father goriot-第25节

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herself　to　her　toilette　as　a　cat　licks　its　whiskers　over　a　saucer

of　milk。　All　right。　Come；　now；　let　us　go　into　the　question；　young

man；　all　between　ourselves；　you　know。　We　have　a　papa　and　mamma

down　yonder；　a　great…aunt；　two　sisters　（aged　eighteen　and

seventeen）；　two　young　brothers　（one　fifteen；　and　the　other　ten）；

that　is　about　the　roll…call　of　the　crew。　The　aunt　brings　up　the

two　sisters；　the　cure　comes　and　teaches　the　boys　Latin。　Boiled

chestnuts　are　oftener　on　the　table　than　white　bread。　Papa　makes　a

suit　of　clothes　last　a　long　while；　if　mamma　has　a　different　dress

winter　and　summer；　it　is　about　as　much　as　she　has；　the　sisters

manage　as　best　they　can。　I　know　all　about　it；　I　have　lived　in　the

south。



〃That　is　how　things　are　at　home。　They　send　you　twelve　hundred

francs　a　year；　and　the　whole　property　only　brings　in　three

thousand　francs　all　told。　We　have　a　cook　and　a　manservant；　papa

is　a　baron；　and　we　must　keep　up　appearances。　Then　we　have　our

ambitions；　we　are　connected　with　the　Beauseants；　and　we　go　afoot

through　the　streets；　we　want　to　be　rich；　and　we　have　not　a　penny；

we　eat　Mme。　Vauquer's　messes；　and　we　like　grand　dinners　in　the

Faubourg　Saint…Germain；　we　sleep　on　a　truckle…bed；　and　dream　of　a

mansion！　I　do　not　blame　you　for　wanting　these　things。　What　sort

of　men　do　the　women　run　after？　Men　of　ambition。　Men　of　ambition

have　stronger　frames；　their　blood　is　richer　in　iron；　their　hearts

are　warmer　than　those　of　ordinary　men。　Women　feel　that　when　their

power　is　greatest；　they　look　their　best；　and　that　those　are　their

happiest　hours；　they　like　power　in　men；　and　prefer　the　strongest

even　if　it　is　a　power　that　may　be　their　own　destruction。　I　am

going　to　make　an　inventory　of　your　desires　in　order　to　put　the

question　at　issue　before　you。　Here　it　is：



〃We　are　as　hungry　as　a　wolf；　and　those　newly…cut　teeth　of　ours

are　sharp；　what　are　we　to　do　to　keep　the　pot　boiling？　In　the

first　place；　we　have　the　Code　to　browse　upon；　it　is　not　amusing；

and　we　are　none　the　wiser　for　it；　but　that　cannot　be　helped。　So

far　so　good。　We　mean　to　make　an　advocate　of　ourselves　with　a

prospect　of　one　day　being　made　President　of　a　Court　of　Assize；

when　we　shall　send　poor　devils；　our　betters；　to　the　galleys　with

a　T。F。*　＇*Travaux　forces。＇　on　their　shoulders；　so　that　the　rich

may　be　convinced　that　they　can　sleep　in　peace。　There　is　no　fun　in

that；　and　you　are　a　long　while　coming　to　it；　for；　to　begin　with；

there　are　two　years　of　nauseous　drudgery　in　Paris；　we　see　all　the

lollipops　that　we　long　for　out　of　our　reach。　It　is　tiresome　to

want　things　and　never　to　have　them。　If　you　were　a　pallid　creature

of　the　mollusk　order；　you　would　have　nothing　to　fear；　but　it　is

different　when　you　have　the　hot　blood　of　a　lion　and　are　ready　to

get　into　a　score　of　scrapes　every　day　of　your　life。　This　is　the

ghastliest　form　of　torture　known　in　this　inferno　of　God's　making；

and　you　will　give　in　to　it。　Or　suppose　that　you　are　a　good　boy；

drink　nothing　stronger　than　milk；　and　bemoan　your　hard　lot；　you；

with　your　generous　nature；　will　endure　hardships　that　would　drive

a　dog　mad；　and　make　a　start；　after　long　waiting；　as　deputy　to

some　rascal　or　other　in　a　hole　of　a　place　where　the　Government

will　fling　you　a　thousand　francs　a　year　like　the　scraps　that　are

thrown　to　the　butcher's　dog。　Bark　at　thieves；　plead　the　cause　of

the　rich；　send　men　of　heart　to　the　guillotine；　that　is　your　work！

Many　thanks！　If　you　have　no　influence；　you　may　rot　in　your

provincial　tribunal。　At　thirty　you　will　be　a　Justice　with　twelve

hundred　francs　a　year　（if　you　have　not　flung　off　the　gown　for

good　before　then）。　By　the　time　you　are　forty　you　may　look　to

marry　a　miller's　daughter；　an　heiress　with　some　six　thousand

livres　a　year。　Much　obliged！　If　you　have　influence；　you　may

possibly　be　a　Public　Prosecutor　by　the　time　you　are　thirty；　with

a　salary　of　a　thousand　crowns；　you　could　look　to　marry　the

mayor's　daughter。　Some　petty　piece　of　political　trickery；　such　as

mistaking　Villele　for　Manuel　in　a　bulletin　（the　names　rhyme；　and

that　quiets　your　conscience）；　and　you　will　probably　be　a

Procureur　General　by　the　time　you　are　forty；　with　a　chance　of

becoming　a　deputy。　Please　to　observe；　my　dear　boy；　that　our

conscience　will　have　been　a　little　damaged　in　the　process；　and

that　we　shall　endure　twenty　years　of　drudgery　and　hidden　poverty；

and　that　our　sisters　are　wearing　Dian's　livery。　I　have　the　honor

