gobseck-第6节

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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

idea；　and　an　indefinable　glimmer　of　hope；　put　heart　into　me。　To

Gobseck　I　betook　myself；　and　slowly　one　evening　I　made　my　way　to　the

Rue　des　Gres。　My　heart　thumped　heavily　as　I　knocked　at　his　door　in　the

gloomy　house。　I　recollected　all　the　things　that　he　used　to　tell　me；　at

a　time　when　I　myself　was　very　far　from　suspecting　the　violence　of　the

anguish　awaiting　those　who　crossed　his　threshold。　Now　it　was　I　who　was

about　to　beg　and　pray　like　so　many　others。



〃　'Well；　no；　not　THAT；'　I　said　to　myself；　'an　honest　man　must　keep　his

self…respect　wherever　he　goes。　Success　is　not　worth　cringing　for；　let

us　show　him　a　front　as　decided　as　his　own。'



〃Daddy　Gobseck　had　taken　my　room　since　I　left　the　house；　so　as　to　have

no　neighbor；　he　had　made　a　little　grated　window　too　in　his　door　since

then；　and　did　not　open　until　he　had　taken　a　look　at　me　and　saw　who　I

was。



〃　'Well；'　said　he；　in　his　thin；　flute　notes；　'so　your　principal　is

selling　his　practice？'



〃　'How　did　you　know　that？'　said　I；　'he　has　not　spoken　of　it　as　yet

except　to　me。'



〃The　old　man's　lips　were　drawn　in　puckers；　like　a　curtain；　to　either

corner　of　his　mouth；　as　a　soundless　smile　bore　a　hard　glance　company。



〃　'Nothing　else　would　have　brought　you　here；'　he　said　drily；　after　a

pause；　which　I　spent　in　confusion。



〃　'Listen　to　me；　M。　Gobseck；'　I　began；　with　such　serenity　as　I　could

assume　before　the　old　man；　who　gazed　at　me　with　steady　eyes。　There　was

a　clear　light　burning　in　them　that　disconcerted　me。



〃He　made　a　gesture　as　if　to　bid　me　'Go　on。'　'I　know　that　it　is　not

easy　to　work　on　your　feelings；　so　I　will　not　waste　my　eloquence　on　the

attempt　to　put　my　position　before　youI　am　a　penniless　clerk；　with　no

one　to　look　to　but　you；　and　no　heart　in　the　world　but　yours　can　form　a

clear　idea　of　my　probable　future。　Let　us　leave　hearts　out　of　the

question。　Business　is　business；　and　business　is　not　carried　on　with

sentimentality　like　romances。　Now　to　the　facts。　My　principal's

practice　is　worth　in　his　hands　about　twenty　thousand　francs　per　annum；

in　my　hands；　I　think　it　would　bring　in　forty　thousand。　He　is　willing

to　sell　it　for　a　hundred　and　fifty　thousand　francs。　And　HERE；'　I　said；

striking　my　forehead；　'I　feel　that　if　you　would　lend　me　the　purchase…

money；　I　could　clear　it　off　in　ten　years'　time。'



〃　'Come；　that　is　plain　speaking；'　said　Daddy　Gobseck；　and　he　held　out

his　hand　and　grasped　mine。　'Nobody　since　I　have　been　in　business　has

stated　the　motives　of　his　visit　more　clearly。　Guarantees？'　asked　he；

scanning　me　from　head　to　foot。　'None　to　give；'　he　added　after　a　pause；

'How　old　are　you？'



〃　'Twenty…five　in　ten　days'　time；'　said　I；　'or　I　could　not　open　the

matter。'



〃　'Precisely。'



〃　'Well？'



〃　'It　is　possible。'



〃　'My　word；　we　must　be　quick　about　it；　or　I　shall　have　some　one　buying

over　my　head。'



〃　'Bring　your　certificate　of　birth　round　to…morrow　morning；　and　we

will　talk。　I　will　think　it　over。'



〃　'Next　morning；　at　eight　o'clock；　I　stood　in　the　old　man's　room。　He

took　the　document；　put　on　his　spectacles；　coughed；　spat；　wrapped

himself　up　in　his　black　greatcoat；　and　read　the　whole　certificate

through　from　beginning　to　end。　Then　he　turned　it　over　and　over；　looked

at　me；　coughed　again；　fidgeted　about　in　his　chair；　and　said；　'We　will

try　to　arrange　this　bit　of　business。'



〃I　trembled。



〃　'I　make　fifty　per　cent　on　my　capital；'　he　continued；　'sometimes　I

make　a　hundred；　two　hundred；　five　hundred　per　cent。'



〃I　turned　pale　at　the　words。



〃　'But　as　we　are　acquaintances；　I　shall　be　satisfied　to　take　twelve

and　a　half　per　cent　per（he　hesitated）'well；　yes；　from　you　I　would

be　content　to　take　thirteen　per　cent　per　annum。　Will　that　suit　you？'



〃　'Yes；'　I　answered。



〃　'But　if　it　is　too　much；　stick　up　for　yourself；　Grotius！'　（a　name　he

jokingly　gave　me）。　'When　I　ask　you　for　thirteen　per　cent；　it　is　all　in

the　way　of　business；　look　into　it；　see　if　you　can　pay　it；　I　don't　like

a　man　to　agree　too　easily。　Is　it　too　much？'



〃　'No；'　said　I；　'I　will　make　up　for　it　by　working　a　little　harder。'



〃　'Gad！　your　clients　will　pay　for　it！'　said　he；　looking　at　me　wickedly

out　of　the　corner　of　his　eyes。



〃　'No；　by　all　the　devils　in　hell！'　cried　I；　'it　shall　be　I　who　will

pay。　I　would　sooner　cut　my　hand　off　than　flay　people。'



