gobseck-第9节

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〃　'Then　I　will　not　draw　up　the　deed；'　said　I。



〃　'And　why　not？'　asked　Gobseck。



〃　'Why　not？'　echoed　I；　as　I　drew　the　old　man　into　the　bay　window　so　as

to　speak　aside　with　him。　'Why　not？　This　woman　is　under　her　husband's

control；　the　agreement　would　be　void　in　law；　you　could　not　possibly

assert　your　ignorance　of　a　fact　recorded　on　the　very　face　of　the

document　itself。　You　would　be　compelled　at　once　to　produce　the

diamonds　deposited　with　you；　according　to　the　weight；　value；　and

cutting　therein　described。'



〃Gobseck　cut　me　short　with　a　nod；　and　turned　towards　the　guilty

couple。



〃　'He　is　right！'　he　said。　'That　puts　the　whole　thing　in　a　different

light。　Eighty　thousand　francs　down；　and　you　leave　the　diamonds　with

me；'　he　added；　in　the　husky；　flute…like　voice。　'In　the　way　of

property；　possession　is　as　good　as　a　title。'



〃　'But'　objected　the　young　man。



〃　'You　can　take　it　or　leave　it；'　continued　Gobseck；　returning　the

jewel…case　to　the　lady　as　he　spoke。



〃　'I　have　too　many　risks　to　run。'



〃　'It　would　be　better　to　throw　yourself　at　your　husband's　feet；'　I

bent　to　whisper　in　her　ear。



〃The　usurer　doubtless　knew　what　I　was　saying　from　the　movement　of　my

lips。　He　gave　me　a　cool　glance。　The　Count's　face　grew　livid。　The

Countess　was　visibly　wavering。　Maxime　stepped　up　to　her；　and；　low　as

he　spoke；　I　could　catch　the　words：



〃　'Adieu；　dear　Anastasie；　may　you　be　happy！　As　for　me；　by　to…morrow　my

troubles　will　be　over。'



〃　'Sir！'　cried　the　lady；　turning　to　Gobseck。　'I　accept　your　offer。'



〃　'Come；　now；'　returned　Gobseck。　'You　have　been　a　long　time　in　coming

to　it；　my　fair　lady。'



〃He　wrote　out　a　cheque　for　fifty　thousand　francs　on　the　Bank　of

France；　and　handed　it　to　the　Countess。



〃　'Now；'　continued　he　with　a　smile；　such　a　smile　as　you　will　see　in

portraits　of　M。　Voltaire；　'now　I　will　give　you　the　rest　of　the　amount

in　bills；　thirty　thousand　francs'　worth　of　paper　as　good　as　bullion。

This　gentleman　here　has　just　said；　〃My　bills　will　be　met　when　they　are

due；〃　'　added　he；　producing　certain　drafts　bearing　the　Count's

signature；　all　protested　the　day　before　at　the　request　of　some　of　the

confraternity；　who　had　probably　made　them　over　to　him　（Gobseck）　at　a

considerably　reduced　figure。



〃The　young　man　growled　out　something；　in　which　the　words　'Old

scoundrel！'　were　audible。　Daddy　Gobseck　did　not　move　an　eyebrow。　He

drew　a　pair　of　pistols　out　of　a　pigeon…hole；　remarking　coolly：



〃　'As　the　insulted　man；　I　fire　first。'



〃　'Maxime；　you　owe　this　gentleman　an　explanation；'　cried　the　trembling

Countess　in　a　low　voice。



〃　'I　had　no　intention　of　giving　offence；'　stammered　Maxime。



〃　'I　am　quite　sure　of　that；'　Gobseck　answered　calmly；　'you　had　no

intention　of　meeting　your　bills；　that　was　all。'



〃The　Countess　rose；　bowed；　and　vanished；　with　a　great　dread　gnawing

her；　I　doubt　not。　M。　de　Trailles　was　bound　to　follow；　but　before　he

went　he　managed　to　say：



〃　'If　either　of　you　gentlemen　should　forget　himself；　I　will　have　his

blood；　or　he　will　have　mine。'



