第20章

“ThoughdeMarsaywasrichwhenhestartedinlifehewasanexception，“saidthehost，aparvenunamedFinot，ambitiousofseemingintimatewiththeseyoungmen。“Anyonebuthe，“addedFinotbowingtothatpersonage，“wouldhavebeenruinedbyit。“

“Atrueremark，“saidMaximedeTrailles。

“Andatrueidea，“addedRastignac。

“Mydearfellow，“saiddeMarsay，gravely，toSavinien；“debtsarethecapitalstockofexperience。Agooduniversityeducationwithtutorsforallbranches，whodon’tteachyouanything，costssixtythousandfrancs。Iftheeducationoftheworlddoescostdouble，atleastitteachesyoutounderstandlife，politics，men，——andsometimeswomen。“

BlondetconcludedthelessonbyaparaphrasefromLaFontaine:“Theworldsellsdearlywhatwethinkitgives。“

InsteadoflayingtoheartthesensibleadvicewhichthecleverestpilotsoftheParisianarchipelagogavehim，Savinientookitallasajoke。

“Takecare，mydearfellow，“saiddeMarsayoneday。“Youhaveagreatname；ifyoudon’tobtainthefortunethatnamerequiresyou’llendyourdaysintheuniformofacavalry-sergeant。’Wehaveseenthefallofnoblerheads，’“headded，declaimingthelineofCorneilleashetookSavinien’sarm。“Aboutsixyearsago，“hecontinued，“ayoungComted’Esgrignoncameamongus；buthedidnotstaytwoyearsintheparadiseofthegreatworld。Alas！helivedandmovedlikearocket。

HerosetotheDuchessedeMaufrigneuseandfelltohisnativetown，whereheisnowexpiatinghisfaultswithawheezyoldfatherandagameofwhistattwosousapoint。TellMadamedeSerizyyoursituation，candidly，withoutshame；shewillunderstanditandbeveryusefultoyou。Whereas，ifyouplaythecharadeoffirstlovewithhershewillposeasaRaffaelleMadonna，practiceallthelittlegamesofinnocenceuponyou，andtakeyoujourneyingatenormouscostthroughtheLandofSentiment。“

Savinien，stilltooyoungandtoopureinhonor，darednotconfesshispositionastomoneytoMadamedeSerizy。Atamomentwhenheknewnotwhichwaytoturnhehadwrittenhismotheranappealingletter，towhichsherepliedbysendinghimthesumoftwentythousandfrancs，whichwasallshepossessed。Thisassistancebroughthimtothecloseofthefirstyear。Duringthesecond，beingharnessedtothechariotofMadamedeSerizy，whowasseriouslytakenwithhim，andwhowas，asthesayingis，forminghim，hehadrecoursetothedangerousexpedientofborrowing。Oneofhisfriends，adeputyandthefriendofhiscousintheComtedePortenduere，advisedhiminhisdistresstogotoGobseckorGigonnetorPalma，who，ifdulyinformedastohismother’smeans，wouldgivehimaneasydiscount。Usuryandthedeceptivehelpofrenewalsenabledhimtoleadahappylifefornearlyeighteenmonths。WithoutdaringtoleaveMadamedeSerizythepoorboyhadfallenmadlyinlovewiththebeautifulComtessedeKergarouet，aprudeafterthefashionofyoungwomenwhoareawaitingthedeathofanoldhusbandandmakingcapitaloftheirvirtueintheinterestsofasecondmarriage。Quiteincapableofunderstandingthatcalculatingvirtueisinvulnerable，SavinienpaidcourttoEmiliedeKergarouetinallthesplendorofarichman。Henevermissedeitherballortheateratwhichshewaspresent。

“Youhaven’tpowderenough，myboy，toblowupthatrock，“saiddeMarsay，laughing。

Thatyoungkingoffashion，whodid，outofcommiserationforthelad，endeavortoexplaintohimthenatureofEmiliedeFontaine，merelywastedhiswords；thegloomylightsofmisfortuneandthetwilightofaprisonwereneededtoconvinceSavinien。

Anote，imprudentlygiventoajewelerincollusionwiththemoney-

lenders，whodidnotwishtohavetheodiumofarrestingtheyoungman，wasthemeansofsendingSaviniendePortenduere，indefaultofonehundredandseventeenthousandfrancsandwithouttheknowledgeofhisfriends，tothedebtor’sprisonatSainte-Pelagie。SosoonasthefactwasknownRastignac，deMarsay，andLuciendeRubemprewenttoseehim，andeachofferedhimabanknoteofathousandfrancswhentheyfoundhowreallydestitutehewas。Everythingbelongingtohimhadbeenseizedexcepttheclothesandthefewjewelshewore。Thethreeyoungmen(whobroughtanexcellentdinnerwiththem)discussedSavinien’ssituationwhiledrinkingdeMarsay’swine，ostensiblytoarrangeforhisfuturebutreally，nodoubt，tojudgeofhim。

“WhenamanisnamedSaviniendePortenduere，“criedRastignac，“andhasafuturepeerofFranceforacousinandAdmiralKergarouetforagreat-uncle，andcommitstheenormousblunderofallowinghimselftobeputinSainte-Pelagie，itisverycertainthathemustnotstaythere，mygoodfellow。“

“Whydidn’tyoutellme？“crieddeMarsay。“Youcouldhavehadmytraveling-carriage，tenthousandfrancs，andlettersofintroductionforGermany。WeknowGobseckandGigonnetandtheothercrocodiles；wecouldhavemadethemcapitulate。Buttellme，inthefirstplace，whatasseverledyoutodrinkofthatcursedspring。“

“DesLupeaulx。“

Thethreeyoungmenlookedateachotherwithoneandthesamethoughtandsuspicion，buttheydidnotutterit。

