the firm of nucingen-第9部分

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　dresses；　and　social　success；　the　Baroness　was　lulled　to　sleep　and　pleasant　dreams　in　the　blue；　silk…curtained　bed　in　the　charming　room　next　to　the　chamber　in　which　Jean　Baptiste；　Baron　d'Aldrigger；　had　breathed　his　last　but　two　nights　ago。

〃Here　in　a　few　words　is　the　Baron's　history。　During　his　lifetime　that　worthy　Alsacien　accumulated　about　three　millions　of　francs。　In　1800；　at　the　age　of　thirty…six；　in　the　apogee　of　a　fortune　made　during　the　Revolution；　he　made　a　marriage　partly　of　ambition；　partly　of　inclination；　with　the　heiress　of　the　family　of　Adolphus　of　Manheim。　Wilhelmine；　being　the　idol　of　her　whole　family；　naturally　inherited　their　wealth　after　some　ten　years。　Next；　d'Aldrigger's　fortune　being　doubled；　he　was　transformed　into　a　Baron　by　His　Majesty；　Emperor　and　King；　and　forthwith　became　a　fanatical　admirer　of　the　great　man　to　whom　he　owed　his　title。　Wherefore；　between　1814　and　1815　he　ruined　himself　by　a　too　serious　belief　in　the　sun　of　Austerlitz。　Honest　Alsacien　as　he　was；　he　did　not　suspend　payment；　nor　did　he　give　his　creditors　shares　in　doubtful　concerns　by　way　of　settlement。　He　paid　everything　over　the　counter；　and　retired　from　business；　thoroughly　deserving　Nucingen's　comment　on　his　behavior'Honest　but　stoobid。'

〃All　claims　satisfied；　there　remained　to　him　five　hundred　thousand　francs　and　certain　receipts　for　sums　advanced　to　that　Imperial　Government；　which　had　ceased　to　exist。　'See　vat　komms　of　too　much　pelief　in　Nappolion；'　said　he；　when　he　had　realized　all　his　capital。

〃When　you　have　been　one　of　the　leading　men　in　a　place；　how　are　you　to　remain　in　it　when　your　estate　has　dwindled？　D'Aldrigger；　like　all　ruined　provincials；　removed　to　Paris；　there　intrepidly　wore　the　tricolor　braces　embroidered　with　Imperial　eagles；　and　lived　entirely　in　Bonapartist　circles。　His　capital　he　handed　over　to　Nucingen；　who　gave　him　eight　per　cent　upon　it；　and　took　over　the　loans　to　the　Imperial　Government　at　a　mere　sixty　per　cent　of　reduction；　wherefore　d'Aldrigger　squeezed　Nucingen's　hand　and　said；　'I　knew　dot　in　you　I　should　find　de　heart　of　ein　Elzacien。'

〃（Nucingen　was　paid　in　full　through　our　friend　des　Lupeaulx。）　Well　fleeced　as　d'Aldrigger　had　been；　he　still　possessed　an　income　of　forty…four　thousand　francs；　but　his　mortification　was　further　complicated　by　the　spleen　which　lies　in　wait　for　the　business　man　so　soon　as　he　retires　from　business。　He　set　himself；　noble　heart；　to　sacrifice　himself　to　his　wife；　now　that　her　fortune　was　lost；　that　fortune　of　which　she　had　allowed　herself　to　be　despoiled　so　easily；　after　the　manner　of　a　girl　entirely　ignorant　of　money　matters。　Mme。　d'Aldrigger　accordingly　missed　not　a　single　pleasure　to　which　she　had　been　accustomed；　any　void　caused　by　the　loss　of　Strasbourg　acquaintances　were　speedily　filled；　and　more　than　filled；　with　Paris　gaieties。

〃Even　then　as　now　the　Nucingens　lived　at　the　higher　end　of　financial　society；　and　the　Baron　de　Nucingen　made　it　a　point　of　honor　to　treat　the　honest　banker　well。　His　disinterested　virtue　looked　well　in　the　Nucingen　salon。

