the collection of antiquities-第8节

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o　fear　how　such　a　course　of　extravagance　would　end）；　he　would　own　up　to　a　peccadillo　which　a　bill　for　a　thousand　francs　would　absolve。　Chesnel　possessed　a　private　income　of　some　twelve　thousand　livres；　but　the　fund　was　not　inexhaustible。　The　eighty　thousand　francs　thus　squandered　represented　his　savings；　accumulated　for　the　day　when　the　Marquis　should　send　his　son　to　Paris；　or　open　negotiations　for　a　wealthy　marriage。

Chesnel　was　clear…sighted　so　long　as　Victurnien　was　not　there　before　him。　One　by　one　he　lost　the　illusions　which　the　Marquis　and　his　sister　still　fondly　cherished。　He　saw　that　the　young　fellow　could　not　be　depended　upon　in　the　least；　and　wished　to　see　him　married　to　some　modest；　sensible　girl　of　good　birth；　wondering　within　himself　how　a　young　man　could　mean　so　well　and　do　so　ill；　for　he　made　promises　one　day　only　to　break　them　all　on　the　next。

But　there　is　never　any　good　to　be　expected　of　young　men　who　confess　their　sins　and　repent；　and　straightway　fall　into　them　again。　A　man　of　strong　character　only　confesses　his　faults　to　himself；　and　punishes　himself　for　them；　as　for　the　weak；　they　drop　back　into　the　old　ruts　when　they　find　that　the　bank　is　too　steep　to　climb。　The　springs　of　pride　which　lie　in　a　great　man's　secret　soul　had　been　slackened　in　Victurnien。　With　such　guardians　as　he　had；　such　company　as　he　kept；　such　a　life　as　he　led；　he　had　suddenly　became　an　enervated　voluptuary　at　that　turning…point　in　his　life　when　a　man　most　stands　in　need　of　the　harsh　discipline　of　misfortune　and　adversity　which　formed　a　Prince　Eugene；　a　Frederick　II。；　a　Napoleon。　Chesnel　saw　that　Victurnien　possessed　that　uncontrollable　appetite　for　enjoyments　which　should　be　the　prerogative　of　men　endowed　with　giant　powers；　the　men　who　feel　the　need　of　counterbalancing　their　gigantic　labors　by　pleasures　which　bring　one…sided　mortals　to　the　pit。

At　times　the　good　man　stood　aghast；　then；　again；　some　profound　sally；　some　sign　of　the　lad's　remarkable　range　of　intellect；　would　reassure　him。　He　would　say；　as　the　Marquis　said　at　the　rumor　of　some　escapade；　〃Boys　will　be　boys。〃　Chesnel　had　spoken　to　the　Chevalier；　lamenting　the　young　lord's　propensity　for　getting　into　debt；　but　the　Chevalier　manipulated　his　pinch　of　snuff；　and　listened　with　a　smile　of　amusement。

〃My　dear　Chesnel；　just　explain　to　me　what　a　national　debt　is；〃　he　answered。　〃If　France　has　debts；　egad！　why　should　not　Victurnien　have　debts？　At　this　time　and　at　all　times　princes　have　debts；　every　gentleman　has　debts。　Perhaps　you　would　rather　that　Victurnien　should　bring　you　his　savings？Do　you　know　that　our　great　Richelieu　（not　the　Cardinal；　a　pitiful　fellow　that　put　nobles　to　death；　but　the　Marechal）；　do　you　know　what　he　did　once　when　his　grandson　the　Prince　de　Chinon；　the　last　of　the　line；　let　him　see　that　he　had　not　spent　his　pocket…money　at　the　University？〃

〃No；　M。　le　Chevalier。〃

〃Oh；　well；　he　flung　the　purse　out　of　the　window　to　a　sweeper　in　the　courtyard；　and　said　to　his　grandson；　'Then　they　do　not　teach　you　to　be　a　prince　here？'　〃

