father goriot-第64节

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yourself　in　my　place。　I　have　to　think　of　my　establishment　first；

for　I　have　my　own　living　to　make。〃



Eugene　hurried　up　to　Goriot's　room。



〃Bianchon；〃　he　cried；　〃the　money　or　the　watch？〃



〃There　it　is　on　the　table；　or　the　three　hundred　and　sixty　odd

francs　that　are　left　of　it。　I　paid　up　all　the　old　scores　out　of

it　before　they　let　me　have　the　things。　The　pawn　ticket　lies　there

under　the　money。〃



Rastignac　hurried　downstairs。



〃Here；　madame〃　he　said　in　disgust；　〃let　us　square　accounts。　M。

Goriot　will　not　stay　much　longer　in　your　house；　nor　shall　I〃



〃Yes；　he　will　go　out　feet　foremost；　poor　old　gentleman；〃　she

said；　counting　the　francs　with　a　half…facetious；　half…lugubrious

expression。



〃Let　us　get　this　over；〃　said　Rastignac。



〃Sylvie；　look　out　some　sheets；　and　go　upstairs　to　help　the

gentlemen。〃



〃You　won't　forget　Sylvie；〃　said　Mme。　Vauquer　in　Eugene's　ear；

〃she　has　been　sitting　up　these　two　nights。〃



As　soon　as　Eugene's　back　was　turned；　the　old　woman　hurried　after

her　handmaid。



〃Take　the　sheets　that　have　had　the　sides　turned　into　the　middle；

number　7。　Lord！　they　are　plenty　good　enough　for　a　corpse；〃　she

said　in　Sylvie's　ear。



Eugene；　by　this　time；　was　part　of　the　way　upstairs；　and　did　not

overhear　the　elderly　economist。



〃Quick；〃　said　Bianchon；　〃let　us　change　his　shirt。　Hold　him

upright。〃



Eugene　went　to　the　head　of　the　bed　and　supported　the　dying　man；

while　Bianchon　drew　off　his　shirt；　and　then　Goriot　made　a

movement　as　if　he　tried　to　clutch　something　to　his　breast；

uttering　a　low　inarticulate　moaning　the　while；　like　some　dumb

animal　in　mortal　pain。



〃Ah！　yes！〃　cried　Bianchon。　〃It　is　the　little　locket　and　the　chain

made　of　hair　that　he　wants；　we　took　it　off　a　while　ago　when　we

put　the　blisters　on　him。　Poor　fellow！　he　must　have　it　again。

There　it　lies　on　the　chimney…piece。〃



Eugene　went　to　the　chimney…piece　and　found　the　little　plait　of

faded　golden　hairMme。　Goriot's　hair；　no　doubt。　He　read　the　name

on　the　little　round　locket；　ANASTASIE　on　the　one　side；　DELPHINE

on　the　other。　It　was　the　symbol　of　his　own　heart　that　the　father

always　wore　on　his　breast。　The　curls　of　hair　inside　the　locket

were　so　fine　and　soft　that　is　was　plain　they　had　been　taken　from

two　childish　heads。　When　the　old　man　felt　the　locket　once　more；

his　chest　heaved　with　a　long　deep　sigh　of　satisfaction；　like　a

groan。　It　was　something　terrible　to　see；　for　it　seemed　as　if　the

last　quiver　of　the　nerves　were　laid　bare　to　their　eyes；　the　last

communication　of　sense　to　the　mysterious　point　within　whence　our

sympathies　come　and　whither　they　go。　A　delirious　joy　lighted　up

the　distorted　face。　The　terrific　and　vivid　force　of　the　feeling

that　had　survived　the　power　of　thought　made　such　an　impression　on

the　students；　that　the　dying　man　felt　their　hot　tears　falling　on

him；　and　gave　a　shrill　cry　of　delight。



〃Nasie！　Fifine！〃



