father goriot-第14章

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of　burlesque　at　some　theatre；　and　forgotten　in　a　month。　Anything

and　everything　serves　to　keep　up　a　game　of　battledore　and

shuttlecock　with　words　and　ideas。　The　diorama；　a　recent

invention；　which　carried　an　optical　illusion　a　degree　further

than　panoramas；　had　given　rise　to　a　mania　among　art　students　for

ending　every　word　with　RAMA。　The　Maison　Vauquer　had　caught　the

infection　from　a　young　artist　among　the　boarders。



〃Well；　Monsieur…r…r　Poiret；〃　said　the　employe　from　the　Museum；

〃how　is　your　health…orama？〃　Then；　without　waiting　for　an　answer；

he　turned　to　Mme。　Couture　and　Victorine　with　a　〃Ladies；　you　seem

melancholy。〃



〃Is　dinner　ready？〃　cried　Horace　Bianchon；　a　medical　student；　and

a　friend　of　Rastignac's；　〃my　stomach　is　sinking　usque　ad

talones。〃



〃There　is　an　uncommon　frozerama　outside；〃　said　Vautrin。　〃Make

room　there；　Father　Goriot！　Confound　it；　your　foot　covers　the

whole　front　of　the　stove。〃



〃Illustrious　M。　Vautrin；〃　put　in　Bianchon；　〃why　do　you　say

frozerama？　It　is　incorrect；　it　should　be　frozenrama。〃



〃No；　it　shouldn't；〃　said　the　official　from　the　Museum；　〃frozerama

is　right　by　the　same　rule　that　you　say　'My　feet　are　froze。'　〃



〃Ah！　ah！〃



〃Here　is　his　Excellency　the　Marquis　de　Rastignac；　Doctor　of　the

Law　of　Contraries；〃　cried　Bianchon；　seizing　Eugene　by　the　throat；

and　almost　throttling　him。



〃Hallo　there！　hallo！〃



Mlle。　Michonneau　came　noiselessly　in；　bowed　to　the　rest　of　the

party；　and　took　her　place　beside　the　three　women　without　saying　a

word。



〃That　old　bat　always　makes　me　shudder；〃　said　Bianchon　in　a　low

voice；　indicating　Mlle。　Michonneau　to　Vautrin。　〃I　have　studied

Gall's　system；　and　I　am　sure　she　has　the　bump　of　Judas。〃



〃Then　you　have　seen　a　case　before？〃　said　Vautrin。



〃Who　has　not？〃　answered　Bianchon。　〃Upon　my　word；　that　ghastly　old

maid　looks　just　like　one　of　the　long　worms　that　will　gnaw　a　beam

through；　give　them　time　enough。〃



〃That　is　the　way；　young　man；〃　returned　he　of　the　forty　years　and

the　dyed　whiskers：



　　〃The　rose　has　lived　the　life　of　a　rose

　　A　morning's　space。〃



〃Aha！　here　is　a　magnificent　soupe…au…rama；〃　cried　Poiret　as

Christophe　came　in　bearing　the　soup　with　cautious　heed。



〃I　beg　your　pardon；　sir；〃　said　Mme。　Vauquer；　〃it　is　soupe　aux

choux。〃



All　the　young　men　roared　with　laughter。



〃Had　you　there；　Poiret！〃



〃Poir…r…r…rette！　she　had　you　there！〃



〃Score　two　points　to　Mamma　Vauquer；〃　said　Vautrin。



〃Did　any　of　you　notice　the　fog　this　morning？〃　asked　the　official。



〃It　was　a　frantic　fog；〃　said　Bianchon；　〃a　fog　unparalleled；

doleful；　melancholy；　sea…green；　asthmaticala　Goriot　of　a　fog！〃



〃A　Goriorama；〃　said　the　art　student；　〃because　you　couldn't　see　a

thing　in　it。〃



〃Hey！　Milord　Gaoriotte；　they　air　talking　about　yoo…o…ou！〃



Father　Goriot；　seated　at　the　lower　end　of　the　table；　close　to　the

door　through　which　the　servant　entered；　raised　his　face；　he　had

smelt　at　a　scrap　of　bread　that　lay　under　his　table　napkin；　an　old

trick　acquired　in　his　commercial　capacity；　that　still　showed

itself　at　times。



〃Well；〃　Madame　Vauquer　cried　in　sharp　tones；　that　rang　above　the

rattle　of　spoons　and　plates　and　the　sound　of　other　voices；　〃and

is　there　anything　the　matter　with　the　bread？〃



〃Nothing　whatever；　madame；〃　he　answered；　〃on　the　contrary；　it　is

made　of　the　best　quality　of　corn；　flour　from　Etampes。〃



〃How　could　you　tell？〃　asked　Eugene。



〃By　the　color；　by　the　flavor。〃



〃You　knew　the　flavor　by　the　smell；　I　suppose；〃　said　Mme。　Vauquer。

〃You　have　grown　so　economical；　you　will　find　out　how　to　live　on

the　smell　of　cooking　at　last。〃



〃Take　out　a　patent　for　it；　then；〃　cried　the　Museum　official；　〃you

would　make　a　handsome　fortune。〃



〃Never　mind　him；〃　said　the　artist；　〃he　does　that　sort　of　thing　to

delude　us　into　thinking　that　he　was　a　vermicelli　maker。〃



〃Your　nose　is　a　corn…sampler；　it　appears？〃　inquired　the　official。



