father goriot(高老头)-第26节

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　spy！　There；　out　with　it；　fire　away！　I　forgive　you；　it　is　quite　natural　at　your　age。　I　was　like　that　myself　once。　Only　remember　this；　you　will　do　worse　things　yourself　some　day。　You　will　flirt　with　some　pretty　woman　and　take　her　money。　You　have　thought　of　that；　of　course；〃　said　Vautrin；　〃for　how　are　you　to　succeed　unless　love　is　laid　under　contribution？　There　are　no　two　ways　about　virtue；　my　dear　student；　it　either　is；　or　it　is　not。　Talk　of　doing　penance　for　your　sins！　It　is　a　nice　system　of　business；　when　you　pay　for　your　crime　by　an　act　of　contrition！　You　seduce　a　woman　that　you　may　set　your　foot　on　such　and　such　a　rung　of　the　social　ladder；　you　sow　dissension　among　the　children　of　a　family；　you　descend；　in　short；　to　every　base　action　that　can　be　committed　at　home　or　abroad；　to　gain　your　own　ends　for　your　own　pleasure　or　your　profit；　and　can　you　imagine　that　these　are　acts　of　faith；　hope；　or　charity？　How　is　it　that　a　dandy；　who　in　a　night　has　robbed　a　boy　of　half　his　fortune；　gets　only　a　couple　of　months　in　prison；　while　a　poor　devil　who　steals　a　banknote　for　a　thousand　francs；　with　aggravating　circumstances；　is　condemned　to　penal　servitude？　Those　are　your　laws。　Not　a　single　provision　but　lands　you　in　some　absurdity。　That　man　with　yellow　gloves　and　a　golden　tongue　commits　many　a　murder；　he　sheds　no　blood；　but　he　drains　his　victim's　veins　as　surely；　a　desperado　forces　open　a　door　with　a　crowbar；　dark　deeds　both　of　them！　You　yourself　will　do　every　one　of　those　things　that　I　suggest　to　you　to…day；　bar　the　bloodshed。　Do　you　believe　that　there　is　any　absolute　standard　in　this　world？　Despise　mankind　and　find　out　the　meshes　that　you　can　slip　through　in　the　net　of　the　Code。　The　secret　of　a　great　success　for　which　you　are　at　a　loss　to　account　is　a　crime　that　has　never　been　found　out；　because　it　was　properly　executed。〃

〃Silence；　sir！　I　will　not　hear　any　more；　you　make　me　doubt　myself。　At　this　moment　my　sentiments　are　all　my　science。〃

〃Just　as　you　please；　my　fine　fellow；　I　did　think　you　were　so　weak…minded；〃　said　Vautrin；　〃I　shall　say　no　more　about　it。　One　last　word；　however；〃　and　he　looked　hard　at　the　student〃you　have　my　secret；〃　he　said。

〃A　young　man　who　refuses　your　offer　knows　that　he　must　forget　it。〃

〃Quite　right；　quite　right；　I　am　glad　to　hear　you　say　so。　Somebody　else　might　not　be　so　scrupulous；　you　see。　Keep　in　mind　what　I　want　to　do　for　you。　I　will　give　you　a　fortnight。　The　offer　is　still　open。〃

〃What　a　head　of　iron　the　man　has！〃　said　Eugene　to　himself；　as　he　watched　Vautrin　walk　unconcernedly　away　with　his　cane　under　his　arm。　〃Yet　Mme。　de　Beauseant　said　as　much　more　gracefully；　he　has　only　stated　the　case　in　cruder　language。　He　would　tear　my　heart　with　claws　of　steel。　What　made　me　think　of　going　to　Mme。　de　Nucingen？　He　guessed　my　motives　before　I　knew　them　myself。　To　sum　it　up；　that　outlaw　has　told　me　more　about　virtue　than　all　I　have　learned　from　men　and　books。　If　virtue　admits　of　no　compromises；　I　have　certainly　robbed　my　sisters；〃　he　said；　throwing　down　the　bags　on　the　table。

