father goriot(高老头)-第18章

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She　retraced　several　of　the　letters；　for　her　hand　was　trembling　so　that　they　were　indistinct；　then　she　signed　the　note　with　an　initial　C　for　〃Claire　de　Bourgogne；〃　and　rang　the　bell。

〃Jacques；〃　she　said　to　the　servant；　who　appeared　immediately；　〃take　this　note　to　M。　de　Rochefide's　house　at　half…past　seven　and　ask　for　the　Marquis　d'Ajuda。　If　M。　d'Ajuda　is　there；　leave　the　note　without　waiting　for　an　answer；　if　he　is　not　there；　bring　the　note　back　to　me。〃

〃Madame　la　Vicomtess；　there　is　a　visitor　in　the　drawing…room。〃

〃Ah！　yes；　of　course；〃　she　said；　opening　the　door。

Eugene　was　beginning　to　feel　very　uncomfortable；　but　at　last　the　Vicomtesse　appeared；　she　spoke　to　him；　and　the　tremulous　tones　of　her　voice　vibrated　through　his　heart。

〃Pardon　me；　monsieur；〃　she　said；　〃I　had　a　letter　to　write。　Now　I　am　quite　at　liberty。〃

She　scarcely　knew　what　she　was　saying；　for　even　as　she　spoke　she　thought；　〃Ah！　he　means　to　marry　Mlle。　de　Rochefide？　But　is　he　still　free？　This　evening　the　marriage　shall　be　broken　off；　or　else　。　。　。　But　before　to…morrow　I　shall　know。〃

〃Cousin　。　。　。〃　the　student　replied。

〃Eh？〃　said　the　Countess；　with　an　insolent　glance　that　sent　a　cold　shudder　through　Eugene；　he　understood　what　that　〃Eh？〃　meant；　he　had　learned　a　great　deal　in　three　hours；　and　his　wits　were　on　the　alert。　He　reddened：

〃Madame　。　。　。〃　he　began；　he　hesitated　a　moment；　and　then　went　on。　〃Pardon　me；　I　am　in　such　need　of　protection　that　the　nearest　scrap　of　relationship　could　do　me　no　harm。〃

Mme。　de　Beauseant　smiled　but　there　was　sadness　in　her　smile；　even　now　she　felt　forebodings　of　the　coming　pain；　the　air　she　breathed　was　heavy　with　the　storm　that　was　about　to　burst。

〃If　you　knew　how　my　family　are　situated；〃　he　went　on；　〃you　would　love　to　play　the　part　of　a　beneficent　fairy　godmother　who　graciously　clears　the　obstacles　from　the　path　of　her　protege。〃

〃Well；　cousin；〃　she　said；　laughing；　〃and　how　can　I　be　of　service　to　you？〃

〃But　do　I　know　even　that？　I　am　distantly　related　to　you；　and　this　obscure　and　remote　relationship　is　even　now　a　perfect　godsend　to　me。　You　have　confused　my　ideas；　I　cannot　remember　the　things　that　I　meant　to　say　to　you。　I　know　no　one　else　here　in　Paris。　。　。　。　Ah！　if　I　could　only　ask　you　to　counsel　me；　ask　you　to　look　upon　me　as　a　poor　child　who　would　fain　cling　to　the　hem　of　your　dress；　who　would　lay　down　his　life　for　you。〃

〃Would　you　kill　a　man　for　me？〃

〃Two；〃　said　Eugene。

〃You；　child。　Yes；　you　are　a　child；〃　she　said；　keeping　back　the　tears　that　came　to　her　eyes；　〃you　would　love　sincerely。〃

〃Oh！〃　he　cried；　flinging　up　his　head。

The　audacity　of　the　student's　answer　interested　the　Vicomtesse　in　him。　The　southern　brain　was　beginning　to　scheme　for　the　first　time。　Between　Mme。　de　Restaud's　blue　boudoir　and　Mme。　de　Beauseant's　rose…colored　drawing…room　he　had　made　a　three　years'　advance　in　a　kind　of　law　which　is　not　a　recognized　study　in　Paris；　although　it　is　a　sort　of　higher　jurisprudence；　and；　when　well　understood；　is　a　highroad　to　success　of　every　kind。

〃Ah！　that　is　what　I　meant　to　say！〃　said　Eugene。　〃I　met　Mme。　de　Restaud　at　your　ball；　and　this　morning　I　went　to　see　her。

〃You　must　have　been　very　much　in　the　way；〃　said　Mme。　de　Beauseant；　smiling　as　she　spoke。

〃Yes；　indeed。　I　am　a　novice；　and　my　blunders　will　set　every　one　against　me；　if　you　do　not　give　me　your　counsel。　I　believe　that　in　Paris　it　is　very　difficult　to　meet　with　a　young；　beautiful；　and　wealthy　woman　of　fashion　who　would　be　willing　to　teach　me；　what　you　women　can　explain　so　welllife。　I　shall　find　a　M。　de　Trailles　everywhere。　So　I　have　come　to　you　to　ask　you　to　give　me　a　key　to　a　puzzle；　to　entreat　you　to　tell　me　what　sort　of　blunder　I　made　this　morning。　I　mentioned　an　old　man〃

〃Madame　la　Duchess　de　Langeais；〃　Jacques　cut　the　student　short；　Eugene　gave　expression　to　his　intense　annoyance　by　a　gesture。

〃If　you　mean　to　succeed；〃　said　the　Vicomtesse　in　a　low　voice；　〃in　the　first　place　you　must　not　be　so　demonstrative。〃

