father goriot(高老头)-第31部分

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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　this　extravagant　life；　and　decided　that　he　must　continue　it　at　all　costs。　His　dreams　of　obtaining　a　fortune　appeared　more　and　more　chimerical；　and　the　real　obstacles　grew　more　formidable。　His　initiation　into　the　secrets　of　the　Nucingen　household　had　revealed　to　him　that　if　he　were　to　attempt　to　use　this　love　affair　as　a　means　of　mending　his　fortunes；　he　must　swallow　down　all　sense　of　decency；　and　renounce　all　the　generous　ideas　which　redeem　the　sins　of　youth。　He　had　chosen　this　life　of　apparent　splendor；　but　secretly　gnawed　by　the　canker　worm　of　remorse；　a　life　of　fleeting　pleasure　dearly　paid　for　by　persistent　pain；　like　Le　Distrait　of　La　Bruyere；　he　had　descended　so　far　as　to　make　his　bed　in　a　ditch；　but　（also　like　Le　Distrait）　he　himself　was　uncontaminated　as　yet　by　the　mire　that　stained　his　garments。

〃So　we　have　killed　our　mandarin；　have　we？〃　said　Bianchon　one　day　as　they　left　the　dinner　table。

〃Not　yet；〃　he　answered；　〃but　he　is　at　his　last　gasp。〃

The　medical　student　took　this　for　a　joke；　but　it　was　not　a　jest。　Eugene　had　dined　in　the　house　that　night　for　the　first　time　for　a　long　while；　and　had　looked　thoughtful　during　the　meal。　He　had　taken　his　place　beside　Mlle。　Taillefer；　and　stayed　through　the　dessert；　giving　his　neighbor　an　expressive　glance　from　time　to　time。　A　few　of　the　boarders　discussed　the　walnuts　at　the　table；　and　others　walked　about　the　room；　still　taking　part　in　the　conversation　which　had　begun　among　them。　People　usually　went　when　they　chose；　the　amount　of　time　that　they　lingered　being　determined　by　the　amount　of　interest　that　the　conversation　possessed　for　them；　or　by　the　difficulty　of　the　process　of　digestion。　In　winter…time　the　room　was　seldom　empty　before　eight　o'clock；　when　the　four　women　had　it　all　to　themselves；　and　made　up　for　the　silence　previously　imposed　upon　them　by　the　preponderating　masculine　element。　This　evening　Vautrin　had　noticed　Eugene's　abstractedness；　and　stayed　in　the　room；　though　he　had　seemed　to　be　in　a　hurry　to　finish　his　dinner　and　go。　All　through　the　talk　afterwards　he　had　kept　out　of　the　sight　of　the　law　student；　who　quite　believed　that　Vautrin　had　left　the　room。　He　now　took　up　his　position　cunningly　in　the　sitting…room　instead　of　going　when　the　last　boarders　went。　He　had　fathomed　the　young　man's　thoughts；　and　felt　that　a　crisis　was　at　hand。　Rastignac　was；　in　fact；　in　a　dilemma；　which　many　another　young　man　must　have　known。

Mme。　de　Nucingen　might　love　him；　or　might　merely　be　playing　with　him；　but　in　either　case　Rastignac　had　been　made　to　experience　all　the　alternations　of　hope　and　despair　of　genuine　passion；　and　all　the　diplomatic　arts　of　a　Parisienne　had　been　employed　on　him。　After　compromising　herself　by　continually　appearing　in　public　with　Mme。　de　Beauseant's　cousin　she　still　hesitated；　and　would　not　give　him　the　lover's　privileges　which　he　appeared　to　enjoy。　For　a　whole　month　she　had　so　wrought　on　his　senses；　that　at　last　she　had　made　an　impression　on　his　heart。　If　in　the　earliest　days　the　student　had　fancied　himself　to　be　master；　Mme。　de　Nucingen　had　since　become　the　stronger　of　the　two；　for　she　had　skilfully　roused　and　played　upon　every　instinct；　good　or　bad；　in　the　two　or　three　men　comprised　in　a　young　student　in　Paris。　This　was　not　the　result　of　deep　design　on　her　part；　nor　was　she　playing　a　part；　for　women　are　in　a　manner　true　to　themselves　even　through　their　grossest　deceit；　because　their　actions　are　prompted　by　a　natural　impulse。　It　may　have　been　that　Delphine；　who　had　allowed　this　young　man　to　gain　such　an　ascendency　over　her；　conscious　that　she　had　been　too　demonstrative；　was　obeying　a　sentiment　of　dignity；　and　either　repented　of　her　concessions；　or　it　pleased　her　to　suspend　them。　It　is　so　natural　to　a　Parisienne；　even　when　passion　has　almost　mastered　her；　to　hesitate　and　pause　before　taking　the　plunge；　to　probe　the　heart　of　him　to　whom　she　intrusts　her　future。　And　once　already　Mme。　de　Nucingen's　hopes　had　been　betrayed；　and　her　loyalty　to　a　selfish　young　lover　had　been　despised。　She　had　good　reason　to　be　suspicious。　Or　it　may　have　been　that　something　in　Eu