a daughter of eve-第14部分

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Therefore；　my　dear　fellow；　become　the　hero；　the　support；　the　creator

of　the　Left　Centre　in　the　new　Chamber；　and　you'll　succeed。　Once

admitted　into　political　ranks；　once　in　the　government；　you　can　be　what

you　like；of　any　opinion　that　triumphs。〃



Nathan　was　bent　on　creating　a　daily　political　journal　and　becoming　the

absolute　master　of　an　enterprise　which　should　absorb　into　it　the

countless　little　papers　then　swarming　from　the　press；　and　establish

ramifications　with　a　review。　He　had　seen　so　many　fortunes　made　all

around　him　by　the　press　that　he　would　not　listen　to　Blondet；　who

warned　him　not　to　trust　to　such　a　venture；　declaring　that　the　plan　was

unsound；　so　great　was　the　present　number　of　newspapers；　all　fighting

for　subscribers。　Raoul；　relying　on　his　so…called　friends　and　his　own

courage；　was　all　for　daring　it；　he　sprang　up　eagerly　and　said；　with　a

proud　gesture；



〃I　shall　succeed。〃



〃But　you　haven't　a　sou。〃



〃I　will　write　a　play。〃



〃It　will　fail。〃



〃Let　it　fail！〃　replied　Nathan。



He　rushed　through　the　various　rooms　of　Florine's　apartment；　followed

by　Blondet；　who　thought　him　crazy；　looking　with　a　greedy　eye　upon　the

wealth　displayed　there。　Blondet　understood　that　look。



〃There's　a　hundred　and　more　thousand　francs　in　them；〃　he　remarked。



〃Yes；〃　said　Raoul；　sighing；　as　he　looked　at　Florine's　sumptuous

bedstead；　〃but　I'd　rather　be　a　pedler　all　my　life　on　the　boulevard；

and　live　on　fried　potatoes；　than　sell　one　item　of　this　apartment。〃



〃Not　one　item；〃　said　Blondet；　〃sell　all。　Ambition　is　like　death；　it

takes　all　or　nothing。〃



〃No；　a　hundred　times　no！　I　would　take　anything　from　my　new　countess；

but　rob　Florine　of　her　shell？　no。〃



〃Upset　our　money…box；　break　one's　balance…pole；　smash　our　refuge；

yes；　that　would　be　serious；〃　said　Blondet　with　a　tragic　air。



〃It　seems　to　me　from　what　I　hear　that　you　want　to　play　politics

instead　of　comedies；〃　said　Florine；　suddenly　appearing。



〃Yes；　my　dear；　yes；〃　said　Raoul；　affectionately　taking　her　by　the　neck

and　kissing　her　forehead。　〃Don't　make　faces　at　that；　you　won't　lose

anything。　A　minister　can　do　better　than　a　journalist　for　the　queen　of

the　boards。　What　parts　and　what　holidays　you　shall　have！〃



〃Where　will　you　get　the　money？〃　she　said。



〃From　my　uncle；〃　replied　Raoul。



Florine　knew　Raoul's　〃uncle。〃　The　word　meant　usury；　as　in　popular

parlance　〃aunt〃　means　pawn。



〃Don't　worry　yourself；　my　little　darling；〃　said　Blondet　to　Florine；

tapping　her　shoulder。　〃I'll　get　him　the　assistance　of　Massol；　a　lawyer

who　wants　to　be　deputy；　also　Finot；　who　has　never　yet　got　beyond　his

'petit…journal；'　and　Pantin；　who　wants　to　be　master　of　petitions；　and

who　dabbles　in　reviews。　Yes；　I'll　save　him　from　himself；　we'll　convoke

here　to　supper　Etienne　Lousteau；　who　can　do　the　feuilleton；　Claude

Vignon　for　criticisms；　Felicien　Vernou　as　general　care…taker；　the

lawyer　will　work；　and　du　Tillet　may　take　charge　of　the　Bourse；　the

money　article；　and　all　industrial　questions。　We'll　see　where　these

various　talents　and　slaves　united　will　land　the　enterprise。〃



〃In　a　hospital　or　a　ministry；where　all　men　ruined　in　body　or　mind

are　apt　to　go；〃　said　Raoul；　laughing。



〃Where　and　when　shall　we　invite　them？〃



〃Here；　five　days　hence。〃



〃Tell　me　the　sum　you　want；〃　said　Florine；　simply。



〃Well；　the　lawyer；　du　Tillet；　and　Raoul　will　each　have　to　put　up　a

hundred　thousand　francs　before　they　embark　on　the　affair；〃　replied

Blondet。　〃Then　the　paper　can　run　eighteen　months；　about　long　enough

for　a　rise　and　fall　in　Paris。〃



Florine　gave　a　little　grimace　of　approval。　The　two　friends　jumped　into

a　cabriolet　to　go　about　collecting　guests　and　pens；　ideas　and　self…

interests。



Florine　meantime　sent　for　certain　dealers　in　old　furniture；　bric…a…

brac；　pictures；　and　jewels。　These　men　entered　her　sanctuary　and　took

an　inventory　of　every　article；　precisely　as　if　Florine　were　dead。　She

declared　she　would　sell　everything　at　public　auction　if　they　did　not

offer　her　a　proper　price。　She　had　had　the　luck　to　please；　she　said；　an

English　lord；　and　she　wanted　to　get　rid　of　all　her　property　and　look

poor；　so　that　he　might　give　her　a　fine　house　and　furniture；　fit　to

rival　the　Rothschilds。　But　in　spite　of　these　persuasions　and

subterfuges；　all　the　dealers　would　offer　her　for　a　mass　of　belongings

worth　a　hundred　and　fifty　thousand　was　seventy　thousand。　Florine

