father goriot-第65节

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

painter；　mimicking　the　old　man's　little　trick。



〃Oh；　hang　it　all！〃　cried　the　tutor；　〃let　Father　Goriot　drop；　and

let　us　have　something　else　for　a　change。　He　is　a　standing　dish；

and　we　have　had　him　with　every　sauce　this　hour　or　more。　It　is　one

of　the　privileges　of　the　good　city　of　Paris　that　anybody　may　be

born；　or　live；　or　die　there　without　attracting　any　attention

whatsoever。　Let　us　profit　by　the　advantages　of　civilization。

There　are　fifty　or　sixty　deaths　every　day；　if　you　have　a　mind　to

do　it；　you　can　sit　down　at　any　time　and　wail　over　whole　hecatombs

of　dead　in　Paris。　Father　Goriot　has　gone　off　the　hooks；　has　he？

So　much　the　better　for　him。　If　you　venerate　his　memory；　keep　it

to　yourselves；　and　let　the　rest　of　us　feed　in　peace。〃



〃Oh；　to　be　sure；〃　said　the　widow；　〃it　is　all　the　better　for　him

that　he　is　dead。　It　looks　as　though　he　had　had　trouble　enough；

poor　soul；　while　he　was　alive。〃



And　this　was　all　the　funeral　oration　delivered　over　him　who　had

been　for　Eugene　the　type　and　embodiment　of　Fatherhood。



The　fifteen　lodgers　began　to　talk　as　usual。　When　Bianchon　and

Eugene　had　satisfied　their　hunger；　the　rattle　of　spoons　and

forks；　the　boisterous　conversation；　the　expressions　on　the　faces

that　bespoke　various　degrees　of　want　of　feeling；　gluttony；　or

indifference；　everything　about　them　made　them　shiver　with

loathing。　They　went　out　to　find　a　priest　to　watch　that　night　with

the　dead。　It　was　necessary　to　measure　their　last　pious　cares　by

the　scanty　sum　of　money　that　remained。　Before　nine　o'clock　that

evening　the　body　was　laid　out　on　the　bare　sacking　of　the　bedstead

in　the　desolate　room；　a　lighted　candle　stood　on　either　side；　and

the　priest　watched　at　the　foot。　Rastignac　made　inquiries　of　this

latter　as　to　the　expenses　of　the　funeral；　and　wrote　to　the　Baron

de　Nucingen　and　the　Comte　de　Restaud；　entreating　both　gentlemen

to　authorize　their　man　of　business　to　defray　the　charges　of

laying　their　father…in…law　in　the　grave。　He　sent　Christophe　with

the　letters；　then　he　went　to　bed；　tired　out；　and　slept。



Next　day　Bianchon　and　Rastignac　were　obliged　to　take　the

certificate　to　the　registrar　themselves；　and　by　twelve　o'clock

the　formalities　were　completed。　Two　hours　went　by；　no　word　came

from　the　Count　nor　from　the　Baron；　nobody　appeared　to　act　for

them；　and　Rastignac　had　already　been　obliged　to　pay　the　priest。

Sylvie　asked　ten　francs　for　sewing　the　old　man　in　his　winding…

sheet　and　making　him　ready　for　the　grave；　and　Eugene　and　Bianchon

calculated　that　they　had　scarcely　sufficient　to　pay　for　the

funeral；　if　nothing　was　forthcoming　from　the　dead　man's　family。

So　it　was　the　medical　student　who　laid　him　in　a　pauper's　coffin；

despatched　from　Bianchon's　hospital；　whence　he　obtained　it　at　a

cheaper　rate。



〃Let　us　play　those　wretches　a　trick；〃　said　he。　〃Go　to　the

cemetery；　buy　a　grave　for　five　years　at　Pere…Lachaise；　and

arrange　with　the　Church　and　the　undertaker　to　have　a　third…class

funeral。　If　the　daughters　and　their　husbands　decline　to　repay

you；　you　can　carve　this　on　the　headstone'HERE　LIES　M。　GORIOT；

FATHER　OF　THE　COMTESSE　DE　RESTAUD　AND　THE　BARONNE　DE　NUCINGEN；

INTERRED　AT　THE　EXPENSE　OF　TWO　STUDENTS。'　〃



Eugene　took　part　of　his　friend's　advice；　but　only　after　he　had

gone　in　person　first　to　M。　and　Mme。　de　Nucingen；　and　then　to　M。

and　Mme。　de　Restauda　fruitless　errand。　He　went　no　further　than

the　doorstep　in　either　house。　The　servants　had　received　strict

orders　to　admit　no　one。



〃Monsieur　and　Madame　can　see　no　visitors。　They　have　just　lost

their　father；　and　are　in　deep　grief　over　their　loss。〃



Eugene's　Parisian　experience　told　him　that　it　was　idle　to　press

the　point。　Something　clutched　strangely　at　his　heart　when　he　saw

that　it　was　impossible　to　reach　Delphine。



〃Sell　some　of　your　ornaments；〃　he　wrote　hastily　in　the　porter's

room；　〃so　that　your　father　may　be　decently　laid　in　his　last

resting…place。〃



He　sealed　the　note；　and　begged　the　porter　to　give　it　to　Therese

for　her　mistress；　but　the　man　took　it　to　the　Baron　de　Nucingen；

who　flung　the　note　into　the　fire。　Eugene；　having　finished　his

errands；　returned　to　the　lodging…house　about　three　o'clock。　In

spite　of　himself；　the　tears　came　into　his　eyes。　The　coffin；　in

its　scanty　covering　of　black　cloth；　was　standing　there　on　the

pavement　before　the　gate；　on　two　chairs。　A　withered　sprig　of

hyssop　was　soaking　in　the　holy　water　bowl　of　silver…plated

