the girl with the golden eyes-第7章

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this　pretty　outside。　Nevertheless；　all　alike　take　precedence　over
everybody　else；　speak　rightly　or　wrongly　of　things；　of　men；
literature；　and　the　fine　arts；　have　ever　in　their　mouth　the　Pitt　and
Coburg　of　each　year；　interrupt　a　conversation　with　a　pun；　turn　into
ridicule　science　and　the　/savant/；　despise　all　things　which　they　do
not　know　or　which　they　fear；　set　themselves　above　all　by　constituting
themselves　the　supreme　judges　of　all。　They　would　all　hoax　their
fathers；　and　be　ready　to　shed　crocodile　tears　upon　their　mothers'
breasts；　but　generally　they　believe　in　nothing；　blaspheme　women；　or
play　at　modesty；　and　in　reality　are　led　by　some　old　woman　or　an　evil
courtesan。　They　are　all　equally　eaten　to　the　bone　with　calculation；
with　depravity；　with　a　brutal　lust　to　succeed；　and　if　you　plumbed　for
their　hearts　you　would　find　in　all　a　stone。　In　their　normal　state　they
have　the　prettiest　exterior；　stake　their　friendship　at　every　turn；　are
captivating　alike。　The　same　badinage　dominates　their　ever…changing
jargon；　they　seek　for　oddity　in　their　toilette；　glory　in　repeating　the
stupidities　of　such　and　such　actor　who　is　in　fashion；　and　commence
operations；　it　matters　not　with　whom；　with　contempt　and　impertinence；
in　order　to　have；　as　it　were；　the　first　move　in　the　game；　but；　woe
betide　him　who　does　not　know　how　to　take　a　blow　on　one　cheek　for　the
sake　of　rendering　two。　They　resemble；　in　fine；　that　pretty　white　spray
which　crests　the　stormy　waves。　They　dress　and　dance；　dine　and　take
their　pleasure；　on　the　day　of　Waterloo；　in　the　time　of　cholera　or
revolution。　Finally；　their　expenses　are　all　the　same；　but　here　the
contrast　comes　in。　Of　this　fluctuating　fortune；　so　agreeably　flung
away；　some　possess　the　capital　for　which　the　others　wait；　they　have
the　same　tailors；　but　the　bills　of　the　latter　are　still　to　pay。　Next；
if　the　first；　like　sieves；　take　in　ideas　of　all　kinds　without
retaining　any；　the　latter　compare　them　and　assimilate　all　the　good。　If
the　first　believe　they　know　something；　know　nothing　and　understand
everything；　lend　all　to　those　who　need　nothing　and　offer　nothing　to
those　who　are　in　need；　the　latter　study　secretly　others'　thoughts　and
place　out　their　money；　like　their　follies；　at　big　interest。　The　one
class　have　no　more　faithful　impressions；　because　their　soul；　like　a
mirror；　worn　from　use；　no　longer　reflects　any　image；　the　others
economize　their　senses　and　life；　even　while　they　seem；　like　the　first；
to　be　flinging　them　away　broadcast。　The　first；　on　the　faith　of　a　hope；
devote　themselves　without　conviction　to　a　system　which　has　wind　and
tide　against　it；　but　they　leap　upon　another　political　craft　when　the
first　goes　adrift；　the　second　take　the　measure　of　the　future；　sound
it；　and　see　in　political　fidelity　what　the　English　see　in　commercial
integrity；　an　element　of　success。　Where　the　young　man　of　possessions
makes　a　pun　or　an　epigram　upon　the　restoration　of　the　throne；　he　who
has　nothing　makes　a　public　calculation　or　a　secret　reservation；　and
obtains　everything　by　giving　a　handshake　to　his　friends。　The　one　deny
every　faculty　to　others；　look　upon　all　their　ideas　as　new；　as　though
the　world　had　been　made　yesterday；　they　have　unlimited　confidence　in
themselves；　and　no　crueler　enemy　than　those　same　selves。　But　the
others　are　armed　with　an　incessant　distrust　of　men；　whom　they　estimate
at　their　value；　and　are　sufficiently　profound　to　have　one　thought
beyond　their　friends；　whom　they　exploit；　then　of　evenings；　when　they
lay　their　heads　on　their　pillows；　they　weigh　men　as　a　miser　weighs　his
gold　pieces。　The　one　are　vexed　at　an　aimless　impertinence；　and　allow
themselves　to　be　ridiculed　by　the　diplomatic；　who　make　them　dance　for
them　by　pulling　what　is　the　main　string　of　these　puppetstheir
vanity。　Thus；　a　day　comes　when　those　who　had　nothing　have　something；
and　those　who　had　something　have　nothing。　The　latter　look　at　their
comrades　who　have　achieved　positions　as　cunning　fellows；　their　hearts
may　be　bad；　but　their　heads　are　strong。　〃He　is　very　strong！〃　is　the
supreme　praise　accorded　to　those　who　have　attained　/quibuscumque
viis/；　political　rank；　a　woman；　or　a　fortune。　Amongst　them　are　to　be
found　certain　young　men　who　play　this　/role/　by　commencing　with　having
debts。　Naturally；　these　are　more　dangerous　than　those　who　play　it
without　a　farthing。