He　sat　down　again　and　fell；　unconscious　of　his　surroundings；　into　deep　thought。

〃To　be　faithful　to　an　ideal　of　virtue！　A　heroic　martyrdom！　Pshaw！　every　one　believes　in　virtue；　but　who　is　virtuous？　Nations　have　made　an　idol　of　Liberty；　but　what　nation　on　the　face　of　the　earth　is　free？　My　youth　is　still　like　a　blue　and　cloudless　sky。　If　I　set　myself　to　obtain　wealth　or　power；　does　it　mean　that　I　must　make　up　my　mind　to　lie；　and　fawn；　and　cringe；　and　swagger；　and　flatter；　and　dissemble？　To　consent　to　be　the　servant　of　others　who　have　likewise　fawned；　and　lied；　and　flattered？　Must　I　cringe　to　them　before　I　can　hope　to　be　their　accomplice？　Well；　then；　I　decline。　I　mean　to　work　nobly　and　with　a　single　heart。　I　will　work　day　and　night；　I　will　owe　my　fortune　to　nothing　but　my　own　exertions。　It　may　be　the　slowest　of　all　roads　to　success；　but　I　shall　lay　my　head　on　the　pillow　at　night　untroubled　by　evil　thoughts。　Is　there　a　greater　thing　than　thisto　look　back　over　your　life　and　know　that　it　is　stainless　as　a　lily？　I　and　my　life　are　like　a　young　man　and　his　betrothed。　Vautrin　has　put　before　me　all　that　comes　after　ten　years　of　marriage。　The　devil！　my　head　is　swimming。　I　do　not　want　to　think　at　all；　the　heart　is　a　sure　guide。〃

Eugene　was　roused　from　his　musings　by　the　voice　of　the　stout　Sylvie；　who　announced　that　the　tailor　had　come；　and　Eugene　therefore　made　his　appearance　before　the　man　with　the　two　money　bags；　and　was　not　ill　pleased　that　it　should　be　so。　When　he　had　tried　on　his　dress　suit；　he　put　on　his　new　morning　costume；　which　completely　metamorphosed　him。

〃I　am　quite　equal　to　M。　de　Trailles；〃　he　said　to　himself。　〃In　short；　I　look　like　a　gentleman。〃

〃You　asked　me；　sir；　if　I　knew　the　houses　where　Mme。　de　Nucingen　goes；〃　Father　Goriot's　voice　spoke　from　the　doorway　of　Eugene's　room。〃

〃Yes。〃

〃Very　well　then；　she　is　going　to　the　Marechale　Carigliano's　ball　on　Monday。　If　you　can　manage　to　be　there；　I　shall　hear　from　you　whether　my　two　girls　enjoyed　themselves；　and　how　they　were　dressed；　and　all　about　it　in　fact。〃

〃How　did　you　find　that　out；　my　good　Goriot？〃　said　Eugene；　putting　a　chair　by　the　fire　for　his　visitor。

〃Her　maid　told　me。　I　hear　all　about　their　doings　from　Therese　and　Constance；〃　he　added　gleefully。

The　old　man　looked　like　a　lover　who　is　still　young　enough　to　be　made　happy　by　the　discovery　of　some　little　stratagem　which　brings　him　information　of　his　lady…love　without　her　knowledge。

〃YOU　will　see　them　both！〃　he　said；　giving　artless　expression　to　a　pang　of　jealousy。

〃I　do　not　know；〃　answered　Eugene。　〃I　will　go　to　Mme。　de　Beauseant　and　ask　her　for　an　introduction　to　the　Marechale。〃

