the collection of antiquities-第6部分

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Du　Croisier　caught　a　glimpse　of　his　revenge　in　the　anomalous　education　given　to　the　lad。　He　hoped；　to　quote　the　expressive　words　of　the　author　quoted　above；　〃to　drown　the　lamb　in　its　mother's　milk。〃　THIS　was　the　hope　which　had　produced　his　taciturn　resignation　and　brought　that　savage　smile　on　his　lips。

The　young　Comte　Victurnien　was　taught　to　believe　in　his　own　supremacy　as　soon　as　an　idea　could　enter　his　head。　All　the　great　nobles　of　the　realm　were　his　peers；　his　one　superior　was　the　King；　and　the　rest　of　mankind　were　his　inferiors；　people　with　whom　he　had　nothing　in　common；　towards　whom　he　had　no　duties。　They　were　defeated　and　conquered　enemies；　whom　he　need　not　take　into　account　for　a　moment；　their　opinions　could　not　affect　a　noble；　and　they　all　owed　him　respect。　Unluckily；　with　the　rigorous　logic　of　youth；　which　leads　children　and　young　people　to　proceed　to　extremes　whether　good　or　bad；　Victurnien　pushed　these　conclusions　to　their　utmost　consequences。　His　own　external　advantages；　moreover；　confirmed　him　in　his　beliefs。　He　had　been　extraordinarily　beautiful　as　a　child；　he　became　as　accomplished　a　young　man　as　any　father　could　wish。

He　was　of　average　height；　but　well　proportioned；　slender；　and　almost　delicate…looking；　but　muscular。　He　had　the　brilliant　blue　eyes　of　the　d'Esgrignons；　the　finely…moulded　aquiline　nose；　the　perfect　oval　of　the　face；　the　auburn　hair；　the　white　skin；　and　the　graceful　gait　of　his　family；　he　had　their　delicate　extremities；　their　long　taper　fingers　with　the　inward　curve；　and　that　peculiar　distinction　of　shapeliness　of　the　wrist　and　instep；　that　supple　felicity　of　line；　which　is　as　sure　a　sign　of　race　in　men　as　in　horses。　Adroit　and　alert　in　all　bodily　exercises；　and　an　excellent　shot；　he　handled　arms　like　a　St。　George；　he　was　a　paladin　on　horseback。　In　short；　he　gratified　the　pride　which　parents　take　in　their　children's　appearance；　a　pride　founded；　for　that　matter；　on　a　just　idea　of　the　enormous　influence　exercised　by　physical　beauty。　Personal　beauty　has　this　in　common　with　noble　birth；　it　cannot　be　acquired　afterwards；　it　is　everywhere　recognized；　and　often　is　more　valued　than　either　brains　or　money；　beauty　has　only　to　appear　and　triumph；　nobody　asks　more　of　beauty　than　that　it　should　simply　exist。

Fate　had　endowed　Victurnien；　over　and　above　the　privileges　of　good　looks　and　noble　birth；　with　a　high　spirit；　a　wonderful　aptitude　of　comprehension；　and　a　good　memory。　His　education；　therefore；　had　been　complete。　He　knew　a　good　deal　more　than　is　usually　known　by　young　provincial　nobles；　who　develop　into　highly…distinguished　sportsmen；　owners　of　land；　and　consumers　of　tobacco；　and　are　apt　to　treat　art；　sciences；　letters；　poetry；　or　anything　offensively　above　their　intellects；　cavalierly　enough。　Such　gifts　of　nature　and　education　surely　would　one　day　realize　the　Marquis　d'Esgrignon's　ambitions；　he　already　saw　his　son　a　Marshal　of　France　if　Victurnien's　tastes　were　for　the　army；　an　ambassador　if　diplomacy　held　any　attractions　for　him；　a　cabinet　minister　if　that　career　seemed　good　in　his　eyes；　every　place　in　the　state　belonged　to　Victurnien。　And；　most　gratifying　thought　of　all　for　a　father；　the　young　Count　would　have　made　his　way　in　the　world　by　his　own　merits　even　if　he　had　not　been　a　d'Esgrignon。

