father goriot(高老头)-第59节

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　starch　trade！　You　will　not　be　telling　a　lie。　Millions；　tell　them；　and　even　if　they　really　come　because　they　covet　the　money；　I　would　rather　let　them　deceive　me；　and　I　shall　see　them　in　any　case。　I　want　my　children！　I　gave　them　life；　they　are　mine；　mine！〃　and　he　sat　upright。　The　head　thus　raised；　with　its　scanty　white　hair；　seemed　to　Eugene　like　a　threat；　every　line　that　could　still　speak　spoke　of　menace。

〃There；　there；　dear　father；〃　said　Eugene；　〃lie　down　again；　I　will　write　to　them　at　once。　As　soon　as　Bianchon　comes　back　I　will　go　for　them　myself；　if　they　do　not　come　before。〃

〃If　they　do　not　come？〃　repeated　the　old　man；　sobbing。　〃Why；　I　shall　be　dead　before　then；　I　shall　die　in　a　fit　of　rage；　of　rage！　Anger　is　getting　the　better　of　me。　I　can　see　my　whole　life　at　this　minute。　I　have　been　cheated！　They　do　not　love　methey　have　never　loved　me　all　their　lives！　It　is　all　clear　to　me。　They　have　not　come；　and　they　will　not　come。　The　longer　they　put　off　their　coming；　the　less　they　are　likely　to　give　me　this　joy。　I　know　them。　They　have　never　cared　to　guess　my　disappointments；　my　sorrows；　my　wants；　they　never　cared　to　know　my　life；　they　will　have　no　presentiment　of　my　death；　they　do　not　even　know　the　secret　of　my　tenderness　for　them。　Yes；　I　see　it　all　now。　I　have　laid　my　heart　open　so　often；　that　they　take　everything　I　do　for　them　as　a　matter　of　course。　They　might　have　asked　me　for　the　very　eyes　out　of　my　head　and　I　would　have　bidden　them　to　pluck　them　out。　They　think　that　all　fathers　are　like　theirs。　You　should　always　make　your　value　felt。　Their　own　children　will　avenge　me。　Why；　for　their　own　sakes　they　should　come　to　me！　Make　them　understand　that　they　are　laying　up　retribution　for　their　own　deathbeds。　All　crimes　are　summed　up　in　this　one。　。　。　。　Go　to　them；　just　tell　them　that　if　they　stay　away　it　will　be　parricide！　There　is　enough　laid　to　their　charge　already　without　adding　that　to　the　list。　Cry　aloud　as　I　do　now；　'Nasie！　Delphine！　here！　Come　to　your　father；　the　father　who　has　been　so　kind　to　you　is　lying　ill！'Not　a　sound；　no　one　comes！　Then　am　I　do　die　like　a　dog？　This　is　to　be　my　rewardI　am　forsaken　at　the　last。　They　are　wicked；　heartless　women；　curses　on　them；　I　loathe　them。　I　shall　rise　at　night　from　my　grave　to　curse　them　again；　for；　after　all；　my　friends；　have　I　done　wrong？　They　are　behaving　very　badly　to　me；　eh？　。　。　。　What　am　I　saying？　Did　you　not　tell　me　just　now　that　Delphine　is　in　the　room？　She　is　more　tender…hearted　than　her　sister。　。　。　。　Eugene；　you　are　my　son；　you　know。　You　will　love　her；　be　a　father　to　her！　Her　sister　is　very　unhappy。　And　there　are　their　fortunes！　Ah；　God！　I　am　dying；　this　anguish　is　almost　more　than　I　can　bear！　Cut　off　my　head；　leave　me　nothing　but　my　heart。〃

〃Christophe！〃　shouted　Eugene；　alarmed　by　the　way　in　which　the　old　man　moaned；　and　by　his　cries；　〃go　for　M。　Bianchon；　and　send　a　cab　here　for　me。I　am　going　to　fetch　them；　dear　father；　I　will　bring　them　back　to　you。〃

〃Make　them　come！　Compel　them　to　come！　Call　out　the　Guard；　the　military；　anything　and　everything；　but　make　them　come！〃　He　looked　at　Eugene；　and　a　last　gleam　of　intelligence　shone　in　his　eyes。　〃Go　to　the　authorities；　to　the　Public　Prosecutor；　let　them　bring　them　here；　come　they　shall！〃