〃There　is　life　in　him　yet；〃　said　Bianchon。



〃What　does　he　go　on　living　for？〃　said　Sylvie。



〃To　suffer；〃　answered　Rastignac。



Bianchon　made　a　sign　to　his　friend　to　follow　his　example；　knelt

down　and　pressed　his　arms　under　the　sick　man；　and　Rastignac　on

the　other　side　did　the　same；　so　that　Sylvie；　standing　in

readiness；　might　draw　the　sheet　from　beneath　and　replace　it　with

the　one　that　she　had　brought。　Those　tears；　no　doubt；　had　misled

Goriot；　for　he　gathered　up　all　his　remaining　strength　in　a　last

effort；　stretched　out　his　hands；　groped　for　the　students'　heads；

and　as　his　fingers　caught　convulsively　at　their　hair；　they　heard

a　faint　whisper：



〃Ah！　my　angels！〃



Two　words；　two　inarticulate　murmurs；　shaped　into　words　by　the

soul　which　fled　forth　with　them　as　they　left　his　lips。



〃Poor　dear！〃　cried　Sylvie；　melted　by　that　exclamation；　the

expression　of　the　great　love　raised　for　the　last　time　to　a

sublime　height　by　that　most　ghastly　and　involuntary　of　lies。



The　father's　last　breath　must　have　been　a　sigh　of　joy；　and　in

that　sigh　his　whole　life　was　summed　up；　he　was　cheated　even　at

the　last。　They　laid　Father　Goriot　upon　his　wretched　bed　with

reverent　hands。　Thenceforward　there　was　no　expression　on　his

face；　only　the　painful　traces　of　the　struggle　between　life　and

death　that　was　going　on　in　the　machine；　for　that　kind　of　cerebral

consciousness　that　distinguishes　between　pleasure　and　pain　in　a

human　being　was　extinguished；　it　was　only　a　question　of　timeand

the　mechanism　itself　would　be　destroyed。



〃He　will　lie　like　this　for　several　hours；　and　die　so　quietly　at

last；　that　we　shall　not　know　when　he　goes；　there　will　be　no

rattle　in　the　throat。　The　brain　must　be　completely　suffused。〃



As　he　spoke　there　was　a　footstep　on　the　staircase；　and　a　young

woman　hastened　up；　panting　for　breath。



〃She　has　come　too　late；〃　said　Rastignac。



But　it　was　not　Delphine；　it　was　Therese；　her　waiting…woman；　who

stood　in　the　doorway。



〃Monsieur　Eugene；〃　she　said；　〃monsieur　and　madame　have　had　a

terrible　scene　about　some　money　that　Madame　（poor　thing！）　wanted

for　her　father。　She　fainted；　and　the　doctor　came；　and　she　had　to

be　bled；　calling　out　all　the　while；　'My　father　is　dying；　I　want

to　see　papa！'　It　was　heartbreaking　to　hear　her〃



〃That　will　do；　Therese。　If　she　came　now；　it　would　be　trouble

thrown　away。　M。　Goriot　cannot　recognize　any　one　now。〃



〃Poor；　dear　gentleman；　is　he　as　bad　at　that？〃　said　Therese。



〃You　don't　want　me　now；　I　must　go　and　look　after　my　dinner；　it　is

half…past　four；〃　remarked　Sylvie。　The　next　instant　she　all　but

collided　with　Mme。　de　Restaud　on　the　landing　outside。



There　was　something　awful　and　appalling　in　the　sudden　apparition

of　the　Countess。　She　saw　the　bed　of　death　by　the　dim　light　of　the

single　candle；　and　her　tears　flowed　at　the　sight　of　her　father's

passive　features；　from　which　the　life　had　almost　ebbed。　Bianchon

with　thoughtful　tact　left　the　room。



〃I　could　not　escape　soon　enough；〃　she　said　to　Rastignac。



