father goriot-第12章

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

Vauquer　was　lighting　a　fire　in　the　stove　with　some　assistance

from　Vautrin；　who　kept　humming　to　himself：



　　〃The　same　old　story　everywhere；

　　A　roving　heart　and　a　roving　glance。〃



When　everything　was　ready；　Mme。　Couture　and　Mlle。　Taillefer　came

in。



〃Where　have　you　been　this　morning；　fair　lady？〃　said　Mme。　Vauquer；

turning　to　Mme。　Couture。



〃We　have　just　been　to　say　our　prayers　at　Saint…Etienne　du　Mont。

To…day　is　the　day　when　we　must　go　to　see　M。　Taillefer。　Poor

little　thing！　She　is　trembling　like　a　leaf；〃　Mme。　Couture　went

on；　as　she　seated　herself　before　the　fire　and　held　the　steaming

soles　of　her　boots　to　the　blaze。



〃Warm　yourself；　Victorine；〃　said　Mme。　Vauquer。



〃It　is　quite　right　and　proper；　mademoiselle；　to　pray　to　Heaven　to

soften　your　father's　heart；〃　said　Vautrin；　as　he　drew　a　chair

nearer　to　the　orphan　girl；　〃but　that　is　not　enough。　What　you　want

is　a　friend　who　will　give　the　monster　a　piece　of　his　mind；　a

barbarian　that　has　three　millions　（so　they　say）；　and　will　not

give　you　a　dowry；　and　a　pretty　girl　needs　a　dowry　nowadays。〃



〃Poor　child！〃　said　Mme。　Vauquer。　〃Never　mind；　my　pet；　your　wretch

of　a　father　is　going　just　the　way　to　bring　trouble　upon　himself。〃



Victorine's　eyes　filled　with　tears　at　the　words；　and　the　widow

checked　herself　at　a　sign　from　Mme。　Couture。



〃If　we　could　only　see　him！〃　said　the　Commissary…General's　widow；

〃if　I　could　speak　to　him　myself　and　give　him　his　wife's　last

letter！　I　have　never　dared　to　run　the　risk　of　sending　it　by　post；

he　knew　my　handwriting〃



〃　'Oh　woman；　persecuted　and　injured　innocent！'　〃　exclaimed

Vautrin；　breaking　in　upon　her。　〃So　that　is　how　you　are；　is　it？　In

a　few　days'　time　I　will　look　into　your　affairs；　and　it　will　be

all　right；　you　shall　see。〃



〃Oh！　sir；〃　said　Victorine；　with　a　tearful　but　eager　glance　at

Vautrin；　who　showed　no　sign　of　being　touched　by　it；　〃if　you　know

of　any　way　of　communicating　with　my　father；　please　be　sure　and

tell　him　that　his　affection　and　my　mother's　honor　are　more　to　me

than　all　the　money　in　the　world。　If　you　can　induce　him　to　relent

a　little　towards　me；　I　will　pray　to　God　for　you。　You　may　be　sure

of　my　gratitude〃



〃The　same　old　story　everywhere；〃　sang　Vautrin；　with　a　satirical

intonation。　At　this　juncture；　Goriot；　Mlle。　Michonneau；　and

Poiret　came　downstairs　together；　possibly　the　scent　of　the　gravy

which　Sylvie　was　making　to　serve　with　the　mutton　had　announced

breakfast。　The　seven　people　thus　assembled　bade　each　other　good…

morning；　and　took　their　places　at　the　table；　the　clock　struck

ten；　and　the　student's　footstep　was　heard　outside。



〃Ah！　here　you　are；　M。　Eugene；〃　said　Sylvie；　〃every　one　is

breakfasting　at　home　to…day。〃



The　student　exchanged　greetings　with　the　lodgers；　and　sat　down

beside　Goriot。



〃I　have　just　met　with　a　queer　adventure；〃　he　said；　as　he　helped

himself　abundantly　to　the　mutton；　and　cut　a　slice　of　bread；　which

Mme。　Vauquer's　eyes　gauged　as　usual。



〃An　adventure？〃　queried　Poiret。



〃Well；　and　what　is　there　to　astonish　you　in　that；　old　boy？〃

Vautrin　asked　of　Poiret。　〃M。　Eugene　is　cut　out　for　that　kind　of

thing。〃



Mlle。　Taillefer　stole　a　timid　glance　at　the　young　student。



〃Tell　us　about　your　adventure！〃　demanded　M。　Vautrin。



〃Yesterday　evening　I　went　to　a　ball　given　by　a　cousin　of　mine；

the　Vicomtesse　de　Beauseant。　She　has　a　magnificent　house；　the

rooms　are　hung　with　silkin　short；　it　was　a　splendid　affair；　and

I　was　as　happy　as　a　king…〃



〃Fisher；〃　put　in　Vautrin；　interrupting。



〃What　do　you　mean；　sir？〃　said　Eugene　sharply。



〃I　said　'fisher；'　because　kingfishers　see　a　good　deal　more　fun

than　kings。〃



〃Quite　true；　I　would　much　rather　be　the　little　careless　bird　than

a　king；〃　said　Poiret　the　ditto…ist；　〃because〃



〃In　fact〃the　law…student　cut　him　short〃I　danced　with　one　of

the　handsomest　women　in　the　room；　a　charming　countess；　the　most

