father goriot(高老头)-第20节

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a　chance　victim　to　the　disturbances　of　1789。　Goriot　established　himself　in　the　Rue　de　la　Jussienne；　close　to　the　Corn　Exchange。　His　plain　good　sense　led　him　to　accept　the　position　of　President　of　the　Section；　so　as　to　secure　for　his　business　the　protection　of　those　in　power　at　that　dangerous　epoch。　This　prudent　step　had　led　to　success；　the　foundations　of　his　fortune　were　laid　in　the　time　of　the　Scarcity　（real　or　artificial）；　when　the　price　of　grain　of　all　kinds　rose　enormously　in　Paris。　People　used　to　fight　for　bread　at　the　bakers'　doors；　while　other　persons　went　to　the　grocers'　shops　and　bought　Italian　paste　foods　without　brawling　over　it。　It　was　during　this　year　that　Goriot　made　the　money；　which；　at　a　later　time；　was　to　give　him　all　the　advantage　of　the　great　capitalist　over　the　small　buyer；　he　had；　moreover；　the　usual　luck　of　average　ability；　his　mediocrity　was　the　salvation　of　him。　He　excited　no　one's　envy；　it　was　not　even　suspected　that　he　was　rich　till　the　peril　of　being　rich　was　over；　and　all　his　intelligence　was　concentrated；　not　on　political；　but　on　commercial　speculations。　Goriot　was　an　authority　second　to　none　on　all　questions　relating　to　corn；　flour；　and　〃middlings〃；　and　the　production；　storage；　and　quality　of　grain。　He　could　estimate　the　yield　of　the　harvest；　and　foresee　market　prices；　he　bought　his　cereals　in　Sicily；　and　imported　Russian　wheat。　Any　one　who　had　heard　him　hold　forth　on　the　regulations　that　control　the　importation　and　exportation　of　grain；　who　had　seen　his　grasp　of　the　subject；　his　clear　insight　into　the　principles　involved；　his　appreciation　of　weak　points　in　the　way　that　the　system　worked；　would　have　thought　that　here　was　the　stuff　of　which　a　minister　is　made。　Patient；　active；　and　persevering；　energetic　and　prompt　in　action；　he　surveyed　his　business　horizon　with　an　eagle　eye。　Nothing　there　took　him　by　surprise；　he　foresaw　all　things；　knew　all　that　was　happening；　and　kept　his　own　counsel；　he　was　a　diplomatist　in　his　quick　comprehension　of　a　situation；　and　in　the　routine　of　business　he　was　as　patient　and　plodding　as　a　soldier　on　the　march。　But　beyond　this　business　horizon　he　could　not　see。　He　used　to　spend　his　hours　of　leisure　on　the　threshold　of　his　shop；　leaning　against　the　framework　of　the　door。　Take　him　from　his　dark　little　counting…house；　and　he　became　once　more　the　rough；　slow…witted　workman；　a　man　who　cannot　understand　a　piece　of　reasoning；　who　is　indifferent　to　all　intellectual　pleasures；　and　falls　asleep　at　the　play；　a　Parisian　Dolibom　in　short；　against　whose　stupidity　other　minds　are　powerless。

Natures　of　this　kind　are　nearly　all　alike；　in　almost　all　of　them　you　will　find　some　hidden　depth　of　sublime　affection。　Two　all…　absorbing　affections　filled　the　vermicelli　maker's　heart　to　the　exclusion　of　every　other　feeling；　into　them　he　seemed　to　put　all　the　forces　of　his　nature；　as　he　put　the　whole　power　of　his　brain　into　the　corn　trade。　He　had　regarded　his　wife；　the　only　daughter　of　a　rich　farmer　of　La　Brie；　with　a　devout　admiration；　his　love　for　her　had　been　boundless。　Goriot　had　felt　the　charm　of　a　lovely　and　sensitive　nature；　which；　in　its　delicate　strength；　was　the　very　opposite　of　his　own。　Is　there　any　instinct　more　deeply　implanted　in　the　heart　of　man　than　the　pride　of　protection；　a　protection　which　is　constantly　exerted　for　a　fragile　and　defenceless　creature？　Join　love　thereto；　the　warmth　of　gratitude　that　all　generous　souls　feel　for　the　source　of　their　pleasures；　and　you　have　the　explanation　of　many　strange　incongruities　in　human　nature。

After　seven　years　of　unclouded　happiness；　Goriot　lost　his　wife。　It　was　very　unfortunate　for　him。　She　was　beginning　to　gain　an　ascendency　over　him　in　other　ways；　possibly　she　might　have　brought　that　barren　soil　under　cultivation；　she　might　have　widened　his　ideas　and　given　other　directions　to　his　thoughts。　But　when　she　was　dead；　the　instinct　of　fatherhood　developed　in　him　till　it　almost　became　a　mania。　All　the　affection　balked　by　death　seemed　to　turn　to　his　daughters；　and　he　found　full　satisfaction　for　his　heart　in　loving　them。　More　or　less　brilliant　proposals　were　made　to　him　from　time　to　time；　wealthy　merchants　or　farmers　with　daughters　vied　with　each　other　in　offering　inducements　to　him　to　marry　again；　but　he　determined　to　remain　a　widower。　His　father…in…law；　the　only　man　for　whom　he　felt　a　decided　friendship；　gave　out　that　Goriot　had　made　a　vow　to　be　faithful　to　his　wife's　memory。　The　frequenters　of　the　Corn　Exchange；　who　could　not　comprehend　this　sublime　piece　of　folly；　joked　about　it　among　themselves；　and　found　a　ridiculous　nickname　for　him。　One　of　them　ventured　（after　a　glass　over　a　bargain）　to　call　him　by　it；　and　a　blow　from　the　vermicelli　maker's　fist　sent　him　headlong　into　a　gutter　in　the　Rue　Oblin。　He　could　think　of　nothing　else　when　his　children　were　concerned；　his　love　for　them　made　him　fidgety　and　anxious；　and　this　was　so　well　known；　that　one　day　a　competitor；　who　wished　to　get　rid　of　him　to　secure　the　field　to　himself；　told　Goriot　that　Delphine　had　just　been　knocked　down　by　a　cab。　The　vermicelli　maker　turned　ghastly　pale；　left　the　Exchange　at　once；　and　did　not　return　for　several　days　afterwards；　he　was　ill　in　consequence　of　the　shock　and　the　subsequent　relief　on　discovering　that　it　was　a　false　alarm。　This　time；　however；　the　offender　did　not　escape　with　a　bruised　shoulder；　at　a　critical　moment　in　the　man's　affairs；　Goriot　drove　him　into　bankruptcy；　and　forced　him　to　disappear　from　the　Corn　Exchange。

