father goriot-第35节

按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！



the　constitution　of　society；　had　thrown　Eugene's　thoughts　into

confusion；　he　uttered　soothing　and　consoling　words；　and　wondered

at　the　beautiful　woman　before　him；　and　at　the　artless　imprudence

of　her　cry　of　pain。



〃You　will　not　remember　this　against　me？〃　she　asked；　〃promise　me

that　you　will　not。〃



〃Ah！　madame；　I　am　incapable　of　doing　so；〃　he　said。　She　took　his

hand　and　held　it　to　her　heart；　a　movement　full　of　grace　that

expressed　her　deep　gratitude。



〃I　am　free　and　happy　once　more；　thanks　to　you；〃　she　said。　〃Oh！　I

have　felt　lately　as　if　I　were　in　the　grasp　of　an　iron　hand。　But

after　this　I　mean　to　live　simply　and　to　spend　nothing。　You　will

think　me　just　as　pretty；　will　you　not；　my　friend？　Keep　this；〃　she

went　on；　as　she　took　only　six　of　the　banknotes。　〃In　conscience　I

owe　you　a　thousand　crowns；　for　I　really　ought　to　go　halves　with

you。〃



Eugene's　maiden　conscience　resisted；　but　when　the　Baroness　said；

〃I　am　bound　to　look　on　you　as　an　accomplice　or　as　an　enemy；〃　he

took　the　money。



〃It　shall　be　a　last　stake　in　reserve；〃　he　said；　〃in　case　of

misfortune。〃



〃That　was　what　I　was　dreading　to　hear；〃　she　cried；　turning　pale。

〃Oh；　if　you　would　that　I　should　be　anything　to　you；　swear　to　me

that　you　will　never　re…enter　a　gaming…house。　Great　Heaven！　that　I

should　corrupt　you！　I　should　die　of　sorrow！〃



They　had　reached　the　Rue　Saint…Lazare　by　this　time。　The　contrast

between　the　ostentation　of　wealth　in　the　house；　and　the　wretched

condition　of　its　mistress；　dazed　the　student；　and　Vautrin's

cynical　words　began　to　ring　in　his　ears。



〃Seat　yourself　there；〃　said　the　Baroness；　pointing　to　a　low　chair

beside　the　fire。　〃I　have　a　difficult　letter　to　write；〃　she　added。

〃Tell　me　what　to　say。〃



〃Say　nothing；〃　Eugene　answered　her。　〃Put　the　bills　in　an

envelope；　direct　it；　and　send　it　by　your　maid。〃



〃Why；　you　are　a　love　of　a　man；〃　she　said。　〃Ah！　see　what　it　is　to

have　been　well　brought　up。　That　is　the　Beauseant　through　and

through；〃　she　went　on；　smiling　at　him。



〃She　is　charming；〃　thought　Eugene；　more　and　more　in　love。　He

looked　round　him　at　the　room；　there　was　an　ostentatious　character

about　the　luxury；　a　meretricious　taste　in　the　splendor。



〃Do　you　like　it？〃　she　asked；　as　she　rang　for　the　maid。



〃Therese；　take　this　to　M。　de　Marsay；　and　give　it　into　his　hands

yourself。　If　he　is　not　at　home；　bring　the　letter　back　to　me。〃



Therese　went；　but　not　before　she　had　given　Eugene　a　spiteful

glance。



Dinner　was　announced。　Rastignac　gave　his　arm　to　Mme。　de　Nucingen；

she　led　the　way　into　a　pretty　dining…room；　and　again　he　saw　the

luxury　of　the　table　which　he　had　admired　in　his　cousin's　house。



〃Come　and　dine　with　me　on　opera　evenings；　and　we　will　go　to　the

Italiens　afterwards；〃　she　said。



〃I　should　soon　grow　used　to　the　pleasant　life　if　it　could　last；

but　I　am　a　poor　student；　and　I　have　my　way　to　make。〃



〃Oh！　you　will　succeed；〃　she　said　laughing。　〃You　will　see。　All

