eugenie grandet(欧也妮·葛朗台)-第18节

按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！


motion　which　revealed　to　an　observer　the　teeming　thoughts　of　her
meditation。　The　first　desire　of　the　girl's　heart　was　to　share　her
cousin's　mourning。

VI
About　four　o'clock　an　abrupt　knock　at　the　door　struck　sharply　on　the
heart　of　Madame　Grandet。
〃What　can　have　happened　to　your　father？〃　she　said　to　her　daughter。
Grandet　entered　joyously。　After　taking　off　his　gloves；　he　rubbed　his
hands　hard　enough　to　take　off　their　skin　as　well；　if　his　epidermis　had
not　been　tanned　and　cured　like　Russia　leather；saving；　of　course；　the
perfume　of　larch…trees　and　incense。　Presently　his　secret　escaped　him。
〃Wife；〃　he　said；　without　stuttering；　〃I've　trapped　them　all！　Our　wine
is　sold！　The　Dutch　and　the　Belgians　have　gone。　I　walked　about　the
market…place　in　front　of　their　inn；　pretending　to　be　doing　nothing。
That　Belgian　fellowyou　know　who　I　meancame　up　to　me。　The　owners　of
all　the　good　vineyards　have　kept　back　their　vintages；　intending　to
wait；　well；　I　didn't　hinder　them。　The　Belgian　was　in　despair；　I　saw
that。　In　a　minute　the　bargain　was　made。　He　takes　my　vintage　at　two
hundred　francs　the　puncheon；　half　down。　He　paid　me　in　gold；　the　notes
are　drawn。　Here　are　six　louis　for　you。　In　three　months　wines　will　have
fallen。〃
These　words；　uttered　in　a　quiet　tone　of　voice；　were　nevertheless　so
bitterly　sarcastic　that　the　inhabitants　of　Saumur；　grouped　at　this
moment　in　the　market…place　and　overwhelmed　by　the　news　of　the　sale
Grandet　had　just　effected；　would　have　shuddered　had　they　heard　them。
Their　panic　would　have　brought　the　price　of　wines　down　fifty　per　cent
at　once。
〃Did　you　have　a　thousand　puncheons　this　year；　father？〃
〃Yes；　little　one。〃
That　term　applied　to　his　daughter　was　the　superlative　expression　of
the　old　miser's　joy。
〃Then　that　makes　two　hundred　thousand　pieces　of　twenty　sous　each？〃
〃Yes；　Mademoiselle　Grandet。〃
〃Then；　father；　you　can　easily　help　Charles。〃
The　amazement；　the　anger；　the　stupefaction　of　Belshazzar　when　he　saw
the　/Mene…Tekel…Upharsin/　before　his　eyes　is　not　to　be　compared　with
the　cold　rage　of　Grandet；　who；　having　forgotten　his　nephew；　now　found
him　enshrined　in　the　heart　and　calculations　of　his　daughter。
〃What's　this？　Ever　since　that　dandy　put　foot　in　MY　house　everything
goes　wrong！　You　behave　as　if　you　had　the　right　to　buy　sugar…plums　and
make　feasts　and　weddings。　I　won't　have　that　sort　of　thing。　I　hope　I
know　my　duty　at　my　time　of　life！　I　certainly　sha'n't　take　lessons　from
my　daughter；　or　from　anybody　else。　I　shall　do　for　my　nephew　what　it　is
proper　to　do；　and　you　have　no　need　to　poke　your　nose　into　it。　As　for
you；　Eugenie；〃　he　added；　facing　her；　〃don't　speak　of　this　again；　or
I'll　send　you　to　the　Abbaye　des　Noyers　with　Nanon；　see　if　I　don't；　and
no　later　than　to…morrow　either；　if　you　disobey　me！　Where　is　that
fellow；　has　he　come　down　yet？〃
〃No；　my　friend；〃　answered　Madame　Grandet。
〃What　is　he　doing　then？〃
〃He　is　weeping　for　his　father；〃　said　Eugenie。
Grandet　looked　at　his　daughter　without　finding　a　word　to　say；　after
