father goriot-第36节

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reason　was　a　conspicuous　figure；　he　caught　the　envious　glances　of

other　young　men；　and　experienced　the　earliest　pleasures　of

coxcombry。　People　wondered　at　his　luck；　and　scraps　of　these

conversations　came　to　his　ears　as　he　went　from　room　to　room；　all

the　women　prophesied　his　success；　and　Delphine；　in　her　dread　of

losing　him；　promised　that　this　evening　she　would　not　refuse　the

kiss　that　all　his　entreaties　could　scarcely　win　yesterday。



Rastignac　received　several　invitations。　His　cousin　presented　him

to　other　women　who　were　present；　women　who　could　claim　to　be　of

the　highest　fashion；　whose　houses　were　looked　upon　as　pleasant；

and　this　was　the　loftiest　and　most　fashionable　society　in　Paris

into　which　he　was　launched。　So　this　evening　had　all　the　charm　of

a　brilliant　debut；　it　was　an　evening　that　he　was　to　remember　even

in　old　age；　as　a　woman　looks　back　upon　her　first　ball　and　the

memories　of　her　girlish　triumphs。



The　next　morning；　at　breakfast；　he　related　the　story　of　his

success　for　the　benefit　of　Father　Goriot　and　the　lodgers。　Vautrin

began　to　smile　in　a　diabolical　fashion。



〃And　do　you　suppose；〃　cried　that　cold…blooded　logician；　〃that　a

young　man　of　fashion　can　live　here　in　the　Rue　Neuve…Sainte…

Genevieve；　in　the　Maison　Vauqueran　exceedingly　respectable

boarding…house　in　every　way；　I　grant　you；　but　an　establishment

that；　none　the　less；　falls　short　of　being　fashionable？　The　house

is　comfortable；　it　is　lordly　in　its　abundance；　it　is　proud　to　be

the　temporary　abode　of　a　Rastignac；　but；　after　all；　it　is　in　the

Rue　Neuve…Sainte…Genevieve；　and　luxury　would　be　out　of　place

here；　where　we　only　aim　at　the　purely　patriarchalorama。　If　you

mean　to　cut　a　figure　in　Paris；　my　young　friend；〃　Vautrin

continued；　with　half…paternal　jocularity；　〃you　must　have　three

horses；　a　tilbury　for　the　mornings；　and　a　closed　carriage　for　the

evening；　you　should　spend　altogether　about　nine　thousand　francs

on　your　stables。　You　would　show　yourself　unworthy　of　your　destiny

if　you　spent　no　more　than　three　thousand　francs　with　your　tailor；

six　hundred　in　perfumery；　a　hundred　crowns　to　your　shoemaker；　and

a　hundred　more　to　your　hatter。　As　for　your　laundress；　there　goes

another　thousand　francs；　a　young　man　of　fashion　must　of　necessity

make　a　great　point　of　his　linen；　if　your　linen　comes　up　to　the

required　standard；　people　often　do　not　look　any　further。　Love　and

the　Church　demand　a　fair　altar…cloth。　That　is　fourteen　thousand

francs。　I　am　saying　nothing　of　losses　at　play；　bets；　and

presents；　it　is　impossible　to　allow　less　than　two　thousand　francs

for　pocket　money。　I　have　led　that　sort　of　life；　and　I　know　all

about　these　expenses。　Add　the　cost　of　necessaries　next；　three

hundred　louis　for　provender；　a　thousand　francs　for　a　place　to

roost　in。　Well；　my　boy；　for　all　these　little　wants　of　ours　we　had

need　to　have　twenty…five　thousand　francs　every　year　in　our　purse；

or　we　shall　find　ourselves　in　the　kennel；　and　people　laughing　at

us；　and　our　career　is　cut　short；　good…bye　to　success；　and　good…

bye　to　your　mistress！　I　am　forgetting　your　valet　and　your　groom！

Is　Christophe　going　to　carry　your　billets…doux　for　you？　Do　you

mean　to　employ　the　stationery　you　use　at　present？　Suicidal

policy！　Hearken　to　the　wisdom　of　your　elders！〃　he　went　on；　his

bass　voice　growing　louder　at　each　syllable。　〃Either　take　up　your

quarters　in　a　garret；　live　virtuously；　and　wed　your　work；　or　set

about　the　thing　in　a　different　way。〃



Vautrin　winked　and　leered　in　the　direction　of　Mlle。　Taillefer　to

enforce　his　remarks　by　a　look　which　recalled　the　late　tempting

proposals　by　which　he　had　sought　to　corrupt　the　student's　mind。



Several　days　went　by；　and　Rastignac　lived　in　a　whirl　of　gaiety。

He　dined　almost　every　day　with　Mme。　de　Nucingen；　and　went

wherever　she　went；　only　returning　to　the　Rue　Neuve…Sainte…

Genevieve　in　the　small　hours。　He　rose　at　mid…day；　and　dressed　to

go　into　the　Bois　with　Delphine　if　the　day　was　fine；　squandering

in　this　way　time　that　was　worth　far　more　than　he　knew。　He　turned

as　eagerly　to　learn　the　lessons　of　luxury；　and　was　as　quick　to

feel　its　fascination；　as　the　flowers　of　the　date　palm　to　receive

the　fertilizing　pollen。　He　played　high；　lost　and　won　large　sums

of　money；　and　at　last　became　accustomed　to　the　extravagant　life

that　young　men　lead　in　Paris。　He　sent　fifteen　hundred　francs　out

of　his　first　winnings　to　his　mother　and　sisters；　sending　handsome

