the firm of nucingen-第7部分

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spicuous　place。　The　outlines　of　the　nose　had　somewhat　fallen　away；　and　the　tip　had　reddened；　and　this　was　the　more　awkward　because　it　matched　the　color　on　the　cheek…bones。

〃An　only　daughter　and　an　heiress；　spoilt　by　her　father　and　mother；　spoilt　by　her　husband　and　the　city　of　Strasbourg；　spoilt　still　by　two　daughters　who　worshiped　their　mother；　the　Baroness　d'Aldrigger　indulged　a　taste　for　rose　color；　short　petticoats；　and　a　knot　of　ribbon　at　the　point　of　the　tightly…fitting　corselet　bodice。　Any　Parisian　meeting　the　Baroness　on　the　boulevard　would　smile　and　condemn　her　outright；　he　does　not　admit　any　plea　of　extenuating　circumstances；　like　a　modern　jury　on　a　case　of　fratricide。　A　scoffer　is　always　superficial；　and　in　consequence　cruel；　the　rascal　never　thinks　of　throwing　the　proper　share　of　ridicule　on　society　that　made　the　individual　what　he　is；　for　Nature　only　makes　dull　animals　of　us；　we　owe　the　fool　to　artificial　conditions。〃

〃The　thing　that　I　admire　about　Bixiou　is　his　completeness；〃　said　Blondet；　〃whenever　he　is　not　gibing　at　others；　he　is　laughing　at　himself。〃

〃I　will　be　even　with　you　for　that；　Blondet；〃　returned　Bixiou　in　a　significant　tone。　〃If　the　little　Baroness　was　giddy；　careless；　selfish；　and　incapable　in　practical　matters；　she　was　not　accountable　for　her　sins；　the　responsibility　is　divided　between　the　firm　of　Adolphus　and　Company　of　Manheim　and　Baron　d'Aldrigger　with　his　blind　love　for　his　wife。　The　Baroness　was　a　gentle　as　a　lamb；　she　had　a　soft　heart　that　was　very　readily　moved；　unluckily；　the　emotion　never　lasted　long；　but　it　was　all　the　more　frequently　renewed。

〃When　the　Baron　died；　for　instance；　the　Shepherdess　all　but　followed　him　to　the　tomb；　so　violent　and　sincere　was　her　grief；　butnext　morning　there　was　green　peas　at　lunch；　she　was　fond　of　green　peas；　the　delicious　green　peas　calmed　the　crisis。　Her　daughters　and　her　servants　loved　her　so　blindly　that　the　whole　household　rejoiced　over　a　circumstance　that　enabled　them　to　hide　the　dolorous　spectacle　of　the　funeral　from　the　sorrowing　Baroness。　Isaure　and　Malvina　would　not　allow　their　idolized　mother　to　see　their　tears。

〃While　the　Requiem　was　chanted；　they　diverted　her　thoughts　to　the　choice　of　mourning　dresses。　While　the　coffin　was　placed　in　the　huge；　black　and　white；　wax…besprinkled　catafalque　that　does　duty　for　some　three　thousand　dead　in　the　course　of　its　careerso　I　was　informed　by　a　philosophically…minded　mute　whom　I　once　consulted　on　a　point　over　a　couple　of　glasses　of　petit　blancwhile　an　indifferent　priest　mumbling　the　office　for　the　dead；　do　you　know　what　the　friends　of　the　departed　were　saying　as；　all　dressed　in　black　from　head　to　foot；　they　sat　or　stood　in　the　church？　（Here　is　the　picture　you　ordered。）　Stay；　do　you　see　them？

〃　'How　much　do　you　suppose　old　d'Aldrigger　will　leave？'　Desroches　asked　of　Taillefer。You　remember　Taillefer　that　gave　us　the　finest　orgy　ever　known　not　long　before　he　died？〃

〃He　was　in　treaty　for　practice　in　1822；〃　said　Couture。　〃It　was　a　bold　thing　to　do；　for　he　was　the　son　of　a　poor　clerk　who　never　made　more　than　eighteen　hundred　francs　a　year；　and　his　mother　sold　stamped　paper。　But　he　worked　very　hard　from　1818　to　1822。　He　was　Derville's　fourth　clerk　when　he　came；　and　in　1819　he　was　second！〃

〃Desroches？〃

〃Yes。　Desroches；　like　the　rest　of　us；　once　groveled　in　the　poverty　of　Job。　He　grew　so　tired　of　wearing　coats　too　tight　and　sleeves　too　short　for　him；　that　he　swallowed　down　the　law　in　desperation　and　had　just　bought　a　bare　license。　He　was　a　licensed　attorney；　without　a　penny；　or　a　client；　or　any　friends　beyond　our　set；　and　he　was　bound　to　pay　interest　on　the　purchase…money　and　the　cautionary　deposit　besides。〃

