father goriot-第59节

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the　casket；　and　that　the　fingers　of　the　other　trembled。　Suddenly

she　took　the　casket；　put　it　in　the　fire；　and　watched　it　burn。



〃They　are　dancing；〃　she　said。　〃They　all　came　very　early；　but

death　will　be　long　in　coming。　Hush！　my　friend；〃　and　she　laid　a

finger　on　Rastignac's　lips；　seeing　that　he　was　about　to　speak。　〃I

shall　never　see　Paris　again。　I　am　taking　my　leave　of　the　world。

At　five　o'clock　this　morning　I　shall　set　out　on　my　journey；　I

mean　to　bury　myself　in　the　remotest　part　of　Normandy。　I　have　had

very　little　time　to　make　my　arrangements；　since　three　o'clock

this　afternoon　I　have　been　busy　signing　documents；　setting　my

affairs　in　order；　there　was　no　one　whom　I　could　send　to　。　。　。〃



She　broke　off。



〃He　was　sure　to　be　。　。　。〃



Again　she　broke　off；　the　weight　of　her　sorrow　was　more　than　she

could　bear。　In　such　moments　as　these　everything　is　agony；　and

some　words　are　impossible　to　utter。



〃And　so　I　counted　upon　you　to　do　me　this　last　piece　of　service

this　evening；〃　she　said。　〃I　should　like　to　give　you　some　pledge

of　friendship。　I　shall　often　think　of　you。　You　have　seemed　to　me

to　be　kind　and　noble；　fresh…hearted　and　true；　in　this　world　where

such　qualities　are　seldom　found。　I　should　like　you　to　think

sometimes　of　me。　Stay；〃　she　said；　glancing　about　her；　〃there　is

this　box　that　has　held　my　gloves。　Every　time　I　opened　it　before

going　to　a　ball　or　to　the　theatre；　I　used　to　feel　that　I　must　be

beautiful；　because　I　was　so　happy；　and　I　never　touched　it　except

to　lay　some　gracious　memory　in　it：　there　is　so　much　of　my　old

self　in　it；　of　a　Madame　de　Beauseant　who　now　lives　no　longer。

Will　you　take　it？　I　will　leave　directions　that　it　is　to　be　sent

to　you　in　the　Rue　d'Artois。Mme。　de　Nucingen　looked　very

charming　this　evening。　Eugene；　you　must　love　her。　Perhaps　we　may

never　see　each　other　again；　my　friend；　but　be　sure　of　this；　that

I　shall　pray　for　you　who　have　been　kind　to　me。Now；　let　us　go

downstairs。　People　shall　not　think　that　I　am　weeping。　I　have　all

time　and　eternity　before　me；　and　where　I　am　going　I　shall　be

alone；　and　no　one　will　ask　me　the　reason　of　my　tears。　One　last

look　round　first。〃



She　stood　for　a　moment。　Then　she　covered　her　eyes　with　her　hands

for　an　instant；　dashed　away　the　tears；　bathed　her　face　with　cold

water；　and　took　the　student's　arm。



〃Let　us　go！〃　she　said。



This　suffering；　endured　with　such　noble　fortitude；　shook　Eugene

with　a　more　violent　emotion　than　he　had　felt　before。　They　went

back　to　the　ballroom；　and　Mme。　de　Beauseant　went　through　the

rooms　on　Eugene's　armthe　last　delicately　gracious　act　of　a

gracious　woman。　In　another　moment　he　saw　the　sisters；　Mme。　de

Restaud　and　Mme。　de　Nucingen。　The　Countess　shone　in　all　the　glory

of　her　magnificent　diamonds；　every　stone　must　have　scorched　like

fire；　she　was　never　to　wear　them　again。　Strong　as　love　and　pride

might　be　in　her；　she　found　it　difficult　to　meet　her　husband's

eyes。　The　sight　of　her　was　scarcely　calculated　to　lighten

Rastignac's　sad　thougths；　through　the　blaze　of　those　diamonds　he

seemed　to　see　the　wretched　pallet…bed　on　which　Father　Goriot　was

lying。　The　Vicomtesse　misread　his　melancholy；　she　withdrew　her

hand　from　his　arm。



〃Come；〃　she　said；　〃I　must　not　deprive　you　of　a　pleasure。〃



Eugene　was　soon　claimed　by　Delphine。　She　was　delighted　by　the

impression　that　she　had　made；　and　eager　to　lay　at　her　lover's

feet　the　homage　she　had　received　in　this　new　world　in　which　she

hoped　to　live　and　move　henceforth。



〃What　do　you　think　of　Nasie？〃　she　asked　him。



〃She　has　discounted　everything；　even　her　own　father's　death；〃

said　Rastignac。



Towards　four　o'clock　in　the　morning　the　rooms　began　to　empty。　A

little　later　the　music　ceased；　and　the　Duchesse　de　Langeais　and

Rastignac　were　left　in　the　great　ballroom。　The　Vicomtesse；　who

thought　to　find　the　student　there　alone；　came　back　there　at　last。

She　had　taken　leave　of　M。　de　Beauseant；　who　had　gone　off　to　bed；

saying　again　as　he　went；　〃It　is　a　great　pity；　my　dear；　to　shut

yourself　up　at　your　age！　Pray　stay　among　us。〃



Mme。　de　Beauseant　saw　the　Duchesse；　and；　in　spite　of　herself；　an

exclamation　broke　from　her。



〃I　saw　how　it　was；　Clara；〃　said　Mme。　de　Langeais。　〃You　are　going

from　among　us；　and　you　will　never　come　back。　But　you　must　not　go

until　you　have　heard　me；　until　we　have　understood　each　other。〃



She　took　her　friend's　arm；　and　they　went　together　into　the　next

