father goriot-第44节

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left　the　room；　Victorine　snatched　an　opportunity　when　her

guardian's　back　was　turned；　and　pressed　a　kiss　on　Eugene's

forehead；　feeling　all　the　joy　that　this　stolen　pleasure　could

give　her。　Then　she　looked　round　the　room；　and　gathering　up；　as　it

were；　into　one　single　thought　all　the　untold　bliss　of　that　day；

she　made　a　picture　of　her　memories；　and　dwelt　upon　it　until　she

slept；　the　happiest　creature　in　Paris。



That　evening's　merry…making；　in　the　course　of　which　Vautrin　had

given　the　drugged　wine　to　Eugene　and　Father　Goriot；　was　his　own

ruin。　Bianchon；　flustered　with　wine；　forgot　to　open　the　subject

of　Trompe…la…Mort　with　Mlle。　Michonneau。　The　mere　mention　of　the

name　would　have　set　Vautrin　on　his　guard；　for　Vautrin；　or；　to

give　him　his　real　name；　Jacques　Collin；　was　in　fact　the　notorious

escaped　convict。



But　it　was　the　joke　about　the　Venus　of　Pere…Lachaise　that　finally

decided　his　fate。　Mlle。　Michonneau　had　very　nearly　made　up　her

mind　to　warn　the　convict　and　to　throw　herself　on　his　generosity；

with　the　idea　of　making　a　better　bargain　for　herself　by　helping

him　to　escape　that　night；　but　as　it　was；　she　went　out　escorted　by

Poiret　in　search　of　the　famous　chief　of　detectives　in　the　Petite

Rue　Saint…Anne；　still　thinking　that　it　was　the　district

superintendentone　Gondureauwith　whom　she　had　to　do。　The　head

of　the　department　received　his　visitors　courteously。　There　was　a

little　talk；　and　the　details　were　definitely　arranged。　Mlle。

Michonneau　asked　for　the　draught　that　she　was　to　administer　in

order　to　set　about　her　investigation。　But　the　great　man's　evident

satisfaction　set　Mlle。　Michonneau　thinking；　and　she　began　to　see

that　this　business　involved　something　more　than　the　mere　capture

of　a　runaway　convict。　She　racked　her　brains　while　he　looked　in　a

drawer　in　his　desk　for　the　little　phial；　and　it　dawned　upon　her

that　in　consequence　of　treacherous　revelations　made　by　the

prisoners　the　police　were　hoping　to　lay　their　hands　on　a

considerable　sum　of　money。　But　on　hinting　her　suspicions　to　the

old　fox　of　the　Petite　Rue　Saint…Anne；　that　officer　began　to

smile；　and　tried　to　put　her　off　the　scent。



〃A　delusion；〃　he　said。　〃Collin's　sorbonne　is　the　most　dangerous

that　has　yet　been　found　among　the　dangerous　classes。　That　is　all；

and　the　rascals　are　quite　aware　of　it。　They　rally　round　him；　he

is　the　backbone　of　the　federation；　its　Bonaparte；　in　short；　he　is

very　popular　with　them　all。　The　rogue　will　never　leave　his　chump

in　the　Place　de　Greve。〃



As　Mlle。　Michonneau　seemed　mystified；　Gondureau　explained　the　two

slang　words　for　her　benefit。　Sorbonne　and　chump　are　two　forcible

expressions　borrowed　from　thieves'　Latin；　thieves；　of　all　people；

being　compelled　to　consider　the　human　head　in　its　two　aspects。　A

sorbonne　is　the　head　of　a　living　man；　his　faculty　of　thinking

his　council；　a　chump　is　a　contemptuous　epithet　that　implies　how

little　a　human　head　is　worth　after　the　axe　has　done　its　work。



〃Collin　is　playing　us　off；〃　he　continued。　〃When　we　come　across　a

man　like　a　bar　of　steel　tempered　in　the　English　fashion；　there　is

always　one　resource　leftwe　can　kill　him　if　he　takes　it　into　his

head　to　make　the　least　resistance。　We　are　reckoning　on　several

methods　of　killing　Collin　to…morrow　morning。　It　saves　a　trial；

and　society　is　rid　of　him　without　all　the　expense　of　guarding　and

feeding　him。　What　with　getting　up　the　case；　summoning　witnesses；

paying　their　expenses；　and　carrying　out　the　sentence；　it　costs　a

lot　to　go　through　all　the　proper　formalities　before　you　can　get

quit　of　one　of　these　good…for…nothings；　over　and　above　the　three

thousand　francs　that　you　are　going　to　have。　There　is　a　saving　in

time　as　well。　One　good　thrust　of　the　bayonet　into　Trompe…la…

Mort's　paunch　will　prevent　scores　of　crimes；　and　save　fifty

scoundrels　from　following　his　example；　they　will　be　very　careful

to　keep　themselves　out　of　the　police　courts。　That　is　doing　the

work　of　the　police　thoroughly；　and　true　philanthropists　will　tell

you　that　it　is　better　to　prevent　crime　than　to　punish　it。〃



〃And　you　do　a　service　to　our　country；〃　said　Poiret。



〃Really；　you　are　talking　in　a　very　sensible　manner　tonight；　that

you　are；〃　said　the　head　of　the　department。　〃Yes；　of　course；　we

are　serving　our　country；　and　we　are　very　hardly　used　too。　We　do

society　very　great　services　that　are　not　recognized。　In　fact；　a

superior　man　must　rise　above　vulgar　prejudices；　and　a　Christian

