eugenie grandet-第29节

按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！


pretence　of　sifting　the　accounts　and　finding　out　the　exact　condition
of　the　estate。　It　roused　at　once　a　variety　of　difficulties。　Generally
speaking；　the　creditor　is　a　species　of　maniac；　ready　to　agree　to
anything　one　day；　on　the　next　breathing　fire　and　slaughter；　later　on；
he　grows　amicable　and　easy…going。　To…day　his　wife　is　good…humored；　his
last　baby　has　cut　its　first　tooth；　all　is　well　at　home；　and　he　is
determined　not　to　lose　a　sou；　on　the　morrow　it　rains；　he　can't　go　out；
he　is　gloomy；　he　says　yes　to　any　proposal　that　is　made　to　him；　so　long
as　it　will　put　an　end　to　the　affair；　on　the　third　day　he　declares　he
must　have　guarantees；　by　the　end　of　the　month　he　wants　his　debtor's
head；　and　becomes　at　heart　an　executioner。　The　creditor　is　a　good　deal
like　the　sparrow　on　whose　tail　confiding　children　are　invited　to　put
salt；with　this　difference；　that　he　applies　the　image　to　his　claim；
the　proceeds　of　which　he　is　never　able　to　lay　hold　of。　Grandet　had
studied　the　atmospheric　variations　of　creditors；　and　the　creditors　of
his　brother　justified　all　his　calculations。　Some　were　angry；　and
flatly　refused　to　give　in　their　vouchers。

〃Very　good；　so　much　the　better；〃　said　Grandet；　rubbing　his　hands　over
the　letter　in　which　des　Grassins　announced　the　fact。

Others　agreed　to　the　demand；　but　only　on　condition　that　their　rights
should　be　fully　guaranteed；　they　renounced　none；　and　even　reserved　the
power　of　ultimately　compelling　a　failure。　On　this　began　a　long
correspondence；　which　ended　in　Grandet　of　Saumur　agreeing　to　all
conditions。　By　means　of　this　concession　the　placable　creditors　were
able　to　bring　the　dissatisfied　creditors　to　reason。　The　deposit　was
then　made；　but　not　without　sundry　complaints。

〃Your　goodman；〃　they　said　to　des　Grassins；　〃is　tricking　us。〃

Twenty…three　months　after　the　death　of　Guillaume　Grandet　many　of　the
creditors；　carried　away　by　more　pressing　business　in　the　markets　of
Paris；　had　forgotten　their　Grandet　claims；　or　only　thought　of　them　to
say：

〃I　begin　to　believe　that　forty…seven　per　cent　is　all　I　shall　ever　get
out　of　that　affair。〃

The　old　cooper　had　calculated　on　the　power　of　time；　which；　as　he　used
to　say；　is　a　pretty　good　devil　after　all。　By　the　end　of　the　third　year
des　Grassins　wrote　to　Grandet　that　he　had　brought　the　creditors　to
agree　to　give　up　their　claims　for　ten　per　cent　on　the　two　million　four
hundred　thousand　francs　still　due　by　the　house　of　Grandet。　Grandet
answered　that　the　notary　and　the　broker　whose　shameful　failures　had
caused　the　death　of　his　brother　were　still　living；　that　they　might　now
have　recovered　their　credit；　and　that　they　ought　to　be　sued；　so　as　to
get　something　out　of　them　towards　lessening　the　total　of　the　deficit。

By　the　end　of　the　fourth　year　the　liabilities　were　definitely
estimated　at　a　sum　of　twelve　hundred　thousand　francs。　Many
negotiations；　lasting　over　six　months；　took　place　between　the
creditors　and　the　liquidators；　and　between　the　liquidators　and
Grandet。　To　make　a　long　story　short；　Grandet　of　Saumur；　anxious　by
this　time　to　get　out　of　the　affair；　told　the　liquidators；　about　the
ninth　month　of　the　fourth　year；　that　his　nephew　had　made　a　fortune　in
the　Indies　and　was　disposed　to　pay　his　father's　debts　in　full；　he
therefore　could　not　take　upon　himself　to　make　any　settlement　without
previously　consulting　him；　he　had　written　to　him；　and　was　expecting　an
answer。　The　creditors　were　held　in　check　until　the　middle　of　the　fifth
year　by　the　words；　〃payment　in　full；〃　which　the　wily　old　miser　threw
out　from　time　to　time　as　he　laughed　in　his　beard；　saying　with　a　smile
and　an　oath；　〃Those　Parisians！〃

But　the　creditors　were　reserved　for　a　fate　unexampled　in　the　annals　of
commerce。　When　the　events　of　this　history　bring　them　once　more　into
notice；　they　will　be　found　still　in　the　position　Grandet　had　resolved
to　force　them　into　from　the　first。

As　soon　as　the　Funds　reached　a　hundred　and　fifteen；　Pere　Grandet　sold
out　his　interests　and　withdrew　two　million　four　hundred　thousand
francs　in　gold；　to　which　he　added；　in　his　coffers；　the　six　hundred
thousand　francs　compound　interest　which　he　had　derived　from　the
capital。　Des　Grassins　now　lived　in　Paris。　In　the　first　place　he　had
been　made　a　deputy；　then　he　became　infatuated　（father　of　a　family　as
he　was；　though　horribly　bored　by　the　provincial　life　of　Saumur）　with　a
pretty　actress　at　the　Theatre　de　Madame；　known　as　Florine；　and　he
presently　relapsed　into　the　old　habits　of　his　army　life。　It　is　useless
to　speak　of　his　conduct；　Saumur　considered　it　profoundly　immoral。　His
wife　was　fortunate　in　the　fact　of　her　property　being　settled　upon
herself；　and　in　having　sufficient　ability　to　keep　up　the　banking…house
in　Saumur；　which　was　managed　in　her　name　and　repaired　the　breach　in
her　fortune　caused　by　the　extravagance　of　her　husband。　The　Cruchotines
made　so　much　talk　about　the　false　position　of　the　quasi…widow　that　she
married　her　daughter　very　badly；　and　was　forced　to　give　up　all　hope　of
an　alliance　between　Eugenie　Grandet　and　her　son。　Adolphe　joined　his
father　in　Paris　and　became；　it　was　said；　a　worthless　fellow。　The
Cruchots　triumphed。

