eugenie grandet-第24节

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it　to　him；〃　thought　Eugenie。

She　wiped　her　eyes；　and　went　on　reading。

　　I　have　never　thought　of　the　miseries　of　poverty。　If　I　have　the
　　hundred　louis　required　for　the　mere　costs　of　the　journey；　I　have
　　not　a　sou　for　an　outfit。　But　no；　I　have　not　the　hundred　louis；　not
　　even　one　louis。　I　don't　know　that　anything　will　be　left　after　I
　　have　paid　my　debts　in　Paris。　If　I　have　nothing；　I　shall　go　quietly
　　to　Nantes　and　ship　as　a　common　sailor；　and　I　will　begin　in　the　new
　　world　like　other　men　who　have　started　young　without　a　sou　and
　　brought　back　the　wealth　of　the　Indies。　During　this　long　day　I　have
　　faced　my　future　coolly。　It　seems　more　horrible　for　me　than　for
　　another；　because　I　have　been　so　petted　by　a　mother　who　adored　me；
　　so　indulged　by　the　kindest　of　fathers；　so　blessed　by　meeting；　on
　　my　entrance　into　life；　with　the　love　of　an　Anna！　The　flowers　of
　　life　are　all　I　have　ever　known。　Such　happiness　could　not　last。
　　Nevertheless；　my　dear　Annette；　I　feel　more　courage　than　a　careless
　　young　man　is　supposed　to　feel；above　all　a　young　man　used　to　the
　　caressing　ways　of　the　dearest　woman　in　all　Paris；　cradled　in
　　family　joys；　on　whom　all　things　smiled　in　his　home；　whose　wishes
　　were　a　law　to　his　fatheroh；　my　father！　Annette；　he　is　dead！

　　Well；　I　have　thought　over　my　position；　and　yours　as　well。　I　have
　　grown　old　in　twenty…four　hours。　Dear　Anna；　if　in　order　to　keep　me
　　with　you　in　Paris　you　were　to　sacrifice　your　luxury；　your　dress；
　　your　opera…box；　we　should　even　then　not　have　enough　for　the
　　expenses　of　my　extravagant　ways　of　living。　Besides；　I　would　never
　　accept　such　sacrifices。　No；　we　must　part　now　and　forever

〃He　gives　her　up！　Blessed　Virgin！　What　happiness！〃

Eugenie　quivered　with　joy。　Charles　made　a　movement；　and　a　chill　of
terror　ran　through　her。　Fortunately；　he　did　not　wake；　and　she　resumed
her　reading。

　　When　shall　I　return？　I　do　not　know。　The　climate　of　the　West　Indies
　　ages　a　European；　so　they　say；　especially　a　European　who　works
　　hard。　Let　us　think　what　may　happen　ten　years　hence。　In　ten　years
　　your　daughter　will　be　eighteen；　she　will　be　your　companion；　your
　　spy。　To　you　society　will　be　cruel；　and　your　daughter　perhaps　more
　　cruel　still。　We　have　seen　cases　of　the　harsh　social　judgment　and
　　ingratitude　of　daughters；　let　us　take　warning　by　them。　Keep　in　the
　　depths　of　your　soul；　as　I　shall　in　mine；　the　memory　of　four　years
　　of　happiness；　and　be　faithful；　if　you　can；　to　the　memory　of　your
　　poor　friend。　I　cannot　exact　such　faithfulness；　because；　do　you
　　see；　dear　Annette；　I　must　conform　to　the　exigencies　of　my　new
　　life；　I　must　take　a　commonplace　view　of　them　and　do　the　best　I
　　can。　Therefore　I　must　think　of　marriage；　which　becomes　one　of　the
　　necessities　of　my　future　existence；　and　I　will　admit　to　you　that　I
　　have　found；　here　in　Saumur；　in　my　uncle's　house；　a　cousin　whose
　　face；　manners；　mind；　and　heart　would　please　you；　and　who；　besides；
　　seems　to　me

