father goriot(高老头)-第30节

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dressed；　and　have　soft　carpets　under　their　feet；　what　does　it　matter　what　clothes　I　wear　or　where　I　lie　down　of　a　night？　I　shall　never　feel　cold　so　long　as　they　are　warm；　I　shall　never　feel　dull　if　they　are　laughing。　I　have　no　troubles　but　theirs。　When　you；　too；　are　a　father；　and　you　hear　your　children's　little　voices；　you　will　say　to　yourself；　'That　has　all　come　from　me。'　You　will　feel　that　those　little　ones　are　akin　to　every　drop　in　your　veins；　that　they　are　the　very　flower　of　your　life　（and　what　else　are　they？）；　you　will　cleave　so　closely　to　them　that　you　seem　to　feel　every　movement　that　they　make。　Everywhere　I　hear　their　voices　sounding　in　my　ears。　If　they　are　sad；　the　look　in　their　eyes　freezes　my　blood。　Some　day　you　will　find　out　that　there　is　far　more　happiness　in　another's　happiness　than　in　your　own。　It　is　something　that　I　cannot　explain；　something　within　that　sends　a　glow　of　warmth　all　through　you。　In　short；　I　live　my　life　three　times　over。　Shall　I　tell　you　something　funny？　Well；　then；　since　I　have　been　a　father；　I　have　come　to　understand　God。　He　is　everywhere　in　the　world；　because　the　whole　world　comes　from　Him。　And　it　is　just　the　same　with　my　children；　monsieur。　Only；　I　love　my　daughters　better　than　God　loves　the　world；　for　the　world　is　not　so　beautiful　as　God　Himself　is；　but　my　children　are　more　beautiful　than　I　am。　Their　lives　are　so　bound　up　with　mine　that　I　felt　somehow　that　you　would　see　them　this　evening。　Great　Heaven！　If　any　man　would　make　my　little　Delphine　as　happy　as　a　wife　is　when　she　is　loved；　I　would　black　his　boots　and　run　on　his　errands。　That　miserable　M。　de　Marsay　is　a　cur；　I　know　all　about　him　from　her　maid。　A　longing　to　wring　his　neck　comes　over　me　now　and　then。　He　does　not　love　her！　does　not　love　a　pearl　of　a　woman；　with　a　voice　like　a　nightingale　and　shaped　like　a　model。　Where　can　her　eyes　have　been　when　she　married　that　great　lump　of　an　Alsatian？　They　ought　both　of　them　to　have　married　young　men；　good…looking　and　good…temperedbut；　after　all；　they　had　their　own　way。〃

Father　Goriot　was　sublime。　Eugene　had　never　yet　seen　his　face　light　up　as　it　did　now　with　the　passionate　fervor　of　a　father's　love。　It　is　worthy　of　remark　that　strong　feeling　has　a　very　subtle　and　pervasive　power；　the　roughest　nature；　in　the　endeavor　to　express　a　deep　and　sincere　affection；　communicates　to　others　the　influence　that　has　put　resonance　into　the　voice；　and　eloquence　into　every　gesture；　wrought　a　change　in　the　very　features　of　the　speaker；　for　under　the　inspiration　of　passion　the　stupidest　human　being　attains　to　the　highest　eloquence　of　ideas；　if　not　of　language；　and　seems　to　move　in　some　sphere　of　light。　In　the　old　man's　tones　and　gesture　there　was　something　just　then　of　the　same　spell　that　a　great　actor　exerts　over　his　audience。　But　does　not　the　poet　in　us　find　expression　in　our　affections？

〃Well；〃　said　Eugene；　〃perhaps　you　will　not　be　sorry　to　hear　that　she　is　pretty　sure　to　break　with　de　Marsay　before　long。　That　sprig　of　fashion　has　left　her　for　the　Princesse　Galathionne。　For　my　part；　I　fell　in　love　with　Mme。　Delphine　this　evening。〃

〃Stuff！〃　said　Father　Goriot。

〃I　did　indeed；　and　she　did　not　regard　me　with　aversion。　For　a　whole　hour　we　talked　of　love；　and　I　am　to　go　to　call　on　her　on　Saturday；　the　day　after　to…morrow。〃