〃Your　husband　hasn't　common　sense；〃　said　Grandet　as　he　lent　Madame　des
Grassins　some　money　on　a　note　securely　endorsed。　〃I　am　very　sorry　for
you；　for　you　are　a　good　little　woman。〃

〃Ah；　monsieur；〃　said　the　poor　lady；　〃who　could　have　believed　that　when
he　left　Saumur　to　go　to　Paris　on　your　business　he　was　going　to　his
ruin？〃

〃Heaven　is　my　witness；　madame；　that　up　to　the　last　moment　I　did　all　I
could　to　prevent　him　from　going。　Monsieur　le　president　was　most
anxious　to　take　his　place；　but　he　was　determined　to　go；　and　now　we　all
see　why。〃

In　this　way　Grandet　made　it　quite　plain　that　he　was　under　no
obligation　to　des　Grassins。

*****

In　all　situations　women　have　more　cause　for　suffering　than　men；　and
they　suffer　more。　Man　has　strength　and　the　power　of　exercising　it；　he
acts；　moves；　thinks；　occupies　himself；　he　looks　ahead；　and　sees
consolation　in　the　future。　It　was　thus　with　Charles。　But　the　woman
stays　at　home；　she　is　always　face　to　face　with　the　grief　from　which
nothing　distracts　her；　she　goes　down　to　the　depths　of　the　abyss　which
yawns　before　her；　measures　it；　and　often　fills　it　with　her　tears　and
prayers。　Thus　did　Eugenie。　She　initiated　herself　into　her　destiny。　To
feel；　to　love；　to　suffer；　to　devote　herself；is　not　this　the　sum　of
woman's　life？　Eugenie　was　to　be　in　all　things　a　woman；　except　in　the
one　thing　that　consoles　for　all。　Her　happiness；　picked　up　like　nails
scattered　on　a　wallto　use　the　fine　simile　of　Bossuetwould　never　so
much　as　fill　even　the　hollow　of　her　hand。　Sorrows　are　never　long　in
coming；　for　her　they　came　soon。　The　day　after　Charles's　departure　the
house　of　Monsieur　Grandet　resumed　its　ordinary　aspect　in　the　eyes　of
all；　except　in　those　of　Eugenie；　to　whom　it　grew　suddenly　empty。　She
wished；　if　it　could　be　done　unknown　to　her　father；　that　Charles's　room
might　be　kept　as　he　had　left　it。　Madame　Grandet　and　Nanon　were　willing
accomplices　in　this　/statu　quo/。

〃Who　knows　but　he　may　come　back　sooner　than　we　think　for？〃　she　said。

〃Ah；　don't　I　wish　I　could　see　him　back！〃　answered　Nanon。　〃I　took　to
him！　He　was　such　a　dear；　sweet　young　man；pretty　too；　with　his　curly
hair。〃　Eugenie　looked　at　Nanon。　〃Holy　Virgin！　don't　look　at　me　that
way；　mademoiselle；　your　eyes　are　like　those　of　a　lost　soul。〃

From　that　day　the　beauty　of　Mademoiselle　Grandet　took　a　new　character。
The　solemn　thoughts　of　love　which　slowly　filled　her　soul；　and　the
dignity　of　the　woman　beloved；　gave　to　her　features　an　illumination
such　as　painters　render　by　a　halo。　Before　the　coming　of　her　cousin；
Eugenie　might　be　compared　to　the　Virgin　before　the　conception；　after
he　had　gone；　she　was　like　the　Virgin　Mother；she　had　given　birth　to
love。　These　two　Marys　so　different；　so　well　represented　by　Spanish
art；　embody　one　of　those　shining　symbols　with　which　Christianity
abounds。

Returning　from　Mass　on　the　morning　after　Charles's　departure；having
made　a　vow　to　hear　it　daily；Eugenie　bought　a　map　of　the　world；　which
she　nailed　up　beside　her　looking…glass；　that　she　might　follow　her
cousin　on　his　westward　way；　that　she　might　put　herself；　were　it　ever
so　little；　day　by　day　into　the　ship　that　bore　him；　and　see　him　and　ask
him　a　thousand　questions；〃Art　thou　well？　Dost　thou　suffer？　Dost　thou
think　of　me　when　the　star；　whose　beauty　and　usefulness　thou　hast
taught　me　to　know；　shines　upon　thee？〃　In　the　mornings　she　sat　pensive
beneath　the　walnut…tree；　on　the　worm…eaten　bench　covered　with　gray
lichens；　where　they　had　said　to　each　other　so　many　precious　things；　so
many　trifles；　where　they　had　built　the　pretty　castles　of　their　future
home。　She　thought　of　the　future　now　as　she　looked　upward　to　the　bit　of
sky　which　was　all　the　high　walls　suffered　her　to　see；　then　she　turned
her　eyes　to　the　angle　where　the　sun　crept　on；　and　to　the　roof　above
the　room　in　which　he　had　slept。　Hers　was　the　solitary　love；　the
persistent　love；　which　glides　into　every　thought　and　becomes　the
substance；　or；　as　our　fathers　might　have　said；　the　tissue　of　life。
When　the　would…be　friends　of　Pere　Grandet　came　in　the　evening　for
their　game　at　cards；　she