father goriot-第11章

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had　two　people　come　to　see　him　again　last　night。　If　madame　says

anything；　mind　you　say　nothing　about　it。〃



〃Has　he　given　you　something？〃



〃He　gave　me　a　five…franc　piece　this　month；　which　is　as　good　as

saying；　'Hold　your　tongue。'　〃



〃Except　him　and　Mme。　Couture；　who　doesn't　look　twice　at　every

penny；　there's　no　one　in　the　house　that　doesn't　try　to　get　back

with　the　left　hand　all　that　they　give　with　the　right　at　New

Year；〃　said　Sylvie。



〃And；　after　all；〃　said　Christophe；　〃what　do　they　give　you？　A

miserable　five…franc　piece。　There　is　Father　Goriot；　who　has

cleaned　his　shoes　himself　these　two　years　past。　There　is　that　old

beggar　Poiret；　who　goes　without　blacking　altogether；　he　would

sooner　drink　it　than　put　it　on　his　boots。　Then　there　is　that

whipper…snapper　of　a　student；　who　gives　me　a　couple　of　francs；

Two　francs　will　not　pay　for　my　brushes；　and　he　sells　his　old

clothes；　and　gets　more　for　them　than　they　are　worth。　Oh！　they're

a　shabby　lot！〃



〃Pooh！〃　said　Sylvie；　sipping　her　coffee；　〃our　places　are　the　best

in　the　Quarter；　that　I　know。　But　about　that　great　big　chap

Vautrin；　Christophe；　has　any　one　told　you　anything　about　him？〃



〃Yes。　I　met　a　gentleman　in　the　street　a　few　days　ago；　he　said　to

me；　'There's　a　gentleman　in　your　place；　isn't　there？　a　tall　man

that　dyes　his　whiskers？'　I　told　him；　'No；　sir；　they　aren't　dyed。

A　gay　fellow　like　him　hasn't　the　time　to　do　it。'　And　when　I　told

M。　Vautrin　about　it　afterwards；　he　said；　'Quite　right；　my　boy。

That　is　the　way　to　answer　them。　There　is　nothing　more　unpleasant

than　to　have　your　little　weaknesses　known；　it　might　spoil　many　a

match。'　〃



〃Well；　and　for　my　part；〃　said　Sylvie；　〃a　man　tried　to　humbug　me

at　the　market　wanting　to　know　if　I　had　seen　him　put　on　his　shirt。

Such　bosh！　There；〃　she　cried；　interrupting　herself；　〃that's　a

quarter　to　ten　striking　at　the　Val…de…Grace；　and　not　a　soul

stirring！〃



〃Pooh！　they　are　all　gone　out。　Mme。　Couture　and　the　girl　went　out

at　eight　o'clock　to　take　the　wafer　at　Saint…Etienne。　Father

Goriot　started　off　somewhere　with　a　parcel；　and　the　student　won't

be　back　from　his　lecture　till　ten　o'clock。　I　saw　them　go　while　I

was　sweeping　the　stairs；　Father　Goriot　knocked　up　against　me；　and

his　parcel　was　as　hard　as　iron。　What　is　the　old　fellow　up　to；　I

wonder？　He　is　as　good　as　a　plaything　for　the　rest　of　them；　they

can　never　let　him　alone；　but　he　is　a　good　man；　all　the　same；　and

worth　more　than　all　of　them　put　together。　He　doesn't　give　you

much　himself；　but　he　sometimes　sends　you　with　a　message　to　ladies

who　fork　out　famous　tips；　they　are　dressed　grandly；　too。〃



〃His　daughters；　as　he　calls　them；　eh？　There　are　a　dozen　of　them。〃



〃I　have　never　been　to　more　than　twothe　two　who　came　here。〃



〃There　is　madame　moving　overhead；　I　shall　have　to　go；　or　she　will

raise　a　fine　racket。　Just　keep　an　eye　on　the　milk；　Christophe；

don't　let　the　cat　get　at　it。〃



Sylvie　went　up　to　her　mistress'　room。



〃Sylvie！　How　is　this？　It's　nearly　ten　o'clock；　and　you　let　me

sleep　like　a　dormouse！　Such　a　thing　has　never　happened　before。〃



〃It's　the　fog；　it　is　that　thick；　you　could　cut　it　with　a　knife。〃



〃But　how　about　breakfast？〃



〃Bah！　the　boarders　are　possessed；　I'm　sure。　They　all　cleared　out

before　there　was　a　wink　of　daylight。〃



〃Do　speak　properly；　Sylvie；〃　Mme。　Vauquer　retorted；　〃say　a　blink

of　daylight。〃



〃Ah；　well；　madame；　whichever　you　please。　Anyhow；　you　can　have

breakfast　at　ten　o'clock。　La　Michonnette　and　Poiret　have　neither

of　them　stirred。　There　are　only　those　two　upstairs；　and　they　are

sleeping　like　the　logs　they　are。〃



〃But；　Sylvie；　you　put　their　names　together　as　if〃



〃As　if　what？〃　said　Sylvie；　bursting　into　a　guffaw。　〃The　two　of

them　make　a　pair。〃



〃It　is　a　strange　thing；　isn't　it；　Sylvie；　how　M。　Vautrin　got　in

last　night　after　Christophe　had　bolted　the　door？〃



〃Not　at　all；　madame。　Christophe　heard　M。　Vautrin；　and　went　down