All　through　his　happy　childhood　and　golden　youth；　Victurnien　had　never　met　with　opposition　to　his　wishes。　He　had　been　the　king　of　the　house；　no　one　curbed　the　little　prince's　will；　and　naturally　he　grew　up　insolent　and　audacious；　selfish　as　a　prince；　self…willed　as　the　most　high…spirited　cardinal　of　the　Middle　Ages；defects　of　character　which　any　one　might　guess　from　his　qualities；　essentially　those　of　the　noble。

The　Chevalier　was　a　man　of　the　good　old　times　when　the　Gray　Musketeers　were　the　terror　of　the　Paris　theatres；　when　they　horsewhipped　the　watch　and　drubbed　servers　of　writs；　and　played　a　host　of　page's　pranks；　at　which　Majesty　was　wont　to　smile　so　long　as　they　were　amusing。　This　charming　deceiver　and　hero　of　the　ruelles　had　no　small　share　in　bringing　about　the　disasters　which　afterwards　befell。　The　amiable　old　gentleman；　with　nobody　to　understand　him；　was　not　a　little　pleased　to　find　a　budding　Faublas；　who　looked　the　part　to　admiration；　and　put　him　in　mind　of　his　own　young　days。　So；　making　no　allowance　for　the　difference　of　the　times；　he　sowed　the　maxims　of　a　roue　of　the　Encyclopaedic　period　broadcast　in　the　boy's　mind。　He　told　wicked　anecdotes　of　the　reign　of　His　Majesty　Louis　XV。；　he　glorified　the　manners　and　customs　of　the　year　1750；　he　told　of　the　orgies　in　petites　maisons；　the　follies　of　courtesans；　the　capital　tricks　played　on　creditors；　the　manners；　in　short；　which　furnished　forth　Dancourt's　comedies　and　Beaumarchais'　epigrams。　And　unfortunately；　the　corruption　lurking　beneath　the　utmost　polish　tricked　itself　out　in　Voltairean　wit。　If　the　Chevalier　went　rather　too　far　at　times；　he　always　added　as　a　corrective　that　a　man　must　always　behave　himself　like　a　gentleman。

Of　all　this　discourse；　Victurnien　comprehended　just　so　much　as　flattered　his　passions。　From　the　first　he　saw　his　old　father　laughing　with　the　Chevalier。　The　two　elderly　men　considered　that　the　pride　of　a　d'Esgrignon　was　a　sufficient　safeguard　against　anything　unbefitting；　as　for　a　dishonorable　action；　no　one　in　the　house　imagined　that　a　d'Esgrignon　could　be　guilty　of　it。　HONOR；　the　great　principle　of　Monarchy；　was　planted　firm　like　a　beacon　in　the　hearts　of　the　family；　it　lighted　up　the　least　action；　it　kindled　the　least　thought　of　a　d'Esgrignon。　〃A　d'Esgrignon　ought　not　to　permit　himself　to　do　such　and　such　a　thing；　he　bears　a　name　which　pledges　him　to　make　a　future　worthy　of　the　past〃a　noble　teaching　which　should　have　been　sufficient　in　itself　to　keep　alive　the　tradition　of　noblessehad　been；　as　it　were；　the　burden　of　Victurnien's　cradle　song。　He　heard　them　from　the　old　Marquis；　from　Mlle。　Armande；　from　Chesnel；　from　the　intimates　of　the　house。　And　so　it　came　to　pass　that　good　and　evil　met；　and　in　equal　forces；　in　the　boy's　soul。

At　the　age　of　eighteen；　Victurnien　went　into　society。　He　noticed　some　slight　discrepancies　between　the　outer　world　of　the　town　and　the　inner　world　of　the　Hotel　d'Esgrignon；　but　he　in　no　wise　tried　to　seek　the　causes　of　them。　And；　indeed；　the　causes　were　to　be　found　in　Paris。　He　had　yet　to　learn　that　the　men　who　spoke　their　minds　out　so　boldly　in　evening　talk　with　his　father；　were　extremely　careful　of　what　they　said　in　the　presence　of　the　hostile　persons　with　whom　their　interests　compelled　them　to　mingle。　His　own　father　had　won　the　right　of　freedom　of　speech。　Nobody　dreamed　of　contradicting　an　old　man　of　seventy；　and　besides；　every　one　was　willing　to　overlook　fidelity　to　the　old　order　of　things　in　a　man　who　had　been　violently　despoiled。

