father goriot-第15章

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

de　Restaud。　He　bore　the　contemptuous　glances　of　the　servants；　who

had　seen　him　cross　the　court　on　foot；　with　the　cold　fury　of　a　man

who　knows　that　he　will　succeed　some　day。　He　understood　the

meaning　of　their　glances　at　once；　for　he　had　felt　his　inferiority

as　soon　as　he　entered　the　court；　where　a　smart　cab　was　waiting。

All　the　delights　of　life　in　Paris　seemed　to　be　implied　by　this

visible　and　manifest　sign　of　luxury　and　extravagance。　A　fine

horse；　in　magnificent　harness；　was　pawing　the　ground；　and　all　at

once　the　law　student　felt　out　of　humor　with　himself。　Every

compartment　in　his　brain　which　he　had　thought　to　find　so　full　of

wit　was　bolted　fast；　he　grew　positively　stupid。　He　sent　up　his

name　to　the　Countess；　and　waited　in　the　ante…chamber；　standing　on

one　foot　before　a　window　that　looked　out　upon　the　court；

mechanically　he　leaned　his　elbow　against　the　sash；　and　stared

before　him。　The　time　seemed　long；　he　would　have　left　the　house

but　for　the　southern　tenacity　of　purpose　which　works　miracles

when　it　is　single…minded。



〃Madame　is　in　her　boudoir；　and　cannot　see　any　one　at　present；

sir；〃　said　the　servant。　〃She　gave　me　no　answer；　but　if　you　will

go　into　the　dining…room；　there　is　some　one　already　there。〃



Rastignac　was　impressed　with　a　sense　of　the　formidable　power　of

the　lackey　who　can　accuse　or　condemn　his　masters　by　a　word；　he

coolly　opened　the　door　by　which　the　man　had　just　entered　the

ante…chamber；　meaning；　no　doubt；　to　show　these　insolent　flunkeys

that　he　was　familiar　with　the　house；　but　he　found　that　he　had

thoughtlessly　precipitated　himself　into　a　small　room　full　of

dressers；　where　lamps　were　standing；　and　hot…water　pipes；　on

which　towels　were　being　dried；　a　dark　passage　and　a　back

staircase　lay　beyond　it。　Stifled　laughter　from　the　ante…chamber

added　to　his　confusion。



〃This　way　to　the　drawing…room；　sir；〃　said　the　servant；　with　the

exaggerated　respect　which　seemed　to　be　one　more　jest　at　his

expense。



Eugene　turned　so　quickly　that　he　stumbled　against　a　bath。　By　good

luck；　he　managed　to　keep　his　hat　on　his　head；　and　saved　it　from

immersion　in　the　water；　but　just　as　he　turned；　a　door　opened　at

the　further　end　of　the　dark　passage；　dimly　lighted　by　a　small

lamp。　Rastignac　heard　voices　and　the　sound　of　a　kiss；　one　of　the

speakers　was　Mme。　de　Restaud；　the　other　was　Father　Goriot。　Eugene

followed　the　servant　through　the　dining…room　into　the　drawing…

room；　he　went　to　a　window　that　looked　out　into　the　courtyard；　and

stood　there　for　a　while。　He　meant　to　know　whether　this　Goriot　was

really　the　Goriot　that　he　knew。　His　heart　beat　unwontedly　fast；

he　remembered　Vautrin's　hideous　insinuations。　A　well…dressed

young　man　suddenly　emerged　from　the　room　almost　as　Eugene　entered

it；　saying　impatiently　to　the　servant　who　stood　at　the　door：　〃I

am　going；　Maurice。　Tell　Madame　la　Comtesse　that　I　waited　more

than　half　an　hour　for　her。〃



Whereupon　this　insolent　being；　who；　doubtless；　had　a　right　to　be

insolent；　sang　an　Italian　trill；　and　went　towards　the　window

where　Eugene　was　standing；　moved　thereto　quite　as　much　by　a

desire　to　see　the　student's　face　as　by　a　wish　to　look　out　into

the　courtyard。



〃But　M。　le　Comte　had　better　wait　a　moment　longer；　madame　is

disengaged；〃　said　Maurice；　as　he　returned　to　the　ante…chamber。



Just　at　that　moment　Father　Goriot　appeared　close　to　the　gate；　he

had　emerged　from　a　door　at　the　foot　of　the　back　staircase。　The

worthy　soul　was　preparing　to　open　his　umbrella　regardless　of　the

fact　that　the　great　gate　had　opened　to　admit　a　tilbury；　in　which

a　young　man　with　a　ribbon　at　his　button…hole　was　seated。　Father

Goriot　had　scarcely　time　to　start　back　and　save　himself。　The

horse　took　fright　at　the　umbrella；　swerved；　and　dashed　forward

towards　the　flight　of　steps。　The　young　man　looked　round　in

annoyance；　saw　Father　Goriot；　and　greeted　him　as　he　went　out　with

constrained　courtesy；　such　as　people　usually　show　to　a　money…

