ursula-第22部分

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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　brunette。　Your　face　is　of

the　style　Louis　XII。；　hardly　any　color；　well…formed　nose；　and　you　have

the　thing　that　pleases　women；　a　something；　I　don't　know　what　it　is；

which　men　take　no　account　of　themselves；　it　is　in　the　air；　the　manner；

the　tone　of　the　voice；　the　dart　of　the　eye；　the　gesture；in　short；　in

a　number　of　little　things　which　women　see　and　to　which　they　attach　a

meaning　which　escapes　us。　You　don't　know　your　merits；　my　dear　fellow。

Take　a　certain　tone　and　style　and　in　six　months　you'll　captivate　an

English…woman　with　a　hundred　thousand　pounds；　but　you　must　call

yourself　viscount；　a　title　which　belongs　to　you。　My　charming　step…

mother；　Lady　Dudley；　who　has　not　her　equal　for　matching　two　hearts；

will　find　you　some　such　woman　in　the　fens　of　Great　Britain。　What　you

must　now　do　is　to　get　the　payment　of　your　debts　postponed　for　ninety

days。　Why　didn't　you　tell　us　about　them？　The　money…lenders　at　Baden

would　have　spared　youserved　you　perhaps；　but　now；　after　you　have

once　been　in　prison；　they'll　despise　you。　A　money…lender　is；　like

society；　like　the　masses；　down　on　his　knees　before　the　man　who　is

strong　enough　to　trick　him；　and　pitiless　to　the　lambs。　To　the　eyes　of

some　persons　Sainte…Pelagie　is　a　she…devil　who　burns　the　souls　of

young　men。　Do　you　want　my　candid　advice？　I　shall　tell　you　as　I　told

that　little　d'Esgrignon：　'Arrange　to　pay　your　debts　leisurely；　keep

enough　to　live　on　for　three　years；　and　marry　some　girl　in　the

provinces　who　can　bring　you　an　income　of　thirty　thousand　francs。'　In

the　course　of　three　years　you　can　surely　find　some　virtuous　heiress

who　is　willing　to　call　herself　Madame　la　Vicomtesse　de　Portenduere。

Such　is　virtue；let's　drink　to　it。　I　give　you　a　toast：　'The　girl　with

money！〃



The　young　men　did　not　leave　their　ex…friend　till　the　official　hour　for

parting。　The　gate　was　no　sooner　closed　behind　them　than　they　said　to

each　other：　〃He's　not　strong　enough！〃　〃He's　quite　crushed。〃　〃I　don't

believe　he'll　pull　through　it？〃



The　next　day　Savinien　wrote　his　mother　a　confession　in　twenty…two

pages。　Madame　de　Portenduere；　after　weeping　for　one　whole　day；　wrote

first　to　her　son；　promising　to　get　him　out　of　prison；　and　then　to　the

Comte　de　Portenduere　and　to　Admiral　Kergarouet。



The　letters　the　abbe　had　just　read　and　which　the　poor　mother　was

holding　in　her　hand　and　moistening　with　tears；　were　the　answers　to　her

appeal；　which　had　arrived　that　morning；　and　had　almost　broken　her

heart。





Paris；　September；　1829。



To　Madame　de　Portenduere：



Madame；You　cannot　doubt　the　interest　which　the　admiral　and　I

both　feel　in　your　troubles。　What　you　ask　of　Monsieur　de

Kergarouet　grieves　me　all　the　more　because　our　house　was　a　home　to

your　son；　we　were　proud　of　him。　If　Savinien　had　had　more

confidence　in　the　admiral　we　could　have　taken　him　to　live　with　us；

and　he　would　already　have　obtained　some　good　situation。　But；

unfortunately；　he　told　us　nothing；　he　ran　into　debt　of　his　own

accord；　and　even　involved　himself　for　me；　who　knew　nothing　of　his

pecuniary　position。　It　is　all　the　more　to　be　regretted　because

Savinien　has；　for　the　moment；　tied　our　hands　by　allowing　the

authorities　to　arrest　him。



If　my　nephew　had　not　shown　a　foolish　passion　for　me　and　sacrificed

our　relationship　to　the　vanity　of　a　lover；　we　could　have　sent　him

to　travel　in　Germany　while　his　affairs　were　being　settled　here。

Monsieur　de　Kergarouet　intended　to　get　him　a　place　in　the　War

office；　but　this　imprisonment　for　debt　will　paralyze　such　efforts。

You　must　pay　his　debts；　let　him　enter　the　navy；　he　will　make　his

way　like　the　true　Portenduere　that　he　is；　he　has　the　fire　of　the

family　in　his　beautiful　black　eyes；　and　we　will　all　help　him。



Do　not　be　disheartened；　madame；　you　have　many　friends；　among　whom

I　beg　you　to　consider　me　as　one　of　the　most　sincere；　I　send　you　our

best　wishes；　with　the　respects　of



Your　very　affectionate　servant；

Emilie　de　Kergarouet。





The　second　letter　was　as