Victurnien　was　deceived　by　appearances；　and　his　behavior　set　up　the　backs　of　the　townspeople。　In　his　impetuous　way　he　tried　to　carry　matters　with　too　high　a　hand　over　some　difficulties　in　the　way　of　sport；　which　ended　in　formidable　lawsuits；　hushed　up　by　Chesnel　for　money　paid　down。　Nobody　dared　to　tell　the　Marquis　of　these　things。　You　may　judge　of　his　astonishment　if　he　had　heard　that　his　son　had　been　prosecuted　for　shooting　over　his　lands；　his　domains；　his　covers；　under　the　reign　of　a　son　of　St。　Louis！　People　were　too　much　afraid　of　the　possible　consequences　to　tell　him　about　such　trifles；　Chesnel　said。

The　young　Count　indulged　in　other　escapades　in　the　town。　These　the　Chevalier　regarded　as　〃amourettes；〃　but　they　cost　Chesnel　something　considerable　in　portions　for　forsaken　damsels　seduced　under　imprudent　promises　of　marriage：　yet　other　cases　there　were　which　came　under　an　article　of　the　Code　as　to　the　abduction　of　minors；　and　but　for　Chesnel's　timely　intervention；　the　new　law　would　have　been　allowed　to　take　its　brutal　course；　and　it　is　hard　to　say　where　the　Count　might　have　ended。　Victurnien　grew　the　bolder　for　these　victories　over　bourgeois　justice。　He　was　so　accustomed　to　be　pulled　out　of　scrapes；　that　he　never　thought　twice　before　any　prank。　Courts　of　law；　in　his　opinion；　were　bugbears　to　frighten　people　who　had　no　hold　on　him。　Things　which　he　would　have　blamed　in　common　people　were　for　him　only　pardonable　amusements。　His　disposition　to　treat　the　new　laws　cavalierly　while　obeying　the　maxims　of　a　Code　for　aristocrats；　his　behavior　and　character；　were　all　pondered；　analyzed；　and　tested　by　a　few　adroit　persons　in　du　Croisier's　interests。　These　folk　supported　each　other　in　the　effort　to　make　the　people　believe　that　Liberal　slanders　were　revelations；　and　that　the　Ministerial　policy　at　bottom　meant　a　return　to　the　old　order　of　things。

What　a　bit　of　luck　to　find　something　by　way　of　proof　of　their　assertions！　President　du　Ronceret；　and　the　public　prosecutor　likewise；　lent　themselves　admirably；　so　far　as　was　compatible　with　their　duty　as　magistrates；　to　the　design　of　letting　off　the　offender　as　easily　as　possible；　indeed；　they　went　deliberately　out　of　their　way　to　do　this；　well　pleased　to　raise　a　Liberal　clamor　against　their　overlarge　concessions。　And　so；　while　seeming　to　serve　the　interests　of　the　d'Esgrignons；　they　stirred　up　feeling　against　them。　The　treacherous　de　Ronceret　had　it　in　his　mind　to　pose　as　incorruptible　at　the　right　moment　over　some　serious　charge；　with　public　opinion　to　back　him　up。　The　young　Count's　worst　tendencies；　moreover；　were　insidiously　encouraged　by　two　or　three　young　men　who　followed　in　his　train；　paid　court　to　him；　won　his　favor；　and　flattered　and　obeyed　him；　with　a　view　to　confirming　his　belief　in　a　noble's　supremacy；　and　all　this　at　a　time　when　a　noble's　one　chance　of　preserving　his　power　lay　in　using　it　with　the　utmost　discretion　for　half　a　century　to　come。

Du　Croisier　hoped　to　reduce　the　d'Esgrignons　to　the　last　extremity　of　poverty；　he　hoped　to　see　their　castle　demolished；　and　their　lands　sold　piecemeal　by　auction；　through　the　follies　which　this　harebrained　boy　was　pretty　certain　to　commit。　This　was　as　far　as　he　went；　he　did　not　think；　with　President　du　Ronceret；　that　Victurnien　was　likely　to　give　justice　another　kind　of　hold　upon　him。　Both　men　found　an　ally　for　their　schemes　of　revenge　in　Victurnien's　overweening　vanity　and　love　of　pleasure。　President　du　Ronceret's　son；　a　lad　of　seventeen；　was　admirably　fitted　for　the　part　of　instigat