a daughter of eve-第21章

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the　cross　of　the　Legion　of　honor。　Du　Tillet　and　Nucingen　had

guaranteed　the　cross　to　him；　and　the　office　of　Master　of　Petitions

provided　he　obeyed　them　blindly。



The　better　to　deceive　Raoul；　these　men　allowed　him　to　manage　the　paper

without　control。　Du　Tillet　used　it　only　for　his　stock…gambling；　about

which　Nathan　understood　next　to　nothing；　but　he　had　given；　through

Nucingen；　an　assurance　to　Rastignac　that　the　paper　would　be　tacitly

obliging　to　the　government　on　the　sole　condition　of　supporting　his

candidacy　for　Monsieur　de　Nucingen's　place　as　soon　as　he　was　nominated

peer　of　France。　Raoul　was　thus　being　undermined　by　the　banker　and　the

lawyer；　who　saw　him　with　much　satisfaction　lording　it　in　the

newspaper；　profiting　by　all　advantages；　and　harvesting　the　fruits　of

self…love；　while　Nathan；　enchanted；　believed　them　to　be；　as　on　the

occasion　of　his　equestrian　wants；　the　best　fellows　in　the　world。　He

thought　he　managed　them！　Men　of　imagination；　to　whom　hope　is　the　basis

of　existence；　never　allow　themselves　to　know　that　the　most　perilous

moment　in　their　affairs　is　that　when　all　seems　going　well　according　to

their　wishes。



This　was　a　period　of　triumph　by　which　Nathan　profited。　He　appeared　as

a　personage　in　the　world；　political　and　financial。　Du　Tillet　presented

him　to　the　Nucingens。　Madame　de　Nucingen　received　him　cordially；　less

for　himself　than　for　Madame　de　Vandenesse；　but　when　she　ventured　a　few

words　about　the　countess　he　thought　himself　marvellously　clever　in

using　Florine　as　a　shield；　he　alluded　to　his　relations　with　the

actress　in　a　tone　of　generous　self…conceit。　How　could　he　desert　a

great　devotion；　for　the　coquetries　of　the　faubourg　Saint…Germain？



Nathan；　manipulated　by　Nucingen　and　Rastignac；　by　du　Tillet　and

Blondet；　gave　his　support　ostentatiously　to　the　〃doctrinaires〃　of

their　new　and　ephemeral　cabinet。　But　in　order　to　show　himself　pure　of

all　bribery　he　refused　to　take　advantage　of　certain　profitable

enterprises　which　were　started　by　means　of　his　paper；he！　who　had　no

reluctance　in　compromising　friends　or　in　behaving　with　little　decency

to　mechanics　under　certain　circumstances。　Such　meannesses；　the　result

of　vanity　and　of　ambition；　are　found　in　many　lives　like　his。　The

mantle　must　be　splendid　before　the　eyes　of　the　world；　and　we　steal　our

friend's　or　a　poor　man's　cloth　to　patch　it。



Nevertheless；　two　months　after　the　departure　of　the　countess；　Raoul

had　a　certain　Rabelaisian　〃quart　d'heure〃　which　caused　him　some

anxiety　in　the　midst　of　these　triumphs。　Du　Tillet　had　advanced　a

hundred　thousand　francs；　Florine's　money　had　gone　in　the　costs　of　the

first　establishment　of　the　paper；　which　were　enormous。　It　was

necessary　to　provide　for　the　future。　The　banker　agreed　to　let　the

editor　have　fifty　thousand　francs　on　notes　for　four　months。　Du　Tillet

thus　held　Raoul　by　the　halter　of　an　IOU。　By　means　of　this　relief　the

funds　of　the　paper　were　secured　for　six　months。　In　the　eyes　of　some

writers　six　months　is　an　eternity。　Besides；　by　dint　of　advertising　and

by　offering　illusory　advantages　to　subscribers　two　thousand　had　been

secured；　an　influx　of　travellers　added　to　this　semi…success；　which　was

enough；　perhaps；　to　excuse　the　throwing　of　more　bank…bills　after　the

rest。　A　little　more　display　of　talent；　a　timely　political　trial　or

crisis；　an　apparent　persecution；　and　Raoul　felt　certain　of　becoming

one　of　those　modern　〃condottieri〃　whose　ink　is　worth　more　than　powder

and　shot　of　the　olden　time。



This　loan　from　du　Tillet　was　already　made　when　Florine　returned　with

fifty　thousand　francs。　Instead　of　creating　a　savings　fund　with　that

sum；　Raoul；　certain　of　success　（simply　because　he　felt　it　was

necessary）；　and　already　humiliated　at　having　accepted　the　actress's

money；　deceived　Florine　as　to　his　actual　position；　and　persuaded　her

to　employ　the　money　in　refurnishing　her　house。　The　actress；　who　did

not　need　persuasion；　not　only　spent　the　sum　in　hand；　but　she　burdened