thereupon　offered　to　deliver　over　everything　in　eight　days　for　eighty

thousand；〃To　take　or　leave；〃　she　said；and　the　bargain　was

concluded。　After　the　men　had　departed　she　skipped　for　joy；　like　the

hills　of　King　David；　and　performed　all　manner　of　follies；　not　having

thought　herself　so　rich。



When　Raoul　came　back　she　made　him　a　little　scene；　pretending　to　be

hurt；　she　declared　that　he　abandoned　her；　that　she　had　reflected；　men

did　not　pass　from　one　party　to　another；　from　the　stage　to　the　Chamber；

without　some　reason；　there　was　a　woman　at　the　bottom；　she　had　a　rival！

In　short；　she　made　him　swear　eternal　fidelity。　Five　days　later　she

gave　a　splendid　feast。　The　new　journal　was　baptized　in　floods　of　wine

and　wit；　with　oaths　of　loyalty；　fidelity；　and　good…fellowship。　The

name；　forgotten　now　like　those　of　the　Liberal；　Communal；　Departmental；

Garde　National；　Federal；　Impartial；　was　something　in　〃al〃　that　was

equally　imposing　and　evanescent。　At　three　in　the　morning　Florine　could

undress　and　go　to　bed　as　if　alone；　though　no　one　had　left　the　house；

these　lights　of　the　epoch　were　sleeping　the　sleep　of　brutes。　And　when；

early　in　the　morning；　the　packers　and　vans　arrived　to　remove　Florine's

treasures　she　laughed　to　see　the　porters　moving　the　bodies　of　the

celebrated　men　like　pieces　of　furniture　that　lay　in　their　way。　〃Sic

transit〃　all　her　fine　things！　all　her　presents　and　souvenirs　went　to

the　shops　of　the　various　dealers；　where　no　one　on　seeing　them　would

know　how　those　flowers　of　luxury　had　been　originally　paid　for。　It　was

agreed　that　a　few　little　necessary　articles　should　be　left；　for

Florine's　personal　convenience　until　evening；her　bed；　a　table；　a　few

chairs；　and　china　enough　to　give　her　guests　their　breakfast。



Having　gone　to　sleep　beneath　the　draperies　of　wealth　and　luxury；　these

distinguished　men　awoke　to　find　themselves　within　bare　walls；　full　of

nail…holes；　degraded　into　abject　poverty。



〃Why；　Florine！The　poor　girl　has　been　seized　for　debt！〃　cried　Bixiou；

who　was　one　of　the　guests。　〃Quick！　a　subscription　for　her！〃



On　this　they　all　roused　up。　Every　pocket　was　emptied　and　produced　a

total　of　thirty…seven　francs；　which　Raoul　carried　in　jest　to　Florine's

bedside。　She　burst　out　laughing　and　lifted　her　pillow；　beneath　which

lay　a　mass　of　bank…notes　to　which　she　pointed。



Raoul　called　to　Blondet。



〃Ah！　I　see！〃　cried　Blondet。　〃The　little　cheat　has　sold　herself　out

without　a　word　to　us。　Well　done；　you　little　angel！〃



Thereupon；　the　actress　was　borne　in　triumph　into　the　dining…room　where

most　of　the　party　still　remained。　The　lawyer　and　du　Tillet　had

departed。



That　evening　Florine　had　an　ovation　at　the　theatre；　the　story　of　her

sacrifice　had　circulated　among　the　audience。



〃I'd　rather　be　applauded　for　my　talent；〃　said　her　rival　in　the　green…

room。



〃A　natural　desire　in　an　actress　who　has　never　been　applauded　at　all；〃

remarked　Florine。



During　the　evening　Florine's　maid　installed　her　in　Raoul's　apartment

in　the　Passage　Sandrie。　Raoul　himself　was　to　encamp　in　the　house　where

the　office　of　the　new　journal　was　established。



Such　was　the　rival　of　the　innocent　Madame　de　Vandenesse。　Raoul　was　the

connecting　link　between　the　actress　and　the　countess；a　knot　severed

by　a　duchess　in　the　days　of　Louis　XV。　by　the　poisoning　of　Adrienne

Lecouvreur；　a　not　inconceivable　vengeance；　considering　the　offence。



Florine；　however；　was　not　in　the　way　of　Raoul's　dawning　passion。　She

foresaw　the　lack　of　money　in　the　difficult　enterprise　he　had

undertaken；　and　she　asked　for　leave　of　absence　from　the　theatre。　Raoul

conducted　the　negotiation　in　a　way　to　make　himself　more　than　ever

valuable　to　her。　With　the　good　sense　of　the　peasant　in　La　Fontaine's

fable；　who　makes　sure　of　a　dinner　while　the　patricians　talk；　the

actress　went　into　the　provinces　to　cut　faggots　for　her　celebrated　man

while　he　was　employed　in　hunting　power。







CHAPTER　VI



ROMANTIC　LOVE



On　the　morrow　of　the　ball　given　by　Lady　Dudley；　Marie；　without　having

received　the　slightest　declaration；　believed　that　she　was　loved　by

Raoul　according　to　the　programme　of　her　dreams；　and　Raoul　was　aware

that　the　countess　had　chosen　him　for　her　lover。　Though　neither　had

reached　the　incline　of　such　emotions　where　preliminaries　are　abridged；

both　were　on　the　road　to　it。　Raoul；　wearied　with　the　dissipations　of

life；　longed　for　an　ideal　world；　while　Marie；　from　whom　the　thought　of

wrong…doing　was　far；　indeed；　never　imagined　the　possibility　of　going

out　of　such　a