the marriage contract-第27部分

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　　whole　plot　of　the　domestic　conspiracy　hatched　against　you。　This

　　evening；　at　the　Spanish　embassy；　I　shall　offer　my　admiring

　　compliments　to　your　mother…in…law　and　your　wife。　I　shall　pay

　　court　to　Madame　Evangelista；　I　intend　to　desert　you　basely；　and

　　say　sly　things　to　your　discredit；nothing　openly；　or　that

　　Mascarille　in　petticoats　would　detect　my　purpose。　How　did　you　make

　　her　such　an　enemy？　That　is　what　I　want　to　know。　If　you　had　had　the

　　wit　to　be　in　love　with　that　woman　before　you　married　her　daughter；

　　you　would　to…day　be　peer　of　France；　Duc　de　Manerville；　and；

　　possibly；　ambassador　to　Madrid。



　　If　you　had　come　to　me　at　the　time　of　your　marriage；　I　would　have

　　helped　you　to　analyze　and　know　the　women　to　whom　you　were　binding

　　yourself；　out　of　our　mutual　observations　safety　might　have　been

　　yours。　But；　instead　of　that；　these　women　judged　me；　became　afraid

　　of　me；　and　separated　us。　If　you　had　not　stupidly　given　in　to　them

　　and　turned　me　the　cold　shoulder；　they　would　never　have　been　able

　　to　ruin　you。　Your　wife　brought　on　the　coldness　between　us；

　　instigated　by　her　mother；　to　whom　she　wrote　two　letters　a　week；a

　　fact　to　which　you　paid　no　attention。　I　recognized　my　Paul　when　I

　　heard　that　detail。



　　Within　a　month　I　shall　be　so　intimate　with　your　mother…in…law　that

　　I　shall　hear　from　her　the　reasons　of　the　hispano…italiano　hatred

　　which　she　feels　for　you；for　you；　one　of　the　best　and　kindest　men

　　on　earth！　Did　she　hate　you　before　her　daughter　fell　in　love　with

　　Felix　de　Vandenesse；　that's　a　question　in　my　mind。　If　I　had　not

　　taken　a　fancy　to　go　to　the　East　with　Montriveau；　Ronquerolles；　and

　　a　few　other　good　fellows　of　your　acquaintance；　I　should　have　been

　　in　a　position　to　tell　you　something　about　that　affair；　which　was

　　beginning　just　as　I　left　Paris。　I　saw　the　first　gleams　even　then

　　of　your　misfortune。　But　what　gentleman　is　base　enough　to　open　such

　　a　subject　unless　appealed　to？　Who　shall　dare　to　injure　a　woman；　or

　　break　that　illusive　mirror　in　which　his　friend　delights　in　gazing

　　at　the　fairy　scenes　of　a　happy　marriage？　Illusions　are　the　riches

　　of　the　heart。



　　Your　wife；　dear　friend；　is；　I　believe　I　may　say；　in　the　fullest

　　application　of　the　word；　a　fashionable　woman。　She　thinks　of

　　nothing　but　her　social　success；　her　dress；　her　pleasures；　she　goes

　　to　opera　and　theatre　and　balls；　she　rises　late　and　drives　to　the

　　Bois；　dines　out；　or　gives　a　dinner…party。　Such　a　life　seems　to　me

　　for　women　very　much　what　war　is　for　men；　the　public　sees　only　the

　　victors；　it　forgets　the　dead。　Many　delicate　women　perish　in　this

　　conflict；　those　who　come　out　of　it　have　iron　constitutions；

　　consequently　no　heart；　but　good　stomachs。　There　lies　the　reason　of

　　the　cold　insensibility　of　social　life。　Fine　souls　keep　themselves

　　reserved；　weak　and　tender　natures　succumb；　the　rest　are

　　cobblestones　which　hold　the　social　organ　in　its　place；　water…worn

　　and　rounded　by　the　tide；　but　never　worn…out。　Your　wife　has

　　maintained　that　life　with　ease；　she　looks　made　for　it；　she　is

　　always　fresh　and　beautiful。　To　my　mind　the　deduction　is　plain；

　　she　has　never　loved　you；　and　you　have　loved　her　like　a　madman。



　　To　strike　out　love　from　that　siliceous　nature　a　man　of　iron　was