〃Corn　WHAT？〃　asked　Bianchon。



〃Corn…el。〃



〃Corn…et。〃



〃Corn…elian。〃



〃Corn…ice。〃



〃Corn…ucopia。〃



〃Corn…crake。〃



〃Corn…cockle。〃



〃Corn…orama。〃



The　eight　responses　came　like　a　rolling　fire　from　every　part　of

the　room；　and　the　laughter　that　followed　was　the　more　uproarious

because　poor　Father　Goriot　stared　at　the　others　with　a　puzzled

look；　like　a　foreigner　trying　to　catch　the　meaning　of　words　in　a

language　which　he　does　not　understand。



〃Corn？　。　。　。〃　he　said；　turning　to　Vautrin；　his　next　neighbor。



〃Corn　on　your　foot；　old　man！〃　said　Vautrin；　and　he　drove　Father

Goriot's　cap　down　over　his　eyes　by　a　blow　on　the　crown。



The　poor　old　man　thus　suddenly　attacked　was　for　a　moment　too

bewildered　to　do　anything。　Christophe　carried　off　his　plate；

thinking　that　he　had　finished　his　soup；　so　that　when　Goriot　had

pushed　back　his　cap　from　his　eyes　his　spoon　encountered　the

table。　Every　one　burst　out　laughing。　〃You　are　a　disagreeable

joker；　sir；〃　said　the　old　man；　〃and　if　you　take　any　further

liberties　with　me〃



〃Well；　what　then；　old　boy？〃　Vautrin　interrupted。



〃Well；　then；　you　shall　pay　dearly　for　it　some　day〃



〃Down　below；　eh？〃　said　the　artist；　〃in　the　little　dark　corner

where　they　put　naughty　boys。〃



〃Well；　mademoiselle；〃　Vautrin　said；　turning　to　Victorine；　〃you

are　eating　nothing。　So　papa　was　refractory；　was　he？〃



〃A　monster！〃　said　Mme。　Couture。



〃Mademoiselle　might　make　application　for　aliment　pending　her

suit；　she　is　not　eating　anything。　Eh！　eh！　just　see　how　Father

Goriot　is　staring　at　Mlle。　Victorine。〃



The　old　man　had　forgotten　his　dinner；　he　was　so　absorbed　in

gazing　at　the　poor　girl；　the　sorrow　in　her　face　was

unmistakable；the　slighted　love　of　a　child　whose　father　would

not　recognize　her。



〃We　are　mistaken　about　Father　Goriot；　my　dear　boy；〃　said　Eugene

in　a　low　voice。　〃He　is　not　an　idiot；　nor　wanting　in　energy。　Try

your　Gall　system　on　him；　and　let　me　know　what　you　think。　I　saw

him　crush　a　silver　dish　last　night　as　if　it　had　been　made　of　wax；

there　seems　to　be　something　extra…ordinary　going　on　in　his　mind

just　now；　to　judge　by　his　face。　His　life　is　so　mysterious　that　it

must　be　worth　studying。　Oh！　you　may　laugh；　Bianchon；　I　am　not

joking。〃



〃The　man　is　a　subject；　is　he？〃　said　Bianchon；　〃all　right！　I　will

dissect　him；　if　he　will　give　me　the　chance。〃



〃No；　feel　his　bumps。〃



〃Hm！his　stupidity　might　perhaps　be　contagious。〃







The　next　day　Rastignac　dressed　himself　very　elegantly；　and　about

three　o'clock　in　the　afternoon　went　to　call　on　Mme。　de　Restaud。

On　the　way　thither　he　indulged　in　the　wild　intoxicating　dreams

which　fill　a　young　head　so　full　of　delicious　excitement。　Young

men　at　his　age　take　no　account　of　obstacles　nor　of　dangers；　they

see　success　in　every　direction；　imagination　has　free　play；　and

turns　their　lives　into　a　romance；　they　are　saddened　or

discouraged　by　the　collapse　of　one　of　the　visionary　schemes　that

have　no　existence　save　in　their　heated　fancy。　If　youth　were　not

ignorant　and　timid；　civilization　would　be　impossible。



Eugene　took　unheard…of　pains　to　keep　himself　in　a　spotless

condition；　but　on　his　way　through　the　streets　he　began　to　think

about　Mme。　de　Restaud　and　what　he　should　say　to　her。　He　equipped

himself　with　wit；　rehearsed　repartees　in　the　course　of　an

imaginary　conversation；　and　prepared　certain　neat　speeches　a　la

Talleyrand；　conjuring　up　a　series　of　small　events　which　should

prepare　the　way　for　the　declaration　on　which　he　had　based　his

future；　and　during　these　musings　the　law　student　was　bespattered

with　mud；　and　by　the　time　he　reached　the　Palais　Royal　he　was

obliged　to　have　his　boots　blacked　and　his　trousers　brushed。



〃If　I　were　rich；〃　he　said；　as　he　changed　the　five…franc　piece　he

had　brought　with　him　in　case　anything　might　happen；　〃I　would　take

a　cab；　then　I　could　think　at　my　ease。〃



At　last　he　reached　the　Rue　du　Helder；　and　asked　for　the　Comtesse

de　Restaud。　He　bore　t