father goriot-第9章

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quote　the　Museum　official　again）　was　invariably　at　zeroReaumur。



Eugene　de　Rastignac　had　just　returned　to　Paris　in　a　state　of　mind

not　unknown　to　young　men　who　are　conscious　of　unusual　powers；　and

to　those　whose　faculties　are　so　stimulated　by　a　difficult

position；　that　for　the　time　being　they　rise　above　the　ordinary

level。



Rastignac's　first　year　of　study　for　the　preliminary　examinations

in　law　had　left　him　free　to　see　the　sights　of　Paris　and　to　enjoy

some　of　its　amusements。　A　student　has　not　much　time　on　his　hands

if　he　sets　himself　to　learn　the　repertory　of　every　theatre；　and

to　study　the　ins　and　outs　of　the　labyrinth　of　Paris。　To　know　its

customs；　to　learn　the　language；　and　become　familiar　with　the

amusements　of　the　capital；　he　must　explore　its　recesses；　good　and

bad；　follow　the　studies　that　please　him　best；　and　form　some　idea

of　the　treasures　contained　in　galleries　and　museums。



At　this　stage　of　his　career　a　student　grows　eager　and　excited

about　all　sorts　of　follies　that　seem　to　him　to　be　of　immense

importance。　He　has　his　hero；　his　great　man；　a　professor　at　the

College　de　France；　paid　to　talk　down　to　the　level　of　his

audience。　He　adjusts　his　cravat；　and　strikes　various　attitudes

for　the　benefit　of　the　women　in　the　first　galleries　at　the　Opera…

Comique。　As　he　passes　through　all　these　successive　initiations；

and　breaks　out　of　his　sheath；　the　horizons　of　life　widen　around

him；　and　at　length　he　grasps　the　plan　of　society　with　the

different　human　strata　of　which　it　is　composed。



If　he　begins　by　admiring　the　procession　of　carriages　on　sunny

afternoons　in　the　Champs…Elysees；　he　soon　reaches　the　further

stage　of　envying　their　owners。　Unconsciously；　Eugene　had　served

his　apprenticeship　before　he　went　back　to　Angouleme　for　the　long

vacation　after　taking　his　degrees　as　bachelor　of　arts　and

bachelor　of　law。　The　illusions　of　childhood　had　vanished；　so　also

had　the　ideas　he　brought　with　him　from　the　provinces；　he　had

returned　thither　with　an　intelligence　developed；　with　loftier

ambitions；　and　saw　things　as　they　were　at　home　in　the　old　manor

house。　His　father　and　mother；　his　two　brothers　and　two　sisters；

with　an　aged　aunt；　whose　whole　fortune　consisted　in　annuities；

lived　on　the　little　estate　of　Rastignac。　The　whole　property

brought　in　about　three　thousand　francs；　and　though　the　amount

varied　with　the　season　（as　must　always　be　the　case　in　a　vine…

growing　district）；　they　were　obliged　to　spare　an　unvarying　twelve

hundred　francs　out　of　their　income　for　him。　He　saw　how　constantly

the　poverty；　which　they　had　generously　hidden　from　him；　weighed

upon　them；　he　could　not　help　comparing　the　sisters；　who　had

seemed　so　beautiful　to　his　boyish　eyes；　with　women　in　Paris；　who

had　realized　the　beauty　of　his　dreams。　The　uncertain　future　of

the　whole　family　depended　upon　him。　It　did　not　escape　his　eyes

that　not　a　crumb　was　wasted　in　the　house；　nor　that　the　wine　they

drank　was　made　from　the　second　pressing；　a　multitude　of　small

things；　which　it　is　useless　to　speak　of　in　detail　here；　made　him

burn　to　distinguish　himself；　and　his　ambition　to　succeed

increased　tenfold。



He　meant；　like　all　great　souls；　that　his　success　should　be　owing

entirely　to　his　merits；　but　his　was　pre…eminently　a　southern

temperament；　the　execution　of　his　plans　was　sure　to　be　marred　by

the　vertigo　that　seizes　on　youth　when　youth　sees　itself　alone　in

a　wide　sea；　uncertain　how　to　spend　its　energies；　whither　to　steer

its　course；　how　to　adapt　its　sails　to　the　winds。　At　first　he

determined　to　fling　himself　heart　and　soul　into　his　work；　but　he

was　diverted　from　this　purpose　by　the　need　of　society　and

connections；　then　he　saw　how　great　an　influence　women　exert　in

social　life；　and　suddenly　made　up　his　mind　to　go　out　into　this

world　to　seek　a　protectress　there。　Surely　a　clever　and　high…

spirited　young　man；　whose　wit　and　courage　were　set　off　to

advantage　by　a　graceful　figure　and　the　vigorous　kind　of　beauty

