father goriot-第53节

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order。　Great　heavens！　my　brain　is　on　fire；　it　is　as　if　there　were

something　redhot　inside　my　head。　My　Delphine　lying　on　straw！　You！

my　Fifine！　Good　gracious！　Where　are　my　gloves？　Come；　let　us　go　at

once；　I　mean　to　see　everything　with　my　own　eyesbooks；　cash；　and

correspondence；　the　whole　business。　I　shall　have　no　peace　until　I

know　for　certain　that　your　fortune　is　secure。〃



〃Oh！　father　dear；　be　careful　how　you　set　about　it！　If　there　is

the　least　hint　of　vengeance　in　the　business；　if　you　show　yourself

openly　hostile；　it　will　be　all　over　with　me。　He　knows　whom　he　has

to　deal　with；　he　thinks　it　quite　natural　that　if　you　put　the　idea

into　my　head；　I　should　be　uneasy　about　my　money；　but　I　swear　to

you　that　he　has　it　in　his　own　hands；　and　that　he　had　meant　to

keep　it。　He　is　just　the　man　to　abscond　with　all　the　money　and

leave　us　in　the　lurch；　the　scoundrel！　He　knows　quite　well　that　I

will　not　dishonor　the　name　I　bear　by　bringing　him　into　a　court　of

law。　His　position　is　strong　and　weak　at　the　same　time。　If　we

drive　him　to　despair；　I　am　lost。〃



〃Why；　then；　the　man　is　a　rogue？〃



〃Well；　yes；　father；〃　she　said；　flinging　herself　into　a　chair；　〃I

wanted　to　keep　it　from　you　to　spare　your　feelings；〃　and　she　burst

into　tears；　〃I　did　not　want　you　to　know　that　you　had　married　me

to　such　a　man　as　he　is。　He　is　just　the　same　in　private　lifebody

and　soul　and　consciencethe　same　through　and　throughhideous！　I

hate　him；　I　despise　him！　Yes；　after　all　that　that　despicable

Nucingen　has　told　me；　I　cannot　respect　him　any　longer。　A　man

capable　of　mixing　himself　up　in　such　affairs；　and　of　talking

about　them　to　me　as　he　did；　without　the　slightest　scruple；it　is

because　I　have　read　him　through　and　through　that　I　am　afraid　of

him。　He；　my　husband；　frankly　proposed　to　give　me　my　liberty；　and

do　you　know　what　that　means？　It　means　that　if　things　turn　out

badly　for　him；　I　am　to　play　into　his　hands；　and　be　his　stalking…

horse。〃



〃But　there　is　law　to　be　had！　There　is　a　Place　de　Greve　for　sons…

in…law　of　that　sort；〃　cried　her　father；　〃why；　I　would　guillotine

him　myself　if　there　was　no　headsman　to　do　it。〃



〃No；　father；　the　law　cannot　touch　him。　Listen；　this　is　what　he

says；　stripped　of　all　his　circumlocutions'Take　your　choice；　you

and　no　one　else　can　be　my　accomplice；　either　everything　is　lost；

you　are　ruined　and　have　not　a　farthing；　or　you　will　let　me　carry

this　business　through　myself。'　Is　that　plain　speaking？　He　MUST

have　my　assistance。　He　is　assured　that　his　wife　will　deal　fairly

by　him；　he　knows　that　I　shall　leave　his　money　to　him　and　be

content　with　my　own。　It　is　an　unholy　and　dishonest　compact；　and

he　holds　out　threats　of　ruin　to　compel　me　to　consent　to　it。　He　is

buying　my　conscience；　and　the　price　is　liberty　to　be　Eugene's

wife　in　all　but　name。　'I　connive　at　your　errors；　and　you　allow　me

to　commit　crimes　and　ruin　poor　families！'　Is　that　sufficiently

