father goriot-第30章

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the　tears　you　shed　while　far　away　from　her。　You　look　to　me　as　if

you　were　perfectly　acquainted　with　the　argot　of　the　heart。　Paris；

you　see；　is　like　a　forest　in　the　New　World；　where　you　have　to

deal　with　a　score　of　varieties　of　savagesIllinois　and　Hurons；

who　live　on　the　proceed　of　their　social　hunting。　You　are　a　hunter

of　millions；　you　set　your　snares；　you　use　lures　and　nets；　there

are　many　ways　of　hunting。　Some　hunt　heiresses；　others　a　legacy；

some　fish　for　souls；　yet　others　sell　their　clients；　bound　hand

and　foot。　Every　one　who　comes　back　from　the　chase　with　his　game…

bag　well　filled　meets　with　a　warm　welcome　in　good　society。　In

justice　to　this　hospitable　part　of　the　world；　it　must　be　said

that　you　have　to　do　with　the　most　easy　and　good…natured　of　great

cities。　If　the　proud　aristocracies　of　the　rest　of　Europe　refuse

admittance　among　their　ranks　to　a　disreputable　millionaire；　Paris

stretches　out　a　hand　to　him；　goes　to　his　banquets；　eats　his

dinners；　and　hobnobs　with　his　infamy。〃



〃But　where　is　such　a　girl　to　be　found？〃　asked　Eugene。



〃Under　your　eyes；　she　is　yours　already。〃



〃Mlle。　Victorine？〃



〃Precisely。〃



〃And　what　was　that　you　said？〃



〃She　is　in　love　with　you　already；　your　little　Baronne　de

Rastignac！〃



〃She　has　not　a　penny；〃　Eugene　continued；　much　mystified。



〃Ah！　now　we　are　coming　to　it！　Just　another　word　or　two；　and　it

will　all　be　clear　enough。　Her　father；　Taillefer；　is　an　old

scoundrel；　it　is　said　that　he　murdered　one　of　his　friends　at　the

time　of　the　Revolution。　He　is　one　of　your　comedians　that　sets　up

to　have　opinions　of　his　own。　He　is　a　bankersenior　partner　in

the　house　of　Frederic　Taillefer　and　Company。　He　has　one　son；　and

means　to　leave　all　he　has　to　the　boy；　to　the　prejudice　of

Victorine。　For　my　part；　I　don't　like　to　see　injustice　of　this

sort。　I　am　like　Don　Quixote；　I　have　a　fancy　for　defending　the

weak　against　the　strong。　If　it　should　please　God　to　take　that

youth　away　from　him；　Taillefer　would　have　only　his　daughter　left；

he　would　want　to　leave　his　money　to　some　one　or　other；　an　absurd

notion；　but　it　is　only　human　nature；　and　he　is　not　likely　to　have

any　more　children；　as　I　know。　Victorine　is　gentle　and　amiable；

she　will　soon　twist　her　father　round　her　fingers；　and　set　his

head　spinning　like　a　German　top　by　plying　him　with　sentiment！　She

will　be　too　much　touched　by　your　devotion　to　forget　you；　you　will

marry　her。　I　mean　to　play　Providence　for　you；　and　Providence　is

to　do　my　will。　I　have　a　friend　whom　I　have　attached　closely　to

myself；　a　colonel　in　the　Army　of　the　Loire；　who　has　just　been

transferred　into　the　garde　royale。　He　has　taken　my　advice　and

turned　ultra…royalist；　he　is　not　one　of　those　fools　who　never

change　their　opinions。　Of　all　pieces　of　advice；　my　cherub；　I

would　give　you　thisdon't　stick　to　your　opinions　any　more　than

to　your　words。　If　any　one　asks　you　for　them；　let　him　have　them

at　a　price。　A　man　who　prides　himself　on　going　in　a　straight　line

through　life　is　an　idiot　who　believes　in　infallibility。　There　are

no　such　things　as　principles；　there　are　only　events；　and　there

are　no　laws　but　those　of　expediency：　a　man　of　talent　accepts

events　and　the　circumstances　in　which　he　finds　himself；　and　turns

everything　to　his　own　ends。　If　laws　and　principles　were　fixed　and

invariable；　nations　would　not　change　them　as　readily　as　we　change

our　shirts。　The　individual　is　not　obliged　to　be　more　particular

than　the　nation。　A　man　whose　services　to　France　have　been　of　the

very　slightest　is　a　fetich　looked　on　with　superstitious　awe

because　he　has　always　seen　everything　in　red；　but　he　is　good；　at

the　most；　to　be　put　into　the　Museum　of　Arts　and　Crafts；　among　the

automatic　machines；　and　labeled　La　Fayette；　while　the　prince　at

whom　everybody　flings　a　stone；　the　man　who　despises　humanity　so

much　that　he　spits　as　many　oaths　as　he　is　asked　for　in　the　face

of　humanity；　saved　France　from　being　torn　in　pieces　at　the