that　you　wish　will　come　to　pass。　_I_　did　not　expect　to　be　so

happy。〃



It　is　the　wont　of　women　to　prove　the　impossible　by　the　possible；

and　to　annihilate　facts　by　presentiments。　When　Mme。　de　Nucingen

and　Rastignac　took　their　places　in　her　box　at　the　Bouffons；　her

face　wore　a　look　of　happiness　that　made　her　so　lovely　that　every

one　indulged　in　those　small　slanders　against　which　women　are

defenceless；　for　the　scandal　that　is　uttered　lightly　is　often

seriously　believed。　Those　who　know　Paris；　believe　nothing　that　is

said；　and　say　nothing　of　what　is　done　there。



Eugene　took　the　Baroness'　hand　in　his；　and　by　some　light　pressure

of　the　fingers；　or　a　closer　grasp　of　the　hand；　they　found　a

language　in　which　to　express　the　sensations　which　the　music　gave

them。　It　was　an　evening　of　intoxicating　delight　for　both；　and

when　it　ended；　and　they　went　out　together；　Mme。　de　Nucingen

insisted　on　taking　Eugene　with　her　as　far　as　the　Pont　Neuf；　he

disputing　with　her　the　whole　of　the　way　for　a　single　kiss　after

all　those　that　she　had　showered　upon　him　so　passionately　at　the

Palais…Royal；　Eugene　reproached　her　with　inconsistency。



〃That　was　gratitude；〃　she　said；　〃for　devotion　that　I　did　not　dare

to　hope　for；　but　now　it　would　be　a　promise。〃




〃And　will　you　give　me　no　promise；　ingrate？〃



He　grew　vexed。　Then；　with　one　of　those　impatient　gestures　that

fill　a　lover　with　ecstasy；　she　gave　him　her　hand　to　kiss；　and　he

took　it　with　a　discontented　air　that　delighted　her。



〃I　shall　see　you　at　the　ball　on　Monday；〃　she　said。



As　Eugene　went　home　in　the　moonlight；　he　fell　to　serious

reflections。　He　was　satisfied；　and　yet　dissatisfied。　He　was

pleased　with　an　adventure　which　would　probably　give　him　his

desire；　for　in　the　end　one　of　the　prettiest　and　best…dressed

women　in　Paris　would　be　his；　but；　as　a　set…off；　he　saw　his　hopes

of　fortune　brought　to　nothing；　and　as　soon　as　he　realized　this

fact；　the　vague　thoughts　of　yesterday　evening　began　to　take　a

more　decided　shape　in　his　mind。　A　check　is　sure　to　reveal　to　us

the　strength　of　our　hopes。　The　more　Eugene　learned　of　the

pleasures　of　life　in　Paris；　the　more　impatient　he　felt　of　poverty

and　obscurity。　He　crumpled　the　banknote　in　his　pocket；　and　found

any　quantity　of　plausible　excuses　for　appropriating　it。



He　reached　the　Rue　Neuve…Sainte…Genevieve　at　last；　and　from　the

stairhead　he　saw　a　light　in　Goriot's　room；　the　old　man　had

lighted　a　candle；　and　set　the　door　ajar；　lest　the　student　should

pass　him　by；　and　go　to　his　room　without　〃telling　him　all　about

his　daughter；〃　to　use　his　own　expression。　Eugene；　accordingly；

told　him　everything　without　reserve。



〃Then　they　think　that　I　am　ruined！〃　cried　Father　Goriot；　in　an

agony　of　jealousy　and　desperation。　〃Why；　I　have　still　thirteen

hundred　livres　a　year！　MON　DIEU！　Poor　little　girl！　why　did　she

not　come　to　me？　I　would　have　sold　my　rentes；　she　should　have　had

some　of　the　principal；　and　I　would　have　bought　a　life…annuity

