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Two Poets-Part17_Honore de Balzac(1799-1850)_Translated Works(翻译文学)-第2页

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silent as we came through L'Houmeau. Do you know, I felt quite



uncomfortable----"

"You looked so beautiful, that I could not say anything," David



answered candidly.

"Then, just now I am not so beautiful?" inquired she.



"It is not that," he said; "but I was so happy to have this walk alone

with you, that----" he stopped short in confusion, and looked at the



hillside and the road to Saintes.

"If the walk is any pleasure to you, I am delighted; for I owe you an



evening, I think, when you have given up yours for me. When you

refused to go to Mme. de Bargeton's, you were quite as generous as



Lucien when he made the demand at the risk of vexing her."

"No, not generous, only wise," said David. "And now that we are quite



alone under the sky, with no listeners except the bushes and the reeds

by the edge of the Charente, let me tell you about my anxiety as to



Lucien's present step, dear Eve. After all that I have just said, I

hope that you will look on my fears as a refinement of friendship. You



and your mother have done all that you could to put him above his

social position; but when you stimulated his ambition, did you not



unthinkingly condemn him to a hard struggle? How can he maintain

himself in the society to which his tastes incline him? I know Lucien;



he likes to reap, he does not like toil; it is his nature. Social

claims will take up the whole of his time, and for a man who has



nothing but his brains, time is capital. He likes to shine; society

will stimulate his desires until no money will satisfy them; instead



of earning money, he will spend it. You have accustomed him to believe

in his great powers, in fact, but the world at large declines to



believe in any man's superior intellect until he has achieved some

signal success. Now success in literature is only won in solitude and



by dogged work. What will Mme. de Bargeton give your brother in return

for so many days spent at her feet? Lucien has too much spirit to



accept help from her; and he cannot afford, as we know, to cultivate

her society, twice ruinous as it is for him. Sooner or later that



woman will throw over this dear brother of ours, but not before she

has spoiled him for hard work, and given him a taste for luxury and a



contempt for our humdrum life. She will develop his love of enjoyment,

his inclination for idleness, that debauches a poetic soul. Yes, it



makes me tremble to think that this great lady may make a plaything of

Lucien. If she cares for him sincerely, he will forget everything else



for her; or if she does not love him, she will make him unhappy, for

he is wild about her."



"You have sent a chill of dread through my heart," said Eve, stopping

as they reached the weir. "But so long as mother is strong enough for



her tiring life, so long as I live, we shall earn enough, perhaps,

between us to keep Lucien until success comes. My courage will never



fail," said Eve, brightening. "There is no hardship in work when we

work for one we love; it is not drudgery. It makes me happy to think



that I toil so much, if indeed it is toil, for him. Oh, do not be in

the least afraid, we will earn money enough to send Lucien into the



great world. There lies his road to success."

"And there lies his road to ruin," returned David. "Dear Eve, listen



to me. A man needs an independent fortune, or the sublime cynicism of

poverty, for the slow execution of great work. Believe me, Lucien's



horror of privation is so great, the savor of banquets, the incense of

success is so sweet in his nostrils, his self-love has grown so much



in Mme. de Bargeton's boudoir, that he will do anything desperate

sooner than fall back, and you will never earn enough for his



requirements.

"Then you are only a false friend to him!" Eve cried in despair, "or



you would not discourage us in this way."

"Eve! Eve!" cried David, "if only I could be a brother to Lucien! You



alone can give me that title; he could accept anything from me then; I

should claim the right of devoting my life to him with the love that



hallows your self-sacrifice, but with some worldlywisdom too. Eve, my

darling, give Lucien a store from which he need not blush to draw! His



brother's purse will be like his own, will it not? If you only knew

all my thoughts about Lucien's position! If he means to go to Mme. de






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