gobseck-第5节

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myself；　〃who　would　raise　money　on　her　signature　and　sponge　on　the　poor

girl。〃



〃　'So　I　went　away；　keeping　my　generous　impulses　well　under　control；

for　I　have　frequently　had　occasion　to　observe　that　when　benevolence

does　no　harm　to　him　who　gives　it；　it　is　the　ruin　of　him　who　takes。

When　you　came　in　I　was　thinking　that　Fanny　Malvaut　would　make　a　nice

little　wife；　I　was　thinking　of　the　contrast　between　her　pure；　lonely

life　and　the　life　of　the　Countessshe　has　sunk　as　low　as　a　bill　of

exchange　already；　she　will　sink　to　the　lowest　depths　of　degradation

before　she　has　done！'I　scrutinized　him　during　the　deep　silence　that

followed；　but　in　a　moment　he　spoke　again。　'Well；'　he　said；　'do　you

think　that　it　is　nothing　to　have　this　power　of　insight　into　the

deepest　recesses　of　the　human　heart；　to　embrace　so　many　lives；　to　see

the　naked　truth　underlying　it　all？　There　are　no　two　dramas　alike：

there　are　hideous　sores；　deadly　chagrins；　love　scenes；　misery　that

soon　will　lie　under　the　ripples　of　the　Seine；　young　men's　joys　that

lead　to　the　scaffold；　the　laughter　of　despair；　and　sumptuous　banquets。

Yesterday　it　was　a　tragedy。　A　worthy　soul　of　a　father　drowned　himself

because　he　could　not　support　his　family。　To…morrow　is　a　comedy；　some

youngster　will　try　to　rehearse　the　scene　of　M。　Dimanche；　brought　up　to

date。　You　have　heard　the　people　extol　the　eloquence　of　our　latter　day

preachers；　now　and　again　I　have　wasted　my　time　by　going　to　hear　them；

they　produced　a　change　in　my　opinions；　but　in　my　conduct　（as　somebody

said；　I　can't　recollect　his　name）；　in　my　conductnever！Well；　well；

these　good　priests　and　your　Mirabeaus　and　Vergniauds　and　the　rest　of

them；　are　mere　stammering　beginners　compared　with　these　orators　of

mine。



〃　'Often　it　is　some　girl　in　love；　some　gray…headed　merchant　on　the

verge　of　bankruptcy；　some　mother　with　a　son's　wrong…doing　to　conceal；

some　starving　artist；　some　great　man　whose　influence　is　on　the　wane；

and；　for　lack　of　money；　is　like　to　lose　the　fruit　of　all　his　labors

the　power　of　their　pleading　has　made　me　shudder。　Sublime　actors　such

as　these　play　for　me；　for　an　audience　of　one；　and　they　cannot　deceive

me。　I　can　look　into　their　inmost　thoughts；　and　read　them　as　God　reads

them。　Nothing　is　hidden　from　me。　Nothing　is　refused　to　the　holder　of

the　purse…strings　to　loose　and　to　bind。　I　am　rich　enough　to　buy　the

consciences　of　those　who　control　the　action　of　ministers；　from　their

office　boys　to　their　mistresses。　Is　not　that　power？I　can　possess　the

fairest　women；　receive　their　softest　caresses；　is　not　that　Pleasure？

And　is　not　your　whole　social　economy　summed　up　in　terms　of　Power　and

Pleasure？



〃　'There　are　ten　of　us　in　Paris；　silent；　unknown　kings；　the　arbiters

of　your　destinies。　What　is　life　but　a　machine　set　in　motion　by　money？

Know　this　for　certainmethods　are　always　confounded　with　results；　you

will　never　succeed　in　separating　the　soul　from　the　senses；　spirit　from

matter。　Gold　is　the　spiritual　basis　of　existing　society。The　ten　of

us　are　bound　by　the　ties　of　common　interest；　we　meet　on　certain　days

of　the　week　at　the　Cafe　Themis　near　the　Pont　Neuf；　and　there；　in

conclave；　we　reveal　the　mysteries　of　finance。　No　fortune　can　deceive

us；　we　are　in　possession　of　family　secrets　in　all　directions。　We　keep

a　kind　of　Black　Book；　in　which　we　note　the　most　important　bills

issued；　drafts　on　public　credit；　or　on　banks；　or　given　and　taken　in

the　course　of　business。　We　are　the　Casuists　of　the　Paris　Bourse；　a

kind　of　Inquisition　weighing　and　analyzing　the　most　insignificant

actions　of　every　man　of　any　fortune；　and　our　forecasts　are　infallible。

One　of　us　looks　out　over　the　judicial　world；　one　over　the　financial；

another　surveys　the　administrative；　and　yet　another　the　business

world。　I　myself　keep　an　eye　on　eldest　sons；　artists；　people　in　the

great　world；　and　gamblerson　the　most　sensational　side　of　Paris。

Every　one　who　comes　to　us　lets　us　into　his　neighbor's　secrets。

Thwarted　passion　and　mortified　vanity　are　great　babblers。　Vice　and

disappointment　and　vindictiveness　are　the　best　of　all　detectives。　My

colleagues；　like　myself；　have　enjoyed　all　things；　are　sated　with　all

things；　and　have　reached　the　point　when　power　and　money　are　loved　for

their　own　sake。



〃　'Here；'　he　said；　indicating　his　bare；　chilly　room；　'here　the　most

high…mettled　gallant；　who　chafes　at　a　word　and　draws　swords　for　a

syllable　elsewhere　will　entreat　with　clasped　hands。　There　is　no　city

