father goriot-第11节

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of　any　way　of　communicating　with　my　father；　please　be　sure　and

tell　him　that　his　affection　and　my　mother's　honor　are　more　to　me

than　all　the　money　in　the　world。　If　you　can　induce　him　to　relent

a　little　towards　me；　I　will　pray　to　God　for　you。　You　may　be　sure

of　my　gratitude〃



〃The　same　old　story　everywhere；〃　sang　Vautrin；　with　a　satirical

intonation。　At　this　juncture；　Goriot；　Mlle。　Michonneau；　and

Poiret　came　downstairs　together；　possibly　the　scent　of　the　gravy

which　Sylvie　was　making　to　serve　with　the　mutton　had　announced

breakfast。　The　seven　people　thus　assembled　bade　each　other　good…

morning；　and　took　their　places　at　the　table；　the　clock　struck

ten；　and　the　student's　footstep　was　heard　outside。



〃Ah！　here　you　are；　M。　Eugene；〃　said　Sylvie；　〃every　one　is

breakfasting　at　home　to…day。〃



The　student　exchanged　greetings　with　the　lodgers；　and　sat　down

beside　Goriot。



〃I　have　just　met　with　a　queer　adventure；〃　he　said；　as　he　helped

himself　abundantly　to　the　mutton；　and　cut　a　slice　of　bread；　which

Mme。　Vauquer's　eyes　gauged　as　usual。



〃An　adventure？〃　queried　Poiret。



〃Well；　and　what　is　there　to　astonish　you　in　that；　old　boy？〃

Vautrin　asked　of　Poiret。　〃M。　Eugene　is　cut　out　for　that　kind　of

thing。〃



Mlle。　Taillefer　stole　a　timid　glance　at　the　young　student。



〃Tell　us　about　your　adventure！〃　demanded　M。　Vautrin。



〃Yesterday　evening　I　went　to　a　ball　given　by　a　cousin　of　mine；

the　Vicomtesse　de　Beauseant。　She　has　a　magnificent　house；　the

rooms　are　hung　with　silkin　short；　it　was　a　splendid　affair；　and

I　was　as　happy　as　a　king…〃



〃Fisher；〃　put　in　Vautrin；　interrupting。



〃What　do　you　mean；　sir？〃　said　Eugene　sharply。



〃I　said　'fisher；'　because　kingfishers　see　a　good　deal　more　fun

than　kings。〃



〃Quite　true；　I　would　much　rather　be　the　little　careless　bird　than

a　king；〃　said　Poiret　the　ditto…ist；　〃because〃



〃In　fact〃the　law…student　cut　him　short〃I　danced　with　one　of

the　handsomest　women　in　the　room；　a　charming　countess；　the　most

exquisite　creature　I　have　ever　seen。　There　was　peach　blossom　in

her　hair；　and　she　had　the　loveliest　bouquet　of　flowersreal

flowers；　that　scented　the　airbut　there！　it　is　no　use　trying

to　describe　a　woman　glowing　with　the　dance。　You　ought　to　have

seen　her！　Well；　and　this　morning　I　met　this　divine　countess　about

nine　o'clock；　on　foot　in　the　Rue　de　Gres。　Oh！　how　my　heart　beat！

I　began　to　think〃



〃That　she　was　coming　here；〃　said　Vautrin；　with　a　keen　look　at　the

student。　〃I　expect　that　she　was　going　to　call　on　old　Gobseck；　a

money…lender。　If　ever　you　explore　a　Parisian　woman's　heart；　you

will　find　the　money…lender　first；　and　the　lover　afterwards。　Your

countess　is　called　Anastasie　de　Restaud；　and　she　lives　in　the　Rue

du　Helder。〃



The　student　stared　hard　at　Vautrin。　Father　Goriot　raised　his　head

at　the　words；　and　gave　the　two　speakers　a　glance　so　full　of

intelligence　and　uneasiness　that　the　lodgers　beheld　him　with