〃But　you　have　cursed　them。〃

〃Who　said　that！〃　said　the　old　man　in　dull　amazement。　〃You　know　quite　well　that　I　love　them；　I　adore　them！　I　shall　be　quite　well　again　if　I　can　see　them。　。　。　。　Go　for　them；　my　good　neighbor；　my　dear　boy；　you　are　kind…hearted；　I　wish　I　could　repay　you　for　your　kindness；　but　I　have　nothing　to　give　you　now；　save　the　blessing　of　a　dying　man。　Ah！　if　I　could　only　see　Delphine；　to　tell　her　to　pay　my　debt　to　you。　If　the　other　cannot　come；　bring　Delphine　to　me　at　any　rate。　Tell　her　that　unless　she　comes；　you　will　not　love　her　any　more。　She　is　so　fond　of　you　that　she　will　come　to　me　then。　Give　me　something　to　drink！　There　is　a　fire　in　my　bowels。　Press　something　against　my　forehead！　If　my　daughters　would　lay　their　hands　there；　I　think　I　should　get　better。　。　。　。　MON　DIEU！　who　will　recover　their　money　for　them　when　I　am　gone？　。　。　。　I　will　manufacture　vermicelli　out　in　Odessa；　I　will　go　to　Odessa　for　their　sakes。〃

〃Here　is　something　to　drink；〃　said　Eugene；　supporting　the　dying　man　on　his　left　arm；　while　he　held　a　cup　of　tisane　to　Goriot's　lips。

〃How　you　must　love　your　own　father　and　mother！〃　said　the　old　man；　and　grasped　the　student's　hand　in　both　of　his。　It　was　a　feeble；　trembling　grasp。　〃I　am　going　to　die；　I　shall　die　without　seeing　my　daughters；　do　you　understand？　To　be　always　thirsting；　and　never　to　drink；　that　has　been　my　life　for　the　last　ten　years。　。　。　。　I　have　no　daughters；　my　sons…in…law　killed　them。　No；　since　their　marriages　they　have　been　dead　to　me。　Fathers　should　petition　the　Chambers　to　pass　a　law　against　marriage。　If　you　love　your　daughters；　do　not　let　them　marry。　A　son…in…law　is　a　rascal　who　poisons　a　girl's　mind　and　contaminates　her　whole　nature。　Let　us　have　no　more　marriages！　It　robs　us　of　our　daughters；　we　are　left　alone　upon　our　deathbeds；　and　they　are　not　with　us　then。　They　ought　to　pass　a　law　for　dying　fathers。　This　is　awful！　It　cries　for　vengeance！　They　cannot　come；　because　my　sons…in…law　forbid　them！　。　。　。　Kill　them！　。　。　。　Restaud　and　the　Alsatian；　kill　them　both！　They　have　murdered　me　between　them！　。　。　。　Death　or　my　daughters！　。　。　。　Ah！　it　is　too　late；　I　am　dying；　and　they　are　not　here！　。　。　。　Dying　without　them！　。　。　。　Nasie！　Fifine！　Why　do　you　not　come　to　me？　Your　papa　is　going〃

〃Dear　Father　Goriot；　calm　yourself。　There；　there；　lie　quietly　and　rest；　don't　worry　yourself；　don't　think。〃

〃I　shall　not　see　them。　Oh！　the　agony　of　it！〃

〃You　SHALL　see　them。〃

〃Really？〃　cried　the　old　man；　still　wandering。　〃Oh！　shall　I　see　them；　I　shall　see　them　and　hear　their　voices。　I　shall　die　happy。　Ah！　well；　after　all；　I　do　not　wish　to　live；　I　cannot　stand　this　much　longer；　this　pain　that　grows　worse　and　worse。　But；　oh！　to　see　them；　to　touch　their　dressesah！　nothing　but　their　dresses；　that　is　very　little；　still；　to　feel　something　that　belongs　to　them。　Let　me　touch　their　hair　with　my　fingers　。　。　。　their　hair　。　。　。〃

