the collection of antiquities-第15部分

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ation　to　call；　and　flung　it　over　him　with　a　dainty　demureness　which　the　printed　page　can　never　set　forth。

〃You　will　forget　me；〃　she　said。　〃You　will　find　so　many　women　eager　to　pay　court　to　you　instead　of　enlightening　you。　。　。　。　But　you　will　come　back　to　me　undeceived。　Are　you　coming　to　me　first？　。　。　。　No。　As　you　will。For　my　own　part；　I　tell　you　frankly　that　your　visits　will　be　a　great　pleasure　to　me。　People　of　soul　are　so　rare；　and　I　think　that　you　are　one　of　them。Come；　good…bye；　people　will　begin　to　talk　about　us　if　we　talk　together　any　longer。〃

She　made　good　her　words　and　took　flight。　Victurnien　went　soon　afterwards；　but　not　before　others　had　guessed　his　ecstatic　condition；　his　face　wore　the　expression　peculiar　to　happy　men；　something　between　an　Inquisitor's　calm　discretion　and　the　self…contained　beatitude　of　a　devotee；　fresh　from　the　confessional　and　absolution。

〃Mme。　de　Maufrigneuse　went　pretty　briskly　to　the　point　this　evening；〃　said　the　Duchesse　de　Grandlieu；　when　only　half…a…dozen　persons　were　left　in　Mlle。　des　Touches'　little　drawing…roomto　wit；　des　Lupeaulx；　a　Master　of　Requests；　who　at　that　time　stood　very　well　at　court；　Vandenesse；　the　Vicomtesse　de　Grandlieu；　Canalis；　and　Mme。　de　Serizy。

〃D'Esgrignon　and　Maufrigneuse　are　two　names　that　are　sure　to　cling　together；〃　said　Mme。　de　Serizy；　who　aspired　to　epigram。

〃For　some　days　past　she　has　been　out　at　grass　on　Platonism；〃　said　des　Lupeaulx。

〃She　will　ruin　that　poor　innocent；〃　added　Charles　de　Vandenesse。

〃What　do　you　mean？〃　asked　Mlle。　des　Touches。

〃Oh；　morally　and　financially；　beyond　all　doubt；〃　said　the　Vicomtesse；　rising。

The　cruel　words　were　cruelly　true　for　young　d'Esgrignon。

Next　morning　he　wrote　to　his　aunt　describing　his　introduction　into　the　high　world　of　the　Faubourg　Saint…Germain　in　bright　colors　flung　by　the　prism　of　love；　explaining　the　reception　which　met　him　everywhere　in　a　way　which　gratified　his　father's　family　pride。　The　Marquis　would　have　the　whole　long　letter　read　to　him　twice；　he　rubbed　his　hands　when　he　heard　of　the　Vidame　de　Pamiers'　dinnerthe　Vidame　was　an　old　acquaintanceand　of　the　subsequent　introduction　to　the　Duchess；　but　at　Blondet's　name　he　lost　himself　in　conjectures。　What　could　the　younger　son　of　a　judge；　a　public　prosecutor　during　the　Revolution；　have　been　doing　there？

There　was　joy　that　evening　among　the　Collection　of　Antiquities。　They　talked　over　the　young　Count's　success。　So　discreet　were　they　with　regard　to　Mme。　de　Maufrigneuse；　that　the　one　man　who　heard　the　secret　was　the　Chevalier。　There　was　no　financial　postscript　at　the　end　of　the　letter；　no　unpleasant　reference　to　the　sinews　of　war；　which　every　young　man　makes　in　such　a　case。　Mlle。　Armande　showed　it　to　Chesnel。　Chesnel　was　pleased　and　raised　not　a　single　objection。　It　was　clear；　as　the　Marquis　and　the　Chevalier　agreed；　that　a　young　man　in　favor　with　the　Duchesse　de　Maufrigneuse　would　shortly　be　a　hero　at　court；　where　in　the　old　days　women　were　all…powerful。　The　Count　had　not　made　a　bad　choice。　The　dowagers　told　over　all　the　gallant　adventures　of　the　Maufrigneuses　from　Louis　XIII。　to　Louis　XVI。they　spared　to　inquire　into　preceding　reignsand　when　all　was　done　they　were　enchanted。　Mme。　de　Maufrigneuse　was　much　praised　for　interesting　herself　in　Victurnien。　Any　writer　of　plays　in　search　of　a　piece　of　pure　comedy　would　have　found　it　well　worth　his　while　to　listen　to　the　Antiquities　in　conclave。



