eugenie grandet(欧也妮·葛朗台)-第4节

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who　was　solvent　and　able　to　pay　for　the　estate　in　ready　money。　The
fine　marquisate　of　Froidfond　was　accordingly　conveyed　down　the　gullet
of　Monsieur　Grandet；　who；　to　the　great　astonishment　of　Saumur；　paid
for　it；　under　proper　discount；　with　the　usual　formalities。
This　affair　echoed　from　Nantes　to　Orleans。　Monsieur　Grandet　took
advantage　of　a　cart　returning　by　way　of　Froidfond　to　go　and　see　his
chateau。　Having　cast　a　master's　eye　over　the　whole　property；　he
returned　to　Saumur；　satisfied　that　he　had　invested　his　money　at　five
per　cent；　and　seized　by　the　stupendous　thought　of　extending　and
increasing　the　marquisate　of　Froidfond　by　concentrating　all　his
property　there。　Then；　to　fill　up　his　coffers；　now　nearly　empty；　he
resolved　to　thin　out　his　woods　and　his　forests；　and　to　sell　off　the
poplars　in　the　meadows。

II
It　is　now　easy　to　understand　the　full　meaning　of　the　term；　〃the　house
of　Monsieur　Grandet；〃that　cold；　silent；　pallid　dwelling；　standing
above　the　town　and　sheltered　by　the　ruins　of　the　ramparts。　The　two
pillars　and　the　arch；　which　made　the　porte…cochere　on　which　the　door
opened；　were　built；　like　the　house　itself；　of　tufa；a　white　stone
peculiar　to　the　shores　of　the　Loire；　and　so　soft　that　it　lasts　hardly
more　than　two　centuries。　Numberless　irregular　holes；　capriciously
bored　or　eaten　out　by　the　inclemency　of　the　weather；　gave　an
appearance　of　the　vermiculated　stonework　of　French　architecture　to　the
arch　and　the　side　walls　of　this　entrance；　which　bore　some　resemblance
to　the　gateway　of　a　jail。　Above　the　arch　was　a　long　bas…relief；　in
hard　stone；　representing　the　four　seasons；　the　faces　already　crumbling
away　and　blackened。　This　bas…relief　was　surmounted　by　a　projecting
plinth；　upon　which　a　variety　of　chance　growths　had　sprung　up；yellow
pellitory；　bindweed；　convolvuli；　nettles；　plantain；　and　even　a　little
cherry…tree；　already　grown　to　some　height。
The　door　of　the　archway　was　made　of　solid　oak；　brown；　shrunken；　and
split　in　many　places；　though　frail　in　appearance；　it　was　firmly　held
in　place　by　a　system　of　iron　bolts　arranged　in　symmetrical　patterns。　A
small　square　grating；　with　close　bars　red　with　rust；　filled　up　the
middle　panel　and　made；　as　it　were；　a　motive　for　the　knocker；　fastened
to　it　by　a　ring；　which　struck　upon　the　grinning　head　of　a　huge　nail。
This　knocker；　of　the　oblong　shape　and　kind　which　our　ancestors　called
/jaquemart/；　looked　like　a　huge　note　of　exclamation；　an　antiquary　who
examined　it　attentively　might　have　found　indications　of　the　figure；
essentially　burlesque；　which　it　once　represented；　and　which　long　usage
had　now　effaced。　Through　this　little　gratingintended　in　olden　times
for　the　recognition　of　friends　in　times　of　civil　warinquisitive
persons　could　perceive；　at　the　farther　end　of　the　dark　and　slimy
vault；　a　few　broken　steps　which　led　to　a　garden；　picturesquely　shut　in
by　walls　that　were　thick　and　damp；　and　through　which　oozed　a　moisture
that　nourished　tufts　of　sickly　herbage。　These　walls　were　the　ruins　of
the　ramparts；　under　which　ranged　the　gardens　of　several　neighboring
houses。
The　most　important　room　on　the　ground…floor　of　the　house　was　a　large
hall；　entered　directly　from　beneath　the　vault　of　the　porte…cochere。
Few　people　know　the　importance　of　a　hall　in　the　little　towns　of　Anjou；
Touraine；　and　Berry。　The　hall　is　at　one　and　the　same　time　antechamber；
salon；　office；　boudoir；　and　dining…room；　it　is　the　theatre　of　domestic
life；　the　common　living…room。　There　the　barber　of　the　neighborhood
came；　twice　a　year；　to　cut　Monsieur　Grandet's　hair；　there　the　farmers；
the　cure；　the　under…prefect；　and　the　miller's　boy　came　on　business。
This　room；　with　two　windows　looking　on　the　street；　was　entirely　of
wood。　Gray　panels　with　ancient　mouldings　covered　the　walls　from　top　to
bottom；　the　ceiling　showed　all　its　beams；　which　were　likewise　painted
gray；　while　the　space　between　them　had　been　washed　over　in　white；　now
yellow　with　age。　An　old　brass　clock；　inlaid　with　arabesques；　adorned
the　mantel　of　the　ill…cut　white　stone　chimney…piece；　above　which　was　a
greenish　mirror；　whose　edges；　bevelled　to　show　the　thickness　of　the
glass；　reflected　a　thread　of　light　the　whole　length　of　a　gothic　frame
in　damascened　steel…work。　The　two　copper…gilt　candelabra　which
decorated　the　corners　of　the　chimney…piece　served　a　double　purpose：　by
taking　off　the　side…branches；　each　of　which　held　a　socket；　the　main
stemwhich　was　fastened　to　a　pedestal　of　bluish　marble　tipped　with
coppermade　a　candlestick　for　one　candle；　which　was　sufficient　for
ordinary　occasions。　The　chairs；　antique　in　shape；　were　covered　with
