the marriage contract-第28部分

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

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

　　Lenoncourts；　the　Comtesse　Ferraud；　Madame　d'Espard；　the　Nucingens；

　　the　Spanish　ambassador；　in　short；　all　the　cliques　in　society　are

　　flinging　mud　upon　you。　You　are　a　bad　man；　a　gambler；　a　dissipated

　　fellow　who　has　squandered　his　property。　After　paying　your　debts　a

　　great　many　times；　your　wife；　an　angel　of　virtue；　has　just　redeemed

　　your　notes　for　one　hundred　thousand　francs；　although　her　property

　　was　separate　from　yours。　Luckily；　you　had　done　the　best　you　could

　　do　by　disappearing。　If　you　had　stayed　here　you　would　have　made　her

　　bed　in　the　straw；　the　poor　woman　would　have　been　the　victim　of　her

　　conjugal　devotion！



　　When　a　man　attains　to　power；　my　dear　Paul；　he　has　all　the　virtues

　　of　an　epitaph；　let　him　fall　into　poverty；　and　he　has　more　sins

　　than　the　Prodigal　Son；　society　at　the　present　moment　gives　you　the

　　vices　of　a　Don　Juan。　You　gambled　at　the　Bourse；　you　had　licentious

　　tastes　which　cost　you　fabulous　sums　of　money　to　gratify；　you　paid

　　enormous　interests　to　money…lenders。　The　two　Vandenesses　have　told

　　everywhere　how　Gigonnet　gave　you　for　six　thousand　francs　an　ivory

　　frigate；　and　made　your　valet　buy　it　back　for　three　hundred　in

　　order　to　sell　it　to　you　again。　The　incident　did　really　happen　to

　　Maxime　de　Trailles　about　nine　years　ago；　but　it　fits　your　present

　　circumstances　so　well　that　Maxime　has　forever　lost　the　command　of

　　his　frigate。



　　In　short；　I　can't　tell　you　one…half　that　is　said；　you　have

　　supplied　a　whole　encyclopaedia　of　gossip　which　the　women　have　an

　　interest　in　swelling。　Your　wife　is　having　an　immense　success。　Last

　　evening　at　the　opera　Madame　Firmiani　began　to　repeat　to　me　some　of

　　the　things　that　are　being　said。　〃Don't　talk　of　that；〃　I　replied。

　　〃You　know　nothing　of　the　real　truth；　you　people。　Paul　has　robbed

　　the　Bank；　cheated　the　Treasury；　murdered　Ezzelin　and　three　Medoras

　　in　the　rue　Saint…Denis；　and　I　think；　between　ourselves；　that　he　is

　　a　member　of　the　Dix…Mille。　His　associate　is　the　famous　Jacques

　　Collin；　on　whom　the　police　have　been　unable　to　lay　a　hand　since　he

　　escaped　from　the　galleys。　Paul　gave　him　a　room　in　his　house；　you

　　see　he　is　capable　of　anything；　in　fact；　the　two　have　gone　off　to

　　India　together　to　rob　the　Great　Mogul。〃　Madame　Firmiani；　like　the

　　distinguished　woman　that　she　is；　saw　that　she　ought　not　to　convert

　　her　beautiful　lips　into　a　mouthpiece　for　false　denunciation。



　　Many　persons；　when　they　hear　of　these　tragi…comedies　of　life；

　　refuse　to　believe　them。　They　take　the　side　of　human　nature　and

　　fine　sentiments；　they　declare　that　these　things　do　not　exist。　But

　　Talleyrand　said　a　fine　thing；　my　dear　fellow：　〃All　things　happen。〃

　　Truly；　things　happen　under　our　very　noses　which　are　more　amazing

　　than　this　domestic　plot　of　yours；　but　society　has　an　interest　in

　　denying　them；　and　in　declaring　itself　calumniated。　Often　these

　　dramas　are　played　so　naturally　and　with　such　a　varnish　of　good

　　taste　that　even　I　have　to　rub　the　lens　of　my　opera…glass　to　see　to

　　the　bottom　of　them。　But；　I　repeat　to　you；　when　a　man　is　a　friend

　　of　mine；　when　we　have　received　together　the　baptism　of　champagne

