father goriot-第22章

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Arrived　in　the　Rue　Neuve…Sainte…Genevieve；　he　rushed　up　to　his

room　for　ten　francs　wherewith　to　satisfy　the　demands　of　the

cabman；　and　went　in　to　dinner。　He　glanced　round　the　squalid　room；

saw　the　eighteen　poverty…stricken　creatures　about　to　feed　like

cattle　in　their　stalls；　and　the　sight　filled　him　with　loathing。

The　transition　was　too　sudden；　and　the　contrast　was　so　violent

that　it　could　not　but　act　as　a　powerful　stimulant；　his　ambition

developed　and　grew　beyond　all　social　bounds。　On　the　one　hand；　he

beheld　a　vision　of　social　life　in　its　most　charming　and　refined

forms；　of　quick…pulsed　youth；　of　fair；　impassioned　faces　invested

with　all　the　charm　of　poetry；　framed　in　a　marvelous　setting　of

luxury　or　art；　and；　on　the　other　hand；　he　saw　a　sombre　picture；

the　miry　verge　beyond　these　faces；　in　which　passion　was　extinct

and　nothing　was　left　of　the　drama　but　the　cords　and　pulleys　and

bare　mechanism。　Mme。　de　Beauseant's　counsels；　the　words　uttered

in　anger　by　the　forsaken　lady；　her　petulant　offer；　came　to　his

mind；　and　poverty　was　a　ready　expositor。　Rastignac　determined　to

open　two　parallel　trenches　so　as　to　insure　success；　he　would　be　a

learned　doctor　of　law　and　a　man　of　fashion。　Clearly　he　was　still

a　child！　Those　two　lines　are　asymptotes；　and　will　never　meet。



〃You　are　very　dull；　my　lord　Marquis；〃　said　Vautrin；　with　one　of

the　shrewd　glances　that　seem　to　read　the　innermost　secrets　of

another　mind。



〃I　am　not　in　the　humor　to　stand　jokes　from　people　who　call　me　'my

lord　Marquis；'　〃　answered　Eugene。　〃A　marquis　here　in　Paris；　if　he

is　not　the　veriest　sham；　ought　to　have　a　hundred　thousand　livres

a　year　at　least；　and　a　lodger　in　the　Maison　Vauquer　is　not

exactly　Fortune's　favorite。〃



Vautrin's　glance　at　Rastignac　was　half…paternal；　half…

contemptuous。　〃Puppy！〃　it　seemed　to　say；　〃I　should　make　one

mouthful　of　him！〃　Then　he　answered：



〃You　are　in　a　bad　humor；　perhaps　your　visit　to　the　beautiful

Comtesse　de　Restaud　was　not　a　success。〃



〃She　has　shut　her　door　against　me　because　I　told　her　that　her

father　dined　at　our　table；〃　cried　Rastignac。



Glances　were　exchanged　all　round　the　room；　Father　Goriot　looked

down。



〃You　have　sent　some　snuff　into　my　eye；〃　he　said　to　his　neighbor；

turning　a　little　aside　to　rub　his　hand　over　his　face。



〃Any　one　who　molests　Father　Goriot　will　have　henceforward　to

reckon　with　me；〃　said　Eugene；　looking　at　the　old　man's　neighbor；

〃he　is　worth　all　the　rest　of　us　put　together。I　am　not　speaking

of　the　ladies；〃　he　added；　turning　in　the　direction　of　Mlle。

Taillefer。



Eugene's　remarks　produced　a　sensation；　and　his　tone　silenced　the

dinner…table。　Vautrin　alone　spoke。　〃If　you　are　going　to　champion

Father　Goriot；　and　set　up　for　his　responsible　editor　into　the

bargain；　you　had　need　be　a　crack　shot　and　know　how　to　handle　the

foils；〃　he　said；　banteringly。



〃So　I　intend；〃　said　Eugene。



〃Then　you　are　taking　the　field　today？〃



〃Perhaps；〃　Rastignac　answered。　〃But　I　owe　no　account　of　myself　to

any　one；　especially　as　I　do　not　try　to　find　out　what　other　people

do　of　a　night。〃



Vautrin　looked　askance　at　Rastignac。



〃If　you　do　not　mean　to　be　deceived　by　the　puppets；　my　boy；　you

must　go　behind　and　see　the　whole　show；　and　not　peep　through　holes

in　the　curtain。　That　is　enough；〃　he　added；　seeing　that　Eugene　was

about　to　fly　into　a　passion。　〃We　can　have　a　little　talk　whenever

you　like。〃



There　was　a　general　feeling　of　gloom　and　constraint。　Father

Goriot　was　so　deeply　dejected　by　the　student's　remark　that　he　did

not　notice　the　change　in　the　disposition　of　his　fellow…lodgers；

nor　know　that　he　had　met　with　a　champion　capable　of　putting　an

end　to　the　persecution。



〃Then；　M。　Goriot　sitting　there　is　the　father　of　a　countess；〃　said

Mme。　Vauquer　in　a　low　voice。



〃And　of　a　baroness；〃　answered　Rastignac。



〃That　is　about　all　he　is　capable　of；〃　said　Bianchon　to　Rastignac；

〃I　have　taken　a　look　at　his　head；　there　is　only　one　bumpthe