〃Ah！　good　morning；　dear；〃　she　continued；　and　rising　and　crossing　the　room；　she　grasped　the　Duchess'　hands　as　affectionately　as　if　they　had　been　sisters；　the　Duchess　responded　in　the　prettiest　and　most　gracious　way。

〃Two　intimate　friends！〃　said　Rastignac　to　himself。　〃Henceforward　I　shall　have　two　protectresses；　those　two　women　are　great　friends；　no　doubt；　and　this　newcomer　will　doubtless　interest　herself　in　her　friend's　cousin。〃

〃To　what　happy　inspiration　do　I　owe　this　piece　of　good　fortune；　dear　Antoinette？〃　asked　Mme。　de　Beauseant。

〃Well；　I　saw　M。　d'Ajuda…Pinto　at　M。　de　Rochefide's　door；　so　I　thought　that　if　I　came　I　should　find　you　alone。〃

Mme。　de　Beauseant's　mouth　did　not　tighten；　her　color　did　not　rise；　her　expression　did　not　alter；　or　rather；　her　brow　seemed　to　clear　as　the　Duchess　uttered　those　deadly　words。

〃If　I　had　known　that　you　were　engaged〃　the　speaker　added；　glancing　at　Eugene。

〃This　gentleman　is　M。　Eugene　de　Rastignac；　one　of　my　cousins；〃　said　the　Vicomtesse。　〃Have　you　any　news　of　General　de　Montriveau？〃　she　continued。　〃Serizy　told　me　yesterday　that　he　never　goes　anywhere　now；　has　he　been　to　see　you　to…day？〃

It　was　believed　that　the　Duchess　was　desperately　in　love　with　M。　de　Montriveau；　and　that　he　was　a　faithless　lover；　she　felt　the　question　in　her　very　heart；　and　her　face　flushed　as　she　answered：

〃He　was　at　the　Elysee　yesterday。〃

〃In　attendance？〃

〃Claire；〃　returned　the　Duchess；　and　hatred　overflowed　in　the　glances　she　threw　at　Mme。　de　Beauseant；　〃of　course　you　know　that　M。　d'Ajuda…Pinto　is　going　to　marry　Mlle。　de　Rochefide；　the　bans　will　be　published　to…morrow。〃

This　thrust　was　too　cruel；　the　Vicomtesse's　face　grew　white；　but　she　answered；　laughing；　〃One　of　those　rumors　that　fools　amuse　themselves　with。　What　should　induce　M。　d'Ajuda　to　take　one　of　the　noblest　names　in　Portugal　to　the　Rochefides？　The　Rochefides　were　only　ennobled　yesterday。〃

〃But　Bertha　will　have　two　hundred　thousand　livres　a　year；　they　say。〃

〃M。　d'Ajuda　is　too　wealthy　to　marry　for　money。〃

〃But；　my　dear；　Mlle。　de　Rochefide　is　a　charming　girl。〃

〃Indeed？〃

〃And；　as　a　matter　of　fact；　he　is　dining　with　them　to…day；　the　thing　is　settled。　It　is　very　surprising　to　me　that　you　should　know　so　little　about　it。〃

Mme。　de　Beauseant　turned　to　Rastignac。　〃What　was　the　blunder　that　you　made；　monsieur？〃　she　asked。　〃The　poor　boy　is　only　just　launched　into　the　world；　Antoinette；　so　that　he　understands　nothing　of　all　this　that　we　are　speaking　of。　Be　merciful　to　him；　and　let　us　finish　our　talk　to…morrow。　Everything　will　be　announced　to…morrow；　you　know；　and　your　kind　informal　communication　can　be　accompanied　by　official　confirmation。〃

The　Duchess　gave　Eugene　one　of　those　insolent　glances　that　measure　a　man　from　head　to　foot；　and　leave　him　crushed　and　annihilated。

〃Madame；　I　have　unwittingly　plunged　a　dagger　into　Mme。　de　Restaud's　heart；　unwittinglytherein　lies　my　offence；〃　said　the　student　of　law；　whose　keen　brain　had　served　him　sufficiently　well；　for　he　had　detected　the　biting　epigrams　that　lurked　beneath　this　friendly　talk。　〃You　continue　to　receive；　possibly　you　fear；　those　who　know　the　amount　of　pain　that　they　deliberately　inflict；　but　a　clumsy　blunderer　who　has　no　idea　how　deeply　he　wounds　is　looked　upon　as　a　fool　who　does　not　know　how　to　make　use　of　his　opportunities；　and　every　one　despise　him。〃

Mme。　de　Beauseant　gave　the　student　a　glance；　one　of　those　glances　in　which　a　great　soul　can　mingle　dignity　and　gratitude。　It　was　like　balm　to　the　law　student；　who　was　still　smarting　under　the　Duchess'　insolent　scrutiny；　she　had　looked　at　him　as　an　auctioneer　might　look　at　some　article　to　appraise　its　value。

〃Imagine；　too；　that　I　had　just　made　some　progress　with　the　Comte　de　Restaud；　for　I　should　tell　you；　madame；〃　he　went　on；　turning　to　the　Duchess　with　a　mixture　of　humility　and　malice　in　his　manner；　〃that　as　yet　I　am　only　a　poor　devil　of　a　student；　very　much　alone　in　the　world；　and　very　poor〃

〃You　should　not　tell　us　that；　M。　de　Rastignac。　We　women　never　care　about　anything　that　no　one　else　will　take。〃

〃Bah！〃　said　Eugene。　〃I　am　only　two…and…twenty；　and　I　must　make　up　my　mind　to　the　drawbacks　of　my　time　of　life。　Besides；　I　am　confessing　my　sins；　and　it　would　be　impossible　to　kn