Chesnel　bent　his　head　and　made　no　answer。　But　that　night；　as　he　lay　awake；　he　thought　that　such　doctrines　as　these　were　fatal　in　times　when　there　was　one　law　for　everybody；　and　foresaw　the　first　beginnings　of　the　ruin　of　the　d'Esgrignons。



But　for　these　explanations　which　depict　one　side　of　provincial　life　in　the　time　of　the　Empire　and　the　Restoration；　it　would　not　be　easy　to　understand　the　opening　scene　of　this　history；　an　incident　which　took　place　in　the　great　salon　one　evening　towards　the　end　of　October　1822。　The　card…tables　were　forsaken；　the　Collection　of　Antiquitieselderly　nobles；　elderly　countesses；　young　marquises；　and　simple　baronesses　had　settled　their　losses　and　winnings。　The　master　of　the　house　was　pacing　up　and　down　the　room；　while　Mlle。　Armande　was　putting　out　the　candles　on　the　card…tables。　He　was　not　taking　exercise　alone；　the　Chevalier　was　with　him；　and　the　two　wrecks　of　the　eighteenth　century　were　talking　of　Victurnien。　The　Chevalier　had　undertaken　to　broach　the　subject　with　the　Marquis。

〃Yes；　Marquis；〃　he　was　saying；　〃your　son　is　wasting　his　time　and　his　youth；　you　ought　to　send　him　to　court。〃

〃I　have　always　thought；〃　said　the　Marquis；　〃that　if　my　great　age　prevents　me　from　going　to　courtwhere；　between　ourselves；　I　do　not　know　what　I　should　do　among　all　these　new　people　whom　his　Majesty　receives；　and　all　that　is　going　on　therethat　if　I　could　not　go　myself；　I　could　at　least　send　my　son　to　present　our　homage　to　His　Majesty。　The　King　surely　would　do　something　for　the　Countgive　him　a　company；　for　instance；　or　a　place　in　the　Household；　a　chance；　in　short；　for　the　boy　to　win　his　spurs。　My　uncle　the　Archbishop　suffered　a　cruel　martyrdom；　I　have　fought　for　the　cause　without　deserting　the　camp　with　those　who　thought　it　their　duty　to　follow　the　Princes。　I　held　that　while　the　King　was　in　France；　his　nobles　should　rally　round　him。Ah！　well；　no　one　gives　us　a　thought；　a　Henry　IV。　would　have　written　before　now　to　the　d'Esgrignons；　'Come　to　me；　my　friends；　we　have　won　the　day！'After　all；　we　are　something　better　than　the　Troisvilles；　yet　here　are　two　Troisvilles　made　peers　of　France；　and　another；　I　hear；　represents　the　nobles　in　the　Chamber。〃　（He　took　the　upper　electoral　colleges　for　assemblies　of　his　own　order。）　〃Really；　they　think　no　more　of　us　than　if　we　did　not　exist。　I　was　waiting　for　the　Princes　to　make　their　journey　through　this　part　of　the　world；　but　as　the　Princes　do　not　come　to　us；　we　must　go　to　the　Princes。〃

〃I　am　enchanted　to　learn　that　you　think　of　introducing　our　dear　Victurnien　into　society；〃　the　Chevalier　put　in　adroitly。　〃He　ought　not　to　bury　his　talents　in　a　hole　like　this　town。　The　best　fortune　that　he　can　look　for　here　is　to　come　across　some　Norman　girl〃　（mimicking　the　accent）；　〃country…bred；　stupid；　and　rich。　What　could　he　make　of　her？his　wife？　Oh！　good　Lord！〃

〃I　sincerely　hope　that　he　will　defer　his　marriage　until　he　has　obtained　some　great　office　or　appointment　under　the　Crown；〃　returned　the　gray…haired　Marquis。　〃Still；　there　are　serious　difficulties　in　the　way。〃

And　these　were　the　only　difficulties　which　the　Marquis　saw　at　the　outset　of　his　son's　career。

