eugenie grandet-第6章

按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！


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；　locked　up　the　remains　of　the　dinner；　and　put　out　her　fire；　she
left　the　kitchen；　which　was　separated　by　a　passage　from　the　living…
room；　and　went　to　spin　hemp　beside　her　masters。　One　tallow　candle
sufficed　the　family　for　the　evening。　The　servant　slept　at　the　end　of
the　passage　in　a　species　of　closet　lighted　only　by　a　fan…light。　Her
robust　health　enabled　her　to　live　in　this　hole　with　impunity；　there
she　could　hear　the　slightest　noise　through　the　deep　silence　which
reigned　night　and　day　in　that　dreary　house。　Like　a　watch…dog；　she
slept　with　one　ear　open；　and　took　her　rest　with　a　mind　alert。

A　description　of　the　other　parts　of　the　dwelling　will　be　found
connected　with　the　events　of　this　history；　though　the　foregoing　sketch
of　the　hall；　where　the　whole　luxury　of　the　household　appears；　may
enable　the　reader　to　surmise　the　nakedness　of　the　upper　floors。

In　1819；　at　the　beginning　of　an　evening　in　the　middle　of　November；　la
Grande　Nanon　lighted　the　fire　for　the　first　time。　The　autumn　had　been
very　fine。　This　particular　day　was　a　fete…day　well　known　to　the
Cruchotines　and　the　Grassinists。　The　six　antagonists；　armed　at　all
points；　were　making　ready　to　meet　at　the　Grandets　and　surpass　each
other　in　testimonials　of　friendship。　That　morning　all　Saumur　had　seen
Madame　and　Mademoiselle　Grandet；　accompanied　by　Nanon；　on　their　way　to
hear　Mass　at　the　parish　church；　and　every　one　remembered　that　the　day
was　the　anniversary　of　Mademoiselle　Eugenie's　birth。　Calculating　the
hour　at　which　the　family　dinner　would　be　over；　Maitre　Cruchot；　the
Abbe　Cruchot；　and　Monsieur　C。　de　Bonfons　hastened　to　arrive　before　the
des　Grassins；　and　be　the　first　to　pay　their　compliments　to
Mademoiselle　Eugenie。　All　three　brought　enormous　bouquets；　gathered　in
their　little　green…houses。　The　stalks　of　the　flowers　which　the
president　intended　to　present　were　ingeniously　wound　round　with　a
white　satin　ribbon　adorned　with　gold　fringe。　In　the　morning　Monsieur
Grandet；　following　his　usual　custom　on　the　days　that　commemorated　the
birth　and　the　fete　of　Eugenie；　went　to　her　bedside　and　solemnly
presented　her　with　his　paternal　gift；which　for　the　last　thirteen
years　had　consisted　regularly　of　a　curious　gold…piece。　Madame　Grandet
gave　her　daughter　a　winter　dress　or　a　summer　dress；　as　the　case　might
be。　These　two　dresses　and　the　gold…pieces；　of　which　she　received　two
others　on　New　Year's　day　and　on　her　father's　fete…day；　gave　Eugenie　a
little　revenue　of　a　hundred　crowns　or　thereabouts；　which　Grandet　loved
to　see　her　amass。　Was　it　not　putting　his　money　from　one　strong…box　to
another；　and；　as　it　were；　training　the　parsimony　of　his　heiress？　from
whom　he　sometimes　demanded　an　account　of　her　treasure　（formerly
increased　by　the　gifts　of　the　Bertellieres）；　saying：　〃It　is　to　be　your
marriage　dozen。〃

The　〃marriage　dozen〃　is　an　old　custom　sacredly　preserved　and　still　in
force　in　many　parts　of　central　France。　In　Berry　and　in　Anjou；　when　a
young　girl　marries；　her　family；　or　that　of　the　husband；　must　give　her
a　purse；　in　which　they　place；　according　to　their　means；　twelve　pieces；
or　twelve　dozen　pieces；　or　twelve　hundred　pieces　of　gold。　The　poorest
shepherd…girl　never　marries　without　her　dozen；　be　it　only　a　dozen
coppers。　They　still　tell　in　Issoudun　of　a　certain　〃dozen〃　presented　to
a　rich　heiress；　which　contained　a　hundred　and　forty…four　/portugaises
d'or/。　Pope　Clement　VII。；　uncle　of　Catherine　de'　Medici；　gave　her　when
he　married　her　to　Henri　II。　a　dozen　antique　gold　medals　of　priceless
value。

During　dinner　the　father；　delighted　to　see　his　Eugenie　looking　well　in
a　new　gown；　exclaimed：　〃As　it　is　Eugenie's　birthday　let　us　have　a
fire；　it　will　be　a　good　omen。〃

〃Mademoiselle　will　be　married　this　year；　that's　certain；〃　said　la
Grande　Nanon；　carrying　away　the　remains　of　the　goose；the　pheasant　of
tradesmen。

〃I　don't　see　any　one　suitable　for　her　in　Saumur；〃　said　Madame　Grandet；
glancing　at　her　husband　with　a　timid　look　which；　considering　her
years；　revealed　the　conjugal　slavery　under　which　the　poor　woman
languished。