all；　he　was　a　father。　He　made　a　couple　of　turns　up　and　down　the　room；
and　then　went　hurriedly　to　his　secret　den　to　think　over　an　investment
he　was　meditating　in　the　public　Funds。　The　thinning　out　of　his　two
thousand　acres　of　forest　land　had　yielded　him　six　hundred　thousand
francs：　putting　this　sum　to　that　derived　from　the　sale　of　his　poplars
and　to　his　other　gains　for　the　last　year　and　for　the　current　year；　he
had　amassed　a　total　of　nine　hundred　thousand　francs；　without　counting
the　two　hundred　thousand　he　had　got　by　the　sale　just　concluded。　The
twenty　per　cent　which　Cruchot　assured　him　would　gain　in　a　short　time
from　the　Funds；　then　quoted　at　seventy；　tempted　him。　He　figured　out
his　calculation　on　the　margin　of　the　newspaper　which　gave　the　account
of　his　brother's　death；　all　the　while　hearing　the　moans　of　his　nephew；
but　without　listening　to　them。　Nanon　came　and　knocked　on　the　wall　to
summon　him　to　dinner。　On　the　last　step　of　the　staircase　he　was　saying
to　himself　as　he　came　down；
〃I'll　do　it；　I　shall　get　eight　per　cent　interest。　In　two　years　I　shall
have　fifteen　hundred　thousand　francs；　which　I　will　then　draw　out　in
good　gold；Well；　where's　my　nephew？〃
〃He　says　he　doesn't　want　anything　to　eat；〃　answered　Nanon；　〃that's　not
good　for　him。〃
〃So　much　saved；〃　retorted　her　master。
〃That's　so；〃　she　said。
〃Bah！　he　won't　cry　long。　Hunger　drives　the　wolves　out　of　the　woods。〃
The　dinner　was　eaten　in　silence。
〃My　good　friend；〃　said　Madame　Grandet；　when　the　cloth　was　removed；　〃we
must　put　on　mourning。〃
〃Upon　my　word；　Madame　Grandet！　what　will　you　invent　next　to　spend
money　on？　Mourning　is　in　the　heart；　and　not　in　the　clothes。〃
〃But　mourning　for　a　brother　is　indispensable；　and　the　Church　commands
us　to〃
〃Buy　your　mourning　out　of　your　six　louis。　Give　me　a　hat…band；　that's
enough　for　me。〃
Eugenie　raised　her　eyes　to　heaven　without　uttering　a　word。　Her
generous　instincts；　slumbering　and　long　repressed　but　now　suddenly　and
for　the　first　time　awakened；　were　galled　at　every　turn。　The　evening
passed　to　all　appearance　like　a　thousand　other　evenings　of　their
monotonous　life；　yet　it　was　certainly　the　most　horrible。　Eugenie　sewed
without　raising　her　head；　and　did　not　use　the　workbox　which　Charles
had　despised　the　night　before。　Madame　Grandet　knitted　her　sleeves。
Grandet　twirled　his　thumbs　for　four　hours；　absorbed　in　calculations
whose　results　were　on　the　morrow　to　astonish　Saumur。　No　one　came　to
visit　the　family　that　day。　The　whole　town　was　ringing　with　the　news　of
the　business　trick　just　played　by　Grandet；　the　failure　of　his　brother；
and　the　arrival　of　his　nephew。　Obeying　the　desire　to　gossip　over　their
mutual　interests；　all　the　upper　and　middle…class　wine…growers　in
Saumur　met　at　Monsieur　des　Grassins；　where　terrible　imprecations　were
being　fulminated　against　the　ex…mayor。　Nanon　was　spinning；　and　the
whirr　of　her　wheel　was　the　only　sound　heard　beneath　the　gray　rafters
of　that　silent　hall。
〃We　don't　waste　our　tongues；〃　she　said；　showing　her　teeth；　as　large
and　white　as　peeled　almonds。
〃Nothing　should　be　wasted；〃　answered　Grandet；　rousing　himself　from　his
