father goriot-第54节

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

trouble　that　draws　you　together？〃



This　warm　and　palpitating　affection　seemed　to　give　the　Countess

courage。



〃To　save　Maxime's　life；〃　she　said；　〃to　save　all　my　own　happiness；

I　went　to　the　money…lender　you　know　of；　a　man　of　iron　forged　in

hell…fire；　nothing　can　melt　him；　I　took　all　the　family　diamonds

that　M。　de　Restaud　is　so　proud　ofhis　and　mine　tooand　sold

them　to　that　M。　Gobseck。　SOLD　THEM！　Do　you　understand？　I　saved

Maxime；　but　I　am　lost。　Restaud　found　it　all　out。〃



〃How？　Who　told　him？　I　will　kill　him；〃　cried　Goriot。



〃Yesterday　he　sent　to　tell　me　to　come　to　his　room。　I　went。　。　。　。

'Anastasie；'　he　said　in　a　voiceoh！　such　a　voice；　that　was

enough；　it　told　me　everything'where　are　your　diamonds？''In　my

room''No；'　he　said；　looking　straight　at　me；　'there　they　are

on　that　chest　of　drawers'　and　he　lifted　his　handkerchief　and

showed　me　the　casket。　'Do　you　know　where　they　came　from？'　he

said。　I　fell　at　his　feet。　。　。　。　I　cried；　I　besought　him　to　tell

me　the　death　he　wished　to　see　me　die。〃



〃You　said　that！〃　cried　Goriot。　〃By　God　in　heaven；　whoever　lays　a

hand　on　either　of　you　so　long　as　I　am　alive　may　reckon　on　being

roasted　by　slow　fires！　Yes；　I　will　cut　him　in　pieces　like　。　。　。〃



Goriot　stopped；　the　words　died　away　in　his　throat。



〃And　then；　dear；　he　asked　something　worse　than　death　of　me。　Oh！

heaven　preserve　all　other　women　from　hearing　such　words　as　I

heard　then！〃



〃I　will　murder　that　man；〃　said　Goriot　quietly。　〃But　he　has　only

one　life；　and　he　deserves　to　die　twice。And　then；　what　next？〃　he

added；　looking　at　Anastasie。



〃Then；〃　the　Countess　resumed；　〃there　was　a　pause；　and　he　looked

at　me。　'Anastasie；'　he　said；　'I　will　bury　this　in　silence；　there

shall　be　no　separation；　there　are　the　children。　I　will　not　kill

M。　de　Trailles。　I　might　miss　him　if　we　fought；　and　as　for　other

ways　of　getting　rid　of　him；　I　should　come　into　collision　with　the

law。　If　I　killed　him　in　your　arms；　it　would　bring　dishonor　on

THOSE　children。　But　if　you　do　not　want　to　see　your　children

perish；　nor　their　father　nor　me；　you　must　first　of　all　submit　to

two　conditions。　Answer　me。　Have　I　a　child　of　my　own？'　I　answered；

'Yes；''Which？''Ernest；　our　eldest　boy。''Very　well；'　he

said；　'and　now　swear　to　obey　me　in　this　particular　from　this　time

forward。'　I　swore。　'You　will　make　over　your　property　to　me　when　I

require　you　to　do　so。'　〃



〃Do　nothing　of　the　kind！〃　cried　Goriot。　〃Aha！　M。　de　Restaud；　you

could　not　make　your　wife　happy；　she　has　looked　for　happiness　and

found　it　elsewhere；　and　you　make　her　suffer　for　your　own

ineptitude？　He　will　have　to　reckon　with　me。　Make　yourself　easy；

Nasie。　Aha！　he　cares　about　his　heir！　Good；　very　good。　I　will　get

hold　of　the　boy；　isn't　he　my　grandson？　What　the　blazes！　I　can

surely　go　to　see　the　brat！　I　will　stow　him　away　somewhere；　I　will

take　care　of　him；　you　may　be　quite　easy。　I　will　bring　Restaud　to