〃Every　winter　dipped　into　d'Aldrigger's　principal；　but　he　did　not　venture　to　remonstrate　with　his　pearl　of　a　Wilhelmine。　His　was　the　most　ingenious　unintelligent　tenderness　in　the　world。　A　good　man；　but　a　stupid　one！　'What　will　become　of　them　when　I　am　gone？'　he　said；　as　he　lay　dying；　and　when　he　was　left　alone　for　a　moment　with　Wirth；　his　old　man…servant；　he　struggled　for　breath　to　bid　him　take　care　of　his　mistress　and　her　two　daughters；　as　if　the　one　reasonable　being　in　the　house　was　this　Alsacien　Caleb　Balderstone。

〃Three　years　afterwards；　in　1826；　Isaure　was　twenty　years　old；　and　Malvina　still　unmarried。　Malvina　had　gone　into　society；　and　in　course　of　time　discovered　for　herself　how　superficial　their　friendships　were；　how　accurately　every　one　was　weighed　and　appraised。　Like　most　girls　that　have　been　'well　brought　up；'　as　we　say；　Malvina　had　no　idea　of　the　mechanism　of　life；　of　the　importance　of　money；　of　the　difficulty　of　obtaining　it；　of　the　prices　of　things。　And　so；　for　six　years；　every　lesson　that　she　had　learned　had　been　a　painful　one　for　her。

〃D'Aldrigger's　four　hundred　thousand　francs　were　carried　to　the　credit　of　the　Baroness'　account　with　the　firm　of　Nucingen　（she　was　her　husband's　creditor　for　twelve　hundred　thousand　francs　under　her　marriage　settlement）；　and　when　in　any　difficulty　the　Shepherdess　of　the　Alps　dipped　into　her　capital　as　though　it　were　inexhaustible。

〃When　our　pigeon　first　advanced　towards　his　dove；　Nucingen；　knowing　the　Baroness'　character；　must　have　spoken　plainly　to　Malvina　on　the　financial　position。　At　that　time　three　hundred　thousand　francs　were　left；　the　income　of　twenty…four　thousand　francs　was　reduced　to　eighteen　thousand。　Wirth　had　kept　up　this　state　of　things　for　three　years！　After　that　confidential　interview；　Malvina　put　down　the　carriage；　sold　the　horses；　and　dismissed　the　coachman；　without　her　mother's　knowledge。　The　furniture；　now　ten　years　old；　could　not　be　renewed；　but　it　all　faded　together；　and　for　those　that　like　harmony　the　effect　was　not　half　bad。　The　Baroness　herself；　that　so　well…　preserved　flower；　began　to　look　like　the　last　solitary　frost…touched　rose　on　a　November　bush。　I　myself　watched　the　slow　decline　of　luxury　by　half…tones　and　semi…tones！　Frightful；　upon　my　honor！　It　was　my　last　trouble　of　the　kind；　afterwards　I　said　to　myself；　'It　is　silly　to　care　so　much　about　other　people。'　But　while　I　was　in　civil　service；　I　was　fool　enough　to　take　a　personal　interest　in　the　houses　where　I　dined；　I　used　to　stand　up　for　them；　I　would　say　no　ill　of　them　myself；　Ioh！　I　was　a　child。

〃Well；　when　the　ci…devant　pearl's　daughter　put　the　state　of　the　case　before　her；　'Oh　my　poor　children；'　cried　she；　'who　will　make　my　dresses　now？　I　cannot　afford　new　bonnets；　I　cannot　see　visitors　here　nor　go　out。'Now　by　what　token　do　you　know　that　a　man　is　in　love？〃　said　Bixiou；　interrupting　himself。　〃The　question　is；　whether　Beaudenord　was　genuinely　in　love　with　the　fair…haired　girl。〃

〃He　neglects　his　interests；〃　said　Couture。

〃He　changes　his　shirt　three　times　a　day；〃　opined　Blondet；　〃a　man　of　more　than　ordinary　ability；　can　he；　and　ought　he；　to　fall　in　love？〃

