father goriot-第21节

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attempting　to　board　the　Maison　de　Nucingen。　The　results　of　his

inquiries　may　be　given　briefly　as　follows：



In　the　days　before　the　Revolution；　Jean…Joachim　Goriot　was　simply

a　workman　in　the　employ　of　a　vermicelli　maker。　He　was　a　skilful；

thrifty　workman；　sufficiently　enterprising　to　buy　his　master's

business　when　the　latter　fell　a　chance　victim　to　the　disturbances

of　1789。　Goriot　established　himself　in　the　Rue　de　la　Jussienne；

close　to　the　Corn　Exchange。　His　plain　good　sense　led　him　to

accept　the　position　of　President　of　the　Section；　so　as　to　secure

for　his　business　the　protection　of　those　in　power　at　that

dangerous　epoch。　This　prudent　step　had　led　to　success；　the

foundations　of　his　fortune　were　laid　in　the　time　of　the　Scarcity

（real　or　artificial）；　when　the　price　of　grain　of　all　kinds　rose

enormously　in　Paris。　People　used　to　fight　for　bread　at　the

bakers'　doors；　while　other　persons　went　to　the　grocers'　shops　and

bought　Italian　paste　foods　without　brawling　over　it。　It　was

during　this　year　that　Goriot　made　the　money；　which；　at　a　later

time；　was　to　give　him　all　the　advantage　of　the　great　capitalist

over　the　small　buyer；　he　had；　moreover；　the　usual　luck　of　average

ability；　his　mediocrity　was　the　salvation　of　him。　He　excited　no

one's　envy；　it　was　not　even　suspected　that　he　was　rich　till　the

peril　of　being　rich　was　over；　and　all　his　intelligence　was

concentrated；　not　on　political；　but　on　commercial　speculations。

Goriot　was　an　authority　second　to　none　on　all　questions　relating

to　corn；　flour；　and　〃middlings〃；　and　the　production；　storage；　and

quality　of　grain。　He　could　estimate　the　yield　of　the　harvest；　and

foresee　market　prices；　he　bought　his　cereals　in　Sicily；　and

imported　Russian　wheat。　Any　one　who　had　heard　him　hold　forth　on

the　regulations　that　control　the　importation　and　exportation　of

grain；　who　had　seen　his　grasp　of　the　subject；　his　clear　insight

into　the　principles　involved；　his　appreciation　of　weak　points　in

the　way　that　the　system　worked；　would　have　thought　that　here　was

the　stuff　of　which　a　minister　is　made。　Patient；　active；　and

persevering；　energetic　and　prompt　in　action；　he　surveyed　his

business　horizon　with　an　eagle　eye。　Nothing　there　took　him　by

surprise；　he　foresaw　all　things；　knew　all　that　was　happening；　and

kept　his　own　counsel；　he　was　a　diplomatist　in　his　quick

comprehension　of　a　situation；　and　in　the　routine　of　business　he

was　as　patient　and　plodding　as　a　soldier　on　the　march。　But　beyond

this　business　horizon　he　could　not　see。　He　used　to　spend　his

hours　of　leisure　on　the　threshold　of　his　shop；　leaning　against

the　framework　of　the　door。　Take　him　from　his　dark　little

counting…house；　and　he　became　once　more　the　rough；　slow…witted

workman；　a　man　who　cannot　understand　a　piece　of　reasoning；　who　is

indifferent　to　all　intellectual　pleasures；　and　falls　asleep　at

the　play；　a　Parisian　Dolibom　in　short；　against　whose　stupidity

other　minds　are　powerless。



Natures　of　this　kind　are　nearly　all　alike；　in　almost　all　of　them

you　will　find　some　hidden　depth　of　sublime　affection。　Two　all…

absorbing　affections　filled　the　vermicelli　maker's　heart　to　the

exclusion　of　every　other　feeling；　into　them　he　seemed　to　put　all

the　forces　of　his　nature；　as　he　put　the　whole　power　of　his　brain

into　the　corn　trade。　He　had　regarded　his　wife；　the　only　daughter

of　a　rich　farmer　of　La　Brie；　with　a　devout　admiration；　his　love

for　her　had　been　boundless。　Goriot　had　felt　the　charm　of　a　lovely

and　sensitive　nature；　which；　in　its　delicate　strength；　was　the

very　opposite　of　his　own。　Is　there　any　instinct　more　deeply

implanted　in　the　heart　of　man　than　the　pride　of　protection；　a

protection　which　is　constantly　exerted　for　a　fragile　and

defenceless　creature？　Join　love　thereto；　the　warmth　of　gratitude

that　all　generous　souls　feel　for　the　source　of　their　pleasures；

and　you　have　the　explanation　of　many　strange　incongruities　in

human　nature。



After　seven　years　of　unclouded　happiness；　Goriot　lost　his　wife。

It　was　very　unfortunate　for　him。　She　was　beginning　to　gain　an

ascendency　over　him　in　other　ways；　possibly　she　might　have

brought　that　barren　soil　under　cultivation；　she　might　have

widened　his　ideas　and　given　other　directions　to　his　thoughts。　But

when　she　was　dead；　the　instinct　of　fatherhood　developed　in　him

till　it　almost　became　a　mania。　All　the　affection　balked　by　death

seemed　to　turn　to　his　daughters；　and　he　found　full　satisfaction

