father goriot(高老头)-第17节

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ould　be　impossible　to　kneel　in　a　more　charming　confessional；　you　commit　your　sins　in　one　drawing…room；　and　receive　absolution　for　them　in　another。〃

The　Duchess'　expression　grew　colder；　she　did　not　like　the　flippant　tone　of　these　remarks；　and　showed　that　she　considered　them　to　be　in　bad　taste　by　turning　to　the　Vicomtesse　with〃This　gentleman　has　only　just　come〃

Mme。　de　Beauseant　began　to　laugh　outright　at　her　cousin　and　at　the　Duchess　both。

〃He　has　only　just　come　to　Paris；　dear；　and　is　in　search　of　some　one　who　will　give　him　lessons　in　good　taste。〃

〃Mme。　la　Duchesse；〃　said　Eugene；　〃is　it　not　natural　to　wish　to　be　initiated　into　the　mysteries　which　charm　us？〃　（〃Come；　now；〃　he　said　to　himself；　〃my　language　is　superfinely　elegant；　I'm　sure。〃）

〃But　Mme。　de　Restaud　is　herself；　I　believe；　M。　de　Trailles'　pupil；〃　said　the　Duchess。

〃Of　that　I　had　no　idea；　madame；〃　answered　the　law　student；　〃so　I　rashly　came　between　them。　In　fact；　I　got　on　very　well　with　the　lady's　husband；　and　his　wife　tolerated　me　for　a　time　until　I　took　it　into　my　head　to　tell　them　that　I　knew　some　one　of　whom　I　had　just　caught　a　glimpse　as　he　went　out　by　a　back　staircase；　a　man　who　had　given　the　Countess　a　kiss　at　the　end　of　a　passage。〃

〃Who　was　it？〃　both　women　asked　together。

〃An　old　man　who　lives　at　the　rate　of　two　louis　a　month　in　the　Faubourg　Saint…Marceau；　where　I；　a　poor　student；　lodge　likewise。　He　is　a　truly　unfortunate　creature；　everybody　laughs　at　himwe　all　call　him　'Father　Goriot。'　〃

〃Why；　child　that　you　are；〃　cried　the　Vicomtesse；　〃Mme。　de　Restaud　was　a　Mlle。　Goriot！〃

〃The　daughter　of　a　vermicelli　manufacturer；〃　the　Duchess　added；　〃and　when　the　little　creature　went　to　Court；　the　daughter　of　a　pastry…cook　was　presented　on　the　same　day。　Do　you　remember；　Claire？　The　King　began　to　laugh；　and　made　some　joke　in　Latin　about　flour。　Peoplewhat　was　it？people〃

〃Ejusdem　farinae；〃　said　Eugene。

〃Yes；　that　was　it；〃　said　the　Duchess。

〃Oh！　is　that　her　father？〃　the　law　student　continued；　aghast。

〃Yes；　certainly；　the　old　man　had　two　daughters；　he　dotes　on　them；　so　to　speak；　though　they　will　scarcely　acknowledge　him。〃

〃Didn't　the　second　daughter　marry　a　banker　with　a　German　name？〃　the　Vicomtesse　asked；　turning　to　Mme。　de　Langeais；　〃a　Baron　de　Nucingen？　And　her　name　is　Delphine；　is　it　not？　Isn't　she　a　fair…　haired　woman　who　has　a　side…box　at　the　Opera？　She　comes　sometimes　to　the　Bouffons；　and　laughs　loudly　to　attract　attention。〃

The　Duchess　smiled　and　said：

〃I　wonder　at　you；　dear。　Why　do　you　take　so　much　interest　in　people　of　that　kind？　One　must　have　been　as　madly　in　love　as　Restaud　was；　to　be　infatuated　with　Mlle。　Anastasie　and　her　flour　sacks。　Oh！　he　will　not　find　her　a　good　bargain！　She　is　in　M。　de　Trailles'　hands；　and　he　will　ruin　her。〃

