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father goriot(高老头)-第23章

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d fanlight above a door that gave access into the garden。 Sylvie came out of her kitchen; and Eugene chose that moment to say:

MONSIEUR Vautrin; I am not a marquis; and my name is not Rastignacorama。〃

〃They will fight;〃 said Mlle。 Michonneau; in an indifferent tone。

〃Fight!〃 echoed Poiret。

〃Not they;〃 replied Mme。 Vauquer; lovingly fingering her pile of coins。

〃But there they are under the lime…trees;〃 cried Mlle。 Victorine; who had risen so that she might see out into the garden。 〃Poor young man! he was in the right; after all。〃

〃We must go upstairs; my pet;〃 said Mme。 Couture; 〃it is no business of ours。〃

At the door; however; Mme。 Couture and Victorine found their progress barred by the portly form of Sylvie the cook。

〃What ever can have happened?〃 she said。 〃M。 Vautrin said to M。 Eugene; 'Let us have an explanation!' then he took him by the arm; and there they are; out among the artichokes。〃

Vautrin came in while she was speaking。 〃Mamma Vauquer;〃 he said smiling; 〃don't frighten yourself at all。 I am only going to try my pistols under the lime…trees。〃

〃Oh! monsieur;〃 cried Victorine; clasping her hands as she spoke; 〃why do you want to kill M。 Eugene?〃

Vautrin stepped back a pace or two; and gazed at Victorine。

〃Oh! this is something fresh!〃 he exclaimed in a bantering tone; that brought the color into the poor girl's face。 〃That young fellow yonder is very nice; isn't he?〃 he went on。 〃You have given me a notion; my pretty child; I will make you both happy。〃

Mme。 Couture laid her hand on the arm of her ward; and drew the girl away; as she said in her ear:

〃Why; Victorine; I cannot imagine what has come over you this morning。〃

〃I don't want any shots fired in my garden;〃 said Mme。 Vauquer。 〃You will frighten the neighborhood and bring the police up here all in a moment。〃

〃Come; keep cool; Mamma Vauquer;〃 answered Vautrin。 〃There; there; it's all right; we will go to the shooting…gallery。〃

He went back to Rastignac; laying his hand familiarly on the young man's arm。

〃When I have given you ocular demonstration of the fact that I can put a bullet through the ace on a card five times running at thirty…five paces;〃 he said; 〃that won't take away your appetite; I suppose? You look to me to be inclined to be a trifle quarrelsome this morning; and as if you would rush on your death like a blockhead。〃

〃Do you draw back?〃 asked Eugene。

〃Don't try to raise my temperature;〃 answered Vautrin; 〃it is not cold this morning。 Let us go and sit over there;〃 he added; pointing to the green…painted garden seats; 〃no one can overhear us。 I want a little talk with you。 You are not a bad sort of youngster; and I have no quarrel with you。 I like you; take Trump(confound it!)take Vautrin's word for it。 What makes me like you? I will tell you by…and…by。 Meantime; I can tell you that I know you as well as if I had made you myself; as I will prove to you in a minute。 Put down your bags;〃 he continued; pointing to the round table。

Rastignac deposited his money on the table; and sat down。 He was consumed with curiosity; which the sudden change in the manner of the man before him had excited to the highest pitch。 Here was a strange being who; a moment ago; had talked of killing him; and now posed as his protector。

