登陆注册
5605400000082

第82章 IV(1)

During the first three days of the year, two hundred visiting cards were sent to Birotteau. This rush of fictitious friendship, these empty testimonials of favor, are horrible to those who feel themselves drawn down into the vortex of misfortune. Birotteau presented himself three times at the hotel of the famous banker, the Baron de Nucingen, but in vain. The opening of the year with all its festivities sufficiently explained the absences of the financier. On the last occasion Birotteau got as far as the office of the banker, where the head-clerk, a German, told him that Monsieur de Nucingen had returned at five in the morning from a ball at the Kellers', and would not be visible until half-past nine o'clock. Birotteau had the luck to interest this man in his affairs, and remained talking with him more than half an hour. In the course of the afternoon this prime minister of the house of Nucingen wrote Birotteau that the baron would receive him the next day, 13th, at noon. Though every hour brought its drop of absinthe, the day went by with frightful rapidity. Cesar took a hackney coach, but stopped it several paces distant from the hotel, whose courtyard was crowded with carriages. The poor man's heart sank within him when he saw the splendors of that noted house.

"And yet he has failed twice," he said to himself as he went up a superb staircase banked with flowers, and crossed the sumptuous rooms which helped to make Madame Delphine de Nucingen famous in the Chaussee d'Antin. The baronne's ambition was to rival the great ladies of the Faubourg Saint-Germain, to whose houses she was not as yet admitted. The baron was breakfasting with his wife. In spite of the crowd which was waiting for him in the counting-room, he had left word that any friend of du Tillet was to be admitted. Birotteau trembled with hope as he noticed the change which the baron's order had wrought in the hitherto insolent manner of the footman.

"Pardon me, my tear," said the baron to his wife, in a strong German accent, as he rose and nodded to Birotteau, "monsieur is a good royalist, and der intimate frient of tu Tillet. Bezides, monsieur is debudy-mayor of der zecond arrondissement, and gifs palls of Aziatigue magnifissence; so vill you mak his acquentence mit blaysure."

"I should be delighted to take lessons from Madame Birotteau, for Ferdinand--"

"She calls him Ferdinand!" thought Cesar.

"--spoke of the ball with great admiration, which is all the more valuable because he usually admires nothing. Ferdinand is a harsh critic; in his eyes everything ought to be perfect. Shall you soon give another ball?" she inquired affably.

"Madame, poor people, such as we are, seldom have many amusements of that kind," said the perfumer, not knowing whether she meant to ridicule him, or was merely paying an empty compliment.

"Monsieur Grindot suberintented der resdoration of your abbartement, I

zink?" said the baron.

"Ah, Grindot! that nice little architect who has just returned from Rome," said Delphine de Nucingen. "I dote on him; he makes delicious drawings in my album."

No culprit enduring the torments of hell in Venetian dungeons ever suffered more from the torture of the boot than Birotteau did, standing there in his ordinary clothes. He felt a sneer in every word.

"Vill you gif oder little palls?" said the banker, with a searching look at the perfumer. "You see all der vorld ist inderesded."

"Will Monsieur Birotteau breakfast with us, without ceremony?" said Delphine, motioning towards the table which was sumptuously served.

"Madame la baronne, I came on business, and I am--"

"Yes, matame, vill you bermit us to speak of business?"

Delphine made a little sign of assent, saying to her husband, "Are you going to buy perfumery?" The baron shrugged his shoulders and turned to Cesar, who trembled with anxiety.

"Tu Tillet takes der graadest inderest in you," he said.

"At last," thought the poor man, "we are coming to the point."

"His ledder gif you in my house a creydit vich is only limided by der limids of my privade fortune."

The exhilarating balm infused into the water offered by the angel to Hagar in the desert, must have been the same cordial which flowed through Cesar's veins as he listened to these words. The wily banker retained the horrible pronunciation of the German Jews,--possibly that he might be able to deny promises actually given, but only half-

understood.

"You shall haf a running aggont. Ve vill broceed in dis vay--" said this great and good and venerable financier, with Alsatian good-humor.

Birotteau doubted no longer; he was a merchant, and new very well that those who have no intention of rendering a service never enter into the details of executing it.

"I neet not tell you dat der Bank demands of all, graat and small alaike, dree zignatures. So denn, you traw a cheque to die order of our frient tu Tillet, and I vill sent it, same tay, to der Bank mit mein zignature; so shall you haf, at four o'clock, der amount of die cheque you trew in der morning; and at der costs of die Bank. I vill not receif a commission, no! I vill haf only der blaysure to be agreeaple to you. But I mak one condeetion," he added, laying his left finger lightly on his nose with an inimitably sly gesture.

"Monsieur le baron, it is granted on the sport," said Birotteau, who thought it concerned some tithe to be levied on his profits.

"A condeetion to vich I attache der graatest imbortance, because I

vish Matame de Nucingen should receif, as she say, zom lessons from Matame Pirodot."

"Monsieur le baron! pray do not laugh at me, I entreat you."

