gobseck-第3章

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Mahometan；　Brahmin；　or　what　not？　I　never　knew　anything　whatsoever

about　his　religious　opinions；　and　so　far　as　I　could　see；　he　was

indifferent　rather　than　incredulous。



〃One　evening　I　went　in　to　see　this　man　who　had　turned　himself　to　gold；

the　usurer；　whom　his　victims　（his　clients；　as　he　styled　them）　were

wont　to　call　Daddy　Gobseck；　perhaps　ironically；　perhaps　by　way　of

antiphrasis。　He　was　sitting　in　his　armchair；　motionless　as　a　statue；

staring　fixedly　at　the　mantel…shelf；　where　he　seemed　to　read　the

figures　of　his　statements。　A　lamp；　with　a　pedestal　that　had　once　been

green；　was　burning　in　the　room；　but　so　far　from　taking　color　from　its

smoky　light；　his　face　seemed　to　stand　out　positively　paler　against　the

background。　He　pointed　to　a　chair　set　for　me；　but　not　a　word　did　he

say。



〃　'What　thoughts　can　this　being　have　in　his　mind？'　said　I　to　myself。

'Does　he　know　that　a　God　exists；　does　he　know　there　are　such　things　as

feeling；　woman；　happiness？'　I　pitied　him　as　I　might　have　pitied　a

diseased　creature。　But；　at　the　same　time；　I　knew　quite　well　that　while

he　had　millions　of　francs　at　his　command；　he　possessed　the　world　no

less　in　ideathat　world　which　he　had　explored；　ransacked；　weighed；

appraised；　and　exploited。



〃　'Good　day；　Daddy　Gobseck；'　I　began。



〃He　turned　his　face　towards　me　with　a　slight　contraction　of　his　bushy；

black　eyebrows；　this　characteristic　shade　of　expression　in　him　meant

as　much　as　the　most　jubilant　smile　on　a　Southern　face。



〃　'You　look　just　as　gloomy　as　you　did　that　day　when　the　news　came　of

the　failure　of　that　bookseller　whose　sharpness　you　admired　so　much；

though　you　were　one　of　his　victims。'



〃　'One　of　his　victims？'　he　repeated；　with　a　look　of　astonishment。



〃　'Yes。　Did　you　not　refuse　to　accept　composition　at　the　meeting　of

creditors　until　he　undertook　privately　to　pay　you　your　debt　in　full；

and　did　he　not　give　you　bills　accepted　by　the　insolvent　firm；　and

then；　when　he　set　up　in　business　again；　did　he　not　pay　you　the

dividend　upon　those　bills　of　yours；　signed　as　they　were　by　the

bankrupt　firm？'



〃　'He　was　a　sharp　one；　but　I　had　it　out　of　him。'



〃　'Then　have　you　some　bills　to　protest？　To…day　is　the　30th；　I

believe。'



〃It　was　the　first　time　I　had　spoken　to　him　of　money。　He　looked

ironically　up　at　me；　then　in　those　bland　accents；　not　unlike　the　husky

tones　which　the　tyro　draws　from　a　flute；　he　answered；　'I　am　amusing

myself。'



〃　'So　you　amuse　yourself　now　and　again？'



