gobseck-第8章

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old　Goriot；　a　client　of　mine；　and　I　had　already　been　at　some　pains　to

avoid　the　dangerous　honor　of　his　acquaintance；　for　I　came　across　him

sometimes　in　society。　Still；　my　chum　was　so　pressing　about　this

breakfast…party　of　his　that　I　could　not　well　get　out　of　it；　unless　I

wished　to　earn　a　name　for　squeamishness。　Madame；　you　could　hardly

imagine　what　a　bachelor's　breakfast…party　is　like。　It　means　superb

display　and　a　studied　refinement　seldom　seen；　the　luxury　of　a　miser

when　vanity　leads　him　to　be　sumptuous　for　a　day。



〃You　are　surprised　as　you　enter　the　room　at　the　neatness　of　the　table；

dazzling　by　reason　of　its　silver　and　crystal　and　linen　damask。　Life　is

here　in　full　bloom；　the　young　fellows　are　graceful　to　behold；　they

smile　and　talk　in　low；　demure　voices　like　so　many　brides；　everything

about　them　looks　girlish。　Two　hours　later　you　might　take　the　room　for

a　battlefield　after　the　fight。　Broken　glasses；　serviettes　crumpled　and

torn　to　rags　lie　strewn　about　among　the　nauseous…looking　remnants　of

food　on　the　dishes。　There　is　an　uproar　that　stuns　you；　jesting　toasts；

a　fire　of　witticisms　and　bad　jokes；　faces　are　empurpled；　eyes　inflamed

and　expressionless；　unintentional　confidences　tell　you　the　whole

truth。　Bottles　are　smashed；　and　songs　trolled　out　in　the　height　of　a

diabolical　racket；　men　call　each　other　out；　hang　on　each　other's

necks；　or　fall　to　fisticuffs；　the　room　is　full　of　a　horrid；　close

scent　made　up　of　a　hundred　odors；　and　noise　enough　for　a　hundred

voices。　No　one　has　any　notion　of　what　he　is　eating　or　drinking　or

saying。　Some　are　depressed；　others　babble；　one　will　turn　monomaniac；

repeating　the　same　word　over　and　over　again　like　a　bell　set　jangling；

another　tries　to　keep　the　tumult　within　bounds；　the　steadiest　will

propose　an　orgy。　If　any　one　in　possession　of　his　faculties　should　come

in；　he　would　think　that　he　had　interrupted　a　Bacchanalian　rite。



〃It　was　in　the　thick　of　such　a　chaos　that　M。　de　Trailles　tried　to

insinuate　himself　into　my　good　graces。　My　head　was　fairly　clear；　I　was

upon　my　guard。　As　for　him；　though　he　pretended　to　be　decently　drunk；

he　was　perfectly　cool；　and　knew　very　well　what　he　was　about。　How　it

was　done　I　do　not　know；　but　the　upshot　of　it　was　that　when　we　left

Grignon's　rooms　about　nine　o'clock　in　the　evening；　M。　de　Trailles　had

thoroughly　bewitched　me。　I　had　given　him　my　promise　that　I　would

introduce　him　the　next　day　to　our　Papa　Gobseck。　The　words　'honor；'

'virtue；'　'countess；'　'honest　woman；'　and　'ill…luck'　were　mingled　in

his　discourse　with　magical　potency；　thanks　to　that　golden　tongue　of

his。



〃When　I　awoke　next　morning；　and　tried　to　recollect　what　I　had　done　the

day　before；　it　was　with　great　difficulty　that　I　could　make　a　connected

tale　from　my　impressions。　At　last；　it　seemed　to　me　that　the　daughter

of　one　of　my　clients　was　in　danger　of　losing　her　reputation；　together

with　her　husband's　love　and　esteem；　if　she　could　not　get　fifty

thousand　francs　together　in　the　course　of　the　morning。　There　had　been

gaming　debts；　and　carriage…builders'　accounts；　money　lost　to　Heaven

knows　whom。　My　magician　of　a　boon　companion　had　impressed　it　upon　me

that　she　was　rich　enough　to　make　good　these　reverses　by　a　few　years　of

economy。　But　only　now　did　I　begin　to　guess　the　reasons　of　his　urgency。

I　confess；　to　my　shame；　that　I　had　not　the　shadow　of　a　doubt　but　that

it　was　a　matter　of　importance　that　Daddy　Gobseck　should　make　it　up

with　this　dandy。　I　was　dressing　when　the　young　gentleman　appeared。



〃　'M。　le　Comte；'　said　I；　after　the　usual　greetings；　'I　fail　to　see　why

you　should　need　me　to　effect　an　introduction　to　Van　Gobseck；　the　most

civil　and　smooth…spoken　of　capitalists。　Money　will　be　forthcoming　if

he　has　any；　or　rather；　if　you　can　give　him　adequate　security。'



〃　'Monsieur；'　said　he；　'it　does　not　enter　into　my　thoughts　to　force

you　to　do　me　a　service；　even　though　you　have　passed　your　word。'



〃　'Sardanapalus！'　said　I　to　myself；　'am　I　going　to　let　that　fellow

imagine　that　I　will　not　keep　my　word　with　him？'