Eugene　felt　a　thrill　of　pleasure　at　the　thought　of　appearing　before　the　Vicomtesse；　dressed　as　henceforward　he　always　meant　to　be。　The　〃abysses　of　the　human　heart；〃　in　the　moralists'　phrase；　are　only　insidious　thoughts；　involuntary　promptings　of　personal　interest。　The　instinct　of　enjoyment　turns　the　scale；　those　rapid　changes　of　purpose　which　have　furnished　the　text　for　so　much　rhetoric　are　calculations　prompted　by　the　hope　of　pleasure。　Rastignac　beholding　himself　well　dressed　and　impeccable　as　to　gloves　and　boots；　forgot　his　virtuous　resolutions。　Youth；　moreover；　when　bent　upon　wrongdoing　does　not　dare　to　behold　himself　in　the　mirror　of　consciousness；　mature　age　has　seen　itself；　and　therein　lies　the　whole　difference　between　these　two　phases　of　life。

A　friendship　between　Eugene　and　his　neighbor；　Father　Goriot；　had　been　growing　up　for　several　days　past。　This　secret　friendship　and　the　antipathy　that　the　student　had　begun　to　entertain　for　Vautrin　arose　from　the　same　psychological　causes。　The　bold　philosopher　who　shall　investigate　the　effects　of　mental　action　upon　the　physical　world　will　doubtless　find　more　than　one　proof　of　the　material　nature　of　our　sentiments　in　other　animals。　What　physiognomist　is　as　quick　to　discern　character　as　a　dog　is　to　discover　from　a　stranger's　face　whether　this　is　a　friend　or　no？　Those　by…words〃atoms；〃　〃affinities〃are　facts　surviving　in　modern　languages　for　the　confusion　of　philosophic　wiseacres　who　amuse　themselves　by　winnowing　the　chaff　of　language　to　find　its　grammatical　roots。　We　FEEL　that　we　are　loved。　Our　sentiments　make　themselves　felt　in　everything；　even　at　a　great　distance。　A　letter　is　a　living　soul；　and　so　faithful　an　echo　of　the　voice　that　speaks　in　it；　that　finer　natures　look　upon　a　letter　as　one　of　love's　most　precious　treasures。　Father　Goriot's　affection　was　of　the　instinctive　order；　a　canine　affection　raised　to　a　sublime　pitch；　he　had　scented　compassion　in　the　air；　and　the　kindly　respect　and　youthful　sympathy　in　the　student's　heart。　This　friendship　had；　however；　scarcely　reached　the　stage　at　which　confidences　are　made。　Though　Eugene　had　spoken　of　his　wish　to　meet　Mme。　de　Nucingen；　it　was　not　because　he　counted　on　the　old　man　to　introduce　him　to　her　house；　for　he　hoped　that　his　own　audacity　might　stand　him　in　good　stead。　All　that　Father　Goriot　had　said　as　yet　about　his　daughters　had　referred　to　the　remarks　that　the　student　had　made　so　freely　in　public　on　that　day　of　the　two　visits。

〃How　could　you　think　that　Mme。　de　Restaud　bore　you　a　grudge　for　mentioning　my　name？〃　he　had　said　on　the　day　following　that　scene　at　dinner。　〃My　daughters　are　very　fond　of　me；　I　am　a　happy　father；　but　my　sons…in…law　have　behaved　badly　to　me；　and　rather　than　make　trouble　between　my　darlings　and　their　husbands；　I　choose　to　see　my　daughters　secretly。　Fathers　who　can　see　their　daughters　at　any　time　have　no　idea　of　all　the　pleasure　that　all　this　mystery　gives　me；　I　cannot　always　see　mine　when　I　wish；　do　you　understand？　So　when　it　is　fine　I　walk　out　in　the　Champs…　Elysees；　after　finding　out　from　their　waiting…maids　whether　my　daughters　mean　to　go　out。　I　wait　near　the　entrance；　my　heart　beats　fast　when　the　carriages　begin　to　come；　I　admire　them　in　their　dresses；　and　as　they　pass　they　give　me　a　little　smile；　and　it　seems　as　if　everything　was　lighted　up　for　me　by　a　ray　of　bright　sunlight。　I　wait；　for　they　always　go　back　the　same　way；　and　then　I　see　them　again；　the　fresh　air　has　done　them　good　and　brought　color　into　their　cheeks；　all　about　me　people　say；　'What　a　beautiful　woman　that　is！'　and　it　does　my　heart　good　to　hear　t