for　his　heart　in　loving　them。　More　or　less　brilliant　proposals

were　made　to　him　from　time　to　time；　wealthy　merchants　or　farmers

with　daughters　vied　with　each　other　in　offering　inducements　to

him　to　marry　again；　but　he　determined　to　remain　a　widower。　His

father…in…law；　the　only　man　for　whom　he　felt　a　decided

friendship；　gave　out　that　Goriot　had　made　a　vow　to　be　faithful　to

his　wife's　memory。　The　frequenters　of　the　Corn　Exchange；　who

could　not　comprehend　this　sublime　piece　of　folly；　joked　about　it

among　themselves；　and　found　a　ridiculous　nickname　for　him。　One　of

them　ventured　（after　a　glass　over　a　bargain）　to　call　him　by　it；

and　a　blow　from　the　vermicelli　maker's　fist　sent　him　headlong

into　a　gutter　in　the　Rue　Oblin。　He　could　think　of　nothing　else

when　his　children　were　concerned；　his　love　for　them　made　him

fidgety　and　anxious；　and　this　was　so　well　known；　that　one　day　a

competitor；　who　wished　to　get　rid　of　him　to　secure　the　field　to

himself；　told　Goriot　that　Delphine　had　just　been　knocked　down　by

a　cab。　The　vermicelli　maker　turned　ghastly　pale；　left　the

Exchange　at　once；　and　did　not　return　for　several　days　afterwards；

he　was　ill　in　consequence　of　the　shock　and　the　subsequent　relief

on　discovering　that　it　was　a　false　alarm。　This　time；　however；　the

offender　did　not　escape　with　a　bruised　shoulder；　at　a　critical

moment　in　the　man's　affairs；　Goriot　drove　him　into　bankruptcy；

and　forced　him　to　disappear　from　the　Corn　Exchange。



As　might　have　been　expected；　the　two　girls　were　spoiled。　With　an

income　of　sixty　thousand　francs；　Goriot　scarcely　spent　twelve

hundred　on　himself；　and　found　all　his　happiness　in　satisfying　the

whims　of　the　two　girls。　The　best　masters　were　engaged；　that

Anastasie　and　Delphine　might　be　endowed　with　all　the

accomplishments　which　distinguish　a　good　education。　They　had　a

chaperonluckily　for　them；　she　was　a　woman　who　had　good　sense

and　good　taste；they　learned　to　ride；　they　had　a　carriage　for

their　use；　they　lived　as　the　mistress　of　a　rich　old　lord　might

live；　they　had　only　to　express　a　wish；　their　father　would　hasten

to　give　them　their　most　extravagant　desires；　and　asked　nothing　of

them　in　return　but　a　kiss。　Goriot　had　raised　the　two　girls　to　the

level　of　the　angels；　and；　quite　naturally；　he　himself　was　left

beneath　them。　Poor　man！　he　loved　them　even　for　the　pain　that　they

gave　him。



When　the　girls　were　old　enough　to　be　married；　they　were　left　free

to　choose　for　themselves。　Each　had　half　her　father's　fortune　as

her　dowry；　and　when　the　Comte　de　Restaud　came　to　woo　Anastasie

for　her　beauty；　her　social　aspirations　led　her　to　leave　her

father's　house　for　a　more　exalted　sphere。　Delphine　wished　for

money；　she　married　Nucingen；　a　banker　of　German　extraction；　who

became　a　Baron　of　the　Holy　Roman　Empire。　Goriot　remained　a

vermicelli　maker　as　before。　His　daughters　and　his　sons…in…law

began　to　demur；　they　did　not　like　to　see　him　still　engaged　in

trade；　though　his　whole　life　was　bound　up　with　his　business。　For

five　years　he　stood　out　against　their　entreaties；　then　he

yielded；　and　consented　to　retire　on　the　amount　realized　by　the

sale　of　his　business　and　the　savings　of　the　last　few　years。　It

was　this　capital　that　Mme。　Vauquer；　in　the　early　days　of　his

residence　with　her；　had　calculated　would　bring　in　eight　or　ten

thousand　livres　in　a　year。　He　had　taken　refuge　in　her　lodging…

house；　driven　there　by　despair　when　he　knew　that　his　daughters

were　compelled　by　their　husbands　not　only　to　refuse　to　receive

him　as　an　inmate　in　their　houses；　but　even　to　see　him　no　more

except　in　private。



This　was　all　the　information　which　Rastignac　gained　from　a　M。

Muret　who　had　purchased　Goriot's　business；　information　which

confirmed　the　Duchesse　de　Langeais'　suppositions；　and　herewith

the　preliminary　explanation　of　this　obscure　but　terrible　Parisian

tragedy　comes　to　an　end。



Towards　the　end　of　the　first　week　in　December　Rastignac　received

two　lettersone　from　his　mother；　and　one　from　his　eldest　sister。

His　heart　beat　fast；　half　with　happiness；　half　with　fear；　at　the

sight　of　the　familiar　handwriting。　Those　two　little　scraps　of

paper　contained　life　or　death　for　his　hopes。　But　while　he　felt　a

shiver　of　dread　as　he　remembered　their　dire　poverty　at　home；　he

knew　their　love　for　him　so　well　that　he　could　not　help　fearing

that　he　was　draining　their　very　life…blood。　His　mother's　letter

ran　as　follows：



〃My　Dear　Child；I　am　sending　you　the　money　that　you　asked　for。

Make　a　good　use　of　it。　Even　to　save　your　life　I　could　not　raise

so　la