eugenie grandet-第5章

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windows。　Above　this　table　was　an　oval　barometer　with　a　black　border
enlivened　with　gilt　bands；　on　which　the　flies　had　so　licentiously
disported　themselves　that　the　gilding　had　become　problematical。　On　the
panel　opposite　to　the　chimney…piece　were　two　portraits　in　pastel；
supposed　to　represent　the　grandfather　of　Madame　Grandet；　old　Monsieur
de　la　Bertelliere；　as　a　lieutenant　in　the　French　guard；　and　the
deceased　Madame　Gentillet　in　the　guise　of　a　shepherdess。　The　windows
were　draped　with　curtains　of　red　/gros　de　Tours/　held　back　by　silken
cords　with　ecclesiastical　tassels。　This　luxurious　decoration；　little
in　keeping　with　the　habits　of　Monsieur　Grandet；　had　been；　together
with　the　steel　pier…glass；　the　tapestries；　and　the　buffets；　which　were
of　rose…wood；　included　in　the　purchase　of　the　house。

By　the　window　nearest　to　the　door　stood　a　straw　chair；　whose　legs　were
raised　on　castors　to　lift　its　occupant；　Madame　Grandet；　to　a　height
from　which　she　could　see　the　passers…by。　A　work…table　of　stained
cherry…wood　filled　up　the　embrasure；　and　the　little　armchair　of
Eugenie　Grandet　stood　beside　it。　In　this　spot　the　lives　had　flowed
peacefully　onward　for　fifteen　years；　in　a　round　of　constant　work　from
the　month　of　April　to　the　month　of　November。　On　the　first　day　of　the
latter　month　they　took　their　winter　station　by　the　chimney。　Not　until
that　day　did　Grandet　permit　a　fire　to　be　lighted；　and　on　the　thirty…
first　of　March　it　was　extinguished；　without　regard　either　to　the
chills　of　the　early　spring　or　to　those　of　a　wintry　autumn。　A　foot…
warmer；　filled　with　embers　from　the　kitchen　fire；　which　la　Grande
Nanon　contrived　to　save　for　them；　enabled　Madame　and　Mademoiselle
Grandet　to　bear　the　chilly　mornings　and　evenings　of　April　and　October。
Mother　and　daughter　took　charge　of　the　family　linen；　and　spent　their
days　so　conscientiously　upon　a　labor　properly　that　of　working…women；
that　if　Eugenie　wished　to　embroider　a　collar　for　her　mother　she　was
forced　to　take　the　time　from　sleep；　and　deceive　her　father　to　obtain
the　necessary　light。　For　a　long　time　the　miser　had　given　out　the
tallow　candle　to　his　daughter　and　la　Grande　Nanon　just　as　he　gave　out
every　morning　the　bread　and　other　necessaries　for　the　daily
consumption。

La　Grande　Nanon　was　perhaps　the　only　human　being　capable　of　accepting
willingly　the　despotism　of　her　master。　The　whole　town　envied　Monsieur
and　Madame　Grandet　the　possession　of　her。　La　Grande　Nanon；　so　called
on　account　of　her　height；　which　was　five　feet　eight　inches；　had　lived
with　Monsieur　Grandet　for　thirty…five　years。　Though　she　received　only
sixty　francs　a　year　in　wages；　she　was　supposed　to　be　one　of　the
richest　serving…women　in　Saumur。　Those　sixty　francs；　accumulating
through　thirty…five　years；　had　recently　enabled　her　to　invest　four
thousand　francs　in　an　annuity　with　Maitre　Cruchot。　This　result　of　her
long　and　persistent　economy　seemed　gigantic。　Every　servant　in　the
town；　seeing　that　the　poor　sexagenarian　was　sure　of　bread　for　her　old
age；　was　jealous　of　her；　and　never　thought　of　the　hard　slavery　through
which　it　had　been　won。

At　twenty…two　years　of　age　the　poor　girl　had　been　unable　to　find　a
situation；　so　repulsive　was　her　face　to　almost　every　one。　Yet　the
feeling　was　certainly　unjust：　the　face　would　have　been　much　admired　on
the　shoulders　of　a　grenadier　of　the　guard；　but　all　things；　so　they
say；　should　be　in　keeping。　Forced　to　leave　a　farm　where　she　kept　the
cows；　because　the　dwelling…house　was　burned　down；　she　came　to　Saumur
to　find　a　place；　full　of　the　robust　courage　that　shrinks　from　no
labor。　Le　Pere　Grandet　was　at　that　time　thinking　of　marriage　and　about
to　set　up　his　household。　He　espied　the　girl；　rejected　as　she　was　from
door　to　door。　A　good　judge　of　corporeal　strength　in　his　trade　as　a
cooper；　he　guessed　the　work　that　might　be　got　out　of　a　female　creature
shaped　like　a　Hercules；　as　firm　on　her　feet　as　an　oak　sixty　years　old
on　its　roots；　strong　in　the　hips；　square　in　the　back；　with　the　hands
of　a　cartman　and　an　honesty　as　sound　as　her　unblemished　virtue。
Neither　the　warts　which　adorned　her　martial　visage；　nor　the　red…brick
tints　of　her　skin；　nor　the　sinewy　arms；　nor　the　ragged　garments　of　la
Grande　Nanon；　dismayed　the　cooper；　who　was　at　that　time　still　of　an
age　when　the　heart　shudders。　He　fed；　shod；　and　clothed　the　poor　girl；
gave　her　wages；　and　put　her　to　work　without　treating　her　too　roughly。
Seeing　herself　thus　welcomed；　la　Grande　Nanon　wept　secretly　tears　of
joy；　and　attached　herself　in　all　sincerity　to　her　master；　who　from
that　day　ruled　her　and　worked　her　with　feudal　authority。　Nanon　did
everything。　She　cooked；　she　made　the　lye；　she　washed　the　linen　in　the
Loire　and　brought　it　home　on　her　shoulders；　she　got　up　early；　she　went
to　bed　late；　she　prepared　the　food　of　the　vine…dressers　during　the
harvest；　kept　watch　upon　the　market…people；　protected　the　property　of
her　master　like　a　faithful　dog；　and　even；　full　of　blind　confidence；
obeyed　without　a　murmur　his　most　absurd　exactions。

