father goriot-第23章

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

letters。



What　power　there　must　be　in　the　petitions　put　up　by　such　hearts；

how　pure　the　fervor　that　bears　their　souls　to　Heaven　in　prayer！

What　exquisite　joy　they　would　find　in　self…sacrifice！　What　a　pang

for　his　mother's　heart　if　she　could　not　send　him　all　that　he

asked　for！　And　this　noble　affection；　these　sacrifices　made　at

such　terrible　cost；　were　to　serve　as　the　ladder　by　which　he　meant

to　climb　to　Delphine　de　Nucingen。　A　few　tears；　like　the　last

grains　of　incense　flung　upon　the　sacred　alter　fire　of　the　hearth；

fell　from　his　eyes。　He　walked　up　and　down；　and　despair　mingled

with　his　emotion。　Father　Goriot　saw　him　through　the　half…open

door。



〃What　is　the　matter；　sir？〃　he　asked　from　the　threshold。



〃Ah！　my　good　neighbor；　I　am　as　much　a　son　and　brother　as　you　are

a　father。　You　do　well　to　fear　for　the　Comtesse　Anastasie；　there

is　one　M。　Maxime　de　Trailles；　who　will　be　her　ruin。〃



Father　Goriot　withdrew；　stammering　some　words；　but　Eugene　failed

to　catch　their　meaning。



The　next　morning　Rastignac　went　out　to　post　his　letters。　Up　to

the　last　moment　he　wavered　and　doubted；　but　he　ended　by　flinging

them　into　the　box。　〃I　shall　succeed！〃　he　said　to　himself。　So　says

the　gambler；　so　says　the　great　captain；　but　the　three　words　that

have　been　the　salvation　of　some　few；　have　been　the　ruin　of　many

more。



A　few　days　after　this　Eugene　called　at　Mme。　de　Restaud's　house；

she　was　not　at　home。　Three　times　he　tried　the　experiment；　and

three　times　he　found　her　doors　closed　against　him；　though　he　was

careful　to　choose　an　hour　when　M。　de　Trailles　was　not　there。　The

Vicomtesse　was　right。



The　student　studied　no　longer。　He　put　in　an　appearance　at

lectures　simply　to　answer　to　his　name；　and　after　thus　attesting

his　presence；　departed　forthwith。　He　had　been　through　a　reasoning

process　familiar　to　most　students。　He　had　seen　the　advisability

of　deferring　his　studies　to　the　last　moment　before　going　up　for

his　examinations；　he　made　up　his　mind　to　cram　his　second　and

third　years'　work　into　the　third　year；　when　he　meant　to　begin　to

work　in　earnest；　and　to　complete　his　studies　in　law　with　one

great　effort。　In　the　meantime　he　had　fifteen　months　in　which　to

navigate　the　ocean　of　Paris；　to　spread　the　nets　and　set　the　lines

that　would　bring　him　a　protectress　and　a　fortune。　Twice　during

that　week　he　saw　Mme。　de　Beauseant；　he　did　not　go　to　her　house

until　he　had　seen　the　Marquis　d'Ajuda　drive　away。



Victory　for　yet　a　few　more　days　was　with　the　great　lady；　the　most

poetic　figure　in　the　Faubourg　Saint…Germain；　and　the　marriage　of

the　Marquis　d'Ajuda…Pinto　with　Mlle。　de　Rochefide　was　postponed。

The　dread　of　losing　her　happiness　filled　those　days　with　a　fever

of　joy　unknown　before；　but　the　end　was　only　so　much　the　nearer。

The　Marquis　d'Ajuda　and　the　Rochefides　agreed　that　this　quarrel

and　reconciliation　was　a　very　fortunate　thing；　Mme。　de　Beauseant

（so　they　hoped）　would　gradually　become　reconciled　to　the　idea　of

the　marriage；　and　in　the　end　would　be　brought　to　sacrifice

d'Ajuda's　morning　visits　to　the　exigencies　of　a　man's　career；

exigencies　which　she　must　have　foreseen。　In　spite　of　the　most

solemn　promises；　daily　renewed；　M。　d'Ajuda　was　playing　a　part；

and　the　Vicomtesse　was　eager　to　be　deceived。　〃Instead　of　taking　a

leap　heroically　from　the　window；　she　is　falling　headlong　down　the

staircase；〃　said　her　most　intimate　friend；　the　Duchesse　de

Langeais。　Yet　this　after…glow　of　happiness　lasted　long　enough　for

the　Vicomtesse　to　be　of　service　to　her　young　cousin。　She　had　a

half…superstitious　affection　for　him。　Eugene　had　shown　her

sympathy　and　devotion　at　a　crisis　when　a　woman　sees　no　pity；　no

real　comfort　in　any　eyes；　when　if　a　man　is　ready　with　soothing

flatteries；　it　is　because　he　has　an　interested　motive。



Rastignac　made　up　his　mind　that　he　must　learn　the　whole　of

Goriot's　previous　history；　he　would　come　to　his　bearings　before

