father goriot(高老头)-第11节

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heir　mothers'　hearts　to　find　something　to　pay　for　their　splendor。　They　will　turn　the　world　upside　down。　Just　a　Parisienne　through　and　through！〃

Father　Goriot's　face；　which　had　shone　at　the　student's　words　like　the　sun　on　a　bright　day；　clouded　over　all　at　once　at　this　cruel　speech　of　Vautrin's。

〃Well；〃　said　Mme。　Vauquer；　〃but　where　is　your　adventure？　Did　you　speak　to　her？　Did　you　ask　her　if　she　wanted　to　study　law？〃

〃She　did　not　see　me；〃　said　Eugene。　〃But　only　think　of　meeting　one　of　the　prettiest　women　in　Paris　in　the　Rue　des　Gres　at　nine　o'clock！　She　could　not　have　reached　home　after　the　ball　till　two　o'clock　this　morning。　Wasn't　it　queer？　There　is　no　place　like　Paris　for　this　sort　of　adventures。〃

〃Pshaw！　much　funnier　things　than　THAT　happen　here！〃　exclaimed　Vautrin。

Mlle。　Taillefer　had　scarcely　heeded　the　talk；　she　was　so　absorbed　by　the　thought　of　the　new　attempt　that　she　was　about　to　make。　Mme。　Couture　made　a　sign　that　it　was　time　to　go　upstairs　and　dress；　the　two　ladies　went　out；　and　Father　Goriot　followed　their　example。

〃Well；　did　you　see？〃　said　Mme。　Vauquer；　addressing　Vautrin　and　the　rest　of　the　circle。　〃He　is　ruining　himself　for　those　women；　that　is　plain。〃

〃Nothing　will　ever　make　me　believe　that　that　beautiful　Comtesse　de　Restaud　is　anything　to　Father　Goriot；〃　cried　the　student。

〃Well；　and　if　you　don't；〃　broke　in　Vautrin；　〃we　are　not　set　on　convincing　you。　You　are　too　young　to　know　Paris　thoroughly　yet；　later　on　you　will　find　out　that　there　are　what　we　call　men　with　a　passion〃

Mlle。　Michonneau　gave　Vautrin　a　quick　glance　at　these　words。　They　seemed　to　be　like　the　sound　of　a　trumpet　to　a　trooper's　horse。　〃Aha！〃　said　Vautrin；　stopping　in　his　speech　to　give　her　a　searching　glance；　〃so　we　have　had　our　little　experiences；　have　we？〃

The　old　maid　lowered　her　eyes　like　a　nun　who　sees　a　statue。

〃Well；〃　he　went　on；　〃when　folk　of　that　kind　get　a　notion　into　their　heads；　they　cannot　drop　it。　They　must　drink　the　water　from　some　particular　springit　is　stagnant　as　often　as　not；　but　they　will　sell　their　wives　and　families；　they　will　sell　their　own　souls　to　the　devil　to　get　it。　For　some　this　spring　is　play；　or　the　stock…exchange；　or　music；　or　a　collection　of　pictures　or　insects；　for　others　it　is　some　woman　who　can　give　them　the　dainties　they　like。　You　might　offer　these　last　all　the　women　on　earththey　would　turn　up　their　noses；　they　will　have　the　only　one　who　can　gratify　their　passion。　It　often　happens　that　the　woman　does　not　care　for　them　at　all；　and　treats　them　cruelly；　they　buy　their　morsels　of　satisfaction　very　dear；　but　no　matter；　the　fools　are　never　tired　of　it；　they　will　take　their　last　blanket　to　the　pawnbroker's　to　give　their　last　five…franc　piece　to　her。　Father　Goriot　here　is　one　of　that　sort。　He　is　discreet；　so　the　Countess　exploits　himjust　the　way　of　the　gay　world。　The　poor　old　fellow　thinks　of　her　and　of　nothing　else。　In　all　other　respects　you　see　he　is　a　stupid　animal；　but　get　him　on　that　subject；　and　his　eyes　sparkle　like　diamonds。　That　secret　is　not　difficult　to　guess。　He　took　some　plate　himself　this　morning　to　the　melting…pot；　and　I　saw　him　at　Daddy　Gobseck's　in　the　Rue　des　Gres。　And　now；　mark　what　followshe　came　back　here；　and　gave　a　letter　for　the　Comtesse　de　Restaud　to　that　noodle　of　a　Christophe；　who　showed　us　the　address；　there　was　a　receipted　bill　inside　it。　It　is　clear　that　it　was　an　urgent　matter　if　the　Countess　also　went　herself　to　the　old　money　lender。　Father　Goriot　has　financed　her　handsomely。　There　is　no　need　to　tack　a　tale　together；　the　thing　is　self…evident。　So　that　shows　you；　sir　student；　that　all　the　time　your　Countess　was　smiling；　dancing；　flirting；　swaying　her　peach…flower　crowned　head；　with　her　gown　gathered　into　her　hand；　her　slippers　were　pinching　her；　as　they　say；　she　was　thinking　of　her　protested　bills；　or　her　lover's　protested　bills。〃

