A Sentimental Education: The story of a Young Man (Oxford World's Classics) by Flaubert Gustave

Author:Flaubert, Gustave [Flaubert, Gustave]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Oxford University Press, USA
Published: 2016-07-15T00:00:00+00:00

CHAPTER V

When he left Frédéric, Deslauriers had taken away with him a copy of the document giving him power of attorney but after making his way up his five flights of stairs, sitting in his leather chair, all alone in the middle of his dismal office, the sight of the official paper filled him with nausea.

He was fed up with it all, with his six-franc meal tickets, with catching buses, with his wretched poverty and his struggles. Picking up some of the papers gathering dust on his desk, he noticed some others lying beside them: the prospectuses of the coal-mining company, listing the mines with details of their reserves, which Frédéric had left with him for his opinion.

A thought struck him: why not go round to Monsieur Dambreuse and ask for the job of company secretary? He’d be required to purchase a certain number of shares, of course. Realizing the folly of his scheme, he said to himself:

‘No, it wouldn’t be right!’

He started to think of ways to recover the fifteen thousand francs. Such a sum was a flea-bite for Frédéric! But what an edge it would have given him! The thought of Frédéric’s money made him angry.

‘It’s pitiful to see how he spends it! He’s completely selfish. Oh, to hell with his fifteen thousand!’

Why had he lent them? Because he was soft on Madame Arnoux! She was his mistress, there was no doubt about that. ‘That’s another thing money’s useful for!’ A wave of resentment swept over him.

Then he thought about Frédéric himself. He’d always had a sort of feminine appeal for him and it wasn’t long before he found himself admiring him for having brought off a conquest which he recognized as being beyond his own powers.

But wasn’t determination the chief factor in any undertaking? And since with determination you can achieve anything . . .

‘Ah, that really would be fun!’

All the same, a dirty trick like that made him feel ashamed. Then, a moment later:

‘Damn it all, what is there to be scared of?’

Through hearing so much about Madame Arnoux, he had finally created an extraordinary image of her in his mind. Such undeviating devotion had become a sort of irritating problem for him and its rather theatrical earnestness had grown tiresome. Moreover, the society woman (or one whom he thought of as such) was in his eyes a dazzling symbol, the epitome of a thousand and one arcane delights. Being poor himself, he had a yearning for luxury in its most conspicuous form.

‘After all, why worry if she does get annoyed? He’s behaved far too badly towards me for me to bother about him? There’s no proof she’s his mistress! He’s denied it himself! So I’m free to do what I want!’

He was obsessed by the desire to try his luck; it would be a trial of strength which he looked forward to; so, suddenly, one day he polished his boots himself, bought himself some white gloves and set out, putting himself into his friend’s place,

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