father goriot(高老头)-第7节

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〃Two　of　them！〃　cried　the　portly　Sylvie；　who　did　not　recognize　the　lady　of　the　first　visit。

A　few　days　later；　and　another　young　ladya　tall；　well…moulded　brunette；　with　dark　hair　and　bright　eyescame　to　ask　for　M。　Goriot。

〃Three　of　them！〃　said　Sylvie。

Then　the　second　daughter；　who　had　first　come　in　the　morning　to　see　her　father；　came　shortly　afterwards　in　the　evening。　She　wore　a　ball　dress；　and　came　in　a　carriage。

〃Four　of　them！〃　commented　Mme。　Vauquer　and　her　plump　handmaid。　Sylvie　saw　not　a　trace　of　resemblance　between　this　great　lady　and　the　girl　in　her　simple　morning　dress　who　had　entered　her　kitchen　on　the　occasion　of　her　first　visit。

At　that　time　Goriot　was　paying　twelve　hundred　francs　a　year　to　his　landlady；　and　Mme。　Vauquer　saw　nothing　out　of　the　common　in　the　fact　that　a　rich　man　had　four　or　five　mistresses；　nay；　she　thought　it　very　knowing　of　him　to　pass　them　off　as　his　daughters。　She　was　not　at　all　inclined　to　draw　a　hard…and…fast　line；　or　to　take　umbrage　at　his　sending　for　them　to　the　Maison　Vauquer；　yet；　inasmuch　as　these　visits　explained　her　boarder's　indifference　to　her；　she　went　so　far　（at　the　end　of　the　second　year）　as　to　speak　of　him　as　an　〃ugly　old　wretch。〃　When　at　length　her　boarder　declined　to　nine　hundred　francs　a　year；　she　asked　him　very　insolently　what　he　took　her　house　to　be；　after　meeting　one　of　these　ladies　on　he　stairs。　Father　Goriot　answered　that　the　lady　was　his　eldest　daughter。

〃So　you　have　two　or　three　dozen　daughters；　have　you？〃　said　Mme。　Vauquer　sharply。

〃I　have　only　two；〃　her　boarder　answered　meekly；　like　a　ruined　man　who　is　broken　in　to　all　the　cruel　usage　of　misfortune。



Towards　the　end　of　the　third　year　Father　Goriot　reduced　his　expenses　still　further；　he　went　up　to　the　third　story；　and　now　paid　forty…five　francs　a　month。　He　did　without　snuff；　told　his　hairdresser　that　he　no　longer　required　his　services；　and　gave　up　wearing　powder。　When　Goriot　appeared　for　the　first　time　in　this　condition；　an　exclamation　of　astonishment　broke　from　his　hostess　at　the　color　of　his　haira　dingy　olive　gray。　He　had　grown　sadder　day　by　day　under　the　influence　of　some　hidden　trouble；　among　all　the　faces　round　the　table；　his　was　the　most　woe…begone。　There　was　no　longer　any　doubt。　Goriot　was　an　elderly　libertine；　whose　eyes　had　only　been　preserved　by　the　skill　of　the　physician　from　the　malign　influence　of　the　remedies　necessitated　by　the　state　of　his　health。　The　disgusting　color　of　his　hair　was　a　result　of　his　excesses　and　of　the　drugs　which　he　had　taken　that　he　might　continue　his　career。　The　poor　old　man's　mental　and　physical　condition　afforded　some　grounds　for　the　absurd　rubbish　talked　about　him。　When　his　outfit　was　worn　out；　he　replaced　the　fine　linen　by　calico　at　fourteen　sous　the　ell。　His　diamonds；　his　gold　snuff…box；　watch…chain　and　trinkets；　disappeared　one　by　one。　He　had　left　off　wearing　the　corn…flower　blue　coat；　and　was　sumptuously　arrayed；　summer　as　well　as　winter；　in　a　coarse　chestnut…brown　coat；　a　plush　waistcoat；　and　doeskin　breeches。　He　grew　thinner　and　thinner；　his　legs　were　shrunken；　his　cheeks；　once　so　puffed　out　by　contented　bourgeois　prosperity；　were　covered　with　wrinkles；　and　the　outlines　of　the　jawbones　were　distinctly　visible；　there　were　deep　furrows　in　his　forehead。　In　the　fourth　year　of　his　residence　in　the　Rue　Neuve…Sainte…　Genevieve　he　was　no　longer　like　his　former　self。　The　hale　vermicelli　manufacturer；　sixty…two　years　of　age；　who　had　looked　scarce　forty；　the　stout；　comfortable；　prosperous　tradesman；　with　an　almost　bucolic　air；　and　such　a　brisk　demeanor　that　it　did　you　good　to　look　at　him；　the　man　with　something　boyish　in　his　smile；　had　suddenly　sunk　into　his　dotage；　and　had　become　a　feeble；　vacillating　septuagenarian。

