　common　people　were　for　him　only　pardonable　amusements。　His　disposition　to　treat　the　new　laws　cavalierly　while　obeying　the　maxims　of　a　Code　for　aristocrats；　his　behavior　and　character；　were　all　pondered；　analyzed；　and　tested　by　a　few　adroit　persons　in　du　Croisier's　interests。　These　folk　supported　each　other　in　the　effort　to　make　the　people　believe　that　Liberal　slanders　were　revelations；　and　that　the　Ministerial　policy　at　bottom　meant　a　return　to　the　old　order　of　things。

What　a　bit　of　luck　to　find　something　by　way　of　proof　of　their　assertions！　President　du　Ronceret；　and　the　public　prosecutor　likewise；　lent　themselves　admirably；　so　far　as　was　compatible　with　their　duty　as　magistrates；　to　the　design　of　letting　off　the　offender　as　easily　as　possible；　indeed；　they　went　deliberately　out　of　their　way　to　do　this；　well　pleased　to　raise　a　Liberal　clamor　against　their　overlarge　concessions。　And　so；　while　seeming　to　serve　the　interests　of　the　d'Esgrignons；　they　stirred　up　feeling　against　them。　The　treacherous　de　Ronceret　had　it　in　his　mind　to　pose　as　incorruptible　at　the　right　moment　over　some　serious　charge；　with　public　opinion　to　back　him　up。　The　young　Count's　worst　tendencies；　moreover；　were　insidiously　encouraged　by　two　or　three　young　men　who　followed　in　his　train；　paid　court　to　him；　won　his　favor；　and　flattered　and　obeyed　him；　with　a　view　to　confirming　his　belief　in　a　noble's　supremacy；　and　all　this　at　a　time　when　a　noble's　one　chance　of　preserving　his　power　lay　in　using　it　with　the　utmost　discretion　for　half　a　century　to　come。

Du　Croisier　hoped　to　reduce　the　d'Esgrignons　to　the　last　extremity　of　poverty；　he　hoped　to　see　their　castle　demolished；　and　their　lands　sold　piecemeal　by　auction；　through　the　follies　which　this　harebrained　boy　was　pretty　certain　to　commit。　This　was　as　far　as　he　went；　he　did　not　think；　with　President　du　Ronceret；　that　Victurnien　was　likely　to　give　justice　another　kind　of　hold　upon　him。　Both　men　found　an　ally　for　their　schemes　of　revenge　in　Victurnien's　overweening　vanity　and　love　of　pleasure。　President　du　Ronceret's　son；　a　lad　of　seventeen；　was　admirably　fitted　for　the　part　of　instigator。　He　was　one　of　the　Count's　companions；　a　new　kind　of　spy　in　du　Croisier's　pay；　du　Croisier　taught　him　his　lesson；　set　him　to　track　down　the　noble　and　beautiful　boy　through　his　better　qualities；　and　sardonically　prompted　him　to　encourage　his　victim　in　his　worst　faults。　Fabien　du　Ronceret　was　a　sophisticated　youth；　to　whom　such　a　mystification　was　attractive；　he　had　precisely　the　keen　brain　and　envious　nature　which　finds　in　such　a　pursuit　as　this　the　absorbing　amusement　which　a　man　of　an　ingenious　turn　lacks　in　the　provinces。

In　three　years；　between　the　ages　of　eighteen　and　one…and…twenty；　Victurnien　cost　poor　Chesnel　nearly　eighty　thousand　francs！　And　this　without　the　knowledge　of　Mlle。　Armande　or　the　Marquis。　More　than　half　of　the　money　had　been　spent　in　buying　off　lawsuits；　the　lad's　extravagance　had　squandered　the　rest。　Of　the　Marquis'　income　of　ten　thousand　livres；　five　thousand　were　necessary　for　the　housekeeping；　two　thousand　more　represented　Mlle。　Armande's　allowance　（parsimonious　though　she　was）　and　the　Marquis'　expenses。　The　handsome　young　heir…　presumptive；　therefore；　had　not　a　hundred　louis　to　spend。　And　what　sort　of　figure　can　a　man　make　on　two　thousand　livres？　Victurnien's　tailor's　bills　alone　absorbed　his　whole　allowance。　He　had　his　linen；　his　clothes；　gloves；　and　perfumery　from　Paris。　He　wanted　a　good　English　saddle…horse；　a　tilbury；　and　a　second　horse。　M。　du　Croisier　had　a　tilbury　and　a　thoroughbred。　Was　the　bourgeoisie　to　cut　out　the　noblesse？　Then；　the　young　Count　must　have　a　man　in　the　d'Esgrignon　livery。　He　prided　himself　on　setting　the　fashion　among　young　men　in　the　town　and　the　department；　he　entered　that　world　of　luxuries　and　fancies　which　suit　youth　and　good　looks　and　wit　so　well。　Chesnel　paid　for　it　all；　not　without　using；　like　ancient　parliaments；　the　right　of　protest；　albeit　he　spoke　with　angelic　kindness。

〃What　a　pity　it　is　that　so　good　a　man　should　be　so　tiresome！〃　Victurnien　would　say　to　himself　every　time　that　the　notary　staunched　some　wound　in　his　purse。

Chesnel　had　been　left　a　widower；　and　childless；　he　had　taken　his　old　master's　son　to　fill　the　void　in　his　heart。　It　was　a　pleasure　to　him　to　watch　the　lad　driving　up　the　High　Street；　perched　aloft　on　the　box…　seat　of　the　tilbury；　whip　in　hand；　and　a　rose　in　his　button…hole；　handsome；　well　turned　out；　envied　by　every　one。

Pressing　need　would　bring　Victurnien　with　uneasy　eyes　and　coaxing　manner；　but　steady　voice；　to　the　modest　house　in　the　Rue　du　Bercail；　there　had　been　losses　at　cards　at　the　Troisvilles；　or　the　Duc　de　Verneuil's；　or　the　prefecture；　or　the　receiver…general's；　and　the　Count　had　come　to　his　providence；　the　notary。　He　had　only　to　show　himself　to　carry　the　day。

〃Well；　what　is　it；　M。　le　Comte？　What　has　happened？〃　the　old　man　would　ask；　with　a　tremor　in　his　voice。

On　great　occasions　Victurnien　would　sit　down；　assume　a　melancholy；　pensive　expression；　and　submit　with　little　coquetries　of　voice　and　gesture　to　be　questioned。　Then　when　he　had　thoroughly　roused　the　old　man's　fears　（for　Chesnel　was　beginning　to　fear　how　such　a　course　of　extravagance　would　end）；　he　would　own　up　to　a　peccadillo　which　a　bill　fo