Luxury - Gluttony: Two of the Seven Cardinal Sins. Эжен Сю

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СКАЧАТЬ to the most painful humiliations, the most insolent domination, and the most outrageous contempt. Thus, bitter and implacable hatreds were massed together in his soul, and the day when, in his turn, he became powerful, he abandoned himself without scruple and without remorse to the fierce joy of reprisal, and it gave him little concern if his revenge fell upon an innocent head.

      The archduke, instead of a superior mind, possessed a long, practical acquaintance with men, acquired in the exercise of supreme authority in the military hierarchy of his country; besides, in his second interview with M. Pascal, — at which interview we have assisted, — he had understood the significance of the studied insolence of this person, and when, as he entered his study with him, he saw him, without invitation, seat himself familiarly in the armchair just occupied by a prime minister, whom he found full of courtesy and deference, the prince felt a new and cruel oppression of the heart.

      The penetrating glance of Pascal surprised the expression of this feeling on the face of the archduke, and he said to himself, with triumphant disdain: "Here is a prince born on the steps of a throne, a cousin, at least, of all the kings of Europe, a generalissimo of an army of a hundred thousand soldiers, here he is in all the glory of his battle uniform, adorned with all the insignia of honour and war. This highness, this man, despises me in his pride of a sovereign race. He hates me because he has need of me, and knows well that he must humiliate himself; nevertheless, this man, in spite of his contempt, in spite of his hatred, I hold in my power, and I intend to make him feel it keenly, for to-day my heart is steeped in gall."

      CHAPTER III

      M. Pascal, having seated himself in the gilded armchair on the side of the table opposite the prince, first seized a mother-of-pearl paper-cutter that he found under his hand, and, whirling it incessantly, said:

      "Monseigneur, if it is agreeable to you, let us talk of business, for at a certain hour I must be in the Faubourg St. Marceau, at the house of a manufacturer, who is one of my friends."

      "I wish to inform you, monsieur," replied the prince, restraining himself with difficulty, "that I have already postponed until to-morrow other audiences that should have taken place to-day, that I might devote all my time to you."

      "That is very kind of you, monseigneur, but let us come to the point."

      The prince took up from the table a long sheet of official paper, and, handing it to M. Pascal, said to him:

      "This note will prove to you, monsieur, that all the parties interested in the transfer that is proposed to me not only authorise me formally to accept it, but willingly offer their pledges, and even protect all the accidents of my acceptance."

      M. Pascal, without moving from his armchair, extended his hand from one side of the table to the other, to receive the note, and, taking it, said:

      "There was absolutely nothing to be done without this security."

      And he began to read slowly, nibbling the while the mother-of-pearl knife, which he did not surrender for a moment.

      The prince fixed an anxious, penetrating glance on Pascal, trying to divine, from the expression of his face, if his visitor had confidence in the security offered.

      At the end of a few moments, M. Pascal discontinued his reading, saying between his teeth, with an offended air, as if he were talking to himself:

      "Ho! ho! This Article 7 does not suit me at all, — not at all!"

      "Explain yourself, monsieur," said the prince, seriously annoyed.

      "However," continued M. Pascal, taking up his reading again, without replying to the archduke, and pretending to be talking to himself, "this Article 7 is corrected by Article 8, — yes, — and, in fact, it is quite good, — it is very good."

      The countenance of the prince seemed to brighten, for, earnestly occupied with the powerful interests of which M. Pascal had necessarily become the umpire, he forgot the impertinence and calculated wickedness of this man, who found a savage delight in making his victim pass through all the perplexities of fear and hope.

      At the end of a few moments, each one of which brought new anxiety to the prince, M. Pascal exclaimed:

      "Impossible, that! impossible! For me everything would be annulled by this first supplementary article. It is a mockery!"

      "Monsieur," cried the prince, "speak more clearly!"

      "Pardon me, monseigneur, at that moment I was reading to myself. Well and good, if you wish, I will read for both of us."

      The archduke bowed his head, turned red with suppressed indignation, appeared discouraged, and leaned his head on his hand.

      M. Pascal, continuing his perusal of the paper, threw a glance by stealth at the prince, and replied after a few moments, in a more satisfied tone:

      "This is a sure, incontestable security."

      Then, as the prince seemed to regain hope, he added:

      "Unfortunately, this security is apart from — "

      He did not finish, but continued his reading in silence.

      Never a solicitor in distress imploring a haughty and unfeeling protector, never a despairing borrower humbly addressing a dishonest and whimsical usurer, never accused seeking to read his pardon or condemnation in the countenance of his judge, experienced the torture felt by the prince while M. Pascal was reading the note which he had examined and which he now laid on the table.

      "Well, monsieur," said the prince, swallowing his impatience, "what do you decide?"

      "Monseigneur, will you have the kindness to lend me a pen and some paper?"

      The prince pushed an inkstand, a pen, and some paper before M. Pascal, who began a long series of figures, sometimes lifting his eyes to the ceiling, as if to make a calculation in his head, sometimes muttering incomplete sentences, such as —

      "No — I am mistaken because — but I was about to forget — it is evident — the balance will be equal if — "

      After long expectation on the part of the prince, M. Pascal threw the pen down on the table, plunged both hands in the pockets of his trousers, threw his head back, and shut his eyes, as if making a last mental calculation, then, holding his head up, said in a short, peremptory voice:

      "Impossible, monseigneur."

      "What, monsieur!" cried the prince, dismayed. "You assured me in our first interview that the operation was practicable."

      "Practicable, monseigneur, but not accomplished."

      "But this note, monsieur, this note, joined to the securities I have offered you?"

      "This note completes, I know, the securities indispensable to such an operation."

      "Then, monsieur, how do you account for your refusal?"

      "For particular reasons, monseigneur."

      "But, I ask again, do I not offer all the security desirable?"

      "Yes, СКАЧАТЬ