eugenie grandet-第4章

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various　social　circles　of　Saumur　in　violent　agitation。　Would
Mademoiselle　Grandet　marry　Monsieur　le　president　or　Monsieur　Adolphe
des　Grassins？　To　this　problem　some　replied　that　Monsieur　Grandet　would
never　give　his　daughter　to　the　one　or　to　the　other。　The　old　cooper；
eaten　up　with　ambition；　was　looking；　they　said；　for　a　peer　of　France；
to　whom　an　income　of　three　hundred　thousand　francs　would　make　all　the
past；　present；　and　future　casks　of　the　Grandets　acceptable。　Others
replied　that　Monsieur　and　Madame　des　Grassins　were　nobles；　and
exceedingly　rich；　that　Adolphe　was　a　personable　young　fellow；　and　that
unless　the　old　man　had　a　nephew　of　the　pope　at　his　beck　and　call；　such
a　suitable　alliance　ought　to　satisfy　a　man　who　came　from　nothing；a
man　whom　Saumur　remembered　with　an　adze　in　his　hand；　and　who　had；
moreover；　worn　the　/bonnet　rouge/。　Certain　wise　heads　called　attention
to　the　fact　that　Monsieur　Cruchot　de　Bonfons　had　the　right　of　entry　to
the　house　at　all　times；　whereas　his　rival　was　received　only　on
Sundays。　Others；　however；　maintained　that　Madame　des　Grassins　was　more
intimate　with　the　women　of　the　house　of　Grandet　than　the　Cruchots
were；　and　could　put　into　their　minds　certain　ideas　which　would　lead；
sooner　or　later；　to　success。　To　this　the　former　retorted　that　the　Abbe
Cruchot　was　the　most　insinuating　man　in　the　world：　pit　a　woman　against
a　monk；　and　the　struggle　was　even。　〃It　is　diamond　cut　diamond；〃　said　a
Saumur　wit。

The　oldest　inhabitants；　wiser　than　their　fellows；　declared　that　the
Grandets　knew　better　than　to　let　the　property　go　out　of　the　family；
and　that　Mademoiselle　Eugenie　Grandet　of　Saumur　would　be　married　to
the　son　of　Monsieur　Grandet　of　Paris；　a　wealthy　wholesale　wine…
merchant。　To　this　the　Cruchotines　and　the　Grassinists　replied：　〃In　the
first　place；　the　two　brothers　have　seen　each　other　only　twice　in
thirty　years；　and　next；　Monsieur　Grandet　of　Paris　has　ambitious
designs　for　his　son。　He　is　mayor　of　an　arrondissement；　a　deputy；
colonel　of　the　National　Guard；　judge　in　the　commercial　courts；　he
disowns　the　Grandets　of　Saumur；　and　means　to　ally　himself　with　some
ducal　family；ducal　under　favor　of　Napoleon。〃　In　short；　was　there
anything　not　said　of　an　heiress　who　was　talked　of　through　a
circumference　of　fifty　miles；　and　even　in　the　public　conveyances　from
Angers　to　Blois；　inclusively！

At　the　beginning　of　1811；　the　Cruchotines　won　a　signal　advantage　over
the　Grassinists。　The　estate　of　Froidfond；　remarkable　for　its　park；　its
mansion；　its　farms；　streams；　ponds；　forests；　and　worth　about　three
millions；　was　put　up　for　sale　by　the　young　Marquis　de　Froidfond；　who
was　obliged　to　liquidate　his　possessions。　Maitre　Cruchot；　the
president；　and　the　abbe；　aided　by　their　adherents；　were　able　to
prevent　the　sale　of　the　estate　in　little　lots。　The　notary　concluded　a
bargain　with　the　young　man　for　the　whole　property；　payable　in　gold；
persuading　him　that　suits　without　number　would　have　to　be　brought
against　the　purchasers　of　small　lots　before　he　could　get　the　money　for
them；　it　was　better；　therefore；　to　sell　the　whole　to　Monsieur　Grandet；
who　was　solvent　and　able　to　pay　for　the　estate　in　ready　money。　The
fine　marquisate　of　Froidfond　was　accordingly　conveyed　down　the　gullet
of　Monsieur　Grandet；　who；　to　the　great　astonishment　of　Saumur；　paid
for　it；　under　proper　discount；　with　the　usual　formalities。

This　affair　echoed　from　Nantes　to　Orleans。　Monsieur　Grandet　took
advantage　of　a　cart　returning　by　way　of　Froidfond　to　go　and　see　his
chateau。　Having　cast　a　master's　eye　over　the　whole　property；　he
returned　to　Saumur；　satisfied　that　he　had　invested　his　money　at　five
per　cent；　and　seized　by　the　stupendous　thought　of　extending　and
increasing　the　marquisate　of　Froidfond　by　concentrating　all　his
property　there。　Then；　to　fill　up　his　coffers；　now　nearly　empty；　he
resolved　to　thin　out　his　woods　and　his　forests；　and　to　sell　off　the
poplars　in　the　meadows。