reverie。　He　saw　a　perspective　of　eight　millions　in　three　years；　and　he
was　sailing　along　that　sheet　of　gold。　〃Let　us　go　to　bed。　I　will　bid　my
nephew　good…night　for　the　rest　of　you；　and　see　if　he　will　take
anything。〃
Madame　Grandet　remained　on　the　landing　of　the　first　storey　to　hear　the
conversation　that　was　about　to　take　place　between　the　goodman　and　his
nephew。　Eugenie；　bolder　than　her　mother；　went　up　two　stairs。
〃Well；　nephew；　you　are　in　trouble。　Yes；　weep；　that's　natural。　A　father
is　a　father；　but　we　must　bear　our　troubles　patiently。　I　am　a　good
uncle　to　you；　remember　that。　Come；　take　courage！　Will　you　have　a
little　glass　of　wine？〃　（Wine　costs　nothing　in　Saumur；　and　they　offer
it　as　tea　is　offered　in　China。）　〃Why！〃　added　Grandet；　〃you　have　got　no
light！　That's　bad；　very　bad；　you　ought　to　see　what　you　are　about；〃　and
he　walked　to　the　chimney…piece。　〃What's　this？〃　he　cried。　〃A　wax
candle！　How　the　devil　did　they　filch　a　wax　candle？　The　spendthrifts
would　tear　down　the　ceilings　of　my　house　to　boil　the　fellow's　eggs。〃
Hearing　these　words；　mother　and　daughter　slipped　back　into　their　rooms
and　burrowed　in　their　beds；　with　the　celerity　of　frightened　mice
getting　back　to　their　holes。
〃Madame　Grandet；　have　you　found　a　mine？〃　said　the　man；　coming　into　the
chamber　of　his　wife。
〃My　friend；　wait；　I　am　saying　my　prayers；〃　said　the　poor　mother　in　a
trembling　voice。
〃The　devil　take　your　good　God！〃　growled　Grandet　in　reply。
Misers　have　no　belief　in　a　future　life；　the　present　is　their　all　in
all。　This　thought　casts　a　terrible　light　upon　our　present　epoch；　in
which；　far　more　than　at　any　former　period；　money　sways　the　laws　and
politics　and　morals。　　Institutions；　books；　men；　and　dogmas；　all
conspire　to　undermine　belief　in　a　future　life；a　belief　upon　which
the　social　edifice　has　rested　for　eighteen　hundred　years。　The　grave；
as　a　means　of　transition；　is　little　feared　in　our　day。　The　future；
which　once　opened　to　us　beyond　the　requiems；　has　now　been　imported
into　the　present。　To　obtain　/per　fas　et　nefas/　a　terrestrial　paradise
of　luxury　and　earthly　enjoyment；　to　harden　the　heart　and　macerate　the
body　for　the　sake　of　fleeting　possessions；　as　the　martyrs　once
suffered　all　things　to　reach　eternal　joys；　this　is　now　the　universal
thoughta　thought　written　everywhere；　even　in　the　very　laws　which　ask
of　the　legislator；　〃What　do　you　pay？〃　instead　of　asking　him；　〃What　do
you　think？〃　When　this　doctrine　has　passed　down　from　the　bourgeoisie　to
the　populace；　where　will　this　country　be？
〃Madame　Grandet；　have　you　done？〃　asked　the　old　man。
〃My　friend；　I　am　praying　for　you。〃
〃Very　good！　Good…night；　to…morrow　morning　we　will　have　a　talk。〃
The　poor　woman　went　to　sleep　like　a　schoolboy　who；　not　having　learned
his　lessons；　knows　he　will　see　his　master's　angry　face　on　the　morrow。
At　the　moment　when；　filled　with　fear；　she　was　drawing　the　sheet　above
her　head　that　she　might　stifle　hearing；　Eugenie；　in　her　night…gown　and
with　naked　feet；　ran　to　her　side　and　kissed　her　brow。
〃Oh！　my　good　mother；〃　she　said；　〃to…morrow　I　will　tell　him　it　was　I。〃
〃No；　he　would　send　you　to　Noyers。　Leave　me　to　manage