father goriot-第6节

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The　good…natured　Countess　turned　to　the　subject　of　Mme。　Vauquer's

dress；　which　was　not　in　harmony　with　her　projects。　〃You　must　put

yourself　on　a　war　footing；〃　said　she。



After　much　serious　consideration　the　two　widows　went　shopping

togetherthey　purchased　a　hat　adorned　with　ostrich　feathers　and

a　cap　at　the　Palais　Royal；　and　the　Countess　took　her　friend　to

the　Magasin　de　la　Petite　Jeannette；　where　they　chose　a　dress　and

a　scarf。　Thus　equipped　for　the　campaign；　the　widow　looked　exactly

like　the　prize　animal　hung　out　for　a　sign　above　an　a　la　mode　beef

shop；　but　she　herself　was　so　much　pleased　with　the　improvement；

as　she　considered　it；　in　her　appearance；　that　she　felt　that　she

lay　under　some　obligation　to　the　Countess；　and；　though　by　no

means　open…handed；　she　begged　that　lady　to　accept　a　hat　that　cost

twenty　francs。　The　fact　was　that　she　needed　the　Countess'

services　on　the　delicate　mission　of　sounding　Goriot；　the　countess

must　sing　her　praises　in　his　ears。　Mme。　de　l'Ambermesnil　lent

herself　very　good…naturedly　to　this　manoeuvre；　began　her

operations；　and　succeeded　in　obtaining　a　private　interview；　but

the　overtures　that　she　made；　with　a　view　to　securing　him　for

herself；　were　received　with　embarrassment；　not　to　say　a　repulse。

She　left　him；　revolted　by　his　coarseness。



〃My　angel；〃　said　she　to　her　dear　friend；　〃you　will　make　nothing

of　that　man　yonder。　He　is　absurdly　suspicious；　and　he　is　a　mean

curmudgeon；　an　idiot；　a　fool；　you　would　never　be　happy　with　him。〃



After　what　had　passed　between　M。　Goriot　and　Mme。　de

l'Ambermesnil；　the　Countess　would　no　longer　live　under　the　same

roof。　She　left　the　next　day；　forgot　to　pay　for　six　months'　board；

and　left　behind　her　wardrobe；　cast…off　clothing　to　the　value　of

five　francs。　Eagerly　and　persistently　as　Mme。　Vauquer　sought　her

quondam　lodger；　the　Comtesse　de　l'Ambermesnil　was　never　heard　of

again　in　Paris。　The　widow　often　talked　of　this　deplorable

business；　and　regretted　her　own　too　confiding　disposition。　As　a

matter　of　fact；　she　was　as　suspicious　as　a　cat；　but　she　was　like

many　other　people；　who　cannot　trust　their　own　kin　and　put

themselves　at　the　mercy　of　the　next　chance　comeran　odd　but

common　phenomenon；　whose　causes　may　readily　be　traced　to　the

depths　of　the　human　heart。



Perhaps　there　are　people　who　know　that　they　have　nothing　more　to

look　for　from　those　with　whom　they　live；　they　have　shown　the

emptiness　of　their　hearts　to　their　housemates；　and　in　their

secret　selves　they　are　conscious　that　they　are　severely　judged；

and　that　they　deserve　to　be　judged　severely；　but　still　they　feel

an　unconquerable　craving　for　praises　that　they　do　not　hear；　or

they　are　consumed　by　a　desire　to　appear　to　possess；　in　the　eyes

of　a　new　audience；　the　qualities　which　they　have　not；　hoping　to

win　the　admiration　or　affection　of　strangers　at　the　risk　of

forfeiting　it　again　some　day。　Or；　once　more；　there　are　other

mercenary　natures　who　never　do　a　kindness　to　a　friend　or　a

relation　simply　because　these　have　a　claim　upon　them；　while　a

service　done　to　a　stranger　brings　its　reward　to　self…love。　Such

natures　feel　but　little　affection　for　those　who　are　nearest　to

them；　they　keep　their　kindness　for　remoter　circles　of

acquaintance；　and　show　most　to　those　who　dwell　on　its　utmost

limits。　Mme。　Vauquer　belonged　to　both　these　essentially　mean；

false；　and　execrable　classes。



〃If　I　had　been　there　at　the　time；〃　Vautrin　would　say　at　the　end

of　the　story；　I　would　have　shown　her　up；　and　that　misfortune

would　not　have　befallen　you。　I　know　that　kind　of　phiz！〃



Like　all　narrow　natures；　Mme。　Vauquer　was　wont　to　confine　her

attention　to　events；　and　did　not　go　very　deeply　into　the　causes

that　brought　them　about；　she　likewise　preferred　to　throw　the

blame　of　her　own　mistakes　on　other　people；　so　she　chose　to

consider　that　the　honest　vermicelli　maker　was　responsible　for　her

misfortune。　It　had　opened　her　eyes；　so　she　said；　with　regard　to

him。　As　soon　as　she　saw　that　her　blandishments　were　in　vain；　and

that　her　outlay　on　her　toilette　was　money　thrown　away；　she　was

not　slow　to　discover　the　reason　of　his　indifference。　It　became

plain　to　her　at　once　that　there　was　SOME　OTHER　ATTRACTION；　to　use

her　own　expression。　In　short；　it　was　evident　that　the　hope　she

had　so　fondly　cherished　was　a　baseless　delusion；　and　that　she

would　〃never　make　anything　out　of　that　man　yonder；〃　in　the

Countess'　forcible　phrase。　The　Countess　seemed　to　have　been　a

