gobseck- 第6部分

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　but　happiness　and　prosperity。　Nothing　is　more　utterly

uninteresting　than　a　happy　man；　so　let　us　say　no　more　on　that　head；

and　return　to　the　rest　of　the　characters。



〃About　a　year　after　the　purchase　of　the　practice；　I　was　dragged　into　a

bachelor　breakfast…party　given　by　one　of　our　number　who　had　lost　a　bet

to　a　young　man　greatly　in　vogue　in　the　fashionable　world。　M。　de

Trailles；　the　flower　of　the　dandyism　of　that　day；　enjoyed　a　prodigious

reputation。〃



〃But　he　is　still　enjoying　it；〃　put　in　the　Comte　de　Born。　〃No　one　wears

his　clothes　with　a　finer　air；　nor　drives　a　tandem　with　a　better　grace。

It　is　Maxime's　gift；　he　can　gamble；　eat；　and　drink　more　gracefully

than　any　man　in　the　world。　He　is　a　judge　of　horses；　hats；　and

pictures。　All　the　women　lose　their　heads　over　him。　He　always　spends

something　like　a　hundred　thousand　francs　a　year；　and　no　creature　can

discover　that　he　has　an　acre　of　land　or　a　single　dividend　warrant。　The

typical　knight　errant　of　our　salons；　our　boudoirs；　our　boulevards；　an

amphibian　half…way　between　a　man　and　a　womanMaxime　de　Trailles　is　a

singular　being；　fit　for　anything；　and　good　for　nothing；　quite　as

capable　of　perpetrating　a　benefit　as　of　planning　a　crime；　sometimes

base；　sometimes　noble；　more　often　bespattered　with　mire　than

besprinkled　with　blood；　knowing　more　of　anxiety　than　of　remorse；　more

concerned　with　his　digestion　than　with　any　mental　process；　shamming

passion；　feeling　nothing。　Maxime　de　Trailles　is　a　brilliant　link

between　the　hulks　and　the　best　society；　he　belongs　to　the　eminently

intelligent　class　from　which　a　Mirabeau；　or　a　Pitt；　or　a　Richelieu

springs　at　times；　though　it　is　more　wont　to　produce　Counts　of　Horn；

Fouquier…Tinvilles；　and　Coignards。〃



〃Well；〃　pursued　Derville；　when　he　had　heard　the　Vicomtesse's　brother

to　the　end；　〃I　had　heard　a　good　deal　about　this　individual　from　poor

old　Goriot；　a　client　of　mine；　and　I　had　already　been　at　some　pains　to

avoid　the　dangerous　honor　of　his　acquaintance；　for　I　came　across　him

sometimes　in　society。　Still；　my　chum　was　so　pressing　about　this

breakfast…party　of　his　that　I　could　not　well　get　out　of　it；　unless　I

wished　to　earn　a　name　for　squeamishness。　Madame；　you　could　hardly

imagine　what　a　bachelor's　breakfast…party　is　like。　It　means　superb

display　and　a　studied　refinement　seldom　seen；　the　luxury　of　a　miser

when　vanity　leads　him　to　be　sumptuous　for　a　day。



〃You　are　surprised　as　you　enter　the　room　at　the　neatness　of　the　table；

dazzling　by　reason　of　its　silver　and　crystal　and　linen　damask。　Life　is

here　in　full　bloom；　the　young　fellows　are　graceful　to　behold；　they

smile　and　talk　in　low；　demure　voices　like　so　many　brides；　everything

about　them　looks　girlish。　Two　hours　later　you　might　take　the　room　for

a　battlefield　after　the　fight。　Broken　glasses；　serviettes　crumpled　and

torn　to　rags　lie　strewn　about　among　the　nauseous…looking　remnants　of

food　on　the　dishes。　There　is　an　uproar　that　stuns　you；　jesting　toasts；

a　fire　of　witticisms　and　bad　jokes；　faces　are　empurpled；　eyes　inflamed

and　expressionless；　unintentional　confidences　tell　you　the　whole

truth。　Bottles　are　smashed；　and　songs　trolled　out　in　the　height　of　a

diabolical　racket；　men　call　each　other　out；　hang　on　each　other's

necks；　or　fall　to　fisticuffs；　the　room　is　full　of　a　horrid；　close

scent　made　up　of　a　hundred　odors；　and　noise　enough　for　a　hundred

voices。　No　one　has　any　notion　of　what　he　is　eating　or　drinking　or

saying。　Some　are　depressed；　others　babble；　one　will　turn　monomaniac；

repeating　the　same　word　over　and　over　again　like　a　bell　set　jangling；

another　tries　to　keep　the　tumult　within　bounds；　the　steadiest　will

propose　an　orgy。　If　any　one　in　possession　of　his　faculties　should　come

in；　he　would　think　that　he　had　interrupted　a　Bacchanalian　rite。



〃It　was　in　the　thick　of　such　a　chaos　that　M。　de　Trailles　tried　to

insinuate　himself　into　my　good　graces。　My　head　was　fairly　clear；　I　was

upon　my　guard。　As　for　him；　though　he　pretended　to　be　decently　drunk；

he　was　perfectly　cool；　and　knew　very　well　what　he　was　about。　How　it

was　done　I　do　not　know；　but　the　upshot　of　it　was　that　when　we　left

Grignon's　rooms　about　nine　o'clock　in　the　evening；　M。　de　Trailles　had

thoroughly　bewitched　me。　I　had　given　him　my　promise　that　I　would

introduce　him　the　next　day　to　our　Papa　Gobseck。　The　words　'honor；'

'virtue；'　'countess；'　'honest　woman；'　and　'ill…luck'　were　mingled　in

his　discourse　with　magical　potency；　thanks　to　that　golden　tongue　of

his。



〃When　I　awoke　next　morning；　and　tried　to　recollect　what　I　had　done　the

day　before；　it　was　with　great　difficulty　that　I　could　make　a　connected

tale　from　my　impressions。　At　last；　it　seemed　to　me　that　the　daughter

of　one　of　my　clients　was　in　danger　of　losing　her　reputation；　together

with　her　husband's　love　and　esteem；　if　she　could　not　get　fifty

thousand　francs　together　in　the　course　of　the　morning。　There　had　been

gaming　debts；　and　carriage…builders'　accounts；　money　lost　to　Heaven

knows　whom。　My　magician　of　a　boon　companion　had　impressed　it　upon　me

that　she　was　rich　enough　to　make　good　these　reverses　by　a　few　years　of

economy。　But　only　now　did　I　begin　to　guess　the　reasons　of　his　urgency。

I　confess；　to　my　shame；　that　I　had　not　the　shadow　of　a　doubt　but　that

it　was　a　matter　of　importance　that　Daddy　Gobseck　should　make　it　up

with　this　dandy。　I　was　dressing　when　the　young　gentleman　appeared。



〃　'M。　le　Comte；'　said　I；　after　the　usual　greetings；　'I　fail　to　see　why

you　should　need　me　to　effect　an　introduction　to　Van　Gobseck；　the　most

civil　and　smooth…spoken　of　capitalists。　Money　will　be　forthcoming　if

he　has　any；　or　rather；　if　you　can　give　him　adequate　security。'



〃　'Monsieur；'　said　he；　'it　does　not　enter　into　my　thoughts　to　force

you　to　do　me　a　service；　even　though　you　have　passed　your　word。'



〃　'Sardanapalus！'　said　I　to　myself；　'am　I　going　to　let　that　fellow

imagine　that　I　will　not　keep　my　word　with　him？'