Le temps est un grand maigre
Illusions perdues“Le temps est un grand maigre” is a saying invoked by Étienne Lousteau as he urges Lucien to act on a narrow window of opportunity. Lousteau extends its image to chance itself: for people in their profession, chance is just as scarce, so it must be tempted rather than left to arrive on its own.
Image and Meaning
The expression turns an abstraction into a lean, almost bodily figure. Its suggestion is not simply that time passes, but that it is meagre: there is little to spare. Lousteau’s extension shifts the emphasis from time’s scarcity to the conduct that scarcity demands—one must make an attempt while the opening is there.
The Advice in Context
Lousteau recalls that Minette of the Théâtre du Vaudeville used the saying, then applies its logic to the evening ahead. It is six o’clock, and the first performance at the Panorama-Dramatique is due to begin at eight. He tells Lucien to put on his best clothes, bring his manuscript, and meet him; they will first visit Dauriat, then attend the performance and later supper with friends, including Finot.
Narrative Function
The saying gathers Lousteau’s practical counsel into a compact image. Lucien has just responded to the difficulties before him by declaring that he will triumph; Lousteau answers not with reassurance but with a program of immediate action—dress appropriately, carry the manuscript, meet publishers and journalists, and enter the evening’s social and professional circuit. Lucien says he will never forget the day, giving the advice the weight of a turning point: ambition is to be tested by taking chances, not merely proclaimed.
