father goriot-第22节

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〃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　large　a　sum　a　second　time　without　your　father's　knowledge；　and

there　would　be　trouble　about　it。　We　should　be　obliged　to　mortgage

the　land。　It　is　impossible　to　judge　of　the　merits　of　schemes　of

which　I　am　ignorant；　but　what　sort　of　schemes　can　they　be；　that

you　should　fear　to　tell　me　about　them？　Volumes　of　explanation

would　not　have　been　needed；　we　mothers　can　understand　at　a　word；

and　that　word　would　have　spared　me　the　anguish　of　uncertainty。　I

do　not　know　how　to　hide　the　painful　impression　that　your　letter

has　made　upon　me；　my　dear　son。　What　can　you　have　felt　when　you

were　moved　to　send　this　chill　of　dread　through　my　heart？　It　must

have　been　very　painful　to　you　to　write　the　letter　that　gave　me　so

much　pain　as　I　read　it。　To　what　courses　are　you　committed？　You

are　going　to　appear　to　be　something　that　you　are　not；　and　your

whole　life　and　success　depends　upon　this？　You　are　about　to　see　a

society　into　which　you　cannot　enter　without　rushing　into　expense

that　you　cannot　afford；　without　losing　precious　time　that　is

needed　for　your　studies。　Ah！　my　dear　Eugene；　believe　your　mother；

crooked　ways　cannot　lead　to　great　ends。　Patience　and　endurance

are　the　two　qualities　most　needed　in　your　position。　I　am　not

scolding　you；　I　do　not　want　any　tinge　of　bitterness　to　spoil　our

offering。　I　am　only　talking　like　a　mother　whose　trust　in　you　is

as　great　as　her　foresight　for　you。　You　know　the　steps　that　you

must　take；　and　I；　for　my　part；　know　the　purity　of　heart；　and　how

good　your　intentions　are；　so　I　can　say　to　you　without　a　doubt；

'Go　forward；　beloved！'　If　I　tremble；　it　is　because　I　am　a　mother；

but　my　prayers　and　blessings　will　be　with　you　at　every　step。　Be

very　careful；　dear　boy。　You　must　have　a　man's　prudence；　for　it

lies　with　you　to　shape　the　destinies　of　five　others　who　are　dear

to　you；　and　must　look　to　you。　Yes；　our　fortunes　depend　upon　you；

and　your　success　is　ours。　We　all　pray　to　God　to　be　with　you　in

all　that　you　do。　Your　aunt　Marcillac　has　been　most　generous

beyond　words　in　this　matter；　she　saw　at　once　how　it　was；　even

down　to　your　gloves。　'But　I　have　a　weakness　for　the　eldest！'　she

said　gaily。　You　must　love　your　aunt　very　much；　dear　Eugene。　I

shall　wait　till　you　have　succeeded　before　telling　you　all　that

she　has　done　for　you；　or　her　money　would　burn　your　fingers。　You；

who　are　young；　do　not　know　what　it　is　to　part　with　something　that

is　a　piece　of　your　past！　But　what　would　we　not　sacrifice　for　your

sakes？　Your　aunt　says　that　I　am　to　send　you　a　kiss　on　the

forehead　from　her；　and　that　kiss　is　to　bring　you　luck　again　and

again；　she　says。　She　would　have　written　you　herself；　the　dear

kind…hearted　woman；　but　she　is　troubled　with　the　gout　in　her

fingers　just　now。　Your　father　is　very　well。　The　vintage　of　1819

has　turned　out　better　than　we　expected。　Good…bye；　dear　boy；　I

will　say　nothing　about　your　sisters；　because　Laure　is　writing　to

you；　and　I　must　let　her　have　the　pleasure　of　giving　you　all　the

home　news。　Heaven　send　that　you　may　succeed！　Oh！　yes；　dear

Eugene；　you　must　succeed。　I　have　come；　through　you；　to　a

knowledge　of　a　pain　so　sharp　that　I　do　not　think　I　could　endure

it　a　second　time。　I　have　come　to　know　what　it　is　to　be　poor；　and

to　long　for　money　for　my　children's　sake。　There；　good…bye！　Do　not

leave　us　for　long　without　news　of　you；　and　here；　at　the　last；

take　a　kiss　from　your　mother。〃



By　the　time　Eugene　had　finished　the　letter　he　was　in　tears。　He

thought　of　Father　Goriot　crushing　his　silver　keepsake　into　a

shapeless　mass　before　he　sold　it　to　meet　his　daughter's　bill　of

exchange。



〃Your　mother　has　broken　up　her　jewels　for　you；〃　he　said　to

himself；　〃your　aunt　shed　tears　over　those　relics　of　hers　before

she　sold　them　for　your　sake。　What　right　have　you　to　heap

execrations　on　Anastasie？　You　have　followed　her　example；　you　have

selfishly　sacrificed　others　to　your　own　future；　and　she

sacrifices　her　father　to　her　lover；　and　of　you　two；　which　is　the

worse？〃



He　was　ready　to　renounce　his　attempts；　he　could　not　bear　to　take

that　money。　The　fires　of　remorse　burned　in　his　heart；　and　gave

him　intolerable　pain；　the　generous　secret　remorse　which　men

seldom　take　into　account　when　they　sit　in　judgment　upon　their

fellow…men；　but　perhaps　the　angels　in　heaven；　beholding　it；

pardon　the　criminal　whom　our　justice　condemns。　Rastignac　opened