herself　with　a　debt　of　thirty　thousand　francs；　with　which　she　obtained

a　charming　little　house　all　to　herself　in　the　rue　Pigale；　whither　her

old　society　resorted。　Raoul　had　reserved　the　production　of　his　great

piece；　in　which　was　a　part　especially　suited　to　Florine；　until　her

return。　This　comedy…vaudeville　was　to　be　Raoul's　farewell　to　the

stage。　The　newspapers；　with　that　good　nature　which　costs　nothing；

prepared　the　way　for　such　an　ovation　to　Florine　that　even　the　Theatre…

Francais　talked　of　engaging　her。　The　feuilletons　proclaimed　her　the

heiress　of　Mars。



This　triumph　was　sufficiently　dazzling　to　prevent　Florine　from

carefully　studying　the　ground　on　which　Nathan　was　advancing；　she

lived；　for　the　time　being；　in　a　round　of　festivities　and　glory。

According　to　those　about　her；　he　was　now　a　great　political　character；

he　was　justified　in　his　enterprise；　he　would　certainly　be　a　deputy；

probably　a　minister　in　course　of　time；　like　so　many　others。　As　for

Nathan　himself；　he　firmly　believed　that　in　the　next　session　of　the

Chamber　he　should　find　himself　in　government　with　two　other

journalists；　one　of　whom；　already　a　minister；　was　anxious　to　associate

some　of　his　own　craft　with　himself；　and　so　consolidate　his　power。

After　a　separation　of　six　months；　Nathan　met　Florine　again　with

pleasure；　and　returned　easily　to　his　old　way　of　life。　All　his　comforts

came　from　the　actress；　but　he　embroidered　the　heavy　tissue　of　his　life

with　the　flowers　of　ideal　passion；　his　letters　to　Marie　were

masterpieces　of　grace　and　style。　Nathan　made　her　the　light　of　his

life；　he　undertook　nothing　without　consulting　his　〃guardian　angel。〃　In

despair　at　being　on　the　popular　side；　he　talked　of　going　over　to　that

of　the　aristocracy；　but；　in　spite　of　his　habitual　agility；　even　he　saw

the　absolute　impossibility　of　such　a　jump；　it　was　easier　to　become　a

minister。　Marie's　precious　replies　were　deposited　in　one　of　those

portfolios　with　patent　locks　made　by　Huret　or　Fichet；　two　mechanics

who　were　then　waging　war　in　advertisements　and　posters　all　over　Paris；

as　to　which　could　make　the　safest　and　most　impenetrable　locks。



This　portfolio　was　left　about　in　Florine's　new　boudoir；　where　Nathan

did　much　of　his　work。　No　one　is　easier　to　deceive　than　a　woman　to　whom

a　man　is　in　the　habit　of　telling　everything；　she　has　no　suspicions；

she　thinks　she　sees　and　hears　and　knows　all。　Besides；　since　her

return；　Nathan　had　led　the　most　regular　of　lives　under　her　very　nose。

Never　did　she　imagine　that　that　portfolio；　which　she　hardly　glanced　at

as　it　lay　there　unconcealed；　contained　the　letters　of　a　rival；

treasures　of　admiring　love　which　the　countess　addressed；　at　Raoul's

request；　to　the　office　of　his　newspaper。



Nathan's　situation　was；　therefore；　to　all　appearance；　extremely

brilliant。　He　had　many　friends。　The　two　plays　lately　produced　had

succeeded　well；　and　their　proceeds　supplied　his　personal　wants　and

relieved　him　of　all　care　for　the　future。　His　debt　to　du　Tillet；　〃his

friend；〃　did　not　make　him　in　the　least　uneasy。



〃Why　distrust　a　friend？〃　he　said　to　Blondet；　who　from　time　to　time

would　cast　a　doubt　on　his　position；　led　to　do　so　by　his　general　habit

of　analyzing。



〃But　we　don't　need　to　distrust　our　enemies；〃　remarked　Florine。



Nathan　defended　du　Tillet；　he　was　the　best；　the　most　upright　of　men。



This　existence；　which　was　really　that　of　a　dancer　on　the　tight　rope

without　his　balance…pole；　would　have　alarmed　any　one；　even　the　most

indifferent；　had　it　been　seen　as　it　really　was。　Du　Tillet　watched　it

with　the　cool　eye　and　the　cynicism　of　a　parvenu。　Through　the　friendly

good　humor　of　his　intercourse　with　Raoul　there　flashed　now　and　then　a

malignant　jeer。　One　day；　after　pressing　his　hand　in　Florine's　boudoir

and　watching　him　as　he　got　into　his　carriage；　du　Tillet　remarked　to

Lousteau　（envier　par　excellence）：



〃That　fellow　is　off　to　the　Bois　in　fine　style　to…day；　but　he　is　just

as　likely；　six　months　hence；　to　be　in　a　debtor's　prison。〃



〃He？　never！〃　cried　L