must　resign　himself　to　the　mishaps　that　doing　right　entails；　when

right　is　done　in　an　out…of…the…way　style。　Paris　is　Paris；　you

see！　That　is　the　explanation　of　my　life。I　have　the　honor　to

wish　you　a　good…evening；　mademoiselle。　I　shall　bring　my　men　to

the　Jardin　du　Roi　in　the　morning。　Send　Christophe　to　the　Rue　du

Buffon；　tell　him　to　ask　for　M。　Gondureau　in　the　house　where　you

saw　me　before。Your　servant；　sir。　If　you　should　ever　have

anything　stolen　from　you；　come　to　me；　and　I　will　do　my　best　to

get　it　back　for　you。〃



〃Well；　now；〃　Poiret　remarked　to　Mlle。　Michonneau；　〃there　are

idiots　who　are　scared　out　of　their　wits　by　the　word　police。　That

was　a　very　pleasant…spoken　gentleman；　and　what　he　wants　you　to　do

is　as　easy　as　saying　'Good…day。'　〃







The　next　day　was　destined　to　be　one　of　the　most　extraordinary　in

the　annals　of　the　Maison　Vauquer。　Hitherto　the　most　startling

occurrence　in　its　tranquil　existence　had　been　the　portentous；

meteor…like　apparition　of　the　sham　Comtesse　de　l'Ambermesnil。　But

the　catastrophes　of　this　great　day　were　to　cast　all　previous

events　into　the　shade；　and　supply　an　inexhaustible　topic　of

conversation　for　Mme。　Vauquer　and　her　boarders　so　long　as　she

lived。



In　the　first　place；　Goriot　and　Eugene　de　Rastignac　both　slept

till　close　upon　eleven　o'clock。　Mme。　Vauquer；　who　came　home　about

midnight　from　the　Gaite；　lay　a…bed　till　half…past　ten。

Christophe；　after　a　prolonged　slumber　（he　had　finished　Vautrin's

first　bottle　of　wine）；　was　behindhand　with　his　work；　but　Poiret

and　Mlle。　Michonneau　uttered　no　complaint；　though　breakfast　was

delayed。　As　for　Victorine　and　Mme。　Couture；　they　also　lay　late。

Vautrin　went　out　before　eight　o'clock；　and　only　came　back　just　as

breakfast　was　ready。　Nobody　protested；　therefore；　when　Sylvie　and

Christophe　went　up　at　a　quarter　past　eleven；　knocked　at　all　the

doors；　and　announced　that　breakfast　was　waiting。　While　Sylvie　and

the　man　were　upstairs；　Mlle。　Michonneau；　who　came　down　first；

poured　the　contents　of　the　phial　into　the　silver　cup　belonging　to

Vautrinit　was　standing　with　the　others　in　the　bain…marie　that

kept　the　cream　hot　for　the　morning　coffee。　The　spinster　had

reckoned　on　this　custom　of　the　house　to　do　her　stroke　of

business。　The　seven　lodgers　were　at　last　collected　together；　not

without　some　difficulty。　Just　as　Eugene　came　downstairs；

stretching　himself　and　yawning；　a　commissionaire　handed　him　a

letter　from　Mme。　de　Nucingen。　It　ran　thus：



〃I　feel　neither　false　vanity　nor　anger　where　you　are　concerned；

my　friend。　Till　two　o'clock　this　morning　I　waited　for　you。　Oh；

that　waiting　for　one　whom　you　love！　No　one　that　had　passed

through　that　torture　could　inflict　it　on　another。　I　know　now　that

you　have　never　loved　before。　What　can　have　happened？　Anxiety　has

taken　hold　of　me。　I　would　have　come　myself　to　find　out　what　had

happened；　if　I　had　not　feared　to　betray　the　secrets　of　my　heart。

How　can　I　walk　out　or　drive　out　at　this　time　of　day？　Would　it　not

be　ruin？　I　have　felt　to　the　full　how　wretched　it　is　to　be　a

woman。　Send　a　word　to　reassure　me；　and　explain　how　it　is　that　you

have　not　come　after　what　my　father　told　you。　I　shall　be　angry；

but　I　will　forgive　you。　One　word；　for　pity's　sake。　You　will　come

to　me　soon；　will　you　not？　If　you　are　busy；　a　line　will　be　enough。

Say；　'I　will　hasten　to　you；'　or　else；　'I　am　ill。'　But　if　you　were

ill　my　father　would　have　come　to　tell　me　so。　What　can　have

happened？　。　。　。〃



〃Yes；　indeed；　what　has　happened？〃　exclaimed　Eugene；　and；　hurrying

down　to　the　dining…room；　he　crumpled　up　the　letter　without

reading　any　more。　〃What　time　is　it？〃



〃Half…past　eleven；〃　said　Vautrin；　dropping　a　lump　of　sugar　into

his　coffee。



The　escaped　convict　cast　a　glance　at　Eugene；　a　cold　and

fascinating　glance；　men　gifted　with　this　magnetic　power　can　quell

furious　lunatics　in　a　madhouse　by　such　a　glance；　it　is　said。

Eugene　shook　in　every　limb。　There　was　the　sound　of　wheels　in　the

street；　and　in　another　moment　a　man　with　a　scared　face　rushed

into　the　room。　It　was　one　of　M。　Taillefer's　servants；　Mme。

Couture　recognized　the　livery　at　once。



〃Mademoiselle；〃　he　cried；　〃your　father　is　asking　for　you

something　terrible　has　happened！　M。　Frederic　has　had　a　sword

thrust　in　the　forehead　in　a　duel；　and　the　doctors　have　given　him

up。　You　will　scarcely　be　in　time　to　say　good…bye　to　him！　he　is

unconscious。〃



〃Poor　young　fellow！〃　exclaimed　Vautrin。　〃How　can　people　brawl

when　they　have　a　certain　income　of　thirty　thousand　livres？　Y