〃He　used　to　make　me　feel　as　if　I　had　met　a　tiger　escaped　from　the　Jardin　des　Plantes；〃　said　Couture。　〃He　was　lean　and　red…haired；　his　eyes　were　the　color　of　Spanish　snuff；　and　his　complexion　was　harsh。　He　looked　cold　and　phlegmatic。　He　was　hard　upon　the　widow；　pitiless　to　the　orphan；　and　a　terror　to　his　clerks；　they　were　not　allowed　to　waste　a　minute。　Learned；　crafty；　double…faced；　honey…tongued；　never　flying　into　a　passion；　rancorous　in　his　judicial　way。〃

〃But　there　is　goodness　in　him；〃　cried　Finot；　〃he　is　devoted　to　his　friends。　The　first　thing　he　did　was　to　take　Godeschal；　Mariette's　brother；　as　his　head…clerk。〃

〃At　Paris；〃　said　Blondet；　〃there　are　attorneys　of　two　shades。　There　is　the　honest　man　attorney；　he　abides　within　the　province　of　the　law；　pushes　on　his　cases；　neglects　no　one；　never　runs　after　business；　gives　his　clients　his　honest　opinion；　and　makes　them　compromise　on　doubtful　pointshe　is　a　Derville；　in　short。　Then　there　is　the　starveling　attorney；　to　whom　anything　seems　good　provided　that　he　is　sure　of　expenses；　he　will　set；　not　mountains　fighting；　for　he　sells　them；　but　planets；　he　will　work　to　make　the　worse　appear　the　better　cause；　and　take　advantage　of　a　technical　error　to　win　the　day　for　a　rogue。　If　one　of　these　fellows　tries　one　of　Maitre　Gonin's　tricks　once　too　often；　the　guild　forces　him　to　sell　his　connection。　Desroches；　our　friend　Desroches；　understood　the　full　resources　of　a　trade　carried　on　in　a　beggarly　way　enough　by　poor　devils；　he　would　buy　up　causes　of　men　who　feared　to　lose　the　day；　he　plunged　into　chicanery　with　a　fixed　determination　to　make　money　by　it。　He　was　right；　he　did　his　business　very　honestly。　He　found　influence　among　men　in　public　life　by　getting　them　out　of　awkward　complications；　there　was　our　dear　les　Lupeaulx；　for　instance；　whose　position　was　so　deeply　compromised。　And　Desroches　stood　in　need　of　influence；　for　when　he　began；　he　was　anything　but　well　looked　on　at　the　court；　and　he　who　took　so　much　trouble　to　rectify　the　errors　of　his　clients　was　often　in　trouble　himself。　See　now；　Bixiou；　to　go　back　to　the　subjectHow　came　Desroches　to　be　in　the　church？〃

〃　'D'Aldrigger　is　leaving　seven　or　eight　hundred　thousand　francs；'　Taillefer　answered；　addressing　Desroches。

〃　'Oh；　pooh；　there　is　only　one　man　who　knows　how　much　THEY　are　worth；'　put　in　Werbrust；　a　friend　of　the　deceased。

〃　'Who？'

〃　'That　fat　rogue　Nucingen；　he　will　go　as　far　as　the　cemetery；　d'Aldrigger　was　his　master　once；　and　out　of　gratitude　he　put　the　old　man's　capital　into　his　business。'

〃　'The　widow　will　soon　feel　a　great　difference。'

〃　'What　do　you　mean？'

〃　'Well；　d'Aldrigger　was　so　fond　of　his　wife。　Now；　don't　laugh；　people　are　looking　at　us。'

〃　'Look　here　comes　du　Tillet；　he　is　very　late。　The　epistle　is　just　beginning。'

〃　'He　will　marry　the　eldest　girl　in　all　probability。'

〃　'Is　it　possible？'　asked　Desroches；　'why；　he　is　tied　more　than　ever　to　Mme。　Roguin。'

〃　'TIEDhe？You　do　not　know　him。'

〃　'Do　you　know　how　Nucingen　and　du　Tillet　stand？'　asked　Desroches。

〃　'Like　this；'　said　Taillefer；　'Nucingen　is　just　the　man　to　swallow　down　his　old　master's　capital；　and　then　to　disgorge　it。'

〃　'Ugh！　ugh！'　coughed　Werbrust；　'these　churches　are　confoundedly　damp；　ugh！　ugh！　What　do　you　mean　by　〃disgorge　it〃？'

