eugenie grandet-第1节

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Eugenie　Grandet

by　Honore　de　Balzac

Translated　by　Katharine　Prescott　Wormeley




DEDICATION

　　To　Maria。

　　May　your　name；　that　of　one　whose　portrait　is　the　noblest　ornament
　　of　this　work；　lie　on　its　opening　pages　like　a　branch　of　sacred
　　box；　taken　from　an　unknown　tree；　but　sanctified　by　religion；　and
　　kept　ever　fresh　and　green　by　pious　hands　to　bless　the　house。

De　Balzac。




EUGENIE　GRANDET



I

There　are　houses　in　certain　provincial　towns　whose　aspect　inspires
melancholy；　akin　to　that　called　forth　by　sombre　cloisters；　dreary
moorlands；　or　the　desolation　of　ruins。　Within　these　houses　there　is；
perhaps；　the　silence　of　the　cloister；　the　barrenness　of　moors；　the
skeleton　of　ruins；　life　and　movement　are　so　stagnant　there　that　a
stranger　might　think　them　uninhabited；　were　it　not　that　he　encounters
suddenly　the　pale；　cold　glance　of　a　motionless　person；　whose　half…
monastic　face　peers　beyond　the　window…casing　at　the　sound　of　an
unaccustomed　step。

Such　elements　of　sadness　formed　the　physiognomy；　as　it　were；　of　a
dwelling…house　in　Saumur　which　stands　at　the　end　of　the　steep　street
leading　to　the　chateau　in　the　upper　part　of　the　town。　This　streetnow
little　frequented；　hot　in　summer；　cold　in　winter；　dark　in　certain
sectionsis　remarkable　for　the　resonance　of　its　little　pebbly
pavement；　always　clean　and　dry；　for　the　narrowness　of　its　tortuous
road…way；　for　the　peaceful　stillness　of　its　houses；　which　belong　to
the　Old　town　and　are　over…topped　by　the　ramparts。　Houses　three
centuries　old　are　still　solid；　though　built　of　wood；　and　their　divers
aspects　add　to　the　originality　which　commends　this　portion　of　Saumur
to　the　attention　of　artists　and　antiquaries。

It　is　difficult　to　pass　these　houses　without　admiring　the　enormous
oaken　beams；　their　ends　carved　into　fantastic　figures；　which　crown
with　a　black　bas…relief　the　lower　floor　of　most　of　them。　In　one　place
these　transverse　timbers　are　covered　with　slate　and　mark　a　bluish　line
along　the　frail　wall　of　a　dwelling　covered　by　a　roof　/en　colombage/
which　bends　beneath　the　weight　of　years；　and　whose　rotting　shingles
are　twisted　by　the　alternate　action　of　sun　and　rain。　In　another　place
blackened；　worn…out　window…sills；　with　delicate　sculptures　now
scarcely　discernible；　seem　too　weak　to　bear　the　brown　clay　pots　from
which　springs　the　heart's…ease　or　the　rose…bush　of　some　poor　working…
woman。　Farther　on　are　doors　studded　with　enormous　nails；　where　the
genius　of　our　forefathers　has　traced　domestic　hieroglyphics；　of　which
the　meaning　is　now　lost　forever。　Here　a　Protestant　attested　his
belief；　there　a　Leaguer　cursed　Henry　IV。；　elsewhere　some　bourgeois　has
carved　the　insignia　of　his　/noblesse　de　cloches/；　symbols　of　his　long…
forgotten　magisterial　glory。　The　whole　history　of　France　is　there。

Next　to　a　tottering　house　with　roughly　plastered　walls；　where　an
artisan　enshrines　his　tools；　rises　the　mansion　of　a　country　gentleman；
on　the　stone　arch　of　which　above　the　door　vestiges　of　armorial
bearings　may　still　be　seen；　battered　by　the　many　revolutions　that　have
shaken　France　since　1789。　In　this　hilly　street　the　ground…floors　of
the　merchants　are　neither　shops　nor　warehouses；　lovers　of　the　Middle
Ages　will　here　find　the　/ouvrouere/　of　our　forefathers　in　all　its
naive　simplicity。　These　low　rooms；　which　have　no　shop…frontage；　no
show…windows；　in　fact　no　glass　at　all；　are　deep　and　dark　and　without
interior　or　exterior　decoration。　Their　doors　open　in　two　parts；　each
roughly　iron…bound；　the　upper　half　is　fastened　back　within　the　room；
the　lower　half；　fitted　with　a　spring…bell；　swings　continually　to　and
fro。　Air　and　light　reach　the　damp　den　within；　either　through　the　upper
half　of　the　door；　or　through　an　open　space　between　the　ceiling　and　a
low　front　wall；　breast…high；　which　is　closed　by　solid　shutters　that
are　taken　down　every　morning；　put　up　every　evening；　and　held　in　place
by　heavy　iron　bars。

