the marriage contract-第2节

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mean　to　live　the　life　of　a　country　gentleman　at　Lanstrac。　I'll

transport　my　belongings　to　Bordeaux　into　my　father's　old　mansion；　and

I'll　spend　three　months　of　the　year　in　Paris　in　this　house；　which　I

shall　keep。〃



〃Will　you　marry？〃



〃I　will　marry。〃



〃I'm　your　friend；　as　you　know；　my　old　Paul；〃　said　de　Marsay；　after　a

moment's　silence；　〃and　I　say　to　you：　settle　down　into　a　worthy　father

and　husband　and　you'll　be　ridiculous　for　the　rest　of　your　days。　If　you

could　be　happy　and　ridiculous；　the　thing　might　be　thought　of；　but　you

will　not　be　happy。　You　haven't　a　strong　enough　wrist　to　drive　a

household。　I'll　do　you　justice　and　say　you　are　a　perfect　horseman；　no

one　knows　as　well　as　you　how　to　pick　up　or　thrown　down　the　reins；　and

make　a　horse　prance；　and　sit　firm　to　the　saddle。　But；　my　dear　fellow；

marriage　is　another　thing。　I　see　you　now；　led　along　at　a　slapping　pace

by　Madame　la　Comtesse　de　Manerville；　going　whither　you　would　not；

oftener　at　a　gallop　than　a　trot；　and　presently　unhorsed！yes；

unhorsed　into　a　ditch　and　your　legs　broken。　Listen　to　me。　You　still

have　some　forty…odd　thousand　francs　a　year　from　your　property　in　the

Gironde。　Good。　Take　your　horses　and　servants　and　furnish　your　house　in

Bordeaux；　you　can　be　king　of　Bordeaux；　you　can　promulgate　there　the

edicts　that　we　put　forth　in　Paris；　you　can　be　the　correspondent　of　our

stupidities。　Very　good。　Play　the　rake　in　the　provinces；　better　still；

commit　follies；　follies　may　win　you　celebrity。　Butdon't　marry。　Who

marries　now…a…days？　Only　merchants；　for　the　sake　of　their　capital；　or

to　be　two　to　drag　the　cart；　only　peasants　who　want　to　produce　children

to　work　for　them；　only　brokers　and　notaries　who　want　a　wife's　'dot'　to

pay　for　their　practice；　only　miserable　kings　who　are　forced　to

continue　their　miserable　dynasties。　But　we　are　exempt　from　the　pack；

and　you　want　to　shoulder　it！　And　why　DO　you　want　to　marry？　You　ought

to　give　your　best　friend　your　reasons。　In　the　first　place；　if　you

marry　an　heiress　as　rich　as　yourself；　eighty　thousand　francs　a　year

for　two　is　not　the　same　thing　as　forty　thousand　francs　a　year　for　one；

because　the　two　are　soon　three　or　four　when　the　children　come。　You

haven't　surely　any　love　for　that　silly　race　of　Manerville　which　would

only　hamper　you？　Are　you　ignorant　of　what　a　father　and　mother　have　to

be？　Marriage；　my　old　Paul；　is　the　silliest　of　all　the　social

immolations；　our　children　alone　profit　by　it；　and　don't　know　its　price

until　their　horses　are　nibbling　the　flowers　on　our　grave。　Do　you

regret　your　father；　that　old　tyrant　who　made　your　first　years

wretched？　How　can　you　be　sure　that　your　children　will　love　you？　The

very　care　you　take　of　their　education；　your　precautions　for　their

happiness；　your　necessary　sternness　will　lessen　their　affection。

Children　love　a　weak　or　a　prodigal　father；　whom　they　will　despise　in

after　years。　You'll　live　betwixt　fear　and　contempt。　No　man　is　a　good

head　of　a　family　merely　because　he　wants　to　be。　Look　round　on　all　our

friends　and　name　to　me　one　whom　you　would　like　to　have　for　a　son。　We

have　known　a　good　many　who　dishonor　their　names。　Children；　my　dear

Paul；　are　the　most　difficult　kind　of　merchandise　to　take　care　of。

Yours；　you　think；　will　be　angels；　well；　so　be　it！　Have　you　ever

sounded　the　gulf　which　lies　between　the　lives　of　a　bachelor　and　a

married　man？　Listen。　As　a　bachelor　you　can　say　to　yourself：　'I　shall

never　exhibit　more　than　a　certain　amount　of　the　ridiculous；　the　public

will　think　of　me　what　I　choose　it　to　think。'　Married；　you'll　drop　into

the　infinitude　of　the　ridiculous！　Bachelor；　you　can　make　your　own

happiness；　you　enjoy　some　to…day；　you　do　without　it　to…morrow；

married；　you　must　take　it　as　it　comes；　and　the　day　you　want　it　you

will　have　to　go　without　it。　Marry；　and　you'll　grow　a　blockhead；　you'll

calculate　dowries；　you'll　talk　morality；　public　and　religious；　you'll

think　young　men　immoral　and　dangerous；　in　short；　you'll　become　a

social　academician。　It's　pitiable！　The　old　bachelor　whose　property　the

heirs　are　waiting　for；　who　fights　to　his　last　breath　with　his　nurse

for　a　spoonful　of　drink；　is　blest　in　comparison　with　a　married　man。

I'm　not　speaking　of　all　that　will　happen　to　annoy；　bore；　irritate；

coerce；　oppose；　tyrannize；　narcotize；　paralyze；　and　idiotize　a　man　in

marriage；　in　that　struggle　of　two　beings　always　in　one　another's

presence；　bound　forever；　who　have　coupled　each　other　under　the　strange

