youth-第31章

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the　Russian　word　blagorodni　for　the　reason　that　the　former　has　a

different　meaning　to　the　latteras　the　Germans　well　understood

when　they　adopted　noble　as　nobel　and　differentiated　it　from

ehrlich）；　next；　to　be　strenuous；　and　lastly；　to　be　what　I　was

already　inclined　to　be；　namely；　comme　il　faut。　I　even　tried　to

approximate　my　appearance　and　bearing　to　that　of　the　heroes　who

possessed　these　qualities。　In　particular　I　remember　how　in　one　of

the　hundred　or　so　novels　which　I　read　that　summer　there　was　a

very　strenuous　hero　with　heavy　eyebrows；　and　that　I　so　greatly

wished　to　resemble　him　（I　felt　that　I　did　so　already　from　a　moral

point　of　view）　that　one　day；　when　looking　at　my　eyebrows　in　the

glass；　I　conceived　the　idea　of　clipping　them；　in　order　to　make

them　grow　bushier。　Unfortunately；　after　I　had　started　to　do　so；　I

happened　to　clip　one　spot　rather　shorter　than　the　rest；　and　so

had　to　level　down　the　rest　to　it…with　the　result　that；　to　my

horror；　I　beheld　myself　eyebrow…less；　and　anything　but

presentable。　However；　I　comforted　myself　with　the　reflection　that

my　eyebrows　would　soon　sprout　again　as　bushy　as　my　hero's；　and

was　only　perplexed　to　think　how　I　could　explain　the　circumstance

to　the　household　when　they　next　perceived　my　eyebrow…less

condition。　Accordingly　I　borrowed　some　gunpowder　from　Woloda；

rubbed　it　on　my　temples；　and　set　it　alight。　The　powder　did　not

fire　properly；　but　I　succeeded　in　singeing　myself　sufficiently　to

avert　all　suspicion　of　my　pranks。　And；　indeed；　afterwards；　when　I

had　forgotten　all　about　my　hero；　my　eyebrows　grew　again；　and　much

thicker　than　they　had　been　before。



XXXI



〃COMME　IL　FAUT〃



SEVERAL　times　in　the　course　of　this　narrative　I　have　hinted　at　an

idea　corresponding　to　the　above　French　heading；　and　now　feel　it

incumbent　upon　me　to　devote　a　whole　chapter　to　that　idea；　which

was　one　of　the　most　ruinous；　lying　notions　which　ever　became

engrafted　upon　my　life　by　my　upbringing　and　social　milieu。



The　human　race　may　be　divided　into　several　categoriesrich　and

poor；　good　and　bad；　military　and　civilian；　clever　and　stupid；　and

so　forth；　and　so　forth。　Yet　each　man　has　his　own　favourite；

fundamental　system　of　division　which　he　unconsciously　uses　to

class　each　new　person　with　whom　he　meets。　At　the　time　of　which　I

am　speaking；　my　own　favourite；　fundamental　system　of　division　in

this　respect　was　into　people　〃comme　il　faut〃　and　people　〃comme　il

ne　faut　pas〃the　latter　subdivided；　again；　into　people　merely　not

〃comme　il　faut〃　and　the　lower　orders。　People　〃comme　il　faut〃　I

respected；　and　looked　upon　as　worthy　to　consort　with　me　as　my

equals；　the　second　of　the　above　categories　I　pretended　merely　to

despise；　but　in　reality　hated；　and　nourished　towards　them　a　kind

of　feeling　of　offended　personality；　while　the　third　category　had

no　existence　at　all；　so　far　as　I　was　concerned；　since　my　contempt

for　them　was　too　complete。　This　〃comme　il　faut〃…ness　of　mine　lay；

first　and　foremost；　in　proficiency　in　French；　especially

conversational　French。　A　person　who　spoke　that　language　badly　at

once　aroused　in　me　a　feeling　of　dislike。　〃Why　do　you　try　to　talk

as　we　do　when　you　haven't　a　notion　how　to　do　it？〃　I　would　seem　to

ask　him　with　my　most　venomous　and　quizzing　smile。　The　second

condition　of　〃comme　il　faut〃…ness　was　long　nails　that　were　well

kept　and　clean；　the　third；　ability　to　bow；　dance；　and　converse；

the　fourthand　a　very　important　oneindifference　to　everything；

and　a　constant　air　of　refined；　supercilious　ennui。　Moreover；

there　were　certain　general　signs　which；　I　considered；　enabled　me

to　tell；　without　actually　speaking　to　a　man；　the　class　to　which

he　belonged。　Chief　among　these　signs　（the　others　being　the

fittings　of　his　rooms；　his　gloves；　his　handwriting；　his　turn…out；

and　so　forth）　were　his　feet。　The　relation　of　boots　to　trousers

was　sufficient　to　determine；　in　my　eyes；　the　social　status　of　a

man。　Heelless　boots　with　angular　toes；　wedded　to　narrow；

