father goriot(高老头)-第34节

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Goriot　looked　hard　at　Eugene；　reached　out　and　took　the　law　student's　hand；　and　Eugene　felt　a　tear　fall　on　it。

〃You　will　succeed；〃　the　old　man　said。　〃God　is　just；　you　see。　I　know　an　honest　man　when　I　see　him；　and　I　can　tell　you；　there　are　not　many　men　like　you。　I　am　to　have　another　dear　child　in　you；　am　I？　There；　go　to　sleep；　you　can　sleep；　you　are　not　yet　a　father。　She　was　crying！　and　I　have　to　be　told　about　it！and　I　was　quietly　eating　my　dinner；　like　an　idiot；　all　the　timeI；　who　would　sell　the　Father；　Son　and　Holy　Ghost　to　save　one　tear　to　either　of　them。〃



〃An　honest　man！〃　said　Eugene　to　himself　as　he　lay　down。　〃Upon　my　word；　I　think　I　will　be　an　honest　man　all　my　life；　it　is　so　pleasant　to　obey　the　voice　of　conscience。〃　Perhaps　none　but　believers　in　God　do　good　in　secret；　and　Eugene　believed　in　a　God。

The　next　day　Rastignac　went　at　the　appointed　time　to　Mme。　de　Beauseant；　who　took　him　with　her　to　the　Duchesse　de　Carigliano's　ball。　The　Marechale　received　Eugene　most　graciously。　Mme。　de　Nucingen　was　there。　Delphine's　dress　seemed　to　suggest　that　she　wished　for　the　admiration　of　others；　so　that　she　might　shine　the　more　in　Eugene's　eyes；　she　was　eagerly　expecting　a　glance　from　him；　hiding；　as　she　thought；　this　eagerness　from　all　beholders。　This　moment　is　full　of　charm　for　one　who　can　guess　all　that　passes　in　a　woman's　mind。　Who　has　not　refrained　from　giving　his　opinion；　to　prolong　her　suspense；　concealing　his　pleasure　from　a　desire　to　tantalize；　seeking　a　confession　of　love　in　her　uneasiness；　enjoying　the　fears　that　he　can　dissipate　by　a　smile？　In　the　course　of　the　evening　the　law　student　suddenly　comprehended　his　position；　he　saw　that；　as　the　cousin　of　Mme。　de　Beauseant；　he　was　a　personage　in　this　world。　He　was　already　credited　with　the　conquest　of　Mme。　de　Nucingen；　and　for　this　reason　was　a　conspicuous　figure；　he　caught　the　envious　glances　of　other　young　men；　and　experienced　the　earliest　pleasures　of　coxcombry。　People　wondered　at　his　luck；　and　scraps　of　these　conversations　came　to　his　ears　as　he　went　from　room　to　room；　all　the　women　prophesied　his　success；　and　Delphine；　in　her　dread　of　losing　him；　promised　that　this　evening　she　would　not　refuse　the　kiss　that　all　his　entreaties　could　scarcely　win　yesterday。

Rastignac　received　several　invitations。　His　cousin　presented　him　to　other　women　who　were　present；　women　who　could　claim　to　be　of　the　highest　fashion；　whose　houses　were　looked　upon　as　pleasant；　and　this　was　the　loftiest　and　most　fashionable　society　in　Paris　into　which　he　was　launched。　So　this　evening　had　all　the　charm　of　a　brilliant　debut；　it　was　an　evening　that　he　was　to　remember　even　in　old　age；　as　a　woman　looks　back　upon　her　first　ball　and　the　memories　of　her　girlish　triumphs。

The　next　morning；　at　breakfast；　he　related　the　story　of　his　success　for　the　benefit　of　Father　Goriot　and　the　lodgers。　Vautrin　began　to　smile　in　a　diabolical　fashion。