and　undid　the　door。　And　here　are　you　imagining　that？〃



〃Give　me　my　bodice；　and　be　quick　and　get　breakfast　ready。　Dish　up

the　rest　of　the　mutton　with　the　potatoes；　and　you　can　put　the

stewed　pears　on　the　table；　those　at　five　a　penny。〃



A　few　moments　later　Mme。　Vauquer　came　down；　just　in　time　to　see

the　cat　knock　down　a　plate　that　covered　a　bowl　of　milk；　and　begin

to　lap　in　all　haste。



〃Mistigris！〃　she　cried。



The　cat　fled；　but　promptly　returned　to　rub　against　her　ankles。



〃Oh！　yes；　you　can　wheedle；　you　old　hypocrite！〃　she　said。　〃Sylvie！

Sylvie！〃



〃Yes；　madame；　what　is　it？〃



〃Just　see　what　the　cat　has　done！〃



〃It　is　all　that　stupid　Christophe's　fault。　I　told　him　to　stop　and

lay　the　table。　What　has　become　of　him？　Don't　you　worry；　madame；

Father　Goriot　shall　have　it。　I　will　fill　it　up　with　water；　and　he

won't　know　the　difference；　he　never　notices　anything；　not　even

what　he　eats。〃



〃I　wonder　where　the　old　heathen　can　have　gone？〃　said　Mme。

Vauquer；　setting　the　plates　round　the　table。



〃Who　knows？　He　is　up　to　all　sorts　of　tricks。〃



〃I　have　overslept　myself；〃　said　Mme。　Vauquer。



〃But　madame　looks　as　fresh　as　a　rose；　all　the　same。〃



The　door　bell　rang　at　that　moment；　and　Vautrin　came　through　the

sitting…room；　singing　loudly：



　　〃　'Tis　the　same　old　story　everywhere；

　　A　roving　heart　and　a　roving　glance　。　。



〃Oh！　Mamma　Vauquer！　good…morning！〃　he　cried　at　the　sight　of　his

hostess；　and　he　put　his　arm　gaily　round　her　waist。



〃There！　have　done〃



〃　'Impertinence！'　Say　it！〃　he　answered。　〃Come；　say　it！　Now；

isn't　that　what　you　really　mean？　Stop　a　bit；　I　will　help　you　to

set　the　table。　Ah！　I　am　a　nice　man；　am　I　not？



　　〃For　the　locks　of　brown　and　the　golden　hair

　　A　sighing　lover　。　。　。



〃Oh！　I　have　just　seen　something　so　funny



　　。　。　。　。　led　by　chance。〃



〃What？〃　asked　the　widow。



〃Father　Goriot　in　the　goldsmith's　shop　in　the　Rue　Dauphine　at

half…past　eight　this　morning。　They　buy　old　spoons　and　forks　and

gold　lace　there；　and　Goriot　sold　a　piece　of　silver　plate　for　a

good　round　sum。　It　had　been　twisted　out　of　shape　very　neatly　for

a　man　that's　not　used　to　the　trade。〃



〃Really？　You　don't　say　so？〃



〃Yes。　One　of　my　friends　is　expatriating　himself；　I　had　been　to

see　him　off　on　board　the　Royal　Mail　steamer；　and　was　coming　back

here。　I　waited　after　that　to　see　what　Father　Goriot　would　do；　it

is　a　comical　affair。　He　came　back　to　this　quarter　of　the　world；

to　the　Rue　des　Gres；　and　went　into　a　money…lender's　house；

everybody　knows　him；　Gobseck；　a　stuck…up　rascal；　that　would　make

dominoes　out　of　his　father's　bones；　a　Turk；　a　heathen；　an　old

Jew；　a　Greek；　it　would　be　a　difficult　matter　to　rob　HIM；　for　he

puts　all　his　coin　into　the　Bank。〃



〃Then　what　was　Father　Goriot　doing　there？〃



〃Doing？〃　said　Vautrin。　〃Nothing；　he　was　bent　on　his　own　undoing。

He　is　a　simpleton；　stupid　enough　to　ruin　himself　by　running

after〃



〃There　he　is！〃　cried　Sylvie。



〃Christophe；〃　cried　Father　Goriot's　voice；　〃come　upstairs　with

me。〃



Christophe　went　up；　and　shortly　afterwards　came　down　again。



〃Where　are　you　going？〃　Mme。　Vauquer　asked　of　her　servant。



〃Out　on　an　errand　for　M。　Goriot。〃



〃What　may　that　be？〃　said　Vautrin；　pouncing　on　a　letter　in

Christophe's　hand。　〃Mme。　la　Comtesse　Anastasie　de　Restaud；〃　he

read。　〃Where　are　you　going　with　it？〃　he　added；　as　he　gave　the

letter　back　to　Christophe。



〃To　the　Rue　du　Helder。　I　have　orders　to　give　this　into　her　hands

myself。〃



〃What　is　there　inside　it？〃　said　Vautrin；　holding　the　letter　up　to

the　light。　〃A　banknote？　No。〃　He　peered　into　the　envelope。　〃A

receipted　account！〃　he　cried。　〃My　word！　'tis　a　gallant　old

dotard。　Off　with　you；　old　chap；〃　he　said；　bringing　down　a　hand　on

Christophe's　head；　and　spinning　the　man　round　like　a　thimble；

〃you　will　have　a　famous　tip。〃



By　this　time　the　table　was　set。　Sylvie　was　boiling　the　milk；　Mme。

Vauquer　was　lighting　a　fire　in　the　stove　with　some　assista