〃And　they　do　not　acknowledge　their　father！〃　Eugene　repeated。

〃Oh！　well；　yes；　their　father；　the　father；　a　father；〃　replied　the　Vicomtesse；　〃a　kind　father　who　gave　them　each　five　or　six　hundred　thousand　francs；　it　is　said；　to　secure　their　happiness　by　marrying　them　well；　while　he　only　kept　eight　or　ten　thousand　livres　a　year　for　himself；　thinking　that　his　daughters　would　always　be　his　daughters；　thinking　that　in　them　he　would　live　his　life　twice　over　again；　that　in　their　houses　he　should　find　two　homes；　where　he　would　be　loved　and　looked　up　to；　and　made　much　of。　And　in　two　years'　time　both　his　sons…in…law　had　turned　him　out　of　their　houses　as　if　he　were　one　of　the　lowest　outcasts。〃

Tears　came　into　Eugene's　eyes。　He　was　still　under　the　spell　of　youthful　beliefs；　he　had　just　left　home；　pure　and　sacred　feelings　had　been　stirred　within　him；　and　this　was　his　first　day　on　the　battlefield　of　civilization　in　Paris。　Genuine　feeling　is　so　infectious　that　for　a　moment　the　three　looked　at　each　other　in　silence。

〃Eh；　mon　Dieu！〃　said　Mme。　de　Langeais；　〃yes；　it　seems　very　horrible；　and　yet　we　see　such　things　every　day。　Is　there　not　a　reason　for　it？　Tell　me；　dear；　have　you　ever　really　thought　what　a　son…in…law　is？　A　son…in…law　is　the　man　for　whom　we　bring　up；　you　and　I；　a　dear　little　one；　bound　to　us　very　closely　in　innumerable　ways；　for　seventeen　years　she　will　be　the　joy　of　her　family；　its　'white　soul；'　as　Lamartine　says；　and　suddenly　she　will　become　its　scourge。　When　HE　comes　and　takes　her　from　us；　his　love　from　the　very　beginning　is　like　an　axe　laid　to　the　root　of　all　the　old　affection　in　our　darling's　heart；　and　all　the　ties　that　bound　her　to　her　family　are　severed。　But　yesterday　our　little　daughter　thought　of　no　one　but　her　mother　and　father；　as　we　had　no　thought　that　was　not　for　her；　by　to…morrow　she　will　have　become　a　hostile　stranger。　The　tragedy　is　always　going　on　under　our　eyes。　On　the　one　hand　you　see　a　father　who　has　sacrificed　himself　to　his　son；　and　his　daughter…in…law　shows　him　the　last　degree　of　insolence。　On　the　other　hand；　it　is　the　son…in…law　who　turns　his　wife's　mother　out　of　the　house。　I　sometimes　hear　it　said　that　there　is　nothing　dramatic　about　society　in　these　days；　but　the　Drama　of　the　Son…in…law　is　appalling；　to　say　nothing　of　our　marriages；　which　have　come　to　be　very　poor　farces。　I　can　explain　how　it　all　came　about　in　the　old　vermicelli　maker's　case。　I　think　I　recollect　that　Foriot〃