〃　'Amen！'　called　Daddy　Gobseck　as　he　put　his　pistols　back　in　their

place；　'but　a　man　must　have　blood　in　his　veins　though　before　he　can

risk　it；　my　son；　and　you　have　nothing　but　mud　in　yours。'



〃When　the　door　was　closed；　and　the　two　vehicles　had　gone；　Gobseck　rose

to　his　feet　and　began　to　prance　about。



〃　'I　have　the　diamonds！　I　have　the　diamonds！'　he　cried　again　and

again；　'the　beautiful　diamonds！　such　diamonds！　and　tolerably　cheaply。

Aha！　aha！　Werbrust　and　Gigonnet；　you　thought　you　had　old　Papa　Gobseck！

Ego　sum　papa！　I　am　master　of　the　lot　of　you！　Paid！　paid；　principal　and

interest！　How　silly　they　will　look　to…night　when　I　shall　come　out　with

this　story　between　two　games　of　dominoes！'



〃The　dark　glee；　the　savage　ferocity　aroused　by　the　possession　of　a　few

water…white　pebbles；　set　me　shuddering。　I　was　dumb　with　amazement。



〃　'Aha！　There　you　are；　my　boy！'　said　he。　'We　will　dine　together。　We

will　have　some　fun　at　your　place；　for　I　haven't　a　home　of　my　own；　and

these　restaurants；　with　their　broths；　and　sauces；　and　wines；　would

poison　the　Devil　himself。'



〃Something　in　my　face　suddenly　brought　back　the　usual　cold；　impassive

expression　to　his。



〃　'You　don't　understand　it；'　he　said；　and　sitting　down　by　the　hearth；

he　put　a　tin　saucepan　full　of　milk　on　the　brazier。'Will　you

breakfast　with　me？'　continued　he。　'Perhaps　there　will　be　enough　here

for　two。'



〃　'Thanks；'　said　I；　'I　do　not　breakfast　till　noon。'



〃I　had　scarcely　spoken　before　hurried　footsteps　sounded　from　the

passage。　The　stranger　stopped　at　Gobseck's　door　and　rapped；　there　was

that　in　the　knock　which　suggested　a　man　transported　with　rage。　Gobseck

reconnoitred　him　through　the　grating；　then　he　opened　the　door；　and　in

came　a　man　of　thirty…five　or　so；　judged　harmless　apparently　in　spite

of　his　anger。　The　newcomer；　who　was　quite　plainly　dressed；　bore　a

strong　resemblance　to　the　late　Duc　de　Richelieu。　You　must　often　have

met　him；　he　was　the　Countess'　husband；　a　man　with　the　aristocratic

figure　（permit　the　expression　to　pass）　peculiar　to　statesmen　of　your

faubourg。



〃　'Sir；'　said　this　person；　addressing　himself　to　Gobseck；　who　had

quite　recovered　his　tranquillity；　'did　my　wife　go　out　of　this　house

just　now？'



〃　'That　is　possible。'



〃　'Well；　sir？　do　you　not　take　my　meaning？'



〃　'I　have　not　the　honor　of　the　acquaintance　of　my　lady　your　wife；'

returned　Gobseck。　'I　have　had　a　good　many　visitors　this　morning；　women

and　men；　and　mannish　young　ladies；　and　young　gentlemen　who　look　like

young　ladies。　I　should　find　it　very　hard　to　say'



〃　'A　truce　to　jesting；　sir！　I　mean　the　woman　who　has　this　moment　gone

out　from　you。'



〃　'How　can　I　know　whether　she　is　your　wife　or　not？　I　never　had　the

pleasure　of　seeing　you　before。'



