eugenie grandet-第20章

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〃I　have　lost　my　father；　my　poor　father！　If　he　had　told　me　his　secret
troubles　we　might　have　worked　together　to　repair　them。　My　God！　my　poor
father！　I　was　so　sure　I　should　see　him　again　that　I　think　I　kissed　him
quite　coldly〃

Sobs　cut　short　the　words。

〃We　will　pray　for　him；〃　said　Madame　Grandet。　〃Resign　yourself　to　the
will　of　God。〃

〃Cousin；〃　said　Eugenie；　〃take　courage！　Your　loss　is　irreparable；
therefore　think　only　of　saving　your　honor。〃

With　the　delicate　instinct　of　a　woman　who　intuitively　puts　her　mind
into　all　things；　even　at　the　moment　when　she　offers　consolation；
Eugenie　sought　to　cheat　her　cousin's　grief　by　turning　his　thoughts
inward　upon　himself。

〃My　honor？〃　exclaimed　the　young　man；　tossing　aside　his　hair　with　an
impatient　gesture　as　he　sat　up　on　his　bed　and　crossed　his　arms。　〃Ah！
that　is　true。　My　uncle　said　my　father　had　failed。〃　He　uttered　a　heart…
rending　cry；　and　hid　his　face　in　his　hands。　〃Leave　me；　leave　me；
cousin！　My　God！　my　God！　forgive　my　father；　for　he　must　have　suffered
sorely！〃

There　was　something　terribly　attractive　in　the　sight　of　this　young
sorrow；　sincere　without　reasoning　or　afterthought。　It　was　a　virgin
grief　which　the　simple　hearts　of　Eugenie　and　her　mother　were　fitted　to
comprehend；　and　they　obeyed　the　sign　Charles　made　them　to　leave　him　to
himself。　They　went　downstairs　in　silence　and　took　their　accustomed
places　by　the　window　and　sewed　for　nearly　an　hour　without　exchanging　a
word。　Eugenie　had　seen　in　the　furtive　glance　that　she　cast　about　the
young　man's　roomthat　girlish　glance　which　sees　all　in　the　twinkling
of　an　eyethe　pretty　trifles　of　his　dressing…case；　his　scissors；　his
razors　embossed　with　gold。　This　gleam　of　luxury　across　her　cousin's
grief　only　made　him　the　more　interesting　to　her；　possibly　by　way　of
contrast。　Never　before　had　so　serious　an　event；　so　dramatic　a　sight；
touched　the　imaginations　of　these　two　passive　beings；　hitherto　sunk　in
the　stillness　and　calm　of　solitude。

〃Mamma；〃　said　Eugenie；　〃we　must　wear　mourning　for　my　uncle。〃

〃Your　father　will　decide　that；〃　answered　Madame　Grandet。

They　relapsed　into　silence。　Eugenie　drew　her　stitches　with　a　uniform
motion　which　revealed　to　an　observer　the　teeming　thoughts　of　her
meditation。　The　first　desire　of　the　girl's　heart　was　to　share　her
cousin's　mourning。



VI

About　four　o'clock　an　abrupt　knock　at　the　door　struck　sharply　on　the
heart　of　Madame　Grandet。

〃What　can　have　happened　to　your　father？〃　she　said　to　her　daughter。

Grandet　entered　joyously。　After　taking　off　his　gloves；　he　rubbed　his
hands　hard　enough　to　take　off　their　skin　as　well；　if　his　epidermis　had
not　been　tanned　and　cured　like　Russia　leather；saving；　of　course；　the
perfume　of　larch…trees　and　incense。　Presently　his　secret　escaped　him。

〃Wife；〃　he　said；　without　stuttering；　〃I've　trapped　them　all！　Our　wine
is　sold！　The　Dutch　and　the　Belgians　have　gone。　I　walked　about　the
market…place　in　front　of　their　inn；　pretending　to　be　doing　nothing。
That　Belgian　fellowyou　know　who　I　meancame　up　to　me。　The　owners　of
all　the　good　vineyards　have　kept　back　their　vintages；　intending　to
wait；　well；　I　didn't　hinder　them。　The　Belgian　was　in　despair；　I　saw
that。　In　a　minute　the　bargain　was　made。　He　takes　my　vintage　at　two
hundred　francs　the　puncheon；　half　down。　He　paid　me　in　gold；　the　notes
are　drawn。　Here　are　six　louis　for　you。　In　three　months　wines　will　have
fallen。〃

These　words；　uttered　in　a　quiet　tone　of　voice；　were　nevertheless　so
bitterly　sarcastic　that　the　inhabitants　of　Saumur；　grouped　at　this
moment　in　the　market…place　and　overwhelmed　by　the　news　of　the　sale
Grandet　had　just　effected；　would　have　shuddered　had　they　heard　them。
Their　panic　would　have　brought　the　price　of　wines　down　fifty　per　cent
at　once。

〃Did　you　have　a　thousand　puncheons　this　year；　father？〃

〃Yes；　little　one。〃

That　term　applied　to　his　daughter　was　the　superlative　expression　of
the　old　miser's　joy。

