eugenie grandet(欧也妮·葛朗台)-第41节

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　　sum　total　of　those　claims。　I　have　heard　of　a　possible　failure；　and
　　I　think　that　the　son　of　a　bankrupt　may　not　be　able　to　marry
　　Mademoiselle　d'Aubrion。　Yes；　my　cousin；　you　judged　rightly　of　my
　　mind　and　of　my　manners。　I　have；　it　is　true；　no　part　in　the　world；
　　I　understand　neither　its　calculations　nor　its　customs；　and　I　could
　　not　give　you　the　pleasures　that　you　seek　in　it。　Be　happy；
　　according　to　the　social　conventions　to　which　you　have　sacrificed
　　our　love。　To　make　your　happiness　complete　I　can　only　offer　you
　　your　father's　honor。　Adieu！　You　will　always　have　a　faithful　friend
　　in　your　cousin
Eugenie。

The　president　smiled　at　the　exclamation　which　the　ambitious　young　man
could　not　repress　as　he　received　the　documents。
〃We　shall　announce　our　marriages　at　the　same　time；〃　remarked　Monsieur
de　Bonfons。
〃Ah！　you　marry　Eugenie？　Well；　I　am　delighted；　she　is　a　good　girl。
But；〃　added　Charles；　struck　with　a　luminous　idea；　〃she　must　be　rich？〃
〃She　had；〃　said　the　president；　with　a　mischievous　smile；　〃about
nineteen　millions　four　days　ago；　but　she　has　only　seventeen　millions
to…day。〃
Charles　looked　at　him　thunderstruck。
〃Seventeen　mil〃
〃Seventeen　millions；　yes；　monsieur。　We　shall　muster；　Mademoiselle
Grandet　and　I；　an　income　of　seven　hundred　and　fifty　thousand　francs
when　we　marry。〃
〃My　dear　cousin；〃　said　Charles；　recovering　a　little　of　his　assurance；
〃we　can　push　each　other's　fortunes。〃
〃Agreed；〃　said　the　president。　〃Here　is　also　a　little　case　which　I　am
charged　to　give　into　your　own　hands；〃　he　added；　placing　on　the　table
the　leather　box　which　contained　the　dressing…case。
〃Well；　my　dear　friend；〃　said　Madame　d'Aubrion；　entering　the　room
without　noticing　the　president；　〃don't　pay　any　attention　to　what　poor
Monsieur　d'Aubrion　has　just　said　to　you；　the　Duchesse　de　Chaulieu　has
turned　his　head。　I　repeat；　nothing　shall　interfere　with　the
marriage〃
〃Very　good；　madame。　The　three　millions　which　my　father　owed　were　paid
yesterday。〃
〃In　money？〃　she　asked。
〃Yes；　in　full；　capital　and　interest；　and　I　am　about　to　do　honor　to　his
memory〃
〃What　folly！〃　exclaimed　his　mother…in…law。　〃Who　is　this？〃　she
whispered　in　Grandet's　ear；　perceiving　the　president。
〃My　man　of　business；〃　he　answered　in　a　low　voice。
The　marquise　bowed　superciliously　to　Monsieur　de　Bonfons。
〃We　are　pushing　each　other's　fortunes　already；〃　said　the　president；
taking　up　his　hat。　〃Good…by；　cousin。〃
〃He　is　laughing　at　me；　the　old　cockatoo！　I'd　like　to　put　six　inches　of
iron　into　him！〃　muttered　Charles。
The　president　was　out　of　hearing。　Three　days　later　Monsieur　de
Bonfons；　on　his　return　to　Saumur；　announced　his　marriage　with　Eugenie。
Six　months　after　the　marriage　he　was　appointed　councillor　in　the　Cour
royale　at　Angers。　Before　leaving　Saumur　Madame　de　Bonfons　had　the　gold
of　certain　jewels；　once　so　precious　to　her；　melted　up；　and　put；
together　with　the　eight　thousand　francs　paid　back　by　her　cousin；　into
a　golden　pyx；　which　she　gave　to　the　parish　church　where　she　had　so
long　prayed　for　/him/。　She　now　spent　her　time　between　Angers　and
Saumur。　Her　husband；　who　had　shown　some　public　spirit　on　a　certain
occasion；　became　a　judge　in　the　superior　courts；　and　finally；　after　a
few　years；　president　of　them。　He　was　anxiously　awaiting　a　general
election；　in　the　hope　of　being　returned　to　the　Chamber　of　deputies。　He
hankered　after　a　peerage；　and　then
〃The　king　will　be　his　cousin；　won't　he？〃　said　Nanon；　la　Grande　Nanon；
Madame　Cornoiller；　bourgeoise　of　Saumur；　as　she　listened　to　her
mistress；　who　was　recounting　the　honors　to　which　she　was　called。
Nevertheless；　Monsieur　de　Bonfons　（he　had　finally　abolished　his
patronymic　of　Cruchot）　did　not　realize　any　of　his　ambitious　ideas。　He
died　eight　days　after　his　election　as　deputy　of　Saumur。　God；　who　sees
all　and　never　strikes　amiss；　punished　him；　no　doubt；　for　his　sordid
calculations　and　the　legal　cleverness　with　which；　/accurante　Cruchot/；
he　had　drawn　up　his　marriage　contract；　in　which　husband　and　wife　gave
to　each　other；　〃in　case　they　should　have　no　children；　their　entire
property　of　every　kind；　landed　or　otherwise；　without　exception　or
reservation；　dispensing　even　with　the　formality　of　an　inventory；
provided　that　said　omission　of　said　inventory　shall　not　injure　their
heirs　and　assigns；　it　being　understood　that　this　deed　of　gift　is；
etc。；　etc。〃　This　clause　of　the　contract　will　explain　the　profound
respect　which　monsieur　le　president　always　testified　for　the　wishes；