attempting　to　board　the　Maison　de　Nucingen。　The　results　of　his

inquiries　may　be　given　briefly　as　follows：



In　the　days　before　the　Revolution；　Jean…Joachim　Goriot　was　simply

a　workman　in　the　employ　of　a　vermicelli　maker。　He　was　a　skilful；

thrifty　workman；　sufficiently　enterprising　to　buy　his　master's

business　when　the　latter　fell　a　chance　victim　to　the　disturbances

of　1789。　Goriot　established　himself　in　the　Rue　de　la　Jussienne；

close　to　the　Corn　Exchange。　His　plain　good　sense　led　him　to

accept　the　position　of　President　of　the　Section；　so　as　to　secure

for　his　business　the　protection　of　those　in　power　at　that

dangerous　epoch。　This　prudent　step　had　led　to　success；　the

foundations　of　his　fortune　were　laid　in　the　time　of　the　Scarcity

（real　or　artificial）；　when　the　price　of　grain　of　all　kinds　rose

enormously　in　Paris。　People　used　to　fight　for　bread　at　the

bakers'　doors；　while　other　persons　went　to　the　grocers'　shops　and

bought　Italian　paste　foods　without　brawling　over　it。　It　was

during　this　year　that　Goriot　made　the　money；　which；　at　a　later

time；　was　to　give　him　all　the　advantage　of　the　great　capitalist

over　the　small　buyer；　he　had；　moreover；　the　usual　luck　of　average

ability；　his　mediocrity　was　the　salvation　of　him。　He　excited　no

one's　envy；　it　was　not　even　suspected　that　he　was　rich　till　the

peril　of　being　rich　was　over；　and　all　his　intelligence　was

concentrated；　not　on　political；　but　on　commercial　speculations。

Goriot　was　an　authority　second　to　none　on　all　questions　relating

to　corn；　flour；　and　〃middlings〃；　and　the　production；　storage；　and

quality　of　grain。　He　could　estimate　the　yield　of　the　harvest；　and

foresee　market　prices；　he　bought　his　cereals　in　Sicily；　and

imported　Russian　wheat。　Any　one　who　had　heard　him　hold　forth　on

the　regulations　that　control　the　importation　and　exportation　of

grain；　who　had　seen　his　grasp　of　the　subject；　his　clear　insight

into　the　principles　involved；　his　appreciation　of　weak　points　in

the　way　that　the　system　worked；　would　have　thought　that　here　was

the　stuff　of　which　a　minister　is　made。　Patient；　active；　and

persevering；　energetic　and　prompt　in　action；　he　surveyed　his

business　horizon　with　an　eagle　eye。　Nothing　there　took　him　by

surprise；　he　foresaw　all　things；　knew　all　that　was　happening；　and

kept　his　own　counsel；　he　was　a　diplomatist　in　his　quick

comprehension　of　a　situation；　and　in　the　routine　of　business　he

was　as　patient　and　plodding　as　a　soldier　on　the　march。　But　beyond

this　business　horizon　he　could　not　see。　He　used　to　spend　his

hours　of　leisure　on　the　threshold　of　his　shop；　leaning　against

the　framework　of　the　door。　Take　him　from　his　dark　little

counting…house；　and　he　became　once　more　the　rough；　slow…witted

workman；　a　man　who　cannot　understand　a　piece　of　reasoning；　who　is

indifferent　to　all　intellectual　pleasures；　and　falls　asleep　at

the　play；　a　Parisian　Dolibom　in　short；　against　whose　stupidity

other　minds　are　powerless。



Natures　of　this　kind　are　nearly　all　alike；　in　almost　all　of　them

you　will　find　some　hidden　depth　of　sublime　affection。　Two　all…

absorbing　affections　filled　the　vermicelli　maker's　heart　to　the

exclusion　of　every　other　feeling；　into　them　he　seemed　to　put　all

the　forces　of　his　nature；　as　he　put　the　whole　power　of　his　brain

into　the　corn　trade。　He　had　regarded　his　wife；　the　only　daughter

of　a　rich　farmer　of　La　Brie；　with　a　devout　admiration；　his　love

for　her　had　been　boundless。　Goriot　had　felt　the　charm　of　a　lovely

and　sensitive　nature；　which；　in　its　delicate　strength；　was　the

very　opposite　of　his　own。　Is　there　any　instinct　more　deeply

implanted　in　the　heart　of　man　than　the　pride　of　protection；　a

protection　which　is　constantly　exerted　for　a　fragile　and

defenceless　creature？　Join　love　thereto；　the　warmth　of　gratitude

that　all　generous　souls　feel　for　the　source　of　their　pleasures；

and　you　have　the　explanation　of　many　strange　incongruities　in

human　nature。



After　seven　years　of　unclouded　happiness；　Goriot　lost　his　wife。

It　was　very　unfo