the collection of antiquities-第16部分

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〃I　say！　Do　you　trouble　yourself　about　that　sort　of　thing？〃　Rastignac　said；　laughing。　〃Are　you　putting　them　in　order；　my　dear　boy？　I　did　not　think　you　were　so　business…like。〃

〃My　dear　fellow；　it　is　quite　time　I　thought　about　it；　there　are　twenty　odd　thousand　francs　there。〃

De　Marsay；　coming　in　to　look　up　d'Esgrignon　for　a　steeplechase；　produced　a　dainty　little　pocket…book；　took　out　twenty　thousand　francs；　and　handed　them　to　him。

〃It　is　the　best　way　of　keeping　the　money　safe；〃　said　he；　〃I　am　twice　enchanted　to　have　won　it　yesterday　from　my　honored　father；　Milord　Dudley。〃

Such　French　grace　completely　fascinated　d'Esgrignon；　he　took　it　for　friendship；　and　as　to　the　money；　punctually　forgot　to　pay　his　debts　with　it；　and　spent　it　on　his　pleasures。　The　fact　was　that　de　Marsay　was　looking　on　with　an　unspeakable　pleasure　while　young　d'Esgrignon　〃got　out　of　his　depth；〃　in　dandy's　idiom；　it　pleased　de　Marsay　in　all　sorts　of　fondling　ways　to　lay　an　arm　on　the　lad's　shoulder；　by　and　by　he　should　feel　its　weight；　and　disappear　the　sooner。　For　de　Marsay　was　jealous；　the　Duchess　flaunted　her　love　affair；　she　was　not　at　home　to　other　visitors　when　d'Esgrignon　was　with　her。　And　besides；　de　Marsay　was　one　of　those　savage　humorists　who　delight　in　mischief；　as　Turkish　women　in　the　bath。　So　when　he　had　carried　off　the　prize；　and　bets　were　settled　at　the　tavern　where　they　breakfasted；　and　a　bottle　or　two　of　good　wine　had　appeared；　de　Marsay　turned　to　d'Esgrignon　with　a　laugh：

〃Those　bills　that　you　are　worrying　over　are　not　yours；　I　am　sure。〃

〃Eh！　if　they　weren't；　why　should　he　worry　himself？〃　asked　Rastignac。

〃And　whose　should　they　be？〃　d'Esgrignon　inquired。

〃Then　you　do　not　know　the　Duchess'　position？〃　queried　de　Marsay；　as　he　sprang　into　the　saddle。

〃No；〃　said　d'Esgrignon；　his　curiosity　aroused。

〃Well；　dear　fellow；　it　is　like　this；〃　returned　de　Marsay〃thirty　thousand　francs　to　Victorine；　eighteen　thousand　francs　to　Houbigaut；　lesser　amounts　to　Herbault；　Nattier；　Nourtier；　and　those　Latour　people；altogether　a　hundred　thousand　francs。〃

〃An　angel！〃　cried　d'Esgrignon；　with　eyes　uplifted　to　heaven。

〃This　is　the　bill　for　her　wings；〃　Rastignac　cried　facetiously。

〃She　owes　all　that；　my　dear　boy；〃　continued　de　Marsay；　〃precisely　because　she　is　an　angel。　But　we　have　all　seen　angels　in　this　position；〃　he　added；　glancing　at　Rastignac；　〃there　is　this　about　women　that　is　sublime：　they　understand　nothing　of　money；　they　do　not　meddle　with　it；　it　is　no　affair　of　theirs；　they　are　invited　guests　at　the　'banquet　of　life；'　as　some　poet　or　other　said　that　came　to　an　end　in　the　workhouse。〃

〃How　do　you　know　this　when　I　do　not？〃　d'Esgrignon　artlessly　returned。

〃You　are　sure　to　be　the　last　to　know　it；　just　as　she　is　sure　to　be　the　last　to　hear　that　you　are　in　debt。〃