impression　that　they　were　suited。　No；　to　tell　you　those　things　would

be　merely　a　repetition　of　Boileau；　and　we　know　him　by　heart。　Still；

I'll　forgive　your　absurd　idea　if　you　will　promise　me　to　marry　〃en

grand　seigneur〃；　to　entail　your　property；　to　have　two　legitimate

children；　to　give　your　wife　a　house　and　household　absolutely　distinct

from　yours；　to　meet　her　only　in　society；　and　never　to　return　from　a

journey　without　sending　her　a　courier　to　announce　it。　Two　hundred

thousand　francs　a　year　will　suffice　for　such　a　life　and　your

antecedents　will　enable　you　to　marry　some　rich　English　woman　hungry

for　a　title。　That's　an　aristocratic　life　which　seems　to　me　thoroughly

French；　the　only　life　in　which　we　can　retain　the　respect　and

friendship　of　a　woman；　the　only　life　which　distinguishes　a　man　from

the　present　crowd；in　short；　the　only　life　for　which　a　young　man

should　even　think　of　resigning　his　bachelor　blessings。　Thus

established；　the　Comte　de　Manerville　may　advise　his　epoch；　place

himself　above　the　world；　and　be　nothing　less　than　a　minister　or　an

ambassador。　Ridicule　can　never　touch　him；　he　has　gained　the　social

advantages　of　marriage　while　keeping　all　the　privileges　of　a

bachelor。〃



〃But；　my　good　friend；　I　am　not　de　Marsay；　I　am　plainly；　as　you

yourself　do　me　the　honor　to　say；　Paul　de　Manerville；　worthy　father　and

husband；　deputy　of　the　Centre；　possibly　peer　of　France；a　destiny

extremely　commonplace；　but　I　am　modest　and　I　resign　myself。〃



〃Yes；　but　your　wife；〃　said　the　pitiless　de　Marsay；　〃will　she　resign

herself？〃



〃My　wife；　my　dear　fellow；　will　do　as　I　wish。〃



〃Ah！　my　poor　friend；　is　that　where　you　are？　Adieu；　Paul。　Henceforth；　I

refuse　to　respect　you。　One　word　more；　however；　for　I　cannot　agree

coldly　to　your　abdication。　Look　and　see　in　what　the　strength　of　our

position　lies。　A　bachelor　with　only　six　thousand　francs　a　year

remaining　to　him　has　at　least　his　reputation　for　elegance　and　the

memory　of　success。　Well；　even　that　fantastic　shadow　has　enormous　value

in　it。　Life　still　offers　many　chances　to　the　unmarried　man。　Yes；　he

can　aim　at　anything。　But　marriage；　Paul；　is　the　social　'Thus　far　shalt

thou　go　and　no　farther。'　Once　married　you　can　never　be　anything　but

what　you　then　areunless　your　wife　should　deign　to　care　for　you。〃



〃But；〃　said　Paul；　〃you　are　crushing　me　down　with　exceptional　theories。

I　am　tired　of　living　for　others；　of　having　horses　merely　to　exhibit

them；　of　doing　all　things　for　the　sake　of　what　may　be　said　of　them；　of

wasting　my　substance　to　keep　fools　from　crying　out：　'Dear；　dear！　Paul

is　still　driving　the　same　carriage。　What　has　he　done　with　his　fortune？

Does　he　squander　it？　Does　he　gamble　at　the　Bourse？　No；　he's　a

millionaire。　Madame　such　a　one　is　mad　about　him。　He　sent　to　England

for　a　harness　which　is　certainly　the　handsomest　in　all　Paris。　The

four…horse　equipages　of　Messieurs　de　Marsay　and　de　Manerville　were

much　noticed　at　Longchamps；　the　harness　was　perfect'in　short；　the

thousand　silly　things　with　which　a　crowd　of　idiots　lead　us　by　the

nose。　Believe　me；　my　dear　Henri；　I　admire　your　power；　but　I　don't　envy

it。　You　know　how　to　judge　of　life；　you　think　and　act　as　a　statesman；

you　are　able　to　place　yourself　above　all　ordinary　laws；　received

ideas；　adopted　conventions；　and　acknowledged　prejudices；　in　short；　you

can　grasp　the　profits　of　a　situation　in　which　I　should　find　nothing

but　ill…luck。　Your　cool；　systematic；　possibly　true　deductions　are；　to

the　eyes　of　the　masses；　shockingly　immoral。　I　belong　to　the　masses。　I

must　play　my　game　of　life　according　to　the　rules　of　the　society　in

which　I　am　forced　to　live。　While　putting　yourself　above　all　human

things　on　peaks　of　ice；　you　still　have　feelings；　but　as　for　me；　I

should　freeze　to　death。　The　life　of　that　great　majority；　to　which　I

belong　in　my　commonplace　way；　is　made　up　of　emotions　of　which　I　now

have　need。　Often　a　man　coquets　with　a　dozen　women　and　obtains　none。

Then；　whatever　be　his　strength；　his　cleverness；　his　knowledge　of　the

world；　he　undergoes　convulsions；　in　which　he　is　crushed　as　between　two

gates。　For　my　part；　I　like　the　peaceful　chances　and　changes　of　life；　I

want　that　wholesome　existence　in　which　we　find　a　woman　always　at　our

side。〃



〃A　trifle　indecorous；　your　marriage！〃　exclaimed　de　Marsay。



Paul　was　not　to　be　put　out　of　countenance；　and　continued：　〃Laugh　if

you　like；　I　shall　feel　myself　a　happy　man　when　my　valet　enters　my　room

in　the　morning　and　says：　'Madame　is　awaiting　monsieur　for　breakfast'；

happier　still　at　night