Victurnien　received　charming　letters　from　his　father　and　aunt；　and　also　from　the　Chevalier。　That　gentleman　recalled　himself　to　the　Vidame's　memory。　He　had　been　at　Spa　with　M。　de　Pamiers　in　1778；　after　a　certain　journey　made　by　a　celebrated　Hungarian　princess。　And　Chesnel　also　wrote。　The　fond　flattery　to　which　the　unhappy　boy　was　only　too　well　accustomed　shone　out　of　every　page；　and　Mlle。　Armande　seemed　to　share　half　of　Mme。　de　Maufrigneuse's　happiness。

Thus　happy　in　the　approval　of　his　family；　the　young　Count　made　a　spirited　beginning　in　the　perilous　and　costly　ways　of　dandyism。　He　had　five　horseshe　was　moderatede　Marsay　had　fourteen！　He　returned　the　Vidame's　hospitality；　even　including　Blondet　in　the　invitation；　as　well　as　de　Marsay　and　Rastignac。　The　dinner　cost　five　hundred　francs；　and　the　noble　provincial　was　feted　on　the　same　scale。　Victurnien　played　a　good　deal；　and；　for　his　misfortune；　at　the　fashionable　game　of　whist。

He　laid　out　his　days　in　busy　idleness。　Every　day　between　twelve　and　three　o'clock　he　was　with　the　Duchess；　afterwards　he　went　to　meet　her　in　the　Bois　de　Boulogne　and　ride　beside　her　carriage。　Sometimes　the　charming　couple　rode　together；　but　this　was　early　in　fine　summer　mornings。　Society；　balls；　the　theatre；　and　gaiety　filled　the　Count's　evening　hours。　Everywhere　Victurnien　made　a　brilliant　figure；　everywhere　he　flung　the　pearls　of　his　wit　broadcast。　He　gave　his　opinion　on　men；　affairs；　and　events　in　profound　sayings；　he　would　have　put　you　in　mind　of　a　fruit…tree　putting　forth　all　its　strength　in　blossom。　He　was　leading　an　enervating　life　wasteful　of　money；　and　even　yet　more　wasteful；　it　may　be　of　a　man's　soul；　in　that　life　the　fairest　talents　are　buried　out　of　sight；　the　most　incorruptible　honesty　perishes；　the　best…tempered　springs　of　will　are　slackened。

The　Duchess；　so　white　and　fragile　and　angel…like；　felt　attracted　to　the　dissipations　of　bachelor　life；　she　enjoyed　first　nights；　she　liked　anything　amusing；　anything　improvised。　Bohemian　restaurants　lay　outside　her　experience；　so　d'Esgrignon　got　up　a　charming　little　party　at　the　Rocher　de　Cancale　for　her　benefit；　asked　all　the　amiable　scamps　whom　she　cultivated　and　sermonized；　and　there　was　a　vast　amount　of　merriment；　wit；　and　gaiety；　and　a　corresponding　bill　to　pay。　That　supper　led　to　others。　And　through　it　all　Victurnien　worshiped　her　as　an　angel。　Mme。　de　Maufrigneuse　for　him　was　still　an　angel；　untouched　by　any　taint　of　earth；　an　angel　at　the　Varietes；　where　she　sat　out　the　half…obscene；　vulgar　farces；　which　made　her　laugh；　an　angel　through　the　cross…fire　of　highly…flavored　jests　and　scandalous　anecdotes；　which　enlivened　a　stolen　frolic；　a　languishing　angel　in　the　latticed　box　at　the　Vaudeville；　an　angel　while　she　criticised　the　postures　of　opera　dancers　with　the　experience　of　an　elderly　habitue　of　le　coin　de　la　reine；　an　angel　at　the　Porte　Saint…Martin；　at　the　little　boulevard　theatres；　at　the　masked　balls；　which　she　enjoyed　like　any　schoolboy。　She　was　an　angel　who　asked　him　for　the　love　that　lives　by　self…　abnegation　and　heroism　and　self…sacrifice；　an　angel　who　would　have　her　lover　live　like　an　English　lord；　with　an　income　of　a　million　francs。　D'Esgrignon　once　exchanged　a　horse　because　the　animal's　coat　did　not　satisfy　her　notions。　At　play　she　was　an　angel；　and　certainly　no　bourgeoise　that　ever　lived　could　have　bidden　d'Esgrignon　〃Stake　for　me！〃　in　such　an　angelic　way。　She　was　so　divinely　reckless　in　her　folly；　that　a　man　might　well　have　sold　his　soul　to　the　devil　lest　this　angel　should　lose　her　taste　for　earthly　pleasures。



