father goriot-第13节

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〃Corn　WHAT？〃　asked　Bianchon。



〃Corn…el。〃



〃Corn…et。〃



〃Corn…elian。〃



〃Corn…ice。〃



〃Corn…ucopia。〃



〃Corn…crake。〃



〃Corn…cockle。〃



〃Corn…orama。〃



The　eight　responses　came　like　a　rolling　fire　from　every　part　of

the　room；　and　the　laughter　that　followed　was　the　more　uproarious

because　poor　Father　Goriot　stared　at　the　others　with　a　puzzled

look；　like　a　foreigner　trying　to　catch　the　meaning　of　words　in　a

language　which　he　does　not　understand。



〃Corn？　。　。　。〃　he　said；　turning　to　Vautrin；　his　next　neighbor。



〃Corn　on　your　foot；　old　man！〃　said　Vautrin；　and　he　drove　Father

Goriot's　cap　down　over　his　eyes　by　a　blow　on　the　crown。



The　poor　old　man　thus　suddenly　attacked　was　for　a　moment　too

bewildered　to　do　anything。　Christophe　carried　off　his　plate；

thinking　that　he　had　finished　his　soup；　so　that　when　Goriot　had

pushed　back　his　cap　from　his　eyes　his　spoon　encountered　the

table。　Every　one　burst　out　laughing。　〃You　are　a　disagreeable

joker；　sir；〃　said　the　old　man；　〃and　if　you　take　any　further

liberties　with　me〃



〃Well；　what　then；　old　boy？〃　Vautrin　interrupted。



〃Well；　then；　you　shall　pay　dearly　for　it　some　day〃



〃Down　below；　eh？〃　said　the　artist；　〃in　the　little　dark　corner

where　they　put　naughty　boys。〃



〃Well；　mademoiselle；〃　Vautrin　said；　turning　to　Victorine；　〃you

are　eating　nothing。　So　papa　was　refractory；　was　he？〃



〃A　monster！〃　said　Mme。　Couture。



〃Mademoiselle　might　make　application　for　aliment　pending　her

suit；　she　is　not　eating　anything。　Eh！　eh！　just　see　how　Father

Goriot　is　staring　at　Mlle。　Victorine。〃



The　old　man　had　forgotten　his　dinner；　he　was　so　absorbed　in

gazing　at　the　poor　girl；　the　sorrow　in　her　face　was

unmistakable；the　slighted　love　of　a　child　whose　father　would

not　recognize　her。



〃We　are　mistaken　about　Father　Goriot；　my　dear　boy；〃　said　Eugene

in　a　low　voice。　〃He　is　not　an　idiot；　nor　wanting　in　energy。　Try

your　Gall　system　on　him；　and　let　me　know　what　you　think。　I　saw

him　crush　a　silver　dish　last　night　as　if　it　had　been　made　of　wax；

there　seems　to　be　something　extra…ordinary　going　on　in　his　mind

just　now；　to　judge　by　his　face。　His　life　is　so　mysterious　that　it

must　be　worth　studying。　Oh！　you　may　laugh；　Bianchon；　I　am　not

joking。〃



〃The　man　is　a　subject；　is　he？〃　said　Bianchon；　〃all　right！　I　will

dissect　him；　if　he　will　give　me　the　chance。〃



〃No；　feel　his　bumps。〃



〃Hm！his　stupidity　might　perhaps　be　contagious。〃







The　next　day　Rastignac　dressed　himself　very　elegantly；　and　about

three　o'clock　in　the　afternoon　went　to　call　on　Mme。　de　Restaud。

On　the　way　thither　he　indulged　in　the　wild　intoxicating　dreams

which　fill　a　young　head　so　full　of　delicious　excitement。　Young

men　at　his　age　take　no　account　of　obstacles　nor　of　dangers；　they

see　success　in　every　direction；　imagination　has　free　play；　and

turns　their　lives　into　a　romance；　they　are　saddened　or

discouraged　by　the　collapse　of　one　of　the　visionary　schemes　that

have　no　existence　save　in　their　heated　fancy。　If　youth　were　not

ignorant　and　timid；　civilization　would　be　impossible。



Eugene　took　unheard…of　pains　to　keep　himself　in　a　spotless

condition；　but　on　his　way　through　the　streets　he　began　to　think

about　Mme。　de　Restaud　and　what　he　should　say　to　her。　He　equipped

himself　with　wit；　rehearsed　repartees　in　the　course　of　an

imaginary　conversation；　and　prepared　certain　neat　speeches　a　la

Talleyrand；　conjuring　up　a　series　of　small　events　which　should

prepare　the　way　for　the　declaration　on　which　he　had　based　his

future；　and　during　these　musings　the　law　student　was　bespattered

with　mud；　and　by　the　time　he　reached　the　Palais　Royal　he　was

obliged　to　have　his　boots　blacked　and　his　trousers　brushed。



〃If　I　were　rich；〃　he　said；　as　he　changed　the　five…franc　piece　he

had　brought　with　him　in　case　anything　might　happen；　〃I　would　take

a　cab；　then　I　could　think　at　my　ease。〃



At　last　he　reached　the　Rue　du　Helder；　and　asked　for　the　Comtesse

de　Restaud。　He　bore　the　contemptuous　glances　of　the　servants；　who

had　seen　him　cross　the　court　on　foot；　with　the　cold　fury　of　a　man

who　knows　that　he　will　succeed　some　day。　He　understood　the

meaning　of　their　glances　at　once；　for　he　had　felt　his　inferiority

as　soon　as　he　entered　the　court；　where　a　smart　cab　was　waiting。

All　the　delights　of　life　in　Paris　seemed　to　be　implied　by　this

visible　and　manifest　sign　of　luxury　and　extravagance。　A　fine

horse；　in　magnificent　harness；　was　pawing　the　ground；　and　all　at

