beatrix-第58部分

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poets；　who　would　carry　you　in　prose　and　verse　to　immortality；　like　the
late　Montyon。〃

By　dint　of　being　prodded；　the　marquis　was　brought　to　see　the
hollowness　of　the　turf；　he　realized　that　economy　of　sixty　thousand
francs；　and　the　next　year　Madame　Schontz　remarked　to　him；

〃I　don't　cost　you　anything　now；　Arthur。〃

Many　rich　men　envied　the　marquis　and　endeavored　to　entice　Madame
Schontz　away　from　him；　but　like　the　Russian　prince　they　wasted　their
old　age。

〃Listen　to　me；〃　she　said　to　Finot；　now　become　immensely　rich。　〃I　am
certain　that　Rochefide　would　forgive　me　a　little　passion　if　I　fell　in
love　with　any　one；　but　one　doesn't　leave　a　marquis　with　a　kind　heart
like　that　for　a　/parvenu/　like　you。　You　couldn't　keep　me　in　the
position　in　which　Arthur　has　placed　me；　he　has　made　me　half　a　wife　and
a　lady；　and　that's　more　than　you　could　do　even　if　you　married　me。〃

This　was　the　last　nail　which　clinched　the　fetters　of　that　happy
galley…slave；　for　the　speech　of　course　reached　the　ears　for　which　it
was　intended。

The　fourth　phase　had　begun；　that　of　/habit/；　the　final　victory　in
these　plans　of　campaign；　which　make　the　women　of　this　class　say　of　a
man；　〃I　hold　him！〃　Rochefide；　who　had　just　bought　the　little　hotel　in
the　name　of　Mademoiselle　Josephine　Schiltz　（a　trifle　of　eighty
thousand　francs）；　had　reached；　at　the　moment　the　Duchesse　de　Grandlieu
was　forming　plans　about　him；　the　stage　of　deriving　vanity　from　his
mistress　（whom　he　now　called　Ninon　II。）；　by　vaunting　her　scrupulous
honesty；　her　excellent　manners；　her　education；　and　her　wit。　He　had
merged　his　own　defects；　merits；　tastes；　and　pleasures　in　Madame
Schontz；　and　he　found　himself　at　this　period　of　his　life；　either　from
lassitude；　indifference；　or　philosophy；　a　man　unable　to　change；　who
clings　to　wife　or　mistress。

We　may　understand　the　position　won　in　five　years　by　Madame　Schontz
from　the　fact　that　presentation　at　her　house　had　to　be　proposed　some
time　before　it　was　granted。　She　refused　to　receive　dull　rich　people
and　smirched　people；　and　only　departed　from　this　rule　in　favor　of
certain　great　names　of　the　aristocracy。

〃They；〃　she　said；　〃have　a　right　to　be　stupid　because　they　are　well…
bred。〃

She　possessed　ostensibly　the　three　hundred　thousand　francs　which
Rochefide　had　given　her；　and　which　a　certain　good　fellow；　a　broker
named　Gobenheim　（the　only　man　of　that　class　admitted　to　her　house）
invested　and　reinvested　for　her。　But　she　manipulated　for　herself
secretly　a　little　fortune　of　two　hundred　thousand　francs；　the　result
of　her　savings　for　the　last　three　years　and　of　the　constant　movement
of　the　three　hundred　thousand　francs；for　she　never　admitted　the
possession　of　more　than　that　known　sum。

〃The　more　you　make；　the　less　you　get　rich；〃　said　Gobenheim　to　her　one
day。

〃Water　is　so　dear；〃　she　answered。

This　secret　hoard　was　increased　by　jewels　and　diamonds；　which　Aurelie
wore　a　month　and　then　sold。　When　any　one　called　her　rich；　Madame
Schontz　replied　that　at　the　rate　of　interest　in　the　Funds　three
hundred　thousand　francs　produced　only　twelve　thousand；　and　she　had
spent　as　much　as　that　in　the　hardest　days　of　her　life。