〃　'I　had　the　honor　of　telling　you　yesterday；'　said　he；　'that　I　had

fallen　out　with　Daddy　Gobseck　most　inopportunely；　and　as　there　is

scarcely　another　man　in　Paris　who　can　come　down　on　the　nail　with　a

hundred　thousand　francs；　at　the　end　of　the　month；　I　begged　of　you　to

make　my　peace　with　him。　But　let　us　say　no　more　about　it'



〃M。　de　Trailles　looked　at　me　with　civil　insult　in　his　expression；　and

made　as　if　he　would　take　his　leave。



〃　'I　am　ready　to　go　with　you；'　said　I。



〃When　we　reached　the　Rue　de　Gres；　my　dandy　looked　about　him　with　a

circumspection　and　uneasiness　that　set　me　wondering。　His　face　grew

livid；　flushed；　and　yellow；　turn　and　turn　about；　and　by　the　time　that

Gobseck's　door　came　in　sight　the　perspiration　stood　in　drops　on　his

forehead。　We　were　just　getting　out　of　the　cabriolet；　when　a　hackney

cab　turned　into　the　street。　My　companion's　hawk　eye　detected　a　woman

in　the　depths　of　the　vehicle。　His　face　lighted　up　with　a　gleam　of

almost　savage　joy；　he　called　to　a　little　boy　who　was　passing；　and　gave

him　his　horse　to　hold。　Then　we　went　up　to　the　old　bill　discounter。



〃　'M。　Gobseck；'　said　I；　'I　have　brought　one　of　my　most　intimate

friends　to　see　you　（whom　I　trust　as　I　would　trust　the　Devil；'　I　added

for　the　old　man's　private　ear）。　'To　oblige　me　you　will　do　your　best

for　him　（at　the　ordinary　rate）；　and　pull　him　out　of　his　difficulty　（if

it　suits　your　convenience）。'



〃M。　de　Trailles　made　his　bow　to　Gobseck；　took　a　seat；　and　listened　to

us　with　a　courtier…like　attitude；　its　charming　humility　would　have

touched　your　heart　to　see；　but　my　Gobseck　sits　in　his　chair　by　the

fireside　without　moving　a　muscle；　or　changing　a　feature。　He　looked

very　like　the　statue　of　Voltaire　under　the　peristyle　of　the　Theatre…

Francais；　as　you　see　it　of　an　evening；　he　had　partly　risen　as　if　to

bow；　and　the　skull　cap　that　covered　the　top　of　his　head；　and　the

narrow　strip　of　sallow　forehead　exhibited；　completed　his　likeness　to

the　man　of　marble。



〃　'I　have　no　money　to　spare　except　for　my　own　clients；'　said　he。



〃　'So　you　are　cross　because　I　may　have　tried　in　other　quarters　to　ruin

myself？'　laughed　the　Count。



〃　'Ruin　yourself！'　repeated　Gobseck　ironically。



〃　'Were　you　about　to　remark　that　it　is　impossible　to　ruin　a　man　who

has　nothing？'　inquired　the　dandy。　'Why；　I　defy　you　to　find　a　better

STOCK　in　Paris！'　he　cried；　swinging　round　on　his　heels。



〃This　half…earnest　buffoonery　produced　not　the　slightest　effect　upon

Gobseck。



〃　'Am　I　not　on　intimate　terms　with　the　Ronquerolles；　the　Marsays；　the

Franchessinis；　the　two　Vandenesses；　the　Ajuda…Pintos；all　the　most

fashionable　young　men　in　Paris；　in　short？　A　prince　and　an　ambassador

（you　know　them　both）　are　my　partners　at　play。　I　draw　my　revenues　from

London　and　Carlsbad　and　Baden　and　Bath。　Is　not　this　the　most　brilliant

of　all　industries！'



〃　'True。'



〃　'You　make　a　sponge　of　me；　begad！　you　do。　You　encourage　me　to　go　and

swell　myself　out　in　society；　so　that　you　can　squeeze　me　when　I　am　hard

up；　but　you　yourselves　are　sponges；　just　as　I　am；　and　death　will　give

you　a　squeeze　some　day。'



〃　'That　is　possible。'



〃　'If　there　were　no　spendthrifts；　what　would　become　of　you？　The　pair

of　us　are　like　soul　and　body。'



〃　'Precisely　so。'



〃　'Come；　now；　give　us　your　hand；　Grandaddy　Gobseck；　and　be　magnanimous

if　this　is　〃true〃　and　〃possible〃　and　〃precisely　so。〃　'



〃　'You　come　to　me；'　the　usurer　answered　coldly；　'because　Girard；

Palma；　Werbrust；　and　Gigonnet　are　full　up　of　your　paper；　they　are

offering　it　at　a　loss　of　fifty　per　cent；　and　as　it　is　likely　they　only

gave　you　half　the　figure　on　the　face　of　the　bills；　they　are　not　worth

five…and…twenty　per　cent　of　their　supposed　value。　I　am　your　most

obedient！　Can　I　in　common　decency　lend　a　stiver　to　a　man　who　owes

thirty　thousand　francs；　and　has　not　one　farthing？'　Gobseck　continued。

'The　day　before　yesterday　you　lost　ten　thousand