gobseck-第3节

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then；　when　he　set　up　in　business　again；　did　he　not　pay　you　the

dividend　upon　those　bills　of　yours；　signed　as　they　were　by　the

bankrupt　firm？'



〃　'He　was　a　sharp　one；　but　I　had　it　out　of　him。'



〃　'Then　have　you　some　bills　to　protest？　To…day　is　the　30th；　I

believe。'



〃It　was　the　first　time　I　had　spoken　to　him　of　money。　He　looked

ironically　up　at　me；　then　in　those　bland　accents；　not　unlike　the　husky

tones　which　the　tyro　draws　from　a　flute；　he　answered；　'I　am　amusing

myself。'



〃　'So　you　amuse　yourself　now　and　again？'



〃　'Do　you　imagine　that　the　only　poets　in　the　world　are　those　who　print

their　verses？'　he　asked；　with　a　pitying　look　and　shrug　of　the

shoulders。



〃　'Poetry　in　that　head！'　thought　I；　for　as　yet　I　knew　nothing　of　his

life。



〃　'What　life　could　be　as　glorious　as　mine？'　he　continued；　and　his　eyes

lighted　up。　'You　are　young；　your　mental　visions　are　colored　by

youthful　blood；　you　see　women's　faces　in　the　fire；　while　I　see　nothing

but　coals　in　mine。　You　have　all　sorts　of　beliefs；　while　I　have　no

beliefs　at　all。　Keep　your　illusionsif　you　can。　Now　I　will　show　you

life　with　the　discount　taken　off。　Go　wherever　you　like；　or　stay　at

home　by　the　fireside　with　your　wife；　there　always　comes　a　time　when

you　settle　down　in　a　certain　groove；　the　groove　is　your　preference；

and　then　happiness　consists　in　the　exercise　of　your　faculties　by

applying　them　to　realities。　Anything　more　in　the　way　of　precept　is

false。　My　principles　have　been　various；　among　various　men；　I　had　to

change　them　with　every　change　of　latitude。　Things　that　we　admire　in

Europe　are　punishable　in　Asia；　and　a　vice　in　Paris　becomes　a　necessity

when　you　have　passed　the　Azores。　There　are　no　such　things　as　hard…and…

fast　rules；　there　are　only　conventions　adapted　to　the　climate。　Fling　a

man　headlong　into　one　social　melting　pot　after　another；　and

convictions　and　forms　and　moral　systems　become　so　many　meaningless

words　to　him。　The　one　thing　that　always　remains；　the　one　sure　instinct

that　nature　has　implanted　in　us；　is　the　instinct　of　self…interest。　If

you　had　lived　as　long　as　I　have；　you　would　know　that　there　is　but　one

concrete　reality　invariable　enough　to　be　worth　caring　about；　and　that

isGOLD。　Gold　represents　every　form　of　human　power。　I　have　traveled。

I　found　out　that　there　were　either　hills　or　plains　everywhere：　the

plains　are　monotonous；　the　hills　a　weariness；　consequently；　place　may

be　left　out　of　the　question。　As　to　manners；　man　is　man　all　the　world

over。　The　same　battle　between　the　poor　and　the　rich　is　going　on

everywhere；　it　is　inevitable　everywhere；　consequently；　it　is　better　to

exploit　than　to　be　exploited。　Everywhere　you　find　the　man　of　thews　and

sinews　who　toils；　and　the　lymphatic　man　who　torments　himself；　and

pleasures　are　everywhere　the　same；　for　when　all　sensations　are

exhausted；　all　that　survives　is　VanityVanity　is　the　abiding

substance　of　us；　the　_I_　in　us。　Vanity　is　only　to　be　satisfied　by　gold

in　floods。　Our　dreams　need　time　and　physical　means　and　painstaking

thought　before　they　can　be　realized。　Well；　gold　contains　all　things　in

embryo；　gold　realizes　all　things　for　us。



〃　'None　but　fools　and　invalids　can　find　pleasure　in　shuffling　cards

all　evening　long　to　find　out　whether　they　shall　win　a　few　pence　at　the

end。　None　but　driveling　idiots　could　spend　time　in　inquiring　into　all

that　is　happening　around　them；　whether　Madame　Such…an…One　slept　single

on　her　couch　or　in　company；　whether　she　has　more　blood　than　lymph；

more　temperament　than　virtue。　None　but　the　dupes；　who　fondly　imagine

that　they　are　useful　to　their　like；　can　interest　themselves　in　laying

down　rules　for　political　guidance　amid　events　which　neither　they　nor

any　one　else　foresees；　nor　ever　will　foresee。　None　but　simpletons　can

delight　in　talking　about　stage　players　and　repeating　their　sayings；

making　the　daily　promenade　of　a　caged　animal　over　a　rather　larger

area；　dressing　for　others；　eating　for　others；　priding　themselves　on　a

horse　or　a　carriage　such　as　no　neighbor　can　have　until　three　days

later。　What　is　all　this　but　Parisian　life　summed　up　in　a　few　phrases？

Let　us　find　a　higher　outlook　on　life　than　theirs。　Happiness　consists

either　in　strong　emotions　which　drain　our　vitality；　or　in　methodical

occupation　which　makes　existence　like　a　bit　of　English　machinery；

working　with　the　regularity　of　clockwork。　A　higher　happiness　than

either　consists　in　a　curiosity；　styled　noble；　a　wish　to　learn　Nature's

secrets；　or　to　attempt　by　artificial　means　to　imitate　Nature　to　some

extent。　What　is　this　in　two　words　but　Science　and　Art；　or　passion　or

calm？Ah！　well；　every　human　passion　wrought　up　to　its　highest　pitch

in　the　struggle　for　existence　comes　to　parade　itself　before　meas　I

live　in　calm。　As　for　your　scientific　curiosity；　a　kind　of　wrestling

bout　in　which　man　is　never　uppermost；　I　replace　it　by　an　insight　into

all　the　springs　of　action　in　man　and　woman。　To　sum　up；　the　world　is

mine　without　effort　of　mine；　and　the　world　has　not　the　slightest　hold

on　me。　Listen　to　this；'　he　went　on；　'I　will　tell　you　the　history　of　my

morning；　and　you　will　divine　my　pleasures。'