〃　'Good…night；'　said　Daddy　Gobseck。



〃　'Why；　fees　are　all　according　to　scale；'　I　added。



〃　'Not　for　compromises　and　settlements　out　of　Court；　and　cases　where

litigants　come　to　terms；'　said　he。　'You　can　send　in　a　bill　for

thousands　of　francs；　six　thousand　even　at　a　swoop　（it　depends　on　the

importance　of　the　case）；　for　conferences　with　So…and…so；　and　expenses；

and　drafts；　and　memorials；　and　your　jargon。　A　man　must　learn　to　look

out　for　business　of　this　kind。　I　will　recommend　you　as　a　most

competent；　clever　attorney。　I　will　send　you　such　a　lot　of　work　of　this

sort　that　your　colleagues　will　be　fit　to　burst　with　envy。　Werbrust；

Palma；　and　Gigonnet；　my　cronies；　shall　hand　over　their　expropriations

to　you；　they　have　plenty　of　them；　the　Lord　knows！　So　you　will　have　two

practicesthe　one　you　are　buying；　and　the　other　I　will　build　up　for

you。　You　ought　almost　to　pay　me　fifteen　per　cent　on　my　loan。'



〃　'So　be　it；　but　no　more；'　said　I；　with　the　firmness　which　means　that

a　man　is　determined　not　to　concede　another　point。



〃Daddy　Gobseck's　face　relaxed；　he　looked　pleased　with　me。



〃　'I　shall　pay　the　money　over　to　your　principal　myself；'　said　he；　'so

as　to　establish　a　lien　on　the　purchase　and　caution…money。'



〃　'Oh；　anything　you　like　in　the　way　of　guarantees。'



〃　'And　besides　that；　you　will　give　me　bills　for　the　amount　made

payable　to　a　third　party　（name　left　blank）；　fifteen　bills　of　ten

thousand　francs　each。'



〃　'Well；　so　long　as　it　is　acknowledged　in　writing　that　this　is　a

double'



〃　'No！'　Gobseck　broke　in　upon　me。　'No！　Why　should　I　trust　you　any　more

than　you　trust　me？'



〃I　kept　silence。



〃　'And　furthermore；'　he　continued；　with　a　sort　of　good　humor；　'you

will　give　me　your　advice　without　charging　fees　as　long　as　I　live；　will

you　not？'



〃　'So　be　it；　so　long　as　there　is　no　outlay。'



〃　'Precisely；'　said　he。　〃Ah；　by　the　by；　you　will　allow　me　to　go　to　see

you？'　（Plainly　the　old　man　found　it　not　so　easy　to　assume　the　air　of

good…humor。）



〃　'I　shall　always　be　glad。'



〃　'Ah！　yes；　but　it　would　be　very　difficult　to　arrange　of　a　morning。

You　will　have　your　affairs　to　attend　to；　and　I　have　mine。'



〃　'Then　come　in　the　evening。'



〃　'Oh；　no！'　he　answered　briskly；　'you　ought　to　go　into　society　and　see

your　clients；　and　I　myself　have　my　friends　at　my　cafe。'



〃　'His　friends！'　thought　I　to　myself。'Very　well；'　said　I；　'why　not

come　at　dinner…time？'



〃　'That　is　the　time；'　said　Gobseck；　'after　'Change；　at　five　o'clock。

Good；　you　will　see　me　Wednesdays　and　Saturdays。　We　will　talk　over

business　like　a　pair　of　friends。　Aha！　I　am　gay　sometimes。　Just　give　me

the　wing　of　a　partridge　and　a　glass　of　champagne；　and　we　will　have　our

chat　together。　I　know　a　great　many　things　that　can　be　told　now　at　this

distance　of　time；　I　will　teach　you　to　know　men；　and　what　is　more

women！'



〃　'Oh！　a　partridge　and　a　glass　of　champagne　if　you　like。'



〃　'Don't　do　anything　foolish；　or　I　shall　lose　my　faith　in　you。　And

don't　set　up　housekeeping　in　a　grand　way。　Just　one　old　general

servant。　I　will　come　and　see　that　you　keep　your　health。　I　have　capital

invested　in　your　head；　he！　he！　so　I　am　bound　to　look　after　you。　There；

come　round　in　the　evening　and　bring　your　principal　with　you！'



〃　'Would　you　mind　telling　me；　if　there　is　no　harm　in　asking；　what　was

the　good　of　my　birth　certificate　in　this　business？'　I　asked；　when　the

little　old　man　and　I　stood　on　the　doorstep。



〃Jean…Esther　Van　Gobseck　shrugged　his　shoulders；　smiled　maliciously；

and　said；　'What　blockheads　youngsters　are！　Learn；　master　attorney　（for

learn　you　must　if　you　don't　mean　to　be　taken　in）；　that　integrity　and

brains　in　a　man　under　thirty　are　commodities　which　can　be　mortgaged。

After　that　age　there　is　no　counting　on　a　man。'



〃And　with　that　he　shut　the　door。







〃Three　months　later　I　was　an　attorney。　Before　very　long；　madame；　it

was　my　good　fortune　to　undertake　the　suit　for　the　recovery　of　your

estates。　I　won　the　day；　and　my　name　became　known。　In　spite　of　the

exorbitant　rate　of　interest；　I　paid　off　Gobseck　in　less　than　five

years。　I　married　Fanny　Malvaut；　whom　I　loved　with　all　my　heart。　There

was　a　parallel　between　her　life　and　mine；　between　our　hard　work　and

our　luck；　which　increased　the　strength　of　feeling　on　either　side。　One

of　her　uncles；　a　well…to…do　farmer；　died　and　left　her　seventy　thousand

francs；　which　helped　to　clear　off　the　loan。　From　that　day　my　life　has

been　nothing