〃　'You　are　mistaken；　M。　Gobseck；'　said　the　Count；　with　profound　irony

in　his　voice。　'We　have　met　before；　one　morning　in　my　wife's　bedroom。

You　had　come　to　demand　payment　for　a　billno　bill　of　hers。'



〃　'It　was　no　business　of　mine　to　inquire　what　value　she　had　received

for　it；'　said　Gobseck；　with　a　malignant　look　at　the　Count。　'I　had　come

by　the　bill　in　the　way　of　business。　At　the　same　time；　monsieur；'

continued　Gobseck；　quietly　pouring　coffee　into　his　bowl　of　milk；

without　a　trace　of　excitement　or　hurry　in　his　voice；　'you　will　permit

me　to　observe　that　your　right　to　enter　my　house　and　expostulate　with

me　is　far　from　proven　to　my　mind。　I　came　of　age　in　the　sixty…first

year　of　the　preceding　century。'



〃　'Sir；'　said　the　Count；　'you　have　just　bought　family　diamonds；　which

do　not　belong　to　my　wife；　for　a　mere　trifle。'



〃　'Without　feeling　it　incumbent　upon　me　to　tell　you　my　private

affairs；　I　will　tell　you　this　much　M。　le　Comteif　Mme。　la　Comtesse

has　taken　your　diamonds；　you　should　have　sent　a　circular　around　to　all

the　jewelers；　giving　them　notice　not　to　buy　them；　she　might　have　sold

them　separately。'



〃　'You　know　my　wife；　sir！'　roared　the　Count。



〃　'True。'



〃　'She　is　in　her　husband's　power。'



〃　'That　is　possible。'



〃　'She　had　no　right　to　dispose　of　those　diamonds'



〃　'Precisely。'



〃　'Very　well；　sir？'



〃　'Very　well；　sir。　I　knew　your　wife；　and　she　is　in　her　husband's

power；　I　am　quite　willing；　she　is　in　the　power　of　a　good　many　people；

butIdoNOTknowyour　diamonds。　If　Mme。　la　Comtesse　can　put　her

name　to　a　bill；　she　can　go　into　business；　of　course；　and　buy　and　sell

diamonds　on　her　own　account。　The　thing　is　plain　on　the　face　of　it！'



〃　'Good…day；　sir！'　cried　the　Count；　now　white　with　rage。　'There　are

courts　of　justice。'



〃　'Quite　so。'



〃　'This　gentleman　here；'　he　added；　indicating　me；　'was　a　witness　of

the　sale。'



〃　'That　is　possible。'



〃The　Count　turned　to　go。　Feeling　the　gravity　of　the　affair；　I　suddenly

put　in　between　the　two　belligerents。



〃　'M。　le　Comte；'　said　I；　'you　are　right；　and　M。　Gobseck　is　by　no　means

in　the　wrong。　You　could　not　prosecute　the　purchaser　without　bringing

your　wife　into　court；　and　the　whole　of　the　odium　would　not　fall　on

her。　I　am　an　attorney；　and　I　owe　it　to　myself；　and　still　more　to　my

professional　position；　to　declare　that　the　diamonds　of　which　you　speak

were　purchased　by　M。　Gobseck　in　my　presence；　but；　in　my　opinion；　it

would　be　unwise　to　dispute　the　legality　of　the　sale；　especially　as　the

goods　are　not　readily　recognizable。　In　equity　our　contention　would

lie；　in　law　it　would　collapse。　M。　Gobseck　is　too　honest　a　man　to　deny

that　the　sale　was　a　profitable　transaction；　more　especially　as　my

conscience；　no　less　than　my　duty；　compels　me　to　make　the　admission。

But　once　bring　the　case　into　a　court　of　law；　M。　le　Comte；　the　issue

would　be　doubtful。　My　advice　to　you　is　to　come　to　terms　with　M。

Gobseck；　who　can　plead　that　he　bought　the　diamonds　in　all　good　faith；

you　would　be　bound　in　any　case　to　return　the　purchase　money。　Consent

to　an　arrangem