father goriot-第26节

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

head　of　that　salad　that　you　will　stir　up　a　hornet's　nest　by

taking　a　fancy　to　the　first　young；　rich；　and　pretty　woman　you

meet。　They　are　all　dodging　the　law；　all　at　loggerheads　with　their

husbands。　If　I　were　to　begin　to　tell　you　all　that　vanity　or

necessity　（virtue　is　not　often　mixed　up　in　it；　you　may　be　sure）；

all　that　vanity　and　necessity　drive　them　to　do　for　lovers；

finery；　housekeeping；　or　children；　I　should　never　come　to　an　end。

So　an　honest　man　is　the　common　enemy。



〃But　do　you　know　what　an　honest　man　is？　Here；　in　Paris；　an　honest

man　is　the　man　who　keeps　his　own　counsel；　and　will　not　divide　the

plunder。　I　am　not　speaking　now　of　those　poor　bond…slaves　who　do

the　work　of　the　world　without　a　reward　for　their　toilGod

Almighty's　outcasts；　I　call　them。　Among　them；　I　grant　you；　is

virtue　in　all　the　flower　of　its　stupidity；　but　poverty　is　no　less

their　portion。　At　this　moment；　I　think　I　see　the　long　faces　those

good　folk　would　pull　if　God　played　a　practical　joke　on　them　and

stayed　away　at　the　Last　Judgment。



〃Well；　then；　if　you　mean　to　make　a　fortune　quickly；　you　must

either　be　rich　to　begin　with；　or　make　people　believe　that　you　are

rich。　It　is　no　use　playing　here　except　for　high　stakes；　once　take

to　low　play；　it　is　all　up　with　you。　If　in　the　scores　of

professions　that　are　open　to　you；　there　are　ten　men　who　rise　very

rapidly；　people　are　sure　to　call　them　thieves。　You　can　draw　your

own　conclusions。　Such　is　life。　It　is　no　cleaner　than　a　kitchen；

it　reeks　like　a　kitchen；　and　if　you　mean　to　cook　your　dinner；　you

must　expect　to　soil　your　hands；　the　real　art　is　in　getting　them

clean　again；　and　therein　lies　the　whole　morality　of　our　epoch。　If

I　take　this　tone　in　speaking　of　the　world　to　you；　I　have　the

right　to　do　so；　I　know　it　well。　Do　you　think　that　I　am　blaming

it？　Far　from　it；　the　world　has　always　been　as　it　is　now。

Moralists'　strictures　will　never　change　it。　Mankind　are　not

perfect；　but　one　age　is　more　or　less　hypocritical　than　another；

and　then　simpletons　say　that　its　morality　is　high　or　low。　I　do

not　think　that　the　rich　are　any　worse　than　the　poor；　man　is　much

the　same；　high　or　low；　or　wherever　he　is。　In　a　million　of　these

human　cattle　there　may　be　half　a　score　of　bold　spirits　who　rise

above　the　rest；　above　the　laws；　I　am　one　of　them。　And　you；　if　you

are　cleverer　than　your　fellows；　make　straight　to　your　end；　and

hold　your　head　high。　But　you　must　lay　your　account　with　envy　and

slander　and　mediocrity；　and　every　man's　hand　will　be　against　you。

Napoleon　met　with　a　Minister　of　War；　Aubry　by　name；　who　all　but

sent　him　to　the　colonies。



〃Feel　your　pulse。　Think　whether　you　can　get　up　morning　after

morning；　strengthened　in　yesterday's　purpose。　In　that　case　I　will

make　you　an　offer　that　no　one　would　decline。　Listen　attentively。

You　see；　I　have　an　idea　of　my　own。　My　idea　is　to　live　a

patriarchal　life　on　a　vast　estate；　say　a　hundred　thousand　acres；

somewhere　in　the　Southern　States　of　America。　I　mean　to　be　a

planter；　to　have　slaves；　to　make　a　few　snug　millions　by　selling

my　cattle；　timber；　and　tobacco；　I　want　to　live　an　absolute

monarch；　and　to　do　just　as　I　please；　to　lead　such　a　life　as　no

one　here　in　these　squalid　dens　of　lath　and　plaster　ever　imagines。

I　am　a　great　poet；　I　do　not　write　my　poems；　I　feel　them；　and　act

them。　At　this　moment　I　have　fifty　thousand　francs；　which　might

possibly　buy　forty　negroes。　I　want　two　hundred　thousand　francs；

because　I　want　to　have　two　hundred　negroes　to　carry　out　my

notions　of　the　patriarachal　life　properly。　Negroes；　you　see；　are

like　a　sort　of　family　ready　grown；　and　there　are　no　inquisitive

public　prosecutors　out　there　to　interfere　with　you。　That

investment　in　ebony　ought　to　mean　three　or　four　million　francs

in　ten　years'　time。　If　I　am　successful；　no　one　will　ask　me　who　I

am。　I　shall　be　Mr。　Four　Millions；　an　American　citizen。　I　shall　be

fifty　years　old　by　then；　and　sound　and　hearty　still；　I　shall

enjoy　life　after　my　own　fashion。　In　two　words；　if　I　find　you　an

heiress　with　a　million；　will　you　give　me　two　hundred　thousand

francs？　Twenty　per　cent　commission；　eh？　Is　that　too　much？　Your

little　wife　will　be　very　much　in　love　with　you。　Once　married；　you

will　show　signs　of　uneasiness　and　remorse；　for　a　couple　of　weeks

you　will　be　depressed。　Then；　some　night　after　sundry　grimacings；

comes　the　confession；　between　two　kisses；　'Two　hundred　thousand