terms；　the　monster！　I　shall　say　to　him；　'A　word　or　two　with　you！

If　you　want　your　son　back　again；　give　my　daughter　her　property；

and　leave　her　to　do　as　she　pleases。'　〃



〃Father！〃



〃Yes。　I　am　your　father；　Nasie；　a　father　indeed！　That　rogue　of　a

great　lord　had　better　not　ill…treat　my　daughter。　Tonnerre！　What

is　it　in　my　veins？　There　is　the　blood　of　a　tiger　in　me；　I　could

tear　those　two　men　to　pieces！　Oh！　children；　children！　so　this　is

what　your　lives　are！　Why；　it　is　death！　。　。　。　What　will　become　of

you　when　I　shall　be　here　no　longer？　Fathers　ought　to　live　as　long

as　their　children。　Ah！　Lord　God　in　heaven！　how　ill　Thy　world　is

ordered！　Thou　hast　a　Son；　if　what　they　tell　us　is　true；　and　yet

Thou　leavest　us　to　suffer　so　through　our　children。　My　darlings；

my　darlings！　to　think　that　trouble　only　should　bring　you　to　me；

that　I　should　only　see　you　with　tears　on　your　faces！　Ah！　yes；

yes；　you　love　me；　I　see　that　you　love　me。　Come　to　me　and　pour　out

your　griefs　to　me；　my　heart　is　large　enough　to　hold　them　all。　Oh！

you　might　rend　my　heart　in　pieces；　and　every　fragment　would　make

a　father's　heart。　If　only　I　could　bear　all　your　sorrows　for　you！

。　。　。　Ah！　you　were　so　happy　when　you　were　little　and　still　with

me。　。　。　。〃



〃We　have　never　been　happy　since；〃　said　Delphine。　〃Where　are　the

old　days　when　we　slid　down　the　sacks　in　the　great　granary？〃



〃That　is　not　all；　father；〃　said　Anastasie　in　Goriot's　ear。　The

old　man　gave　a　startled　shudder。　〃The　diamonds　only　sold　for　a

hundred　thousand　francs。　Maxime　is　hard　pressed。　There　are　twelve

thousand　francs　still　to　pay。　He　has　given　me　his　word　that　he

will　be　steady　and　give　up　play　in　future。　His　love　is　all　that　I

have　left　in　the　world。　I　have　paid　such　a　fearful　price　for　it

that　I　should　die　if　I　lose　him　now。　I　have　sacrificed　my

fortune；　my　honor；　my　peace　of　mind；　and　my　children　for　him。　Oh！

do　something；　so　that　at　the　least　Maxime　may　be　at　large　and

live　undisgraced　in　the　world；　where　he　will　assuredly　make　a

career　for　himself。　Something　more　than　my　happiness　is　at　stake；

the　children　have　nothing；　and　if　he　is　sent　to　Sainte…Pelagie

all　his　prospects　will　be　ruined。〃



〃I　haven't　the　money；　Nasie。　I　have　NOTHINGnothing　left。　This

is　the　end　of　everything。　Yes；　the　world　is　crumbling　into　ruin；

I　am　sure。　Fly！　Save　yourselves！　Ah！I　have　still　my　silver

buckles　left；　and　half…a…dozen　silver　spoons　and　forks；　the　first

I　ever　had　in　my　life。　But　I　have　nothing　else　except　my　life

annuity；　twelve　hundred　francs　。　。　。〃



〃Then　what　has　become　of　your　money　in　the　funds？〃



〃I　sold　out；　and　only　kept　a　trifle　for　my　wants。　I　wanted　twelve

thousand　francs　to　furnish　some　rooms　for　Delphine。〃



〃In　your　own　house？〃　asked　Mme。　de　Restaud；　looking　at　her

sister。



〃What　does　it　matter　where　they　were？〃　asked　Goriot。　〃The　money

is　spent　now。〃



〃I　see　how　it　is；〃　said　the　Countess。　〃Rooms　for　M。　de　Rastignac。

Poor　Delphine；　take　warning　by　me！〃