〃You　have　made　me　wild　to　know　the　truth；〃　cried　Eugene；　〃I　will　go　to　call　on　Mme。　de　Restaud　to…morrow。〃

〃Yes；〃　echoed　Poiret；　〃you　must　go　and　call　on　Mme。　de　Restaud。〃

〃And　perhaps　you　will　find　Father　Goriot　there；　who　will　take　payment　for　the　assistance　he　politely　rendered。〃

Eugene　looked　disgusted。　〃Why；　then；　this　Paris　of　yours　is　a　slough。〃

〃And　an　uncommonly　queer　slough；　too；〃　replied　Vautrin。　〃The　mud　splashes　you　as　you　drive　through　it　in　your　carriageyou　are　a　respectable　person；　you　go　afoot　and　are　splashedyou　are　a　scoundrel。　You　are　so　unlucky　as　to　walk　off　with　something　or　other　belonging　to　somebody　else；　and　they　exhibit　you　as　a　curiosity　in　the　Place　du　Palais…de…Justice；　you　steal　a　million；　and　you　are　pointed　out　in　every　salon　as　a　model　of　virtue。　And　you　pay　thirty　millions　for　the　police　and　the　courts　of　justice；　for　the　maintenance　of　law　and　order！　A　pretty　slate　of　things　it　is！〃

〃What；〃　cried　Mme。　Vauquer；　〃has　Father　Goriot　really　melted　down　his　silver　posset…dish？〃

〃There　were　two　turtle…doves　on　the　lid；　were　there　not？〃　asked　Eugene。

〃Yes；　that　there　were。〃

〃Then；　was　he　fond　of　it？〃　said　Eugene。　〃He　cried　while　he　was　breaking　up　the　cup　and　plate。　I　happened　to　see　him　by　accident。〃

〃It　was　dear　to　him　as　his　own　life；〃　answered　the　widow。

〃There！　you　see　how　infatuated　the　old　fellow　is！〃　cried　Vautrin。　〃The　woman　yonder　can　coax　the　soul　out　of　him〃

The　student　went　up　to　his　room。　Vautrin　went　out；　and　a　few　moments　later　Mme。　Couture　and　Victorine　drove　away　in　a　cab　which　Sylvie　had　called　for　them。　Poiret　gave　his　arm　to　Mlle。　Michonneau；　and　they　went　together　to　spend　the　two　sunniest　hours　of　the　day　in　the　Jardin　des　Plantes。

〃Well；　those　two　are　as　good　as　married；〃　was　the　portly　Sylvie's　comment。　〃They　are　going　out　together　to…day　for　the　first　time。　They　are　such　a　couple　of　dry　sticks　that　if　they　happen　to　strike　against　each　other　they　will　draw　sparks　like　flint　and　steel。〃

〃Keep　clear　of　Mlle。　Michonneau's　shawl；　then；　said　Mme。　Vauquer；　laughing；　〃it　would　flare　up　like　tinder。〃