lender　so　long　as　they　require　his　services；　or　the　sort　of

respect　they　feel　it　necessary　to　show　for　some　one　whose

reputation　has　been　blown　upon；　so　that　they　blush　to　acknowledge

his　acquaintance。　Father　Goriot　gave　him　a　little　friendly　nod

and　a　good…natured　smile。　All　this　happened　with　lightning　speed。

Eugene　was　so　deeply　interested　that　he　forgot　that　he　was　not

alone　till　he　suddenly　heard　the　Countess'　voice。



〃Oh！　Maxime；　were　you　going　away？〃　she　said　reproachfully；　with　a

shade　of　pique　in　her　manner。　The　Countess　had　not　seen　the

incident　nor　the　entrance　of　the　tilbury。　Rastignac　turned

abruptly　and　saw　her　standing　before　him；　coquettishly　dressed　in

a　loose　white　cashmere　gown　with　knots　of　rose…colored　ribbon

here　and　there；　her　hair　was　carelessly　coiled　about　her　head；　as

is　the　wont　of　Parisian　women　in　the　morning；　there　was　a　soft

fragrance　about　herdoubtless　she　was　fresh　from　a　bath；her

graceful　form　seemed　more　flexible；　her　beauty　more　luxuriant。

Her　eyes　glistened。　A　young　man　can　see　everything　at　a　glance；

he　feels　the　radiant　influence　of　woman　as　a　plant　discerns　and

absorbs　its　nutriment　from　the　air；　he　did　not　need　to　touch　her

hands　to　feel　their　cool　freshness。　He　saw　faint　rose　tints

through　the　cashmere　of　the　dressing　gown；　it　had　fallen　slightly

open；　giving　glimpses　of　a　bare　throat；　on　which　the　student's

eyes　rested。　The　Countess　had　no　need　of　the　adventitious　aid　of

corsets；　her　girdle　defined　the　outlines　of　her　slender　waist；

her　throat　was　a　challenge　to　love；　her　feet；　thrust　into

slippers；　were　daintily　small。　As　Maxime　took　her　hand　and　kissed

it；　Eugene　became　aware　of　Maxime's　existence；　and　the　Countess

saw　Eugene。



〃Oh！　is　that　you　M。　de　Rastignac？　I　am　very　glad　to　see　you；〃　she

said；　but　there　was　something　in　her　manner　that　a　shrewd

observer　would　have　taken　as　a　hint　to　depart。



Maxime；　as　the　Countess　Anastasie　had　called　the　young　man　with

the　haughty　insolence　of　bearing；　looked　from　Eugene　to　the　lady；

and　from　the　lady　to　Eugene；　it　was　sufficiently　evident　that　he

wished　to　be　rid　of　the　latter。　An　exact　and　faithful　rendering

of　the　glance　might　be　given　in　the　words：　〃Look　here；　my　dear；　I

hope　you　intend　to　send　this　little　whipper…snapper　about　his

business。〃



The　Countess　consulted　the　young　man's　face　with　an　intent

submissiveness　that　betrays　all　the　secrets　of　a　woman's　heart；

and　Rastignac　all　at　once　began　to　hate　him　violently。　To　begin

with；　the　sight　of　the　fair　carefully　arranged　curls　on　the

other's　comely　head　had　convinced　him　that　his　own　crop　was

hideous；　Maxime's　boots；　moreover；　were　elegant　and　spotless；

while　his　own；　in　spite　of　all　his　care；　bore　some　traces　of　his

recent　walk；　and；　finally；　Maxime's　overcoat　fitted　the　outline

of　his　figure　gracefully；　he　looked　like　a　pretty　woman；　while

Eugene　was　wearing　a　black　coat　at　half…past　two。　The　quick…

witted　child　of　the　Charente　felt　the　disadvantage　at　which　he

was　placed　beside　this　tall；　slender　dandy；　with　the　clear　gaze

and　the　pale　face；　one　of　those　men　who　would　ruin　orphan

children　without　scruple。　Mme。　de　Restaud　fled　into　the　next　room

without　waiting　for　Eugene　to　speak；　shaking　out　the　skirts　of

her　dressing…gown　in　her　flight；　so　that　she　looked　like　a　white

butterfly；　and　Maxime　hurried　after　her。　Eugene；　in　a　fury；

followed　Maxime　and　the　Countess；　and　the　three　stood　once　more

face　to　face　by　the　hearth　in　the　large　drawing…room。　The　law

student　felt　quite　sure　that　the　odious　Maxime　found　him　in　the

way；　and　even　at　the　risk　of　displeasing　Mme。　de　Restaud；　he

meant　to　annoy　the　dandy。　It　had　struck　him　all　at　once　that　he

had　seen　the　young　man　before　at　Mme。　de　Beauseant's　ball；　he

guessed　the　relation　between　Maxime　and　Mme。　de　Restaud；　and　with

the　youthful　audacity　that　commits　prodigious　blunders　or

achieves　signal　success；　he　said　to　himself；　〃This　is　my　rival；　I

mean　to　cu