〃I　thought　she　had　a　hundred　thousand　livres　a　year；〃　said　d'Esgrignon。

〃Her　husband；〃　replied　de　Marsay；　〃lives　apart　from　her。　He　stays　with　his　regiment　and　practises　economy；　for　he　has　one　or　two　little　debts　of　his　own　as　well；　has　our　dear　Duke。　Where　do　you　come　from？　Just　learn　to　do　as　we　do　and　keep　our　friends'　accounts　for　them。　Mlle。　Diane　（I　fell　in　love　with　her　for　the　name's　sake）；　Mlle。　Diane　d'Uxelles　brought　her　husband　sixty　thousand　livres　of　income；　for　the　last　eight　years　she　has　lived　as　if　she　had　two　hundred　thousand。　It　is　perfectly　plain　that　at　this　moment　her　lands　are　mortgaged　up　to　their　full　value；　some　fine　morning　the　crash　must　come；　and　the　angel　will　be　put　to　flight　bymust　it　be　said？by　sheriff's　officers　that　have　the　effrontery　to　lay　hands　on　an　angel　just　as　they　might　take　hold　of　one　of　us。〃

〃Poor　angel！〃

〃Lord！　it　costs　a　great　deal　to　dwell　in　a　Parisian　heaven；　you　must　whiten　your　wings　and　your　complexion　every　morning；〃　said　Rastignac。

Now　as　the　thought　of　confessing　his　debts　to　his　beloved　Diane　had　passed　through　d'Esgrignon's　mind；　something　like　a　shudder　ran　through　him　when　he　remembered　that　he　still　owed　sixty　thousand　francs；　to　say　nothing　of　bills　to　come　for　another　ten　thousand。　He　went　back　melancholy　enough。　His　friends　remarked　his　ill…disguised　preoccupation；　and　spoke　of　it　among　themselves　at　dinner。

〃Young　d'Esgrignon　is　getting　out　of　his　depth。　He　is　not　up　to　Paris。　He　will　blow　his　brains　out。　A　little　fool！〃　and　so　on　and　so　on。

D'Esgrignon；　however；　promptly　took　comfort。　His　servant　brought　him　two　letters。　The　first　was　from　Chesnel。　A　letter　from　Chesnel　smacked　of　the　stale　grumbling　faithfulness　of　honesty　and　its　consecrated　formulas。　With　all　respect　he　put　it　aside　till　the　evening。　But　the　second　letter　he　read　with　unspeakable　pleasure。　In　Ciceronian　phrases；　du　Croisier　groveled　before　him；　like　a　Sganarelle　before　a　Geronte；　begging　the　young　Count　in　future　to　spare　him　the　affront　of　first　depositing　the　amount　of　the　bills　which　he　should　condescend　to　draw。　The　concluding　phrase　seemed　meant　to　convey　the　idea　that　here　was　an　open　cashbox　full　of　coin　at　the　service　of　the　noble　d'Esgrignon　family。　So　strong　was　the　impression　that　Victurnien；　like　Sganarelle　or　Mascarille　in　the　play；　like　everybody　else　who　feels　a　twinge　of　conscience　at　his　finger…tips；　made　an　involuntary　gesture。

Now　that　he　was　sure　of　unlimited　credit　with　the　Kellers；　he　opened　Chesnel's　letter　gaily。　He　had　expected　four　full　pages；　full　of　expostulation　to　the　brim；　he　glanced　down　the　sheet　for　the　familiar　words　〃prudence；〃　〃honor；〃　〃determination　to　do　right；〃　and　the　like；　and　saw　something　else　instead　which　made　his　head　swim。

　　〃MONSIEUR　LE　COMTE；Of　all　my　fortune　I　have　now　but　two　hundred　　　thousand　francs　left。　I　beg　of　you　not　to　exceed　that　amount；　if　　　you　should　do　one　of　the　most　devoted　servants　of　your　family　the　　　honor　of　taking　it。　I　present　my　respects　to　you。

CHESNEL。〃


〃He　is　one　of　Plutarch's　men；〃　Victurnien　said　to　himself；　as　he　tossed　the　letter　on　the　table。　He　felt　chagrined；　such　magnanimity　made　him　feel　very　small。

