the firm of nucingen-第2章

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her　a　life　interest　in　the　property〃

〃Even　in　1827　I　have　known　him　without　a　penny；〃　said　Blondet。

〃Oh！　in　1827；〃　said　Bixiou。

〃Well；〃　resumed　Finot；　〃yet　to…day；　as　we　see；　he　is　in　a　fair　way　to　be　a　Minister；　a　peer　of　Franceanything　that　he　likes。　He　broke　decently　with　Delphine　three　years　ago；　he　will　not　marry　except　on　good　grounds；　and　he　may　marry　a　girl　of　noble　family。　The　chap　had　the　sense　to　take　up　with　a　wealthy　woman。〃

〃My　friends；　give　him　the　benefit　of　extenuating　circumstances；〃　urged　Blondet。　〃When　he　escaped　the　clutches　of　want；　he　dropped　into　the　claws　of　a　very　clever　man。〃

〃You　know　what　Nucingen　is；〃　said　Bixiou。　〃In　the　early　days；　Delphine　and　Rastignac　thought　him　'good…natured'；　he　seemed　to　regard　a　wife　as　a　plaything；　an　ornament　in　his　house。　And　that　very　fact　showed　me　that　the　man　was　square　at　the　base　as　well　as　in　height；〃　added　Bixiou。　〃Nucingen　makes　no　bones　about　admitting　that　his　wife　is　his　fortune；　she　is　an　indispensable　chattel；　but　a　wife　takes　a　second　place　in　the　high…pressure　life　of　a　political　leader　and　great　capitalist。　He　once　said　in　my　hearing　that　Bonaparte　had　blundered　like　a　bourgeois　in　his　early　relations　with　Josephine；　and　that　after　he　had　had　the　spirit　to　use　her　as　a　stepping…stone；　he　had　made　himself　ridiculous　by　trying　to　make　a　companion　of　her。〃

〃Any　man　of　unusual　powers　is　bound　to　take　Oriental　views　of　women；〃　said　Blondet。

〃The　Baron　blended　the　opinions　of　East　and　West　in　a　charming　Parisian　creed。　He　abhorred　de　Marsay；　de　Marsay　was　unmanageable；　but　with　Rastignac　he　was　much　pleased；　he　exploited　him；　though　Rastignac　was　not　aware　of　it。　All　the　burdens　of　married　life　were　put　on　him。　Rastignac　bore　the　brunt　of　Delphine's　whims；　he　escorted　her　to　the　Bois　de　Boulogne；　he　went　with　her　to　the　play；　and　the　little　politician　and　great　man　of　to…day　spent　a　good　deal　of　his　life　at　that　time　in　writing　dainty　notes。　Eugene　was　scolded　for　little　nothings　from　the　first；　he　was　in　good　spirits　when　Delphine　was　cheerful；　and　drooped　when　she　felt　low；　he　bore　the　weight　of　her　confidences　and　her　ailments；　he　gave　up　his　time；　the　hours　of　his　precious　youth；　to　fill　the　empty　void　of　that　fair　Parisian's　idleness。　Delphine　and　he　held　high　councils　on　the　toilettes　which　went　best　together；　he　stood　the　fire　of　bad　temper　and　broadsides　of　pouting　fits；　while　she；　by　way　of　trimming　the　balance；　was　very　nice　to　the　Baron。　As　for　the　Baron；　he　laughed　in　his　sleeve；　but　whenever　he　saw　that　Rastignac　was　bending　under　the　strain　of　the　burden；　he　made　'as　if　he　suspected　something；'　and　reunited　the　lovers　by　a　common　dread。〃

〃I　can　imagine　that　a　wealthy　wife　would　have　put　Rastignac　in　the　way　of　a　living；　and　an　honorable　living；　but　where　did　he　pick　up　his　fortune？〃　asked　Couture。　〃A　fortune　so　considerable　as　his　at　the　present　day　must　come　from　somewhere；　and　nobody　ever　accused　him　of　inventing　a　good　stroke　of　business。〃

〃Somebody　left　it　to　him；〃　said　Finot。

〃Who？〃　asked　Blondet。

〃Some　fool　that　he　came　across；〃　suggested　Couture。

〃He　did　not　steal　the　whole　of　it；　my　little　dears；〃　said　Bixiou。

　　〃Let　not　your　terrors　rise　to　fever…heat；　　　　Our　age　is　lenient　with　those　who　cheat。

Now；　I　will　tell　you　about　the　beginnings　of　his　fortune。　In　the　first　place；　honor　to　talent！　Our　friend　is　not　a　'chap；'　as　Finot　describes　him；　but　a　gentleman　in　the　English　sense；　who　knows　the　cards　and　knows　the　game；　whom；　moreover；　the　gallery　respects。　Rastignac　has　quite　as　much　intelligence　as　is　needed　at　a　given　moment；　as　if　a　soldier　should　make　his　courage　payable　at　ninety　days'　sight；　with　three　witnesses　and　guarantees。　He　may　seem　captious；　wrong…headed；　inconsequent；　vacillating；　and　without　any　fixed　opinions；　but　let　something　serious　turn　up；　some　combination　to　scheme　out；　he　will　not　scatter　himself　like　Blondet　here；　who　chooses　these　occasions　to　look　at　things　from　his　neighbor's　point　of　view。　Rastignac　concentrates　himself；　pulls　himself　together；　looks　for　the　point　to　carry　by　storm；　and　goes　full　tilt　for　it。　He　charges　like　a　Murat；　breaks　squares；　pounds　away　at　shareholders；　promoters；　and　the

whole　shop；　and　returns；　when　the　breach　is　made；　to　his　lazy；　careless　life。　Once　more　he　becomes　the　man　of　the　South；　the　man　of　pleasure；　the　trifling；　idle　Rastignac。　He　has　earned　the　right　of　lying　in　bed　till　noon　because　a　crisis　never　finds　him　asleep。〃