〃　'Well；　Nucingen　knows　that　du　Tillet　has　a　lot　of　money；　he　wants　to　marry　him　to　Malvina；　but　du　Tillet　is　shy　of　Nucingen。　To　a　looker…　on；　the　game　is　good　fun。'

〃　'What！'　exclaimed　Werbrust；　'is　she　old　enough　to　marry？　How　quickly　we　grow　old！'

〃　'Malvina　d'Aldrigger　is　quite　twenty　years　old；　my　dear　fellow。　Old　d'Aldrigger　was　married　in　1800。　He　gave　some　rather　fine　entertainments　in　Strasbourg　at　the　time　of　his　wedding；　and　afterwards　when　Malvina　was　born。　That　was　in　1801　at　the　peace　of　Amiens；　and　here　are　we　in　the　year　1823；　Daddy　Werbrust！　In　those　days　everything　was　Ossianized；　he　called　his　daughter　Malvina。　Six　years　afterwards　there　was　a　rage　for　chivalry；　Partant　pour　la　Syrie　a　pack　of　nonsenseand　he　christened　his　second　daughter　Isaure。　She　is　seventeen。　So　there　are　two　daughters　to　marry。'

〃　'The　women　will　not　have　a　penny　left　in　ten　years'　time；'　said　Werbrust；　speaking　to　Desroches　in　a　confidential　tone。

〃　'There　is　d'Aldrigger's　man…servant；　the　old　fellow　bellowing　away　at　the　back　of　the　church；　he　has　been　with　them　since　the　two　young　ladies　were　children；　and　he　is　capable　of　anything　to　keep　enough　together　for　them　to　live　upon；'　said　Taillefer。

〃Dies　iroe！　（from　the　minor　cannons）。　Dies　illa！　（from　the　choristers）。

〃　'Good…day；　Werbrust　（from　Taillefer）；　the　Dies　iroe　puts　me　too　much　in　mind　of　my　poor　boy。'

〃　'I　shall　go　too；　it　is　too　damp　in　here；'　said　Werbrust。

〃In　favilla。

〃　'A　few　halfpence；　kind　gentlemen！'　（from　the　beggars　at　the　door）。

〃　'For　the　expenses　of　the　church！'　（from　the　beadle；　with　a　rattling　clatter　of　the　money…box）。

〃　'AMEN'　（from　the　choristers）。

〃　'What　did　he　die　of？'　（from　a　friend）。

〃　'He　broke　a　blood…vessel　in　the　heel'　（from　an　inquisitive　wag）。

〃　'Who　is　dead？'　（from　a　passer…by）。

〃　'The　President　de　Montesquieu！'　（from　a　relative）。

〃The　sacristan　to　the　poor；　'Get　away；　all　of　you；　the　money　for　you　has　been　given　to　us；　don't　ask　for　any　more。'　〃

〃Done　to　the　life！〃　cried　Couture。　And　indeed　it　seemed　to　us　that　we　heard　all　that　went　on　in　the　church。　Bixiou　imitated　everything；　even　the　shuffling　sound　of　the　feet　of　the　men　that　carried　the　coffin　over　the　stone　floor。

〃There　are　poets　and　romancers　and　writers　that　say　many　fine　things　abut　Parisian　manners；〃　continued　Bixiou；　〃but　that　is　what　really　happens　at　a　funeral。　Ninety…nine　out　of　a　hundred　that　come　to　pay　their　respects　to　some　poor　devil　departed；　get　together　and　talk　business　or　pleasure　in　the　middle　of　the　church。　To　see　some　poor　little　touch　of　real　sorrow；　you　need　an　impossible　combination　of　circumstances。　And；　after　all；　is　there　such　a　thing　as　grief　without　a　thought　of　self　in　it？〃

〃Ugh！〃　said　Blondet。　〃Nothing　is　less　respected　than　death；　is　it　that　there　is　nothing　less　respectable？〃

〃It　is　so　common！〃　resumed　Bixiou。　〃When　the　service　was　over　Nucingen　and　du　Tillet　went　to　the　graveside。　The　old　man…servant　walked；　Nucingen　and　du　Tillet　were　put　at　the　head　of　the　procession　of　mourning　coaches。'Goot；　mein　goot　friend；'　said　Nucingen　as　they　turned　into　the　boulevard。　'It　ees　a　goot　time　to　marry　Malfina；　you　vill　be　der　brodector　off　that　boor　family　vat　ess　in　tears；　you　vill　haf　ein　family；　a　home　off　your　own；　you　vill　haf　a　house　ready