〃Then　that　makes　two　hundred　thousand　pieces　of　twenty　sous　each？〃

〃Yes；　Mademoiselle　Grandet。〃

〃Then；　father；　you　can　easily　help　Charles。〃

The　amazement；　the　anger；　the　stupefaction　of　Belshazzar　when　he　saw
the　/Mene…Tekel…Upharsin/　before　his　eyes　is　not　to　be　compared　with
the　cold　rage　of　Grandet；　who；　having　forgotten　his　nephew；　now　found
him　enshrined　in　the　heart　and　calculations　of　his　daughter。

〃What's　this？　Ever　since　that　dandy　put　foot　in　MY　house　everything
goes　wrong！　You　behave　as　if　you　had　the　right　to　buy　sugar…plums　and
make　feasts　and　weddings。　I　won't　have　that　sort　of　thing。　I　hope　I
know　my　duty　at　my　time　of　life！　I　certainly　sha'n't　take　lessons　from
my　daughter；　or　from　anybody　else。　I　shall　do　for　my　nephew　what　it　is
proper　to　do；　and　you　have　no　need　to　poke　your　nose　into　it。　As　for
you；　Eugenie；〃　he　added；　facing　her；　〃don't　speak　of　this　again；　or
I'll　send　you　to　the　Abbaye　des　Noyers　with　Nanon；　see　if　I　don't；　and
no　later　than　to…morrow　either；　if　you　disobey　me！　Where　is　that
fellow；　has　he　come　down　yet？〃

〃No；　my　friend；〃　answered　Madame　Grandet。

〃What　is　he　doing　then？〃

〃He　is　weeping　for　his　father；〃　said　Eugenie。

Grandet　looked　at　his　daughter　without　finding　a　word　to　say；　after
all；　he　was　a　father。　He　made　a　couple　of　turns　up　and　down　the　room；
and　then　went　hurriedly　to　his　secret　den　to　think　over　an　investment
he　was　meditating　in　the　public　Funds。　The　thinning　out　of　his　two
thousand　acres　of　forest　land　had　yielded　him　six　hundred　thousand
francs：　putting　this　sum　to　that　derived　from　the　sale　of　his　poplars
and　to　his　other　gains　for　the　last　year　and　for　the　current　year；　he
had　amassed　a　total　of　nine　hundred　thousand　francs；　without　counting
the　two　hundred　thousand　he　had　got　by　the　sale　just　concluded。　The
twenty　per　cent　which　Cruchot　assured　him　would　gain　in　a　short　time
from　the　Funds；　then　quoted　at　seventy；　tempted　him。　He　figured　out
his　calculation　on　the　margin　of　the　newspaper　which　gave　the　account
of　his　brother's　death；　all　the　while　hearing　the　moans　of　his　nephew；
but　without　listening　to　them。　Nanon　came　and　knocked　on　the　wall　to
summon　him　to　dinner。　On　the　last　step　of　the　staircase　he　was　saying
to　himself　as　he　came　down；

〃I'll　do　it；　I　shall　get　eight　per　cent　interest。　In　two　years　I　shall
have　fifteen　hundred　thousand　francs；　which　I　will　then　draw　out　in
good　gold；Well；　where's　my　nephew？〃

〃He　says　he　doesn't　want　anything　to　eat；〃　answered　Nanon；　〃that's　not
good　for　him。〃

〃So　much　saved；〃　retorted　her　master。

〃That's　so；〃　she　said。

〃Bah！　he　won't　cry　long。　Hunger　drives　the　wolves　out　of　the　woods。〃

The　dinner　was　eaten　in　silence。

〃My　good　friend；〃　said　Madame　Grandet；　when　the　cloth　was　removed；　〃we
must　put　on　mourning。〃

〃Upon　my　word；　Madame　Grandet！　what　will　you　invent　next　to　spend
money　on？　Mourning　is　in　the　heart；　and　not　in　the　clothes。〃

〃But　mourning　for　a　brother　is　indispensable；　and　the　Church　commands
us　to〃

〃Buy　your　mourning　out　of　your　six　louis。　Give　me　a　hat…band；　that's
enough　for　me。〃

Eugenie　raised　her　eyes　to　heaven　without　uttering　a　word。　Her
generous　instincts；　slumbering　and　long　repressed　but　now　suddenly　and
for　the　first　time　awakened；　were　galled　at　every　turn。　The　evening
passed　to　all　appearance　like　a　thousand　other　evenings　of　their
monotonous　life；　yet　it　was　certainly　the　most　horrible。　Eugenie　sewed
without　raising　her　head；　and　did　not　use　the　workbox　which　Charles
had　despised　the　night　before。　Madame　Grandet　knitted　her　sleeves。
Grandet　twirled　his　thumbs　for　four　hours；　absorbed　in　calculations
whose　results　were　on　the　morrow　to　astonish　Saumur。　No　one　came　to
visit　the　family　that　day。　The　whole　town　was　ringing　with　the　news　of
the　business　trick　just　played　by　Grandet；　the　failure　of　his　brother；
and　the　arrival　of　his　nephew。　Obeying　the　desire　to　gossip　over　their
mutual　interests；　all　the　upper　and　middle…class　wine…growers　in
Saumur　met　at　Monsieur　des　Grassins；　where　terrible　imprecations　were
being　fulminated　against　the　ex…mayor。　Nanon　was　spinning；　and　the
whirr　of　her　wheel　was　the　only　sound　heard　beneath　the　gray　rafters
of　that　silent　hall。

〃We　don't　waste　our　tongues；〃　she　said；　showing