XXIII

ONE　OF　THE　DISEASES　OF　THE　AGE

Such　conduct　implied　a　plan；　and　Madame　Schontz　had；　as　you　may　well
believe；　a　plan。　Jealous　for　the　last　two　years　of　Madame　du　Bruel；
she　was　consumed　with　the　ambition　to　be　married　by　church　and　mayor。
All　social　positions　have　their　forbidden　fruit；　some　little　thing
magnified　by　desire　until　it　has　become　the　weightiest　thing　in　life。
This　ambition　of　course　involved　a　second　Arthur；　but　no　espial　on　the
part　of　those　about　her　had　as　yet　discovered　Rochefide's　secret
rival。　Bixiou　fancied　he　saw　the　favored　one　in　Leon　de　Lora；　the
painter　saw　him　in　Bixiou；　who　had　passed　his　fortieth　year　and　ought
to　be　making　himself　a　fate　of　some　kind。　Suspicions　were　also　turned
on　Victor　de　Vernisset；　a　poet　of　the　school　of　Canalis；　whose　passion
for　Madame　Schontz　was　desperate；　but　the　poet　accused　Stidmann；　a
young　sculptor；　of　being　his　fortune　rival。　This　artist；　a　charming
lad；　worked　for　jewellers；　for　manufacturers　in　bronze　and　silver…
smiths；　he　longed　to　be　another　Benvenuto　Cellini。　Claude　Vignon；　the
young　Comte　de　la　Palferine；　Gobenheim；　Vermanton　a　cynical
philosopher；　all　frequenters　of　this　amusing　salon；　were　severally
suspected；　and　proved　innocent。　No　one　had　fathomed　Madame　Schontz；
certainly　not　Rochefide；　who　thought　she　had　a　penchant　for　the　young
and　witty　La　Palferine；　she　was　virtuous　from　self…interest　and　was
wholly　bent　on　making　a　good　marriage。

Only　one　man　of　equivocal　reputation　was　ever　seen　in　Madame　Schontz's
salon；　namely　Couture；　who　had　more　than　once　made　his　brother
speculators　howl；　but　Couture　had　been　one　of　Madame　Schontz's
earliest　friends；　and　she　alone　remained　faithful　to　him。　The　false
alarm　of　1840　swept　away　the　last　vestige　of　this　stock…gambler's
credit；　Aurelie；　seeing　his　run　of　ill…luck；　made　Rochefide　play；　as
we　have　seen；　in　the　other　direction。　Thankful　to　find　a　place　for
himself　at　Aurelie's　table；　Couture；　to　whom　Finot；　the　cleverest　or；
if　you　choose；　the　luckiest　of　all　parvenus；　occasionally　gave　a　note
of　a　thousand　francs；　was　alone　wise　and　calculating　enough　to　offer
his　hand　and　name　to　madame　Schontz；　who　studied　him　to　see　if　the
bold　speculator　had　sufficient　power　to　make　his　way　in　politics　and
enough　gratitude　not　to　desert　his　wife。　Couture；　a　man　about　forty…
three　years　of　age；　half　worn…out；　did　not　redeem　the　unpleasant
sonority　of　his　name　by　birth；　he　said　little　of　the　authors　of　his
days。

Madame　Schontz　was　bemoaning　to　herself　the　rarity　of　eligible　men；
when　Couture　presented　to　her　a　provincial；　supplied　with　the　two
handles　by　which　women　take　hold　of　such　pitchers　when　they　wish　to
keep　them。　To　sketch　this　person　will　be　to　paint　a　portion　of　the
youth　of　the　day。　The　digression　is　history。

In　1838；　Fabien　du　Ronceret；　son　of　a　chief…justice　of　the　Royal　court
at　Caen　（who　had　lately　died）；　left　his　native　town　of　Alencon；
resigning　his　judgeship　（a　position　in　which　his　father　had　compelled
him；　he　said；　to　waste　his　time）；　and　came　to　Paris；　with　the
intention　of　making　a　noise　there；a　Norman　idea；　difficult　to
realize；　for　he　could　scarcely　scrape　together　eight　thousand　francs　a
year；　his　mother　still　being　alive　and　possessing　a　life…interest　in　a
valuable　estate　in　Alencon。　This　young　man　had　already；　during
previous　visits　to　Paris；　tried　his　rope；　like　an　acrobat；　and　had
recognized　the　great　vice　of　the　social　replastering　of　1830。　He　meant
to　turn　it　to　his　own　profit；　following　the　example　of　the　longest
heads　of　the　bourgeoisie。　This　requires　a　rapid　glance　on　one　of　the
effects　of　the　new　order　of　things。

