father goriot- 第27部分

picture　of　his　own。　〃To　have　a　mistress　and　an　almost　royal

position　is　a　sign　of　power；〃　he　said　to　himself。　And　he　looked

at　Mme。　de　Nucingen　as　a　man　measures　another　who　has　insulted

him。



The　Vicomtesse　turned　to　him；　and　the　expression　of　her　eyes

thanked　him　a　thousand　times　for　his　discretion。　The　first　act

came　to　an　end　just　then。



〃Do　you　know　Mme。　de　Nucingen　well　enough　to　present　M。　de

Rastignac　to　her？〃　she　asked　of　the　Marquis　d'Ajuda。



〃She　will　be　delighted；〃　said　the　Marquis。　The　handsome

Portuguese　rose　as　he　spoke　and　took　the　student's　arm；　and　in

another　moment　Eugene　found　himself　in　Mme。　de　Nucingen's　box。



〃Madame；〃　said　the　Marquis；　〃I　have　the　honor　of　presenting　to

you　the　Chevalier　Eugene　de　Rastignac；　he　is　a　cousin　of　Mme。　de

Beauseant's。　You　have　made　so　deep　an　impression　upon　him；　that　I

thought　I　would　fill　up　the　measure　of　his　happiness　by　bringing

him　nearer　to　his　divinity。〃



Words　spoken　half　jestingly　to　cover　their　somewhat　disrespectful

import；　but　such　an　implication；　if　carefully　disguised；　never

gives　offence　to　a　woman。　Mme。　de　Nucingen　smiled；　and　offered

Eugene　the　place　which　her　husband　had　just　left。



〃I　do　not　venture　to　suggest　that　you　should　stay　with　me；

monsieur；〃　she　said。　〃Those　who　are　so　fortunate　as　to　be　in　Mme。

de　Beauseant's　company　do　not　desire　to　leave　it。〃



〃Madame；〃　Eugene　said；　lowering　his　voice；　〃I　think　that　to

please　my　cousin　I　should　remain　with　you。　Before　my　lord　Marquis

came　we　were　speaking　of　you　and　of　your　exceedingly

distinguished　appearance；〃　he　added　aloud。



M。　d'Ajuda　turned　and　left　them。



〃Are　you　really　going　to　stay　with　me；　monsieur？〃　asked　the

Baroness。　〃Then　we　shall　make　each　other's　acquaintance。　Mme。　de

Restaud　told　me　about　you；　and　has　made　me　anxious　to　meet　you。〃



〃She　must　be　very　insincere；　then；　for　she　has　shut　her　door　on

me。〃



〃What？〃



〃Madame；　I　will　tell　you　honestly　the　reason　why；　but　I　must

crave　your　indulgence　before　confiding　such　a　secret　to　you。　I　am

your　father's　neighbor；　I　had　no　idea　that　Mme。　de　Restaud　was

his　daughter。　I　was　rash　enough　to　mention　his　name；　I　meant　no

harm；　but　I　annoyed　your　sister　and　her　husband　very　much。　You

cannot　think　how　severely　the　Duchesse　de　Langeais　and　my　cousin

blamed　this　apostasy　on　a　daughter's　part；　as　a　piece　of　bad

taste。　I　told　them　all　about　it；　and　they　both　burst　out

laughing。　Then　Mme。　de　Beauseant　made　some　comparison　between　you

and　your　sister；　speaking　in　high　terms　of　you；　and　saying　how

very　fond　you　were　of　my　neighbor；　M。　Goriot。　And；　indeed；　how

could　you　help　loving　him？　He　adores　you　so　passionately　that　I

am　jealous　already。　We　talked　about　you　this　morning　for　two

hours。　So　this　evening　I　was　quite　full　of　all　that　your　father

had　told　me；　and　while　I　was　dining　with　my　cousin　I　said　that

you　could　not　be　as　beautiful　as　affectionate。　Mme。　de　Beauseant

meant　to　gratify　such　warm　admiration；　I　think；　when　she　brought

me　here；　telling　me；　in　her　gracious　way；　that　I　should　see　you。〃



〃Then；　even　now；　I　owe　you　a　debt　of　gratitude；　monsieur；〃　said

the　banker's　wife。　〃We　shall　be　quite　old　friends　in　a　little

while。〃



〃Although　a　friendship　with　you　could　not　be　like　an　ordinary

