the marriage contract-第1节

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The　Marriage　Contract



by　Honore　de　Balzac



Translated　by　Katharine　Prescott　Wormeley







DEDICATION



To　Rossini。











THE　MARRIAGE　CONTRACT







CHAPTER　I



PRO　AND　CON



Monsieur　de　Manerville；　the　father；　was　a　worthy　Norman　gentleman；

well　known　to　the　Marechael　de　Richelieu；　who　married　him　to　one　of

the　richest　heiresses　of　Bordeaux　in　the　days　when　the　old　duke

reigned　in　Guienne　as　governor。　The　Norman　then　sold　the　estate　he

owned　in　Bessin；　and　became　a　Gascon；　allured　by　the　beauty　of　the

chateau　de　Lanstrac；　a　delightful　residence　owned　by　his　wife。　During

the　last　days　of　the　reign　of　Louis　XV。；　he　bought　the　post　of　major

of　the　Gate　Guards；　and　lived　till　1813；　having　by　great　good　luck

escaped　the　dangers　of　the　Revolution　in　the　following　manner。



Toward　the　close　of　the　year；　1790；　he　went　to　Martinque；　where　his

wife　had　interests；　leaving　the　management　of　his　property　in　Gascogne

to　an　honest　man；　a　notary's　clerk；　named　Mathias；　who　was　inclined　to

or　at　any　rate　didgive　into　the　new　ideas。　On　his　return　the　Comte

de　Manerville　found　his　possessions　intact　and　well…managed。　This

sound　result　was　the　fruit　produced　by　grafting　the　Gascon　on　the

Norman。



Madame　de　Manerville　died　in　1810。　Having　learned　the　importance　of

worldly　goods　through　the　dissipations　of　his　youth；　and；　giving　them；

like　many　another　old　man；　a　higher　place　than　they　really　hold　in

life；　Monsieur　de　Manerville　became　increasingly　economical；　miserly；

and　sordid。　Without　reflecting　that　the　avarice　of　parents　prepares

the　way　for　the　prodigalities　of　children；　he　allowed　almost　nothing

to　his　son；　although　that　son　was　an　only　child。



Paul　de　Manerville；　coming　home　from　the　college　of　Vendome　in　1810；

lived　under　close　paternal　discipline　for　three　years。　The　tyranny　by

which　the　old　man　of　seventy　oppressed　his　heir　influenced；

necessarily；　a　heart　and　a　character　which　were　not　yet　formed。　Paul；

the　son；　without　lacking　the　physical　courage　which　is　vital　in　the

air　of　Gascony；　dared　not　struggle　against　his　father；　and

consequently　lost　that　faculty　of　resistance　which　begets　moral

courage。　His　thwarted　feelings　were　driven　to　the　depths　of　his　heart；

where　they　remained　without　expression；　later；　when　he　felt　them　to　be

out　of　harmony　with　the　maxims　of　the　world；　he　could　only　think

rightly　and　act　mistakenly。　He　was　capable　of　fighting　for　a　mere　word

or　look；　yet　he　trembled　at　the　thought　of　dismissing　a　servant；his

timidity　showing　itself　in　those　contests　only　which　required　a

persistent　will。　Capable　of　doing　great　things　to　fly　from

persecution；　he　would　never　have　prevented　it　by　systematic

opposition；　nor　have　faced　it　with　the　steady　employment　of　force　of

will。　Timid　in　thought；　bold　in　actions；　he　long　preserved　that　inward

simplicity　which　makes　a　man　the　dupe　and　the　voluntary　victim　of

things　against　which　certain　souls　hesitate　to　revolt；　preferring　to

endure　them　rather　than　complain。　He　was；　in　point　of　fact；　imprisoned

by　his　father's　old　mansion；　for　he　had　not　enough　money　to　consort

with　young　men；　he　envied　their　pleasures　while　unable　to　share　them。



The　old　gentleman　took　him　every　evening；　in　an　old　carriage　drawn　by

ill…harnessed　old　horses；　attended　by　ill…dressed　old　servants；　to

royalist　houses；　where　he　met　a　society　composed　of　the　relics　of　the

parliamentary　nobility　and　the　martial　nobility。　These　two　nobilities

coalescing　after　the　Revolution；　had　now　transformed　themselves　into　a

landed　aristocracy。　Crushed　by　the　vast　and　swelling　fortunes　of　the

maritime　cities；　this　Faubourg　Saint…Germain　of　Bordeaux　responded　by

lofty　disdain　to　the　sumptuous　displays　of　commerce；　government

administrations；　and　the　military。　Too　young　to　understand　social

distinctions　and　the　necessities　underlying　the　apparent　assumption

which　they　create；　Paul　was　bored　to　death　among　these　ancients；

unaware　that　the　connections　of　his　youth　would　eventually　secure　to

him　that　aristocratic　pre…eminence　which　Frenchmen　will　forever

desire。



He　found　some　slight　compensations　for　the　dulness　of　these　evenings

in　certain　manual　exercises　which　always　delight　young　men；　and　which

his　father　enjoined　upon　him。　The　old　gentleman　considered　that　to

know　the　art　of　fencing　and　the　use　of　arms；　to　ride　well　on

horseback；　to　play　tennis；　to　acquire　good　manners；in　short；　to

