gobseck-第8节

按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！





〃　'True。'



〃　'You　make　a　sponge　of　me；　begad！　you　do。　You　encourage　me　to　go　and

swell　myself　out　in　society；　so　that　you　can　squeeze　me　when　I　am　hard

up；　but　you　yourselves　are　sponges；　just　as　I　am；　and　death　will　give

you　a　squeeze　some　day。'



〃　'That　is　possible。'



〃　'If　there　were　no　spendthrifts；　what　would　become　of　you？　The　pair

of　us　are　like　soul　and　body。'



〃　'Precisely　so。'



〃　'Come；　now；　give　us　your　hand；　Grandaddy　Gobseck；　and　be　magnanimous

if　this　is　〃true〃　and　〃possible〃　and　〃precisely　so。〃　'



〃　'You　come　to　me；'　the　usurer　answered　coldly；　'because　Girard；

Palma；　Werbrust；　and　Gigonnet　are　full　up　of　your　paper；　they　are

offering　it　at　a　loss　of　fifty　per　cent；　and　as　it　is　likely　they　only

gave　you　half　the　figure　on　the　face　of　the　bills；　they　are　not　worth

five…and…twenty　per　cent　of　their　supposed　value。　I　am　your　most

obedient！　Can　I　in　common　decency　lend　a　stiver　to　a　man　who　owes

thirty　thousand　francs；　and　has　not　one　farthing？'　Gobseck　continued。

'The　day　before　yesterday　you　lost　ten　thousand　francs　at　a　ball　at

the　Baron　de　Nucingen's。'



〃　'Sir；'　said　the　Count；　with　rare　impudence；　'my　affairs　are　no

concern　of　yours；'　and　he　looked　the　old　man　up　and　down。　'A　man　has

no　debts　till　payment　is　due。'



〃　'True。'



〃　'My　bills　will　be　duly　met。'



〃　'That　is　possible。'



〃　'And　at　this　moment　the　question　between　you　and　me　is　simply

whether　the　security　I　am　going　to　offer　is　sufficient　for　the　sum　I

have　come　to　borrow。'



〃　'Precisely。'



〃A　cab　stopped　at　the　door；　and　the　sound　of　wheels　filled　the　room。



〃　'I　will　bring　something　directly　which　perhaps　will　satisfy　you；'

cried　the　young　man；　and　he　left　the　room。



〃　'Oh！　my　son；'　exclaimed　Gobseck；　rising　to　his　feet；　and　stretching

out　his　arms　to　me；　'if　he　has　good　security；　you　have　saved　my　life。

It　would　be　the　death　of　me。　Werbrust　and　Gigonnet　imagined　that　they

were　going　to　play　off　a　trick　on　me；　and　now；　thanks　to　you；　I　shall

have　a　good　laugh　at　their　expense　to…night。'



〃There　was　something　frightful　about　the　old　man's　ecstasy。　It　was　the

one　occasion　when　he　opened　his　heart　to　me；　and　that　flash　of　joy；

swift　though　it　was；　will　never　be　effaced　from　my　memory。



〃　'Favor　me　so　far　as　to　stay　here；'　he　added。　'I　am　armed；　and　a　sure

shot。　I　have　gone　tiger…hunting；　and　fought　on　the　deck　when　there　was

nothing　for　it　but　to　win　or　die；　but　I　don't　care　to　trust　yonder

elegant　scoundrel。'



