the firm of nucingen-第8章

按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！


　a　man　mistakes　his　vocation；　the　false　start　none　the　less　influences　him　for　the　rest　of　his　life。　Godefroid　was　so　evidently　smitten　with　Mlle。　Isaure　d'Aldrigger；　that　Rastignac　went　off　to　a　tall　girl　chatting　in　the　card…room。　'Malvina；'　he　said；　lowering　his　voice；　'your　sister　has　just　netted　a　fish　worth　eighteen　thousand　francs　a　year。　He　has　a　name；　a　manner；　and　a　certain　position　in　the　world；　keep　an　eye　on　them；　be　careful　to　gain　Isaure's　confidence；　and　if　they　philander；　do　not　let　her　send　word　to　him　unless　you　have　seen　it　first'

〃Towards　two　o'clock　in　the　morning；　Isaure　was　standing　beside　a　diminutive　Shepherdess　of　the　Alps；　a　little　woman　of　forty；　coquettish　as　a　Zerlina。　A　footman　announced　that　'Mme。　la　Baronne's　carriage　stops　the　way；'　and　Godefroid　forthwith　saw　his　beautiful　maiden　out　of　a　German　song　draw　her　fantastical　mother　into　the　cloakroom；　whither　Malvina　followed　them；　and　（boy　that　he　was）　he　must　needs　go　to　discover　into　what　pot　of　preserves　the　infant　Joby　had　fallen；　and　had　the　pleasure　of　watching　Isaure　and　Malvina　coaxing　that　sparkling　person；　their　mamma；　into　her　pelisse；　with　all　the　little　tender　precautions　required　for　a　night　journey　in　Paris。　Of　course；　the　girls　on　their　side　watched　Beaudenord　out　of　the　corners　of　their　eyes；　as　well…taught　kittens　watch　a　mouse；　without　seeming　to　see　it　at　all。　With　a　certain　satisfaction　Beaudenord　noted　the　bearing；　manner；　and　appearance；　of　the　tall　well…gloved　Alsacien　servant　in　livery　who　brought　three　pairs　of　fur…lined　overshoes　for　his　mistresses。

〃Never　were　two　sisters　more　unlike　than　Isaure　and　Malvina。　Malvina　the　elder　was　tall　and　dark…haired；　Isaure　was　short　and　fair；　and　her　features　were　finely　and　delicately　cut；　while　her　sister's　were　vigorous　and　striking。　Isaure　was　one　of　those　women　who　reign　like　queens　through　their　weakness；　such　a　woman　as　a　schoolboy　would　feel　it　incumbent　upon　him　to　protect；　Malvina　was　the　Andalouse　of　Musset's　poem。　As　the　sisters　stood　together；　Isaure　looked　like　a　miniature　beside　a　portrait　in　oils。

〃　'She　is　rich！'　exclaimed　Godefroid；　going　back　to　Rastignac　in　the　ballroom。

〃　'Who？'

〃　'That　young　lady。'

〃　'Oh；　Isaure　d'Aldrigger？　Why；　yes。　The　mother　is　a　widow；　Nucingen　was　once　a　clerk　in　her　husband's　bank　at　Strasbourg。　Do　you　want　to　see　them　again？　Just　turn　off　a　compliment　for　Mme。　de　Restaud；　she　is　giving　a　ball　the　day　after　to…morrow；　the　Baroness　d'Aldrigger　and　her　two　daughters　will　be　there。　You　will　have　an　invitation。'

〃For　three　days　Godefroid　beheld　Isaure　in　the　camera　obscura　of　his　brainHIS　Isaure　with　her　white　camellias　and　the　little　ways　she　had　with　her　headsaw　her　as　you　see　the　bright　thing　on　which　you　have　been　gazing　after　your　eyes　are　shut；　a　picture　grown　somewhat　smaller；　a　radiant；　brightly…colored　vision　flashing　out　of　a　vortex　of　darkness。〃

〃Bixiou；　you　are　dropping　into　phenomena；　block　us　out　our　pictures；〃　put　in　Couture。

〃Here　you　are；　gentlemen！　Here　is　the　picture　you　ordered！〃　（from　the　tones　of　Bixiou's　voice；　he　evidently　was　posing　as　a　waiter。）　〃Finot；　attention；　one　has　to　pull　at　your　mouth　as　a　jarvie　pulls　at　his　jade。　In　Madame　Theodora　Marguerite　Wilhelmine　Adolphus　（of　the　firm　of　Adolphus　and　Company；　Manheim）；　relict　of　the　late　Baron　d'Aldrigger；　you　might　expect　to　find　a　stout；　comfortable　German；　compact　and　prudent；　with　a　fair　complexion　mellowed　to　the　tint　of　the　foam　on　a　pot　of　beer；　and　as　to　virtues；　rich　in　all　the　patriarchal　good　qualities　that　Germany　possessesin　romances；　that　is　to　say。　Well　there　was　not　a　gray　hair　in　the　frisky　ringlets　that　she　wore　on　either　side　of　her　face；　she　was　still　as　fresh　and　as　brightly　colored　on　the　cheek…bone　as　a　Nuremberg　doll；　her　eyes　were　lively　and　bright；　a　closely…fitting　bodice　set　off　the　slenderness　of　her　waist。　Her　brow　and　temples　were　furrowed　by　a　few　involuntary　wrinkles　which；　like　Ninon；　she　would　fain　have　banished　from　her　head　to　her　heel；　but　they　persisted　in　tracing　their　zigzags　in　the　more　conspicuous　place。　The　outlines　of　the　nose　had　somewhat　fallen　away；　and　the　tip　had　reddened；　and　this　was　the　more　awkward　because　it　matched　the　color　on　the　cheek…bones。

