a daughter of eve-第20节

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clearly；　had　seen　Nathan's　true　position。　He　explained　to　his　wife

that　Fieschi's　attempt　had　resulted　in　attaching　to　the　interests

threatened　by　this　attack　on　Louis…Philippe　a　large　body　of　hitherto

lukewarm　persons。　The　newspapers　which　were　non…committal；　and　did　not

show　their　colors；　would　lose　subscribers；　for　journalism；　like

politics；　was　about　to　be　simplified　by　falling　into　regular　lines。　If

Nathan　had　put　his　whole　fortune　into　that　newspaper　he　would　lose　it。

This　judgment；　so　apparently　just　and　clear…cut；　though　brief　and

given　by　a　man　who　fathomed　a　matter　in　which　he　had　no　interest；

alarmed　Madame　de　Vandenesse。



〃Do　you　take　an　interest　in　him？〃　asked　her　husband。



〃Only　as　a　man　whose　mind　interests　me　and　whose　conversation　I　like。〃



This　reply　was　made　so　naturally　that　the　count　suspected　nothing。



The　next　day　at　four　o'clock；　Marie　and　Raoul　had　a　long　conversation

together；　in　a　low　voice；　in　Madame　d'Espard's　salon。　The　countess

expressed　fears　which　Raoul　dissipated；　only　too　happy　to　destroy　by

epigrams　the　conjugal　judgment。　Nathan　had　a　revenge　to　take。　He

characterized　the　count　as　narrow…minded；　behind　the　age；　a　man　who

judged　the　revolution　of　July　with　the　eyes　of　the　Restoration；　who

would　never　be　willing　to　admit　the　triumph　of　the　middle…classesthe

new　force　of　all　societies；　whether　temporary　or　lasting；　but　a　real

force。　Instead　of　turning　his　mind　to　the　study　of　an　opinion　given

impartially　and　incidentally　by　a　man　well…versed　in　politics；　Raoul

mounted　his　stilts　and　stalked　about　in　the　purple　of　his　own　glory。

Where　is　the　woman　who　would　not　have　believed　his　glowing　talk　sooner

than　the　cold　logic　of　her　husband？　Madame　de　Vandenesse；　completely

reassured；　returned　to　her　life　of　little　enjoyments；　clandestine

pressures　of　the　hand；　occasional　quarrels；in　short；　to　her

nourishment　of　the　year　before；　harmless　in　itself；　but　likely　to　drag

a　woman　over　the　border　if　the　man　she　favors　is　resolute　and

impatient　of　obstacles。　Happily　for　her；　Nathan　was　not　dangerous。

Besides；　he　was　too　full　of　his　immediate　self…interests　to　think　at

this　time　of　profiting　by　his　love。



But　toward　the　end　of　December；　when　the　second　notes　fell　due；　du

Tillet　demanded　payment。　The　rich　banker；　who　said　he　was　embarrassed；

advised　Raoul　to　borrow　the　money　for　a　short　time　from　a　usurer；　from

Gigonnet；　the　providence　of　all　young　men　who　were　pressed　for　money。

In　January；　he　remarked；　the　renewal　of　subscriptions　to　the　paper

would　be　coming　in；　there　would　be　plenty　of　money　in　hand；　and　they

could　then　see　what　had　best　be　done。　Besides；　couldn't　Nathan　write　a

play？　As　a　matter　of　pride　Raoul　determined　to　pay　off　the　notes　at

once。　Du　Tillet　gave　Raoul　a　letter　to　Gigonnet；　who　counted　out　the

money　on　a　note　of　Nathan's　at　twenty　days'　sight。　Instead　of　asking

himself　the　reason　of　such　unusual　facility；　Raoul　felt　vexed　at　his

folly　in　not　having　asked　for　more。　That　is　how　men　who　are　truly

remarkable　for　the　power　of　thought　are　apt　to　behave　in　practical

business；　they　seem　to　reserve　the　power　of　their　mind　for　their

writings；　and　are　fearful　of　lessening　it　by　putting　it　to　use　in　the

daily　affairs　of　life。



Raoul　related　his　morning　to　Florine　and　Blondet。　He　gave　them　an

inimitable　sketch　of　Gigonnet；　his　fireplace　without　fire；　his　shabby

wall…paper；　his　stairway；　his　asthmatic　bell；　his　aged　straw　mattress；

his　den　without　warmth；　like　his　eye。　He　made　them　laugh　about　this

new　uncle；　they　neither　troubled　themselves　about　du　Tillet　and　his

pretended　want　of　money；　nor　about　an　old　usurer　so　ready　to　disburse。

What　was　there　to　worry　about　in　that？



〃He　has　only　asked　you　fifteen　per　cent；〃　said　Blondet；　〃you　ought　to

be　grateful　to　him。　At　twenty…five　per　cent　you　don't　bow　to　those　old

fellows。　This　is　money…lending；　usury　doesn't　begin　till　fifty　per

cent；　and　then　you　despise　the　usurer。〃





〃Despise　him！〃　cried　Florine；　〃if　any　of　your　friends　lent　you　money

at　that　price　they'd　pose　as　your　benefactors。〃



〃She　is　right；　and　I　am　glad　I　don't　owe　anything　now　to　du　Tillet；〃

said　Raoul。



Why　this　lack　of　penetration　as　to　their　personal　affairs　in　men　whose

business　it　is　to　penetrate　all　things？　Perhaps　the　mind　cannot　be

complete　at　all　points；　perhaps　artists　of　every　kind　live　too　much　in

the　present　moment　to　study　the　future；　perhaps　they　are　too　observant