his　sister's　letter；　its　simplicity　and　kindness　revived　his

heart。



〃Your　letter　came　just　at　the　right　time；　dear　brother。　Agathe

and　I　had　thought　of　so　many　different　ways　of　spending　our

money；　that　we　did　not　know　what　to　buy　with　it；　and　now　you　have

come　in；　and；　like　the　servant　who　upset　all　the　watches　that

belonged　to　the　King　of　Spain；　you　have　restored　harmony；　for；

really　and　truly；　we　did　not　know　which　of　all　the　things　we

wanted　we　wanted　most；　and　we　were　always　quarreling　about　it；

never　thinking；　dear　Eugene；　of　a　way　of　spending　our　money　which

would　satisfy　us　completely。　Agathe　jumped　for　you。　Indeed；　we

have　been　like　two　mad　things　all　day；　'to　such　a　prodigious

degree'　（as　aunt　would　say）；　that　mother　said；　with　her　severe

expression；　'Whatever　can　be　the　matter　with　you；

mesdemoiselles？'　I　think　if　we　had　been　scolded　a　little；　we

should　have　been　still　better　pleased。　A　woman　ought　to　be　very

glad　to　suffer　for　one　she　loves！　I；　however；　in　my　inmost　soul；

was　doleful　and　cross　in　the　midst　of　all　my　joy。　I　shall　make　a

bad　wife；　I　am　afraid；　I　am　too　fond　of　spending。　I　had　bought

two　sashes　and　a　nice　little　stiletto　for　piercing　eyelet…holes

in　my　stays；　trifles　that　I　really　did　not　want；　so　that　I　have

less　than　that　slow…coach　Agathe；　who　is　so　economical；　and

hoards　her　money　like　a　magpie。　She　had　two　hundred　francs！　And　I

have　only　one　hundred　and　fifty！　I　am　nicely　punished；　I　could

throw　my　sash　down　the　well；　it　will　be　painful　to　me　to　wear　it

now。　Poor　dear；　I　have　robbed　you。　And　Agathe　was　so　nice　about

it。　She　said；　'Let　us　send　the　three　hundred　and　fifty　francs　in

our　two　names！'　But　I　could　not　help　telling　you　everything　just

as　it　happened。



〃Do　you　know　how　we　managed　to　keep　your　commandments？　We　took

our　glittering　hoard；　we　went　out　for　a　walk；　and　when　once

fairly　on　the　highway　we　ran　all　the　way　to　Ruffec；　where　we

handed　over　the　coin；　without　more　ado；　to　M。　Grimbert　of　the

Messageries　Royales。　We　came　back　again　like　swallows　on　the

wing。　'Don't　you　think　that　happiness　has　made　us　lighter？'

Agathe　said。　We　said　all　sorts　of　things；　which　I　shall　not　tell

you；　Monsieur　le　Parisien；　because　they　were　all　about　you。　Oh；

we　love　you　dearly；　dear　brother；　it　was　all　summed　up　in　those

few　words。　As　for　keeping　the　secret；　little　masqueraders　like　us

are　capable　of　anything　（according　to　our　aunt）；　even　of　holding

our　tongues。　Our　mother　has　been　on　a　mysterious　journey　to

Angouleme；　and　the　aunt　went　with　her；　not　without　solemn

councils；　from　which　we　were　shut　out；　and　M。　le　Baron　likewise。

They　are　silent　as　to　the　weighty　political　considerations　that

prompted　their　mission；　and　conjectures　are　rife　in　the　State　of

Rastignac。　The　Infantas　are　embroidering　a　muslin　robe　with　open…

work　sprigs　for　her　Majesty　the　Queen；　the　work　progresses　in　the

most　profound　secrecy。　There　be　but　two　more　breadths　to　finish。

A　decree　has　gone　forth　that　no　wall　shall　be　built　on　the　side

of　Verteuil；　but　that　a　hedge　shall　be　planted　instead　thereof。

Our　subjects　may　sustain　some　disappointment　of　fruit　and

espaliers；　but　strangers　will　enjoy　a　fair　prospect。　Should　the

heir…presumptive　lack　pocket…handkerchiefs；　be　it　known　unto　him

that　the　dowager　Lady　of　Marcillac；　exploring　the　recesses　of　her

drawers　and　boxes　（known　respectively　as　Pompeii　and

Herculaneum）；　having　brought　to　light　a　fair　piece　of　cambric

whereof　she　wotted　not；　the　Princesses　Agathe　and　Laure　place　at

their　brother's　disposal　their　thread；　their　needles；　and　hands

somewhat　of　the　reddest。　The　two　young　Princes；　Don　Henri　and　Don

Gabriel；　retain　their　fatal　habits　of　stuffing　themselves　with

grape…jelly；　of　teasing　their　sisters；　of　taking　their　pleasure

by　going　a…bird…nesting；　and　of　cutting　switches　for　themselves

from　the　osier…beds；　maugre　the　laws　of　the　realm。　Moreover；　they

list　not　to　learn　naught；　wherefore　the　Papal　Nuncio　（called　of

the　commonalty；　M。　le　Cure）　threateneth　them　with

excommunication；　since　that　they　neglect　the　sacred　canons　of

grammatical　construction　for　the　construction　of　other　canon；

deadly　engines　made　of　the　stems　of　elder。



〃Farewell；　dear　brother；　never　did　letter　carry　so　many　wishes

for　your　success；　so　much　love　fully　satisfied。　You　will　have　a

great　deal　to　tell　us　when　you　come　home！　You　will　tell　me

everything；　won't　you？　I　am　the　oldest。　From　something　the　aunt

let　fall；　we　think　you　must　have　had　some　succe