judge　of　character。　Mme。　Vauquer's　aversion　was　naturally　more

energetic　than　her　friendship；　for　her　hatred　was　not　in

proportion　to　her　love；　but　to　her　disappointed　expectations。　The

human　heart　may　find　here　and　there　a　resting…place　short　of　the

highest　height　of　affection；　but　we　seldom　stop　in　the　steep；

downward　slope　of　hatred。　Still；　M。　Goriot　was　a　lodger；　and　the

widow's　wounded　self…love　could　not　vent　itself　in　an　explosion

of　wrath；　like　a　monk　harassed　by　the　prior　of　his　convent；　she

was　forced　to　stifle　her　sighs　of　disappointment；　and　to　gulp

down　her　craving　for　revenge。　Little　minds　find　gratification　for

their　feelings；　benevolent　or　otherwise；　by　a　constant　exercise

of　petty　ingenuity。　The　widow　employed　her　woman's　malice　to

devise　a　system　of　covert　persecution。　She　began　by　a　course　of

retrenchmentvarious　luxuries　which　had　found　their　way　to　the

table　appeared　there　no　more。



〃No　more　gherkins；　no　more　anchovies；　they　have　made　a　fool　of

me！〃　she　said　to　Sylvie　one　morning；　and　they　returned　to　the　old

bill　of　fare。



The　thrifty　frugality　necessary　to　those　who　mean　to　make　their

way　in　the　world　had　become　an　inveterate　habit　of　life　with　M。

Goriot。　Soup；　boiled　beef；　and　a　dish　of　vegetables　had　been；　and

always　would　be；　the　dinner　he　liked　best；　so　Mme。　Vauquer　found

it　very　difficult　to　annoy　a　boarder　whose　tastes　were　so　simple。

He　was　proof　against　her　malice；　and　in　desperation　she　spoke　to

him　and　of　him　slightingly　before　the　other　lodgers；　who　began　to

amuse　themselves　at　his　expense；　and　so　gratified　her　desire　for

revenge。



Towards　the　end　of　the　first　year　the　widow's　suspicions　had

reached　such　a　pitch　that　she　began　to　wonder　how　it　was　that　a

retired　merchant　with　a　secure　income　of　seven　or　eight　thousand

livres；　the　owner　of　such　magnificent　plate　and　jewelry　handsome

enough　for　a　kept　mistress；　should　be　living　in　her　house。　Why

should　he　devote　so　small　a　proportion　of　his　money　to　his

expenses？　Until　the　first　year　was　nearly　at　an　end；　Goriot　had

dined　out　once　or　twice　every　week；　but　these　occasions　came　less

frequently；　and　at　last　he　was　scarcely　absent　from　the　dinner…

table　twice　a　month。　It　was　hardly　expected　that　Mme。　Vauquer

should　regard　the　increased　regularity　of　her　boarder's　habits

with　complacency；　when　those　little　excursions　of　his　had　been　so

much　to　her　interest。　She　attributed　the　change　not　so　much　to　a

gradual　diminution　of　fortune　as　to　a　spiteful　wish　to　annoy　his

hostess。　It　is　one　of　the　most　detestable　habits　of　a　Liliputian

mind　to　credit　other　people　with　its　own　malignant　pettiness。



Unluckily；　towards　the　end　of　the　second　year；　M。　Goriot's

conduct　gave　some　color　to　the　idle　talk　about　him。　He　asked　Mme。

Vauquer　to　give　him　a　room　on　the　second　floor；　and　to　make　a

corresponding　reduction　in　her　charges。　Apparently；　such　strict

economy　was　called　for；　that　he　did　without　a　fire　all　through

the　winter。　Mme。　Vauquer　asked　to　be　paid　in　advance；　an

arrangement　to　which　M。　Goriot　consented；　and　thenceforward　she

spoke　of　him　as　〃Father　Goriot。〃



What　had　brought　about　this　decline　and　fall？　Conjecture　was

keen；　but　investigation　was　difficult。　Father　Goriot　was　not

communicative；　in　the　sham　countess'　phrase　he　was　〃a

curmudgeon。〃　Empty…headed　people　who　babble　about　their　own

affairs　because　they　have　nothing　else　to　occupy　them；　naturally

conclude　that　if　people　say　nothing　of　their　doings　it　is　because

their　doings　will　not　bear　being　talked　about；　so　the　highly

respectable　merchant　became　a　scoundrel；　and　the　late　beau　was　an

old　rogue。　Opinion　fluctuated。　Sometimes；　according　to　Vautrin；

who　came　about　this　time　to　live　in　the　Maison　Vauquer；　Father

Goriot　was　a　man　who　went　on　'Change　and　DABBLED　（to　use　the

sufficiently　expressive　language　of　the　Stock　Exchange）　in　stocks

and　shares　after　he　had　ruined　himself　by　heavy　speculation。

Sometimes　it　was　held　that　he　was　one　of　those　petty　gamblers　who

nightly　play　for　small　stakes　until　they　win　a　few　francs。　A

theory　that　he　was　a　detective　in　the　employ　of　the　Home　Office

found　favor　at　one　time；　but　Vautrin　urged　that　〃Goriot　was　not

sharp　enough　for　one　of　that　sort。〃　There　were　yet　other

solutions；　Father　Goriot　was　a　skinflint；　a　shark　of　a　money…

lender；　a　man　who　lived　by　selling　lottery　tickets。　He　was　by

turns　all　the　most　mysterious　brood　of　vice　and　shame　and　misery；

yet；　however　vile　his　life　might　be；　the　feeling　of　repulsion