gobseck-第1节

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Gobseck



by　Honore　de　Balzac



Translated　by　Ellen　Marriage







DEDICATION



　　To　M。　le　Baron　Barchou　de　Penhoen。



　　Among　all　the　pupils　of　the　Oratorian　school　at　Vendome；　we　are；　I

　　think；　the　only　two　who　have　afterwards　met　in　mid…career　of　a

　　life　of　letterswe　who　once　were　cultivating　Philosophy　when　by

　　rights　we　should　have　been　minding　our　De　viris。　When　we　met；　you

　　were　engaged　upon　your　noble　works　on　German　philosophy；　and　I

　　upon　this　study。　So　neither　of　us　has　missed　his　vocation；　and

　　you；　when　you　see　your　name　here；　will　feel；　no　doubt；　as　much

　　pleasure　as　he　who　inscribes　his　work　to　you。Your　old

　　schoolfellow；



1840



De　Balzac









GOBSECK



It　was　one　o'clock　in　the　morning；　during　the　winter　of　1829…30；　but

in　the　Vicomtesse　de　Grandlieu's　salon　two　persons　stayed　on　who　did

not　belong　to　her　family　circle。　A　young　and　good…looking　man　heard

the　clock　strike；　and　took　his　leave。　When　the　courtyard　echoed　with

the　sound　of　a　departing　carriage；　the　Vicomtesse　looked　up；　saw　that

no　one　was　present　save　her　brother　and　a　friend　of　the　family

finishing　their　game　of　piquet；　and　went　across　to　her　daughter。　The

girl；　standing　by　the　chimney…piece；　apparently　examining　a

transparent　fire…screen；　was　listening　to　the　sounds　from　the

courtyard　in　a　way　that　justified　certain　maternal　fears。



〃Camille；〃　said　the　Vicomtesse；　〃if　you　continue　to　behave　to　young

Comte　de　Restaud　as　you　have　done　this　evening；　you　will　oblige　me　to

see　no　more　of　him　here。　Listen；　child；　and　if　you　have　any　confidence

in　my　love；　let　me　guide　you　in　life。　At　seventeen　one　cannot　judge　of

past　or　future；　nor　of　certain　social　considerations。　I　have　only　one

thing　to　say　to　you。　M。　de　Restaud　has　a　mother；　a　mother　who　would

waste　millions　of　francs；　a　woman　of　no　birth；　a　Mlle。　Goriot；　people

talked　a　good　deal　about　her　at　one　time。　She　behaved　so　badly　to　her

own　father；　that　she　certainly　does　not　deserve　to　have　so　good　a　son。

The　young　Count　adores　her；　and　maintains　her　in　her　position　with

dutifulness　worthy　of　all　praise；　and　he　is　extremely　good　to　his

brother　and　sister。But　however　admirable　HIS　behavior　may　be；〃　the

Vicomtesse　added　with　a　shrewd　expression；　〃so　long　as　his　mother

lives；　any　family　would　take　alarm　at　the　idea　of　intrusting　a

daughter's　fortune　and　future　to　young　Restaud。〃



〃I　overheard　a　word　now　and　again　in　your　talk　with　Mlle。　de

Grandlieu；〃　cried　the　friend　of　the　family；　〃and　it　made　me　anxious　to

put　in　a　word　of　my　own。I　have　won；　M。　le　Comte；〃　he　added；　turning

to　his　opponent。　〃I　shall　throw　you　over　and　go　to　your　niece's

assistance。〃



〃See　what　it　is　to　have　an　attorney's　ears！〃　exclaimed　the　Vicomtesse。

〃My　dear　Derville；　how　could　you　know　what　I　was　saying　to　Camille　in

a　whisper？〃



〃I　knew　it　from　your　looks；〃　answered　Derville；　seating　himself　in　a

low　chair　by　the　fire。



Camille's　uncle　went　to　her　side；　and　Mme。　de　Grandlieu　took　up　her

position　on　a　hearth　stool　between　her　daughter　and　Derville。



〃The　time　has　come　for　telling　a　story；　which　should　modify　your

judgment　as　to　Ernest　de　Restaud's　prospects。〃



〃A　story？〃　cried　Camille。　〃Do　begin　at　once；　monsieur。〃



The　glance　that　Derville　gave　the　Vicomtesse　told　her　that　this　tale

was　meant　for　her。　The　Vicomtesse　de　Grandlieu；　be　it　said；　was　one　of

the　greatest　ladies　in　the　Faubourg　Saint…Germain；　by　reason　of　her

fortune　and　her　ancient　name；　and　though　it　may　seem　improbable　that　a

Paris　attorney　should　speak　so　familiarly　to　her；　or　be　so　much　at

home　in　her　house；　the　fact　is　nevertheless　easily　explained。



When　Mme。　de　Grandlieu　returned　to　France　with　the　Royal　family；　she

came　to　Paris；　and　at　first　lived　entirely　on　the　pension　allowed　her

out　of　the　Civil　List　by　Louis　XVIII。an　intolerable　position。　The

Hotel　de　Grandlieu　had　been　sold　by　the　Republic。　It　came　to

Derville's　knowledge　that　there　were　flaws　in　the　title；　and　he

thought　that　it　ought　to　return　to　the　Vicomtesse。　He　instituted

proceedings　for　nullity　of　contract；　and　gained　the　day。　Encouraged　by

this　success；　he　used　legal　quibbles　to　such　purpose　that　he　compelled

some　institution　or　other　to　disgorge　the　Forest　of　Liceney。　Then　he

won　certain　lawsuits　against　the　Canal　d'Orleans；　and　recovered　a

tolerably　large　amount　of　property；　with　which　the　Emperor　had　endowed