〃He　got　up；　pushed　the　bolt　of　the　door；　drew　a　tapestry　curtain

across　it　with　a　sharp　grating　sound　of　the　rings　on　the　rod；　then　he

sat　down　again。



〃　'This　morning；'　he　said；　'I　had　only　two　amounts　to　collect；　the

rest　of　the　bills　that　were　due　I　gave　away　instead　of　cash　to　my

customers　yesterday。　So　much　saved；　you　see；　for　when　I　discount　a

bill　I　always　deduct　two　francs　for　a　hired　broughamexpenses　of

collection。　A　pretty　thing　it　would　be；　would　it　not；　if　my　clients

were　to　set　ME　trudging　all　over　Paris　for　half…a…dozen　francs　of

discount；　when　no　man　is　my　master；　and　I　only　pay　seven　francs　in　the

shape　of　taxes？



〃　'The　first　bill　for　a　thousand　francs　was　presented　by　a　young

fellow；　a　smart　buck　with　a　spangled　waistcoat；　and　an　eyeglass；　and　a

tilbury　and　an　English　horse；　and　all　the　rest　of　it。　The　bill　bore

the　signature　of　one　of　the　prettiest　women　in　Paris；　married　to　a

Count；　a　great　landowner。　Now；　how　came　that　Countess　to　put　her　name

to　a　bill　of　exchange；　legally　not　worth　the　paper　it　was　written

upon；　but　practically　very　good　business；　for　these　women；　poor

things；　are　afraid　of　the　scandal　that　a　protested　bill　makes　in　a

family；　and　would　give　themselves　away　in　payment　sooner　than　fail？　I

wanted　to　find　out　what　that　bill　of　exchange　really　represented。　Was

it　stupidity；　imprudence；　love　or　charity？



〃　'The　second　bill；　bearing　the　signature　〃Fanny　Malvaut；〃　came　to　me

from　a　linen…draper　on　the　highway　to　bankruptcy。　Now；　no　creature　who

has　any　credit　with　a　bank　comes　to　ME。　The　first　step　to　my　door

means　that　a　man　is　desperately　hard　up；　that　the　news　of　his　failure

will　soon　come　out：　and；　most　of　all；　it　means　that　he　has　been

everywhere　else　first。　The　stag　is　always　at　bay　when　I　see　him；　and　a

pack　of　creditors　are　hard　upon　his　track。　The　Countess　lived　in　the

Rue　du　Helder；　and　my　Fanny　in　the　Rue　Montmartre。　How　many

conjectures　I　made　as　I　set　out　this　morning！　If　these　two　women　were

not　able　to　pay；　they　would　show　me　more　respect　than　they　would　show

their　own　fathers。　What　tricks　and　grimaces　would　not　the　Countess　try

for　a　thousand　francs！　She　would　be　so　nice　to　me；　she　would　talk　to

me　in　that　ingratiating　tone　peculiar　to　endorsers　of　bills；　she　would

pour　out　a　torrent　of　coaxing　words；　perhaps　she　would　beg　and　pray；

and　I　。　。　。'　（here　the　old　man　turned　his　pale　eyes　upon　me）'and　I

not　to　be　moved；　inexorable！'　he　continued。　'I　am　there　as　the

avenger；　the　apparition　of　Remorse。　So　much　for　hypotheses。　I　reached

the　house。



〃　'　〃Madame　la　Comtesse　is　asleep；〃　says　the　maid。



〃　'　〃When　can　I　see　her？〃



〃　'　〃At　twelve　o'clock。〃



〃　'　〃Is　Madame　la　Comtesse　ill？〃



〃　'　〃No；　sir；　but　she　only　came　home　at　three　o'clock　this　morning

from　a　ball。〃



〃　'　〃My　name　is　Gobseck；　tell　her　that　I　shall　call　again　at　twelve

o'clock；〃　and　I　went　out；　leaving　traces　of　my　muddy　boots　on　the

carpet　which　covered　the　paved　staircase。　I　like　to　leave　mud　on　a

rich　man's　carpet；　it　is　not　petty　spite；　I　like　to　make　them　feel　a

touch　of　the　claws　of　Necessity。　In　the　Rue　Montmartre　I　thrust　open

the　old　gateway　of　a　poor…looking　house；　and　looked　into　a　dark

courtyard　where　the　sunlight　never　shines。　The　porter's　lodge　was

grimy；　the　window　looked　like　the　sleeve　of　some　shabby　wadded　gown

greasy；　dirty；　and　full　of　holes。



〃　'　〃Mlle。　Fanny　Malvaut？〃



〃　'　〃She　has　gone　out；　but　if　you　have　come　about　a　bill；　the　money　is

waiting　for　you。〃



〃　'　〃I　will　look　in　again；〃　said　I。



〃　'As　soon　as　I　knew　that　the　porter　had　the　money　for　me；　I　wanted　to

know　what　the　girl　was　like；　I　pictured　her　as　pretty。　The　rest　of　the

morning　I　spent　in　looking　at　the　prints　in　the　shop　windows　along　the

boulevard；　then；　just　as　it　struck　twelve；　I　went　through　the

Co