II

It　is　now　easy　to　understand　the　full　meaning　of　the　term；　〃the　house
of　Monsieur　Grandet；〃that　cold；　silent；　pallid　dwelling；　standing
above　the　town　and　sheltered　by　the　ruins　of　the　ramparts。　The　two
pillars　and　the　arch；　which　made　the　porte…cochere　on　which　the　door
opened；　were　built；　like　the　house　itself；　of　tufa；a　white　stone
peculiar　to　the　shores　of　the　Loire；　and　so　soft　that　it　lasts　hardly
more　than　two　centuries。　Numberless　irregular　holes；　capriciously
bored　or　eaten　out　by　the　inclemency　of　the　weather；　gave　an
appearance　of　the　vermiculated　stonework　of　French　architecture　to　the
arch　and　the　side　walls　of　this　entrance；　which　bore　some　resemblance
to　the　gateway　of　a　jail。　Above　the　arch　was　a　long　bas…relief；　in
hard　stone；　representing　the　four　seasons；　the　faces　already　crumbling
away　and　blackened。　This　bas…relief　was　surmounted　by　a　projecting
plinth；　upon　which　a　variety　of　chance　growths　had　sprung　up；yellow
pellitory；　bindweed；　convolvuli；　nettles；　plantain；　and　even　a　little
cherry…tree；　already　grown　to　some　height。

The　door　of　the　archway　was　made　of　solid　oak；　brown；　shrunken；　and
split　in　many　places；　though　frail　in　appearance；　it　was　firmly　held
in　place　by　a　system　of　iron　bolts　arranged　in　symmetrical　patterns。　A
small　square　grating；　with　close　bars　red　with　rust；　filled　up　the
middle　panel　and　made；　as　it　were；　a　motive　for　the　knocker；　fastened
to　it　by　a　ring；　which　struck　upon　the　grinning　head　of　a　huge　nail。
This　knocker；　of　the　oblong　shape　and　kind　which　our　ancestors　called
/jaquemart/；　looked　like　a　huge　note　of　exclamation；　an　antiquary　who
examined　it　attentively　might　have　found　indications　of　the　figure；
essentially　burlesque；　which　it　once　represented；　and　which　long　usage
had　now　effaced。　Through　this　little　gratingintended　in　olden　times
for　the　recognition　of　friends　in　times　of　civil　warinquisitive
persons　could　perceive；　at　the　farther　end　of　the　dark　and　slimy
vault；　a　few　broken　steps　which　led　to　a　garden；　picturesquely　shut　in
by　walls　that　were　thick　and　damp；　and　through　which　oozed　a　moisture
that　nourished　tufts　of　sickly　herbage。　These　walls　were　the　ruins　of
the　ramparts；　under　which　ranged　the　gardens　of　several　neighboring
houses。

The　most　important　room　on　the　ground…floor　of　the　house　was　a　large
hall；　entered　directly　from　beneath　the　vault　of　the　porte…cochere。
Few　people　know　the　importance　of　a　hall　in　the　little　towns　of　Anjou；
Touraine；　and　Berry。　The　hall　is　at　one　and　the　same　time　antechamber；
salon；　office；　boudoir；　and　dining…room；　it　is　the　theatre　of　domestic
life；　the　common　living…room。　There　the　barber　of　the　neighborhood
came；　twice　a　year；　to　cut　Monsieur　Grandet's　hair；　there　the　farmers；
the　cure；　the　under…prefect；　and　the　miller's　boy　came　on　business。
This　room；　with　two　windows　looking　on　the　street；　was　entirely　of
wood。　Gray　panels　with　ancient　mouldings　covered　the　walls　from　top　to
bottom；　the　ceiling　showed　all　its　beams；　which　were　likewise　painted
gray；　while　the　space　between　them　had　been　washed　over　in　white；　now
yellow　with　age。　An　old　brass　clock；　inlaid　with　arabesques；　adorned
the　mantel　of　the　ill…cut　white　stone　chimney…piece；　above　which　was　a
greenish　mirror；　whose　edges；　bevelled　to　show　the　thickness　of　the
glass；　reflected　a　thread　of　light　the　whole　length　of　a　gothic　frame
in　damascened　steel…work。　The　two　copper…gilt　candelabra　which
decorated　the　corners　of　the　chimney…piece　served　a　double　purpose：　by
taking　off　the　side…branches；　each　of　which　held　a　socket；　the　main
stemwhich　was　fastened　to　a　pedestal　of　bluish　marble　tipped　with
coppermade　a　candlestick　for　one　candle；　which　was　sufficient　for
ordinary　occasions。　The　chairs；　antique　in　shape；　were　covered　with
tapestry　representing　the　fables　of　La　Fontaine；　it　was　necessary；
however；　to　know　that　writer　well　to　guess　at　the　subjects；　for　the
faded　colors　and　the　figures；　blurred　by　much　darning；　were　difficult
to　distinguish。

At　the　four　corners　of　the　hall　were　closets；　or　rather　buffets；
surmounted　by　dirty　shelves。　An　old　card…table　in　marquetry；　of　which
the　upper　part　was　a　chess…board；　stood　in　the　space　between　the　two
windows。　Above　this　table　was　an　oval　barometer　with　a　black