〃My　friends；〃　resumed　Bixiou；　with　a　sentimental　air；　〃there　is　a　kind　of　man　who；　when　he　feels　that　he　is　in　peril　of　falling　in　love；　will　snap　his　fingers　or　fling　away　his　cigar　（as　the　case　may　be）　with　a　'Pooh！　there　are　other　women　in　the　world。'　Beware　of　that　man　for　a　dangerous　reptile。　Still；　the　Government　may　employ　that　citizen　somewhere　in　the　Foreign　Office。　Blondet；　I　call　your　attention　to　the　fact　that　this　Godefroid　had　thrown　up　diplomacy。〃

〃Well；　he　was　absorbed；〃　said　Blondet。　〃Love　gives　the　fool　his　one　chance　of　growing　great。〃

〃Blondet；　Blondet；　how　is　it　that　we　are　so　poor？〃　cried　Bixiou。

〃And　why　is　Finot　so　rich？〃　returned　Blondet。　〃I　will　tell　you　how　it　is；　there；　my　son；　we　understand　each　other。　Come；　there　is　Finot　filling　up　my　glass　as　if　I　had　carried　in　his　firewood。　At　the　end　of　dinner　one　ought　to　sip　one's　wine　slowly；Well？〃

〃Thou　has　said。　The　absorbed　Godefroid　became　fully　acquainted　with　the　familythe　tall　Malvina；　the　frivolous　Baroness；　and　the　little　lady　of　the　dance。　He　became　a　servant　after　the　most　conscientious　and　restricted　fashion。　He　was　not　scared　away　by　the　cadaverous　remains　of　opulence；　not　he！　by　degrees　he　became　accustomed　to　the　threadbare　condition　of　things。　It　never　struck　the　young　man　that　the　green　silk　damask　and　white　ornaments　in　the　drawing…room　needed　refurnishing。　The　curtains；　the　tea…table；　the　knick…knacks　on　the　chimney…piece；　the　rococo　chandelier；　the　Eastern　carpet　with　the　pile　worn　down　to　the　thread；　the　pianoforte；　the　little　flowered　china　cups；　the　fringed　serviettes　so　full　of　holes　that　they　looked　like　open　work　in　the　Spanish　fashion；　the　green　sitting…room　with　the　Baroness'　blue　bedroom　beyond　it；it　was　all　sacred；　all　dear　to　him。　It　is　only　your　stupid　woman　with　the　brilliant　beauty　that　throws　heart；　brain；　and　soul　into　the　shade；　who　can　inspire　forgetfulness　like　this；　a　clever　woman　never　abuses　her　advantages；　she　must　be　small…natured　and　silly　to　gain　such　a　hold　upon　a　man。　Beaudenord　actually　loved　the　solemn　old　Wirthhe　has　told　me　so　himself！

〃That　old　rogue　regarded　his　future　master　with　the　awe　which　a　good　Catholic　feels　for　the　Eucharist。　Honest　Wirth　was　a　kind　of　Gaspard；　a　beer…drinking　German　sheathing　his　cunning　in　good…nature；　much　as　a　cardinal　in　the　Middle　Ages　kept　his　dagger　up　his　sleeve。　Wirth　saw　a　husband　for　Isaure；　and　accordingly　proceeded　to　surround　Godefroid　with　the　mazy　circumlocutions　of　his　Alsacien's　geniality；　that　most　adhesive　of　all　known　varieties　of　bird…lime。

〃Mme。　d'Aldrigger　was　radically　'improper。'　She　thought　love　the　most　natural　thing　imaginable。　When　Isaure　and　Malvina　went　out　together　to　the　Champs　Elysees　or　the　Tuileries；　where　they　were　sure　to　meet　the　young　men　of　their　set；　she　would　simply　say；　'A　pleasant　time　to　you；　dear　girls。'　Their　friends　among　men；　the　only　persons　who　might　have　slandered　the　sisters；　championed　them；　for　the　extraordinary　liberty　permitted　in　the　d'Aldriggers'　salon　made　it　unique　in　Paris。　Vast　wealth　could　scarce