eugenie grandet-第42节

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good；　in　holy　thoughts；　succoring　the　unfortunate　in　secret；　and　never
wearying　of　such　deeds。　Madame　de　Bonfons　became　a　widow　at　thirty…
six。　She　is　still　beautiful；　but　with　the　beauty　of　a　woman　who　is
nearly　forty　years　of　age。　Her　face　is　white　and　placid　and　calm；　her
voice　gentle　and　self…possessed；　her　manners　are　simple。　She　has　the
noblest　qualities　of　sorrow；　the　saintliness　of　one　who　has　never
soiled　her　soul　by　contact　with　the　world；　but　she　has　also　the　rigid
bearing　of　an　old　maid　and　the　petty　habits　inseparable　from　the
narrow　round　of　provincial　life。　In　spite　of　her　vast　wealth；　she
lives　as　the　poor　Eugenie　Grandet　once　lived。　The　fire　is　never
lighted　on　her　hearth　until　the　day　when　her　father　allowed　it　to　be
lighted　in　the　hall；　and　it　is　put　out　in　conformity　with　the　rules
which　governed　her　youthful　years。　She　dresses　as　her　mother　dressed。
The　house　in　Saumur；　without　sun；　without　warmth；　always　in　shadow；
melancholy；　is　an　image　of　her　life。　She　carefully　accumulates　her
income；　and　might　seem　parsimonious　did　she　not　disarm　criticism　by　a
noble　employment　of　her　wealth。　Pious　and　charitable　institutions；　a
hospital　for　old　age；　Christian　schools　for　children；　a　public　library
richly　endowed；　bear　testimony　against　the　charge　of　avarice　which
some　persons　lay　at　her　door。　The　churches　of　Saumur　owe　much　of　their
embellishment　to　her。　Madame　de　Bonfons　（sometimes　ironically　spoken
of　as　mademoiselle）　inspires　for　the　most　part　reverential　respect：
and　yet　that　noble　heart；　beating　only　with　tenderest　emotions；　has
been；　from　first　to　last；　subjected　to　the　calculations　of　human
selfishness；　money　has　cast　its　frigid　influence　upon　that　hallowed
life　and　taught　distrust　of　feelings　to　a　woman　who　is　all　feeling。

〃I　have　none　but　you　to　love　me；〃　she　says　to　Nanon。

The　hand　of　this　woman　stanches　the　secret　wounds　in　many　families。
She　goes　on　her　way　to　heaven　attended　by　a　train　of　benefactions。　The
grandeur　of　her　soul　redeems　the　narrowness　of　her　education　and　the
petty　habits　of　her　early　life。

Such　is　the　history　of　Eugenie　Grandet；　who　is　in　the　world　but　not　of
it；　who；　created　to　be　supremely　a　wife　and　mother；　has　neither
husband　nor　children　nor　family。　Lately　there　has　been　some　question
of　her　marrying　again。　The　Saumur　people　talk　of　her　and　of　the
Marquis　de　Froidfond；　whose　family　are　beginning　to　beset　the　rich
widow　just　as；　in　former　days；　the　Cruchots　laid　siege　to　the　rich
heiress。　Nanon　and　Cornoiller　are；　it　is　said；　in　the　interests　of　the
marquis。　Nothing　could　be　more　false。　Neither　la　Grande　Nanon　nor
Cornoiller　has　sufficient　mind　to　understand　the　corruptions　of　the
world。








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