“Explainallyourresources；showusyourhand，“saiddeMarsay。

WhenSavinienhadtoldofhismotherandherold-fashionedways，andthelittlehousewiththreewindowsintheRuedesBourgeois，withoutothergroundsthanacourtforthewellandashedforthewood；whenhehadvaluedthehouse，builtofsandstoneandpointedinreddishcement，andputapriceonthefarmatBordieres，thethreedandieslookedateachother，andallthreesaidwithasolemnairthewordoftheabbeinAlfreddeMusset’s“Marronsdufeu“(whichhadthenjustappeared)，——“Sad！“

“Yourmotherwillpayifyouwriteacleverletter，“saidRastignac。

“Yes，butafterwards？“crieddeMarsay。

“Ifyouhadmerelybeenputinthefiacre，“saidLucien，“thegovernmentwouldfindyouaplaceindiplomacy，butSaint-Pelagieisn’ttheantechamberofanembassy。“

“YouarenotstrongenoughforParisianlife，“saidRastignac。

“Letusconsiderthematter，“saiddeMarsay，lookingSavinienoverasajockeyexaminesahorse。“Youhavefineblueeyes，wellopened，awhiteforeheadwellshaped，magnificentblackhair，alittlemoustachewhichsuitsthosepalecheeks，andaslimfigure；you’veafootthattellsrace，shouldersandchestnotquitethoseofaporter，butsolid。YouarewhatIcallanelegantmalebrunette。YourfaceisofthestyleLouisXII。，hardlyanycolor，well-formednose；andyouhavethethingthatpleaseswomen，asomething，Idon’tknowwhatitis，whichmentakenoaccountofthemselves；itisintheair，themanner，thetoneofthevoice，thedartoftheeye，thegesture，——inshort，inanumberoflittlethingswhichwomenseeandtowhichtheyattachameaningwhichescapesus。Youdon’tknowyourmerits，mydearfellow。

Takeacertaintoneandstyleandinsixmonthsyou’llcaptivateanEnglish-womanwithahundredthousandpounds；butyoumustcallyourselfviscount，atitlewhichbelongstoyou。Mycharmingstep-

mother，LadyDudley，whohasnotherequalformatchingtwohearts，willfindyousomesuchwomaninthefensofGreatBritain。Whatyoumustnowdoistogetthepaymentofyourdebtspostponedforninetydays。Whydidn’tyoutellusaboutthem？Themoney-lendersatBadenwouldhavesparedyou——servedyouperhaps；butnow，afteryouhaveoncebeeninprison，they’lldespiseyou。Amoney-lenderis，likesociety，likethemasses，downonhiskneesbeforethemanwhoisstrongenoughtotrickhim，andpitilesstothelambs。TotheeyesofsomepersonsSainte-Pelagieisashe-devilwhoburnsthesoulsofyoungmen。Doyouwantmycandidadvice？IshalltellyouasItoldthatlittled’Esgrignon:’Arrangetopayyourdebtsleisurely；keepenoughtoliveonforthreeyears，andmarrysomegirlintheprovinceswhocanbringyouanincomeofthirtythousandfrancs。’InthecourseofthreeyearsyoucansurelyfindsomevirtuousheiresswhoiswillingtocallherselfMadamelaVicomtessedePortenduere。

Suchisvirtue，——let’sdrinktoit。Igiveyouatoast:’Thegirlwithmoney！“

Theyoungmendidnotleavetheirex-friendtilltheofficialhourforparting。Thegatewasnosoonerclosedbehindthemthantheysaidtoeachother:“He’snotstrongenough！““He’squitecrushed。““Idon’tbelievehe’llpullthroughit？“

ThenextdaySavinienwrotehismotheraconfessionintwenty-twopages。MadamedePortenduere，afterweepingforonewholeday，wrotefirsttoherson，promisingtogethimoutofprison，andthentotheComtedePortenduereandtoAdmiralKergarouet。

Theletterstheabbehadjustreadandwhichthepoormotherwasholdinginherhandandmoisteningwithtears，weretheanswerstoherappeal，whichhadarrivedthatmorning，andhadalmostbrokenherheart。

Paris，September，1829。

ToMadamedePortenduere:

Madame，——YoucannotdoubttheinterestwhichtheadmiralandI

bothfeelinyourtroubles。WhatyouaskofMonsieurdeKergarouetgrievesmeallthemorebecauseourhousewasahometoyourson；wewereproudofhim。IfSavinienhadhadmoreconfidenceintheadmiralwecouldhavetakenhimtolivewithus，andhewouldalreadyhaveobtainedsomegoodsituation。But，unfortunately，hetoldusnothing；heranintodebtofhisownaccord，andeveninvolvedhimselfforme，whoknewnothingofhispecuniaryposition。ItisallthemoretoberegrettedbecauseSavinienhas，forthemoment，tiedourhandsbyallowingtheauthoritiestoarresthim。

Ifmynephewhadnotshownafoolishpassionformeandsacrificedourrelationshiptothevanityofalover，wecouldhavesenthimtotravelinGermanywhilehisaffairswerebeingsettledhere。

MonsieurdeKergarouetintendedtogethimaplaceintheWaroffice；butthisimprisonmentfordebtwillparalyzesuchefforts。

Youmustpayhisdebts；lethimenterthenavy；hewillmakehiswaylikethetruePortenduerethatheis；hehasthefireofthefamilyinhisbeautifulblackeyes，andwewillallhelphim。

Donotbedisheartened，madame；youhavemanyfriends，amongwhomIbegyoutoconsidermeasoneofthemostsincere；Isendyouourbestwishes，withtherespectsofYourveryaffectionateservant，EmiliedeKergarouet。

Thesecondletterwasasfollows:——

Portenduere，August，1829。