of　the　ridiculous　to　notice　snares；　or　they　may　believe　that　none

would　dare　to　lay　a　snare　for　such　as　they。　However　this　may　be；　the

future　arrived　in　due　time。　Twenty　days　later　Raoul's　notes　were

protested；　but　Florine　obtained　from　the　Court　of　commerce　an

extension　of　twenty…five　days　in　which　to　meet　them。　Thus　pressed；

Raoul　looked　into　his　affairs　and　asked　for　the　accounts；　and　it　then

appeared　that　the　receipts　of　the　newspaper　covered　only　two…thirds　of

the　expenses；　while　the　subscriptions　were　rapidly　dwindling。　The

great　man　now　grew　anxious　and　gloomy；　but　to　Florine　only；　in　whom　he

confided。　She　advised　him　to　borrow　money　on　unwritten　plays；　and

write　than　at　once；　giving　a　lien　on　his　work。　Nathan　followed　this

advice　and　obtained　thereby　twenty　thousand　francs；　which　reduced　his

debt　to　forty　thousand。



On　the　10th　of　February　the　twenty…five　days　expired。　Du　Tillet；　who

did　not　want　Nathan　as　a　rival　before　the　electoral　college；　where　he

meant　to　appear　himself；　instigated　Gigonnet　to　sue　Nathan　without

compromise。　A　man　locked　up　for　debt　could　not　present　himself　as　a

candidate　for　election。　Florine　was　herself　in　communication　with　the

sheriff　on　the　subject　of　her　personal　debts；　and　no　resource　was　left

to　her　but　the　〃I〃　of　Medea；　for　her　new　furniture　and　belongings　were

now　attached。　The　ambitious　Raoul　heard　the　cracking　in　all　directions

of　his　prosperous　edifice；　built；　alas！　without　foundations。　His　nerve

failed　him；　too　weak　already　to　sustain　so　vast　an　enterprise；　he　felt

himself　incapable　of　attempting　to　build　it　up　again；　he　was　fated　to

perish　in　its　ashes。　Love　for　the　countess　gave　him　still　a　few

thrills　of　life；　his　mask　brightened　for　a　moment；　but　behind　it　hope

was　dead。　He　did　not　suspect　the　hand　of　du　Tillet；　and　laid　the　blame

of　his　misfortune　on　the　usurer。　Rastignac；　Blondet；　Lousteau；　Vernou；

Finot；　and　Massol　took　care　not　to　enlighten　him。　Rastignac；　who

wanted　to　return　to　power；　made　common　cause　with　Nucingen　and　du

Tillet。　The　others　felt　a　satisfaction　in　the　catastrophe　of　an　equal

who　had　attempted　to　make　himself　their　master。　None　of　them；　however；

would　have　said　a　word　to　Florine；　on　the　contrary；　they　praised　Raoul

to　her。



〃Nathan；〃　they　said；　〃has　the　shoulders　of　an　Atlas；　he'll　pull

himself　through；　all　will　come　right。〃



〃There　were　two　new　subscribers　yesterday；〃　said　Blondet；　gravely。

〃Raoul　will　certainly　be　elected　deputy。　As　soon　as　the　budget　is

voted　the　dissolution　is　sure　to　take　place。〃



But　Nathan；　sued；　could　no　longer　obtain　even　usury；　Florine；　with　all

her　personal　property　attached；　could　count　on　nothing　but　inspiring　a

passion　in　some　fool　who　might　not　appear　at　the　right　moment。

Nathan's　friends　were　all　men　without　money　and　without　credit。　An

arrest　for　debt　would　destroy　his　hopes　of　a　political　career；　and

besides　all　this；　he　had　bound　himself　to　do　an　immense　amount　of

dramatic　work　for　which　he　had　already　received　payment。　He　could　see

no　bottom　to　the　gulf　of　misery　that　lay　before　him；　into　which　he　was

about　to　roll。　In　presence　of　such　threatened　evil　his　boldness

deserted　him。　Would　the　Comtesse　de　Vandenesse　stand　by　him？　Would　she

fly　with　him？　Women　are　never　led　into　a　gulf　of　that　kind　except　by

an　absolute　love；　and　the　love　of　Raoul　and　Marie　had　not　bound　them

together　by　the　mysterious　and　inalienable　ties　of　happiness。　But

supposing　that　the　countess　did　follow　him　to　some　foreign　country；

she　would　come　without　fortune；　despoiled　of　everything；　and　then；

alas！　she　would　merely　be　one　more　embarrassment　to　him。　A　mind　of　a

second　order；　and　a　proud　mind　like　that　of　Nathan；　would　be　likely　to

see；　under　these　circumstances；　and　did　see；　in　suicide　the　sword　to

cut　the　Gordian　knots。　The　idea　of　failure　in　the　face　of　the　world

and　that　society　he　had　so　lately　entered　and　meant　to　rule；　of

leaving　the　chariot　of　the　countess　and　becoming　once　more　a　muddied

pedestrian；　was　more　than　he　could　bear。　Madness　began　to　dance　and

whirl　and　shake　her　bells　at　the　gates　of　the　fantastic　palace　in

which　the　poet　had　been　dreaming。　In　this　extremity；　Nathan　waited　for

some　lucky　accident；　determined　not　to　kill　himself　until　the　final

moment。



During　the　last　days　employed　by　the　legal　formalities　required　before

proceeding　to　arrest　for　debt；　Raoul　went　about；　in　spite　of　himself；

with　that　coldly　sullen　and　morose　expression　of　face　which　may　be

noticed　in　persons　who　ar