〃Oh！　how　I　should　love　you；　if　she　should　like　you。　You　are　kind…　hearted；　you　would　never　make　her　miserable。　If　you　were　to　forsake　her；　I　would　cut　your　throat　at　once。　A　woman　does　not　love　twice；　you　see！　Good　heavens！　what　nonsense　I　am　talking；　M。　Eugene！　It　is　cold；　you　ought　not　to　stay　here。　MON　DIEU！　so　you　have　heard　her　speak？　What　message　did　she　give　you　for　me？〃

〃None　at　all；〃　said　Eugene　to　himself；　aloud　he　answered；　〃She　told　me　to　tell　you　that　your　daughter　sends　you　a　good　kiss。〃

〃Good…night；　neighbor！　Sleep　well；　and　pleasant　dreams　to　you！　I　have　mine　already　made　for　me　by　that　message　from　her。　May　God　grant　you　all　your　desires！　You　have　come　in　like　a　good　angel　on　me　to…night；　and　brought　with　you　the　air　that　my　daughter　breathes。〃

〃Poor　old　fellow！〃　said　Eugene　as　he　lay　down。　〃It　is　enough　to　melt　a　heart　of　stone。　His　daughter　no　more　thought　of　him　than　of　the　Grand　Turk。〃



Ever　after　this　conference　Goriot　looked　upon　his　neighbor　as　a　friend；　a　confidant　such　as　he　had　never　hoped　to　find；　and　there　was　established　between　the　two　the　only　relationship　that　could　attach　this　old　man　to　another　man。　The　passions　never　miscalculate。　Father　Goriot　felt　that　this　friendship　brought　him　closer　to　his　daughter　Delphine；　he　thought　that　he　should　find　a　warmer　welcome　for　himself　if　the　Baroness　should　care　for　Eugene。　Moreover；　he　had　confided　one　of　his　troubles　to　the　younger　man。　Mme。　de　Nucingen；　for　whose　happiness　he　prayed　a　thousand　times　daily；　had　never　known　the　joys　of　love。　Eugene　was　certainly　（to　make　use　of　his　own　expression）　one　of　the　nicest　young　men　that　he　had　ever　seen；　and　some　prophetic　instinct　seemed　to　tell　him　that　Eugene　was　to　give　her　the　happiness　which　had　not　been　hers。　These　were　the　beginnings　of　a　friendship　that　grew　up　between　the　old　man　and　his　neighbor；　but　for　this　friendship　the　catastrophe　of　the　drama　must　have　remained　a　mystery。

The　affection　with　which　Father　Goriot　regarded　Eugene；　by　whom　he　seated　himself　at　breakfast；　the　change　in　Goriot's　face；　which　as　a　rule；　looked　as　expressionless　as　a　plaster　cast；　and　a　few　words　that　passed　between　the　two；　surprised　the　other　lodgers。　Vautrin；　who　saw　Eugene　for　the　first　time　since　their　interview；　seemed　as　if　he　would　fain　read　the　student's　very　soul。　During　the　night　Eugene　had　had　some　time　in　which　to　scan　the　vast　field　which　lay　before　him；　and　now；　as　he　remembered　yesterday's　proposal；　the　thought　of　Mlle。　Taillefer's　dowry　came；　of　course；　to　his　mind；　and　he　could　not　help　thinking　of　Victorine　as　the　most　exemplary　youth　may　think　of　an　heiress。　It　chanced　that　their　eyes　met。　The　poor　girl　did　not　fail　to　see　that　Eugene　looked　very　handsome　in　his　new　clothes。　So　much　was　said　in　the　glance；　thus　exchanged；　that　Eugene　could　not　doubt　but　that　he　was　associated　in　her　mind　with　the　vague　hopes　that　lie　dormant　in　a　girl's　heart　and　gather　round　the　first　attractive　newcomer。　〃Eight　hundred　thousand　francs！〃　a　voice　cried　in　his　ears；　but　suddenly　he　took　refuge　in　the　memories　of　yesterday　evening；　thinking　that　his　extemporized　passion　for　Mme。　de　Nucingen　was　a　talisman　that　would　preserve　him　from　this　temptation。