The　keen；　bright　blue　eyes　had　grown　dull；　and　faded　to　a　steel…　gray　color；　the　red　inflamed　rims　looked　as　though　they　had　shed　tears　of　blood。　He　excited　feelings　of　repulsion　in　some；　and　of　pity　in　others。　The　young　medical　students　who　came　to　the　house　noticed　the　drooping　of　his　lower　lip　and　the　conformation　of　the　facial　angle；　and；　after　teasing　him　for　some　time　to　no　purpose；　they　declared　that　cretinism　was　setting　in。

One　evening　after　dinner　Mme。　Vauquer　said　half　banteringly　to　him；　〃So　those　daughters　of　yours　don't　come　to　see　you　any　more；　eh？〃　meaning　to　imply　her　doubts　as　to　his　paternity；　but　Father　Goriot　shrank　as　if　his　hostess　had　touched　him　with　a　sword…　point。

〃They　come　sometimes；〃　he　said　in　a　tremulous　voice。

〃Aha！　you　still　see　them　sometimes？〃　cried　the　students。　〃Bravo；　Father　Goriot！〃

The　old　man　scarcely　seemed　to　hear　the　witticisms　at　his　expense　that　followed　on　the　words；　he　had　relapsed　into　the　dreamy　state　of　mind　that　these　superficial　observers　took　for　senile　torpor；　due　to　his　lack　of　intelligence。　If　they　had　only　known；　they　might　have　been　deeply　interested　by　the　problem　of　his　condition；　but　few　problems　were　more　obscure。　It　was　easy；　of　course；　to　find　out　whether　Goriot　had　really　been　a　vermicelli　manufacturer；　the　amount　of　his　fortune　was　readily　discoverable；　but　the　old　people；　who　were　most　inquisitive　as　to　his　concerns；　never　went　beyond　the　limits　of　the　Quarter；　and　lived　in　the　lodging…house　much　as　oysters　cling　to　a　rock。　As　for　the　rest；　the　current　of　life　in　Paris　daily　awaited　them；　and　swept　them　away　with　it；　so　soon　as　they　left　the　Rue　Neuve…Sainte…　Genevieve；　they　forgot　the　existence　of　the　old　man；　their　butt　at　dinner。　For　those　narrow　souls；　or　for　careless　youth；　the　misery　in　Father　Goriot's　withered　face　and　its　dull　apathy　were　quite　incompatible　with　wealth　or　any　sort　of　intelligence。　As　for　the　creatures　whom　he　called　his　daughters；　all　Mme。　Vauquer's　boarders　were　of　her　opinion。　With　the　faculty　for　severe　logic　sedulously　cultivated　by　elderly　women　during　long　evenings　of　gossip　till　they　can　always　find　an　hypothesis　to　fit　all　circumstances；　she　was　wont　to　reason　thus：

〃If　Father　Goriot　had　daughters　of　his　own　as　rich　as　those　ladies　who　came　here　seemed　to　be；　he　would　not　be　lodging　in　my　house；　on　the　third　floor；　at　forty…five　francs　a　month；　and　he　would　not　go　about　dressed　like　a　poor　man。〃