merchant　so　proud；　no　woman　so　vain　of　her　beauty；　no　soldier　of　so

bold　a　spirit；　but　that　they　entreat　me　here；　one　and　all；　with　tears

of　rage　or　anguish　in　their　eyes。　Here　they　kneelthe　famous　artist；

and　the　man　of　letters；　whose　name　will　go　down　to　posterity。　Here；　in

short'　（he　lifted　his　hand　to　his　forehead）；　'all　the　inheritances　and

all　the　concerns　of　all　Paris　are　weighed　in　the　balance。　Are　you

still　of　the　opinion　that　there　are　no　delights　behind　the　blank　mask

which　so　often　has　amazed　you　by　its　impassiveness？'　he　asked；

stretching　out　that　livid　face　which　reeked　of　money。



〃I　went　back　to　my　room；　feeling　stupefied。　The　little；　wizened　old

man　had　grown　great。　He　had　been　metamorphosed　under　my　eyes　into　a

strange　visionary　symbol；　he　had　come　to　be　the　power　of　gold

personified。　I　shrank；　shuddering；　from　life　and　my　kind。



〃　'Is　it　really　so？'　I　thought；　'must　everything　be　resolved　into

gold？'



〃I　remember　that　it　was　long　before　I　slept　that　night。　I　saw　heaps　of

gold　all　about　me。　My　thoughts　were　full　of　the　lovely　Countess；　I

confess；　to　my　shame；　that　the　vision　completely　eclipsed　another

quiet；　innocent　figure；　the　figure　of　the　woman　who　had　entered　upon　a

life　of　toil　and　obscurity；　but　on　the　morrow；　through　the　clouds　of

slumber；　Fanny's　sweet　face　rose　before　me　in　all　its　beauty；　and　I

thought　of　nothing　else。〃







〃Will　you　take　a　glass　of　eau　sucree？〃　asked　the　Vicomtesse；

interrupting　Derville。



〃I　should　be　glad　of　it。〃



〃But　I　can　see　nothing　in　this　that　can　touch　our　concerns；〃　said　Mme。

de　Grandlieu；　as　she　rang　the　bell。



〃Sardanapalus！〃　cried　Derville；　flinging　out　his　favorite　invocation。

〃Mademoiselle　Camille　will　be　wide　awake　in　a　moment　if　I　say　that　her

happiness　depended　not　so　long　ago　upon　Daddy　Gobseck；　but　as　the　old

gentleman　died　at　the　age　of　ninety；　M。　de　Restaud　will　soon　be　in

possession　of　a　handsome　fortune。　This　requires　some　explanation。　As

for　poor　Fanny　Malvaut；　you　know　her；　she　is　my　wife。〃



〃Poor　fellow；　he　would　admit　that；　with　his　usual　frankness；　with　a

score　of　people　to　hear　him！〃　said　the　Vicomtesse。



〃I　would　proclaim　it　to　the　universe；〃　said　the　attorney。



〃Go　on；　drink　your　glass；　my　poor　Derville。　You　will　never　be　anything

but　the　happiest　and　the　best　of　men。〃



〃I　left　you　in　the　Rue　du　Helder；〃　remarked　the　uncle；　raising　his

face　after　a　gentle　doze。　〃You　had　gone　to　see　a　Countess；　what　have

you　done　with　her？〃







〃A　few　days　after　my　conversation　with　the　old　Dutchman；〃　Derville

continued；　〃I　sent　in　my　thesis；　and　became　first　a　licentiate　in　law；

and　afterwards　an　advocate。　The　old　miser's　opinion　of　me　went　up

considerably。　He　consulted　me　（gratuitously）　on　all　the　ticklish　bits

of　business　which　he　undertook　when　he　had　made　quite　sure　how　he

stood；　business　which　would　have　seemed　unsafe　to　any　ordinary

practitioner。　This　man；　over　whom　no　one　appeared　to　have　the

slightest　influence；　listened　to　my　advice　with　something　like

respect。　It　is　true　that　he　always　found　that　it　turned　out　very　well。



〃At　length　I　became　head…clerk　in　the　office　where　I　had　worked　for

three　years　and　then　I　left　the　Rue　des　Gres　for　rooms　in　my

employer's　house。　I　had　my　board　and　lodging　and　a　hundred　and　fifty

francs　per　month。　It　was　a　great　day　for　me！



〃When　I　went　to　bid　the　usurer　good…bye；　he　showed　no　sign　of　feeling；

he　was　neither　cordial　nor　sorry　to　lose　me；　he　did　not　ask　me　to　come

to　see　him；　and　only　gave　me　one　of　those　glances　which　seemed　in　some

sort　to　reveal　a　power　of　second…sight。



〃By　the　end　of　a　week　my　old　neighbor　came　to　see　me　with　a　tolerably

thorny　bit　of　business；　an　expropriation；　and　he　continued　to　ask　for

my　advice　with　as　much　freedom　as　if　he　paid　for　it。



〃My　principal　was　a　man　of　pleasure　and　expensive　tastes；　before　the

second　year　（1818…1819）　was　out　he　had　got　himself　into　difficulties；

and　was　obliged　to　sell　his　practice。　A　professional　connection　in

those　days　did　not　fetch　the　present　exorbitant　prices；　and　my

principal　asked　a　hundred　and　fifty　thousand　francs。　Now　an　active

man；　of　competent　knowledge　and　intelligence；　might　hope　to　pay　off

the　capital　in　ten　years；　paying　interest　and　living　respectably　in

the　meantimeif　he　could　command　confidence。　But　I　as　the　seventh

child　of　a　small　tradesman　at　Noyon；　I　had　not　a　sou　to　my　name；　nor

personal　knowledge　of　any　capitalist　but　Daddy　Gobseck。　An　ambitious

ide