the firm of nucingen-第4部分

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〃La　Fontaine's　sayings　are　known　in　Philistia！〃　put　in　Bixiou。

〃Happiness　at　six…and…twenty　in　Paris　is　not　the　happiness　of　six…and…　twenty　atsay　Blois；〃　continued　Blondet；　taking　no　notice　of　the　interruption。　〃And　those　that　proceed　from　this　text　to　rail　at　the　instability　of　opinion　are　either　knaves　or　fools　for　their　pains。　Modern　medicine；　which　passed　（it　is　its　fairest　title　to　glory）　from　a　hypothetical　to　a　positive　science；　through　the　influence　of　the　great　analytical　school　of　Paris；　has　proved　beyond　a　doubt　that　a　man　is　periodically　renewed　throughout〃

〃New　haft；　new　blade；　like　Jeannot's　knife；　and　yet　you　think　that　he　is　still　the　same　man；〃　broke　in　Bixiou。　〃So　there　are　several　lozenges　in　the　harlequin's　coat　that　we　call　happiness；　andwell；　there　was　neither　hole　nor　stain　in　this　Godefroid's　costume。　A　young　man　of　six…and…twenty；　who　would　be　happy　in　love；　who　would　be　loved；　that　is　to　say；　not　for　his　blossoming　youth；　nor　for　his　wit；　nor　for　his　figure；　but　spontaneously；　and　not　even　merely　in　return　for　his　own　love；　a　young　man；　I　say；　who　has　found　love　in　the　abstract；　to　quote　Royer…Collard；　might　yet　very　possibly　find　never　a　farthing　in　the　purse　which　She；　loving　and　beloved；　embroidered　for　him；　he　might　owe　rent　to　his　landlord；　he　might　be　unable　to　pay　the　bootmaker　before　mentioned；　his　very　tailor；　like　France　herself；　might　at　last　show　signs　of　disaffection。　In　short；　he　might　have　love　and　yet　be　poor。　And　poverty　spoils　a　young　man's　happiness；　unless　he　holds　our　transcendental　views　of　the　fusion　of　interests。　I　know　nothing　more　wearing　than　happiness　within　combined　with　adversity　without。　It　is　as　if　you　had　one　leg　freezing　in　the　draught　from　the　door；　and　the　other　half…roasted　by　a　brazieras　I　have　at　this　moment。　I　hope　to　be　understood。　Comes　there　an　echo　from　thy　waistcoat…pocket；　Blondet？　Between　ourselves；　let　the　heart　alone；　it　spoils　the　intellect。

〃Let　us　resume。　Godefroid　de　Beaudenord　was　respected　by　his　tradespeople；　for　they　were　paid　with　tolerable　regularity。　The　witty　woman　before　quotedI　cannot　give　her　name；　for　she　is　still　living；　thanks　to　her　want　of　heart〃

〃Who　is　this？〃

〃The　Marquise　d'Espard。　She　said　that　a　young　man　ought　to　live　on　an　entresol；　there　should　be　no　sign　of　domesticity　about　the　place；　no　cook；　no　kitchen；　an　old　manservant　to　wait　upon　him；　and　no　pretence　of　permanence。　In　her　opinion；　any　other　sort　of　establishment　is　bad　form。　Godefroid　de　Beaudenord；　faithful　to　this　programme；　lodged　on　an　entresol　on　the　Quai　Malaquais；　he　had；　however；　been　obliged　to　have　this　much　in　common　with　married　couples；　he　had　put　a　bedstead　in　his　room；　though　for　that　matter　it　was　so　narrow　that　he　seldom　slept　in　it。　An　Englishwoman　might　have　visited　his　rooms　and　found　nothing　'improper'　there。　Finot；　you　have　yet　to　learn　the　great　law　of　the　'Improper'　that　rules　Britain。　But；　for　the　sake　of　the　bond　between　usthat　bill　for　a　thousand　francsI　will　just　give　you　some　idea　of　it。　I　have　been　in　England　myself。I　will　give　him　wit　enough　for　a　couple　of　thousand；〃　he　added　in　an　aside　to　Blondet。