　　and　have　knelt　together　before　the　altar　of　the　Venus　Commodus；

　　when　the　crooked　fingers　of　play　have　given　us　their　benediction；

　　if　that　man　finds　himself　in　a　false　position　I'd　ruin　a　score　of

　　families　to　do　him　justice。



　　You　must　be　aware　from　all　this　that　I　love　you。　Have　I　ever　in　my

　　life　written　a　letter　as　long　as　this？　No。　Therefore；　read　with

　　attention　what　I　still　have　to　say。



　　Alas！　Paul；　I　shall　be　forced　to　take　to　writing；　for　I　am　taking

　　to　politics。　I　am　going　into　public　life。　I　intend　to　have；　within

　　five　years；　the　portfolio　of　a　ministry　or　some　embassy。　There

　　comes　an　age　when　the　only　mistress　a　man　can　serve　is　his

　　country。　I　enter　the　ranks　of　those　who　intend　to　upset　not　only

　　the　ministry；　but　the　whole　present　system　of　government。　In

　　short；　I　swim　in　the　waters　of　a　certain　prince　who　is　lame　of　the

　　foot　only；a　man　whom　I　regard　as　a　statesman　of　genius　whose

　　name　will　go　down　to　posterity；　a　prince　as　complete　in　his　way　as

　　a　great　artist　may　be　in　his。



　　Several　of　us；　Ronquerolles；　Montriveau；　the　Grandlieus；　La　Roche…

　　Hugon；　Serisy；　Feraud；　and　Granville；　have　allied　ourselves

　　against　the　〃parti…pretre；〃　as　the　party…ninny　represented　by　the

　　〃Constitutionnel〃　has　ingeniously　said。　We　intend　to　overturn　the

　　Navarreins；　Lenoncourts；　Vandenesses；　and　the　Grand　Almonry。　In

　　order　to　succeed　we　shall　even　ally　ourselves　with　Lafayette；　the

　　Orleanists；　and　the　Left；people　whom　we　can　throttle　on　the

　　morrow　of　victory；　for　no　government　in　the　world　is　possible　with

　　their　principles。　We　are　capable　of　anything　for　the　good　of　the

　　countryand　our　own。



　　Personal　questions　as　to　the　King's　person　are　mere　sentimental

　　folly　in　these　days；　they　must　be　cleared　away。　From　that　point　of

　　view；　the　English　with　their　sort　of　Doge；　are　more　advanced　than

　　we　are。　Politics　have　nothing　to　do　with　that；　my　dear　fellow。

　　Politics　consist　in　giving　the　nation　an　impetus　by　creating　an

　　oligarchy　embodying　a　fixed　theory　of　government；　and　able　to

　　direct　public　affairs　along　a　straight　path；　instead　of　allowing

　　the　country　to　be　pulled　in　a　thousand　different　directions；　which

　　is　what　has　been　happening　for　the　last　forty　years　in　our

　　beautiful　Franceat　once　so　intelligent　and　so　sottish；　so　wise

　　and　so　foolish；　it　needs　a　system；　indeed；　much　more　than　men。

　　What　are　individuals　in　this　great　question？　If　the　end　is　a　great

　　one；　if　the　country　may　live　happy　and　free　from　trouble；　what　do

　　the　masses　care　for　the　profits　of　our　stewardship；　our　fortune；

　　privileges；　and　pleasures？



　　I　am　now　standing　firm　on　my　feet。　I　have　at　the　present　moment　a

　　hundred　and　fifty　thousand　francs　a　year　in　the　Three　per　Cents；

　　and　a　reserve　of　two　hundred　thousand　francs　to　repair　damages。

　　Even　this　does　not　seem　to　me　very　much　ballast　in　the　pocket　of　a

　　man　starting　left　foot　foremost　to　scale　the　heights　of　power。



　　A　fortunate　accident　settled　the　question　of　my　setting　out　on

　　this　career；　which　did　not　particularly　smile　on　me；　for　you　know

　　my　predilection　for　the　life　of　the　East。　After　thirty…five　years

　　of　slumber；　my　highly…respected　mother　woke　up　to　the　recollection

　　that　she　had　a　son　who　might　do　her　honor。　Often　when　a　vine…stock

