the firm of nucingen-第16章

按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！


y　years　'27；　'30；　and　'32。　The　financial　crisis　of　1827　sent　them　down；　after　the　Revolution　of　July　they　fell　flat；　but　there　really　is　something　in　the　affair；　Nucingen　simply　could　not　invent　a　bad　speculation。　In　short；　as　several　banks　of　the　highest　standing　have　been　mixed　up　in　the　affair；　it　would　be　unparliamentary　to　go　further　into　detail。　The　nominal　capital　amounted　to　ten　millions；　the　real　capital　to　seven。　Three　millions　were　allotted　to　the　founders　and　bankers　that　brought　it　out。　Everything　was　done　with　a　view　to　sending　up　the　shares　two　hundred　francs　during　the　first　six　months　by　the　payment　of　a　sham　dividend。　Twenty　per　cent；　on　ten　millions！　Du　Tillet's　interest　in　the　concern　amounted　to　five　hundred　thousand　francs。　In　the　stock…exchange　slang　of　the　day；　this　share　of　the　spoils　was　a　'sop　in　the　pan。'　Nucingen；　with　his　millions　made　by　the　aid　of　a　lithographer's　stone　and　a　handful　of　pink　paper；　proposed　to　himself　to　operate　certain　nice　little　shares　carefully　hoarded　in　his　private　office　till　the　time　came　for　putting　them　on　the　market。　The　shareholders'　money　floated　the　concern；　and　paid　for　splendid　business　premises；　so　they　began　operations。　And　Nucingen　held　in　reserve　founders'　shares　in　Heaven　knows　what　coal　and　argentiferous　lead…mines；　also　in　a　couple　of　canals；　the　shares　had　been　given　to　him　for　bringing　out　the　concerns。　All　four　were　in　working　order；　well　got　up　and　popular；　for　they　paid　good　dividends。

〃Nucingen　might；　of　course；　count　on　getting　the　differences　if　the　shares　went　up；　but　this　formed　no　part　of　the　Baron's　schemes；　he　left　the　shares　at　sea…level　on　the　market　to　tempt　the　fishes。

〃So　he　had　massed　his　securities　as　Napoleon　massed　his　troops；　all　with　a　view　to　suspending　payment　in　the　thick　of　the　approaching　crisis　of　1826…27　which　revolutionized　European　markets。　If　Nucingen　had　had　his　Prince　of　Wagram；　he　might　have　said；　like　Napoleon　from　the　heights　of　Santon；　'Make　a　careful　survey　of　the　situation；　on　such　and　such　a　day；　at　such　an　hour　funds　will　be　poured　in　at　such　a　spot。'　But　in　whom　could　he　confide？　Du　Tillet　had　no　suspicion　of　his　own　complicity　in　Nucingen's　plot；　and　the　bold　Baron　had　learned　from　his　previous　experiments　in　suspensions　of　payment　that　he　must　have　some　man　whom　he　could　trust　to　act　at　need　as　a　lever　upon　the　creditor。　Nucingen　had　never　a　nephew；　he　dared　not　take　a　confidant；　yet　he　must　have　a　devoted　and　intelligent　Claparon；　a　born　diplomatist　with　a　good　manner；　a　man　worthy　of　him；　and　fit　to　take　office　under　government。　Such　connections　are　not　made　in　a　day　nor　yet　in　a　year。　By　this　time　Rastignac　had　been　so　thoroughly　entangled　by　Nucingen；　that　being；　like　the　Prince　de　la　Paix；　equally　beloved　by　the　King　and　Queen　of　Spain；　he　fancied　that　he　（Rastignac）　had　secured　a　very　valuable　dupe　in　NUCINGEN！　For　a　long　while　he　had　laughed　at　a　man　whose　capacities　he　was　unable　to　estimate；　he　ended　in　a　sober；　serious；　and　devout　admiration　of　Nucingen；　owning　that　Nucingen　really　had　the　power　which　he　thought　he　himself　alone　possessed。

〃From　Rastignac's　introduction　to　society　in　Paris；　he　had　been　led　to　contemn　it　utterly。　From　the　year　1820　he　thought；　like　the　Baron；　that　honesty　was　a　question　of　appearances；　he　looked　upon　the　world　as　a　mixture　of　corruption　and　rascality　of　every　sort。　If　he　admitted　exceptions；　he　condemned　the　mass；　he　put　no　belief　in　any　virtuemen　did　right　or　wrong；　as　circumstances　decided。　His　worldly　wisdom　was　the　work　of　a　moment；　he　learned　his　lesson　at　the　summit　of　Pere　Lachaise　one　day　when　he　buried　a　poor；　good　man　there；　it　was　his　Delphine's　father；　who　died　deserted　by　his　daughters　and　their　husbands；　a　dupe　of　our　society　and　of　the　truest　affection。　Rastignac　then　and　there　resolved　to　exploit　this　world；　to　wear　full　dress　of　virtue；　honesty；　and　fine　manners。　He　was　empanoplied　in　selfishness。　When　the　young　scion　of　nobility　discovered　that　Nucingen　wore　the　same　armor；　he　respected　him　much　as　some　knight　mounted　upon　a　barb　and　arrayed　in　damascened　steel　would　have　respected　an　adversary　equally　well　horsed　and　equipped　at　a　tournament　in　the　Middle　Ages。　But　for　the　time　he　had　grown　effeminate　amid　the　delights　of　Capua。　The　friendship　of　such　a　woman　as　the　Baronne　de　Nucingen　is　of　a　kind　that　sets　a　man　abjuring　egoism　in　all　its　forms。

