unconscious comedians-第14节

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house；　and　found　Madame　Jenny　Cadine　just　finishing　dinner；　for　she

played　that　night　in　an　afterpiece　at　the　Gymnase。　Having　presented

Gazonal　to　this　great　power；　Leon　and　Bixiou；　in　order　to　leave　them

alone　together；　made　the　excuse　of　looking　at　a　piece　of　furniture　in

another　room；　but　before　leaving；　Bixiou　had　whispered　in　the

actress's　ear：　〃He　is　Leon's　cousin；　a　manufacturer；　enormously　rich；

he　wants　to　win　a　suit　before　the　Council　of　State　against　his

prefect；　and　he　thinks　it　wise　to　fascinate　you　in　order　to　get　Massol

on　his　side。〃



All　Paris　knows　the　beauty　of　that　young　actress；　and　will　therefore

understand　the　stupefaction　of　the　Southerner　on　seeing　her。　Though

she　had　received　him　at　first　rather　coldly；　he　became　the　object　of

her　good　graces　before　they　had　been　many　minutes　alone　together。



〃How　strange！〃　said　Gazonal；　looking　round　him　disdainfully　on　the

furniture　of　the　salon；　the　door　of　which　his　accomplices　had　left

half　open；　〃that　a　woman　like　you　should　be　allowed　to　live　in　such　an

ill…furnished　apartment。〃



〃Ah；　yes；　indeed！　but　how　can　I　help　it？　Massol　is　not　rich；　I　am

hoping　he　will　be　made　a　minister。〃



〃What　a　happy　man！〃　cried　Gazonal；　heaving　the　sigh　of　a　provincial。



〃Good！〃　thought　she。　〃I　shall　have　new　furniture；　and　get　the　better

of　Carabine。〃



〃Well；　my　dear！〃　said　Leon；　returning；　〃you'll　be　sure　to　come　to

Carabine's　to…night；　won't　you？supper　and　lansquenet。〃



〃Will　monsieur　be　there？〃　said　Jenny　Cadine；　looking　artlessly　and

graciously　at　Gazonal。



〃Yes；　madame；〃　replied　the　countryman；　dazzled　by　such　rapid　success。



〃But　Massol　will　be　there；〃　said　Bixiou。



〃Well；　what　of　that？〃　returned　Jenny。　〃Come；　we　must　part；　my

treasures；　I　must　go　to　the　theatre。〃



Gazonal　gave　his　hand　to　the　actress；　and　led　her　to　the　citadine

which　was　waiting　for　her；　as　he　did　so　he　pressed　hers　with　such

ardor　that　Jenny　Cadine　exclaimed；　shaking　her　fingers：　〃Take　care！　I

haven't　any　others。〃



When　the　three　friends　got　back　into　their　own　vehicle；　Gazonal

endeavoured　to　seize　Bixiou　round　the　waist；　crying　out：　〃She　bites！

You're　a　fine　rascal！〃



〃So　women　say；〃　replied　Bixiou。



At　half…past　eleven　o'clock；　after　the　play；　another　citadine　took　the

trio　to　the　house　of　Mademoiselle　Seraphine　Sinet；　better　known　under

the　name　of　Carabine；one　of　those　pseudonyms　which　famous　lorettes

take；　or　which　are　given　to　them；　a　name　which；　in　this　instance；　may

have　referred　to　the　pigeons　she　had　killed。



Carabine；　now　become　almost　a　necessity　for　the　banker　du　Tillet；

deputy　of　the　Left；　lived　in　a　charming　house　in　the　rue　Saint…

Georges。　In　Paris　there　are　many　houses　the　destination　of　which　never

varies；　and　the　one　we　now　speak　of　had　already　seen　seven　careers　of

courtesans。　A　broker　had　brought　there；　about　the　year　1827；　Suzanne

