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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 rich
may be convinced that they can sleep in peace。 There is no fun in
that； and you are a long while coming to it； for； to begin with；
there are two years of nauseous drudgery in Paris； we see all the
lollipops that we long for out of our reach。 It is tiresome to
want things and never to have them。 If you were a pallid creature
of the mollusk order； you would have nothing to fear； but it is
different when you have the hot blood of a lion and are ready to
get into a score of scrapes every day of your life。 This is the
ghastliest form of torture known in this inferno of God's making；
and you will give in to it。 Or suppose that you are a good boy；
drink nothing stronger than milk； and bemoan your hard lot； you；
with your generous nature； will endure hardships that would drive
a dog mad； and make a start； after long waiting； as deputy to
some rascal or other in a hole of a place where the Government
will fling you a thousand francs a year like the scraps that are
thrown to the butcher's dog。 Bark at thieves； plead the cause of
the rich； send men of heart to the guillotine； that is your work！
Many thanks！ If you have no influence； you may rot in your
provincial tribunal。 At thirty you will be a Justice with twelve
hundred francs a year （if you have not flung off the gown for
good before then）。 By the time you are forty you may look to
marry a miller's daughter； an heiress with some six thousand
livres a year。 Much obliged！ If you have influence； you may
possibly be a Public Prosecutor by the time you are thirty； with
a salary of a thousand crowns； you could look to marry the
mayor's daughter。 Some petty piece of political trickery； such as
mistaking Villele for Manuel in a bulletin （the names rhyme； and
that quiets your conscience）； and you will probably be a
Procureur General by the time you are forty； with a chance of
becoming a deputy。 Please to observe； my dear boy； that our
conscience will have been a little damaged in the process； and
that we shall endure twenty years of drudgery and hidden poverty；
and that our sisters are wearing Dian's livery。 I have the honor
to call your attention to another fact： to wit； that there are
but twenty Procureurs Generaux at a time in all France； while
there are some twenty thousand of you young men who aspire to
that elevated position； that there are some mountebanks among you
who would sell their family to screw their fortunes a peg higher。
If this sort of thing sickens you； try another course。 The Baron
de Rastignac thinks of becoming an advocate； does he？ There's a
nice prospect for you！ Ten years of drudgery straight away。 You
are obliged to live at the rate of a thousand francs a month； you
must have a library of law books； live in chambers； go into
society； go down on your knees to ask a solicitor for briefs；
lick the dust off the floor of the Palais de Justice。 If this
kind of business led to anything； I should not say no； but just
give me the names of five advocates here in Paris who by the time
that they are fifty are making fifty thousand francs a year！ Bah！
I would sooner turn pirate on the high seas than have my soul
shrivel up inside me like that。 How will you find the capital？
There is but one way； marry a woman who has money。 There is no
fun in it。 Have you a mind to marry？ You hang a stone around your
neck； for if you marry for money； what becomes of our exalted
notions of honor and so forth？ You might as well fly in the face
of social conventions at once。 Is it nothing to crawl like a
serpent before your wife； to lick her mother's feet； to descend
to dirty actions that would sicken swinefaugh！never mind if
you at least make your fortune。 But you will be as doleful as a
dripstone if you marry for money。 It is better to wrestle with
men than to wrangle at home with your wife。 You are at the
crossway of the roads of life； my boy； choose your way。
〃But you have chosen already。 You have gone to see your cousin of
Beauseant； and you have had an inkling of luxury； you have been
to Mme。 de Restaud's house； and in Father Goriot's daughter you
have seen a glimpse of the Parisienne for the first time。 That
day you came back with a word written on your forehead。 I knew
it； I could read it'SUCCESS！' Yes； success at any price。
'Bravo；' said I to myself； 'here is the sort of fellow for me。'
You wanted money。 Where was it all to come from？ You have drained
your sisters' little hoard （all brothers sponge more or less on
their sisters）。 Those fifteen hundred francs of yours （got
together； God knows how！ in a country where there are more
chestnuts than five…franc pieces） will slip away like soldiers
after pillage。 And； then； what will you do？ Shall you begin to
work？ Work； or what you understand by work at this moment； means；
for a man of Poiret's calibre； an old age in Mamma Vauquer's
lodging…house。 There are fifty thousand young men in your
position at this moment； all bent as you are on solving one and
the same problemhow to acquire a fortune rapidly。 You are but a
unit in that aggregate。 You can guess； therefore； what efforts
you must make； how desperate the struggle is。 There are not fifty
thousand good positions for you； you must fight and devour one
another like spiders in a pot。 Do you know how a man makes his
way here？ By brilliant genius or by skilful corruption。 You must
either cut your way through these masses of men like a cannon
ball； or steal among them like a plague。 Honesty is nothing to
the purpose。 Men bow before the power of genius； they hate it；
and try to slander it； because genius does not divide the spoil；
but if genius persists； they bow before it。 To sum it all up in a
phrase； if they fail to smother genius in the mud； they fall on
their knees and worship it。 Corruption is a great power in the
world； and talent is scarce。 So corruption is the weapon of
superfluous mediocrity； you will be made to feel the point of it
everywhere。 You will see women who spend more than ten thousand
francs a year on dress； while their husband's salary （his whole
income） is six thousand francs。 You will see officials buying
estates on twelve thousand francs a year。 You will see women who
sell themselves body and soul to drive in a carriage belonging to
the son of a peer of France； who has a right to drive in the
middle rank at Longchamp。 You have seen that poor simpleton of a
Goriot obliged to meet a bill with his daughter's name at the
back of it； though her husband has fifty thousand francs a year。
I defy you to walk a couple of yards anywhere in Paris without
stumbling on some infernal complication。 I'll bet my head to a
head of that