father goriot-第38节

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〃Quite　right；　I　should　be　sorry　to　hear　you　speak　otherwise；〃

answered　the　tempter。　〃You　are　a　fine　young　fellow；　honorable；

brave　as　a　lion；　and　as　gentle　as　a　young　girl。　You　would　be　a

fine　haul　for　the　devil！　I　like　youngsters　of　your　sort。　Get　rid

of　one　or　two　more　prejudices；　and　you　will　see　the　world　as　it

is。　Make　a　little　scene　now　and　then；　and　act　a　virtuous　part　in

it；　and　a　man　with　a　head　on　his　shoulders　can　do　exactly　as　he

likes　amid　deafening　applause　from　the　fools　in　the　gallery。　Ah！

a　few　days　yet；　and　you　will　be　with　us；　and　if　you　would　only　be

tutored　by　me；　I　would　put　you　in　the　way　of　achieving　all　your

ambitions。　You　should　no　sooner　form　a　wish　than　it　should　be

realized　to　the　full；　you　should　have　all　your　desireshonors；

wealth；　or　women。　Civilization　should　flow　with　milk　and　honey

for　you。　You　should　be　our　pet　and　favorite；　our　Benjamin。　We

would　all　work　ourselves　to　death　for　you　with　pleasure；　every

obstacle　should　be　removed　from　your　path。　You　have　a　few

prejudices　left；　so　you　think　that　I　am　a　scoundrel；　do　you？

Well；　M。　de　Turenne；　quite　as　honorable　a　man　as　you　take

yourself　to　be；　had　some　little　private　transactions　with

bandits；　and　did　not　feel　that　his　honor　was　tarnished。　You　would

rather　not　lie　under　any　obligation　to　me；　eh？　You　need　not　draw

back　on　that　account；〃　Vautrin　went　on；　and　a　smile　stole　over

his　lips。　〃Take　these　bits　of　paper　and　write　across　this；〃　he

added；　producing　a　piece　of　stamped　paper；　〃Accepted　the　sum　of

three　thousand　five　hundred　francs　due　this　day　twelvemonth；　and

fill　in　the　date。　The　rate　of　interest　is　stiff　enough　to　silence

any　scruples　on　your　part；　it　gives　you　the　right　to　call　me　a

Jew。　You　can　call　quits　with　me　on　the　score　of　gratitude。　I　am

quite　willing　that　you　should　despise　me　to…day；　because　I　am

sure　that　you　will　have　a　kindlier　feeling　towards　me　later　on。

You　will　find　out　fathomless　depths　in　my　nature；　enormous　and

concentrated　forces　that　weaklings　call　vices；　but　you　will　never

find　me　base　or　ungrateful。　In　short；　I　am　neither　a　pawn　nor　a

bishop；　but　a　castle；　a　tower　of　strength；　my　boy。〃



〃What　manner　of　man　are　you？〃　cried　Eugene。　〃Were　you　created　to

torment　me？〃



〃Why　no；　I　am　a　good…natured　fellow；　who　is　willing　to　do　a　dirty

piece　of　work　to　put　you　high　and　dry　above　the　mire　for　the　rest

of　your　days。　Do　you　ask　the　reason　of　this　devotion？　All　right；

I　will　tell　you　that　some　of　these　days。　A　word　or　two　in　your

ear　will　explain　it。　I　have　begun　by　shocking　you；　by　showing　you

the　way　to　ring　the　changes；　and　giving　you　a　sight　of　the

mechanism　of　the　social　machine；　but　your　first　fright　will　go

off　like　a　conscript's　terror　on　the　battlefield。　You　will　grow

used　to　regarding　men　as　common　soldiers　who　have　made　up　their

minds　to　lose　their　lives　for　some　self…constituted　king。　Times

have　altered　strangely。　Once　you　could　say　to　a　bravo；　'Here　are

a　hundred　crowns；　go　and　kill　Monsieur　So…and…so　for　me；'　and　you

could　sup　quietly　after　turning　some　one　off　into　the　dark　for

the　least　thing　in　the　world。　But　nowadays　I　propose　to　put　you

in　the　way　of　a　handsome　fortune；　you　have　only　to　nod　your　head；

it　won't　compromise　you　in　any　way；　and　you　hesitate。　'Tis　an

effeminate　age。〃



Eugene　accepted　the　draft；　and　received　the　banknotes　in　exchange

for　it。



〃Well；　well。　Come；　now；　let　us　talk　rationally；〃　Vautrin

continued。　〃I　mean　to　leave　this　country　in　a　few　months'　time

for　America；　and　set　about　planting　tobacco。　I　will　send　you　the

cigars　of　friendship。　If　I　make　money　at　it；　I　will　help　you　in

your　career。　If　I　have　no　childrenwhich　will　probably　be　the

case；　for　I　have　no　anxiety　to　raise　slips　of　myself　hereyou

shall　inherit　my　fortune。　That　is　what　you　may　call　standing　by　a

man；　but　I　myself　have　a　liking　for　you。　I　have　a　mania；　too；　for

devoting　myself　to　some　one　else。　I　have　done　it　before。　You　see；

my　boy；　I　live　in　a　loftier　sphere　than　other　men　do；　I　look　on

all　actions　as　means　to　an　end；　and　the　end　is　all　that　I　look

at。　What　is　a　man's　life　to　me？　Not　THAT；〃　he　said；　and　he

snapped　his　thumb…nail　against　his　teeth。　〃A　man；　in　short；　is

everything　to　me；　or　just　nothing　at　all。　Less　than　nothing　if

his　name　happens　to　be　Poiret；　you　can　crush　him　like　a　bug；　he

is　flat　and　he　is　offensive。　But　a　man　is　a　god　when　he　is　like

you；　he　is　not　a　machine　covered　with　a　skin；　but　a　theatre　in