At　four　o'clock　that　evening；　when　Goriot　came　in；　he　saw；　by　the　light　of　two　smoky　lamps；　that　Victorine's　eyes　were　red。　Mme。　Vauquer　was　listening　to　the　history　of　the　visit　made　that　morning　to　M。　Taillefer；　it　had　been　made　in　vain。　Taillefer　was　tired　of　the　annual　application　made　by　his　daughter　and　her　elderly　friend；　he　gave　them　a　personal　interview　in　order　to　arrive　at　an　understanding　with　them。

〃My　dear　lady；〃　said　Mme。　Couture；　addressing　Mme。　Vauquer；　〃just　imagine　it；　he　did　not　even　ask　Victorine　to　sit　down；　she　was　standing　the　whole　time。　He　said　to　me　quite　coolly；　without　putting　himself　in　a　passion；　that　we　might　spare　ourselves　the　trouble　of　going　there；　that　the　young　lady　（he　would　not　call　her　his　daughter）　was　injuring　her　cause　by　importuning　him　（IMPORTUNING！　once　a　year；　the　wretch！）；　that　as　Victorine's　mother　had　nothing　when　he　married　her；　Victorine　ought　not　to　expect　anything　from　him；　in　fact；　he　said　the　most　cruel　things；　that　made　the　poor　child　burst　out　crying。　The　little　thing　threw　herself　at　her　father's　feet　and　spoke　up　bravely；　she　said　that　she　only　persevered　in　her　visits　for　her　mother's　sake；　that　she　would　obey　him　without　a　murmur；　but　that　she　begged　him　to　read　her　poor　dead　mother's　farewell　letter。　She　took　it　up　and　gave　it　to　him；　saying　the　most　beautiful　things　in　the　world；　most　beautifully　expressed；　I　do　not　know　where　she　learned　them；　God

must　have　put　them　into　her　head；　for　the　poor　child　was　inspired　to　speak　so　nicely　that　it　made　me　cry　like　a　fool　to　hear　her　talk。　And　what　do　you　think　the　monster　was　doing　all　the　time？　Cutting　his　nails！　He　took　the　letter　that　poor　Mme。　Taillefer　had　soaked　with　tears；　and　flung　it　on　to　the　chimney…piece。　'That　is　all　right；'　he　said。　He　held　out　his　hands　to　raise　his　daughter；　but　she　covered　them　with　kisses；　and　he　drew　them　away　again。　Scandalous；　isn't　it？　And　his　great　booby　of　a　son　came　in　and　took　no　notice　of　his　sister。〃

〃What　inhuman　wretches　they　must　be！〃　said　Father　Goriot。

〃And　then　they　both　went　out　of　the　room；〃　Mme。　Couture　went　on；　without　heeding　the　worthy　vermicelli　maker's　exclamation；　〃father　and　son　bowed　to　me；　and　asked　me　to　excuse　them　on　account　of　urgent　business！　That　is　the　history　of　our　call。　Well；　he　has　seen　his　daughter　at　any　rate。　How　he　can　refuse　to　acknowledge　her　I　cannot　think；　for　they　are　as　alike　as　two　peas。〃

The　boarders　dropped　in　one　after　another；　interchanging　greetings　and　empty　jokes　that　certain　classes　of　Parisians　regard　as　humorous　and　witty。　Dulness　is　their　prevailing　ingredient；　and　the　whole　point　consists　in　mispronouncing　a　word　or　a　gesture。　This　kind　of　argot　is　always　changing。　The　essence　of　the　jest　consists　in　some　catchword　suggested　by　a　political　event；　an　incident　in　the　police　courts；　a　street　song；　or　a　bit　of　burlesque　at　some　theatre；　and　forgotten　in　a　month。　Anything　and　everything　serves　to　keep　up　a　game　of　battledore　and　shuttlecock　with　words　and　ideas。　The　diorama；　a　recent　invention；　which　carried　an　optical　illusion　a　degree　further　than　panoramas；　had　given　rise　to　a　mania　among　art　students　for　ending　every　word　with　RAMA。　The　Maison　Vauquer　had　caught　the　infection　from　a　young　artist　among　the　boarders。

〃Well；　Monsieur…r…r　Poir