various　public　institutions。　So　it　fell　out　that；　thanks　to　the　young

attorney's　skilful　management；　Mme。　de　Grandlieu's　income　reached　the

sum　of　some　sixty　thousand　francs；　to　say　nothing　of　the　vast　sums

returned　to　her　by　the　law　of　indemnity。　And　Derville；　a　man　of　high

character；　well　informed；　modest；　and　pleasant　in　company；　became　the

house…friend　of　the　family。



By　his　conduct　of　Mme。　de　Grandlieu's　affairs　he　had　fairly　earned　the

esteem　of　the　Faubourg　Saint…Germain；　and　numbered　the　best　families

among　his　clients；　but　he　did　not　take　advantage　of　his　popularity；　as

an　ambitious　man　might　have　done。　The　Vicomtesse　would　have　had　him

sell　his　practice　and　enter　the　magistracy；　in　which　career

advancement　would　have　been　swift　and　certain　with　such　influence　at

his　disposal；　but　he　persistently　refused　all　offers。　He　only　went

into　society　to　keep　up　his　connections；　but　he　occasionally　spent　an

evening　at　the　Hotel　de　Grandlieu。　It　was　a　very　lucky　thing　for　him

that　his　talents　had　been　brought　into　the　light　by　his　devotion　to

Mme。　de　Grandlieu；　for　his　practice　otherwise　might　have　gone　to

pieces。　Derville　had　not　an　attorney's　soul。　Since　Ernest　de　Restaud

had　appeared　at　the　Hotel　de　Grandlieu；　and　he　had　noticed　that

Camille　felt　attracted　to　the　young　man；　Derville　had　been　as

assiduous　in　his　visits　as　any　dandy　of　the　Chausee…d'Antin　newly

admitted　to　the　noble　Faubourg。　At　a　ball　only　a　few　days　before；　when

he　happened　to　stand　near　Camille；　and　said；　indicating　the　Count：



〃It　is　a　pity　that　yonder　youngster　has　not　two　or　three　million

francs；　is　it　not？〃



〃Is　it　a　pity？　I　do　not　think　so；〃　the　girl　answered。　〃M。　de　Restaud

has　plenty　of　ability；　he　is　well　educated；　and　the　Minister；　his

chief；　thinks　well　of　him。　He　will　be　a　remarkable　man；　I　have　no

doubt。　'Yonder　youngster'　will　have　as　much　money　as　he　wishes　when　he

comes　into　power。〃



〃Yes；　but　suppose　that　he　were　rich　already？〃



〃Rich　already？〃　repeated　Camille；　flushing　red。　〃Why　all　the　girls　in

the　room　would　be　quarreling　for　him；〃　she　said；　glancing　at　the

quadrilles。



〃And　then；〃　retorted　the　attorney；　〃Mlle。　de　Grandlieu　might　not　be

the　one　towards　whom　his　eyes　are　always　turned？　That　is　what　that　red

color　means！　You　like　him；　do　you　not？　Come；　speak　out。〃



Camille　suddenly　rose　to　go。



〃She　loves　him；〃　Derville　thought。



Since　that　evening；　Camille　had　been　unwontedly　attentive　to　the

attorney；　who　approved　of　her　liking　for　Ernest　de　Restaud。　Hitherto；

although　she　knew　well　that　her　family　lay　under　great　obligations　to

Derville；　she　had　felt　respect　rather　than　real　friendship　for　him；

their　relation　was　more　a　matter　of　politeness　than　of　warmth　of

feeling；　and　by　her　manner；　and　by　the　tones　of　her　voice；　she　had

always　made　him　sensible　of　the　distance　which　socially　lay　between

them。　Gratitude　is　a　charge　upon　the　inheritance　which　the　second

generation　is　apt　to　repudiate。







〃This　adventure；〃　Derville　began　after　a　pause；　〃brings　the　one

romantic　event　in　my　life　to　my　mind。　You　are　laughing　already；〃　he

went　on；　〃it　seems　so　ridiculous；　doesn't　it；　that　an　attorney　should

speak　of　a　romance　in　his　life？　But　once　I　was　five…and…twenty；　like

everybody　else；　and　even　then　I　had　seen　some　queer　things。　I　ought　to

begin　at　the　beginning　by　telling　you　about　some　one　whom　it　is

impossible　that　you　should　have　known。　The　man　in　question　was　a

usurer。



〃Can　you　grasp　a　clear　notion　of　that　sallow；　wan　face　of　his？　I　wish

the　Academie　would　give　me　leave　to　dub　such　faces　the　lunar　type。　It

was　like　silver…gilt；　with　the　gilt　rubbed　off。　His　hair　was　iron…

gray；　sleek；　and　carefully　combed；　his　features　might　have　been　cast

in　bronze；　Talleyrand　himself　was　not　more　impassive　than　this　money…

lender。　A　pair　of　little　eyes；　yellow　as　a　ferret's；　and　with　scarce

an　eyelash　to　them；　peered　out　from　under　the　sheltering　peak　of　a

shabby　old　cap；　as　if　they　feared　the　light。　He　had　the　thin　lips　that

you　see　in　Rembrandt's　or　Metsu's　portraits　of　alchemists　and　shrunken

old　men；　and　a　nose　so　sharp　at　the　tip　that　it　put　you　in　mind　of　a

gimlet。　His　voice　was　so　low；　he　always　spoke　suavely；　he　never　flew

into　a　passion。　His　age　was　a　problem；　it　was　hard　to　say　whether　he

had　grown　old　before　his　time；　or　whether　by　economy　of　youth　he　had

saved　enough　to　last　him　his　life。



〃His　room；　and　everything　in　it；　from　the　green　baize　of　the　bureau　to

the　strip　of　carpet　by