〃There！　one　must　reform；〃　he　thought；　and　instead　of　going　to　a　restaurant　and　spending　fifty　or　sixty　francs　over　his　dinner；　he　retrenched　by　dining　with　the　Duchesse　de　Maufrigneuse；　and　told　her　about　the　letter。

〃I　should　like　to　see　that　man；〃　she　said；　letting　her　eyes　shine　like　two　fixed　stars。

〃What　would　you　do？〃

〃Why；　he　should　manage　my　affairs　for　me。〃

Diane　de　Maufrigneuse　was　divinely　dressed；　she　meant　her　toilet　to　do　honor　to　Victurnien。　The　levity　with　which　she　treated　his　affairs　or；　more　properly　speaking；　his　debts　fascinated　him。

The　charming　pair　went　to　the　Italiens。　Never　had　that　beautiful　and　enchanting　woman　looked　more　seraphic；　more　ethereal。　Nobody　in　the　house　could　have　believed　that　she　had　debts　which　reached　the　sum　total　mentioned　by　de　Marsay　that　very　morning。　No　single　one　of　the　cares　of　earth　had　touched　that　sublime　forehead　of　hers；　full　of　woman's　pride　of　the　highest　kind。　In　her；　a　pensive　air　seemed　to　be　some　gleam　of　an　earthly　love；　nobly　extinguished。　The　men　for　the　most　part　were　wagering　that　Victurnien；　with　his　handsome　figure；　laid　her　under　contribution；　while　the　women；　sure　of　their　rival's　subterfuge；　admired　her　as　Michael　Angelo　admired　Raphael；　in　petto。　Victurnien　loved　Diane；　according　to　one　of　these　ladies；　for　the　sake　of　her　hairshe　had　the　most　beautiful　fair　hair　in　France；　another　maintained　that　Diane's　pallor　was　her　principal　merit；　for　she　was　not　really　well　shaped；　her　dress　made　the　most　of　her　figure；　yet　others　thought　that　Victurnien　loved　her　for　her　foot；　her　one　good　point；　for　she　had　a　flat　figure。　But　（and　this　brings　the　present…day　manner　of　Paris　before　you　in　an　astonishing　manner）　whereas　all　the　men　said　that　the　Duchess　was　subsidizing　Victurnien's　splendor；　the　women；　on　the　other　hand；　gave　people　to　understand　that　it　was　Victurnien　who　paid　for　the　angel's　wings；　as　Rastignac　said。

As　they　drove　back　again；　Victurnien　had　it　on　the　tip　of　his　tongue　a　score　of　times　to　open　this　chapter；　for　the　Duchess'　debts　weighed　more　heavily　upon　his　mind　than　his　own；　and　a　score　of　times　his　purpose　died　away　before　the　attitude　of　the　divine　creature　beside　him。　He　could　see　her　by　the　light　of　the　carriage　lamps；　she　was　bewitching　in　the　love…languor　which　always　seemed　to　be　extorted　by　the　violence　of　passion　from　her　madonna's　purity。　The　Duchess　did　not　fall　into　the　mistake　of　talking　of　her　virtue；　of　her　angel's　estate；　as　provincial　women；　her　imitators；　do。　She　was　far　too　clever。　She　made　him；　for　whom　she　made　such　great　sacrifices；　think　these　things　for　himself。　At　the　end　of　six　months　she　could　make　him　feel　that　a　harmless　kiss　on　her　hand　was　a　deadly　sin；　she　contrived　that　every　grace　should　be　extorted　from　her；　and　this　with　such　consummate　art；　that　it　was　impossible　not　to　feel　that　she　was　more　an　angel　than　ever　when　she　yielded。

None　but　Parisian　women　are　clever　enough　always　to　give　a　new　charm　to　the　moon；　to　romanticize　the　stars；　to　roll　in　the　same　sack　of　charcoal　and　emerge　each　time　whiter　than　ever。　This　is　the　highest　refinement　of　intellectual　and　Parisian　civilization。　Women　beyond　the　Rhine　or　the　English　Channel　believe　nonsense　of　this　sort　when　they　utter　it；　w