〃So　far　so　good；　but　just　get　to　his　fortune；〃　said　Finot。

〃Bixiou　will　lash　that　off　at　a　stroke；〃　replied　Blondet。　〃Rastignac's　fortune　was　Delphine　de　Nucingen；　a　remarkable　woman；　she　combines　boldness　with　foresight。〃

〃Did　she　ever　lend　you　money？〃　inquired　Bixiou。　Everybody　burst　out　laughing。

〃You　are　mistaken　in　her；〃　said　Couture；　speaking　to　Blondet；　〃her　cleverness　simply　consists　in　making　more　or　less　piquant　remarks；　in　loving　Rastignac　with　tedious　fidelity；　and　obeying　him　blindly。　She　is　a　regular　Italian。〃

〃Money　apart；〃　Andoche　Finot　put　in　sourly。

〃Oh；　come；　come；〃　said　Bixiou　coaxingly；　〃after　what　we　have　just　been　saying；　will　you　venture　to　blame　poor　Rastignac　for　living　at　the　expense　of　the　firm　of　Nucingen；　for　being　installed　in　furnished　rooms　precisely　as　La　Torpille　was　once　installed　by　our　friend　des　Lupeaulx？　You　would　sink　to　the　vulgarity　of　the　Rue　Saint…Denis！　First　of　all；　'in　the　abstract；'　as　Royer…Collard　says；　the　question　may　abide　the　Kritik　of　Pure　Reason；　as　for　the　impure　reason〃

〃There　he　goes！〃　said　Finot；　turning　to　Blondet。

〃But　there　is　reason　in　what　he　says；〃　exclaimed　Blondet。　〃The　problem　is　a　very　old　one；　it　was　the　grand　secret　of　the　famous　duel　between　La　Chataigneraie　and　Jarnac。　It　was　cast　up　to　Jarnac　that　he　was　on　good　terms　with　his　mother…in…law；　who；　loving　him　only　too　well；　equipped　him　sumptuously。　When　a　thing　is　so　true；　it　ought　not　to　be　said。　Out　of　devotion　to　Henry　II。；　who　permitted　himself　this　slander；　La　Chataigneraie　took　it　upon　himself；　and　there　followed　the　duel　which　enriched　the　French　language　with　the　expression　coup　de　Jarnac。〃

〃Oh！　does　it　go　so　far　back？　Then　it　is　noble？〃　said　Finot。

〃As　a　proprietor　of　newspapers　and　reviews　of　old　standing；　you　are　not　bound　to　know　that；〃　said　Blondet。

〃There　are　women；〃　Bixiou　gravely　resumed；　〃and　for　that　matter；　men　too；　who　can　cut　their　lives　in　two　and　give　away　but　one…half。　（Remark　how　I　word　my　phrase　for　you　in　humanitarian　language。）　For　these；　all　material　interests　lie　without　the　range　of　sentiment。　They　give　their　time；　their　life；　their　honor　to　a　woman；　and　hold　that　between　themselves　it　is　not　the　thing　to　meddle　with　bits　of　tissue　paper　bearing　the　legend；　'Forgery　is　punishable　with　death。'　And　equally　they　will　take　nothing　from　a　woman。　Yes；　the　whole　thing　is　debased　if　fusion　of　interests　follows　on　fusion　of　souls。　This　is　a　doctrine　much　preached；　and　very　seldom　practised。〃

〃Oh；　what　rubbish！〃　cried　Blondet。　〃The　Marechal　de　Richelieu　understood　something　of　gallantry；　and　he　settled　an　allowance　of　a　thousand　louis　d'or　on　Mme。　de　la　Popeliniere　after　that　affair　of　the　hiding…place　behind　the　hearth。　Agnes　Sorel；　in　all　simplicity；　took　her　fortune　to　Charles　VII。；　and　the　King　accepted　it。　Jacques　Coeur　kept　the　crown　for　France；　he　was　allowed　to　do　it；　and　woman…like；　France　was　ungrateful。〃

〃Gentlemen；〃　said　Bixiou；　〃a　love　that　does　not　imply　an　indissoluble　friendship；　to　my　thinking；　is　momentary　libertinage。　What　sort　of　entire　surrender　is　it　that　keeps　something　back？　Between　these　two　diametrically　opposed　doctrines；　the　one　as　profoundly　immoral　as　the　other；　there　is　no　possible　compromise。　It　seems　to　me　that　any　shrinking　from　a　complete　union　is　surely　due　to　a　belief　that　the　union　cannot　last；　and　if　so；　farewell　to　illusion。　The　passion　that　does　not　believe　that　it　will　last　for　ever　is　a　hideous　thing。　（Here　is　pure　unadulterated　Fenelon　for　you！）　At　the　same　time；　those　who　know　the　world；　the　observer；　the　man　of　the　world；　the　wearers　of　irreproachable　gloves　and　ties；　the　men　who　do　not　blush　to　marry　a　woman　for　her　money；　proclaim　the　necessity　of　a　complete　separation　of　sentiment　and　intere