Grandet　looked　at　his　daughter　and　exclaimed　gaily；

〃She　is　twenty…three　years　old　to…day；　the　child；　we　must　soon　begin
to　think　of　it。〃

Eugenie　and　her　mother　silently　exchanged　a　glance　of　intelligence。

Madame　Grandet　was　a　dry；　thin　woman；　as　yellow　as　a　quince；　awkward；
slow；　one　of　those　women　who　are　born　to　be　down…trodden。　She　had　big
bones；　a　big　nose；　a　big　forehead；　big　eyes；　and　presented　at　first
sight　a　vague　resemblance　to　those　mealy　fruits　that　have　neither
savor　nor　succulence。　Her　teeth　were　black　and　few　in　number；　her
mouth　was　wrinkled；　her　chin　long　and　pointed。　She　was　an　excellent
woman；　a　true　la　Bertelliere。　L'abbe　Cruchot　found　occasional
opportunity　to　tell　her　that　she　had　not　done　ill；　and　she　believed
him。　Angelic　sweetness；　the　resignation　of　an　insect　tortured　by
children；　a　rare　piety；　a　good　heart；　an　unalterable　equanimity　of
soul；　made　her　universally　pitied　and　respected。　Her　husband　never
gave　her　more　than　six　francs　at　a　time　for　her　personal　expenses。
Ridiculous　as　it　may　seem；　this　woman；　who　by　her　own　fortune　and　her
various　inheritances　brought　Pere　Grandet　more　than　three　hundred
thousand　francs；　had　always　felt　so　profoundly　humiliated　by　her
dependence　and　the　slavery　in　which　she　lived；　against　which　the
gentleness　of　her　spirit　prevented　her　from　revolting；　that　she　had
never　asked　for　one　penny　or　made　a　single　remark　on　the　deeds　which
Maitre　Cruchot　brought　for　her　signature。　This　foolish　secret　pride；
this　nobility　of　soul　perpetually　misunderstood　and　wounded　by
Grandet；　ruled　the　whole　conduct　of　the　wife。

Madame　Grandet　was　attired　habitually　in　a　gown　of　greenish　levantine
silk；　endeavoring　to　make　it　last　nearly　a　year；　with　it　she　wore　a
large　kerchief　of　white　cotton　cloth；　a　bonnet　made　of　plaited　straws
sewn　together；　and　almost　always　a　black…silk　apron。　As　she　seldom
left　the　house　she　wore　out　very　few　shoes。　She　never　asked　anything
for　herself。　Grandet；　seized　with　occasional　remorse　when　he
remembered　how　long　a　time　had　elapsed　since　he　gave　her　the　last　six
francs；　always　stipulated　for　the　〃wife's　pin…money〃　when　he　sold　his
yearly　vintage。　The　four　or　five　louis　presented　by　the　Belgian　or　the
Dutchman　who　purchased　the　wine　were　the　chief　visible　signs　of　Madame
Grandet's　annual　revenues。　But　after　she　had　received　the　five　louis；
her　husband　would　often　say　to　her；　as　though　their　purse　were　held　in
common：　〃Can　you　lend　me　a　few　sous？〃　and　the　poor　woman；　glad　to　be
able　to　do　something　for　a　man　whom　her　confessor　held　up　to　her　as
her　lord　and　master；　returned　him　in　the　course　of　the　winter　several
crowns　out　of　the　〃pin…money。〃　When　Grandet　drew　from　his　pocket　the
five…franc　piece　which　he　allowed　monthly　for　the　minor　expenses；
thread；　needles；　and　toilet；of　his　daughter；　he　never　failed　to　say
as　he　buttoned　his　breeches'　pocket：　〃And　you；　mother；　do　you　want
anything？〃

〃My　friend；〃　Madame　Grandet　would　answer；　moved　by　a　sense　of　maternal
dignity；　〃we　will　see　about　that　later。〃

Wasted　dignity！　Grandet　thought　himself　very　generous　to　his　wife。
Philosophers　who　meet　the　like　of　Nanon；　of　Madame　Grandet；　of
Eugenie；　have　surely　a　right　to　say　that　irony　is　at　the　bottom　of　the
ways　of　Providence。

After　the　dinner　at　which　for　the　first　time　allusion　had　been　made　to
Eugenie's　marriage；　Nanon　went　to　fetch　a　bottle　of　black…currant
ratafia　from　Monsieur　Grandet's　bed…chamber；　and　nearly　fell　as　she
came　down　the　stairs。

〃You　great　stupid！〃　said　her　master；　〃are　you　going　to　tumble　about
like　other　people；　hey？〃

〃Monsieur；　it　was　that　step　on　your　staircase　which　has　given　way。〃

〃She　is　right；〃　said　Madame　Grandet；　〃it　ought　to　have　been　mended
long　ago。　Yesterday　Eugenie　nearly　twisted　her　ankle。〃

〃Here；〃　said　Grandet　to　Nanon；　seeing　that　she　looked　quite　pale；　〃as
it　is　Eugenie's　birthday；　and　you　came　near　falling；　take　a　little
glass　of　ratafia　to　set　you　right。〃

〃Faith！　I've　earned　it；〃　said　Nanon；　〃most　people