〃He　must　have　been　very　weary　to　have　ceased　writing　to　her；〃　thought
Eugenie；　as　she　gazed　at　the　letter　which　stopped　abruptly　in　the
middle　of　the　last　sentence。

Already　she　defended　him。　How　was　it　possible　that　an　innocent　girl
should　perceive　the　cold…heartedness　evinced　by　this　letter？　To　young
girls　religiously　brought　up；　whose　minds　are　ignorant　and　pure；　all
is　love　from　the　moment　they　set　their　feet　within　the　enchanted
regions　of　that　passion。　They　walk　there　bathed　in　a　celestial　light
shed　from　their　own　souls；　which　reflects　its　rays　upon　their　lover；
they　color　all　with　the　flame　of　their　own　emotion　and　attribute　to
him　their　highest　thoughts。　A　woman's　errors　come　almost　always　from
her　belief　in　good　or　her　confidence　in　truth。　In　Eugenie's　simple
heart　the　words；　〃My　dear　Annette；　my　loved　one；〃　echoed　like　the
sweetest　language　of　love；　they　caressed　her　soul　as；　in　childhood；
the　divine　notes　of　the　/Venite　adoremus/；　repeated　by　the　organ；
caressed　her　ear。　Moreover；　the　tears　which　still　lingered　on　the
young　man's　lashes　gave　signs　of　that　nobility　of　heart　by　which　young
girls　are　rightly　won。　How　could　she　know　that　Charles；　though　he
loved　his　father　and　mourned　him　truly；　was　moved　far　more　by　paternal
goodness　than　by　the　goodness　of　his　own　heart？　Monsieur　and　Madame
Guillaume　Grandet；　by　gratifying　every　fancy　of　their　son；　and
lavishing　upon　him　the　pleasures　of　a　large　fortune；　had　kept　him　from
making　the　horrible　calculations　of　which　so　many　sons　in　Paris　become
more　or　less　guilty　when；　face　to　face　with　the　enjoyments　of　the
world；　they　form　desires　and　conceive　schemes　which　they　see　with
bitterness　must　be　put　off　or　laid　aside　during　the　lifetime　of　their
parents。　The　liberality　of　the　father　in　this　instance　had　shed　into
the　heart　of　the　son　a　real　love；　in　which　there　was　no　afterthought
of　self…interest。

Nevertheless；　Charles　was　a　true　child　of　Paris；　taught　by　the　customs
of　society　and　by　Annette　herself　to　calculate　everything；　already　an
old　man　under　the　mask　of　youth。　He　had　gone　through　the　frightful
education　of　social　life；　of　that　world　where　in　one　evening　more
crimes　are　committed　in　thought　and　speech　than　justice　ever　punishes
at　the　assizes；　where　jests　and　clever　sayings　assassinate　the　noblest
ideas；　where　no　one　is　counted　strong　unless　his　mind　sees　clear：　and
to　see　clear　in　that　world　is　to　believe　in　nothing；　neither　in
feelings；　nor　in　men；　nor　even　in　events；for　events　are　falsified。
There；　to　〃see　clear〃　we　must　weigh　a　friend's　purse　daily；　learn　how
to　keep　ourselves　adroitly　on　the　top　of　the　wave；　cautiously　admire
nothing；　neither　works　of　art　nor　glorious　actions；　and　remember　that
self…interest　is　the　mainspring　of　all　things　here　below。　After
committing　many　follies；　the　great　ladythe　beautiful　Annette
compelled　Charles　to　think　seriously；　with　her　perfumed　hand　among　his
curls；　she　talked　to　him　of　his　future　position；　as　she　rearranged　his
locks；　she　taught　him　lessons　of　worldly　prudence；　she　made　him
effeminate　and　materialized　him；a　double　corruption；　but　a　delicate
and　elegant　corruption；　in　the　best　taste。