〃In　England；　Finot；　you　grow　extremely　intimate　with　a　woman　in　the　course　of　an　evening；　at　a　ball　or　wherever　it　is；　next　day　you　meet　her　in　the　street　and　look　as　though　you　knew　her　again'improper。'　At　dinner　you　discover　a　delightful　man　beneath　your　left…hand　neighbor's　dresscoat；　a　clever　man；　no　high　mightiness；　no　constraint；　nothing　of　an　Englishman　about　him。　In　accordance　with　the　tradition　of　French　breeding；　so　urbane；　so　gracious　as　they　are；　you　address　your　neighbor'improper。'At　a　ball　you　walk　up　to　a　pretty　woman　to　ask　her　to　dance'improper。'　You　wax　enthusiastic；　you　argue；　laugh；　and　give　yourself　out；　you　fling　yourself　heart　and　soul　into　the　conversation；　you　give　expression　to　your　real　feelings；　you　play　when　you　are　at　the　card…table；　chat　while　you　chat；　eat　while　you　eat　'improper！　improper！　improper！'　Stendhal；　one　of　the　cleverest　and　profoundest　minds　of　the　age；　hit　off　the　'improper'　excellently　well　when　he　said　that　such…and…such　a　British　peer　did　not　dare　to　cross　his　legs　when　he　sat　alone　before　his　own　hearth　for　fear　of　being　improper。　An　English　gentlewoman；　were　she　one　of　the　rabid　'Saints'　that　most　straitest　sect　of　Protestants　that　would　leave　their　whole　family　to　starve　if　the　said　family　did　anything　'improper'may　play　the　deuce's　own　delight　in　her　own　bedroom；　and　need　not　be　'improper；'　but　she　would　look　on　herself　as　lost　if　she　received　a　visit　from　a　man　of　her　acquaintance　in　the　aforesaid　room。　Thanks　to　propriety；　London　and　its　inhabitants　will　be　found　petrified　some　of　these　days。〃

〃And　to　think　that　there　are　asses　here　in　France　that　want　to　import　the　solemn　tomfoolery　that　the　English　keep　up　among　themselves　with　that　admirable　self…possession　which　you　know！〃　added　Blondet。　〃It　is　enough　to　make　any　man　shudder　if　he　has　seen　the　English　at　home；　and　recollects　the　charming；　gracious　French　manners。　Sir　Walter　Scott　was　afraid　to　paint　women　as　they　are　for　fear　of　being　'improper'；　and　at　the　close　of　his　life　repented　of　the　creation　of　the　great　character　of　Effie　in　The　Heart　of　Midlothian。〃

〃Do　you　wish　not　to　be　'improper'　in　England？〃　asked　Bixiou；　addressing　Finot。

〃Well？〃

〃Go　to　the　Tuileries　and　look　at　a　figure　there；　something　like　a　fireman　carved　in　marble　（'Themistocles；'　the　statuary　calls　it）；　try　to　walk　like　the　Commandant's　statue；　and　you　will　never　be　'improper。'　It　was　through　strict　observance　of　the　great　law　of　the　IMproper　that　Godefroid's　happiness　became　complete。　There　is　the　story：

