gobseck-第5章

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deserved　it；　what　call　was　there　for　me　to　trust　her？



〃　'　〃What　does　this　gentleman　want？〃　asked　the　Count。



〃　'I　could　see　that　the　Countess　was　trembling　from　head　to　foot；　the

white　satin　skin　of　her　throat　was　rough；　〃turned　to　goose　flesh；〃　to

use　the　familiar　expression。　As　for　me；　I　laughed　in　myself　without

moving　a　muscle。



〃　'　〃This　gentleman　is　one　of　my　tradesmen；〃　she　said。



〃　'The　Count　turned　his　back　on　me；　I　drew　the　bill　half　out　of　my

pocket。　After　that　inexorable　movement；　she　came　over　to　me　and　put　a

diamond　into　my　hands。　〃Take　it；〃　she　said；　〃and　be　gone。〃



〃　'We　exchanged　values；　and　I　made　my　bow　and　went。　The　diamond　was

quite　worth　twelve　hundred　francs　to　me。　Out　in　the　courtyard　I　saw　a

swarm　of　flunkeys；　brushing　out　their　liveries；　waxing　their　boots；

and　cleaning　sumptuous　equipages。



〃　'　〃This　is　what　brings　these　people　to　me！〃　said　I　to　myself。　〃It　is

to　keep　up　this　kind　of　thing　that　they　steal　millions　with　all　due

formalities；　and　betray　their　country。　The　great　lord；　and　the　little

man　who　apes　the　great　lord；　bathes　in　mud　once　for　all　to　save

himself　a　splash　or　two　when　he　goes　afoot　through　the　streets。〃



〃　'Just　then　the　great　gates　were　opened　to　admit　a　cabriolet。　It　was

the　same　young　fellow　who　had　brought　the　bill　to　me。



〃　'　〃Sir；〃　I　said；　as　he　alighted；　〃here　are　two　hundred　francs；　which

I　beg　you　to　return　to　Mme。　la　Comtesse；　and　have　the　goodness　to　tell

her　that　I　hold　the　pledge　which　she　deposited　with　me　this　morning　at

her　disposition　for　a　week。〃



〃　'He　took　the　two　hundred　francs；　and　an　ironical　smile　stole　over

his　face；　it　was　as　if　he　had　said；　〃Aha！　so　she　has　paid　it；　has　she？

。　。　。　Faith；　so　much　the　better！〃　I　read　the　Countess'　future　in　his

face。　That　good…looking；　fair…haired　young　gentleman　is　a　heartless

gambler；　he　will　ruin　himself；　ruin　her；　ruin　her　husband；　ruin　the

children；　eat　up　their　portions；　and　work　more　havoc　in　Parisian

salons　than　a　whole　battery　of　howitzers　in　a　regiment。



〃　'I　went　back　to　see　Mlle。　Fanny　in　the　Rue　Montmartre；　climbed　a

very　steep；　narrow　staircase；　and　reached　a　two…roomed　dwelling　on　the

fifth　floor。　Everything　was　as　neat　as　a　new　ducat。　I　did　not　see　a

speck　of　dust　on　the　furniture　in　the　first　room；　where　Mlle。　Fanny

was　sitting。　Mlle。　Fanny　herself　was　a　young　Parisian　girl；　quietly

dressed；　with　a　delicate　fresh　face；　and　a　winning　look。　The

arrangement　of　her　neatly　brushed　chestnut　hair　in　a　double　curve　on

her　forehead　lent　a　refined　expression　to　blue　eyes；　clear　as　crystal。

The　broad　daylight　streaming　in　through　the　short　curtains　against　the

window　pane　fell　with　softened　light　on　her　girlish　face。　A　pile　of

shaped　pieces　of　linen　told　me　that　she　was　a　sempstress。　She　looked

like　a　spirit　of　solitude。　When　I　held　out　the　bill；　I　remarked　that

she　had　not　been　at　home　when　I　called　in　the　morning。



〃　'　〃But　the　money　was　left　with　the　porter's　wife；〃　said　she。



〃　'I　pretended　not　to　understand。



〃　'　〃You　go　out　early；　mademoiselle；　it　seems。〃



〃　'　〃I　very　seldom　leave　my　room；　but　when　you　work　all　night；　you　are

obliged　to　take　a　bath　sometimes。〃



〃　'I　looked　at　her。　A　glance　told　me　all　about　her　life。　Here　was　a

girl　condemned　by　misfortune　to　toil；　a　girl　who　came　of　honest　farmer

folk；　for　she　had　still　a　freckle　or　two　that　told　of　country　birth。

There　was　an　indefinable　atmosphere　of　goodness　about　her；　I　felt　as

if　I　were　breathing　sincerity　and　frank　innocence。　It　was　refreshing

to　my　lungs。　Poor　innocent　child；　she　had　faith　in　something；　there

was　a　crucifix　and　a　sprig　or　two　of　green　box　above　her　poor　little

painted　wooden　bedstead；　I　felt　touched；　or　somewhat　inclined　that

way。　I　felt　ready　to　offer　to　charge　no　more　than　twelve　per　cent；　and

so　give　something　towards　establishing　her　in　a　good　way　of　business。



〃　'　〃But　maybe　she　has　a　little　youngster　of　a　cousin；〃　I　said　to