　　needed。　After　standing；　but　without　enduring；　the　shock　of　Lady

　　Dudley；　Felix　was　the　fitting　mate　to　Natalie。　There　is　no　great

　　merit　in　divining　that　to　you　she　was　indifferent。　In　love　with

　　her　yourself；　you　have　been　incapable　of　perceiving　the　cold

　　nature　of　a　young　woman　whom　you　have　fashioned　and　trained　for　a

　　man　like　Vandenesse。　The　coldness　of　your　wife；　if　you　perceived

　　it；　you　set　down；　with　the　stupid　jurisprudence　of　married　people；

　　to　the　honor　of　her　reserve　and　her　innocence。　Like　all　husbands；

　　you　thought　you　could　keep　her　virtuous　in　a　society　where　women

　　whisper　from　ear　to　ear　that　which　men　are　afraid　to　say。



　　No；　your　wife　has　liked　the　social　benefits　she　derived　from

　　marriage；　but　the　private　burdens　of　it　she　found　rather　heavy。

　　Those　burdens；　that　tax　wasyou！　Seeing　nothing　of　all　this；　you

　　have　gone　on　digging　your　abysses　（to　use　the　hackneyed　words　of

　　rhetoric）　and　covering　them　with　flowers。　You　have　mildly　obeyed

　　the　law　which　rules　the　ruck　of　men；　from　which　I　desired　to

　　protect　you。　Dear　fellow！　only　one　thing　was　wanting　to　make　you

　　as　dull　as　the　bourgeois　deceived　by　his　wife；　who　is　all

　　astonishment　or　wrath；　and　that　is　that　you　should　talk　to　me　of

　　your　sacrifices；　your　love　for　Natalie；　and　chant　that　psalm：

　　〃Ungrateful　would　she　be　if　she　betrayed　me；　I　have　done　this；　I

　　have　done　that；　and　more　will　I　do；　I　will　go　to　the　ends　of　the

　　earth；　to　the　Indies　for　her　sake。　II〃　etc。　My　dear　Paul；　have

　　you　never　lived　in　Paris；　have　you　never　had　the　honor　of

　　belonging　by　ties　of　friendship　to　Henri　de　Marsay；　that　you

　　should　be　so　ignorant　of　the　commonest　things；　the　primitive

　　principles　that　move　the　feminine　mechanism；　the　a…b…c　of　their

　　hearts？　Then　hear　me：



　　Suppose　you　exterminate　yourself；　suppose　you　go　to　Saint…Pelagie

　　for　a　woman's　debts；　suppose　you　kill　a　score　of　men；　desert　a

　　dozen　women；　serve　like　Laban；　cross　the　deserts；　skirt　the

　　galleys；　cover　yourself　with　glory；　cover　yourself　with　shame；

　　refuse；　like　Nelson；　to　fight　a　battle　until　you　have　kissed　the

　　shoulder　of　Lady　Hamilton；　dash　yourself；　like　Bonaparte；　upon　the

　　bridge　at　Arcola；　go　mad　like　Roland；　risk　your　life　to　dance　five

　　minutes　with　a　womanmy　dear　fellow；　what　have　all　those　things

　　to　do　with　LOVE？　If　love　were　won　by　samples　such　as　those　mankind

　　would　be　too　happy。　A　spurt　of　prowess　at　the　moment　of　desire

　　would　give　a　man　the　woman　that　he　wanted。　But　love；　LOVE；　my　good

　　Paul；　is　a　faith　like　that　in　the　Immaculate　conception　of　the

　　Holy　Virgin；　it　comes；　or　it　does　not　come。　Will　the　mines　of

　　Potosi；　or　the　shedding　of　our　blood；　or　the　making　of　our　fame

　　serve　to　waken　an　involuntary；　an　inexplicable　sentiment？　Young

　　men　like　you；　who　expect　to　be　loved　as　the　balance　of　your

　　account；　are　nothing　else　than　usurers。　Our　legitimate　wives　owe

　　us　virtue　and　children；　but　they　don't　owe　us　love。



　　Love；　my　dear　Paul；　is　the　sense　of　pleasure　given　and　received；

　　and　the　certainty　of　giving　and　receiving　it；　love　is　a　desire

　　incessantly　moving　and　growing；　incessantly　satisfied　and

　　insatiable。　The　day　when　Vandenesse　stirred　the　cord　of　a　desire

　　in　your　wife's　heart　which　you　had　left　untouched；　all　your　self…