du　Val…Noble；　afterwards　Madame　Gaillard。　In　that　house　the　famous

Esther　caused　the　Baron　de　Nucingen　to　commit　the　only　follies　of　his

life。　Florine；　and　subsequently；　a　person　now　called　in　jest　〃the　late

Madame　Schontz；〃　had　scintillated　there　in　turn。　Bored　by　his　wife；　du

Tillet　bought　this　modern　little　house；　and　there　installed　the

celebrated　Carabine；　whose　lively　wit　and　cavalier　manners　and

shameless　brilliancy　were　a　counterpoise　to　the　dulness　of　domestic

life；　and　the　toils　of　finance　and　politics。



Whether　du　Tillet　or　Carabine　were　at　home　or　not　at　home；　supper　was

served；　and　splendidly　served；　for　ten　persons　every　day。　Artists；　men

of　letters；　journalists；　and　the　habitues　of　the　house　supped　there

when　they　pleased。　After　supper　they　gambled。　More　than　one　member　of

both　Chambers　came　there　to　buy　what　Paris　pays　for　by　its　weight　in

gold；namely；　the　amusement　of　intercourse　with　anomalous

untrammelled　women；　those　meteors　of　the　Parisian　firmament　who　are　so

difficult　to　class。　There　wit　reigns；　for　all　can　be　said；　and　all　is

said。　Carabine；　a　rival　of　the　no　less　celebrated　Malaga；　had　finally

inherited　the　salon　of　Florine；　now　Madame　Raoul　Nathan；　and　of　Madame

Schontz；　now　wife　of　Chief…Justice　du　Ronceret。



As　he　entered；　Gazonal　made　one　remark　only；　but　that　remark　was　both

legitimate　and　legitimist：　〃It　is　finer　than　the　Tuileries！〃　The

satins；　velvets；　brocades；　the　gold；　the　objects　of　art　that　swarmed

there；　so　filled　the　eyes　of　the　wary　provincial　that　at　first　he　did

not　see　Madame　Jenny　Cadine；　in　a　toilet　intended　to　inspire　respect；

who；　concealed　behind　Carabine；　watched　his　entrance　observingly；

while　conversing　with　others。



〃My　dear　child；〃　said　Leon　to　Carabine；　〃this　is　my　cousin；　a

manufacturer；　who　descended　upon　me　from　the　Pyrenees　this　morning。　He

knows　nothing　of　Paris；　and　he　wants　Massol　to　help　him　in　a　suit　he

has　before　the　Council　of　State。　We　have　therefore　taken　the　liberty

to　bring　himhis　name　is　Gazonalto　supper；　entreating　you　to　leave

him　his　full　senses。〃



〃That's　as　monsieur　pleases；　wine　is　dear；〃　said　Carabine；　looking

Gazonal　over　from　head　to　foot；　and　thinking　him　in　no　way　remarkable。



Gazonal；　bewildered　by　the　toilets；　the　lights；　the　gilding；　the

chatter　of　the　various　groups　whom　he　thought　to　be　discussing　him；

could　only　manage　to　stammer　out　the　words：　〃Madamemadameisvery

good。〃



〃What　do　you　manufacture？〃　said　the　mistress　of　the　house；　laughing。



〃Say　laces　and　offer　her　some　guipure；〃　whispered　Bixiou　in　Gazonal's

ear。



〃La…ces；〃　said　Gazonal；　perceiving　that　he　would　have　to　pay　for　his

supper。　〃It　will　give　me　the　greatest　pleasure　to　offer　you　a　dressa

scarfa　mantilla　of　my　make。〃



〃Ah；　three　things！　Well；　you　are　nicer　than　you　look　to　be；〃　returned

Carabine。



〃Paris　has　caught　me！〃　thought　Gazonal；　now　perceiving　Jenny　Cadine；

and　going　up　to　her。



〃And　I；〃　said　the　actress；　〃what　am　I　to　have？〃