once　the　law　student　felt　out　of　humor　with　himself。　Every

compartment　in　his　brain　which　he　had　thought　to　find　so　full　of

wit　was　bolted　fast；　he　grew　positively　stupid。　He　sent　up　his

name　to　the　Countess；　and　waited　in　the　ante…chamber；　standing　on

one　foot　before　a　window　that　looked　out　upon　the　court；

mechanically　he　leaned　his　elbow　against　the　sash；　and　stared

before　him。　The　time　seemed　long；　he　would　have　left　the　house

but　for　the　southern　tenacity　of　purpose　which　works　miracles

when　it　is　single…minded。



〃Madame　is　in　her　boudoir；　and　cannot　see　any　one　at　present；

sir；〃　said　the　servant。　〃She　gave　me　no　answer；　but　if　you　will

go　into　the　dining…room；　there　is　some　one　already　there。〃



Rastignac　was　impressed　with　a　sense　of　the　formidable　power　of

the　lackey　who　can　accuse　or　condemn　his　masters　by　a　word；　he

coolly　opened　the　door　by　which　the　man　had　just　entered　the

ante…chamber；　meaning；　no　doubt；　to　show　these　insolent　flunkeys

that　he　was　familiar　with　the　house；　but　he　found　that　he　had

thoughtlessly　precipitated　himself　into　a　small　room　full　of

dressers；　where　lamps　were　standing；　and　hot…water　pipes；　on

which　towels　were　being　dried；　a　dark　passage　and　a　back

staircase　lay　beyond　it。　Stifled　laughter　from　the　ante…chamber

added　to　his　confusion。



〃This　way　to　the　drawing…room；　sir；〃　said　the　servant；　with　the

exaggerated　respect　which　seemed　to　be　one　more　jest　at　his

expense。



Eugene　turned　so　quickly　that　he　stumbled　against　a　bath。　By　good

luck；　he　managed　to　keep　his　hat　on　his　head；　and　saved　it　from

immersion　in　the　water；　but　just　as　he　turned；　a　door　opened　at

the　further　end　of　the　dark　passage；　dimly　lighted　by　a　small

lamp。　Rastignac　heard　voices　and　the　sound　of　a　kiss；　one　of　the

speakers　was　Mme。　de　Restaud；　the　other　was　Father　Goriot。　Eugene

followed　the　servant　through　the　dining…room　into　the　drawing…

room；　he　went　to　a　window　that　looked　out　into　the　courtyard；　and

stood　there　for　a　while。　He　meant　to　know　whether　this　Goriot　was

really　the　Goriot　that　he　knew。　His　heart　beat　unwontedly　fast；

he　remembered　Vautrin's　hideous　insinuations。　A　well…dressed

young　man　suddenly　emerged　from　the　room　almost　as　Eugene　entered

it；　saying　impatiently　to　the　servant　who　stood　at　the　door：　〃I

am　going；　Maurice。　Tell　Madame　la　Comtesse　that　I　waited　more

than　half　an　hour　for　her。〃



Whereupon　this　insolent　being；　who；　doubtless；　had　a　right　to　be

insolent；　sang　an　Italian　trill；　and　went　towards　the　window

where　Eugene　was　standing；　moved　thereto　quite　as　much　by　a

desire　to　see　the　student's　face　as　by　a　wish　to　look　out　into

the　courtyard。



〃But　M。　le　Comte　had　better　wait　a　moment　longer；　madame　is

disengaged；〃　said　Maurice；　as　he　returned　to　the　ante…chamber。



Just　at　that　moment　Father　Goriot　appeared　close　to　the　gate；　he

had　emerged　from　a　door　at　the　foot　of　the　back　staircase。　The

worthy　soul　was　preparing　to　open　his　umbrella　regardless　of　the

fact　that　the　great　gate　had　opened　to　admit　a　tilbury；　in　which

a　young　man　with　a　ribbon　at　his　button…hole　was　seated。　Father

Goriot　had　scarcely　time　to　start　back　and　save　himself。　The

horse　took　fright　at　the　umbrella；　swerved；　and　dashed　forward

towards　the　flight　of　steps。　The　young　man　looked　round　in

annoyance；　saw　Father　Goriot；　and　greeted　him　as　he　went　out　with

constrained　courtesy；　such　as　people　usually　show　to　a　money…

lender　so　long　as　they　require　his　services；　or　the　sort　of

respect　they　feel　it　necessary　to　show　for　some　one　whose

reputation　has　been　blown　upon；　so　that　they　blush　to　acknowledge

his　acquaintance。　Father　Goriot　gave　him　a　little　friendly　nod

and　a　good…natured　smile。　All　this　happened　with　lightning　speed。

Eugene　was　so　deeply　interested　that　he　forgot　that　he　was　not

alone　till　he　suddenly　heard　the　Countess'　voice。



〃Oh！　Maxime；　were　you　going　away？〃　she　said　reproachfully；　with　a

shade　of　pique　in　her　manner。　The　Countess　had　not　seen　the

incident　nor　the　entrance　of　the　tilbury。　Rastignac　turned

abruptly　and　saw　her　standing　before　him；　coquettishly　dressed　in

a　loose　white　cashmere　gown　with　knots　of　rose…colored　ribbon

here　and　there；　her　hair　was　carelessly　coiled　about　her　head；　as

is　the　wont　of　Parisian　women　in　the　morning；　there　was　a　soft

fragrance　about　herdoubtless　she　was　fresh　from　a　bath；her

graceful　form　seemed　more　flexible；　her　beauty　more　luxuriant。

Her　eyes　glistened。