The　first　winter　went　by。　The　Count　had　drawn　on　M。　Cardot　for　the　trifling　sum　of　thirty　thousand　francs　over　and　above　Chesnel's　remittance。　As　Cardot　very　carefully　refrained　from　using　his　right　of　remonstrance；　Victurnien　now　learned　for　the　first　time　that　he　had　overdrawn　his　account。　He　was　the　more　offended　by　an　extremely　polite　refusal　to　make　any　further　advance；　since　it　so　happened　that　he　had　just　lost　six　thousand　francs　at　play　at　the　club；　and　he　could　not　very　well　show　himself　there　until　they　were　paid。

After　growing　indignant　with　Maitre　Cardot；　who　had　trusted　him　with　thirty　thousand　francs　（Cardot　had　written　to　Chesnel；　but　to　the　fair　Duchess'　favorite　he　made　the　most　of　his　so…called　confidence　in　him）；　after　all　this；　d'Esgrignon　was　obliged　to　ask　the　lawyer　to　tell　him　how　to　set　about　raising　the　money；　since　debts　of　honor　were　in　question。

〃Draw　bills　on　your　father's　banker；　and　take　them　to　his　correspondent；　he；　no　doubt；　will　discount　them　for　you。　Then　write　to　your　family；　and　tell　them　to　remit　the　amount　to　the　banker。〃

An　inner　voice　seemed　to　suggest　du　Croisier's　name　in　this　predicament。　He　had　seen　du　Croisier　on　his　knees　to　the　aristocracy；　and　of　the　man's　real　disposition　he　was　entirely　ignorant。　So　to　du　Croisier　he　wrote　a　very　offhand　letter；　informing　him　that　he　had　drawn　a　bill　of　exchange　on　him　for　ten　thousand　francs；　adding　that　the　amount　would　be　repaid　on　receipt　of　the　letter　either　by　M。　Chesnel　or　by　Mlle。　Armande　d'Esgrignon。　Then　he　indited　two　touching　epistlesone　to　Chesnel；　another　to　his　aunt。　In　the　matter　of　going　headlong　to　ruin；　a　young　man　often　shows　singular　ingenuity　and　ability；　and　fortune　favors　him。　In　the　morning　Victurnien　happened　on　the　name　of　the　Paris　bankers　in　correspondence　with　du　Croisier；　and　de　Marsay　furnished　him　with　the　Kellers'　address。　De　Marsay　knew　everything　in　Paris。　The　Kellers　took　the　bill　and　gave　him　the　sum　without　a　word；　after　deducting　the　discount。　The　balance　of　the　account　was　in　du　Croisier's　favor。

But　the　gaming　debt　was　as　nothing　in　comparison　with　the　state　of　things　at　home。　Invoices　showered　in　upon　Victurnien。

〃I　say！　Do　you　trouble　yourself　about　that　sort　of　thing？〃　Rastignac　said；　laughing。　〃Are　you　pu