Congress　of　Vienna；　and　they　who　should　have　given　him　laurels

fling　mud　at　him。　Oh！　I　know　something　of　affairs；　I　can　tell

you；　I　have　the　secrets　of　many　men！　Enough。　When　I　find　three

minds　in　agreement　as　to　the　application　of　a　principle；　I　shall

have　a　fixed　and　immovable　opinionI　shall　have　to　wait　a　long

while　first。　In　the　Tribunals　you　will　not　find　three　judges　of

the　same　opinion　on　a　single　point　of　law。　To　return　to　the　man　I

was　telling　you　of。　He　would　crucify　Jesus　Christ　again；　if　I

bade　him。　At　a　word　from　his　old　chum　Vautrin　he　will　pick　a

quarrel　with　a　scamp　that　will　not　send　so　much　as　five　francs　to

his　sister；　poor　girl；　and〃　（here　Vautrin　rose　to　his　feet　and

stood　like　a　fencing…master　about　to　lunge）〃turn　him　off　into

the　dark！〃　he　added。



〃How　frightful！〃　said　Eugene。　〃You　do　not　really　mean　it？　M。

Vautrin；　you　are　joking！〃



〃There！　there！　Keep　cool！〃　said　the　other。　〃Don't　behave　like　a

baby。　But　if　you　find　any　amusement　in　it；　be　indignant；　flare

up！　Say　that　I　am　a　scoundrel；　a　rascal；　a　rogue；　a　bandit；　but

do　not　call　me　a　blackleg　nor　a　spy！　There；　out　with　it；　fire

away！　I　forgive　you；　it　is　quite　natural　at　your　age。　I　was　like

that　myself　once。　Only　remember　this；　you　will　do　worse　things

yourself　some　day。　You　will　flirt　with　some　pretty　woman　and　take

her　money。　You　have　thought　of　that；　of　course；〃　said　Vautrin；

〃for　how　are　you　to　succeed　unless　love　is　laid　under

contribution？　There　are　no　two　ways　about　virtue；　my　dear

student；　it　either　is；　or　it　is　not。　Talk　of　doing　penance　for

your　sins！　It　is　a　nice　system　of　business；　when　you　pay　for　your

crime　by　an　act　of　contrition！　You　seduce　a　woman　that　you　may

set　your　foot　on　such　and　such　a　rung　of　the　social　ladder；　you

sow　dissension　among　the　children　of　a　family；　you　descend；　in

short；　to　every　base　action　that　can　be　committed　at　home　or

abroad；　to　gain　your　own　ends　for　your　own　pleasure　or　your

profit；　and　can　you　imagine　that　these　are　acts　of　faith；　hope；

or　charity？　How　is　it　that　a　dandy；　who　in　a　night　has　robbed　a

boy　of　half　his　fortune；　gets　only　a　couple　of　months　in　prison；

while　a　poor　devil　who　steals　a　banknote　for　a　thousand　francs；

with　aggravating　circumstances；　is　condemned　to　penal　servitude？

Those　are　your　laws。　Not　a　single　provision　but　lands　you　in　some

absurdity。　That　man　with　yellow　gloves　and　a　golden　tongue

commits　many　a　murder；　he　sheds　no　blood；　but　he　drains　his

victim's　veins　as　surely；　a　desperado　forces　open　a　door　with　a

crowbar；　dark　deeds　both　of　them！　You　yourself　will　do　every　one

of　those　things　that　I　suggest　to　you　to…day；　bar　the　bloodshed。

Do　you　believe　that　there　is　any　absolute　standard　in　this　world？

Despise　mankind　and　find　out　the　meshes　that　you　can　slip　through

in　the　net　of　the　Code。　The　secret　of　a　great　success　for　which

you　are　at　a　loss　to　account　is　a　crime　that　has　never　been　found

out；　because　it　was　properly　executed。〃



〃Silence；　sir！　I　will　not　hear　any　more；　you　make　me　doubt

myself。　At　this　moment　my　sentiments　are　all　my　science。〃



〃Just　as　you　please；　my　fine　fellow；　I　did　think　you　were　so

weak…minded；〃　said　Vautrin；　〃I　shall　say　no　more　about　it。　One

last　word；　however；〃　and　he　looked　hard　at　the　student〃you　have

my　secret；〃　he　said。



〃A　young　man　who　refuses　your　offer　knows　that　he　must　forget

it。〃



〃Quite　right；　quite　right；　I　am　glad　to　hear　you　say　so。　Somebody

else　might　not　be　so　scrupulous；　you　see。　Keep　in　mind　what　I

want　to　do　for　you。　I　will　give　you　a　fortnight。　The　offer　is

still　open。〃



〃What　a　head　of　iron　the　man　has！〃　said　Eugene　to　himself；　as　he

watched　Vautrin　walk　unconcernedly　away　with　his　cane　under　his

arm。　〃Yet　Mme。　de　Beauseant　said　as　much　more　gracefully；　he　has

only　stated　the　case　in　cruder　language。　He　would　tear　my　heart

with　claws　of　steel。　What　made　me　think　of　going　to　Mme。　de

Nucingen？　He　guessed　my　motives　before　I　knew　them　myself。　To　sum

it　up；　that　outlaw　has　told　me　more　about　virtue