eugenie grandet-第29章

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commit　anything　more　sacred　to　another。　Let　me　show　it　to　you。〃

He　went　to　the　box；　took　it　from　its　outer　coverings；　opened　it；　and
showed　his　delighted　cousin　a　dressing…case　where　the　rich　workmanship
gave　to　the　gold　ornaments　a　value　far　above　their　weight。

〃What　you　admire　there　is　nothing；〃　he　said；　pushing　a　secret　spring
which　opened　a　hidden　drawer。　〃Here　is　something　which　to　me　is　worth
the　whole　world。〃　He　drew　out　two　portraits；　masterpieces　of　Madame
Mirbel；　richly　set　with　pearls。

〃Oh；　how　beautiful！　Is　it　the　lady　to　whom　you　wrote　that〃

〃No；〃　he　said；　smiling；　〃this　is　my　mother；　and　here　is　my　father；
your　aunt　and　uncle。　Eugenie；　I　beg　you　on　my　knees；　keep　my　treasure
safely。　If　I　die　and　your　little　fortune　is　lost；　this　gold　and　these
pearls　will　repay　you。　To　you　alone　could　I　leave　these　portraits；　you
are　worthy　to　keep　them。　But　destroy　them　at　last；　so　that　they　may
pass　into　no　other　hands。〃　Eugenie　was　silent。　〃Ah；　yes；　say　yes！　You
consent？〃　he　added　with　winning　grace。

Hearing　the　very　words　she　had　just　used　to　her　cousin　now　addressed
to　herself；　she　turned　upon　him　a　look　of　love；　her　first　look　of
loving　womanhood；a　glance　in　which　there　is　nearly　as　much　of
coquetry　as　of　inmost　depth。　He　took　her　hand　and　kissed　it。

〃Angel　of　purity！　between　us　two　money　is　nothing；　never　can　be
anything。　Feeling；　sentiment；　must　be　all　henceforth。〃

〃You　are　like　your　mother；was　her　voice　as　soft　as　yours？〃

〃Oh！　much　softer〃

〃Yes；　for　you；〃　she　said；　dropping　her　eyelids。　〃Come；　Charles；　go　to
bed；　I　wish　it；　you　must　be　tired。　Good…night。〃　She　gently　disengaged
her　hand　from　those　of　her　cousin；　who　followed　her　to　her　room；
lighting　the　way。　When　they　were　both　upon　the　threshold；

〃Ah！〃　he　said；　〃why　am　I　ruined？〃

〃What　matter？my　father　is　rich；　I　think　so；〃　she　answered。

〃Poor　child！〃　said　Charles；　making　a　step　into　her　room　and　leaning
his　back　against　the　wall；　〃if　that　were　so；　he　would　never　have　let
my　father　die；　he　would　not　let　you　live　in　this　poor　way；　he　would
live　otherwise　himself。〃

〃But　he　owns　Froidfond。〃

〃What　is　Froidfond　worth？〃

〃I　don't　know；　but　he　has　Noyers。〃

〃Nothing　but　a　poor　farm！〃

〃He　has　vineyards　and　fields。〃

〃Mere　nothing；〃　said　Charles　disdainfully。　〃If　your　father　had　only
twenty…four　thousand　francs　a　year　do　you　suppose　you　would　live　in
this　cold；　barren　room？〃　he　added；　making　a　step　in　advance。　〃Ah！
there　you　will　keep　my　treasures；〃　he　said；　glancing　at　the　old
cabinet；　as　if　to　hide　his　thoughts。

〃Go　and　sleep；〃　she　said；　hindering　his　entrance　into　the　disordered
room。

Charles　stepped　back；　and　they　bid　each　other　good…night　with　a　mutual
smile。

Both　fell　asleep　in　the　same　dream；　and　from　that　moment　the　youth
began　to　wear　roses　with　his　mourning。　The　next　day；　before　breakfast；
Madame　Grandet　found　her　daughter　in　the　garden　in　company　with
Charles。　The　young　man　was　still　sad；　as　became　a　poor　fellow　who；
plunged　in　misfortune；　measures　the　depths　of　the　abyss　into　which　he
has　fallen；　and　sees　the　terrible　burden　of　his　whole　future　life。

〃My　father　will　not　be　home　till　dinner…time；〃　said　Eugenie；
perceiving　the　anxious　look　on　her　mother's　face。

It　was　easy　to　trace　in　the　face　and　manners　of　the　young　girl　and　in
the　singular　sweetness　of　her　voice　a　unison　of　thought　between　her
and　her　cousin。　Their　souls　had　espoused　each　other；　perhaps　before
they　even　felt　the　force　of　the　feelings　which　bound　them　together。
Charles　spent　the　morning　in　the　hall；　and　his　sadness　was　respected。
Each　of　the　three　women　had　occupations　of　her　own。　Grandet　had　left
all　his　affairs　unattended　to；　and　a　number　of　persons　came　on
business；the　plumber；　the　mason；　the　slater；　the　carpenter；　the
diggers；　the　dressers；　the　farmers；　some　to　drive　a　bargain　about
repairs；　others　to　pay　their　rent　or　to　be　paid　themselves　for
services。　Madame　Grandet　and　Eugenie　were　obliged　to　go　and　come　and
listen　to　the　interminable　talk　of　all　these　workmen　and　country　folk。
Nanon　put　away　in　her　kitchen　the　produce　which　they　brought　as
tribute。　She　always　waited　for　her　master's　orders　before　she　knew
what　portion　was　to　be　used　in　the　house　and　what　was　to　be　sold　in
the　market。　It　was　the　goodman's　custom；　like　that　of　a　great　many
country　gentlemen；　to　drink　his　bad　wine　and　eat　his　spoiled　fruit。