The　young　man　who　called　himself　a　friend　of　Henri　de　Marsay　was　a
rattle…head　who　had　come　from　the　provinces；　and　whom　the　young　men
then　in　fashion　were　teaching　the　art　of　running　through　an
inheritance；　but　he　had　one　last　leg　to　stand　on　in　his　province；　in
the　shape　of　a　secure　establishment。　He　was　simply　an　heir　who　had
passed　without　any　transition　from　his　pittance　of　a　hundred　francs　a
month　to　the　entire　paternal　fortune；　and　who；　if　he　had　not　wit
enough　to　perceive　that　he　was　laughed　at；　was　sufficiently　cautious
to　stop　short　at　two…thirds　of　his　capital。　He　had　learned　at　Paris；
for　a　consideration　of　some　thousands　of　francs；　the　exact　value　of
harness；　the　art　of　not　being　too　respectful　to　his　gloves；　learned　to
make　skilful　meditations　upon　the　right　wages　to　give　people；　and　to
seek　out　what　bargain　was　the　best　to　close　with　them。　He　set　store　on
his　capacity　to　speak　in　good　terms　of　his　horses；　of　his　Pyrenean
hound；　to　tell　by　her　dress；　her　walk；　her　shoes；　to　what　class　a
woman　belonged；　to　study　/ecarte/；　remember　a　few　fashionable
catchwords；　and　win　by　his　sojourn　in　Parisian　society　the　necessary
authority　to　import　later　into　his　province　a　taste　for　tea　and　silver
of　an　English　fashion；　and　to　obtain　the　right　of　despising　everything
around　him　for　the　rest　of　his　days。

De　Marsay　had　admitted　him　to　his　society　in　order　to　make　use　of　him
in　the　world；　just　as　a　bold　speculator　employs　a　confidential　clerk。
The　friendship；　real　or　feigned；　of　De　Marsay　was　a　social　position
for　Paul　de　Manerville；　who；　on　his　side；　thought　himself　astute　in
exploiting；　after　his　fashion；　his　intimate　friend。　He　lived　in　the
reflecting　lustre　of　his　friend；　walked　constantly　under　his　umbrella；
wore　his　boots；　gilded　himself　with　his　rays。　When　he　posed　in　Henri's
company　or　walked　at　his　side；　he　had　the　air　of　saying：　〃Don't　insult
us；　we　are　real　dogs。〃　He　often　permitted　himself　to　remark　fatuously：
〃If　I　were　to　ask　Henri　for　such　and　such　a　thing；　he　is　a　good　enough
friend　of　mine　to　do　it。〃　But　he　was　careful　never　to　ask　anything　of
him。　He　feared　him；　and　his　fear；　although　imperceptible；　reacted　upon
the　others；　and　was　of　use　to　De　Marsay。

〃De　Marsay　is　a　man　of　a　thousand；〃　said　Paul。　〃Ah；　you　will　see；　he
will　be　what　he　likes。　I　should　not　be　surprised　to　find　him　one　of
these　days　Minister　of　Foreign　Affairs。　Nothing　can　withstand　him。〃

He　made　of　De　Marsay　what　Corporal　Trim　made　of　his　cap；　a　perpetual
instance。

〃Ask　De　Marsay　and　you　will　see！〃

Or　again：

〃The　other　day　we　were　hunting；　De　Marsay　and　I；　He　would　not　believe
me；　but　I　jumped　a　hedge　without　moving　on　my　horse！〃

Or　again：

〃We　were　with　some　women；　De　Marsay　and　I；　and　upon　my　word　of　honor；
I　was〃　etc。

Thus　Paul　de　Manerville　could　not　be　classed　amongst　the　great；
illustrious；　and　powerful　family　of　fools　who　succeed。　He　would　one
day　be　a　deputy。　For　the　time　he　was　not　even　a　young　man。　His　friend；
De　Marsay；　defined　him　thus：　〃You　ask　me　what　is　Paul？　Paul？　Why；　Paul
de　Manerville！〃

〃I　am　surprised；　my　dear　fellow；〃　he　said　to　De　Marsay；　〃to　see　you
here　on　a　Sunday。〃

〃I　was　going　to　ask　you　the　same　question。〃

〃Is　it　an　intrigue？〃

〃An　intrigue。〃

〃Bah！〃

〃I　can　mention　it　to　you　without　compromising　my　passion。　Besides；　a
woman　who　comes　to　the　Tuileries　on　Sundays　is　of　no　account；
aristocratically　speaking。〃

〃Ah！　ah！〃

〃Hold　your　tongue　then；　or　I　shall　tell　you　nothing。　Your　laugh　is　too
loud；　you　will　make　people　think　that　we　have　lunched　too　well。　Last
Thursday；　here　on　the　Terrasse　des　Feuillants；　I　was　walking　along；
thinking　of　nothing　at　all；　but　when　I　got　to　the　gate　of　the　Rue　de
Castiglione；　by　which　I　intended　to　leave；　I　came　face　to　face　with　a
woman；　or　rather　a　young　girl；　who；　if　she　did　not　throw　herself　at　my
head；　stopped