and　above　all；　for　the　solitude　of　Madame　de　Bonfons。　Women　cited　him
as　the　most　considerate　and　delicate　of　men；　pitied　him；　and　even　went
so　far　as　to　find　fault　with　the　passion　and　grief　of　Eugenie；　blaming
her；　as　women　know　so　well　how　to　blame；　with　cruel　but　discreet
insinuation。
〃Madame　de　Bonfons　must　be　very　ill　to　leave　her　husband　entirely
alone。　Poor　woman！　Is　she　likely　to　get　well？　What　is　it？　Something
gastric？　A　cancer？〃〃She　has　grown　perfectly　yellow。　She　ought　to
consult　some　celebrated　doctor　in　Paris。〃〃How　can　she　be　happy
without　a　child？　They　say　she　loves　her　husband；　then　why　not　give　him
an　heir？in　his　position；　too！〃〃Do　you　know；　it　is　really　dreadful！
If　it　is　the　result　of　mere　caprice；　it　is　unpardonable。　Poor
president！〃
Endowed　with　the　delicate　perception　which　a　solitary　soul　acquires
through　constant　meditation；　through　the　exquisite　clear…sightedness
with　which　a　mind　aloof　from　life　fastens　on　all　that　falls　within　its
sphere；　Eugenie；　taught　by　suffering　and　by　her　later　education　to
divine　thought；　knew　well　that　the　president　desired　her　death　that　he
might　step　into　possession　of　their　immense　fortune；　augmented　by　the
property　of　his　uncle　the　notary　and　his　uncle　the　abbe；　whom　it　had
lately　pleased　God　to　call　to　himself。　The　poor　solitary　pitied　the
president。　Providence　avenged　her　for　the　calculations　and　the
indifference　of　a　husband　who　respected　the　hopeless　passion　on　which
she　spent　her　life　because　it　was　his　surest　safeguard。　To　give　life
to　a　child　would　give　death　to　his　hopes；the　hopes　of　selfishness；
the　joys　of　ambition；　which　the　president　cherished　as　he　looked　into
the　future。
God　thus　flung　piles　of　gold　upon　this　prisoner　to　whom　gold　was　a
matter　of　indifference；　who　longed　for　heaven；　who　lived；　pious　and
good；　in　holy　thoughts；　succoring　the　unfortunate　in　secret；　and　never
wearying　of　such　deeds。　Madame　de　Bonfons　became　a　widow　at　thirty…
six。　She　is　still　beautiful；　but　with　the　beauty　of　a　woman　who　is
nearly　forty　years　of　age。　Her　face　is　white　and　placid　and　calm；　her
voice　gentle　and　self…possessed；　her　manners　are　simple。　She　has　the
noblest　qualities　of　sorrow；　the　saintliness　of　one　who　has　never
soiled　her　soul　by　contact　with　the　world；　but　she　has　also　the　rigid
bearing　of　an　old　maid　and　the　petty　habits　inseparable　from　the
narrow　round　of　provincial　life。　In　spite　of　her　vast　wealth；　she
lives　as　the　poor　Eugenie　Grandet　once　lived。　The　fire　is　never
lighted　on　her　hearth　until　the　day　when　her　father　allowed　it　to　be
lighted　in　the　hall；　and　it　is　put　out　in　conformity　with　the　rules
which　governed　her　youthful　years。　She　dresses　as　her　mother　dressed。
The　house　in　Saumur；　without　sun；　without　warmth；　always　in　shadow；
melancholy；　is　an　image　of　her　life。　She　carefully　accumulates　her
income；　and　might　seem　parsimonious　did　she　not　disarm　criticism　by　a
noble　employment　of　her　wealth。　Pious　and　charitable　institutions；　a
hospital　for　old　age；　Christian　schools　for　children；　a　public　library
richly　endowed；　bear　testimony　against　the　charge　of　avarice　which
some　persons　lay　at　her　door。　The　churches　of　Saumur　owe　much　of　their
embellishment　to　her。　Madame　de　Bonfons　（sometimes　ironically　spoken
of　as　mademoiselle）　inspires　for　the　most　part　reverential　respect：
and　yet　that　noble　heart；　beating　only　with　tenderest　emotions；　has
been；　from　first　to　last；　subjected　to　the　calculations　of　human
selfishness；　money　has　cast　its　frigid　influence　upon　that　hallowed
life　and　taught　distrust　of　feelings　to　a　woman　who　is　all　feeling。
〃I　have　none　but　you　to　love　me；〃　she　says　to　Nanon。
The　hand　of　this　woman　stanches　the　secret　wounds　in　many　families。
She　goes　on　her　way　to　heaven　attended　by　a　train　of　benefactions。　The
grandeur　of　her　soul　redeems　the　narrowness　of　her　education　and　the
petty　habits　of　her　early　life。
Such　is　the　history　of　Eugenie　Grandet；　who　is　in　the　world　but　not　of
it；　who；　created　to　be　supremely　a　wife　and　mother；　has　neither
husband　nor　children　nor　family。　Lately　there　has　been　some　question
of　her　marrying　again。　The　Saumur　people　talk　of　her　and　of　the
Marquis　de　Froidfond；　whose　family　are　beginning　to　beset　the　rich
widow　just　as；　in　former　days；　the　Cruchots　laid　siege　to　the　rich
heiress。　Nanon　and　Cornoiller　are；　it　is　said；　in　the　interests　of　the
marquis。　Nothing　could　be　more　false。　Neither　la　Grande　Nanon　nor
Cornoiller　has　sufficient　mind　to　understand　the　corruptions　of　the
world。




End