The　student　bowed　sadly　in　reply。　Mme。　de　Restaud　took　her

father's　hand　and　kissed　it。



〃Forgive　me；　father！　You　used　to　say　that　my　voice　would　call　you

back　from　the　grave；　ah！　come　back　for　one　moment　to　bless　your

penitent　daughter。　Do　you　hear　me？　Oh！　this　is　fearful！　No　one　on

earth　will　ever　bless　me　henceforth；　every　one　hates　me；　no　one

loves　me　but　you　in　all　the　world。　My　own　children　will　hate　me。

Take　me　with　you；　father；　I　will　love　you；　I　will　take　care　of

you。　He　does　not　hear　me　。　。　。　I　am　mad　。　。　。〃



She　fell　on　her　knees；　and　gazed　wildly　at　the　human　wreck　before

her。



〃My　cup　of　misery　is　full；〃　she　said；　turning　her　eyes　upon

Eugene。　〃M。　de　Trailles　has　fled；　leaving　enormous　debts　behind

him；　and　I　have　found　out　that　he　was　deceiving　me。　My　husband

will　never　forgive　me；　and　I　have　left　my　fortune　in　his　hands。　I

have　lost　all　my　illusions。　Alas！　I　have　forsaken　the　one　heart

that　loved　me　（she　pointed　to　her　father　as　she　spoke）；　and　for

whom？　I　have　held　his　kindness　cheap；　and　slighted　his　affection；

many　and　many　a　time　I　have　given　him　pain；　ungrateful　wretch

that　I　am！〃



〃He　knew　it；〃　said　Rastignac。



Just　then　Goriot's　eyelids　unclosed；　it　was　only　a　muscular

contraction；　but　the　Countess'　sudden　start　of　reviving　hope　was

no　less　dreadful　than　the　dying　eyes。



〃Is　it　possible　that　he　can　hear　me？〃　cried　the　Countess。　〃No；〃

she　answered　herself；　and　sat　down　beside　the　bed。　As　Mme。　de

Restaud　seemed　to　wish　to　sit　by　her　father；　Eugene　went　down　to

take　a　little　food。　The　boarders　were　already　assembled。



〃Well；〃　remarked　the　painter；　as　he　joined　them；　〃it　seems　that

there　is　to　be　a　death…orama　upstairs。〃



〃Charles；　I　think　you　might　find　something　less　painful　to　joke

about；〃　said　Eugene。



〃So　we　may　not　laugh　here？〃　returned　the　painter。　〃What　harm　does

it　do？　Bianchon　said　that　the　old　man　was　quite　insensible。〃



〃Well；　then；〃　said　the　employe　from　the　Museum；　〃he　will　die　as

he　has　lived。〃



〃My　father　is　dead！〃　shrieked　the　Countess。



The　terrible　cry　brought　Sylvie；　Rastignac；　and　Bianchon；　Mme。　de

Restaud　had　fainted　away。　When　she　recovered　they　carried　her

downstairs；　and　put　her　into　the　cab　that　stood　waiting　at　the

door。　Eugene　sent　Therese　with　her；　and　bade　the　maid　take　the

Countess　to　Mme。　de　Nucingen。



Bianchon　came　down　to　them。



〃Yes；　he　is　dead；〃　he　said。



〃Come；　sit　down　to　dinner；　gentlemen；〃　said　Mme。　Vauquer；　〃or　the

soup　will　be　cold。〃



The　two　students　sat　down　together。



〃What　is　the　next　thing　to　be　done？〃　Eugene　asked　of　Bianchon。



〃I　have　closed　his　eyes　and　composed　his　limbs；〃　said　Bianchon。

〃When　the　certificate　has　been　officially　registered　at　the

Mayor's　office；　we　will　sew　him　in　his　winding　sheet　and　bury　him

somewhere。　What　do　you　think　we　ought　to　do？〃



〃He　will　not　smell　at　his　bread　like　this　any　more；〃　said　the

painter；　mimicking　the　old　man's　little　trick。