which　the　greatest　sentiments　are　displayedgreat　thoughts　and

feelingsand　for　these；　and　these　only；　I　live。　A　sentiment

what　is　that　but　the　whole　world　in　a　thought？　Look　at　Father

Goriot。　For　him；　his　two　girls　are　the　whole　universe；　they　are

the　clue　by　which　he　finds　his　way　through　creation。　Well；　for　my

own　part；　I　have　fathomed　the　depths　of　life；　there　is　only　one

real　sentimentcomradeship　between　man　and　man。　Pierre　and

Jaffier；　that　is　my　passion。　I　knew　Venice　Preserved　by　heart。

Have　you　met　many　men　plucky　enough　when　a　comrade　says；　'Let　us

bury　a　dead　body！'　to　go　and　do　it　without　a　word　or　plaguing　him

by　taking　a　high　moral　tone？　I　have　done　it　myself。　I　should　not

talk　like　this　to　just　everybody；　but　you　are　not　like　an

ordinary　man；　one　can　talk　to　you；　you　can　understand　things。　You

will　not　dabble　about　much　longer　among　the　tadpoles　in　these

swamps。　Well；　then；　it　is　all　settled。　You　will　marry。　Both　of　us

carry　our　point。　Mine　is　made　of　iron；　and　will　never　soften；　he！

he！〃



Vautrin　went　out。　He　would　not　wait　to　hear　the　student's

repudiation；　he　wished　to　put　Eugene　at　his　ease。　He　seemed　to

understand　the　secret　springs　of　the　faint　resistance　still　made

by　the　younger　man；　the　struggles　in　which　men　seek　to　preserve

their　self…respect　by　justifying　their　blameworthy　actions　to

themselves。



〃He　may　do　as　he　likes；　I　shall　not　marry　Mlle。　Taillefer；　that

is　certain；〃　said　Eugene　to　himself。



He　regarded　this　man　with　abhorrence；　and　yet　the　very　cynicism

of　Vautrin's　ideas；　and　the　audacious　way　in　which　he　used　other

men　for　his　own　ends；　raised　him　in　the　student's　eyes；　but　the

thought　of　a　compact　threw　Eugene　into　a　fever　of　apprehension；

and　not　until　he　had　recovered　somewhat　did　he　dress；　call　for　a

cab；　and　go　to　Mme。　de　Restaud's。



For　some　days　the　Countess　had　paid　more　and　more　attention　to　a

young　man　whose　every　step　seemed　a　triumphal　progress　in　the

great　world；　it　seemed　to　her　that　he　might　be　a　formidable　power

before　long。　He　paid　Messieurs　de　Trailles　and　d'Ajuda；　played　at

whist　for　part　of　the　evening；　and　made　good　his　losses。　Most　men

who　have　their　way　to　make　are　more　or　less　of　fatalists；　and

Eugene　was　superstitious；　he　chose　to　consider　that　his　luck　was

heaven's　reward　for　his　perseverance　in　the　right　way。　As　soon　as

possible　on　the　following　morning　he　asked　Vautrin　whether　the

bill　he　had　given　was　still　in　the　other's　possession；　and　on

receiving　a　reply　in　the　affirmative；　he　repaid　the　three

thousand　francs　with　a　not　unnatural　relief。



〃Everything　is　going　on　well；〃　said　Vautrin。



〃But　I　am　not　your　accomplice；〃　said　Eugene。



〃I　know；　I　know；〃　Vautrin　broke　in。　〃You　are　still　acting　like　a

child。　You　are　making　mountains　out　of　molehills　at　the　outset。〃



Two　days　later；　Poiret　and　Mlle。　Michonneau　were　sitting　together

on　a　bench　in　the　sun。　They　had　chosen　a　little　frequented　alley

in　the　Jardin　des　Plantes；　and　a　gentleman　was　chatting　with

them；　the　same　person；　as　a　matter　of　fact；　about　whom　the

medical　student　had；　not　without　good　reason；　his　own　suspicions。



〃Mademoiselle；〃　this　M。　Gondureau　was　saying；　〃I　do　not　see　any

cause　for　your　scruples。　His　Excellency；　Monseigneur　the　Minister

of　Police〃



〃Yes；　his　Excellency　is　taking　a　personal　interest　in　the

matter；〃　said　Gondureau。



Who　would　think　it　probable　that　Poiret；　a　retired　clerk；

doubtless　possessed　of　some　notions　of　civic　virtue；　though　there

might　be　nothing　else　in　his　headwho　would　think　it　likely　that

such　a　man　would　continue　to　lend　an　ear　to　this　supposed

independent　gentleman　of　the　Rue　de　Buffon；　when　the　latter

dropped　the　mask　of　a　decent　citizen　by　that　word　〃police；〃　and

gave　a　glimpse　of　the　features　of　a　detective　from　the　Rue　de

Jerusalem？　And　yet　nothing　was　more　natural。　Perhaps　the

following　remarks　from　the　hitherto　unpublished　records　made　by

certain　observers　will　throw　a　light　on　the　particular　species　to

which　Poiret　belonged　in　the　great　family　of　fools。　There　is　a

race　of　quill…drivers；　confined　in　the　columns　of　the　budget

between　the　first　degree　of　latitude　（a　kind　of　administrative

Greenland　where　the　salaries　begin　at　twelve　hundred　francs）　to

the　third　degree；　a　more　temperate　zone；　where　incomes　grow　from

three　to　six　thousand　francs；　a　climate　where　the　BONUS

flourishes　like　a　half…hardy　annual　in　spite　of　some　difficulties

of　culture。　A　characteristic　trait　that　best