按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！
〃Quite right； I should be sorry to hear you speak otherwise；〃
answered the tempter。 〃You are a fine young fellow； honorable；
brave as a lion； and as gentle as a young girl。 You would be a
fine haul for the devil！ I like youngsters of your sort。 Get rid
of one or two more prejudices； and you will see the world as it
is。 Make a little scene now and then； and act a virtuous part in
it； and a man with a head on his shoulders can do exactly as he
likes amid deafening applause from the fools in the gallery。 Ah！
a few days yet； and you will be with us； and if you would only be
tutored by me； I would put you in the way of achieving all your
ambitions。 You should no sooner form a wish than it should be
realized to the full； you should have all your desireshonors；
wealth； or women。 Civilization should flow with milk and honey
for you。 You should be our pet and favorite； our Benjamin。 We
would all work ourselves to death for you with pleasure； every
obstacle should be removed from your path。 You have a few
prejudices left； so you think that I am a scoundrel； do you？
Well； M。 de Turenne； quite as honorable a man as you take
yourself to be； had some little private transactions with
bandits； and did not feel that his honor was tarnished。 You would
rather not lie under any obligation to me； eh？ You need not draw
back on that account；〃 Vautrin went on； and a smile stole over
his lips。 〃Take these bits of paper and write across this；〃 he
added； producing a piece of stamped paper； 〃Accepted the sum of
three thousand five hundred francs due this day twelvemonth； and
fill in the date。 The rate of interest is stiff enough to silence
any scruples on your part； it gives you the right to call me a
Jew。 You can call quits with me on the score of gratitude。 I am
quite willing that you should despise me to…day； because I am
sure that you will have a kindlier feeling towards me later on。
You will find out fathomless depths in my nature； enormous and
concentrated forces that weaklings call vices； but you will never
find me base or ungrateful。 In short； I am neither a pawn nor a
bishop； but a castle； a tower of strength； my boy。〃
〃What manner of man are you？〃 cried Eugene。 〃Were you created to
torment me？〃
〃Why no； I am a good…natured fellow； who is willing to do a dirty
piece of work to put you high and dry above the mire for the rest
of your days。 Do you ask the reason of this devotion？ All right；
I will tell you that some of these days。 A word or two in your
ear will explain it。 I have begun by shocking you； by showing you
the way to ring the changes； and giving you a sight of the
mechanism of the social machine； but your first fright will go
off like a conscript's terror on the battlefield。 You will grow
used to regarding men as common soldiers who have made up their
minds to lose their lives for some self…constituted king。 Times
have altered strangely。 Once you could say to a bravo； 'Here are
a hundred crowns； go and kill Monsieur So…and…so for me；' and you
could sup quietly after turning some one off into the dark for
the least thing in the world。 But nowadays I propose to put you
in the way of a handsome fortune； you have only to nod your head；
it won't compromise you in any way； and you hesitate。 'Tis an
effeminate age。〃
Eugene accepted the draft； and received the banknotes in exchange
for it。
〃Well； well。 Come； now； let us talk rationally；〃 Vautrin
continued。 〃I mean to leave this country in a few months' time
for America； and set about planting tobacco。 I will send you the
cigars of friendship。 If I make money at it； I will help you in
your career。 If I have no childrenwhich will probably be the
case； for I have no anxiety to raise slips of myself hereyou
shall inherit my fortune。 That is what you may call standing by a
man； but I myself have a liking for you。 I have a mania； too； for
devoting myself to some one else。 I have done it before。 You see；
my boy； I live in a loftier sphere than other men do； I look on
all actions as means to an end； and the end is all that I look
at。 What is a man's life to me？ Not THAT；〃 he said； and he
snapped his thumb…nail against his teeth。 〃A man； in short； is
everything to me； or just nothing at all。 Less than nothing if
his name happens to be Poiret； you can crush him like a bug； he
is flat and he is offensive。 But a man is a god when he is like
you； he is not a machine covered with a skin； but a theatre in