　　satisfied　affection；　your　gifts；　your　deeds；　your　money；　ceased　to

　　be　even　memories；　one　emotion　of　love　in　your　wife's　heart　has

　　cast　out　the　treasures　of　your　own　passion；　which　are　now　nothing

　　better　than　old　iron。　Felix　has　the　virtues　and　the　beauties　in

　　her　eyes；　and　the　simple　moral　is　that　blinded　by　your　own　love

　　you　never　made　her　love　you。



　　Your　mother…in…law　is　on　the　side　of　the　lover　against　the

　　husband；secretly　or　not；　she　may　have　closed　her　eyes；　or　she

　　may　have　opened　them；　I　know　not　what　she　has　donebut　one　thing

　　is　certain；　she　is　for　her　daughter；　and　against　you。　During　the

　　fifteen　years　that　I　have　observed　society；　I　have　never　yet　seen

　　a　mother　who；　under　such　circumstances；　abandons　her　daughter。

　　This　indulgence　seems　to　be　an　inheritance　transmitted　in　the

　　female　line。　What　man　can　blame　it？　Some　copyist　of　the　Civil

　　code；　perhaps；　who　sees　formulas　only　in　the　place　of　feelings。



　　As　for　your　present　position；　the　dissipation　into　which　the　life

　　of　a　fashionable　woman　cast　you；　and　your　own　easy　nature；

　　possibly　your　vanity；　have　opened　the　way　for　your　wife　and　her

　　mother　to　get　rid　of　you　by　this　ruin　so　skilfully　contrived。　From

　　all　of　which　you　will　conclude；　my　good　friend；　that　the　mission

　　you　entrusted　to　me；　and　which　I　would　all　the　more　faithfully

　　fulfil　because　it　amused　me；　is；　necessarily；　null　and　void。　The

　　evil　you　wish　me　to　prevent　is　accomplished；〃consummatum　est。〃



　　Forgive　me；　dear　friend；　if　I　write　to　you；　as　you　say；　a　la　de

　　Marsay　on　subjects　which　must　seem　to　you　very　serious。　Far　be　it

　　from　me　to　dance　upon　the　grave　of　a　friend；　like　heirs　upon　that

　　of　a　progenitor。　But　you　have　written　to　me　that　you　mean　to　act

　　the　part　of　a　man；　and　I　believe　you；　I　therefore　treat　you　as　a

　　man　of　the　world；　and　not　as　a　lover。　For　you；　this　blow　ought　to

　　be　like　the　brand　on　the　shoulder　of　a　galley…slave；　which　flings

　　him　forever　into　a　life　of　systematic　opposition　to　society。　You

　　are　now　freed　of　one　evil；　marriage　possessed　you；　it　now　behooves

　　you　to　turn　round　and　possess　marriage。



　　Paul；　I　am　your　friend　in　the　fullest　acceptation　of　the　word。　If

　　you　had　a　brain　in　an　iron　skull；　if　you　had　the　energy　which　has

　　come　to　you　too　late；　I　would　have　proved　my　friendship　by　telling

　　you　things　that　would　have　made　you　walk　upon　humanity　as　upon　a

　　carpet。　But　when　I　did　talk　to　you　guardedly　of　Parisian

　　civilization；　when　I　told　you　in　the　disguise　of　fiction　some　of

　　the　actual　adventures　of　my　youth；　you　regarded　them　as　mere

　　romance　and　would　not　see　their　bearing。　When　I　told　you　that

　　history　of　a　lawyer　at　the　galleys　branded　for　forgery；　who

　　committed　the　crime　to　give　his　wife；　adored　like　yours；　an　income

　　of　thirty　thousand　francs；　and　whom　his　wife　denounced　that　she

　　might　be　rid　of　him　and　free　to　love　another　man；　you　exclaimed；

　　and　other　fools　who　were　supping　with　us　exclaimed　against　me。

　　Well；　my　dear　Paul；　you　were　that　lawyer；　less　the　galleys。



　　Your　friends　here　are　not　sparing　you。　The　sister　of　the　two

　　Vandenesses；　the　Marquise　de　Listomere　and　all　her　set；　in　which；

　　by　the　bye；　that　little　Rastignac　has　enrolled　himself；the　scamp

　　will　make　his　way！Madame　d'Aiglemont　and　her　salon；