〃All　I　possess；〃　replied　Gazonal；　thinking　that　to　offer　all　was　to

give　nothing。



Massol；　Claude　Vignon；　du　Tillet；　Maxime　de　Trailles；　Nucingen；　du

Bruel；　Malaga；　Monsieur　and　Madame　Gaillard；　Vauvinet；　and　a　crowd　of

other　personages　now　entered。



After　a　conversation　with　the　manufacturer　on　the　subject　of　his　suit；

Massol；　without　making　any　promises；　told　him　that　the　report　was　not

yet　written；　and　that　citizens　could　always　rely　on　the　knowledge　and

the　independence　of　the　Council　of　State。　Receiving　that　cold　and

dignified　response；　Gazonal；　in　despair；　thought　it　necessary　to　set

about　seducing　the　charming　Jenny；　with　whom　he　was　by　this　time　in

love。　Leon　de　Lora　and　Bixiou　left　their　victim　in　the　hands　of　that

most　roguish　and　frolicsome　member　of　the　anomalous　society；for

Jenny　Cadine　is　the　sole　rival　in　that　respect　of　the　famous　Dejazet。



At　the　supper…table；　where　Gazonal　was　fascinated　by　a　silver　service

made　by　the　modern　Benvenuto　Cellini；　Froment…Meurice；　the　contents　of

which　were　worthy　of　the　container；　his　mischievous　friends　were

careful　to　sit　at　some　distance　from　him；　but　they　followed　with

cautious　eye　the　manoeuvres　of　the　clever　actress；　who；　being

attracted　by　the　insidious　hope　of　getting　her　furniture　renewed；　was

playing　her　cards　to　take　the　provincial　home　with　her。　No　sheep　upon

the　day　of　the　Fete…Dieu　ever　more　meekly　allowed　his　little　Saint

John　to　lead　him　along　than　Gazonal　as　he　followed　his　siren。



Three　days　later；　Leon　and　Bixiou；　who　had　not　seen　Gazonal　since　that

evening；　went　to　his　lodgings　about　two　in　the　afternoon。



〃Well；　cousin；〃　said　Leon；　〃the　Council　of　State　has　decided　in　favour

of　your　suit。〃



〃Maybe；　but　it　is　useless　now；　cousin；〃　said　Gazonal；　lifting　a

melancholy　eye　to　his　two　friends。　〃I've　become　a　republican。〃



〃What　does　that　mean？〃　asked　Leon。



〃I　haven't　anything　left；　not　even　enough　to　pay　my　lawyer；〃　replied

Gazonal。　〃Madame　Jenny　Cadine　has　got　notes　of　hand　out　of　me　to　the

amount　of　more　money　than　all　the　property　I　own〃



〃The　fact　is　Cadine　is　rather　dear；　but〃



〃Oh；　but　I　didn't　get　anything　for　my　money；〃　said　Gazonal。　〃What　a

woman！　Well；　I'll　own　the　provinces　are　not　a　match　for　Paris；　I　shall

retire　to　La　Trappe。〃



〃Good！〃　said　Bixiou；　〃now　you　are　reasonable。　Come；　recognize　the

majesty　of　the　capital。〃



〃And　of　capital；〃　added　Leon；　holding　out　to　Gazonal　his　notes　of

hand。



Gazonal　gazed　at　the　papers　with　a　stupefied　air。



〃You　can't　say　now　that　we　don't　understand　the　duties　of　hospitality；

haven't　we　educated　you；　saved　you　from　poverty；　feasted　you；　and

amused　you？〃　said　Bixiou。



〃AND　fooled　you；〃　added　Leon；　making　the　gesture　of　gamins　to　express

the　action　of　picking　pockets。







ADDENDUM



The　following　personages　appear　in　other　stories　of　the　Human　Comedy。



Brambourg；　Comte　de

　　A　Bachelor's　Establishment



Cadine；　Jenny

　　Cousin　Betty

　　Beatrix

　　The　Member　for　Arcis



Canalis；　Constant…Cyr…Melchi