father goriot-第16章

按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！



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

mean　to　cut　him　out。〃



Rash　resolve！　He　did　not　know　that　M。　le　Comte　Maxime　de　Trailles

would　wait　till　he　was　insulted；　so　as　to　fire　first　and　kill　his

man。　Eugene　was　a　sportsman　and　a　good　shot；　but　he　had　not　yet

hit　the　bulls's　eye　twenty　times　out　of　twenty…two。　The　young

Count　dropped　into　a　low　chair　by　the　hearth；　took　up　the　tongs；

and　made　up　the　fire　so　violently　and　so　sulkily；　that

Anastasie's　fair　face　suddenly　clouded　over。　She　turned　to

Eugene；　with　a　cool；　questioning　glance　that　asked　plainly；　〃Why

do　you　not　go？〃　a　glance　which　well…bred　people　regard　as　a　cue

to　make　their　exit。



Eugene　assumed　an　amiable　expression。



〃Madame；〃　he　began；　〃I　hastened　to　call　upon　you〃



He　stopped　short。　The　door　opened；　and　the　owner　of　the　tilbury

suddenly　appeared。　He　had　left　his　hat　outside；　and　did　not　greet

the　Countess；　he　looked　meditatively　at　Rastignac；　and　held　out

his　hand　to　Maxime　with　a　cordial　〃Good　morning；〃　that　astonished

Eugene　not　a　little。　The　young　provincial　did　not　understand　the

amenities　of　a　triple　alliance。



〃M。　de　Restaud；〃　said　the　Countess；　introducing　her　husband　to

the　law　student。



Eugene　bowed　profoundly。



〃This　gentleman；〃　she　continued；　presenting　Eugene　to　her

husband；　〃is　M。　de　Rastignac；　he　is　related　to　Mme。　la　Vicomtesse

de　Beauseant　through　the　Marcillacs；　I　had　the　pleasure　of

meeting　him　at　her　last　ball。〃



Related　to　Mme。　la　Vicomtesse　de　Beauseant　through　the

Marcillacs！　These　words；　on　which　the　countess　threw　ever　so

slight　an　emphasis；　by　reason　of　the　pride　that　the　mistress　of　a

house　takes　in　showing　that　she　only　receives　people　of

distinction　as　visitors　in　her　house；　produced　a　magical　effect。

The　Count's　stiff　manner　relaxed　at　once　as　he　returned　the

student's　bow。



〃Delighted　to　have　an　opportunity　of　making　your　acquaintance；〃

he　said。



Maxime　de　Trailles　himself　gave　Eugene　an　uneasy　glance；　and

suddenly　dropped　his　insolent　manner。　The　mighty　name　had　all　the

power　of　a　fairy's　wand；　those　closed　compartments　in　the

southern　brain　flew　open　again；　Rastignac's　carefully　drilled

faculties　returned。　It　was　as　if　a　sudden　light　had　pierced　the

obscurity　of　this　upper　world　of　Paris；　and　he　began　to　see；

though　everything　was　indistinct　as　yet。　Mme。　Vauquer's　lodging…

house　and　Father　Goriot　were　very　far　remote　from　his　thoughts。



〃I　thought　that　the　Marcillacs　were　extinct；〃　the　Comte　de

Restaud　said；　addressing　Eugene。



〃Yes；　they　are　extinct；〃　answered　the　law　student。　〃My　great…

uncle；　the　Chevalier　de　Rastignac；　married　the　heiress　of　the

Marcillac　family。　They　had　only　one　daughter；　who　married　the

Marechal　de　Clarimbault；　Mme。　de　Beauseant's　grandfather　on　the

mother's　side。　We　are　the　younger　branch　of　the　family；　and　the

younger　branch　is　all　the　poorer　because　my　great…uncle；　the

Vice…Admiral；　lost　all　that　he　had　in　the　King's　service。　The

Government　during　the　Revolution　refused　to　admit　our　claims　when

the　Compagnie　des　Indes　was　liquidated。〃



〃Was　not　your　great…uncle　in　command　of　the　Vengeur　before　1789？〃



〃Yes。〃



〃Then　he　would　be　acquainted　with　my　grandfather；　who　commanded

the　Warwick。〃



Maxime　looked　at　Mme。　de　Restaud　and　shrugged　his　shoulders；　as

who　should　say；　〃If　he　is　going　to　discuss　nautical　matters　with

that　fellow；　it　is　all　over　with　us。〃　Anastasie　understood　the

glance　that　M。　de　Trailles　gave　her。　With　a　woman's　admirable

tact；　she　began　to　smile　and　said：



〃Come　with　me；　Maxime；　I　have　something　to　say　to　you。　We　will

leave　you　two　gentlemen　to　sail　in　company　on　board　the　Warwick

and　the　Vengeur。〃



She　rose　to　her　feet　and　signed　to　Maxime　to　follow　her；　mirth

and　mischief　in　her　whole　attitude；　and　the　two　went　in　the

direction　of　the　boudoir。　The　morganatic　couple　（to　use　a

convenient　German　expression　which　has　no　exact　equivalent）　had

