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！
The weariness of a life without atmosphere； without prospects； without
action； without other nourishment than the love of a son for his
mother； so worked upon Savinien that he burst his chains； gentle as
they were； and swore that he would never live in the provinces
comprehending； rather late； that his future fate was not to be in the
Rue des Bourgeois。 At twenty…one years of age he left his mother's
house to make acquaintance with his relations； and try his luck in
Paris。 The contrast between life in Paris and life in Nemours was
likely to be fatal to a young man of twenty…one； free； with no one to
say him nay； naturally eager for pleasure； and for whom his name and
his connections opened the doors of all the salons。 Quite convinced
that his mother had the savings of many years in her strong…box；
Savinien soon spent the six thousand francs which she had given him to
see Paris。 That sum did not defray his expenses for six months； and he
soon owed double that sum to his hotel； his tailor； his boot maker； to
the man from whom he hired his carriages and horses； to a jeweler；
in short； to all those traders and shopkeepers who contribute to the
luxury of young men。
He had only just succeeded in making himself known； and had scarcely
learned how to converse； how to present himself in a salon； how to
wear his waistcoats and choose them and to order his coats and tie his
cravat； before he found himself in debt for over thirty thousand
francs； while still seeking the right phrases in which to declare his
love for the sister of the Marquis de Ronquerolles； the elegant Madame
de Serizy； whose youth had been at its climax during the Empire。
〃How is that you all manage？〃 asked Savinien one day； at the end of a
gay breakfast with a knot of young dandies； with whom he was intimate
as the young men of the present day are intimate with each other； all
aiming for the same thing and all claiming an impossible equality。
〃You were no richer than I and yet you get along without anxiety； you
contrive to maintain yourselves； while as for me I make nothing but
debts。〃
〃We all began that way；〃 answered Rastignac； laughing； and the laugh
was echoed by Lucien de Rubempre； Maxime de Trailles； Emile Blondet；
and others of the fashionable young men of the day。
〃Though de Marsay was rich when he started in life he was an
exception；〃 said the host； a parvenu named Finot； ambitious of seeming
intimate with these young men。 〃Any one but he；〃 added Finot bowing to
that personage； 〃would have been ruined by it。〃
〃A true remark；〃 said Maxime de Trailles。
〃And a true idea；〃 added Rastignac。
〃My dear fellow；〃 said de Marsay； gravely； to Savinien； 〃debts are the
capital stock of experience。 A good university education with tutors
for all branches； who don't teach you anything； costs sixty thousand
francs。 If the education of the world does cost double； at least it
teaches you to understand life； politics； men；and sometimes women。〃
Blondet concluded the lesson by a paraphrase from La Fontaine： 〃The
world sells dearly what we think it gives。〃
Instead of laying to heart the sensible advice which the cleverest
pilots of the Parisian archipelago gave him； Savinien took it all as a
joke。
〃Take care； my dear fellow；〃 said de Marsay one day。 〃You have a great
name； if you don't obtain the fortune that name requires you'll end
your days in the uniform of a cavalry…sergeant。 'We have seen the fall
of nobler heads；'〃 he added； declaiming the line of Corneille as he
took Savinien's arm。 〃About six years ago；〃 he continued； 〃a young
Comte d'Esgrignon came among us； but he did not stay two years in the
paradise of the great world。 Alas！ he lived and moved like a rocket。
He rose to the Duchesse de Maufrigneuse and fell to his native town；
where he is now expiating his faults with a wheezy old father and a
game of whist at two sous a point。 Tell Madame de Serizy your
situation； candidly； without shame； she will understand it and be very
useful to you。 Whereas； if you play the charade of first love with her
she will pose as a Raffaelle Madonna； practice all the little games of
innocence upon you； and take you journeying at enormous cost through
the Land of Sentiment。〃
Savinien； still too young and too pure in honor； dared not confess his
position as to money to Madame de Serizy。 At a moment when he knew not
which way to turn he had written his mother an appealing letter； to
