the house of Taillefer and Company, formerly Purveyor of

Commissary-meats, in his lifetime chevalier of the Legion of



honor, and of the Golden Spur, captain of the first company of the

Grenadiers of the National Guard of Paris, deceased, May 1st, at



his residence, rue Joubert; which will take place at, etc., etc.

"On the part of, etc."



"Now, what am I do to?" I continued; "I will put the question before

you in a broad way. There is undoubtedly a sea of blood in



Mademoiselle Taillefer's estates; her inheritance from her father is a

vast Aceldama. I know that. BUT Prosper Magnan left no heirs; BUT,



again, I have been unable to discover the family of the merchant who

was murdered at Andernach. To whom therefore can I restore that



fortune? And ought it to be whollyrestored? Have I the right to

betray a secret surprised by me,--to add a murdered head to the dowry



of an innocent girl, to give her for the rest of her life bad dreams,

to deprive her of all her illusions, and say, 'Your gold is stained



with blood'? I have borrowed the 'Dictionary of Cases of Conscience'

from an old ecclesiastic, but I can find nothing there to solve my



doubts. Shall I found pious masses for the repose of the souls of

Prosper Magnan, Wahlenfer, and Taillefer? Here we are in the middle of



the nineteenth century! Shall I build a hospital, or institute a prize

for virtue? A prize for virtue would be given to scoundrels; and as



for hospitals, they seem to me to have become in these days the

protectors of vice. Besides, such charitable actions, more or less



profitable to vanity, do they constitutereparation?--and to whom do I

owe reparation? But I love; I love passionately. My love is my life.



If I, without apparentmotive, suggest to a young girl accustomed to

luxury, to elegance, to a life fruitful of all enjoyments of art, a



young girl who loves to idly listen at the opera to Rossini's music,--

if to her I should propose that she deprive herself of fifteen hundred



thousand francs in favor of broken-down old men, or scrofulous

paupers, she would turn her back on me and laugh, or her confidential



friend would tell her that I'm a crazy jester. If in an ecstasy of

love, I should paint to her the charms of a modest life, and a little



home on the banks of the Loire; if I were to ask her to sacrifice her

Parisian life on the altar of our love, it would be, in the first



place, a virtuous lie; in the next, I might only be opening the way to

some painful experience; I might lose the heart of a girl who loves



society, and balls, and personal adornment, and ME for the time being.

Some slim and jaunty officer, with a well-frizzed moustache, who can



play the piano, quote Lord Byron, and ride a horse elegantly, may get

her away from me. What shall I do? For Heaven's sake, give me some



advice!"

The honest man, that species of puritan not unlike the father of



Jeannie Deans, of whom I have already told you, and who, up to the

present moment hadn't uttered a word, shrugged his shoulders, as he



looked at me and said:--

"Idiot! why did you ask him if he came from Beauvais?"



ADDENDUM

The following personages appear in other stories of the Human Comedy.



Taillefer, Jean-Frederic

The Firm of Nucingen



Father Goriot

The Magic Skin



Taillefer, Victorine

Father Goriot



End

• dreadfully [dredfuli] ad.可怕地；糟透地 (初中英语单词)


• mistress [´mistris] n.女主人；情妇；女能手 (初中英语单词)


• downstairs [,daun´steəz] ad.在楼下 a.楼下的 (初中英语单词)


• carriage [´kæridʒ] n.马车；客车；货运 (初中英语单词)


• criminal [´kriminəl] a.犯罪的 n.罪犯 (初中英语单词)


• passion [´pæʃən] n.激情；激怒；恋爱 (初中英语单词)


• intelligent [in´telidʒənt] a.聪明的；理智的 (初中英语单词)


• talent [´tælənt] n.天才；才干；天资 (初中英语单词)


• violence [´vaiələns] n.猛烈；暴力(行) (初中英语单词)


• obtain [əb´tein] v.获得；买到；得到承认 (初中英语单词)


• complicated [´kɔmplikeitid] a.结构复杂的；难懂的 (初中英语单词)


• therefore [´ðeəfɔ:] ad.&conj.因此；所以 (初中英语单词)