〃　'Do　you　imagine　that　the　only　poets　in　the　world　are　those　who　print

their　verses？'　he　asked；　with　a　pitying　look　and　shrug　of　the

shoulders。



〃　'Poetry　in　that　head！'　thought　I；　for　as　yet　I　knew　nothing　of　his

life。



〃　'What　life　could　be　as　glorious　as　mine？'　he　continued；　and　his　eyes

lighted　up。　'You　are　young；　your　mental　visions　are　colored　by

youthful　blood；　you　see　women's　faces　in　the　fire；　while　I　see　nothing

but　coals　in　mine。　You　have　all　sorts　of　beliefs；　while　I　have　no

beliefs　at　all。　Keep　your　illusionsif　you　can。　Now　I　will　show　you

life　with　the　discount　taken　off。　Go　wherever　you　like；　or　stay　at

home　by　the　fireside　with　your　wife；　there　always　comes　a　time　when

you　settle　down　in　a　certain　groove；　the　groove　is　your　preference；

and　then　happiness　consists　in　the　exercise　of　your　faculties　by

applying　them　to　realities。　Anything　more　in　the　way　of　precept　is

false。　My　principles　have　been　various；　among　various　men；　I　had　to

change　them　with　every　change　of　latitude。　Things　that　we　admire　in

Europe　are　punishable　in　Asia；　and　a　vice　in　Paris　becomes　a　necessity

when　you　have　passed　the　Azores。　There　are　no　such　things　as　hard…and…

fast　rules；　there　are　only　conventions　adapted　to　the　climate。　Fling　a

man　headlong　into　one　social　melting　pot　after　another；　and

convictions　and　forms　and　moral　systems　become　so　many　meaningless

words　to　him。　The　one　thing　that　always　remains；　the　one　sure　instinct

that　nature　has　implanted　in　us；　is　the　instinct　of　self…interest。　If

you　had　lived　as　long　as　I　have；　you　would　know　that　there　is　but　one

concrete　reality　invariable　enough　to　be　worth　caring　about；　and　that

isGOLD。　Gold　represents　every　form　of　human　power。　I　have　traveled。

I　found　out　that　there　were　either　hills　or　plains　everywhere：　the

plains　are　monotonous；　the　hills　a　weariness；　consequently；　place　may

be　left　out　of　the　question。　As　to　manners；　man　is　man　all　the　world

over。　The　same　battle　between　the　poor　and　the　rich　is　going　on

everywhere；　it　is　inevitable　everywhere；　consequently；　it　is　better　to

exploit　than　to　be　exploited。　Everywhere　you　find　the　man　of　thews　and

sinews　who　toils；　and　the　lymphatic　man　who　torments　himself；　and

pleasures　are　everywhere　the　same；　for　when　all　sensations　are

exhausted；　all　that　survives　is　VanityVanity　is　the　abiding

substance　of　us；　the　_I_　in　us。　Vanity　is　only　to　be　satisfied　by　gold

in　floods。　Our　dreams　need　time　and　physical　means　and　painstaking

thought　before　they　can　be　realized。　Well；　gold　contains　all　things　in

embryo；　gold　realizes　all　things　for　us。



〃　'None　but　fools　and　invalids　can　find　pleasure　in　shuffling　cards

all　evening　long　to　find　out　whether　they　shall　win　a　few　pence　at　the

end。　None　but　driveling　idiots　could　spend　time　in　inquiring　into　all

that　is　happening　around　them；　whether　Madame　Such…an…One　slept　single

on　her　couch　or　in　company；　whether　she　has　more　blood　than　lymph；

more　temperament　than　virtue。　None　but　the　dupes；　who　fondly　imagine

that　they　are　useful　to　their　like；　can　interest　themselves　in　laying

down　rules　for　political　guidance　amid　events　which　neither　they　nor

any　one　else　foresees；　nor　ever　will　foresee。　None　but　simpletons　can

delight　in　talking　about　stage　players　and　repeating　their　sayings；

making　the　daily　promenade　of　a　caged　animal　over　a　rather　larger

area；　dressing　for　others；　eating　for　others；　priding　themselves　on　a

horse　or　a　carriage　such　as　no　neighbor　can　have　until　three　days

later。　What　is　all　this　but　Parisian　life　summed　up　in　a　few　phrases？

Let　us　find　a　higher　outlook　on　life　than　theirs。　Happiness　consists

either　in　strong　emotions　which　drain　our　vitality；　or　in　methodical

occupation　which　makes　existence　like　a　bit　of　English　machinery；

working　with　the　regularity　of　clockwork。　A　higher　happiness　than

either　consists　in　a　curiosity；　styled　noble；　a　wish　to　learn　Nature's

secrets；　or　to　attempt　by　artificial　means　to　imitate　Nature　to　some

extent。　What　is　this　in　two　words　but　Science　and　Art；　or　passion　or

calm？Ah！　well；　every　human　passion　wrought　up　to　its　highest　pitch

in　the　struggle　for　existence　comes　to　parade　itself　before　meas　I

live　in　calm。　As　for　your　scientific　curiosity；　a　kind　of　wrestling

bout　in　which　man　is　never　uppermost；　I　replace　it　by　an　insight　into

all　the　springs　of　action　in　man　and　woman。　To　sum　up；　the　world　is

mine　without　effort　of　mine；　and　the　world　has　not　the　slightest　hold

on　me。　Listen　to　this；'　he　went　on；　'I　will　tell　you　the　history　of　my

morning；　and　you　will　divine　my　pleasures。'



〃He　got　up；　pushed　the　bolt　of　the　door；　drew　a　tapestry　curtain

across　it　with　a　sharp　grating　sound　of　the　rings　on　the　rod；　then　he

sat　down　again。



〃　'This　morning；'　he　said；　'I　had　only　two　amounts　to　collect；　the

rest　of　the　bills　that　were　due　I　gave　away　instead　of　cash　to　my

customers　yesterday。　So　much　saved；　you　see；　for　when　I　discount　a

bill　I　always　deduct　two　francs　for　a　hired　broughamexpenses　of

collection。　A　pretty　thing　it　would　be；　would　it　not；　if　my　clients

were　to　set　ME　trudging　all　over　Paris　for　half…a…dozen　francs　of

discount；　when　no　man　is　my　master；　and　I　only　pay　seven　francs　in　the

shape　of　taxes？



〃　'The　first　bill　for　a　thousand　francs　was　presented　by　a　young

fellow；　a　smart　buck　with　a　spangled　waistcoat；　and　an　eyeglass；　and　a

tilbury　and　an　English　horse；　and　all　the　rest　of　it。　The　bill　bore

the　signature　of　one　of　the　prettiest　women　in　Par