〃You　are　very　foolish；　Charles；〃　she　would　say　to　him。　〃I　shall　have　a
great　deal　of　trouble　in　teaching　you　to　understand　the　world。　You
behaved　extremely　ill　to　Monsieur　des　Lupeaulx。　I　know　very　well　he　is
not　an　honorable　man；　but　wait　till　he　is　no　longer　in　power；　then　you
may　despise　him　as　much　as　you　like。　Do　you　know　what　Madame　Campan
used　to　tell　us？'My　dears；　as　long　as　a　man　is　a　minister；　adore
him；　when　he　falls；　help　to　drag　him　in　the　gutter。　Powerful；　he　is　a
sort　of　god；　fallen；　he　is　lower　than　Marat　in　the　sewer；　because　he
is　living；　and　Marat　is　dead。　Life　is　a　series　of　combinations；　and
you　must　study　them　and　understand　them　if　you　want　to　keep　yourselves
always　in　good　position。'〃

Charles　was　too　much　a　man　of　the　world；　his　parents　had　made　him　too
happy；　he　had　received　too　much　adulation　in　society；　to　be　possessed
of　noble　sentiments。　The　grain　of　gold　dropped　by　his　mother　into　his
heart　was　beaten　thin　in　the　smithy　of　Parisian　society；　he　had　spread
it　superficially；　and　it　was　worn　away　by　the　friction　of　life。
Charles　was　only　twenty…one　years　old。　At　that　age　the　freshness　of
youth　seems　inseparable　from　candor　and　sincerity　of　soul。　The　voice；
the　glance；　the　face　itself；　seem　in　harmony　with　the　feelings；　and
thus　it　happens　that　the　sternest　judge；　the　most　sceptical　lawyer；
the　least　complying　of　usurers；　always　hesitate　to　admit　decrepitude
of　heart　or　the　corruption　of　worldly　calculation　while　the　eyes　are
still　bathed　in　purity　and　no　wrinkles　seam　the　brow。　Charles；　so　far；
had　had　no　occasion　to　apply　the　maxims　of　Parisian　morality；　up　to
this　time　he　was　still　endowed　with　the　beauty　of　inexperience。　And
yet；　unknown　to　himself；　he　had　been　inoculated　with　selfishness。　The
germs　of　Parisian　political　economy；　latent　in　his　heart；　would
assuredly　burst　forth；　sooner　or　later；　whenever　the　careless
spectator　became　an　actor　in　the　drama　of　real　life。

Nearly　all　young　girls　succumb　to　the　tender　promises　such　an　outward
appearance　seems　to　offer：　even　if　Eugenie　had　been　as　prudent　and
observing　as　provincial　girls　are　often　found　to　be；　she　was　not
likely　to　distrust　her　cousin　when　his　manners；　words；　and　actions
were　still　in　unison　with　the　aspirations　of　a　youthful　heart。　A　mere
chancea　fatal　chancethrew　in　her　way　the　last　effusions　of　real
feeling　which　stirred　the　young　man's　soul；　she　heard　as　it　were　the
last　breathings　of　his　conscience。　She　laid　down　the　letterto　her　so
full　of　loveand　began　smilingly　to　watch　her　sleeping　cousin；　the
fresh　illusions　of　life　were　still；　for　her　at　least；　upon　his　face；
she　vowed　to　herself　to　love　him　always。　Then　she　cast　her　eyes　on　the
other　letter；　without　attaching　much　importance　to　this　second
indiscretion；　and　though　she　read　it；　it　was　only　to　obtain　new　proofs
of　the　noble　qualities　which；　like　all　women；　she　attributed　to　the
man　her　heart　had　chosen。

　　My　dear　Alphonse；When　you　receive　this　letter　I　shall　be　without
　　friends；　but　let　me　assure　you　that　while　I　doubt　the　friendship
　　of　the　world