His　head　fell　back　on　the　pillow；　as　if　a　sudden　heavy　blow　had　struck　him　down；　but　his　hands　groped　feebly　over　the　quilt；　as　if　to　find　his　daughters'　hair。

〃My　blessing　on　them　。　。　。〃　he　said；　making　an　effort；　〃my　blessing　。　。　。〃

His　voice　died　away。　Just　at　that　moment　Bianchon　came　into　the　room。

〃I　met　Christophe；〃　he　said；　〃he　is　gone　for　your　cab。〃

Then　he　looked　at　the　patient；　and　raised　the　closed　eyelids　with　his　fingers。　The　two　students　saw　how　dead　and　lustreless　the　eyes　beneath　had　grown。

〃He　will　not　get　over　this；　I　am　sure；〃　said　Bianchon。　He　felt　the　old　man's　pulse；　and　laid　a　hand　over　his　heart。

〃The　machinery　works　still；　more　is　the　pity；　in　his　state　it　would　be　better　for　him　to　die。〃

〃Ah！　my　word；　it　would！〃

〃What　is　the　matter　with　you？　You　are　as　pale　as　death。〃

〃Dear　fellow；　the　moans　and　cries　that　I　have　just　heard。　。　。　。　There　is　a　God！　Ah！　yes；　yes；　there　is　a　God；　and　He　has　made　a　better　world　for　us；　or　this　world　of　ours　would　be　a　nightmare。　I　could　have　cried　like　a　child；　but　this　is　too　tragical；　and　I　am　sick　at　heart。

〃We　want　a　lot　of　things；　you　know；　and　where　is　the　money　to　come　from？〃

Rastignac　took　out　his　watch。

〃There；　be　quick　and　pawn　it。　I　do　not　want　to　stop　on　the　way　to　the　Rue　du　Helder；　there　is　not　a　moment　to　lose；　I　am　afraid；　and　I　must　wait　here　till　Christophe　comes　back。　I　have　not　a　farthing；　I　shall　have　to　pay　the　cabman　when　I　get　home　again。〃

Rastignac　rushed　down　the　stairs；　and　drove　off　to　the　Rue　du　Helder。　The　awful　scene　through　which　he　had　just　passed　quickened　his　imagination；　and　he　grew　fiercely　indignant。　He　reached　Mme。　de　Restaud's　house　only　to　be　told　by　the　servant　that　his　mistress　could　see　no　one。

〃But　I　have　brought　a　message　from　her　father；　who　is　dying；〃　Rastignac　told　the　man。

〃The　Count　has　given　us　the　strictest　orders；　sir〃

〃If　it　is　M。　de　Restaud　who　has　given　the　orders；　tell　him　that　his　father…in…law　is　dying；　and　that　I　am　here；　and　must　speak　with　him　at　once。〃

The　man　went　out。

Eugene　waited　for　a　long　while。　〃Perhaps　her　father　is　dying　at　this　moment；〃　he　thought。

Then　the　man　came　back；　and　Eugene　followed　him　to　the　little　drawing…room。　M。　de　Restaud　was　standing　before　the　fireless　grate；　and　did　not　ask　his　visitor　to　seat　himself。

〃Monsieur　le　Comte；〃　said　Rastignac；　〃M。　Goriot；　your　father…in…　law；　is　lying　at　the　point　of　death　in　a　squalid　den　in　the　Latin　Quarter。　He　has　not　a　penny　to　pay　for　firewood；　he　is　expected　to　die　at　any　moment；　and　keeps　calling　for　his　daughter〃

〃I　feel　very　little　affection　for　M。　Goriot；　sir；　as　you　probably　are　aware；〃　the　Count　answered　coolly。　〃His　character　has　been　compromised　in　connection　with　Mme。　de　Restaud；　he　is　the　author　of　the　misfortunes　that　have　embittered　my　life　and　troubled　my　peace　of　mind。　It　is　a　matter　of　perfect　indifference　to　me　if　he　lives　or　dies。　Now　you　know　my　feelings　with　regard　to　him。　Public　opinion　may　blame　me；　but　I　care　nothing　for　public　opinion。　Just　now　I　have　other　and　much　more　important　matters　to　think　about　than　the　things　that　fools　and　chatter