No　objection　could　be　raised　to　these　inferences。　So　by　the　end　of　the　month　of　November　1819；　at　the　time　when　the　curtain　rises　on　this　drama；　every　one　in　the　house　had　come　to　have　a　very　decided　opinion　as　to　the　poor　old　man。　He　had　never　had　either　wife　or　daughter；　excesses　had　reduced　him　to　this　sluggish　condition；　he　was　a　sort　of　human　mollusk　who　should　be　classed　among　the　capulidoe；　so　one　of　the　dinner　contingent；　an　employe　at　the　Museum；　who　had　a　pretty　wit　of　his　own。　Poiret　was　an　eagle；　a　gentleman；　compared　with　Goriot。　Poiret　would　join　the　talk；　argue；　answer　when　he　was　spoken　to；　as　a　matter　of　fact；　his　talk；　arguments；　and　responses　contributed　nothing　to　the　conversation；　for　Poiret　had　a　habit　of　repeating　what　the　others　said　in　different　words；　still；　he　did　join　in　the　talk；　he　was　alive；　and　seemed　capable　of　feeling；　while　Father　Goriot　（to　quote　the　Museum　official　again）　was　invariably　at　zeroReaumur。

Eugene　de　Rastignac　had　just　returned　to　Paris　in　a　state　of　mind　not　unknown　to　young　men　who　are　conscious　of　unusual　powers；　and　to　those　whose　faculties　are　so　stimulated　by　a　difficult　position；　that　for　the　time　being　they　rise　above　the　ordinary　level。

Rastignac's　first　year　of　study　for　the　preliminary　examinations　in　law　had　left　him　free　to　see　the　sights　of　Paris　and　to　enjoy　some　of　its　amusements。　A　student　has　not　much　time　on　his　hands　if　he　sets　himself　to　learn　the　repertory　of　every　theatre；　and　to　study　the　ins　and　outs　of　the　labyrinth　of　Paris。　To　know　its　customs；　to　learn　the　language；　and　become　familiar　with　the　amusements　of　the　capital；　he　must　explore　its　recesses；　good　and　bad；　follow　the　studies　that　please　him　best；　and　form　some　idea　of　the　treasures　contained　in　galleries　and　museums。

At　this　stage　of　his　career　a　student　grows　eager　and　excited　about　all　sorts　of　follies　that　seem　to　him　to　be　of　immense　importance。　He　has　his　hero；　his　great　man；　a　professor　at　the　College　de　France；　paid　to　talk　down　to　the　level　of　his　audience。　He　adjusts　his　cravat；　and　strikes　various　attitudes　for　the　benefit　of　the　women　in　the　first　galleries　at　the　Opera…　Comique。　As　he　passes　through　all　these　successive　initiations；　and　breaks　out　of　his　sheath；　the　horizons　of　life　widen　around　him；　and　at　length　he　grasps　the　plan　of　society　with　the　different　human　strata　of　which　it　is　composed。

If　he　begins　by　admiring　the　procession　of　carriages　on　sunny　afternoons　in　the　Champs…Elysees；　he　soon　reaches　the　further　stage　of　envying　their　owners。　Unconsciously；　Eugene　had　served　his　apprenticeship　before　he　went　back　to　Angouleme　for　the　long　vacation　after　taking　his　degrees　as　bachelor　of　arts　and　bachelor　of　law。　The　illusions　of　childhood　had　vanished；　so　also　had　the　ideas　he　brought　with　him　from　the　provinces；　he　had　returned　thither　with　an　intelligence　developed；　with　loftier　ambitions；　and　saw　things　as　they　were　at　home　in　the　old　manor　house。　His　father　and　mother；　his　two　brothers　and　two　sisters；　with　an　aged　aunt；　whose　whole　fortune　consisted　in　annuities；　lived　on　the