astonishment。



〃Then　Christophe　was　too　late；　and　she　must　have　gone　to　him！〃

cried　Goriot；　with　anguish　in　his　voice。



〃It　is　just　as　I　guessed；〃　said　Vautrin；　leaning　over　to　whisper

in　Mme。　Vauquer's　ear。



Goriot　went　on　with　his　breakfast；　but　seemed　unconscious　of　what

he　was　doing。　He　had　never　looked　more　stupid　nor　more　taken　up

with　his　own　thoughts　than　he　did　at　that　moment。



〃Who　the　devil　could　have　told　you　her　name；　M。　Vautrin？〃　asked

Eugene。



〃Aha！　there　you　are！〃　answered　Vautrin。　〃Old　Father　Goriot　there

knew　it　quite　well！　and　why　should　I　not　know　it　too？〃



〃M。　Goriot？〃　the　student　cried。



〃What　is　it？〃　asked　the　old　man。　〃So　she　was　very　beautiful；　was

she；　yesterday　night？〃



〃Who？〃



〃Mme。　de　Restaud。〃



〃Look　at　the　old　wretch；〃　said　Mme。　Vauquer；　speaking　to　Vautrin；

〃how　his　eyes　light　up！〃



〃Then　does　he　really　keep　her？〃　said　Mlle。　Michonneau；　in　a

whisper　to　the　student。



〃Oh！　yes；　she　was　tremendously　pretty；〃　Eugene　answered。　Father

Goriot　watched　him　with　eager　eyes。　〃If　Mme。　de　Beauseant　had　not

been　there；　my　divine　countess　would　have　been　the　queen　of　the

ball；　none　of　the　younger　men　had　eyes　for　any　one　else。　I　was

the　twelfth　on　her　list；　and　she　danced　every　quadrille。　The

other　women　were　furious。　She　must　have　enjoyed　herself；　if　ever

creature　did！　It　is　a　true　saying　that　there　is　no　more　beautiful

sight　than　a　frigate　in　full　sail；　a　galloping　horse；　or　a　woman

dancing。〃



〃So　the　wheel　turns；〃　said　Vautrin；　〃yesterday　night　at　a

duchess'　ball；　this　morning　in　a　money…lender's　office；　on　the

lowest　rung　of　the　ladderjust　like　a　Parisienne！　If　their

husbands　cannot　afford　to　pay　for　their　frantic　extravagance；

they　will　sell　themselves。　Or　if　they　cannot　do　that；　they　will

tear　out　their　mothers'　hearts　to　find　something　to　pay　for　their

splendor。　They　will　turn　the　world　upside　down。　Just　a　Parisienne

through　and　through！〃



Father　Goriot's　face；　which　had　shone　at　the　student's　words　like

the　sun　on　a　bright　day；　clouded　over　all　at　once　at　this　cruel

speech　of　Vautrin's。



〃Well；〃　said　Mme。　Vauquer；　〃but　where　is　your　adventure？　Did　you

speak　to　her？　Did　you　ask　her　if　she　wanted　to　study　law？〃



〃She　did　not　see　me；〃　said　Eugene。　〃But　only　think　of　meeting　one

of　the　prettiest　women　in　Paris　in　the　Rue　des　Gres　at　nine

o'clock！　She　could　not　have　reached　home　after　the　ball　till　two

o'clock　this　morning。　Wasn't　it　queer？　There　is　no　place　like

Paris　for　this　sort　of　adventures。〃



〃Pshaw！　much　funnier　things　than　THAT　happen　here！〃　exclaimed

Vautrin。



Mlle。　Taillefer　had　scarcely　heeded　the　talk；　she　was　so　absorbed

by　the　thought　of　the　new　attempt　that　she　was　about　to　make。

Mme。　Couture　made　a　sign　that　it　was　time　to　go　upstairs　and

dress；　the　two　ladies　went　out；　and　Father　Goriot　followed　their

example。



〃Well；　did　you　see？〃　said　Mme。　Vauquer；　addressing　Vautrin　and

the　rest　of　the　circle。　〃He　is　ruining　himself　for　those　women；