〃And　do　you　suppose；〃　cried　that　cold…blooded　logician；　〃that　a　young　man　of　fashion　can　live　here　in　the　Rue　Neuve…Sainte…　Genevieve；　in　the　Maison　Vauqueran　exceedingly　respectable　boarding…house　in　every　way；　I　grant　you；　but　an　establishment　that；　none　the　less；　falls　short　of　being　fashionable？　The　house　is　comfortable；　it　is　lordly　in　its　abundance；　it　is　proud　to　be　the　temporary　abode　of　a　Rastignac；　but；　after　all；　it　is　in　the　Rue　Neuve…Sainte…Genevieve；　and　luxury　would　be　out　of　place　here；　where　we　only　aim　at　the　purely　patriarchalorama。　If　you　mean　to　cut　a　figure　in　Paris；　my　young　friend；〃　Vautrin　continued；　with　half…paternal　jocularity；　〃you　must　have　three　horses；　a　tilbury　for　the　mornings；　and　a　closed　carriage　for　the　evening；　you　should　spend　altogether　about　nine　thousand　francs　on　your　stables。　You　would　show　yourself　unworthy　of　your　destiny　if　you　spent　no　more　than　three　thousand　francs　with　your　tailor；　six　hundred　in　perfumery；　a　hundred　crowns　to　your　shoemaker；　and　a　hundred　more　to　your　hatter。　As　for　your　laundress；　there　goes　another　thousand　francs；　a　young　man　of　fashion　must　of　necessity　make　a　great　point　of　his　linen；　if　your　linen　comes　up　to　the　required　standard；　people　often　do　not　look　any　further。　Love　and　the　Church　demand　a　fair　altar…cloth。　That　is　fourteen　thousand　francs。　I　am　saying　nothing　of　losses　at　play；　bets；　and　presents；　it　is　impossible　to　allow　less　than　two　thousand　francs　for　pocket　money。　I　have　led　that　sort　of　life；　and　I　know　all　about　these　expenses。　Add　the　cost　of　necessaries　next；　three　hundred　louis　for　provender；　a　thousand　francs　for　a　place　to　roost　in。　Well；　my　boy；　for　all　these　little　wants　of　ours　we　had　need　to　have　twenty…five　thousand　francs　every　year　in　our　purse；　or　we　shall　find　ourselves　in　the　kennel；　and　people　laughing　at　us；　and　our　career　is　cut　short；　good…bye　to　success；　and　good…　bye　to　your　mistress！　I　am　forgetting　your　valet　and　your　groom！　Is　Christophe　going　to　carry　your　billets…doux　for　you？　Do　you　mean　to　employ　the　stationery　you　use　at　present？　Suicidal　policy！　Hearken　to　the　wisdom　of　your　elders！〃　he　went　on；　his　bass　voice　growing　louder　at　each　syllable。　〃Either　take　up　your　quarters　in　a　garret；　live　virtuously；　and　wed　your　work；　or　set　about　the　thing　in　a　different　way。〃

Vautrin　winked　and　leered　in　the　direction　of　Mlle。　Taillefer　to　enforce　his　remarks　by　a　look　which　recalled　the　late　tempting　proposals　by　which　he　had　sought　to　corrupt　the　student's　mind。

Several　days　went　by；　and　Rastignac　lived　in　a　whirl　of　gaiety。　He　dined　almost　every　day　with　Mme。　de　Nucingen；　and　went　wherever　she　went；　only　returning　to　the　Rue　Neuve…Sainte…　Genevieve　in　the　small　hours。　He　rose　at　mid…day；　and　dressed　to　go　into　the　Bois　with　Delphine　if　the　day　was　fine；　squandering　in　this　way　time　that　was　worth　far　more　than　he　knew。　He　turned　as　eagerly　to　learn　the　lessons　of　luxury；　and　was　as　quick　to　feel　its　fascination；　as　the　flowers　of　the　date　palm　to　receive　the　fertilizing　pollen。　He　played　high；　lost　and　won　large　sums　of　money；　and　at　last　became　accustomed　to　the　extravagant　life　that　young　men　lead　in　Paris。　He　sent　fifteen　hundred　francs　out　of　his　first　winnings　to　his　mother　and　sisters；　sending　handsome　presents　as　well　as　the　money。　He　had　given　out　that　he　meant　to　leave　the　Maison　Vauquer；　but　January　came　and　went；　and　he　was　still　there；　still　unprepared　to　go。