possess　all　the　frivolous　accomplishments　of　the　old　nobility；made　a

young　man　of　the　present　day　a　finished　gentleman。　Accordingly；　Paul

took　a　fencing…lesson　every　morning；　went　to　the　riding…school；　and

practised　in　a　pistol…gallery。　The　rest　of　his　time　was　spent　in

reading　novels；　for　his　father　would　never　have　allowed　the　more

abstruse　studies　now　considered　necessary　to　finish　an　education。



So　monotonous　a　life　would　soon　have　killed　the　poor　youth　if　the

death　of　the　old　man　had　not　delivered　him　from　this　tyranny　at　the

moment　when　it　was　becoming　intolerable。　Paul　found　himself　in

possession　of　considerable　capital；　accumulated　by　his　father's

avarice；　together　with　landed　estates　in　the　best　possible　condition。

But　he　now　held　Bordeaux　in　horror；　neither　did　he　like　Lanstrac；

where　his　father　had　taken　him　to　spend　the　summers；　employing　his

whole　time　from　morning　till　night　in　hunting。



As　soon　as　the　estate　was　fairly　settled；　the　young　heir；　eager　for

enjoyment；　bought　consols　with　his　capital；　left　the　management　of　the

landed　property　to　old　Mathias；　his　father's　notary；　and　spent　the

next　six　years　away　from　Bordeaux。　At　first　he　was　attached　to　the

French　embassy　at　Naples；　after　that　he　was　secretary　of　legation　at

Madrid；　and　then　in　London；making　in　this　way　the　tour　of　Europe。



After　seeing　the　world　and　life；　after　losing　several　illusions；　after

dissipating　all　the　loose　capital　which　his　father　had　amassed；　there

came　a　time　when；　in　order　to　continue　his　way　of　life；　Paul　was

forced　to　draw　upon　the　territorial　revenues　which　his　notary　was

laying　by。　At　this　critical　moment；　seized　by　one　of　the　so…called

virtuous　impulses；　he　determined　to　leave　Paris；　return　to　Bordeaux；

regulate　his　affairs；　lead　the　life　of　a　country　gentleman　at

Lanstrac；　improve　his　property；　marry；　and　become；　in　the　end；　a

deputy。



Paul　was　a　count；　nobility　was　once　more　of　matrimonial　value；　he

could；　and　he　ought　to　make　a　good　marriage。　While　many　women　desire　a

title；　many　others　like　to　marry　a　man　to　whom　a　knowledge　of　life　is

familiar。　Now　Paul　had　acquired；　in　exchange　for　the　sum　of　seven

hundred　thousand　francs　squandered　in　six　years；　that　possession；

which　cannot　be　bought　and　is　practically　of　more　value　than　gold　and

silver；　a　knowledge　which　exacts　long　study；　probation；　examinations；

friends；　enemies；　acquaintances；　certain　manners；　elegance　of　form　and

demeanor；　a　graceful　and　euphonious　name；a　knowledge；　moreover；

which　means　many　love…affairs；　duels；　bets　lost　on　a　race…course；

disillusions；　deceptions；　annoyances；　toils；　and　a　vast　variety　of

undigested　pleasures。　In　short；　he　had　become　what　is　called　elegant。

But　in　spite　of　his　mad　extravagance　he　had　never　made　himself　a　mere

fashionable　man。　In　the　burlesque　army　of　men　of　the　world；　the　man　of

fashion　holds　the　place　of　a　marshal　of　France；　the　man　of　elegance　is

the　equivalent　of　a　lieutenant…general。　Paul　enjoyed　his　lesser

reputation；　of　elegance；　and　knew　well　how　to　sustain　it。　His　servants

were　well…dressed；　his　equipages　were　cited；　his　suppers　had　a　certain

vogue；　in　short；　his　bachelor　establishment　was　counted　among　the

seven　or　eight　whose　splendor　equalled　that　of　the　finest　houses　in

Paris。



Buthe　had　not　caused　the　wretchedness　of　any　woman；　he　gambled

without　losing；　his　luck　was　not　notorious；　he　was　far　too　upright　to

deceive　or　mislead　any　one；　no　matter　who；　even　a　wanton；　never　did　he

leave　his　billets…doux　lying　about；　and　he　possessed　no　coffer　or　desk

for　love…letters　which　his　friends　were　at　liberty　to　read　while　he

tied　his　cravat　or　trimmed　his　beard。　Moreover；　not　willing　to　dip

into　his　Guienne　property；　he　had　not　that　bold　extravagance　which

leads　to　great　strokes　and　calls　attention　at　any　cost　to　the

proceedings　of　a　young　man。　Neither　did　he　borrow　money；　but　he　had

the　folly　to　lend　to　friends；　who　then　deserted　him　and　spoke　of　him

no　more　either　for　good　or　evil。　He　seemed　to　have　regulated　his

dissipations　methodically。　The　secret　of　his　character　lay　in　his

father's　tyranny；　which　had　made　him；　as　it　were；　a　social　mongrel。



So；　one　morning；　he　said　to　a　friend　named　de　Marsay；　who　afterwards

became　celebrated：



〃My　dear　fellow；　life　has　a　meaning。〃



〃You　must　be　twenty…seven　years　of　age　before　you　can　find　it　out；〃

replied　de　Marsay；　laughing。



〃Well；　I　am　twenty…seven；　and　precisely　because　I　am　twenty…seven　I

mean　to　live　the　life　of　a　country