〃Beaudenord　had　a　tiger；　not　a　'groom；'　as　they　write　that　know　nothing　of　society。　The　tiger；　a　diminutive　Irish　page　called　Paddy；　Toby；　Joby　（which　you　please）；　was　three　feet　in　height　by　twenty　inches　in　breadth；　a　weasel…faced　infant；　with　nerves　of　steel　tempered　in　fire…water；　and　agile　as　a　squirrel。　He　drove　a　landau　with　a　skill　never　yet　at　fault　in　London　or　Paris。　He　had　a　lizard's　eye；　as　sharp　as　my　own；　and　he　could　mount　a　horse　like　the　elder　Franconi。　With　the　rosy　cheeks　and　yellow　hair　of　one　of　Rubens'　Madonnas　he　was　double…faced　as　a　prince；　and　as　knowing　as　an　old　attorney；　in　short；　at　the　age　of　ten　he　was　nothing　more　nor　less　than　a　blossom　of　depravity；　gambling　and　swearing；　partial　to　jam　and　punch；　pert　as　a　feuilleton；　impudent　and　light…fingered　as　any　Paris　street…arab。　He　had　been　a　source　of　honor　and　profit　to　a　well…known　English　lord；　for　whom　he　had　already　won　seven　hundred　thousand　francs　on　the　race…course。　The　aforesaid　nobleman　set　no　small　store　on　Toby。　His　tiger　was　a　curiosity；　the　very　smallest　tiger　in　town。　Perched　aloft　on　the　back　of　a　thoroughbred；　Joby　looked　like　a　hawk。　Yetthe　great　man　dismissed　him。　Not　for　greediness；　not　for　dishonesty；　nor　murder；　nor　rudeness　to　my　lady；　nor　for　cutting　holes　in　my　lady's　own　woman's　pockets；　nor　because　he　had　been　'got　at'　by　some　of　his　master's　rivals　on　the　turf；　nor　for　playing　games　of　a　Sunday；　nor　for　bad　behavior　of　any　sort　or　description。　Toby　might　have　done　all　these　things；　he　might　even　have　spoken　to　milord　before　milord　spoke　to　him；　and　his　noble　master　might；　perhaps；　have　pardoned　that　breach　of　the　law　domestic。　Milord　would　have　put　up　with　a　good　deal　from　Toby；　he　was　very　fond　of　him。　Toby　could　drive　a　tandem　dog…cart；　riding　on　the　wheeler；　postilion　fashion；　his　legs　did　not　reach　the　shafts；　he　looked　in　fact　very　much　like　one　of　the　cherub　heads　circling　about　the　Eternal　Father　in　old　Italian　pictures。　But　an　English　journalist　wrote　a　delicious　description　of　the　little　angel；　in　the　course　of　which　he　said　that　Paddy　was　quite　too　pretty　for　a　tiger；　in　fact；　he　offered　to　bet　that　Paddy　was　a　tame　tigress。　The　description；　on　the　heads　of　it；　was　calculated　to　poison　minds　and　end　in　something　'improper。'　And　the　superlative　of　'improper'　is　the　way　to　the　gallows。　Milord's　circumspection　was　highly　approved　by　my　lady。

〃But　poor　Toby；　now　that　his　precise　position　in　insular　zoology　had　been　called　in　question；　found　himself　hopelessly　out　of　place。　At　that　time　Godefroid　had　blossomed　out　at　the　French　Embassy　in　London；　where　he　learned　the　adventures　of　Toby；　Joby；　Paddy。　Godefroid　found　the　infant　weeping　over　a　pot　of　jam　（he　had　already　lost　the　guineas　with　which　milord　gilded　his　misfortune）。　Godefroid　took　possession　of　him；　and　so　it　fell　out　that　on　his　return　among　us　he　brought　back　with　him　the　sweetest　thing　in　tigers　from　England。　He　was　known　by　his　tigeras　Couture　is　known　by　his　waistcoatsand　found　no　difficulty　in　entering　the　fraternity　of　the　club　yclept　to…day　the　Grammont。　He　had　renounced　the　diplomatic　career；　he　ceased　accordingly　to　alarm　the　susceptibilites　of　the　ambitious；　and　as　he　had　no　very　dangerous　amount　of　intellect；　he　was　well　looked　upon　everywhere。

〃Some　of　us　would　feel　mortified　if　we　saw　only　smiling　faces　wherever　we　went；　we　enjoy　the　sour　contortions　of　envy。　Godefroid　did　not　like　to　be　disliked。　Every　one　has　his　taste。　Now　for　the　solid；　practical　aspects　of　life！

〃The　distinguishing　feature　of　his　chambers；　where　I　have　licked　my　lips　over　breakfast　more　than　once；　was　a　mysterious　dressing…closet；　nicely　decorated；　and　comfortably　appointed；　with　a　grate　in　it　and　a　bath…tub。　It　gave　upon　a　narrow　staircase；　the　folding　doors　were　noiseless；　the　locks　well　oiled；　the　hinges　discreet；　the　window　panes　of　frosted　glass；　the　curtain　impervious　to　light。　While　the　bedroom　was；　as　it　ought　to　have　been；　in　a　fine　disorder　which　would　suit　the　most　exacting　painter　in　water…colors；　while　everything　therein　was　redolent　of　the　Bohemian　life　of　a　young　man　of　fashion；　the　dressing…　closet　was　like　a　shrinewhite；　spotless；　neat；　and　warm。　There　were　no　draughts　from　door　or　window；　the　carpet　had　been　made　soft　for　bare　feet　hastily　put　to　the　floor　in　a　sudden　panic　of　alarmwhich　stamps　him　as　your　thoroughbred　dandy　that　knows　life；　for　here；　in　a　few　moments；　he　may　show　himself　either　a　noodle　or　a　master　in　those　little　details　in　which　a　man's　character　is　revealed。　The　Marquise　previously　quotedno；　it　was　the　Marquise　de　Rochefidecame　out　of　that