One　rule　holds　good　of　most　young　menwhether　rich　or　poor。　They　never　have　money　for　the　necessaries　of　life；　but　they　have　always　money　to　spare　for　their　capricesan　anomaly　which　finds　its　explanation　in　their　youth　and　in　the　almost　frantic　eagerness　with　which　youth　grasps　at　pleasure。　They　are　reckless　with　anything　obtained　on　credit；　while　everything　for　which　they　must　pay　in　ready　money　is　made　to　last　as　long　as　possible；　if　they　cannot　have　all　that　they　want；　they　make　up　for　it；　it　would　seem；　by　squandering　what　they　have。　To　state　the　matter　simplya　student　is　far　more　careful　of　his　hat　than　of　his　coat；　because　the　latter　being　a　comparatively　costly　article　of　dress；　it　is　in　the　nature　of　things　that　a　tailor　should　be　a　creditor；　but　it　is　otherwise　with　the　hatter；　the　sums　of　money　spent　with　him　are　so　modest；　that　he　is　the　most　independent　and　unmanageable　of　his　tribe；　and　it　is　almost　impossible　to　bring　him　to　terms。　The　young　man　in　the　balcony　of　a　theatre　who　displays　a　gorgeous　waistcoat　for　the　benefit　of　the　fair　owners　of　opera　glasses；　has　very　probably　no　socks　in　his　wardrobe；　for　the　hosier　is　another　of　the　genus　of　weevils　that　nibble　at　the　purse。　This　was　Rastignac's　condition。　His　purse　was　always　empty　for　Mme。　Vauquer；　always　full　at　the　demand　of　vanity；　there　was　a　periodical　ebb　and　flow　in　his　fortunes；　which　was　seldom　favorable　to　the　payment　of　just　debts。　If　he　was　to　leave　that　unsavory　and　mean　abode；　where　from　time　to　time　his　pretensions　met　with　humiliation；　the　first　step　was　to　pay　his　hostess　for　a　month's　board　and　lodging；　and　the　second　to　purchase　furniture　worthy　of　the　new　lodgings　he　must　take　in　his　quality　of　dandy；　a　course　that　remained　impossible。　Rastignac；　out　of　his　winnings　at　cards；　would　pay　his　jeweler　exorbitant　prices　for　gold　watches　and　chains；　and　then；　to　meet　the　exigencies　of　play；　would　carry　them　to　the　pawnbroker；　that　discreet　and　forbidding…　looking　friend　of　youth；　but　when　it　was　a　question　of　paying　for　board　or　lodging；　or　for　the　necessary　implements　for　the　cultivation　of　his　Elysian　fields；　his　imagination　and　pluck　alike　deserted　him。　There　was　no　inspiration　to　be　found　in　vulgar　necessity；　in　debts　contracted　for　past　requirements。　Like　most　of　those　who　trust　to　their　luck；　he　put　off　till　the　last　moment　the　payment　of　debts　that　among　the　bourgeoisie　are　regarded　as　sacred　engagements；　acting　on　the　plan　of　Mirabeau；　who　never　settled　his　baker's　bill　until　it　underwent　a　formidable　transformation　into　a　bill　of　exchange。

It　was　about　this　time　when　Rastignac　was　down　on　his　luck　and　fell　into　debt；　that　it　became　clear　to　the　law　student's　mind　that　he　must　have　some　more　certain　source　of　income　if　he　meant　to　live　as　he　had　been　doing。　But　while　he　groaned　over　the　thorny　problems　of　his　precarious　situation；　he　felt　that　he　could　not　bring　himself　to　renounce　the　pleasures　of