room。　There　the　Duchess　looked　at　her　with　tears　in　her　eyes；　she

held　her　friend　in　close　embrace　and　kissed　her　cheek。



〃I　could　not　let　you　go　without　a　word；　dearest；　the　remorse

would　have　been　too　hard　to　bear。　You　can　count　upon　me　as　surely

as　upon　yourself。　You　have　shown　yourself　great　this　evening；　I

feel　that　I　am　worthy　of　our　friendship；　and　I　mean　to　prove

myself　worthy　of　it。　I　have　not　always　been　kind；　I　was　in　the

wrong；　forgive　me；　dearest；　I　wish　I　could　unsay　anything　that

may　have　hurt　you；　I　take　back　those　words。　One　common　sorrow　has

brought　us　together　again；　for　I　do　not　know　which　of　us　is　the

more　miserable。　M。　de　Montriveau　was　not　here　to…night；　do　you

understand　what　that　means？None　of　those　who　saw　you　to…night；

Clara；　will　ever　forget　you。　I　mean　to　make　one　last　effort。　If　I

fail；　I　shall　go　into　a　convent。　Clara；　where　are　you　going？〃



〃Into　Normandy；　to　Courcelles。　I　shall　love　and　pray　there　until

the　day　when　God　shall　take　me　from　this　world。M。　de

Rastignac！〃　called　the　Vicomtesse；　in　a　tremulous　voice；

remembering　that　the　young　man　was　waiting　there。



The　student　knelt　to　kiss　his　cousin's　hand。



〃Good…bye；　Antoinette！〃　said　Mme。　de　Beauseant。　〃May　you　be

happy。〃She　turned　to　the　student。　〃You　are　young；〃　she　said；

〃you　have　some　beliefs　still　left。　I　have　been　privileged；　like

some　dying　people；　to　find　sincere　and　reverent　feeling　in　those

about　me　as　I　take　my　leave　of　this　world。〃



It　was　nearly　five　o'clock　that　morning　when　Rastignac　came　away。

He　had　put　Mme。　de　Beauseant　into　her　traveling　carriage；　and

received　her　last　farewells；　spoken　amid　fast…falling　tears；　for

no　greatness　is　so　great　that　it　can　rise　above　the　laws　of　human

affection；　or　live　beyond　the　jurisdiction　of　pain；　as　certain

demagogues　would　have　the　people　believe。　Eugene　returned　on　foot

to　the　Maison　Vauquer　through　the　cold　and　darkness。　His

education　was　nearly　complete。



〃There　is　no　hope　for　poor　Father　Goriot；〃　said　Bianchon；　as

Rastignac　came　into　the　room。　Eugene　looked　for　a　while　at　the

sleeping　man；　then　he　turned　to　his　friend。　〃Dear　fellow；　you　are

content　with　the　modest　career　you　have　marked　out　for　yourself；

keep　to　it。　I　am　in　hell；　and　I　must　stay　there。　Believe

everything　that　you　hear　said　of　the　world；　nothing　is　too

impossibly　bad。　No　Juvenal　could　paint　the　horrors　hidden　away

under　the　covering　of　gems　and　gold。〃



At　two　o'clock　in　the　afternoon　Bianchon　came　to　wake　Rastignac；

and　begged　him　to　take　charge　of　Goriot；　who　had　grown　worse　as

the　day　wore　on。　The　medical　student　was　obliged　to　go　out。



〃Poor　old　man；　he　has　not　two　days　to　live；　maybe　not　many

hours；〃　he　said；　〃but　we　must　do　our　utmost；　all　the　same；　to

fight　the　disease。　It　will　be　a　very　troublesome　case；　and　we

shall　want　money。　We　can　nurse　him　between　us；　of　course；　but；

for　my　own　part；　I　have　not　a　penny。　I　have　turned　out　his

pockets；　and　rummaged　through　his　drawersresult；　nix。　I　asked

him　about　it　while　his　mind　was　clear；　and　he　told　me　he　had　not

a　farthing　of　his　own。　What　have　you？〃



〃I　have　twenty　francs　left；〃　said　Rastignac；　〃but　I　will　take

them　to　the　roulette　table；　I　shall　be　sure　to　win。〃



〃And　if　you　lose？〃



〃Then　I　shall　go　to　his　sons…in…law　and　his　daughters　and　ask

them　for　money。〃



〃And　suppose　they　refuse？〃　Bianchon　retorted。　〃The　most　pressing

thing　just　now　is　not　really　money；　we　must　put　mustard

poultices；　as　hot　as　they　can　be　made；　on　his　feet　and　legs。　If

he　calls　out；　there　is　still　some　hope　for　him。　You　know　how　to

set　about　doing　it；　and　besides；　Christophe　will　help　you。　I　am

going　round　to　the　dispensary　to　persuade　them　to　let　us　have　the

things　we　want　on　credit。　It　is　a　pity　that　we　could　not　move　him

to　the　hospital；　poor　fellow；　he　would　be　better　there。　Well；

come　along；　I　leave　you　in　charge；　you　must　stay　with　him　till　I

come　back。〃



The　two　young　men　went　back　to　the　room　where　the　old　man　was

lying。　Eugene　was　startled　at　the　change　in　Goriot's　face；　so

livid；　distorted；　and　feeble。



〃How　are　you；　papa？〃　he　said；　bending　over　the　pallet…bed。　Goriot

turned　his　dull　eyes　upon　Eugene；　looked　at　him　attentively；　and

did　not　recognize　him。　It　was　more　than　the　student　could　bear；

the　tears　came　into　his　eyes。



〃Bianchon；　ought　we　to　have　the　curtains　put　up　in　the　windows？〃



〃No；　the　temperature　and　the　light　do　not　affect　him　now。　It

would　be　a　good　thing　for　him　if　he　felt　heat　or　col