〃You would like to know who I really am; what I was; and what I do now;〃 Vautrin went on。 〃You want to know too much; youngster。 Come! come! keep cool! You will hear more astonishing things than that。 I have had my misfortunes。 Just hear me out first; and you shall have your turn afterwards。 Here is my past in three words。 Who am I? Vautrin。 What do I do? Just what I please。 Let us change the subject。 You want to know my character。 I am good… natured to those who do me a good turn; or to those whose hearts speak to mine。 These last may do anything they like with me; they may bruise my shins; and I shall not tell them to 'mind what they are about'; but; nom d'une pipe; the devil himself is not an uglier customer than I can be if people annoy me; or if I don't happen to take to them; and you may just as well know at once that I think no more of killing a man than of that;〃 and he spat before him as he spoke。 〃Only when it is absolutely necessary to do so; I do my best to kill him properly。 I am what you call an artist。 I have read Benvenuto Cellini's Memoirs; such as you see me; and; what is more; in Italian: A fine…spirited fellow he was! From him I learned to follow the example set us by Providence; who strikes us down at random; and to admire the beautiful whenever and wherever it is found。 And; setting other questions aside; is it not a glorious part to play; when you pit yourself against mankind; and the luck is on your side? I have thought a good deal about the constitution of your present social Dis… order。 A duel is downright childish; my boy! utter nonsense and folly! When one of two living men must be got out of the way; none but an idiot would leave chance to decide which it is to be; and in a duel it is a toss…upheads or tailsand there you are! Now I; for instance; can hit the ace in the middle of a card five times running; send one bullet after another through the same hole; and at thirty…five paces; moreover! With that little accomplishment you might think yourself certain of killing your man; mightn't you。 Well; I have fired; at twenty paces; and missed; and the rogue who had never handled a pistol in his life look here!〃(he unbuttoned his waistcoat and exposed his chest; covered; like a bear's back; with a shaggy fell; the student gave a startled shudder)〃he was a raw lad; but he made his mark on me;〃 the extraordinary man went on; drawing Rastignac's fingers over a deep scar on his breast。 But that happened when I myself was a mere boy; I was one…and…twenty then (your age); and I had some beliefs leftin a woman's love; and in a pack of rubbish that you will be over head and ears in directly。 You and I were to have fought just now; weren't we? You might have killed me。 Suppose that I were put under the earth; where would you be? You would have to clear out of this; go to Switzerland; draw on papa's purseand he has none too much in it as it is。 I mean to open your eyes to your real position; that is what I am going to do: but I shall do it from the point of view of a man who; after studying the world very closely; sees that there are but two alternativesstupid obedience or revolt。 I obey nobody; is that clear? Now; do you know how much you will want at the pace you are going? A million; and promptly; too; or that little head of ours will be swaying to and fro in the drag…nets at Saint…Cloud; while we are gone to find out whether or no there is a Supreme Being。 I will put you in the way of that million。〃

He stopped for a moment and looked at Eugene。

〃Aha! you do not look so sourly at papa Vautrin now! At the mention of the million you look like a young girl when somebody has said; 'I will come for you this evening!' and she betakes herself to her toilette as a cat licks its whiskers over a saucer of milk。 All right。 Come; now; let us go into the question; young man; all between ourselves; you know。 We have a papa and mamma down yonder; a great…aunt; two sisters (aged eighteen and seventeen); two young brothers (one fifteen; and the other ten); that is about the roll…call of the crew。 The aunt brings up the two sisters; the cure comes and teaches the boys Latin。 Boiled chestnuts are oftener on the table than white bread。 Papa makes a suit of clothes last a long while; if mamma has a different dress winter and summer; it is about as much as she has; the sisters manage as best they can。 I know all about it; I have lived in the south。

〃That is how things are at home。 They send you twelve hundred francs a year; and the whole property only brings in three thousand francs all told。 We have a cook and a manservant; papa is a baron; and we must keep up appearances。 Then we have our ambitions; we are connected with the Beauseants; and we go afoot through the streets; we want to be rich; and we have not a penny; we eat Mme。 Vauquer's messes; and we like grand dinners in the Faubourg Saint…Germain; we sleep on a truckle…bed; and dream of a mansion! I do not blame you for wanting these things。 What sort of men do the women run after? Men of ambition。 Men of ambition have stronger frames; their blood is richer in iron; their hearts are warmer than those of ordinary men。 Women feel that when their power is greatest; they look their best; and that those are their happiest hours; they like power in men; and prefer the strongest even if it is a power that may be their own destruction。 I am going to make an inventory of your desires in order to put the question at issue before you。 Here it is:

〃We are as hungry as a wolf; and those newly…cut teeth of ours are sharp; what are we to do to keep the pot boiling? In the first place; we have the Code to browse upon; it is not amusing; and we are none the wiser for it; but that cannot be helped。 So far so good。 We mean to make an advocate of ourselves with a prospect of one day being made President of a Court of Assize; when we shall send poor devils; our betters; to the galleys with a T。F。* '*Travaux forces。' on their shoulders; so that the
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