〃Goriot；　madame。〃

〃Yes；　that　Moriot　was　once　President　of　his　Section　during　the　Revolution。　He　was　in　the　secret　of　the　famous　scarcity　of　grain；　and　laid　the　foundation　of　his　fortune　in　those　days　by　selling　flour　for　ten　times　its　cost。　He　had　as　much　flour　as　he　wanted。　My　grandmother's　steward　sold　him　immense　quantities。　No　doubt　Noriot　shared　the　plunder　with　the　Committee　of　Public　Salvation；　as　that　sort　of　person　always　did。　I　recollect　the　steward　telling　my　grandmother　that　she　might　live　at　Grandvilliers　in　complete　security；　because　her　corn　was　as　good　as　a　certificate　of　civism。　Well；　then；　this　Loriot；　who　sold　corn　to　those　butchers；　has　never　had　but　one　passion；　they　sayhe　idolizes　his　daughters。　He　settled　one　of　them　under　Restaud's　roof；　and　grafted　the　other　into　the　Nucingen　family　tree；　the　Baron　de　Nucingen　being　a　rich　banker　who　had　turned　Royalist。　You　can　quite　understand　that　so　long　as　Bonaparte　was　Emperor；　the　two　sons…in…law　could　manage　to　put　up　with　the　old　Ninety…three；　but　after　the　restoration　of　the　Bourbons；　M。　de　Restaud　felt　bored　by　the　old　man's　society；　and　the　banker　was　still　more　tired　of　it。　His　daughters　were　still　fond　of　him；　they　wanted　'to　keep　the　goat　and　the　cabbage；'　so　they　used　to　see　Joriot　whenever　there　was　no　one　there；　under　pretence　of　affection。　'Come　to…　day；　papa；　we　shall　have　you　all　to　ourselves；　and　that　will　be　much　nicer！'　and　all　that　sort　of　thing。　As　for　me；　dear；　I　believe　that　love　has　second…sight：　poor　Ninety…three；　his　heart　must　have　bled。　He　saw　that　his　daughters　were　ashamed　of　him；　that　if　they　loved　their　husbands　his　visits　must　make　mischief。　So　he　immolated　himself。　He　made　the　sacrifice　because　he　was　a　father；　he　went　into　voluntary　exile。　His　daughters　were　satisfied；　so　he　thought　that　he　had　done　the　best　thing　he　could；　but　it　was　a　family　crime；　and　father　and　daughters　were　accomplices。　You　see　this　sort　of　thing　everywhere。　What　could　this　old　Doriot　have　been　but　a　splash　of　mud　in　his　daughters'　drawing…rooms？　He　would　only　have　been　in　the　way；　and　bored　other　people；　besides　being　bored　himself。　And　this　that　happened　between　father　and　daughters　may　happen　to　the　prettiest　woman　in

Paris　and　the　man　she　loves　the　best；　if　her　love　grows　tiresome；　he　will　go；　he　will　descend　to　the　basest　trickery　to　leave　her。　It　is　the　same　with　all　love　and　friendship。　Our　heart　is　a　treasury；　if　you　pour　out　all　its　wealth　at　once；　you　are　bankrupt。　We　show　no　more　mercy　to　the　affection　that　reveals　its　utmost　extent　than　we　do　to　another　kind　of　prodigal　who　has　not　a　penny　left。　Their　father　had　given　them　all　he　had。　For　twenty　years　he　had　given　his　whole　heart　to　them；　then；　one　day；　he　gave　them　all　his　fortune　too。　The　lemon　was　squeezed；　the　girls　left　the　rest　in　the　gutter。〃

〃The　world　is　very　base；〃　said　the　Vicomtesse；　plucking　at　the　threads　of　her　shawl。　She　did　not　raise　her　head　as　she　spoke；　the　words　that　Mme。　de　Langeais　had　meant　for　her　in　the　course　of　her　story　had　cut　her　to　the　quick。

〃Base？　Oh；　no；〃　answered　the　Duchess；　〃the　world　goes　its　own　way；　that　is　all。　If　I　speak　in　this　way；　it　is　only　to　show　that　I　am　not　duped　by　it。　I　think　as　you　do；〃　she　said；　pressing　the　Vicomtesse's　hand。　〃The　world　is　a　slough；　let　us　try　to　live　on　the　heights　above　it。〃

She　rose　to　her　feet　and　kissed　Mme。　de　Beauseant　on　the　forehead　as　she　said：　〃You　look　very　charming　to…day；　dear。　I　have　never　seen　such　a　lovely　color　in　your　cheeks　before。〃

Then　she　went　out　with　a　slight　inclination　of　the　head　to　the　cousin。

〃Father　Goriot　is　sublime！〃　said　Eugene　to　himself；　as　he　remembered　how　he　had　watched　his　neighbor　work　the　silver　vessel　into　a　shapeless　mass　that　night。

Mme。　de　Beauseant　did　not　hear　him；　she　was　absorbed　in　her　own　thoughts。　For　several　minutes　the　silence　remained　unbroken　till　the　law　student　became　almost　paralyzed　with　embarrassment；　and　was　equally　afraid　to　go　or　stay　or　speak　a　word。

〃The　world　is　basely　ungrateful　and　ill…natured；〃　said