presents　as　well　as　the　money。　He　had　given　out　that　he　meant　to

leave　the　Maison　Vauquer；　but　January　came　and　went；　and　he　was

still　there；　still　unprepared　to　go。



One　rule　holds　good　of　most　young　menwhether　rich　or　poor。　They

never　have　money　for　the　necessaries　of　life；　but　they　have

always　money　to　spare　for　their　capricesan　anomaly　which　finds

its　explanation　in　their　youth　and　in　the　almost　frantic

eagerness　with　which　youth　grasps　at　pleasure。　They　are　reckless

with　anything　obtained　on　credit；　while　everything　for　which　they

must　pay　in　ready　money　is　made　to　last　as　long　as　possible；　if

they　cannot　have　all　that　they　want；　they　make　up　for　it；　it

would　seem；　by　squandering　what　they　have。　To　state　the　matter

simplya　student　is　far　more　careful　of　his　hat　than　of　his

coat；　because　the　latter　being　a　comparatively　costly　article　of

dress；　it　is　in　the　nature　of　things　that　a　tailor　should　be　a

creditor；　but　it　is　otherwise　with　the　hatter；　the　sums　of　money

spent　with　him　are　so　modest；　that　he　is　the　most　independent　and

unmanageable　of　his　tribe；　and　it　is　almost　impossible　to　bring

him　to　terms。　The　young　man　in　the　balcony　of　a　theatre　who

displays　a　gorgeous　waistcoat　for　the　benefit　of　the　fair　owners

of　opera　glasses；　has　very　probably　no　socks　in　his　wardrobe；　for

the　hosier　is　another　of　the　genus　of　weevils　that　nibble　at　the

purse。　This　was　Rastignac's　condition。　His　purse　was　always　empty

for　Mme。　Vauquer；　always　full　at　the　demand　of　vanity；　there　was

a　periodical　ebb　and　flow　in　his　fortunes；　which　was　seldom

favorable　to　the　payment　of　just　debts。　If　he　was　to　leave　that

unsavory　and　mean　abode；　where　from　time　to　time　his　pretensions

met　with　humiliation；　the　first　step　was　to　pay　his　hostess　for　a

month's　board　and　lodging；　and　the　second　to　purchase　furniture

worthy　of　the　new　lodgings　he　must　take　in　his　quality　of　dandy；

a　course　that　remained　impossible。　Rastignac；　out　of　his　winnings

at　cards；　would　pay　his　jeweler　exorbitant　prices　for　gold

watches　and　chains；　and　then；　to　meet　the　exigencies　of　play；

would　carry　them　to　the　pawnbroker；　that　discreet　and　forbidding…

looking　friend　of　youth；　but　when　it　was　a　question　of　paying　for

board　or　lodging；　or　for　the　necessary　implements　for　the

cultivation　of　his　Elysian　fields；　his　imagination　and　pluck

alike　deserted　him。　There　was　no　inspiration　to　be　found　in

vulgar　necessity；　in　debts　contracted　for　past　requirements。　Like

most　of　those　who　trust　to　their　luck；　he　put　off　till　the　last

moment　the　payment　of　debts　that　among　the　bourgeoisie　are

regarded　as　sacred　engagements；　acting　on　the　plan　of　Mirabeau；

who　never　settled　his　baker's　bill　until　it　underwent　a

formidable　transformation　into　a　bill　of　exchange。



It　was　about　this　time　when　Rastignac　was　down　on　his　luck　and

fell　into　debt；　that　it　became　clear　to　the　law　student's　mind

that　he　must　have　some　more　certain　source　of　income　if　he　meant

to　live　as　he　had　been　doing。　But　while　he　groaned　over　the

thorny　problems　of　his　precarious　situation；　he　felt　that　he

could　not　bring　himself　to　renounce　the　pleasures　of　this

extravagant　life；　and　decided　that　he　must　continue　it　at　all

costs。　His　dreams　of　obtaining　a　fortune　appeared　more　and　more

chimerical；　and　the　real　obstacles　grew　more　formidable。　His

initiation　into　the　secrets　of　the　Nucingen　household　had

revealed　to　him　that　if　he　were　to　attempt　to　use　this　love

affair　as　a　means　of　mending　his　fortunes；　he　must　swallow　down

all　sense　of　decency；　and　renounce　all　the　generous　ideas　which

redeem　the　sins　of　youth。　He　had　chosen　this　life　of　apparent

splendor；　but　secretly　gnawed　by　the　canker　worm　of　remorse；　a

life　of　fleeting　pleasure　dearly　paid　for　by　persistent　pain；

like　Le　Distrait　of　La　Bruyere；　he　had　descended　so　far　as　to

make　his　bed　in　a　ditch；　but　（also　like　Le　Distrait）　he　himself

was　uncontaminated　as　yet　by　the　mire　that　stained　his　garments。



〃So　we　have　killed　our　mandarin；　have　we？〃　said　Bianchon　one　day

as　they　left　the　dinner　table。



〃Not　yet；〃　he　answered；　〃but　he　is　at　his　last　gasp。〃



The　medical　student　took　this　for　a　joke；　but　it　was　not　a　jest。

Eugene　had　dined　in　the　house　that　night　for　the　first　time　for　a

long　while；　and　had　looked　thoughtful　during　the　meal。　He　had

taken　his　place　beside　Mlle。　Taillefer；　and　stayed　through　the

dessert；　giving　his　neighbor　an　expressive　glance　from　time　to

time。　A　few　of　the　boarders　discussed　the　walnuts　at　the　table；

and　others　walked　about　the