Modern　equality；　unduly　developed　in　our　day；　has　necessarily
developed　in　private　life；　on　a　line　parallel　with　political　life；　the
three　great　divisions　of　the　social　/I；/　namely；　pride；　conceit；　and
vanity。　Fools　wish　to　pass　for　wits；　wits　want　to　be　thought　men　of
talent；　men　of　talent　wish　to　be　treated　as　men　of　genius；　as　for　men
of　genius；　they　are　more　reasonable；　they　consent　to　be　only　demigods。
This　tendency　of　the　public　mind　of　these　days；　which；　in　the　Chamber；
makes　the　manufacturer　jealous　of　the　statesman；　and　the　administrator
jealous　of　the　writer；　leads　fools　to　disparage　wits；　wits　to
disparage　men　of　talent；　men　of　talent　to　disparage　those　who　outstrip
them　by　an　inch　or　two；　and　the　demigods　to　threaten　institutions；　the
throne；　or　whatever　does　not　adore　them　unconditionally。　So　soon　as　a
nation　has；　in　a　very　unstatesmanlike　spirit；　pulled　down　all
recognized　social　superiorities；　she　opens　the　sluice　through　which
rushes　a　torrent　of　secondary　ambitions；　the　meanest　of　which　resolves
to　lead。　She　had；　so　democrats　declare；　an　evil　in　her　aristocracy；
but　a　defined　and　circumscribed　evil；　she　exchanges　it　for　a　dozen
armed　and　contending　aristocraciesthe　worst　of　all　situations。　By
proclaiming　the　equality　of　all；　she　has　promulgated　a　declaration　of
the　rights　of　Envy。　We　inherit　to…day　the　saturnalias　of　the
Revolution　transferred　to　the　domain；　apparently　peaceful；　of　the
mind；　of　industry；　of　politics；　it　now　seems　that　reputations　won　by
toil；　by　services　rendered；　by　talent；　are　privileges　granted　at　the
expense　of　the　masses。　Agrarian　law　will　spread　to　the　field　of　glory。
Never；　in　any　age；　have　men　demanded　the　affixing　of　their　names　on
the　nation's　posters　for　reasons　more　puerile。　Distinction　is　sought
at　any　price；　by　ridicule；　by　an　affectation　of　interest　in　the　cause
of　Poland；　in　penitentiaries；　in　the　future　of　liberated　galley…
slaves；　in　all　the　little　scoundrels　above　and　below　twelve　years；　and
in　every　other　social　misery。　These　diverse　manias　create　fictitious
dignities；　presidents；　vice…presidents；　and　secretaries　of　societies；
the　number　of　which　is　greater　than　that　of　the　social　questions　they
seek　to　solve。　Society　on　its　grand　scale　has　been　demolished　to　make
a　million　of　little　ones　in　the　image　of　the　defunct。　These　parasitic
organizations　reveal　decomposition；　are　they　not　the　swarming　of
maggots　in　the　dead　body？　All　these　societies　are　the　daughters　of　one
mother；　Vanity。　It　is　not　thus　that　Catholic　charity　or　true
beneficence　proceeds；　/they/　study　evils　in　wounds　and　cure　them；　they
don't　perorate　in　public　meetings　upon　deadly　ills　for　the　pleasure　of
perorating。

Fabien　du　Ronceret；　without　being　a　superior　man；　had　divined；　by　the
exercise　of　that　greedy　common…sense　peculiar　to　a　Norman；　the　gain　he
could　derive　from　this　public　vice。　Every　epoch　has　its　character
which　clever　men　make　use　of。　Fabien's　mind；　though　not　clever；　was
wholly　bent　on　making　himself　talked　about。

〃My　dear　fellow；　a　man　must　make　himself　talked　about；　if　he　wants　to
be　anything；〃　he　said；　on　parting　from　the　king　of　Alencon；　a　certain
du　Bousquier；　a　friend　of　his　father。　〃In　six　months　I　shall　be　better
known　than　you　are！〃

It　was　thus　that　Fabien　interpreted　the　spirit　of　his　age；　he　did　not
rule　it；　he　obeyed　it。　He　made　his　debut　in　Bohemia；　a　region　in　the
moral　topography　of　Paris　where　he　was　know