〃An　only　daughter　and　an　heiress；　spoilt　by　her　father　and　mother；　spoilt　by　her　husband　and　the　city　of　Strasbourg；　spoilt　still　by　two　daughters　who　worshiped　their　mother；　the　Baroness　d'Aldrigger　indulged　a　taste　for　rose　color；　short　petticoats；　and　a　knot　of　ribbon　at　the　point　of　the　tightly…fitting　corselet　bodice。　Any　Parisian　meeting　the　Baroness　on　the　boulevard　would　smile　and　condemn　her　outright；　he　does　not　admit　any　plea　of　extenuating　circumstances；　like　a　modern　jury　on　a　case　of　fratricide。　A　scoffer　is　always　superficial；　and　in　consequence　cruel；　the　rascal　never　thinks　of　throwing　the　proper　share　of　ridicule　on　society　that　made　the　individual　what　he　is；　for　Nature　only　makes　dull　animals　of　us；　we　owe　the　fool　to　artificial　conditions。〃

〃The　thing　that　I　admire　about　Bixiou　is　his　completeness；〃　said　Blondet；　〃whenever　he　is　not　gibing　at　others；　he　is　laughing　at　himself。〃

〃I　will　be　even　with　you　for　that；　Blondet；〃　returned　Bixiou　in　a　significant　tone。　〃If　the　little　Baroness　was　giddy；　careless；　selfish；　and　incapable　in　practical　matters；　she　was　not　accountable　for　her　sins；　the　responsibility　is　divided　between　the　firm　of　Adolphus　and　Company　of　Manheim　and　Baron　d'Aldrigger　with　his　blind　love　for　his　wife。　The　Baroness　was　a　gentle　as　a　lamb；　she　had　a　soft　heart　that　was　very　readily　moved；　unluckily；　the　emotion　never　lasted　long；　but　it　was　all　the　more　frequently　renewed。

〃When　the　Baron　died；　for　instance；　the　Shepherdess　all　but　followed　him　to　the　tomb；　so　violent　and　sincere　was　her　grief；　butnext　morning　there　was　green　peas　at　lunch；　she　was　fond　of　green　peas；　the　delicious　green　peas　calmed　the　crisis。　Her　daughters　and　her　servants　loved　her　so　blindly　that　the　whole　household　rejoiced　over　a　circumstance　that　enabled　them　to　hide　the　dolorous　spectacle　of　the　funeral　from　the　sorrowing　Baroness。　Isaure　and　Malvina　would　not　allow　their　idolized　mother　to　see　their　tears。

〃While　the　Requiem　was　chanted；　they　diverted　her　thoughts　to　the　choice　of　mourning　dresses。　While　the　coffin　was　placed　in　the　huge；　black　and　white；　wax…besprinkled　catafalque　that　does　duty　for　some　three　thousand　dead　in　the　course　of　its　careerso　I　was　informed　by　a　philosophically…minded　mute　whom　I　once　consulted　on　a　point　over　a　couple　of　glasses　of　petit　blancwhile　an　indifferent　priest　mumbling　the　office　for　the　dead；　do　you　know　what　the　friends　of　the　departed　were　saying　as；　all　dressed　in　black　from　head　to　foot；　they　sat　or　stood　in　the　church？　（Here　is　the　picture　you　ordered。）　Stay；　do　you　see　them？

〃　'How　much　do　you　suppose　old　d'Aldrigger　will　leave？'　Desroches　asked　of　Taillefer。You　remember　Taillefer　that　gave　us　the　finest　orgy　ever　known　not　long　before　he　died？〃

〃He　was　in　treaty　for　practice　in　1822；〃　said　Couture。　〃It　was　a　bold　thing　to　do；　for　he　was　the　son　of　a　poor　clerk　who　never　made　more　than　eighteen　hundred　francs　a　year；　and　his　mother　sold　stamped　paper。　But　he　worked　very　hard　from　1818　to　1822。　He　was　Derville's　fourth　clerk　when　he　came；　and　in　1819　he　was　second！〃

〃Desroches？〃

〃Yes。　Desroches；　like　the　rest　of　us；　once　groveled　in　the　poverty　of　Job。　He　grew　so　tired　of　wearing　coats　too　tight　and　sleeves　too　short　for　him；　that　he　swallowed　down　the　law　in　desperation　and　had　just　bought　a　bare　license。　He　was　a　licensed　attorney；　without　a　penny；　or　a　client；　or　any　friends　beyond　our　set；　and　he　was　bound　to　pay　interest　on　the　purchase…money　and　the　cautionary　deposit　besides。〃

〃He　used　to　make　me　feel　as　if　I　had　met　a　tiger　escaped　from　the　Jardin　des　Plantes；〃　said　Couture。　〃He　was　lean　and　red…haired；　his　eyes　were　the　color　of　Spanish　snuff；　and　his　complexion　was　harsh。　He　looked　cold　and　phlegmatic。　He　was　hard　upon　the　widow；　pitiless　to　the　orphan；　and　a　terror　to　his　clerks；　they　were　not　allowed　to　waste　a　minute。　Learned；　crafty；　double…faced；　honey…tongued；　never　flying　into　a　passion；　rancorous　in　his　judicial　way。〃

〃But　there　is　goodness