reached　the　door；　when　the　Count　interrupted　himself　in　his　talk

with　Eugene。



〃Anastasie！〃　he　cried　pettishly；　〃just　stay　a　moment；　dear；　you

know　very　well　that〃



〃I　am　coming　back　in　a　minute；〃　she　interrupted；　〃I　have　a

commission　for　Maxime　to　execute；　and　I　want　to　tell　him　about

it。〃



She　came　back　almost　immediately。　She　had　noticed　the　inflection

in　her　husband's　voice；　and　knew　that　it　would　not　be　safe　to

retire　to　the　boudoir；　like　all　women　who　are　compelled　to　study

their　husbands'　characters　in　order　to　have　their　own　way；　and

whose　business　it　is　to　know　exactly　how　far　they　can　go　without

endangering　a　good　understanding；　she　was　very　careful　to　avoid

petty　collisions　in　domestic　life。　It　was　Eugene　who　had　brought

about　this　untoward　incident；　so　the　Countess　looked　at　Maxime

and　indicated　the　law　student　with　an　air　of　exasperation。　M。　de

Trailles　addressed　the　Count；　the　Countess；　and　Eugene　with　the

pointed　remark；　〃You　are　busy；　I　do　not　want　to　interrupt　you；

good…day；〃　and　he　went。



〃Just　wait　a　moment；　Maxime！〃　the　Count　called　after　him。



〃Come　and　dine　with　us；〃　said　the　Countess；　leaving　Eugene　and

her　husband　together　once　more。　She　followed　Maxime　into　the

little　drawing…room；　where　they　sat　together　sufficiently　long　to

feel　sure　that　Rastignac　had　taken　his　leave。



The　law　student　heard　their　laughter；　and　their　voices；　and　the

pauses　in　their　talk；　he　grew　malicious；　exerted　his

conversational　powers　for　M。　de　Restaud；　flattered　him；　and　drew

him　into　discussions；　to　the　end　that　he　might　see　the　Countess

again　and　discover　the　nature　of　her　relations　with　Father

Goriot。　This　Countess　with　a　husband　and　a　lover；　for　Maxime

clearly　was　her　lover；　was　a　mystery。　What　was　the　secret　tie

that　bound　her　to　the　old　tradesman？　This　mystery　he　meant　to

penetrate；　hoping　by　its　means　to　gain　a　sovereign　ascendency

over　this　fair　typical　Parisian。



〃Anastasie！〃　the　Count　called　again　to　his　wife。



〃Poor　Maxime！〃　she　said；　addressing　the　young　man。　〃Come；　we　must

resign　ourselves。　This　evening〃



〃I　hope；　Nasie；〃　he　said　in　her　ear；　〃that　you　will　give　orders

not　to　admit　that　youngster；　whose　eyes　light　up　like　live　coals

when　he　looks　at　you。　He　will　make　you　a　declaration；　and

compromise　you；　and　then　you　will　compel　me　to　kill　him。〃



〃Are　you　mad；　Maxime？〃　she　said。　〃A　young　lad　of　a　student　is；　on

the　contrary；　a　capital　lightning…conductor；　is　not　that　so？　Of

course；　I　mean　to　make　Restaud　furiously　jealous　of　him。〃



Maxime　burst　out　laughing；　and　went　out；　followed　by　the

Countess；　who　stood　at　the　window　to　watch　him　into　his　carriage；

he　shook　his　whip；　and　made　his　horse　prance。　She　only　returned

when　the　great　gate　had　been　closed　after　him。



〃What　do　you　think；　dear？〃　cried　the　Count；　her　husband；　〃this

gentleman's　family　estate　is　not　far　from　Verteuil；　on　the

Charente；　his　great…uncle　and　my　grandfather　were　acquainted。〃



〃Delighted　to　find　that　we　have　acquaintances　in　common；〃　said

the　Countess；　with　a　preoccupied　manner。



〃More　than　you　think；〃　said　Eugene；　in　a　low　voice。



〃What　do　you　mean？〃　she　asked　quickly。



〃Why；　only　just　now；〃　said　the　student；　〃I　saw　a　gentleman　go　out

at　the　gate；　Father　Goriot；　my　next　door　neighbor　in　the　house

where　I　am　lodging。〃



At　the　sound　of　this　name；　and　the　prefix　that　embellished　it；

the　Count；　who　was　stirring　the　fire；　let　the　tongs　fall　as

though　they　had　burned　his　fingers；　and　rose　to　his　feet。



〃Sir；〃　he　cried；　〃you　might　have　called　him　'Monsieur　Goriot'！〃



The　Countess　turned　pale　at　first　at　the　sight　of　her　husband's

vexation；　then　she　reddened；　clearly　she　was　embarrassed；　her

answer　was　made　in　a　tone　that　she　tried　to　make　natural；　and

with　an　air　of　assumed　carelessness：



〃You　could　not　know　any　one　who　is　dearer　to　us　both　。　。　。〃



She　broke　off；　glanced　at　the　piano　as　if　some　fancy　had　crossed

her　mind；　and　asked；　〃Are