Towards　five　in　the　afternoon　Grandet　returned　from　Angers；　having
made　fourteen　thousand　francs　by　the　exchange　on　his　gold；　bringing
home　in　his　wallet　good　treasury…notes　which　bore　interest　until　the
day　he　should　invest　them　in　the　Funds。　He　had　left　Cornoiller　at
Angers　to　look　after　the　horses；　which　were　well…nigh　foundered；　with
orders　to　bring　them　home　slowly　after　they　were　rested。

〃I　have　got　back　from　Angers；　wife；〃　he　said；　〃I　am　hungry。〃

Nanon　called　out　to　him　from　the　kitchen：　〃Haven't　you　eaten　anything
since　yesterday？〃

〃Nothing；〃　answered　the　old　man。

Nanon　brought　in　the　soup。　Des　Grassins　came　to　take　his　client's
orders　just　as　the　family　sat　down　to　dinner。　Grandet　had　not　even
observed　his　nephew。

〃Go　on　eating；　Grandet；〃　said　the　banker；　〃we　can　talk。　Do　you　know
what　gold　is　worth　in　Angers？　They　have　come　from　Nantes　after　it？　I
shall　send　some　of　ours。〃

〃Don't　send　any；〃　said　Grandet；　〃they　have　got　enough。　We　are　such　old
friends；　I　ought　to　save　you　from　such　a　loss　of　time。〃

〃But　gold　is　worth　thirteen　francs　fifty　centimes。〃

〃Say　/was/　worth〃

〃Where　the　devil　have　they　got　any？〃

〃I　went　to　Angers　last　night；〃　answered　Grandet　in　a　low　voice。

The　banker　shook　with　surprise。　Then　a　whispered　conversation　began
between　the　two；　during　which　Grandet　and　des　Grassins　frequently
looked　at　Charles。　Presently　des　Grassins　gave　a　start　of
astonishment；　probably　Grandet　was　then　instructing　him　to　invest　the
sum　which　was　to　give　him　a　hundred　thousand　francs　a　year　in　the
Funds。

〃Monsieur　Grandet；〃　said　the　banker　to　Charles；　〃I　am　starting　for
Paris；　if　you　have　any　commissions〃

〃None；　monsieur；　I　thank　you；〃　answered　Charles。

〃Thank　him　better　than　that；　nephew。　Monsieur　is　going　to　settle　the
affairs　of　the　house　of　Guillaume　Grandet。〃

〃Is　there　any　hope？〃　said　Charles　eagerly。

〃What！〃　exclaimed　his　uncle；　with　well…acted　pride；　〃are　you　not　my
nephew？　Your　honor　is　ours。　Is　not　your　name　Grandet？〃

Charles　rose；　seized　Pere　Grandet；　kissed　him；　turned　pale；　and　left
the　room。　Eugenie　looked　at　her　father　with　admiration。

〃Well；　good…by；　des　Grassins；　it　is　all　in　your　hands。　Decoy　those
people　as　best　you　can；　lead　'em　by　the　nose。〃

The　two　diplomatists　shook　hands。　The　old　cooper　accompanied　the
banker　to　the　front　door。　Then；　after　closing　it；　he　came　back　and
plunged　into　his　armchair；　saying　to　Nanon；

〃Get　me　some　black…currant　ratafia。〃

Too　excited；　however；　to　remain　long　in　one　place；　he　got　up；　looked
at　the　portrait　of　Monsieur　de　la　Bertelliere；　and　began　to　sing；
doing　what　Nanon　called　his　dancing　steps；

　　〃Dans　les　gardes　francaises
　　J'avais　un　bon　papa。〃

Nanon；　Madame　Grandet；　and　Eugenie　looked　at　each　other　in　silence。
The　hilarity　of　the　master　always　frightened　them　when　it　reached　its
climax。　The　evening　was　soon　over。　Pere　Grandet　chose　to　go　to　bed
early；　and　when　he　went　to　bed；　everybody　else　was　expected　to　go　too；
like　as　when　Augustus　drank；　Poland　was　drunk。　On　this　occasion　Nanon；
Charles；　and　Eugenie　were　not　less　tired　than　the　master。　As　for
Madame　Grandet；　she　slept；　ate；　drank；　and　walked　according　to　the
will　of　her　husband。　However；　during　the　two　hours　consecrated　to
digestion；　the　cooper；　more　facetious　than　he　had　ever　been　in　his
life；　uttered　a　number　of　his　own　particular　apothegms；a　single　one
of　which　will　give　the　measure　of　his　mind。　When　he　had　drunk　his
ratafia；　he　looked　at　his　glass　and　said；

〃You　have　no　sooner　put　your　lips　to　a　glass　than　it　is　empty！　Such　is
life。　You　can't　have　and　hold。　Gold　won't　circulate　and　stay　in　your
purse。　If　it　were　not　for　that；　life　would　be　too　fine。〃

He　was　jovial　and　benevolent。　When　Nanon　came　with　her　spinning…wheel；
〃You　must　be　tired；〃　he　said；　〃put　away