copper；　there　was　not　a　soul　in　the　street；　not　a　passer…by　had

stopped　to　sprinkle　the　coffin；　there　was　not　even　an　attempt　at

a　black　drapery　over　the　wicket。　It　was　a　pauper　who　lay　there；

no　one　made　a　pretence　of　mourning　for　him；　he　had　neither

friends　nor　kindredthere　was　no　one　to　follow　him　to　the　grave。



Bianchon's　duties　compelled　him　to　be　at　the　hospital；　but　he　had

left　a　few　lines　for　Eugene；　telling　his　friend　about　the

arrangements　he　had　made　for　the　burial　service。　The　house

student's　note　told　Rastignac　that　a　mass　was　beyond　their　means；

that　the　ordinary　office　for　the　dead　was　cheaper；　and　must

suffice；　and　that　he　had　sent　word　to　the　undertaker　by

Christophe。　Eugene　had　scarcely　finished　reading　Bianchon's

scrawl；　when　he　looked　up　and　saw　the　little　circular　gold　locket

that　contained　the　hair　of　Goriot's　two　daughters　in　Mme。

Vauquer's　hands。



〃How　dared　you　take　it？〃　he　asked。



〃Good　Lord！　is　that　to　be　buried　along　with　him？〃　retorted

Sylvie。　〃It　is　gold。〃



〃Of　course　it　shall！〃　Eugene　answered　indignantly；　〃he　shall　at

any　rate　take　one　thing　that　may　represent　his　daughters　into　the

grave　with　him。〃



When　the　hearse　came；　Eugene　had　the　coffin　carried　into　the

house　again；　unscrewed　the　lid；　and　reverently　laid　on　the　old

man's　breast　the　token　that　recalled　the　days　when　Delphine　and

Anastasie　were　innocent　little　maidens；　before　they　began　〃to

think　for　themselves；〃　as　he　had　moaned　out　in　his　agony。



Rastignac　and　Christophe　and　the　two　undertaker's　men　were　the

only　followers　of　the　funeral。　The　Church　of　Saint…Etienne　du

Mont　was　only　a　little　distance　from　the　Rue　Nueve…Sainte…

Genevieve。　When　the　coffin　had　been　deposited　in　a　low；　dark；

little　chapel；　the　law　student　looked　round　in　vain　for　Goriot's

two　daughters　or　their　husbands。　Christophe　was　his　only　fellow…

mourner；　Christophe；　who　appeared　to　think　it　was　his　duty　to

attend　the　funeral　of　the　man　who　had　put　him　in　the　way　of　such

handsome　tips。　As　they　waited　there　in　the　chapel　for　the　two

priests；　the　chorister；　and　the　beadle；　Rastignac　grasped

Christophe's　hand。　He　could　not　utter　a　word　just　then。



〃Yes；　Monsieur　Eugene；〃　said　Christophe；　〃he　was　a　good　and

worthy　man；　who　never　said　one　word　louder　than　another；　he　never

did　any　one　any　harm；　and　gave　nobody　any　trouble。〃



The　two　priests；　the　chorister；　and　the　beadle　came；　and　said　and

did　as　much　as　could　be　expected　for　seventy　francs　in　an　age

when　religion　cannot　afford　to　say　prayers　for　nothing。



The　ecclesiatics　chanted　a　psalm；　the　Libera　nos　and　the　De

profundis。　The　whole　service　lasted　about　twenty　minutes。　There

was　but　one　mourning　coach；　which　the　priest　and　chorister　agreed

to　share　with　Eugene　and　Christophe。



〃There　is　no　one　else　to　follow　us；〃　remarked　the　priest；　〃so　we

may　as　well　go　quickly；　and　so　save　time；　it　is　half…past　five。〃



But　just　as　the　coffin　was　put　in　the　hearse；　two　empty

carriages；　with　the　armorial　bearings　of　the　Comte　de　Restaud　and

the　Baron　de　Nucingen；　arrived　and　followed　in　the　procession　to

Pere…Lachaise。　At　six　o'clock　Goriot's　coffin　was　lowered　into

the　grave；　his　daughters'　servants　standing　round　the　while。　The

ecclesiastic　recited　the　short　prayer　that　the　students　could

afford　to　pay　for；　and　then　both　priest　and　lackeys　disappeared

at　once。　The　two　grave　diggers　flung　in　several　spadefuls　of

earth；　and　then　stopped　and　asked　Rastignac　for　their　fee。　Eugene

felt　in　vain　in　his　pocket；　and　was　obliged　to　borrow　five　francs

of　Christophe。　This　thing；　so　trifling　in　itself；　gave　Rastignac

a　terrible　pang　of　distress。　It　was　growing　dusk；　the　damp

twilight　fretted　his　nerves；　he　gazed　down　into　the　grave　and　the

tears　he　shed　were　drawn　from　him　by　the　sacred　emotion；　a

single…hearted　sorrow。　When　such　tears　fall　on　earth；　their

radiance　reaches　heaven。　And　with　that　tear　that　fell　on　Father

Goriot's　grave；　Eugene　Rastignac's　youth　ended。　He　folded　his

arms　and　gazed　at　the　clouded　sky；　and　Christophe；　after　a　glance

at　him；　turned　and　wentRastignac　was　left　alone。



He　went　a　few　paces　further；　to　the　highest　point　of　the

cemetery；　and　looked　out　over　Paris　and　the　windings　of　the

Seine；　the　lamps　were　beginning　to　shine　on　either　side　of　the

river。　His　eyes　turned　almost　eagerly　to　the　space　between　the

column　of　the　Place　Vendome　and　the　cupola　of　the　Invalides；

there　lay　the　shining　world　t