• minister [´ministə] n.部长；大臣 v.伺候 (初中英语单词)


• statesman [´steitsmən] n.政治家，国务活动家 (初中英语单词)


• priest [pri:st] n.教士；牧师；神父 (初中英语单词)


• account [ə´kaunt] vi.说明 vt.认为 n.帐目 (初中英语单词)


• lawyer [´lɔ:jə] n.律师；法学家 (初中英语单词)


• capitalist [´kæpitəlist] a.资本主义的n.资本家 (初中英语单词)


• monsieur [mə´sjə:] n.先生 (初中英语单词)


• origin [´ɔridʒin] n.起源；由来；出身 (初中英语单词)


• conscience [´kɔnʃəns] n.良心；道德心 (初中英语单词)


• firmly [´fə:mli] ad.坚固地，稳定地 (初中英语单词)


• discussion [di´skʌʃən] n.讨论；辩论 (初中英语单词)


• assembly [ə´sembli] n.集会；装配；与会者 (初中英语单词)


• election [i´lekʃən] n.选举；选择 (初中英语单词)


• incident [´insidənt] n.小事件；事变 (初中英语单词)


• normal [´nɔ:məl] a.正规的 n.正常状态 (初中英语单词)


• sentiment [´sentimənt] n.情绪；多愁善感 (初中英语单词)


• forbid [fə´bid] vt.禁止，不许，阻止 (初中英语单词)


• spoken [´spəukən] speak的过去分词 (初中英语单词)


• plainly [´pleinli] ad.平坦地；简单地 (初中英语单词)


• invitation [,invi´teiʃən] n.邀请；请帖；吸引 (初中英语单词)


• funeral [´fju:nərəl] n.葬礼，丧葬；困难 (初中英语单词)


• procession [prə´seʃən] n.队伍 v.列队行进 (初中英语单词)


• formerly [´fɔ:məli] ad.从前，以前 (初中英语单词)


• residence [´rezidəns] n.居住(期间)；住宅 (初中英语单词)


• undoubtedly [ʌn´dautidli] ad.无疑地，确实地 (初中英语单词)


• unable [ʌn´eibəl] a.不能的；无能为力的 (初中英语单词)


• restore [ri´stɔ:] vt.(使)恢复；修复 (初中英语单词)


• wholly [´həul-li] ad.完全，十足；统统 (初中英语单词)


• innocent [´inəsənt] a.无罪的；单纯的 (初中英语单词)


• institute [´institju:t] n.学院 vt.建立；设置 (初中英语单词)


• virtue [´və:tʃu:] n.美德；贞操；长处 (初中英语单词)


• vanity [´væniti] n.虚荣；自负；空虚 (初中英语单词)


• constitute [´kɔnstitju:t] vt.组成；构成；指定 (初中英语单词)


• apparent [ə´pærənt] a.显然的；表面上的 (初中英语单词)


• motive [´məutiv] n.动机；主题 a.运动的 (初中英语单词)


• modest [´mɔdist] a.谦虚的；朴素的 (初中英语单词)


• opening [´əupəniŋ] n.开放；开端 a.开始的 (初中英语单词)


• unlike [,ʌn´laik] a.不同的 prep.不象… (初中英语单词)


• stifle [´staifəl] vt.(使)窒息，闷死 (高中英语单词)


• precisely [pri´saisli] ad.精确地；刻板地 (高中英语单词)


• seeing [si:iŋ] see的现在分词 n.视觉 (高中英语单词)


• legitimate [li´dʒitimit] a.合法的 vt.使合法 (高中英语单词)


• misfortune [mis´fɔ:tʃən] n.不幸；灾祸 (高中英语单词)


• assumption [ə´sʌmpʃən] n.掌握；担任；假定 (高中英语单词)


• melancholy [´melənkəli] n.忧郁 a.忧郁的 (高中英语单词)


• delicacy [´delikəsi] n.精美；娇弱，微妙 (高中英语单词)


• embassy [´embəsi] n.大使馆；大使职务 (高中英语单词)


• puritan [´pjuəritən] n.&a.清教徒(的) (高中英语单词)