that　is　plain。〃



〃Nothing　will　ever　make　me　believe　that　that　beautiful　Comtesse

de　Restaud　is　anything　to　Father　Goriot；〃　cried　the　student。



〃Well；　and　if　you　don't；〃　broke　in　Vautrin；　〃we　are　not　set　on

convincing　you。　You　are　too　young　to　know　Paris　thoroughly　yet；

later　on　you　will　find　out　that　there　are　what　we　call　men　with　a

passion〃



Mlle。　Michonneau　gave　Vautrin　a　quick　glance　at　these　words。　They

seemed　to　be　like　the　sound　of　a　trumpet　to　a　trooper's　horse。

〃Aha！〃　said　Vautrin；　stopping　in　his　speech　to　give　her　a

searching　glance；　〃so　we　have　had　our　little　experiences；　have

we？〃



The　old　maid　lowered　her　eyes　like　a　nun　who　sees　a　statue。



〃Well；〃　he　went　on；　〃when　folk　of　that　kind　get　a　notion　into

their　heads；　they　cannot　drop　it。　They　must　drink　the　water　from

some　particular　springit　is　stagnant　as　often　as　not；　but　they

will　sell　their　wives　and　families；　they　will　sell　their　own

souls　to　the　devil　to　get　it。　For　some　this　spring　is　play；　or

the　stock…exchange；　or　music；　or　a　collection　of　pictures　or

insects；　for　others　it　is　some　woman　who　can　give　them　the

dainties　they　like。　You　might　offer　these　last　all　the　women　on

earththey　would　turn　up　their　noses；　they　will　have　the　only

one　who　can　gratify　their　passion。　It　often　happens　that　the

woman　does　not　care　for　them　at　all；　and　treats　them　cruelly；

they　buy　their　morsels　of　satisfaction　very　dear；　but　no　matter；

the　fools　are　never　tired　of　it；　they　will　take　their　last

blanket　to　the　pawnbroker's　to　give　their　last　five…franc　piece

to　her。　Father　Goriot　here　is　one　of　that　sort。　He　is　discreet；

so　the　Countess　exploits　himjust　the　way　of　the　gay　world。　The

poor　old　fellow　thinks　of　her　and　of　nothing　else。　In　all　other

respects　you　see　he　is　a　stupid　animal；　but　get　him　on　that

subject；　and　his　eyes　sparkle　like　diamonds。　That　secret　is　not

difficult　to　guess。　He　took　some　plate　himself　this　morning　to

the　melting…pot；　and　I　saw　him　at　Daddy　Gobseck's　in　the　Rue　des

Gres。　And　now；　mark　what　followshe　came　back　here；　and　gave　a

letter　for　the　Comtesse　de　Restaud　to　that　noodle　of　a

Christophe；　who　showed　us　the　address；　there　was　a　receipted　bill

inside　it。　It　is　clear　that　it　was　an　urgent　matter　if　the

Countess　also　went　herself　to　the　old　money　lender。　Father　Goriot

has　financed　her　handsomely。　There　is　no　need　to　tack　a　tale

together；　the　thing　is　self…evident。　So　that　shows　you；　sir

student；　that　all　the　time　your　Countess　was　smiling；　dancing；

flirting；　swaying　her　peach…flower　crowned　head；　with　her　gown

gathered　into　her　hand；　her　slippers　were　pinching　her；　as　they

say；　she　was　thinking　of　her　protested　bills；　or　her　lover's

protested　bills。〃



〃You　have　made　me　wild　to　know　the　truth；〃　cried　Eugene；　〃I　will

go　to　call　on　Mme。　de　Restaud　to…morrow。〃



〃Yes；〃　echoed　Poiret；　〃you　must　go　and　call　on　Mme。　de　Restaud。〃



〃And　perhaps　you　will　find　Father　Goriot　there；　who　will　take

paymen