francs　of　debts；　my　darling！'　This　sort　of　farce　is　played　every

day　in　Paris；　and　by　young　men　of　the　highest　fashion。　When　a

young　wife　has　given　her　heart；　she　will　not　refuse　her　purse。

Perhaps　you　are　thinking　that　you　will　lose　the　money　for　good？

Not　you。　You　will　make　two　hundred　thousand　francs　again　by　some

stroke　of　business。　With　your　capital　and　your　brains　you　should

be　able　to　accumulate　as　large　a　fortune　as　you　could　wish。　ERGO；

in　six　months　you　will　have　made　your　own　fortune；　and　our　old

friend　Vautrin's；　and　made　an　amiable　woman　very　happy；　to　say

nothing　of　your　people　at　home；　who　must　blow　on　their　fingers　to

warm　them；　in　the　winter；　for　lack　of　firewood。　You　need　not　be

surprised　at　my　proposal；　nor　at　the　demand　I　make。　Forty…seven

out　of　every　sixty　great　matches　here　in　Paris　are　made　after

just　such　a　bargain　as　this。　The　Chamber　of　Notaries　compels　my

gentleman　to〃



〃What　must　I　do？〃　said　Rastignac；　eagerly　interrupting　Vautrin's

speech。



〃Next　to　nothing；〃　returned　the　other；　with　a　slight　involuntary

movement；　the　suppressed　exultation　of　the　angler　when　he　feels　a

bite　at　the　end　of　his　line。　〃Follow　me　carefully！　The　heart　of　a

girl　whose　life　is　wretched　and　unhappy　is　a　sponge　that　will

thirstily　absorb　love；　a　dry　sponge　that　swells　at　the　first　drop

of　sentiment。　If　you　pay　court　to　a　young　girl　whose　existence　is

a　compound　of　loneliness；　despair；　and　poverty；　and　who　has　no

suspicion　that　she　will　come　into　a　fortune；　good　Lord！　it　is

quint　and　quatorze　at　piquet；　it　is　knowing　the　numbers　of　the

lottery　before…hand；　it　is　speculating　in　the　funds　when　you　have

news　from　a　sure　source；　it　is　building　up　a　marriage　on　an

indestructible　foundation。　The　girl　may　come　in　for　millions；　and

she　will　fling　them；　as　if　they　were　so　many　pebbles；　at　your

feet。　'Take　it；　my　beloved！　Take　it；　Alfred；　Adolphe；　Eugene！'　or

whoever　it　was　that　showed　his　sense　by　sacrificing　himself　for

her。　And　as　for　sacrificing　himself；　this　is　how　I　understand　it。

You　sell　a　coat　that　is　getting　shabby；　so　that　you　can　take　her

to　the　Cadran　bleu；　treat　her　to　mushrooms　on　toast；　and　then　go

to　the　Ambigu…Comique　in　the　evening；　you　pawn　your　watch　to　buy

her　a　shawl。　I　need　not　remind　you　of　the　fiddle…faddle

sentimentality　that　goes　down　so　well　with　all　women；　you　spill　a

few　drops　of　water　on　your　stationery；　for　instance；　those　are

the　tears　you　shed　while　far　away　from　her。　You　look　to　me　as　if

you　were　perfectly　acquainted　with　the　argot　of　the　heart。　Paris；

you　see；　is　like　a　forest　in　the　New　World；　where　you　have　to

deal　with　a　score　of　varieties　of　savagesIllinois　and　Hurons；

who　live　on　the　proceed　of　their　social　hunting。　You　are　a　hunter

of　millions；　you　set　your　snares；　you　use　lures　and　nets；　there

are　many　ways　of　hunting。　Some　hunt　heiresses；　others　a　legacy；

some　fish　for　souls；　yet　others　sell　their　clients；　bound　hand

and　foot。　Every　one　who　comes　back　from　the　chase　with　his　game…

bag　well　filled　meets　with　a　warm　welcome　in　good　society。　In

justice　to　this　hospitable　part　of　the　world；　it　must　be　said

that　you　have　to　do　with　the　most　easy　and　good…natured　of　great

cities。　If　the　proud　aristocracies　of　the　rest　of　Europe　refuse

admittance　among　their　ranks　to　a　disreputable　millionaire；　Paris

stretches　out　a　hand　to　him；　goes　to　his　banquets；　eats　his

dinners；　and　hobnobs　with　his　infamy。〃



〃But　where　is　such　a　girl　to　be　found？〃　asked　Eugene。



〃Under　your　eyes；　she　is　yours　already。〃



〃Mlle。　Victorine？〃



〃Precisely。〃



〃And　what　was　that　you　said？〃



〃She　is　in　love　with　you　already；　your　little　Baronne　de

Rastignac！〃



〃She　has　not　a　penny；〃　Eugene　continued；　much　mystified。



〃Ah！　now　we　are　coming　to　it！　Just　another　word　or　two；　and　it

will　all　be　clear　enough。　Her　father；　Taillefer；　is　an　old

scoundrel；　it　is　said　that　he　murdered　one　of　his　friends　at　the

time　of　the　Revolution。　He　is　one　of　your　comedians　that　sets　up

to　have　opinions　of　his　own。　He　is　a　bankersenior　partner　in

the　house　of　Frederic　Taillefer　and　Company。　He　has　one　son；　and

means　to　leave　all　he　has　to　the　boy；　to　the　prejudice　of

Victorine。　For　my　part；　I　don't　like　to　see　injustice　of　this

sort。　I　am　like　Don　Quixote；　I　have　a　fancy　for　defending　the

weak　against　the　strong。　If　it　should　please　God　to　take　that

youth　away　from　him；　Taillefer　would　have　only　his　daughter　left；

he　would　want　to　leave　his　money　to　some　one　or　other；　an　absurd