unstrapped　trouser…endsthese　denoted　the　vulgarian。　Boots　with

narrow；　round　toes　and　heels；　accompanied　either　by　tight

trousers　strapped　under　the　instep　and　fitting　close　to　the　leg

or　by　wide　trousers　similarly　strapped；　but　projecting　in　a　peak

over　the　toethese　meant　the　man　of　mauvais　genre；　and　so　on；　and

so　on。



It　was　a　curious　thing　that　I　who　lacked　all　ability　to　become

〃comme　il　faut；〃　should　have　assimilated　the　idea　so　completely

as　I　did。　Possibly　it　was　the　fact　that　it　had　cost　me　such

enormous　labour　to　acquire　that　brought　about　its　strenuous

development　in　my　mind。　I　hardly　like　to　think　how　much　of　the

best　and　most　valuable　time　of　my　first　sixteen　years　of

existence　I　wasted　upon　its　acquisition。　Yet　every　one　whom　I

imitatedWoloda；　Dubkoff；　and　the　majority　of　my　acquaintances

seemed　to　acquire　it　easily。　I　watched　them　with　envy；　and

silently　toiled　to　become　proficient　in　French；　to　bow　gracefully

and　without　looking　at　the　person　whom　I　was　saluting；　to　gain

dexterity　in　small…talk　and　dancing；　to　cultivate　indifference

and　ennui；　and　to　keep　my　fingernails　well　trimmed　（though　I

frequently　cut　my　finger…ends　with　the　scissors　in　so　doing）。　And

all　the　time　I　felt　that　so　much　remained　to　be　done　if　I　was

ever　to　attain　my　end！　A　room；　a　writing…table；　an　equipage　I

still　found　it　impossible　to　arrange　〃comme　il　faut；〃　however

much　I　fought　down　my　aversion　to　practical　matters　in　my　desire

to　become　proficient。　Yet　everything　seemed　to　arrange　itself

properly　with　other　people；　just　as　though　things　could　never

have　been　otherwise！　Once　I　remember　asking　Dubkoff；　after　much

zealous　and　careful　labouring　at　my　finger…nails　（his　own　were

extraordinarily　good）；　whether　his　nails　had　always　been　as　now；

or　whether　he　had　done　anything　to　make　them　so：　to　which　he

replied　that　never　within　his　recollection　had　he　done　anything

to　them；　and　that　he　could　not　imagine　a　gentleman's　nails

possibly　being　different。　This　answer　incensed　me　greatly；　for　I

had　not　yet　learnt　that　one　of　the　chief　conditions　of　〃comme　il

faut〃…ness　was　to　hold　one's　tongue　about　the　labour　by　which　it

had　been　acquired。　〃Comme　il　faut〃…ness　I　looked　upon　as　not　only

a　great　merit；　a　splendid　accomplishment；　an　embodiment　of　all

the　perfection　which　must　strive　to　attain；　but　as　the　one

indispensable　condition　without　which　there　could　never　be

happiness；　nor　glory；　nor　any　good　whatsoever　in　this　world。　Even

the　greatest　artist　or　savant　or　benefactor　of　the　human　race

would　at　that　time　have　won　from　me　no　respect　if　he　had　not　also

been　〃comme　il　faut。〃　A　man　possessed　of　〃comme　il　faut〃…ness

stood　higher　than；　and　beyond　all　possible　equality　with；　such

people；　and　might　well　leave　it　to　them　to　paint　pictures；　to

compose　music；　to　write　books；　or　to　do　good。　Possibly　he　might

commend　them　for　so　doing　（since　why　should　not　merit　be

commended　where…ever　it　be　found？）；　but　he　could　never　stand　ON　A

LEVEL　with　them；　seeing　that　he　was　〃comme　il　faut〃　and　they　were

nota　quite　final　and　sufficient　reason。　In　fact；　I　actually

believe　that；　had　we　possessed　a　brother　or　a　father　or　a　mother

who　had　not　been　〃comme　il　faut；〃　I　should　have　declared　it　to　be

a　great　misfortune　for　us；　and　announced　that　between　myself　and

them　there　could　never　be　anything　in　common。　Yet　neither　waste

of　the　golden　hours　which　I　consumed　in　constantly　endeavouring

to　observe　the　many　arduous；　unattainable　conditions　of　〃comme　il

faut〃…ness　（to　the　exclusion　of　any　more　serious　pursuit）；　nor

dislike　of　and　contempt　for　nine…tenths　of　the　human　race；　nor

disregard　of　all　the　beauty　that　lay　outside　the　narrow　circle　of

〃comme　il　faut〃…ness　comprised　the　whole　of　the　evil　which　the

idea　wrought　in　me。　The　chief　evil　of　all　lay　in　the　notion

acquired　that　a　man　need　not　strive　to　become　a　tchinovnik；

＇Official。＇　a　coachbuilder；　a　soldier；　a　savant；　or　anything

useful；　so　long　only　as　he　was　〃comme　il　faut　〃that　by　attaining

t