〃Delphine　had　been　deceived　once　already；　in　her　first　venture　of　the　affections　she　came　across　a　piece　of　Birmingham　manufacture；　in　the　shape　of　the　late　lamented　de　Marsay；　and　therefore　she　could　not　but　feel　a　limitless　affection　for　a　young　provincial's　articles　of　faith。　Her　tenderness　reacted　upon　Rastignac。　So　by　the　time　that　Nucingen　had　put　his　wife's　friend　into　the　harness　in　which　the　exploiter　always　gets　the　exploited；　he　had　reached　the　precise　juncture　when　he　（the　Baron）　meditated　a　third　suspension　of　payment。　To　Rastignac　he　confided　his　position；　he　pointed　out　to　Rastignac　a　means　of　making　'reparation。'　As　a　consequence　of　his　intimacy；　he　was　expected　to　play　the　part　of　confederate。　The　Baron　judged　it　unsafe　to　communicate　the　whole　of　his　plot　to　his　conjugal　collaborator。　Rastignac　quite　believed　in　impending　disaster；　and　the　Baron　allowed　him　to　believe　further　that　he　（Rastignac）　saved　the　shop。

〃But　when　there　are　so　many　threads　in　a　skein；　there　are　apt　to　be　knots。　Rastignac　trembled　for　Delphine's　money。　He　stipulated　that　Delphine　must　be　independent　and　her　estate　separated　from　her　husband's；　swearing　to　himself　that　he　would　repay　her　by　trebling　her　fortune。　As；　however；　Rastignac　said　nothing　of　himself；　Nucingen　begged　him　to　take；　in　the　event　of　success；　twenty…five　shares　of　a　thousand　francs　in　the　argentiferous　lead…mines；　and　Eugene　took　them　not　to　offend　him！　Nucingen　had　put　Rastignac　up　to　this　the　day　before　that　evening　in　the　Rue　Joubert　when　our　friend　counseled　Malvina　to　marry。　A　cold　shiver　ran　through　Rastignac　at　the　sight　of　so　many　happy　folk　in　Paris　going　to　and　fro　unconscious　of　the　impending　loss；　even　so　a　young　commander　might　shiver　at　the　first　sight　of　an　army　drawn　up　before　a　battle。　He　saw　the　d'Aiglemonts；　the　d'Aldriggers；　and　Beaudenord。　Poor　little　Isaure　and　Godefroid　playing　at　love；　what　were　they　but　Acis　and　Galatea　under　the　rock　which　a　hulking　Polyphemus　was　about　to　send　down　upon　them？〃

〃That　monkey　of　a　Bixiou　has　something　almost　like　talent；〃　said　Blondet。

〃Oh！　so　I　am　not　maundering　now？〃　asked　Bixiou；　enjoying　his　success　as　he　looked　round　at　his　surprised　auditors。〃For　two　months　past；〃　he　continued；　〃Godefroid　had　given　himself　up　to　all　the　little　pleasures　of　preparation　for　the　marriage。　At　such　times　men　are　like　birds　building　nests　in　spring；　they　come　and　go；　pick　up　their　bits　of　straw；　and　fly　off　with　them　in　their　beaks　to　line　the　nest　that　is　to　hold　a　brood　of　young　birds　by　and　by。　Isaure's　bridegroom　had　taken　a　house　in　the　Rue　de　la　Plancher　at　a　thousand　crowns；　a　comfortable　little　house　neither　too　large　nor　too　small；　which　suited　them。　Every　morning　he　went　round　to　take　a　look　at　the　workmen　and　to　superintend　the　painters。　He　had　introduced　'comfort'　（the　only　good　thing　in　England）heating　apparatus　to　maintain　an　even　temperature　all　over　the　house；　fresh；　soft　colors；　carefully　chosen　furniture；　neither　too　showy　nor　too　much　in　fashion；　spring…blinds　fitted　to　every　window　inside　and　out；　silver　plate　and　new　carriages。　He　had　seen　to　the　stables；　coach…house；　and　harness…room；　where　Toby　Joby　Paddy　floundered　and　fidgeted　about　like　a　marmot　let　loose；　apparently　rejoiced　to　know　that　there　would　be　women　about　the　place　and　a　'lady'！　This　fervent　passion　of　a　man　that　sets　up　housekeeping；　choosing　clocks；　going　to　visit　his　betrothed　with　his　pockets　full　of　patterns　of　stuffs；　consulting　her　as　to　the　bedroom　furniture；　going；　coming；　and　trotting　about；　for　love's　sake；all　this；　I　say；　is　a　spectacle　in　the　highest　degree　calculated　to　rejoice　the　hearts　of　honest　people；　especially　tradespeople。　And　as　nothing　pleases　folk　better　than　the　marriage　of　a　good…looking　young　fellow　of　seven…and…　twenty　and　a　charming　girl　of　nineteen　that　dances　admirably　well；　Go