〃He　sat　down　again　in　his　armchair　before　his　bureau；　and　his　face

grew　pale　and　impassive　as　before。



〃　'Ah！'　he　continued；　turning　to　me；　'you　will　see　that　lovely

creature　I　once　told　you　about；　I　can　hear　a　fine　lady's　step　in　the

corridor；　it　is　she；　no　doubt；'　and；　as　a　matter　of　fact；　the　young

man　came　in　with　a　woman　on　his　arm。　I　recognized　the　Countess；　whose

levee　Gobseck　had　described　for　me；　one　of　old　Goriot's　two　daughters。



〃The　Countess　did　not　see　me　at　first；　I　stayed　where　I　was　in　the

window　bay；　with　my　face　against　the　pane；　but　I　saw　her　give　Maxime　a

suspicious　glance　as　she　came　into　the　money…lender's　damp；　dark　room。

So　beautiful　she　was；　that　in　spite　of　her　faults　I　felt　sorry　for

her。　There　was　a　terrible　storm　of　anguish　in　her　heart；　her　haughty；

proud　features　were　drawn　and　distorted　with　pain　which　she　strove　in

vain　to　disguise。　The　young　man　had　come　to　be　her　evil　genius。　I

admired　Gobseck；　whose　perspicacity　had　foreseen　their　future　four

years　ago　at　the　first　bill　which　she　endorsed。



〃　'Probably；'　said　I　to　myself；　'this　monster　with　the　angel　face

controls　every　possible　spring　of　action　in　her：　rules　her　through

vanity；　jealousy；　pleasure；　and　the　current　of　life　in　the　world。'　〃



The　Vicomtesse　de　Grandlieu　broke　in　on　the　story。



〃Why；　the　woman's　very　virtues　have　been　turned　against　her；〃　she

exclaimed。　〃He　has　made　her　shed　tears　of　devotion；　and　then　abused

her　kindness　and　made　her　pay　very　dearly　for　unhallowed　bliss。〃



Derville　did　not　understand　the　signs　which　Mme。　de　Grandlieu　made　to

him。



〃I　confess；〃　he　said；　〃that　I　had　no　inclination　to　shed　tears　over

the　lot　of　this　unhappy　creature；　so　brilliant　in　society；　so

repulsive　to　eyes　that　could　read　her　heart；　I　shuddered　rather　at　the

sight　of　her　murderer；　a　young　angel　with　such　a　clear　brow；　such　red

lips　and　white　teeth；　such　a　winning　smile。　There　they　stood　before

their　judge；　he　scrutinizing　them　much　as　some　fifteenth…century

Dominican　inquisitor　might　have　peered　into　the　dungeons　of　the　Holy

Office　while　the　torture　was　administered　to　two　Moors。



〃The　Countess　spoke　tremulously。　'Sir；'　she　said；　'is　there　any　way　of

obtaining　the　value　of　these　diamonds；　and　of　keeping　the　right　of

repurchase？'　She　held　out　a　jewel…case。



〃　'Yes；　madame；'　I　put　in；　and　came　forwards。



〃She　looked　at　me；　and　a　shudder　ran　through　her　as　she　recognized　me；

and　gave　me　the　glance　which　means；　'Say　nothing　of　this；'　all　the

world　over。



〃　'This；'　said　I；　'constitutes　a　sale　with　faculty　of　redemption；　as

it　is　called；　a　formal　agreement　to　transfer　and　deliver　over　a　piece

of　property；　either　real　estate　or　personalty；　for　a　given　time；　on

the　expiry　of　which　the　previous　owner　recovers　his　title　to　the

property　in　question；　upon　payment　of　a　stipulated　sum。'



