Page 1836 - les-miserables

I met a pretty girl of my acquaintance, who is as beauti-
ful as the spring, worthy to be called Floreal, and who is
delighted, enraptured, as happy as the angels, because a
wretch yesterday, a frightful banker all spotted with small-
pox, deigned to take a fancy to her! Alas! woman keeps on
the watch for a protector as much as for a lover; cats chase
mice as well as birds. Two months ago that young woman
was virtuous in an attic, she adjusted little brass rings in
the eyelet-holes of corsets, what do you call it? She sewed,
she had a camp bed, she dwelt beside a pot of flowers, she
was contented. Now here she is a bankeress. This transfor-
mation took place last night. I met the victim this morning
in high spirits. The hideous point about it is, that the jade is
as pretty to-day as she was yesterday. Her financier did not
show in her face. Roses have this advantage or disadvantage
over women, that the traces left upon them by caterpillars
are visible. Ah! there is no morality on earth. I call to wit-
ness the myrtle, the symbol of love, the laurel, the symbol
of air, the olive, that ninny, the symbol of peace, the apple-
tree which came nearest rangling Adam with its pips, and
the fig-tree, the grandfather of petticoats. As for right, do
you know what right is? The Gauls covet Clusium, Rome
protects Clusium, and demands what wrong Clusium has
done to them. Brennus answers: ‘The wrong that Alba did to
you, the wrong that Fidenae did to you, the wrong that the
Eques, the Volsci, and the Sabines have done to you. They
were your neighbors. The Clusians are ours. We understand
neighborliness just as you do. You have stolen Alba, we
shall take Clusium.’ Rome said: ‘You shall not take Clusi-

1836 Les Miserables