friendship；〃　said　Rastignac；　〃I　should　never　wish　to　be　your

friend。〃



Such　stereotyped　phrases　as　these；　in　the　mouths　of　beginners；

possess　an　unfailing　charm　for　women；　and　are　insipid　only　when

read　coldly；　for　a　young　man's　tone；　glance　and　attitude　give　a

surpassing　eloquence　to　the　banal　phrases。　Mme。　de　Nucingen

thought　that　Rastignac　was　adorable。　Then；　woman…like；　being　at　a

loss　how　to　reply　to　the　student's　outspoken　admiration；　she

answered　a　previous　remark。



〃Yes；　it　is　very　wrong　of　my　sister　to　treat　our　poor　father　as

she　does；〃　she　said；　〃he　has　been　a　Providence　to　us。　It　was　not

until　M。　de　Nucingen　positively　ordered　me　only　to　receive　him　in

the　mornings　that　I　yielded　the　point。　But　I　have　been　unhappy

about　it　for　a　long　while；　I　have　shed　many　tears　over　it。　This

violence　to　my　feelings；　with　my　husband's　brutal　treatment；　have

been　two　causes　of　my　unhappy　married　life。　There　is　certainly　no

woman　in　Paris　whose　lot　seems　more　enviable　than　mine；　and　yet；

in　reality；　there　is　not　one　so　much　to　be　pitied。　You　will　think

I　must　be　out　of　my　senses　to　talk　to　you　like　this；　but　you　know

my　father；　and　I　cannot　regard　you　as　a　stranger。〃



〃You　will　find　no　one；〃　said　Eugene；　〃who　longs　as　eagerly　as　I

do　to　be　yours。　What　do　all　women　seek？　Happiness。〃　（He　answered

his　own　question　in　low；　vibrating　tones。）　〃And　if　happiness　for

a　woman　means　that　she　is　to　be　loved　and　adored；　to　have　a

friend　to　whom　she　can　pour　out　her　wishes；　her　fancies；　her

sorrows　and　joys；　to　whom　she　can　lay　bare　her　heart　and　soul；

and　all　her　fair　defects　and　her　gracious　virtues；　without　fear

of　a　betrayal；　believe　me；　the　devotion　and　the　warmth　that　never

fails　can　only　be　found　in　the　heart　of　a　young　man　who；　at　a

bare　sign　from　you；　would　go　to　his　death；　who　neither　knows　nor

cares　to　know　anything　as　yet　of　the　world；　because　you　will　be

all　the　world　to　him。　I　myself；　you　see　（you　will　laugh　at　my

simplicity）；　have　just　come　from　a　remote　country　district；　I　am

quite　new　to　this　world　of　Paris；　I　have　only　known　true　and

loving　hearts；　and　I　made　up　my　mind　that　here　I　should　find　no

love。　Then　I　chanced　to　meet　my　cousin；　and　to　see　my　cousin's

heart　from　very　near；　I　have　divined　the　inexhaustible　treasures

of　passion；　and；　like　Cherubino；　I　am　the　lover　of　all　women；

until　the　day　comes　when　I　find　THE　woman　to　whom　I　may　devote

myself。　As　soon　as　I　saw　you；　as　soon　as　I　came　into　the　theatre

this　evening；　I　felt　myself　borne　towards　you　as　if　by　the

current　of　a　stream。　I　had　so　often　thought　of　you　already；　but　I

had　never　dreamed　that　you　would　be　so　beautiful！　Mme。　de

Beauseant　told　me　that　I　must　not　look　so　much　at　you。　She　does

not　know　the　charm　of　your　red　lips；　your　fair　face；　nor　see　how

soft　your　eyes　are。　。　。　。　I　also　am　beginning　to　talk　nonsense；

but　let　me　talk。〃



Nothing　pleases　a　woman　better　than　to　listen　to　such　whispered

words　as　these；　the　most　puritanical　among　them　listens　even　when

she　ought　not　to　reply　to　them；　and　Rastignac；　having　once　begun；

continued　to　pour　out　his　story；　dropping　his　voice；　that　she

might　lean　and　listen；　and　Mme。　de　Nucingen；　smiling；　glanced

from　time　to　time　at　de　Marsay；　who　still　sat　in　the　Princesse

Galathionne's　box。