myself；　〃who　would　raise　money　on　her　signature　and　sponge　on　the　poor

girl。〃



〃　'So　I　went　away；　keeping　my　generous　impulses　well　under　control；

for　I　have　frequently　had　occasion　to　observe　that　when　benevolence

does　no　harm　to　him　who　gives　it；　it　is　the　ruin　of　him　who　takes。

When　you　came　in　I　was　thinking　that　Fanny　Malvaut　would　make　a　nice

little　wife；　I　was　thinking　of　the　contrast　between　her　pure；　lonely

life　and　the　life　of　the　Countessshe　has　sunk　as　low　as　a　bill　of

exchange　already；　she　will　sink　to　the　lowest　depths　of　degradation

before　she　has　done！'I　scrutinized　him　during　the　deep　silence　that

followed；　but　in　a　moment　he　spoke　again。　'Well；'　he　said；　'do　you

think　that　it　is　nothing　to　have　this　power　of　insight　into　the

deepest　recesses　of　the　human　heart；　to　embrace　so　many　lives；　to　see

the　naked　truth　underlying　it　all？　There　are　no　two　dramas　alike：

there　are　hideous　sores；　deadly　chagrins；　love　scenes；　misery　that

soon　will　lie　under　the　ripples　of　the　Seine；　young　men's　joys　that

lead　to　the　scaffold；　the　laughter　of　despair；　and　sumptuous　banquets。

Yesterday　it　was　a　tragedy。　A　worthy　soul　of　a　father　drowned　himself

because　he　could　not　support　his　family。　To…morrow　is　a　comedy；　some

youngster　will　try　to　rehearse　the　scene　of　M。　Dimanche；　brought　up　to

date。　You　have　heard　the　people　extol　the　eloquence　of　our　latter　day

preachers；　now　and　again　I　have　wasted　my　time　by　going　to　hear　them；

they　produced　a　change　in　my　opinions；　but　in　my　conduct　（as　somebody

said；　I　can't　recollect　his　name）；　in　my　conductnever！Well；　well；

these　good　priests　and　your　Mirabeaus　and　Vergniauds　and　the　rest　of

them；　are　mere　stammering　beginners　compared　with　these　orators　of

mine。



〃　'Often　it　is　some　girl　in　love；　some　gray…headed　merchant　on　the

verge　of　bankruptcy；　some　mother　with　a　son's　wrong…doing　to　conceal；

some　starving　artist；　some　great　man　whose　influence　is　on　the　wane；

and；　for　lack　of　money；　is　like　to　lose　the　fruit　of　all　his　labors

the　power　of　their　pleading　has　made　me　shudder。　Sublime　actors　such

as　these　play　for　me；　for　an　audience　of　one；　and　they　cannot　deceive

me。　I　can　look　into　their　inmost　thoughts；　and　read　them　as　God　reads

them。　Nothing　is　hidden　from　me。　Nothing　is　refused　to　the　holder　of

the　purse…strings　to　loose　and　to　bind。　I　am　rich　enough　to　buy　the

consciences　of　those　who　control　the　action　of　ministers；　from　their

office　boys　to　their　mistresses。　Is　not　that　power？I　can　possess　the

fairest　women；　receive　their　softest　caresses；　is　not　that　Pleasure？

And　is　not　your　whole　social　economy　summed　up　in　terms　of　Power　and

Pleasure？



〃　'There　are　ten　of　us　in　Paris；　silent；　unknown　kings；　the　arbiters

of　your　destinies。　What　is　life　but　a　machine　set　in　motion　by　money？

Know　this　for　certainmethods　are　always　confounded　with　results；　you

will　never　succeed　in　separating　the　soul　from　the　senses；　spirit　from

matter。　Gold　is　the　spiritual　basis　of　existing　society。The　ten　of

us　are　bound　by　the　ties　of　common　interest；　we　meet　on　certain　days

of　the　week　at　the　Cafe　Themis　near　the　Pont　Neuf；　and　there；　in

conclave；　we　reveal　the　mysteries　of　finance。　No　fortune　can　deceive

us；　we　are　in　possession　of　family　secrets　in　all　directions。　We　keep

a　kind　of　Black　Book；　in　which　we　note　the　most　important　bills

issued；　drafts　on　public　credit；　or　on　banks；　or　given　and　taken　in

the　course　of　business。　We　are　the　Casuists　of　the　Paris　Bourse；　a

kind　of　Inquisition　weighing　and　analyzing　the　most　insignificant

actions　of　every　man　of　any　fortune；　and　our　forecasts　are　infallible。

One　of　us　looks　out　over　the　judicial　world；　one　over　the　financial；

another　surveys　the　administrative；　and　yet　another　the　business

world。　I　myself　keep　an　eye　on　eldest　sons；　artists；　people　in　the

great　world；　and　gamblerson　the　most　sensational　side　of　Paris。

Every　one　who　comes　to　us　lets　us　into　his　neighbor's　secrets。

Thwarted　passion　and　mortified　vanity　are　great　babblers。　Vice　a