下载辰思小说免费APP
“Yourmotherborrowedahundredthousandfrancsofme，butIhavepaidoutonlyeightythousand。Hereistherest；becarefulhowyouspendit，monsieur；considerwhatyouhaveleftofitasyourstakeonthegreenclothoffortune。“
DuringthelasteightdaysSavinienhadmademanyreflectionsonthepresentconditionsoflife。Competitionineverythingnecessitatedhardworkonthepartofwhoeversoughtafortune。Illegalmethodsandunderhanddealingdemandedmoretalentthanopeneffortsinfaceofday。Successinsociety，farfromgivingamanposition，wastedhistimeandrequiredanimmensedealofmoney。ThenameofPortenduere，whichhismotherconsideredall-powerful，hadnopoweratallinParis。Hiscousinthedeputy，ComtedePortenduere，cutaverypoorfigureintheElectiveChamberinpresenceofthepeerageandthecourt；andhadnonetoomuchcreditpersonally。AdmiralKergarouetexistedonlyasthehusbandofhiswife。Savinienadmittedtohimselfthathehadseenorators，menfromthemiddleclasses，orlessernoblemen，becomeinfluentialpersonages。Moneywasthepivot，thesolemeans，theonlymechanismofasocietywhichLouisXVIII。hadtriedtocreateinthelikenessofthatofEngland。
OnhiswayfromtheRuedelaCleftotheRueCroixdesPetits-Champstheyounggentlemandivulgedtheupshotofthesemeditations(whichwerecertainlyinkeepingwithdeMarsay’sadvice)totheolddoctor。
“Iought，“hesaid，“togointooblivionforthreeorfouryearsandseekacareer。PerhapsIcouldmakemyselfanamebywritingabookonstatesmanshipormorals，oratreatiseonsomeofthegreatquestionsoftheday。WhileIamlookingoutforamarriagewithsomeyoungladywhocouldmakemeeligibletotheChamber，Iwillworkhardinsilenceandinobscurity。“
Studyingtheyoungfellow’sfacewithakeeneye，thedoctorsawtheseriouspurposeofawoundedmanwhowasanxioustovindicatehimself。
Hethereforecordiallyapprovedofthescheme。
“Myfriend，“hesaid，“ifyoustripofftheskinoftheoldnobility(whichisnolongerwornthesedays)Iwillundertake，afteryouhavelivedforthreeorfouryearsinasteadyandindustriousmanner，tofindyouasuperioryounggirl，beautiful，amiable，pious，andpossessingfromseventoeighthundredthousandfrancs，whowillmakeyouhappyandofwhomyouwillhaveeveryreasontobeproud，——onewhoseonlynobilityisthatoftheheart！“
“Ah，doctor！“criedtheyoungman，“thereisnolongeranobilityinthesedays，——nothingbutanaristocracy。“
“Goandpayyourdebtsofhonorandcomebackhere。Ishallengagethecoupeofthediligence，formynieceiswithme，“saidtheoldman。
Thatevening，atsixo’clock，thethreetravelersstartedfromtheRueDauphine。Ursulahadputonaveilanddidnotsayaword。Savinien，whoonce，inamomentofsuperficialgallantry，hadsentherthatkisswhichinvadedandconqueredhersoullikealove-poem，hadcompletelyforgottentheyounggirlinthehellofhisParisiandebts；moreover，hishopelessloveforEmiliedeKergarouethinderedhimfrombestowingathoughtonafewglancesexchangedwithalittlecountrygirl。Hedidnotrecognizeherwhenthedoctorhandedherintothecoachandthensatdownbesidehertoseparateherfromtheyoungviscount。
