father goriot-第43章

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a　hundred　crowns；　go　and　kill　Monsieur　So…and…so　for　me；'　and　you

could　sup　quietly　after　turning　some　one　off　into　the　dark　for

the　least　thing　in　the　world。　But　nowadays　I　propose　to　put　you

in　the　way　of　a　handsome　fortune；　you　have　only　to　nod　your　head；

it　won't　compromise　you　in　any　way；　and　you　hesitate。　'Tis　an

effeminate　age。〃



Eugene　accepted　the　draft；　and　received　the　banknotes　in　exchange

for　it。



〃Well；　well。　Come；　now；　let　us　talk　rationally；〃　Vautrin

continued。　〃I　mean　to　leave　this　country　in　a　few　months'　time

for　America；　and　set　about　planting　tobacco。　I　will　send　you　the

cigars　of　friendship。　If　I　make　money　at　it；　I　will　help　you　in

your　career。　If　I　have　no　childrenwhich　will　probably　be　the

case；　for　I　have　no　anxiety　to　raise　slips　of　myself　hereyou

shall　inherit　my　fortune。　That　is　what　you　may　call　standing　by　a

man；　but　I　myself　have　a　liking　for　you。　I　have　a　mania；　too；　for

devoting　myself　to　some　one　else。　I　have　done　it　before。　You　see；

my　boy；　I　live　in　a　loftier　sphere　than　other　men　do；　I　look　on

all　actions　as　means　to　an　end；　and　the　end　is　all　that　I　look

at。　What　is　a　man's　life　to　me？　Not　THAT；〃　he　said；　and　he

snapped　his　thumb…nail　against　his　teeth。　〃A　man；　in　short；　is

everything　to　me；　or　just　nothing　at　all。　Less　than　nothing　if

his　name　happens　to　be　Poiret；　you　can　crush　him　like　a　bug；　he

is　flat　and　he　is　offensive。　But　a　man　is　a　god　when　he　is　like

you；　he　is　not　a　machine　covered　with　a　skin；　but　a　theatre　in

which　the　greatest　sentiments　are　displayedgreat　thoughts　and

feelingsand　for　these；　and　these　only；　I　live。　A　sentiment

what　is　that　but　the　whole　world　in　a　thought？　Look　at　Father

Goriot。　For　him；　his　two　girls　are　the　whole　universe；　they　are

the　clue　by　which　he　finds　his　way　through　creation。　Well；　for　my

own　part；　I　have　fathomed　the　depths　of　life；　there　is　only　one

real　sentimentcomradeship　between　man　and　man。　Pierre　and

Jaffier；　that　is　my　passion。　I　knew　Venice　Preserved　by　heart。

Have　you　met　many　men　plucky　enough　when　a　comrade　says；　'Let　us

bury　a　dead　body！'　to　go　and　do　it　without　a　word　or　plaguing　him

by　taking　a　high　moral　tone？　I　have　done　it　myself。　I　should　not

talk　like　this　to　just　everybody；　but　you　are　not　like　an

ordinary　man；　one　can　talk　to　you；　you　can　understand　things。　You

will　not　dabble　about　much　longer　among　the　tadpoles　in　these

swamps。　Well；　then；　it　is　all　settled。　You　will　marry。　Both　of　us

carry　our　point。　Mine　is　made　of　iron；　and　will　never　soften；　he！

he！〃



Vautrin　went　out。　He　would　not　wait　to　hear　the　student's

repudiation；　he　wished　to　put　Eugene　at　his　ease。　He　seemed　to

understand　the　secret　springs　of　the　faint　resistance　still　made

by　the　younger　man；　the　struggles　in　which　men　seek　to　preserve

their　self…respect　by　justifying　their　blameworthy　actions　to

themselves。



〃He　may　do　as　he　likes；　I　shall　not　marry　Mlle。　Taillefer；　that

is　certain；〃　said　Eugene　to　himself。



He　regarded　this　man　with　abhorrence；　and　yet　the　very　cynicism

of　Vautrin's　ideas；　and　the　audacious　way　in　which　he　used　other

men　for　his　own　ends；　raised　him　in　the　student's　eyes；　but　the

thought　of　a　compact　threw　Eugene　into　a　fever　of　apprehension；

and　not　until　he　had　recovered　somewhat　did　he　dress；　call　for　a

cab；　and　go　to　Mme。　de　Restaud's。



For　some　days　the　Countess　had　paid　more　and　more　attention　to　a

young　man　whose　every　step　seemed　a　triumphal　progress　in　the

great　world；　it　seemed　to　her　that　he　might　be　a　formidable　power

before　long。　He　paid　Messieurs　de　Trailles　and　d'Ajuda；　played　at

whist　for　part　of　the　evening；　and　made　good　his　losses。　Most　men

who　have　their　way　to　make　are　more　or　less　of　fatalists；　and

Eugene　was　superstitious；　he　chose　to　consider　that　his　luck　was

heaven's　reward　for　his　perseverance　in　the　right　way。　As　soon　as

possible　on　the　following　morning　he　asked　Vautrin　whether　the