〃She　breathed　more　freely。　The　Count　looked　black；　he　had　grave　doubts

whether　Gobseck　would　lend　very　much　on　the　diamonds　after　such　a　fall

in　their　value。　Gobseck；　impassive　as　ever；　had　taken　up　his

magnifying　glass；　and　was　quietly　scrutinizing　the　jewels。　If　I　were

to　live　for　a　hundred　years；　I　should　never　forget　the　sight　of　his

face　at　that　moment。　There　was　a　flush　in　his　pale　cheeks；　his　eyes

seemed　to　have　caught　the　sparkle　of　the　stones；　for　there　was　an

unnatural　glitter　in　them。　He　rose　and　went　to　the　light；　holding　the

diamonds　close　to　his　toothless　mouth；　as　if　he　meant　to　devour　them；

mumbling　vague　words　over　them；　holding　up　bracelets；　sprays；

necklaces；　and　tiaras　one　after　another；　to　judge　their　water；

whiteness；　and　cutting；　taking　them　out　of　the　jewel…case　and　putting

them　in　again；　letting　the　play　of　the　light　bring　out　all　their

fires。　He　was　more　like　a　child　than　an　old　man；　or；　rather；　childhood

and　dotage　seemed　to　meet　in　him。



〃　'Fine　stones！　The　set　would　have　fetched　three　hundred　thousand

francs　before　the　Revolution。　What　water！　Genuine　Asiatic　diamonds

from　Golconda　or　Visapur。　Do　you　know　what　they　are　worth？　No；　no；　no

one　in　Paris　but　Gobseck　can　appreciate　them。　In　the　time　of　the

Empire　such　a　set　would　have　cost　another　two　hundred　thousand

francs！'



〃He　gave　a　disgusted　shrug；　and　added：



〃　'But　now　diamonds　are　going　down　in　value　every　day。　The　Brazilians

have　swamped　the　market　with　them　since　the　Peace；　but　the　Indian

stones　are　a　better　color。　Others　wear　them　now　besides　court　ladies。

Does　madame　go　to　court？'



〃While　he　flung　out　these　terrible　words；　he　examined　one　stone　after

another　with　delight　which　no　words　can　describe。



〃　'Flawless！'　he　said。　'Here　is　a　speck！　。　。　。　here　is　a　flaw！　。　。　。　A

fine　stone　that！'



〃His　haggard　face　was　so　lighted　up　by　the　sparkling　jewels；　that　it

put　me　in　mind　of　a　dingy　old　mirror；　such　as　you　see　in　country　inns。

The　glass　receives　every　luminous　image　without　reflecting　the　light；

and　a　traveler　bold　enough　to　look　for　his　face　in　it　beholds　a　man　in

an　apoplectic　fit。



〃　'Well？'　asked　the　Count；　clapping　Gobseck　on　the　shoulder。



〃The　old　boy　trembled。　He　put　down　his　playthings　on　his　bureau；　took

his　seat；　and　was　a　money…lender　once　morehard；　cold；　and　polished

as　a　marble　column。



〃　'How　much　do　you　want？'



〃　'One　hundred　thousand　francs　for　three　years；'　said　the　Count。



〃　'That　is　possible；'　said　Gobseck；　and　then　from　a　mahogany　box

（Gobseck's　jewel…case）　he　drew　out　a　faultlessly　adjusted　pair　of

scales！



〃He　weighed　the　diamonds；　calculating　the　value　of　stones　and　setting

at　sight　（Heaven　knows　how！）；　delight　and　severity　struggling　in　the

expression　of　his　face　the　meanwhile。　The　Countess　had　plunged　in　a

kind　of　stupor；　to　me；　watching　her；　it　seemed　that　she　was　fathoming

the　depths　of　the　abyss　into　which　she　had　fallen。　There　was　remorse

still　left　in　that　woman's　soul。　Perhaps　a　hand　held　out　in　human

charity　might　save　her。　I　would　try。



〃　'Are　the　diamonds　your　personal　property；　madame？'　I　asked　in　a

clear　voice。



〃　'Yes；　monsieur；'　she　said；　looking　at　me　with　proud　eyes。



〃　'Make　out　the　deed　of　purchase　with　power　of　redemption；

chatterbox；'　said　Gobseck　to　me；　resigning　his　chair　at　the　bureau　in

my　favor。



〃　'Madame　is　without　doubt　a　married　woman？'　I　tried　again。



〃She　nodded　abruptly。



〃　'Then　I　will　not　draw　up　the　deed；'　said　I。



〃　'And　why　not？'　asked　Gobseck。



〃　'Why　not？'　e