In　the　famous　year　of　1811；　when　the　grapes　were　gathered　with
unheard…of　difficulty；　Grandet　resolved　to　give　Nanon　his　old　watch；
the　first　present　he　had　made　her　during　twenty　years　of　service。
Though　he　turned　over　to　her　his　old　shoes　（which　fitted　her）；　it　is
impossible　to　consider　that　quarterly　benefit　as　a　gift；　for　the　shoes
were　always　thoroughly　worn…out。　Necessity　had　made　the　poor　girl　so
niggardly　that　Grandet　had　grown　to　love　her　as　we　love　a　dog；　and
Nanon　had　let　him　fasten　a　spiked　collar　round　her　throat；　whose
spikes　no　longer　pricked　her。　If　Grandet　cut　the　bread　with　rather　too
much　parsimony；　she　made　no　complaint；　she　gaily　shared　the　hygienic
benefits　derived　from　the　severe　regime　of　the　household；　in　which　no
one　was　ever　ill。　Nanon　was；　in　fact；　one　of　the　family；　she　laughed
when　Grandet　laughed；　felt　gloomy　or　chilly；　warmed　herself；　and
toiled　as　he　did。　What　pleasant　compensations　there　were　in　such
equality！　Never　did　the　master　have　occasion　to　find　fault　with　the
servant　for　pilfering　the　grapes；　nor　for　the　plums　and　nectarines
eaten　under　the　trees。　〃Come；　fall…to；　Nanon！〃　he　would　say　in　years
when　the　branches　bent　under　the　fruit　and　the　farmers　were　obliged　to
give　it　to　the　pigs。

To　the　poor　peasant　who　in　her　youth　had　earned　nothing　but　harsh
treatment；　to　the　pauper　girl　picked　up　by　charity；　Grandet's
ambiguous　laugh　was　like　a　sunbeam。　Moreover；　Nanon's　simple　heart　and
narrow　head　could　hold　only　one　feeling　and　one　idea。　For　thirty…five
years　she　had　never　ceased　to　see　herself　standing　before　the　wood…
yard　of　Monsieur　Grandet；　ragged　and　barefooted；　and　to　hear　him　say：
〃What　do　you　want；　young　one？〃　Her　gratitude　was　ever　new。　Sometimes
Grandet；　reflecting　that　the　poor　creature　had　never　heard　a
flattering　word；　that　she　was　ignorant　of　all　the　tender　sentiments
inspired　by　women；　that　she　might　some　day　appear　before　the　throne　of
God　even　more　chaste　than　the　Virgin　Mary　herself；Grandet；　struck
with　pity；　would　say　as　he　looked　at　her；　〃Poor　Nanon！〃　The
exclamation　was　always　followed　by　an　undefinable　look　cast　upon　him
in　return　by　the　old　servant。　The　words；　uttered　from　time　to　time；
formed　a　chain　of　friendship　that　nothing　ever　parted；　and　to　which
each　exclamation　added　a　link。　Such　compassion　arising　in　the　heart　of
the　miser；　and　accepted　gratefully　by　the　old　spinster；　had　something
inconceivably　horrible　about　it。　This　cruel　pity；　recalling；　as　it
did；　a　thousand　pleasures　to　the　heart　of　the　old　cooper；　was　for
Nanon　the　sum　total　of　happiness。　Who　does　not　likewise　say；　〃Poor
Nanon！〃　God　will　recognize　his　angels　by　the　inflexions　of　their
voices　and　by　their　secret　sighs。

There　were　very　many　households　in　Saumur　where　the　servants　were
better　treated；　but　where　the　masters　received　far　less　satisfaction
in　return。　Thus　it　was　often　said：　〃What　have　the　Grandets　ever　done
to　make　their　Grande　Nanon　so　attached　to　them？　She　would　go　through
fire　and　water　for　their　sake！〃　Her　kitchen；　whose　barred　windows
looked　into　the　court；　was　always　clean；　neat；　cold；a　true　miser's
kitchen；　where　nothing　went　to　waste。　When　Nanon　had　washed　her
dishes；　lock