to　call　your　attention　to　another　fact：　to　wit；　that　there　are

but　twenty　Procureurs　Generaux　at　a　time　in　all　France；　while

there　are　some　twenty　thousand　of　you　young　men　who　aspire　to

that　elevated　position；　that　there　are　some　mountebanks　among　you

who　would　sell　their　family　to　screw　their　fortunes　a　peg　higher。

If　this　sort　of　thing　sickens　you；　try　another　course。　The　Baron

de　Rastignac　thinks　of　becoming　an　advocate；　does　he？　There's　a

nice　prospect　for　you！　Ten　years　of　drudgery　straight　away。　You

are　obliged　to　live　at　the　rate　of　a　thousand　francs　a　month；　you

must　have　a　library　of　law　books；　live　in　chambers；　go　into

society；　go　down　on　your　knees　to　ask　a　solicitor　for　briefs；

lick　the　dust　off　the　floor　of　the　Palais　de　Justice。　If　this

kind　of　business　led　to　anything；　I　should　not　say　no；　but　just

give　me　the　names　of　five　advocates　here　in　Paris　who　by　the　time

that　they　are　fifty　are　making　fifty　thousand　francs　a　year！　Bah！

I　would　sooner　turn　pirate　on　the　high　seas　than　have　my　soul

shrivel　up　inside　me　like　that。　How　will　you　find　the　capital？

There　is　but　one　way；　marry　a　woman　who　has　money。　There　is　no

fun　in　it。　Have　you　a　mind　to　marry？　You　hang　a　stone　around　your

neck；　for　if　you　marry　for　money；　what　becomes　of　our　exalted

notions　of　honor　and　so　forth？　You　might　as　well　fly　in　the　face

of　social　conventions　at　once。　Is　it　nothing　to　crawl　like　a

serpent　before　your　wife；　to　lick　her　mother's　feet；　to　descend

to　dirty　actions　that　would　sicken　swinefaugh！never　mind　if

you　at　least　make　your　fortune。　But　you　will　be　as　doleful　as　a

dripstone　if　you　marry　for　money。　It　is　better　to　wrestle　with

men　than　to　wrangle　at　home　with　your　wife。　You　are　at　the

crossway　of　the　roads　of　life；　my　boy；　choose　your　way。



〃But　you　have　chosen　already。　You　have　gone　to　see　your　cousin　of

Beauseant；　and　you　have　had　an　inkling　of　luxury；　you　have　been

to　Mme。　de　Restaud's　house；　and　in　Father　Goriot's　daughter　you

have　seen　a　glimpse　of　the　Parisienne　for　the　first　time。　That

day　you　came　back　with　a　word　written　on　your　forehead。　I　knew

it；　I　could　read　it'SUCCESS！'　Yes；　success　at　any　price。

'Bravo；'　said　I　to　myself；　'here　is　the　sort　of　fellow　for　me。'

You　wanted　money。　Where　was　it　all　to　come　from？　You　have　drained

your　sisters'　little　hoard　（all　brothers　sponge　more　or　less　on

their　sisters）。　Those　fifteen　hundred　francs　of　yours　（got

together；　God　knows　how！　in　a　country　where　there　are　more

chestnuts　than　five…franc　pieces）　will　slip　away　like　soldiers

after　pillage。　And；　then；　what　will　you　do？　Shall　you　begin　to

work？　Work；　or　what　you　understand　by　work　at　this　moment；　means；

for　a　man　of　Poiret's　calibre；　an　old　age　in　Mamma　Vauquer's

lodging…house。　There　are　fifty　thousand　young　men　in　your

position　at　this　moment；　all　bent　as　you　are　on　solving　one　and

the　same　problemhow　to　acquire　a　fortune　rapidly。　You　are　but　a

unit　in　that　aggregate。　You　can　guess；　therefore；　what　efforts

you　must　make；　how　desperate　the　struggle　is。　There　are　not　fifty

thousand　good　positions　for　you；　you　must　fight　and　devour　one

another　like　spiders　in　a　pot。　Do　you　know　how　a　man　makes　his

way　here？　By　brilliant　genius　or　by　skilful　corruption。　You　must

either　cut　your　way　through　these　masses　of　men　like　a　cannon

ball；　or　steal　among　them　like　a　plague。　Honesty　is　nothing　to

the　purpose。　Men　bow　before　the　power　of　genius；　they　hate　it；

and　try　to　slander　it；　because　genius　does　not　divide　the　spoil；

but　if　genius　persists；　they　bow　before　it。　To　sum　it　all　up　in　a

phrase；　if　they　fail　to　smother　genius　in　the　mud；　they　fall　on

their　knees　and　worship　it。　Corruption　is　a　great　power　in　the

world；　and　talent　is　scarce。　So　corruption　is　the　weapon　of

superfluous　mediocrity；　you　will　be　made　to　feel　the　point　of　it

everywhere。　You　will　see　women　who　spend　more　than　ten　thousand

francs　a　year　on　dress；　while　their　husband's　salary　（his　whole

income）　is　six　thousand　francs。　You　will　see　officials　buying

estates　on　twelve　thousand　francs　a　year。　You　will　see　women　who

sell　themselves　body　and　soul　to　drive　in　a　carriage　belonging　to

the　son　of　a　peer　of　France；　who　has　a　right　to　drive　in　the

middle　rank　at　Longchamp。　You　have　seen　that　poor　simpleton　of　a

Goriot　obliged　to　meet　a　bill　with　his　daughter's　name　at　the

back　of　it；　though　her　husband　has　fifty　thousand　francs　a　year。

I　defy　you　to　walk　a　couple　of　yards　anywhere　in　Paris　without

stumbling　on　some　infernal　complication。　I'll　bet　my　head　to　a

head　of　that