exquisite　creature　I　have　ever　seen。　There　was　peach　blossom　in

her　hair；　and　she　had　the　loveliest　bouquet　of　flowersreal

flowers；　that　scented　the　airbut　there！　it　is　no　use　trying

to　describe　a　woman　glowing　with　the　dance。　You　ought　to　have

seen　her！　Well；　and　this　morning　I　met　this　divine　countess　about

nine　o'clock；　on　foot　in　the　Rue　de　Gres。　Oh！　how　my　heart　beat！

I　began　to　think〃



〃That　she　was　coming　here；〃　said　Vautrin；　with　a　keen　look　at　the

student。　〃I　expect　that　she　was　going　to　call　on　old　Gobseck；　a

money…lender。　If　ever　you　explore　a　Parisian　woman's　heart；　you

will　find　the　money…lender　first；　and　the　lover　afterwards。　Your

countess　is　called　Anastasie　de　Restaud；　and　she　lives　in　the　Rue

du　Helder。〃



The　student　stared　hard　at　Vautrin。　Father　Goriot　raised　his　head

at　the　words；　and　gave　the　two　speakers　a　glance　so　full　of

intelligence　and　uneasiness　that　the　lodgers　beheld　him　with

astonishment。



〃Then　Christophe　was　too　late；　and　she　must　have　gone　to　him！〃

cried　Goriot；　with　anguish　in　his　voice。



〃It　is　just　as　I　guessed；〃　said　Vautrin；　leaning　over　to　whisper

in　Mme。　Vauquer's　ear。



Goriot　went　on　with　his　breakfast；　but　seemed　unconscious　of　what

he　was　doing。　He　had　never　looked　more　stupid　nor　more　taken　up

with　his　own　thoughts　than　he　did　at　that　moment。



〃Who　the　devil　could　have　told　you　her　name；　M。　Vautrin？〃　asked

Eugene。



〃Aha！　there　you　are！〃　answered　Vautrin。　〃Old　Father　Goriot　there

knew　it　quite　well！　and　why　should　I　not　know　it　too？〃



〃M。　Goriot？〃　the　student　cried。



〃What　is　it？〃　asked　the　old　man。　〃So　she　was　very　beautiful；　was

she；　yesterday　night？〃



〃Who？〃



〃Mme。　de　Restaud。〃



〃Look　at　the　old　wretch；〃　said　Mme。　Vauquer；　speaking　to　Vautrin；

〃how　his　eyes　light　up！〃



〃Then　does　he　really　keep　her？〃　said　Mlle。　Michonneau；　in　a

whisper　to　the　student。



〃Oh！　yes；　she　was　tremendously　pretty；〃　Eugene　answered。　Father

Goriot　watched　him　with　eager　eyes。　〃If　Mme。　de　Beauseant　had　not

been　there；　my　divine　countess　would　have　been　the　queen　of　the

ball；　none　of　the　younger　men　had　eyes　for　any　one　else。　I　was

the　twelfth　on　her　list；　and　she　danced　every　quadrille。　The

other　women　were　furious。　She　must　have　enjoyed　herself；　if　ever

creature　did！　It　is　a　true　saying　that　there　is　no　more　beautiful

sight　than　a　frigate　in　full　sail；　a　galloping　horse；　or　a　woman

dancing。〃



〃So　the　wheel　turns；〃　said　Vautrin；　〃yesterday　night　at　a

duchess'　ball；　this　morning　in　a　money…lender's　office；　on　the

lowest　rung　of　the　ladderjust　like　a　Parisienne！　If　their

husbands　cannot　afford　to　pay　for　their　frantic　extravagance；

they　will　sell　themselves。　Or　if　they　cannot　do　that；　they　will

tear　out　their　mothers'　hearts　to　find　something　to　pay　for　their

splendor。　They　will　turn　the　world　upside　down。　Just　a　Parisienne

through　and　through！〃



Father　Goriot's　face；　which　had　shone　at　the　student's　words　like

the　sun　on　a　bright　day；　clouded　over　all　at　once　at　this　cruel

speech　of　Vautrin's。



〃Well；〃　said　Mme。　Vauquer；　〃but　where　is　your　adventure？　Did　you

speak　to　her？　Did　you　ask　her　if　she　wanted　to　study　law？〃



〃She　did　not　see　me；〃　said　Eugene。　〃But　only　think　of　meeting　one

of　the　prettiest　women　in　Paris　in　the　Rue　des　Gres　at　nine

o'clock！　She　could　not　have　reached　home　after　the　ball　till　two

o'clock　this　morning。　Wasn't　it　queer？　There　is　no　place　like

Paris　for　this　sort　of　adventures。〃



〃Pshaw！　much　funnier　things　than　THAT　happen　here！〃　exclaimed

Vautrin。



Mlle。　Taillefer　had　scarcely　heeded　the　talk；　she　was　so　absorbed

by　the　thought　of　the　new　attempt　that　she　was　about　to　make。

Mme。　Couture　made　a　sign　that　it　was　time　to　go　upstairs　and

dress；　the　two　ladies　went　out；　and　Father　Goriot　followed　their

example。



〃Well；　did　you　see？〃　said　Mme。　Vauquer；　addressing　Vautrin　and

the　rest　of　the　circle。　〃He　is　ruining　himself　for　those　women；

tha