tapestry　representing　the　fables　of　La　Fontaine；　it　was　necessary；
however；　to　know　that　writer　well　to　guess　at　the　subjects；　for　the
faded　colors　and　the　figures；　blurred　by　much　darning；　were　difficult
to　distinguish。
At　the　four　corners　of　the　hall　were　closets；　or　rather　buffets；
surmounted　by　dirty　shelves。　An　old　card…table　in　marquetry；　of　which
the　upper　part　was　a　chess…board；　stood　in　the　space　between　the　two
windows。　Above　this　table　was　an　oval　barometer　with　a　black　border
enlivened　with　gilt　bands；　on　which　the　flies　had　so　licentiously
disported　themselves　that　the　gilding　had　become　problematical。　On　the
panel　opposite　to　the　chimney…piece　were　two　portraits　in　pastel；
supposed　to　represent　the　grandfather　of　Madame　Grandet；　old　Monsieur
de　la　Bertelliere；　as　a　lieutenant　in　the　French　guard；　and　the
deceased　Madame　Gentillet　in　the　guise　of　a　shepherdess。　The　windows
were　draped　with　curtains　of　red　/gros　de　Tours/　held　back　by　silken
cords　with　ecclesiastical　tassels。　This　luxurious　decoration；　little
in　keeping　with　the　habits　of　Monsieur　Grandet；　had　been；　together
with　the　steel　pier…glass；　the　tapestries；　and　the　buffets；　which　were
of　rose…wood；　included　in　the　purchase　of　the　house。
By　the　window　nearest　to　the　door　stood　a　straw　chair；　whose　legs　were
raised　on　castors　to　lift　its　occupant；　Madame　Grandet；　to　a　height
from　which　she　could　see　the　passers…by。　A　work…table　of　stained
cherry…wood　filled　up　the　embrasure；　and　the　little　armchair　of
Eugenie　Grandet　stood　beside　it。　In　this　spot　the　lives　had　flowed
peacefully　onward　for　fifteen　years；　in　a　round　of　constant　work　from
the　month　of　April　to　the　month　of　November。　On　the　first　day　of　the
latter　month　they　took　their　winter　station　by　the　chimney。　Not　until
that　day　did　Grandet　permit　a　fire　to　be　lighted；　and　on　the　thirty…
first　of　March　it　was　extinguished；　without　regard　either　to　the
chills　of　the　early　spring　or　to　those　of　a　wintry　autumn。　A　foot…
warmer；　filled　with　embers　from　the　kitchen　fire；　which　la　Grande
Nanon　contrived　to　save　for　them；　enabled　Madame　and　Mademoiselle
Grandet　to　bear　the　chilly　mornings　and　evenings　of　April　and　October。
Mother　and　daughter　took　charge　of　the　family　linen；　and　spent　their
days　so　conscientiously　upon　a　labor　properly　that　of　working…women；
that　if　Eugenie　wished　to　embroider　a　collar　for　her　mother　she　was
forced　to　take　the　time　from　sleep；　and　deceive　her　father　to　obtain
the　necessary　light。　For　a　long　time　the　miser　had　given　out　the
tallow　candle　to　his　daughter　and　la　Grande　Nanon　just　as　he　gave　out
every　morning　the　bread　and　other　necessaries　for　the　daily
consumption。
La　Grande　Nanon　was　perhaps　the　only　human　being　capable　of　accepting
willingly　the　despotism　of　her　master。　The　whole　town　envied　Monsieur
and　Madame　Grandet　the　possession　of　her。　La　Grande　Nanon；　so　called
on　account　of　her　height；　which　was　five　feet　eight　inches；　had　lived
with　Monsieur　Grandet　for　thirty…five　years。　Though　she　received　only
sixty　francs　a　year　in　wages；　she　was　supposed　to　be　one　of　the
richest　serving…women　in　Saumur。　Those　sixty　francs；　accumulating
through　thirty…five　years；　had　recently　enabled　her　to　invest　four
thousand　francs　in　an　annuity　with　Maitre　Cruchot。　This　result　of　her
long　and　persistent　economy　seemed　gigantic。　Every　servant　in　the
town；　seeing　that　the　poor　sexagenarian　was　sure　of　bread　for　her　old
age；　was　jealous　of　her；　and　never　thought　of　the　hard　slavery　through
which　it　had　been　won。
At　twenty…two　years　of　age　the　poor　girl　had　been　unable　to　find　a
situation；　so　repulsive　was　her　face　to　almost　every　one。　Yet　the
feeling　was　certainly　unjust：　the　face　would　have　been　much　admired　on
the　shoulders　of　a　grenadier　of　the　guard；　but　all　things；　so　they
say；　should　be　in　keeping。　Forced　to　leave　a　farm　where　she　kept　the
cows；　because　the　dwelling…house　was　burned　down；　she　came　to　Saumur
to　find　a　place；　full　of　the　robust　courage　that　shrinks　from　no
labor。　Le　Pere　Grandet　was　at　that　time　thinking　of　marriage　and　about
to　set　up　his　household。　He　espied　the　girl；　rejected　as　she　was　from
door　to　door。　A　good　judge　of　corporeal　strength　in　his　trade　as　a
cooper；　he　guessed　the　work　that　might　be　got　out　of　a　female　creature
shaped　like　a　Hercules；　as　firm　on　her　feet　as　an　oak　sixty　years　old
on　its　roots；　strong　in　the　hips；　square　in　the　back；　with　the　hands
of　a　cartman　and　an　honesty　as　sound　as　her　unblemished　virtue。
Neither　the　warts　which　adorned　her　martial　visage；　nor　the　red…brick
tints　of　her　skin；　nor　the　sinewy　arms；　nor　the　ragged　garments　of　la
G