"Monsieur Pirodot," said the financier, with a serious air, "it is deen agreet; you vill invite us to your nex pall? My vife is shalous;

she vish to see your abbartement, of vich she hear so mooch."

"Monsieur le baron!--"

"Oh! if you reffuse me, no creydit! Yes, I know der Prayfic of die Seine was at your las pall."

"Monsieur le baron!--"

"You had Pillartiere, shentelman of der betchamber; goot royalist like you, who vas vounded at Zaint-Roqque--"

同类推荐
  • 圆峤内篇

    圆峤内篇

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
  • 华亭百咏

    华亭百咏

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
  • 禅林疏语考证

    禅林疏语考证

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
  • 洞真太上上皇民籍定真玉箓

    洞真太上上皇民籍定真玉箓

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
  • 易图通变

    易图通变

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
热门推荐
  • 庄子翼附录

    庄子翼附录

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
  • 驭兽王妃可定国

    驭兽王妃可定国

    他逃婚,被人追杀,逃进了密林,她一个初级驭兽师,刚出山就误跌入山崖,他和她好的坏的都一起经历了,她保护了着他,两人火花四溅。他讽刺的说:“一个女人连饭都不会做,你还不如在这棵歪脖子树上吊死呢。”她火冒三丈,一脚差一点要了他的小命。报复还是爱上了他,沉默片刻,她不得不承认,她真的爱上了这个闲人王爷。人人都羡慕的皇后位置,不知烧了几辈子高香,她却不想要。这是一个恨生爱,危机四伏,最后终于修成宠婚的故事。
  • 太上老君说长生益算妙经

    太上老君说长生益算妙经

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
  • 追妻无门:女boss不好惹

    追妻无门:女boss不好惹

    青涩蜕变,如今她是能独当一面的女boss,爱了冷泽聿七年,也同样花了七年时间去忘记他。以为是陌路,他突然向他表白,扬言要娶她,她只当他是脑子抽风,他的殷勤她也全都无视。他帮她查她父母的死因,赶走身边情敌,解释当初拒绝她的告别,和故意对她冷漠都是无奈之举。突然爆出她父母的死居然和冷家有丝毫联系,还莫名跳出个公爵未婚夫,扬言要与她履行婚约。峰回路转,破镜还能重圆吗? PS:我又开新文了,每逢假期必书荒,新文《有你的世界遇到爱》,喜欢我的文的朋友可以来看看,这是重生类现言,对这个题材感兴趣的一定要收藏起来。
  • 追妻无门:女boss不好惹

    追妻无门:女boss不好惹

    青涩蜕变,如今她是能独当一面的女boss,爱了冷泽聿七年,也同样花了七年时间去忘记他。以为是陌路,他突然向他表白,扬言要娶她,她只当他是脑子抽风,他的殷勤她也全都无视。他帮她查她父母的死因,赶走身边情敌,解释当初拒绝她的告别,和故意对她冷漠都是无奈之举。突然爆出她父母的死居然和冷家有丝毫联系,还莫名跳出个公爵未婚夫,扬言要与她履行婚约。峰回路转,破镜还能重圆吗? PS:我又开新文了,每逢假期必书荒,新文《有你的世界遇到爱》,喜欢我的文的朋友可以来看看,这是重生类现言,对这个题材感兴趣的一定要收藏起来。
  • 应该懂点潜规则

    应该懂点潜规则

    “生活中有很多潜规则,掌握了这些,就能在工作学习以及人际交往上游刃有余,否则,总会不可避免地遇到各种难以言说的问题。本书以现实中的真实案例为切入点,讲述了人性、人际、说话、职场、经商、合作、销售、婚恋以及态度等方面所涉及到的诸多潜规则,让读者从轻松的阅读中就能明白其中的道理。懂得了潜规则,生活中就能少了很多阻碍;懂得了潜规则,人生之路会更顺利。”
  • 暗暗情生

    暗暗情生

    前世她一心训练,做任务。不了解人心险恶,以为渣男真心待她,却被渣男毒害。临死前方知一切都是假的,她才明白她的心给了谁。一朝穿越,现代的搏斗,古代的武功合二为一。冷漠的性子,坚定的心,却在看见他俊颜的那一刻全部瓦解。倾心助他!不管你是不是他,今生只为你!――穆灵雪
  • 最牛的外挂系统

    最牛的外挂系统

    最牛逼的外挂,最厉害的主角,最帅的操作,最好看的书,让我们一起玩转万界。
  • 我站在这里微笑看向旧时的你

    我站在这里微笑看向旧时的你

    千字小故事,有源自初入社会刚上班挤公交时的小灵感~有对好朋友的回忆~对爱情的思考以及漫漫长夜睡不着时无穷尽的天马行空~
  • 拜金女仆的邪恶少爷

    拜金女仆的邪恶少爷

    第一次见面:他给了她一个大大的见面礼:一汪水花……第二次见面:她华丽丽的倒在了他的怀里,接住了,然后扔给了助理……第三次见面:他成了她的顶头上司,见面礼,你做我女仆……从此她的噩梦开始了……