explicit？　Do　you　know　what　he　means　by　speculations？　He　buys　up

land　in　his　own　name；　then　he　finds　men　of　straw　to　run　up　houses

upon　it。　These　men　make　a　bargain　with　a　contractor　to　build　the

houses；　paying　them　by　bills　at　long　dates；　then　in　consideration

of　a　small　sum　they　leave　my　husband　in　possession　of　the　houses；

and　finally　slip　through　the　fingers　of　the　deluded　contractors

by　going　into　bankruptcy。　The　name　of　the　firm　of　Nucingen　has

been　used　to　dazzle　the　poor　contractors。　I　saw　that。　I　noticed；

too；　that　Nucingen　had　sent　bills　for　large　amounts　to　Amsterdam；

London；　Naples；　and　Vienna；　in　order　to　prove　if　necessary　that

large　sums　had　been　paid　away　by　the　firm。　How　could　we　get

possession　of　those　bills？〃



Eugene　heard　a　dull　thud　on　the　floor；　Father　Goriot　must　have

fallen　on　his　knees。



〃Great　heavens！　what　have　I　done　to　you？　Bound　my　daughter　to

this　scoundrel　who　does　as　he　likes　with　her！Oh！　my　child；　my

child！　forgive　me！〃　cried　the　old　man。



〃Yes；　if　I　am　in　the　depths　of　despair；　perhaps　you　are　to

blame；〃　said　Delphine。　〃We　have　so　little　sense　when　we　marry！

What　do　we　know　of　the　world；　of　business；　or　men；　or　life？　Our

fathers　should　think　for　us！　Father　dear；　I　am　not　blaming　you　in

the　least；　forgive　me　for　what　I　said。　This　is　all　my　own　fault。

Nay；　do　not　cry；　papa；〃　she　said；　kissing　him。



〃Do　not　cry　either；　my　little　Delphine。　Look　up　and　let　me　kiss

away　the　tears。　There！　I　shall　find　my　wits　and　unravel　this

skein　of　your　husband's　winding。〃



〃No；　let　me　do　that；　I　shall　be　able　to　manage　him。　He　is　fond　of

me；　well　and　good；　I　shall　use　my　influence　to　make　him　invest　my

money　as　soon　as　possible　in　landed　property　in　my　own　name。　Very

likely　I　could　get　him　to　buy　back　Nucingen　in　Alsace　in　my　name；

that　has　always　been　a　pet　idea　of　his。　Still；　come　to…morrow　and

go　through　the　books；　and　look　into　the　business。　M。　Derville

knows　little　of　mercantile　matters。　No；　not　to…morrow　though。　I

do　not　want　to　be　upset。　Mme。　de　Beauseant's　ball　will　be　the　day

after　to…morrow；　and　I　must　keep　quiet；　so　as　to　look　my　best　and

freshest；　and　do　honor　to　my　dear　Eugene！　。　。　。　Come；　let　us　see

his　room。〃



But　as　she　spoke　a　carriage　stopped　in　the　Rue　Nueve…Sainte…

Genevieve；　and　the　sound　of　Mme。　de　Restaud's　voice　came　from　the

staircase。　〃Is　my　father　in？〃　she　asked　of　Sylvie。



This　accident　was　luckily　timed　for　Eugene；　whose　one　idea　had

been　to　throw　himself　down　on　the　bed　and　pretend　to　be　asleep。



〃Oh；　father；　have　you　heard　about　Anastasie？〃　said　Delphine；　when

she　heard　her　sister　speak。　〃It　looks　as　though　some　strange

things　had　happened　in　that　family。〃



〃What　sort　of　things？〃　asked　Goriot。　〃This　is　like　to　be　the

death　of　me。　My　poor　head　will　not　stand　a　double　misfortune。〃



〃Good…morning；　father；〃　said　the　Countess　from　the　threshold。

〃Oh！　Delphine；　are　you　here？〃



Mme。　de　Restaud　seemed　taken　aback　by　her　sister's　presence。



〃Good…morning；　Nasie；〃　said　the　Baroness。　〃What　is　there　so