〃M。　de　Rastignac　is　incapable　of　ruining　the　woman　he　loves；

dear。〃



〃Thanks！　Delphine。　I　thought　you　would　have　been　kinder　to　me　in

my　troubles；　but　you　never　did　love　me。〃



〃Yes；　yes；　she　loves　you；　Nasie；〃　cried　Goriot；　〃she　was　saying

so　only　just　now。　We　were　talking　about　you；　and　she　insisted

that　you　were　beautiful；　and　that　she　herself　was　only　pretty！〃



〃Pretty！〃　said　the　Countess。　〃She　is　as　hard　as　a　marble　statue。〃



〃And　if　I　am？〃　cried　Delphine；　flushing　up；　〃how　have　you　treated

me？　You　would　not　recognize　me；　you　closed　the　doors　of　every

house　against　me；　you　have　never　let　an　opportunity　of　mortifying

me　slip　by。　And　when　did　I　come；　as　you　were　always　doing；　to

drain　our　poor　father；　a　thousand　francs　at　a　time；　till　he　is

left　as　you　see　him　now？　That　is　all　your　doing；　sister！　I　myself

have　seen　my　father　as　often　as　I　could。　I　have　not　turned　him

out　of　the　house；　and　then　come　and　fawned　upon　him　when　I　wanted

money。　I　did　not　so　much　as　know　that　he　had　spent　those　twelve

thousand　francs　on　me。　I　am　economical；　as　you　know；　and　when

papa　has　made　me　presents；　it　has　never　been　because　I　came　and

begged　for　them。〃



〃You　were　better　off　than　I。　M。　de　Marsay　was　rich；　as　you　have

reason　to　know。　You　always　were　as　slippery　as　gold。　Good…bye；　I

have　neither　sister　nor〃



〃Oh！　hush；　hush；　Nasie！〃　cried　her　father。



〃Nobody　else　would　repeat　what　everybody　has　ceased　to　believe。

You　are　an　unnatural　sister！〃　cried　Delphine。



〃Oh；　children；　children！　hush！　hush！　or　I　will　kill　myself　before

your　eyes。〃



〃There；　Nasie；　I　forgive　you；〃　said　Mme。　de　Nucingen；　〃you　are

very　unhappy。　But　I　am　kinder　than　you　are。　How　could　you　say

THAT　just　when　I　was　ready　to　do　anything　in　the　world　to　help

you；　even　to　be　reconciled　with　my　husband；　which　for　my　own　sake

I　Oh！　it　is　just　like　you；　you　have　behaved　cruelly　to　me　all

through　these　nine　years。〃



〃Children；　children；　kiss　each　other！〃　cried　the　father。　〃You　are

angels；　both　of　you。〃



〃No。　Let　me　alone；〃　cried　the　Countess　shaking　off　the　hand　that

her　father　had　laid　on　her　arm。　〃She　is　more　merciless　than　my

husband。　Any　one　might　think　she　was　a　model　of　all　the　virtues

herself！〃



〃I　would　rather　have　people　think　that　I　owed　money　to　M。　de

Marsay　than　own　that　M。　de　Trailles　had　cost　me　more　than　two

hundred　thousand　francs；〃　retorted　Mme。　de　Nucingen。



〃DELPHINE！〃　cried　the　Countess；　stepping　towards　her　sister。



〃I　shall　tell　you　the　truth　about　yourself　if　you　begin　to

slander　me；〃　said　the　Baroness　coldly。



〃Delphine！　you　are　a　〃



Father　Goriot　sprang　between　them；　grasped　the　Countess'　hand；

and　laid　his　own　over　her　mouth。



〃Good　heavens；　father！　What　have　you　been　handling　this　morning？〃

said　Anastasie。



〃Ah！　well；　yes；　I　ought　not　to　have　touched　you；〃　said　the　poor

father；　wiping　his　hands　on　his　trousers；　〃but　I　have　been

packing　up　my　things；　I　did　not　know　that　you　were　coming　to