This　wall　serves　as　a　counter　for　the　merchandise。　No　delusive　display
is　there；　only　samples　of　the　business；　whatever　it　may　chance　to　be；
such；　for　instance；　as　three　or　four　tubs　full　of　codfish　and　salt；
a　few　bundles　of　sail…cloth；　cordage；　copper　wire　hanging　from　the
joists　above；　iron　hoops　for　casks　ranged　along　the　wall；　or　a　few
pieces　of　cloth　upon　the　shelves。　Enter。　A　neat　girl；　glowing　with
youth；　wearing　a　white　kerchief；　her　arms　red　and　bare；　drops　her
knitting　and　calls　her　father　or　her　mother；　one　of　whom　comes　forward
and　sells　you　what　you　want；　phlegmatically；　civilly；　or　arrogantly；
according　to　his　or　her　individual　character；　whether　it　be　a　matter
of　two　sous'　or　twenty　thousand　francs'　worth　of　merchandise。　You　may
see　a　cooper；　for　instance；　sitting　in　his　doorway　and　twirling　his
thumbs　as　he　talks　with　a　neighbor。　To　all　appearance　he　owns　nothing
more　than　a　few　miserable　boat…ribs　and　two　or　three　bundles　of　laths；
but　below　in　the　port　his　teeming　wood…yard　supplies　all　the　cooperage
trade　of　Anjou。　He　knows　to　a　plank　how　many　casks　are　needed　if　the
vintage　is　good。　A　hot　season　makes　him　rich；　a　rainy　season　ruins
him；　in　a　single　morning　puncheons　worth　eleven　francs　have　been　known
to　drop　to　six。　In　this　country；　as　in　Touraine；　atmospheric
vicissitudes　control　commercial　life。　Wine…growers；　proprietors；　wood…
merchants；　coopers；　inn…keepers；　mariners；　all　keep　watch　of　the　sun。
They　tremble　when　they　go　to　bed　lest　they　should　hear　in　the　morning
of　a　frost　in　the　night；　they　dread　rain；　wind；　drought；　and　want
water；　heat；　and　clouds　to　suit　their　fancy。　A　perpetual　duel　goes　on
between　the　heavens　and　their　terrestrial　interests。　The　barometer
smooths；　saddens；　or　makes　merry　their　countenances；　turn　and　turn
about。　From　end　to　end　of　this　street；　formerly　the　Grand'Rue　de
Saumur；　the　words：　〃Here's　golden　weather；〃　are　passed　from　door　to
door；　or　each　man　calls　to　his　neighbor：　〃It　rains　louis；〃　knowing
well　what　a　sunbeam　or　the　opportune　rainfall　is　bringing　him。

On　Saturdays　after　midday；　in　the　fine　season；　not　one　sou's　worth　of
merchandise　can　be　bought　from　these　worthy　traders。　Each　has　his
vineyard；　his　enclosure　of　fields；　and　all　spend　two　days　in　the
country。　This　being　foreseen；　and　purchases；　sales；　and　profits
provided　for；　the　merchants　have　ten　or　twelve　hours　to　spend　in
parties　of　pleasure；　in　making　observations；　in　criticisms；　and　in
continual　spying。　A　housewife　cannot　buy　a　partridge　without　the
neighbors　asking　the　husband　if　it　were　cooked　to　a　turn。　A　young　girl
never　puts　her　head　near　a　window　that　she　is　not　seen　by　idling
groups　in　the　street。　Consciences　are　held　in　the　light；　and　the
houses；　dark；　silent；　impenetrable　as　they　seem；　hide　no　mysteries。
Life　is　almost　wholly　in　the　open　air；　every　household　sits　at　its　own
threshold；　breakfasts；　dines；　and　quarrels　there。　No　one　can　pass
along　the　street　without　being　examined；　in　fact　formerly；　when　a
stranger　entered　a　provincial　town　he　was　bantered　and　made　game　of
from　door　to　door。　From　this　came　many　good　stories；　and　the　nickname
/copieux/；　which　was　applied　to　the　inhabitants　of　Angers；　who
excelled　in　such　urban　sarcasms。

The　ancient　mansions　of　the　old　town　of　Saumur　are　at　the　top　of　this
hilly　street；　and　were　formerly　occupied　by　the　nobility　of　the
neighborhood。　The　melancholy　dwelling　where　the　events　of　the
following　history　took　place　is　one　of　these　mansions；venerable
relics　of　a　century　in　which　men　and　things　bore　the　characteristics
of　simplicity　which　French　manners　and　customs　are　losing　day　by　day。
Follow　the　windings　of　the　picturesque　thoroughfare；　whose
irregularities　awaken　recollections　that　plunge　the　mind　mechanically
into　reverie；　and　you　will　see　a　somewhat　dark　recess；　in　the　centre
of　which　is　hidden　the　door　of　the　house　of　Monsieur　Grandet。　It　is
impossible　to　understand　the　force　of　this　provincial　expressionthe
house　of　Monsieur　Grandetwithout　giving　the　biography　of　Monsieur
Grandet　himself。

Monsieur　Grandet　enjoyed　a　reputation　in　Saumur　whose　causes　and
effects　can　never　be　fully　understood　by　those　who　have　not；　at　one
time　or　another；　lived　in　the　provinces。　In　1789　Monsieur　Grandet
still　called　by　certain　persons　le　Pere　Grandet；　though　the　number　of
such　old　persons　has　perceptibly　diminishedwas　a　master…cooper；　able
to　read；　write；　and　cipher。　At　the　period　when　the　French　Republic
offered　for　sale　the　church　property　in　the　arrondissement　of　Saumur；
the　cooper；　then　forty　years　of　age；　had　just　married　the　daughter　of
a　rich　wood…merchant。　Supplied　with　the　ready　money　of　his　own　fortune
and　his　wife's　/dot/；　in　all　about　two　thousand　louis…d'or；　Grandet
went　to　the　newly　established　〃district；〃　where；　with　the　help　of　two
hundred　double　louis　given　by　his　father…in…law　to　the　surly
republican　who　presided　over　the　sales　of　the　national　domain；　he
obtained　for　a　song；　legally　if　not　legitimately；　one　of　the　finest
vineyards　in　the　arrondissement；　an　old　abbey；　and　several　farms。　The
inhabitants　of　Saumur　were　so　little　revolutionary　that　they　thought
Pere　Grandet　a　bold　man；　a　republican；　and　a　patriot　with　a　mind　open
to　all　the　new　ideas；　though　in　point　of　fact　it　was　open　only