〃My　son；　the　Comte　d'Esgrignon；　cannot　make　his　appearance　at　court　like　a　tatterdemalion；〃　he　continued　after　a　pause；　marked　by　a　sigh；　〃he　must　be　equipped。　Alas！　for　these　two　hundred　years　we　have　had　no　retainers。　Ah！　Chevalier；　this　demolition　from　top　to　bottom　always　brings　me　back　to　the　first　hammer　stroke　delivered　by　M。　de　Mirabeau。　The　one　thing　needful　nowadays　is　money；　that　is　all　that　the　Revolution　has　done　that　I　can　see。　The　King　does　not　ask　you　whether　you　are　a　descendant　of　the　Valois　or　a　conquerer　of　Gaul；　he　asks　whether　you　pay　a　thousand　francs　in　tailles　which　nobles　never　used　to　pay。　So　I　cannot　well　send　the　Count　to　court　without　a　matter　of　twenty　thousand　crowns〃

〃Yes；〃　assented　the　Chevalier；　〃with　that　trifling　sum　he　could　cut　a　brave　figure。〃

〃Well；〃　said　Mlle。　Armande；　〃I　have　asked　Chesnel　to　come　to…night。　Would　you　believe　it；　Chevalier；　ever　since　the　day　when　Chesnel　proposed　that　I　should　marry　that　miserable　du　Croisier〃

〃Ah！　that　was　truly　unworthy；　mademoiselle！〃　cried　the　Chevalier。

〃Unpardonable！〃　said　the　Marquis。

〃Well；　since　then　my　brother　has　never　brought　himself　to　ask　anything　whatsoever　of　Chesnel；〃　continued　Mlle。　Armande。

〃Of　your　old　household　servant？　Why；　Marquis；　you　would　do　Chesnel　honoran　honor　which　he　would　gratefully　remember　till　his　latest　breath。〃

〃No；〃　said　the　Marquis；　〃the　thing　is　beneath　one's　dignity；　it　seems　to　me。〃

〃There　is　not　much　question　of　dignity；　it　is　a　matter　of　necessity；〃　said　the　Chevalier；　with　the　trace　of　a　shrug。

〃Never；〃　said　the　Marquis；　riposting　with　a　gesture　which　decided　the　Chevalier　to　risk　a　great　stroke　to　open　his　old　friend's　eyes。

〃Very　well；〃　he　said；　〃since　you　do　not　know　it；　I　will　tell　you　myself　that　Chesnel　has　let　your　son　have　something　already；　something　like〃

〃My　son　is　incapable　of　accepting　anything　whatever　from　Chesnel；〃　the　Marquis　broke　in；　drawing　himself　up　as　he　spoke。　〃He　might　have　come　to　YOU　to　ask　you　for　twenty…five　louis〃

〃Something　like　a　hundred　thousand　livres；〃　said　the　Chevalier；　finishing　his　sentence。

〃The　Comte　d'Esgrignon　owes　a　hundred　thousand　livres　to　a　Chesnel！〃　cried　the　Marquis；　with　every　sign　of　deep　pain。　〃Oh！　if　he　were　not　an　only　son；　he　should　set　out　to…night　for　Mexico　with　a　captain's　commission。　A　man　may　be　in　debt　to　money…lenders；　they　charge　a　heavy　interest；　and　you　are　quits；　that　is　right　enough；　but　CHESNEL！　a　man　to　whom　one　is　attached！〃

〃Yes；　our　adorable　Victurnien　has　run　through　a　hundred　thousand　livres；　dear　Marquis；〃　resumed　the　Chevalier；　flicking　a　trace　of　snuff　from　his　waistcoat；　〃it　is　not　much；　I　know。　I　myself　at　his　age　But；　after　all；　let　us　let　old　memories　be；　Marquis。　The　Count　is　living　in　the　provinces；　all　things　taken　into　consideration；　it　is　not　so　much　amiss。　He　will　not　go　far；　these　irregularities　are　common　in　men　who　do　great　things　afterwards〃

〃And　he　is　sleeping　upstairs；　without　a　word　of　this　to　his　father；〃　exclaimed　the　Marquis。

〃Sleeping　innocently　as　a　child　who　has　merely　got　five　or