bump　of　Paternity；　he　must　be　an　ETERNAL　FATHER。〃



Eugene　was　too　intent　on　his　thoughts　to　laugh　at　Bianchon's

joke。　He　determined　to　profit　by　Mme。　de　Beauseant's　counsels；

and　was　asking　himself　how　he　could　obtain　the　necessary　money。

He　grew　grave。　The　wide　savannas　of　the　world　stretched　before

his　eyes；　all　things　lay　before　him；　nothing　was　his。　Dinner　came

to　an　end；　the　others　went；　and　he　was　left　in　the　dining…room。



〃So　you　have　seen　my　daughter？〃　Goriot　spoke　tremulously；　and　the

sound　of　his　voice　broke　in　upon　Eugene's　dreams。　The　young　man

took　the　elder's　hand；　and　looked　at　him　with　something　like

kindness　in　his　eyes。



〃You　are　a　good　and　noble　man；〃　he　said。　〃We　will　have　some　talk

about　your　daughters　by　and　by。〃



He　rose　without　waiting　for　Goriot's　answer；　and　went　to　his

room。　There　he　wrote　the　following　letter　to　his　mother：



〃My　Dear　Mother；Can　you　nourish　your　child　from　your　breast

again？　I　am　in　a　position　to　make　a　rapid　fortune；　but　I　want

twelve　hundred　francsI　must　have　them　at　all　costs。　Say　nothing

about　this　to　my　father；　perhaps　he　might　make　objections；　and

unless　I　have　the　money；　I　may　be　led　to　put　an　end　to　myself；

and　so　escape　the　clutches　of　despair。　I　will　tell　you　everything

when　I　see　you。　I　will　not　begin　to　try　to　describe　my　present

situation；　it　would　take　volumes　to　put　the　whole　story　clearly

and　fully。　I　have　not　been　gambling；　my　kind　mother；　I　owe　no　one

a　penny；　but　if　you　would　preserve　the　life　that　you　gave　me；　you

must　send　me　the　sum　I　mention。　As　a　matter　of　fact；　I　go　to　see

the　Vicomtesse　de　Beauseant；　she　is　using　her　influence　for　me；　I

am　obliged　to　go　into　society；　and　I　have　not　a　penny　to　lay　out

on　clean　gloves。　I　can　manage　to　exist　on　bread　and　water；　or　go

without　food；　if　need　be；　but　I　cannot　do　without　the　tools　with

which　they　cultivate　the　vineyards　in　this　country。　I　must

resolutely　make　up　my　mind　at　once　to　make　my　way；　or　stick　in

the　mire　for　the　rest　of　my　days。　I　know　that　all　your　hopes　are

set　on　me；　and　I　want　to　realize　them　quickly。　Sell　some　of　your

old　jewelry；　my　kind　mother；　I　will　give　you　other　jewels　very

soon。　I　know　enough　of　our　affairs　at　home　to　know　all　that　such

a　sacrifice　means；　and　you　must　not　think　that　I　would　lightly

ask　you　to　make　it；　I　should　be　a　monster　if　I　could。　You　must

think　of　my　entreaty　as　a　cry　forced　from　me　by　imperative

necessity。　Our　whole　future　lies　in　the　subsidy　with　which　I　must

begin　my　first　campaign；　for　life　in　Paris　is　one　continual

battle。　If　you　cannot　otherwise　procure　the　whole　of　the　money；

and　are　forced　to　sell　our　aunt's　lace；　tell　her　that　I　will　send

her　some　still　handsomer；〃　and　so　forth。



He　wrote　to　ask　each　of　his　sisters　for　their　savingswould　they

despoil　themselves　for　him；　and　keep　the　sacrifice　a　secret　from

the　family？　To　his　request　he　knew　that　they　would　not　fail　to

respond　gladly；　and　he　added　to　it　an　appeal　to　their　delicacy　by

touching　the　chord　of　honor　that　vibrates　so　loudly　in　young　and

high…strung　natures。



Yet　when　he　had　written　the　letters；　he　could　not　help　feeling

misgivings　in　spite　of　his　youthful　ambition；　his　heart　beat

fast；　and　he　trembled。　He　knew　the　spotless　nobleness　of　the

lives　buried　away　in　the　lonely　manor　house；　he　knew　what　trouble

and　what　joy　his　request　would　cause　his　sisters；　and　how　happy

they　would　be　as　they　talked　at　the　bottom　of　the　orchard　of　that

dear　brother　of　theirs　in　Paris。　Visions　rose　before　his　eyes；　a

sudden　strong　light　revealed　his　sisters　secretly　counting　over

their　little　store；　devising　some　girlish　stratagem　by　which　the

money　could　be　sent　to　him　incognito；　essaying；　for　the　first

time　in　their　lives；　a　piece　of　deceit　that　reached　the　sublime

in　its　unselfishness。



〃A　sister's　heart　is　a　diamond　for　purity；　a　deep　sea　of

tenderness！〃　he　said　to　himself。　He　felt　ashamed　of　those

letters。



What　power　there　must　be　in　t