extraordinary　in　my　being　here？　_I_　see　our　father　every　day。〃



〃Since　when？〃



〃If　you　came　yourself　you　would　know。〃



〃Don't　tease；　Delphine；〃　said　the　Countess　fretfully。　〃I　am　very

miserable；　I　am　lost。　Oh！　my　poor　father；　it　is　hopeless　this

time！〃



〃What　is　it；　Nasie？〃　cried　Goriot。　〃Tell　us　all　about　it；　child！

How　white　she　is！　Quick；　do　something；　Delphine；　be　kind　to　her；

and　I　will　love　you　even　better；　if　that　were　possible。〃



〃Poor　Nasie！〃　said　Mme。　de　Nucingen；　drawing　her　sister　to　a

chair。　〃We　are　the　only　two　people　in　the　world　whose　love　is

always　sufficient　to　forgive　you　everything。　Family　affection　is

the　surest；　you　see。〃



The　Countess　inhaled　the　salts　and　revived。



〃This　will　kill　me！〃　said　their　father。　〃There；〃　he　went　on；

stirring　the　smouldering　fire；　〃come　nearer；　both　of　you。　It　is

cold。　What　is　it；　Nasie？　Be　quick　and　tell　me；　this　is　enough

to〃



〃Well；　then；　my　husband　knows　everything；〃　said　the　Countess。

〃Just　imagine　it；　do　you　remember；　father；　that　bill　of　Maxime's

some　time　ago？　Well；　that　was　not　the　first。　I　had　paid　ever　so

many　before　that。　About　the　beginning　of　January　M。　de　Trailles

seemed　very　much　troubled。　He　said　nothing　to　me；　but　it　is　so

easy　to　read　the　hearts　of　those　you　love；　a　mere　trifle　is

enough；　and　then　you　feel　things　instinctively。　Indeed；　he　was

more　tender　and　affectionate　than　ever；　and　I　was　happier　than　I

had　ever　been　before。　Poor　Maxime！　in　himself　he　was　really

saying　good…bye　to　me；　so　he　has　told　me　since；　he　meant　to　blow

his　brains　out！　At　last　I　worried　him　so；　and　begged　and　implored

so　hard；　for　two　hours　I　knelt　at　his　knees　and　prayed　and

entreated；　and　at　last　he　told　methat　he　owed　a　hundred

thousand　francs。　Oh！　papa！　a　hundred　thousand　francs！　I　was

beside　myself！　You　had　not　the　money；　I　knew；　I　had　eaten　up　all

that　you　had〃



〃No；〃　said　Goriot；　〃I　could　not　have　got　it　for　you　unless　I　had

stolen　it。　But　I　would　have　done　that　for　you；　Nasie！　I　will　do

it　yet。〃



The　words　came　from　him　like　a　sob；　a　hoarse　sound　like　the　death

rattle　of　a　dying　man；　it　seemed　indeed　like　the　agony　of　death

when　the　father's　love　was　powerless。　There　was　a　pause；　and

neither　of　the　sisters　spoke。　It　must　have　been　selfishness

indeed　that　could　hear　unmoved　that　cry　of　anguish　that；　like　a

pebble　thrown　over　a　precipice；　revealed　the　depths　of　his

despair。



〃I　found　the　money；　father；　by　selling　what　was　not　mine　to

sell；〃　and　the　Countess　burst　into　tears。



Delphine　was　touched；　she　laid　her　head　on　her　sister's　shoulder；

and　cried　too。



〃Then　it　is　all　true；〃　she　said。



Anastasie　bowed　her　head；　Mme。　de　Nucingen　flung　her　arms　about

her；　kissed　her　tenderly；　and　held　her　sister　to　her　heart。



〃I　shall　always　love　you　and　never　judge　you；　Nasie；〃　she　said。



〃My　angels；〃　murmured　Goriot　faintly。　〃Oh；　why　should　it　be

trouble　that　draws　you　together？〃



This　warm　and　palpitating　affection