with　the　rest。　My　good　neighbor；　why　did　not　YOU　come　to　tell　me

of　her　difficulty？　How　had　you　the　heart　to　go　and　risk　her　poor

little　hundred　francs　at　play？　This　is　heart…breaking　work。　You

see　what　it　is　to　have　sons…in…law。　Oh！　if　I　had　hold　of　them；　I

would　wring　their　necks。　MON　DIEU！　CRYING！　Did　you　say　she　was

crying？〃



〃With　her　head　on　my　waistcoat；〃　said　Eugene。



〃Oh！　give　it　to　me；〃　said　Father　Goriot。　〃What！　my　daughter's

tears　have　fallen　theremy　darling　Delphine；　who　never　used　to

cry　when　she　was　a　little　girl！　Oh！　I　will　buy　you　another；　do

not　wear　it　again；　let　me　have　it。　By　the　terms　of　her　marriage…

contract；　she　ought　to　have　the　use　of　her　property。　To…morrow

morning　I　will　go　and　see　Derville；　he　is　an　attorney。　I　will

demand　that　her　money　should　be　invested　in　her　own　name。　I　know

the　law。　I　am　an　old　wolf；　I　will　show　my　teeth。〃



〃Here；　father；　this　is　a　banknote　for　a　thousand　francs　that　she

wanted　me　to　keep　out　of　our　winnings。　Keep　them　for　her；　in　the

pocket　of　the　waistcoat。〃



Goriot　looked　hard　at　Eugene；　reached　out　and　took　the　law

student's　hand；　and　Eugene　felt　a　tear　fall　on　it。



〃You　will　succeed；〃　the　old　man　said。　〃God　is　just；　you　see。　I

know　an　honest　man　when　I　see　him；　and　I　can　tell　you；　there　are

not　many　men　like　you。　I　am　to　have　another　dear　child　in　you；　am

I？　There；　go　to　sleep；　you　can　sleep；　you　are　not　yet　a　father。

She　was　crying！　and　I　have　to　be　told　about　it！and　I　was

quietly　eating　my　dinner；　like　an　idiot；　all　the　timeI；　who

would　sell　the　Father；　Son　and　Holy　Ghost　to　save　one　tear　to

either　of　them。〃







〃An　honest　man！〃　said　Eugene　to　himself　as　he　lay　down。　〃Upon　my

word；　I　think　I　will　be　an　honest　man　all　my　life；　it　is　so

pleasant　to　obey　the　voice　of　conscience。〃　Perhaps　none　but

believers　in　God　do　good　in　secret；　and　Eugene　believed　in　a　God。



The　next　day　Rastignac　went　at　the　appointed　time　to　Mme。　de

Beauseant；　who　took　him　with　her　to　the　Duchesse　de　Carigliano's

ball。　The　Marechale　received　Eugene　most　graciously。　Mme。　de

Nucingen　was　there。　Delphine's　dress　seemed　to　suggest　that　she

wished　for　the　admiration　of　others；　so　that　she　might　shine　the

more　in　Eugene's　eyes；　she　was　eagerly　expecting　a　glance　from

him；　hiding；　as　she　thought；　this　eagerness　from　all　beholders。

This　moment　is　full　of　charm　for　one　who　can　guess　all　that

passes　in　a　woman's　mind。　Who　has　not　refrained　from　giving　his

opinion；　to　prolong　her　suspense；　concealing　his　pleasure　from　a

desire　to　tantalize；　seeking　a　confession　of　love　in　her

uneasiness；　enjoying　the　fears　that　he　can　dissipate　by　a　smile？

In　the　course　of　the　evening　the　law　student　suddenly

comprehended　his　position；　he　saw　that；　as　the　cousin　of　Mme。　de

Beauseant；　he　was　a　personage　in　this　world。　He　was　already

credited　with　the　conquest　of　Mme。　de　Nucingen；　and　for　this

reason　was　a　conspicuous　figure；　he　caught　the　envious　glances　of

other　young　men；　and　experienced　the　earli