　　is　eradicated；　some　years　after　shoots　come　up　to　the　surface　of

　　the　ground；　well；　my　dear　boy；　my　mother　had　almost　torn　me　up　by

　　the　roots　from　her　heart；　and　I　sprouted　again　in　her　head。　At　the

　　age　of　fifty…eight；　she　thinks　herself　old　enough　to　think　no　more

　　of　any　men　but　her　son。　At　this　juncture　she　has　met　in　some　hot…

　　water　cauldron；　at　I　know　not　what　baths；　a　delightful　old　maid

　　English；　with　two　hundred　and　forty　thousand　francs　a　year；　and；

　　like　a　good　mother；　she　has　inspired　her　with　an　audacious

　　ambition　to　become　my　wife。　A　maid　of　six…and…thirty；　my　word！

　　Brought　up　in　the　strictest　puritanical　principles；　a　steady

　　sitting　hen；　who　maintains　that　unfaithful　wives　should　be

　　publicly　burnt。　'Where　will　you　find　wood　enough？'　I　asked　her。　I

　　could　have　sent　her　to　the　devil；　for　two　hundred　and　forty

　　thousand　francs　a　year　are　no　equivalent　for　liberty；　nor　a　fair

　　price　for　my　physical　and　moral　worth　and　my　prospects。　But　she　is

　　the　sole　heiress　of　a　gouty　old　fellow；　some　London　brewer；　who

　　within　a　calculable　time　will　leave　her　a　fortune　equal　at　least

　　to　what　the　sweet　creature　has　already。　Added　to　these　advantages；

　　she　has　a　red　nose；　the　eyes　of　a　dead　goat；　a　waist　that　makes

　　one　fear　lest　she　should　break　into　three　pieces　if　she　falls

　　down；　and　the　coloring　of　a　badly　painted　doll。　Butshe　is

　　delightfully　economical；　butshe　will　adore　her　husband；　do　what

　　he　will；　butshe　has　the　English　gift；　she　will　manage　my　house；

　　my　stables；　my　servants；　my　estates　better　than　any　steward。　She

　　has　all　the　dignity　of　virtue；　she　holds　herself　as　erect　as　a

　　confidante　on　the　stage　of　the　Francais；　nothing　will　persuade　me

　　that　she　has　not　been　impaled　and　the　shaft　broken　off　in　her

　　body。　Miss　Stevens　is；　however；　fair　enough　to　be　not　too

　　unpleasing　if　I　must　positively　marry　her。　Butand　this　to　me　is

　　truly　patheticshe　has　the　hands　of　a　woman　as　immaculate　as　the

　　sacred　ark；　they　are　so　red　that　I　have　not　yet　hit　on　any　way　to

　　whiten　them　that　will　not　be　too　costly；　and　I　have　no　idea　how　to

　　fine　down　her　fingers；　which　are　like　sausages。　Yes；　she　evidently

　　belongs　to　the　brew…house　by　her　hands；　and　to　the　aristocracy　by

　　her　money；　but　she　is　apt　to　affect　the　great　lady　a　little　too

　　much；　as　rich　English　women　do　who　want　to　be　mistaken　for　them；

　　and　she　displays　her　lobster's　claws　too　freely。



　　She　has；　however；　as　little　intelligence　as　I　could　wish　in　a

　　woman。　If　there　were　a　stupider　one　to　be　found；　I　would　set　out

　　to　seek　her。　This　girl；　whose　name　is　Dinah；　will　never　criticise

　　me；　she　will　never　contradict　me；　I　shall　be　her　Upper　Chamber；

　　her　Lords　and　Commons。　In　short；　Paul；　she　is　indefeasible

　　evidence　of　the　English　genius；　she　is　a　product　of　English

　　mechanics　brought　to　their　highest　pitch　of　perfection；　she　was

　　undoubtedly　made　at　Manchester；　between　the　manufactory　of　Perry's

　　pens　and　the　workshops　for　steam…engines。　It　eats；　it　drinks；　it

　　walks；　it　may　have　children；　take　good　care　of　them；　and　bring

　　them　up　admirably；　and　it　apes　a　woman　so　well　that　you　would

　　believe　it　real。



　　When　my　mother　introduced　us；　she　had　set　up　the　machine　so

　　cleverly；　had　so　carefully　fitted　the　pegs；　and　oiled　the　wheels