bill　he　had　given　was　still　in　the　other's　possession；　and　on

receiving　a　reply　in　the　affirmative；　he　repaid　the　three

thousand　francs　with　a　not　unnatural　relief。



〃Everything　is　going　on　well；〃　said　Vautrin。



〃But　I　am　not　your　accomplice；〃　said　Eugene。



〃I　know；　I　know；〃　Vautrin　broke　in。　〃You　are　still　acting　like　a

child。　You　are　making　mountains　out　of　molehills　at　the　outset。〃



Two　days　later；　Poiret　and　Mlle。　Michonneau　were　sitting　together

on　a　bench　in　the　sun。　They　had　chosen　a　little　frequented　alley

in　the　Jardin　des　Plantes；　and　a　gentleman　was　chatting　with

them；　the　same　person；　as　a　matter　of　fact；　about　whom　the

medical　student　had；　not　without　good　reason；　his　own　suspicions。



〃Mademoiselle；〃　this　M。　Gondureau　was　saying；　〃I　do　not　see　any

cause　for　your　scruples。　His　Excellency；　Monseigneur　the　Minister

of　Police〃



〃Yes；　his　Excellency　is　taking　a　personal　interest　in　the

matter；〃　said　Gondureau。



Who　would　think　it　probable　that　Poiret；　a　retired　clerk；

doubtless　possessed　of　some　notions　of　civic　virtue；　though　there

might　be　nothing　else　in　his　headwho　would　think　it　likely　that

such　a　man　would　continue　to　lend　an　ear　to　this　supposed

independent　gentleman　of　the　Rue　de　Buffon；　when　the　latter

dropped　the　mask　of　a　decent　citizen　by　that　word　〃police；〃　and

gave　a　glimpse　of　the　features　of　a　detective　from　the　Rue　de

Jerusalem？　And　yet　nothing　was　more　natural。　Perhaps　the

following　remarks　from　the　hitherto　unpublished　records　made　by

certain　observers　will　throw　a　light　on　the　particular　species　to

which　Poiret　belonged　in　the　great　family　of　fools。　There　is　a

race　of　quill…drivers；　confined　in　the　columns　of　the　budget

between　the　first　degree　of　latitude　（a　kind　of　administrative

Greenland　where　the　salaries　begin　at　twelve　hundred　francs）　to

the　third　degree；　a　more　temperate　zone；　where　incomes　grow　from

three　to　six　thousand　francs；　a　climate　where　the　BONUS

flourishes　like　a　half…hardy　annual　in　spite　of　some　difficulties

of　culture。　A　characteristic　trait　that　best　reveals　the　feeble

narrow…mindedness　of　these　inhabitants　of　petty　officialdom　is　a

kind　of　involuntary；　mechanical；　and　instinctive　reverence　for

the　Grand　Lama　of　every　Ministry；　known　to　the　rank　and　file　only

by　his　signature　（an　illegible　scrawl）　and　by　his　title〃His

Excellency　Monseigneur　le　Ministre；〃　five　words　which　produce　as

much　effect　as　the　il　Bondo　Cani　of　the　Calife　de　Bagdad；　five

words　which　in　the　eyes　of　this　low　order　of　intelligence

represent　a　sacred　power　from　which　there　is　no　appeal。　The

Minister　is　administratively　infallible　for　the　clerks　in　the

employ　of　the　Government；　as　the　Pope　is　infallible　for　good

Catholics。　Something　of　this　peculiar　radiance　invests　everything

he　does　or　says；　or　that　is　said　or　done　in　his　name；　the　robe　of

office　covers　everything　and　legalizes　everything　done　by　his

orders；　does　not　his　very　titleHis　Excellencyvouch　for　the

purity　of　his　intentions　and　the　righteousness　of　his　will；　and

serve　as　a　sort　of　passport　and　introduction　to　ideas　that

otherwise　would　not　be　entertained　for　a　moment？　Pronounce　the

words　〃His　Excellency；〃　and　these　poor　folk　will　forthwith

proceed　to　do　what　they　would　not　do　for　their　own　interests。

Passive　obedience　is　as　well　known　in　a　Government　department　as

in　the　army　itself；　and　the　administrative　system　silences

consciences；　annihilates　the　individual；　and　ends　（give　it　time

enough）　by　fashioning　a　man　into　a　vise　or　a　thumbscrew；　and　he

becomes　part　of　the　machinery　of　Government。　Wherefore；　M。

Gondureau；　who　seemed　to　know　something　of　human　nature；

recognized　Poiret　at　once　as　one　of　those　dupes　of　officialdom；

and　brought　out　for　his　benefit；　at　the　proper　moment；　the　deus

ex　machina；　the　magical　words　〃His　Excellency；〃　so　as　to　dazzle

Poiret　just　as　he　himself　unmasked　his　batteries；　for　he　took

Poiret　and　the　Michonneau　for　the　male　and　female　of　the　same

species。



〃If　his　Excellency　himself；　his　Excellency　the　Minister