As　might　have　been　expected；　the　two　girls　were　spoiled。　With　an　income　of　sixty　thousand　francs；　Goriot　scarcely　spent　twelve　hundred　on　himself；　and　found　all　his　happiness　in　satisfying　the　whims　of　the　two　girls。　The　best　masters　were　engaged；　that　Anastasie　and　Delphine　might　be　endowed　with　all　the　accomplishments　which　distinguish　a　good　education。　They　had　a　chaperonluckily　for　them；　she　was　a　woman　who　had　good　sense　and　good　taste；they　learned　to　ride；　they　had　a　carriage　for　their　use；　they　lived　as　the　mistress　of　a　rich　old　lord　might　live；　they　had　only　to　express　a　wish；　their　father　would　hasten　to　give　them　their　most　extravagant　desires；　and　asked　nothing　of　them　in　return　but　a　kiss。　Goriot　had　raised　the　two　girls　to　the　level　of　the　angels；　and；　quite　naturally；　he　himself　was　left　beneath　them。　Poor　man！　he　loved　them　even　for　the　pain　that　they　gave　him。

When　the　girls　were　old　enough　to　be　married；　they　were　left　free　to　choose　for　themselves。　Each　had　half　her　father's　fortune　as　her　dowry；　and　when　the　Comte　de　Restaud　came　to　woo　Anastasie　for　her　beauty；　her　social　aspirations　led　her　to　leave　her　father's　house　for　a　more　exalted　sphere。　Delphine　wished　for　money；　she　married　Nucingen；　a　banker　of　German　extraction；　who　became　a　Baron　of　the　Holy　Roman　Empire。　Goriot　remained　a　vermicelli　maker　as　before。　His　daughters　and　his　sons…in…law　began　to　demur；　they　did　not　like　to　see　him　still　engaged　in　trade；　though　his　whole　life　was　bound　up　with　his　business。　For　five　years　he　stood　out　against　their　entreaties；　then　he　yielded；　and　consented　to　retire　on　the　amount　realized　by　the　sale　of　his　business　and　the　savings　of　the　last　few　years。　It　was　this　capital　that　Mme。　Vauquer；　in　the　early　days　of　his　residence　with　her；　had　calculated　would　bring　in　eight　or　ten　thousand　livres　in　a　year。　He　had　taken　refuge　in　her　lodging…　house；　driven　there　by　despair　when　he　knew　that　his　daughters　were　compelled　by　their　husbands　not　only　to　refuse　to　receive　him　as　an　inmate　in　their　houses；　but　even　to　see　him　no　more　except　in　private。

This　was　all　the　information　which　Rastignac　gained　from　a　M。　Muret　who　had　purchased　Goriot's　business；　information　which　confirmed　the　Duchesse　de　Langeais'　suppositions；　and　herewith　the　preliminary　explanation　of　this　obscure　but　terrible　Parisian　tragedy　comes　to　an　end。

Towards　the　end　of　the　first　week　in　December　Rastignac　received　two　lettersone　from　his　mother；　and　one　from　his　eldest　sister。　His　heart　beat　fast；　half　with　happiness；　half　with　fear；　at　the　sight　of　the　familiar　handwriting。　Those　two　little　scraps　of　paper　contained　life　or　death　for　his　hopes。　But　while　he　felt　a　shiver　of　dread　as　he　remembered　their　dire　poverty　at　home；　he　knew　their　love　for　him　so　well　that　he　could　not　help　fearing　that　he　was　draining　their　very　life…blood。　His　mother's　letter　ran　as　follows：

〃My　Dear　Child；I　am　sending　you　the　money　that　you　asked　for。　Make　a　good　use　of　it。　Even　to　save　your　life　I　could　not　raise　so　large　a　sum　a　second　time　without　your　father's　knowledge；　and　there　would　be　trouble　about　it。　We　should　be　obliged　to　mortgage　the　land。　It　is　impossible　to　judge　of　the　merits　of　schemes　of　which　I　am　ignorant；　but　what　sort　of　schemes　can　they　be；　that　you　should　fear　to　tell　me　about　them？　Volumes　of　explanation　would　not　have　been　needed；　we　mothers　can　understand　at　a　word；　and　that　word　would　have　spared　me　the　anguish　of　uncertainty。　I　do　not　know　how　to　hide　the　painful　impression　that　your　letter　has　made　upon　me；　my　dear　son。　What　can　you　have　felt　when　you　were　moved　to　send　this　chill　of　dread　through　my　heart？　It　must　have　been　very　painful　to　you　to　write　the　letter　that　gave　me　so　much　pain　as　I　read　it。　To　what　courses　are　you　committed？　You　are　going