that　readily　strikes　a　woman's　imagination；　need　not　despair　of

finding　a　protectress。　These　ideas　occurred　to　him　in　his　country

walks　with　his　sisters；　whom　he　had　once　joined　so　gaily。　The

girls　thought　him　very　much　changed。



His　aunt；　Mme。　de　Marcillac；　had　been　presented　at　court；　and　had

moved　among　the　brightest　heights　of　that　lofty　region。　Suddenly

the　young　man's　ambition　discerned　in　those　recollections　of

hers；　which　had　been　like　nursery　fairy　tales　to　her　nephews　and

nieces；　the　elements　of　a　social　success　at　least　as　important　as

the　success　which　he　had　achieved　at　the　Ecole　de　Droit。　He　began

to　ask　his　aunt　about　those　relations；　some　of　the　old　ties　might

still　hold　good。　After　much　shaking　of　the　branches　of　the　family

tree；　the　old　lady　came　to　the　conclusion　that　of　all　persons　who

could　be　useful　to　her　nephew　among　the　selfish　genus　of　rich

relations；　the　Vicomtesse　de　Beauseant　was　the　least　likely　to

refuse。　To　this　lady；　therefore；　she　wrote　in　the　old…fashioned

style；　recommending　Eugene　to　her；　pointing　out　to　her　nephew

that　if　he　succeeded　in　pleasing　Mme。　de　Beauseant；　the

Vicomtesse　would　introduce　him　to　other　relations。　A　few　days

after　his　return　to　Paris；　therefore；　Rastignac　sent　his　aunt's

letter　to　Mme。　de　Beauseant。　The　Vicomtesse　replied　by　an

invitation　to　a　ball　for　the　following　evening。　This　was　the

position　of　affairs　at　the　Maison　Vauquer　at　the　end　of　November

1819。



A　few　days　later；　after　Mme。　de　Beauseant's　ball；　Eugene　came　in

at　two　o'clock　in　the　morning。　The　persevering　student　meant　to

make　up　for　the　lost　time　by　working　until　daylight。　It　was　the

first　time　that　he　had　attempted　to　spend　the　night　in　this　way

in　that　silent　quarter。　The　spell　of　a　factitious　energy　was　upon

him；　he　had　beheld　the　pomp　and　splendor　of　the　world。　He　had　not

dined　at　the　Maison　Vauquer；　the　boarders　probably　would　think

that　he　would　walk　home　at　daybreak　from　the　dance；　as　he　had

done　sometimes　on　former　occasions；　after　a　fete　at　the　Prado；　or

a　ball　at　the　Odeon；　splashing　his　silk　stockings　thereby；　and

ruining　his　pumps。



It　so　happened　that　Christophe　took　a　look　into　the　street　before

drawing　the　bolts　of　the　door；　and　Rastignac；　coming　in　at　that

moment；　could　go　up　to　his　room　without　making　any　noise；

followed　by　Christophe；　who　made　a　great　deal。　Eugene　exchanged

his　dress　suit　for　a　shabby　overcoat　and　slippers；　kindled　a　fire

with　some　blocks　of　patent　fuel；　and　prepared　for　his　night's

work　in　such　a　sort　that　the　faint　sounds　he　made　were　drowned　by

Christophe's　heavy　tramp　on　the　stairs。



Eugene　sat　absorbed　in　thought　for　a　few　moments　before　plunging

into　his　law　books。　He　had　just　become　aware　of　the　fact　that　the

Vicomtesse　de　Beauseant　was　one　of　the　queens　of　fashion；　that

her　house　was　thought　to　be　the　pleasantest　in　the　Faubourg

Saint…Germain。　And　not　only　so；　she　was；　by　right　of　her　fortune；

and　the　name　she　bore；　one　of　the　most　conspicuous　figures　in

that　aristocratic　world。　Thanks　to　the　aunt；　thanks　to　Mme。　de

Marcillac's　letter　of　introduction；　the　poor　student　had　been

kindly　received　in　that　house　before　he　knew　the　extent　of　the

favor　thus　shown　to　him。　It　was　almost　like　a　patent　of　nobility

to　be　admitted　to　those　gilded　salons；　he　had　appeared　in　the

most　exclusive　circle　in　Paris；　and　now　all　doors　were　open　for

him。　Eugene　had　been　dazzled　at　first　by　the　brilliant　assembly；

and　had　scarcely　exchanged　a　few　words　with　the　Vicomtesse；　he

had　been　content　to　single　out　a　goddess　among　this　throng　of

Parisian　divinities；　one　of　those　women　who　are　sure　to　attract　a

young　man's　fancy。



The　Comtesse　Anastasie　de　Restaud　was　tall　and　gracefully　made；

she　had　one　of　the　prettiest　figures　in　Paris。　Imagine　a　pair　of

great　dark　eyes；　a　magnificently　moulded　hand；　a　shapely　foot。

There　was　a　fiery　energy　in　her　movements；　the　Marquis　de

Ronquerolles　had　called　her　〃a　thoroughbred；〃　〃a　pure　pedigree；〃

these　figures　of　speec