Rastignac　did　not　leave　Mme。　de　Nucingen　till　her　husband　came　to

take　her　home。



〃Madame；〃　Eugene　said；　〃I　shall　have　the　pleasure　of　calling　upon

you　before　the　Duchesse　de　Carigliano's　ball。〃



〃If　Matame　infites　you　to　come；〃　said　the　Baron；　a　thickset

Alsatian；　with　indications　of　a　sinister　cunning　in　his　full…moon

countenance；　〃you　are　quide　sure　of　being　well　receifed。〃



〃My　affairs　seem　to　be　in　a　promising　way；〃　said　Eugene　to

himself。〃　'Can　you　love　me？'　I　asked　her；　and　she　did　not

resent　it。　The　bit　is　in　the　horse's　mouth；　and　I　have　only　to

mount　and　ride；〃　and　with　that　he　went　to　pay　his　respects　to

Mme。　de　Beauseant；　who　was　leaving　the　theatre　on　d'Ajuda's　arm。



The　student　did　not　know　that　the　Baroness'　thoughts　had　been

wandering；　that　she　was　even　then　expecting　a　letter　from　de

Marsay；　one　of　those　letters　that　bring　about　a　rupture　that

rends　the　soul；　so；　happy　in　his　delusion；　Eugene　went　with　the

Vicomtesse　to　the　peristyle；　where　people　were　waiting　till　their

carriages　were　announced。



〃That　cousin　of　yours　is　hardly　recognizable　for　the　same　man；〃

said　the　Portuguese　laughingly　to　the　Vicomtesse；　when　Eugene　had

taken　leave　of　them。　〃He　will　break　the　bank。　He　is　as　supple　as

an　eel；　he　will　go　a　long　way；　of　that　I　am　sure。　Who　else　could

have　picked　out　a　woman　for　him；　as　you　did；　just　when　she　needed

consolation？〃



〃But　it　is　not　certain　that　she　does　not　still　love　the　faithless

lover；〃　said　Mme。　de　Beauseant。



The　student　meanwhile　walked　back　from　the　Theatre…Italien　to　the

Rue　Neuve…Sainte…Genevieve；　making　the　most　delightful　plans　as

he　went。　He　had　noticed　how　closely　Mme。　de　Restaud　had

scrutinized　him　when　he　sat　beside　Mme。　de　Nucingen；　and　inferred

that　the　Countess'　doors　would　not　be　closed　in　the　future。　Four

important　houses　were　now　open　to　himfor　he　meant　to　stand　well

with　the　Marechale；　he　had　four　supporters　in　the　inmost　circle

of　society　in　Paris。　Even　now　it　was　clear　to　him　that；　once

involved　in　this　intricate　social　machinery；　he　must　attach

himself　to　a　spoke　of　the　wheel　that　was　to　turn　and　raise　his

fortunes；　he　would　not　examine　himself　too　curiously　as　to　the

methods；　but　he　was　certain　of　the　end；　and　conscious　of　the

power　to　gain　and　keep　his　hold。



〃If　Mme。　de　Nucingen　takes　an　interest　in　me；　I　will　teach　her

how　to　manage　her　husband。　That　husband　of　hers　is　a　great

speculator；　he　might　put　me　in　the　way　of　making　a　fortune　by　a

single　stroke。〃



He　did　not　say　this　bluntly　in　so　many　words；　as　yet；　indeed；　he

was　not　sufficient　of　a　diplomatist　to　sum　up　a　situation；　to　see

its　possibilities　at　a　glance；　and　calculate　the　chances　in　his

favor。　These　were　nothing　but　hazy　ideas　that　floated　over　his

mental　horizon；　they　were　less　cynical　than　Vautrin's　notions；

but　if　they　had　been　tried　in　the　crucible　of　conscience；　no　very

pure　result　would　have　issued　from　the　test。　It　is　by　a

succession　of　such　like　transactions　that　men　sink　at　last　to　the

level　of　the　relaxed　morality　of　this　epoch；　when　there　have

never　been　so　few　of　those　who　square　their　courses　with　their

theories；　so　few　of　those　noble　characters　who　do　not　yield　to

temptation；　for　whom　the　slightest　deviation　from　the　line　of

rectitude　is　a　crime。　To　these　magnificent　types　of

uncompromising　Right