• guardian [´gɑ:diən] n.监护人；保护人 (高中英语单词)


• related [ri´leitid] a.叙述的；有联系的 (高中英语单词)


• profound [prə´faund] a.深奥的；渊博的 (高中英语单词)


• stubborn [´stʌbən] a.顽固的；坚持的 (高中英语单词)


• gospel [´gɔspəl] n.福音；信条；真理 (高中英语单词)


• consequently [´kɔnsikwəntli] ad.因此，所以 (高中英语单词)


• chamber [´tʃeimbə] n.房间；议院；会议室 (高中英语单词)


• intellectual [,inti´lektʃuəl] n.知识分子 (高中英语单词)


• prompt [prɔmpt] a.敏捷的 vt.促使 (高中英语单词)


• inward [´inwəd] a.向内的；心灵上的 (高中英语单词)


• fugitive [´fju:dʒitiv] n.逃亡者，亡命者 (高中英语单词)


• symbol [´simbəl] n.符号；象征 (高中英语单词)


• sanction [´sæŋkʃən] n.&vt.批准；认可 (高中英语单词)


• lifetime [´laiftaim] n.一生，终生，寿命 (高中英语单词)


• legion [´li:dʒən] n.军团；大批 (高中英语单词)


• inheritance [in´heritəns] n.继承(物)；遗传；遗产 (高中英语单词)


• prosper [´prɔspə] v.(使…)繁荣(成功) (高中英语单词)


• deprive [di´praiv] vt.剥夺，使丧失 (高中英语单词)


• repose [ri´pəuz] v.&n.(使)休息；安息 (高中英语单词)


• fruitful [´fru:tfəl] a.成功的；丰富的 (高中英语单词)


• ecstasy [´ekstəsi] n.狂喜；出神，入迷 (高中英语单词)


• painful [´peinfəl] a.痛(苦)的；费力的 (高中英语单词)


• species [´spi:ʃi:z] n.(生物的)种，类 (高中英语单词)


• staircase [´steəkeis] n.楼梯 =stairway (英语四级单词)


• forbade [fə´beid] forbid的过去式 (英语四级单词)


• renounce [ri´nauns] v.拒绝 n.放弃权力 (英语四级单词)


• gentleness [´dʒentlnis] n.温和，温柔 (英语四级单词)


• resolved [ri´zɔlvd] a.决心的；坚定的 (英语四级单词)


• tribunal [trai´bju:nəl] n.(特种)法庭，审判员 (英语四级单词)


• verdict [´və:dikt] n.裁决，判决；判定 (英语四级单词)


• enlighten [in´laitn] vt.启发，开导 (英语四级单词)


• morality [mə´ræliti] n.道德；教训；伦理学 (英语四级单词)


• charitable [´tʃæritəbəl] a.仁爱的；慈善的 (英语四级单词)


• reparation [,repə´reiʃən] n.补偿；补救 (英语四级单词)


• passionately [´pæʃənitli] ad.多情地；热烈地 (英语四级单词)


• virtuous [´və:tjuəs] a.道德的；善良的 (英语四级单词)


• mademoiselle [,mædəmə´zel] n.小姐；法国女教师 (英语六级单词)


• footman [´futmən] n.侍应员；男仆 (英语六级单词)


• weeping [´wi:piŋ] a.&n.哭泣(的) (英语六级单词)


• decency [´di:sənsi] n.正派；体面 (英语六级单词)


• untold [,ʌn´təuld] a.没有说到的；无数的 (英语六级单词)


• mishap [´mishæp] n.不幸；灾祸 (英语六级单词)


• speaking [´spi:kiŋ] n.说话 a.发言的 (英语六级单词)


• pitiless [´pitiləs] a.无怜悯心的；无情的 (英语六级单词)


• vividly [´vividli] ad.活泼地；生动地 (英语六级单词)


• spontaneous [spɔn´teiniəs] a.自发的；自然的 (英语六级单词)


• cowardice [´kauədis] n.懦弱，胆怯 (英语六级单词)


• elegance [´eligəns] n.优雅；优美；精美 (英语六级单词)


• jester [´dʒestə] n.爱开玩笑的人 (英语六级单词)