which the greatest sentiments are displayedgreat thoughts and
feelingsand for these； and these only； I live。 A sentiment
what is that but the whole world in a thought？ Look at Father
Goriot。 For him； his two girls are the whole universe； they are
the clue by which he finds his way through creation。 Well； for my
own part； I have fathomed the depths of life； there is only one
real sentimentcomradeship between man and man。 Pierre and
Jaffier； that is my passion。 I knew Venice Preserved by heart。
Have you met many men plucky enough when a comrade says； 'Let us
bury a dead body！' to go and do it without a word or plaguing him
by taking a high moral tone？ I have done it myself。 I should not
talk like this to just everybody； but you are not like an
ordinary man； one can talk to you； you can understand things。 You
will not dabble about much longer among the tadpoles in these
swamps。 Well； then； it is all settled。 You will marry。 Both of us
carry our point。 Mine is made of iron； and will never soften； he！
he！〃
Vautrin went out。 He would not wait to hear the student's
repudiation； he wished to put Eugene at his ease。 He seemed to
understand the secret springs of the faint resistance still made
by the younger man； the struggles in which men seek to preserve
their self…respect by justifying their blameworthy actions to
themselves。
〃He may do as he likes； I shall not marry Mlle。 Taillefer； that
is certain；〃 said Eugene to himself。
He regarded this man with abhorrence； and yet the very cynicism
of Vautrin's ideas； and the audacious way in which he used other
men for his own ends； raised him in the student's eyes； but the
thought of a compact threw Eugene into a fever of apprehension；
and not until he had recovered somewhat did he dress； call for a
cab； and go to Mme。 de Restaud's。
For some days the Countess had paid more and more attention to a
young man whose every step seemed a triumphal progress in the
great world； it seemed to her that he might be a formidable power
before long。 He paid Messieurs de Trailles and d'Ajuda； played at
whist for part of the evening； and made good his losses。 Most men
who have their way to make are more or less of fatalists； and
Eugene was superstitious； he chose to consider that his luck was
heaven's reward for his perseverance in the right way。 As soon as
possible on the following morning he asked Vautrin whether the
bill he had given was still in the other's possession； and on
receiving a reply in the affirmative； he repaid the three
thousand francs with a not unnatural relief。
〃Everything is going on well；〃 said Vautrin。
〃But I am not your accomplice；〃 said Eugene。
〃I know； I know；〃 Vautrin broke in。 〃You are still acting like a
child。 You are making mountains out of molehills at the outset。〃
Two days later； Poiret and Mlle。 Michonneau were sitting together
on a bench in the sun。 They had chosen a little frequented alley
in the Jardin des Plantes； and a gentleman was chatting with
them； the same person； as a matter of fact； about whom the
medical student had； not without good reason； his own suspicions。
〃Mademoiselle；〃 this M。 Gondureau was saying； 〃I do not see any
cause for your scruples。 His Excellency； Monseigneur the Minister
of Police〃
〃Yes； his Excellency is taking a personal interest in the
matter；〃 said Gondureau。
Who would think it probable that Poiret； a retired clerk；
doubtless possessed of some notions of civic virtue； though there
might be nothing else in his headwho would think it likely that
such a man would continue to lend an ear to this supposed
independent gentleman of the Rue de Buffon； when the latter
dropped the mask of a decent citizen by that word 〃police；〃 and
gave a glimpse of the features of a detective from the Rue de
Jerusalem？ And yet nothing was more natural。 Perhaps the
following remarks from the hitherto unpublished records made by
certain observers will throw a light on the particular species to
which Poiret belonged in the great family of fools。 There is a
race of quill…drivers； confined in the columns of the budget
between the first degree of latitude （a kind of administrative
Greenland where the salaries begin at twelve hundred francs） to
the third degree； a more temperate zone； where incomes grow from
three to six thousand francs； a climate where the BONUS
flourishes like a half…hardy annual in spite of some difficulties
of culture。 A characteristic trait that best