which she replied by sending him the sum of twenty thousand francs；
which was all she possessed。 This assistance brought him to the close
of the first year。 During the second； being harnessed to the chariot
of Madame de Serizy； who was seriously taken with him； and who was； as
the saying is； forming him； he had recourse to the dangerous expedient
of borrowing。 One of his friends； a deputy and the friend of his
cousin the Comte de Portenduere； advised him in his distress to go to
Gobseck or Gigonnet or Palma； who； if duly informed as to his mother's
means； would give him an easy discount。 Usury and the deceptive help
of renewals enabled him to lead a happy life for nearly eighteen
months。 Without daring to leave Madame de Serizy the poor boy had
fallen madly in love with the beautiful Comtesse de Kergarouet； a
prude after the fashion of young women who are awaiting the death of
an old husband and making capital of their virtue in the interests of
a second marriage。 Quite incapable of understanding that calculating
virtue is invulnerable； Savinien paid court to Emilie de Kergarouet in
all the splendor of a rich man。 He never missed either ball or theater
at which she was present。
〃You haven't powder enough； my boy； to blow up that rock；〃 said de
Marsay； laughing。
That young king of fashion； who did； out of commiseration for the lad；
endeavor to explain to him the nature of Emilie de Fontaine； merely
wasted his words； the gloomy lights of misfortune and the twilight of
a prison were needed to convince Savinien。
A note； imprudently given to a jeweler in collusion with the money…
lenders； who did not wish to have the odium of arresting the young
man； was the means of sending Savinien de Portenduere； in default of
one hundred and seventeen thousand francs and without the knowledge of
his friends； to the debtor's prison at Sainte…Pelagie。 So soon as the
fact was known Rastignac； de Marsay； and Lucien de Rubempre went to
see him； and each offered him a banknote of a thousand francs when
they found how really destitute he was。 Everything belonging to him
had been seized except the clothes and the few jewels he wore。 The
three young men （who brought an excellent dinner with them） discussed
Savinien's situation while drinking de Marsay's wine； ostensibly to
arrange for his future but really； no doubt； to judge of him。
〃When a man is named Savinien de Portenduere；〃 cried Rastignac； 〃and
has a future peer of France for a cousin and Admiral Kergarouet for a
great…uncle； and commits the enormous blunder of allowing himself to
be put in Sainte…Pelagie； it is very certain that he must not stay
there； my good fellow。〃
〃Why didn't you tell me？〃 cried de Marsay。 〃You could have had my
traveling…carriage； ten thousand francs； and letters of introduction
for Germany。 We know Gobseck and Gigonnet and the other crocodiles； we
could have made them capitulate。 But tell me； in the first place； what
ass ever led you to drink of that cursed spring。〃
〃Des Lupeaulx。〃
The three young men looked at each other with one and the same thought
and suspicion； but they did not utter it。
〃Explain all your resources； show us your hand；〃 said de Marsay。
When Savinien had told of his mother and her old…fashioned ways； and
the little house with three windows in the Rue des Bourgeois； without
other grounds than a court for the well and a shed for the wood； when
he had valued the house； built of sandstone and pointed in reddish
cement； and put a price on the farm at Bordieres； the three dandies
looked at each other； and all three said with a solemn air the word of
the abbe in Alfred de Musset's 〃Marrons du feu〃 （which had then just
appeared）；〃Sad！〃
〃Your mother will pay if you write a clever letter；〃 said Rastignac。
〃Yes； but afterwards？〃 cried de Marsay。
〃If you had merely been put in the fiacre；〃 said Lucien； 〃the
government would find you a place in diplomacy； but Saint…Pelagie
isn't the antechamber of an embassy。〃
〃You are not strong enough for Parisian life；〃 said Rastignac。
〃Let us consider the matter；〃 said de Marsay； looking Savinien over as
a jockey examines a horse。 〃You have fine blue eyes； well opened； a
white forehead well shaped； magnificent black hair； a little moustache
which suits those pale cheeks； and a slim figure； you've a foot that
tells race； shoulders and chest not quite those of a porter； but
solid。 You are what I call an elegant male brunet