〃They　gave　Rossini's　Barber　of　Seville　at　the　Italiens　yesterday　evening；〃　he　remarked。　〃I　never　heard　such　delicious　music。　Good　gracious！　how　lucky　people　are　to　have　a　box　at　the　Italiens！〃

Father　Goriot　drank　in　every　word　that　Eugene　let　fall；　and　watched　him　as　a　dog　watches　his　master's　slightest　movement。

〃You　men　are　like　fighting　cocks；〃　said　Mme。　Vauquer；　〃you　do　what　you　like。〃

〃How　did　you　get　back？〃　inquired　Vautrin。

〃I　walked；〃　answered　Eugene。

〃For　my　own　part；〃　remarked　the　tempter；　〃I　do　not　care　about　doing　things　by　halves。　If　I　want　to　enjoy　myself　that　way；　I　should　prefer　to　go　in　my　carriage；　sit　in　my　own　box；　and　do　the　thing　comfortably。　Everything　or　nothing；　that　is　my　motto。〃

〃And　a　good　one；　too；〃　commented　Mme。　Vauquer。

〃Perhaps　you　will　see　Mme。　de　Nucingen　to…day；〃　said　Eugene；　addressing　Goriot　in　an　undertone。　〃She　will　welcome　you　with　open　arms；　I　am　sure；　she　would　want　to　ask　you　for　all　sorts　of　little　details　about　me。　I　have　found　out　that　she　will　do　anything　in　the　world　to　be　known　by　my　cousin　Mme。　de　Beauseant；　don't　forget　to　tell　her　that　I　love　her　too　well　not　to　think　of　trying　to　arrange　this。〃

Rastignac　went　at　once　to　the　Ecole　de　Droit。　He　had　no　mind　to　stay　a　moment　longer　than　was　necessary　in　that　odious　house。　He　wasted　his　time　that　day；　he　had　fallen　a　victim　to　that　fever　of　the　brain　that　accompanies　the　too　vivid　hopes　of　youth。　Vautrin's　arguments　had　set　him　meditating　on　social　life；　and　he　was　deep　in　these　reflections　when　he　happened　on　his　friend　Bianchon　in　the　Jardin　du　Luxembourg。

〃What　makes　you　look　so　solemn？〃　said　the　medical　student；　putting　an　arm　through　Eugene's　as　they　went　towards　the　Palais。

〃I　am　tormented　by　temptations。〃

〃What　kind？　There　is　a　cure　for　temptation。〃

〃What？〃

〃Yielding　to　it。〃

〃You　laugh；　but　you　don't　know　what　it　is　all　about。　Have　you　read　Rousseau？〃

〃Yes。〃

〃Do　you　remember　that　he　asks　the　reader　somewhere　what　he　would　do　if　he　could　make　a　fortune　by　killing　an　old　mandarin　somewhere　in　China　by　mere　force　of　wishing　it；　and　without　stirring　from　Paris？〃

〃Yes。〃

〃Well；　then？〃

〃Pshaw！　I　am　at　my　thirty…third　mandarin。〃

〃Seriously；　though。　Look　here；　suppose　you　were　sure　that　you　could　do　it；　and　had　only　to　give　a　nod。　Would　you　do　it？〃

〃Is　he　well　stricken　in　years；　this　mandarin　of　yours？　Pshaw！　after　all；　young　or　old；　paralytic；　or　well　and　sound；　my　word　for　it。　。　。　。　Well；　then。　Hang　it；　no！〃

〃You　are　a　good　fellow；　Bianchon。　But　suppose　you　loved　a　woman　well　enough　to　lose　your　soul　in　hell　for　her；　and　that　she　wanted　money　for　dresses　and　a　carriage；　and　all　her　whims；　in　fact？〃

〃Why；　here　you　are　taking　away　my　reason；　and　want　me　to　reas