father goriot-第4章

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What　had　he　been？　Well；　perhaps　he　had　been　part　of　the　machinery

of　justice；　a　clerk　in　the　office　to　which　the　executioner　sends

in　his　accounts；so　much　for　providing　black　veils　for

parricides；　so　much　for　sawdust；　so　much　for　pulleys　and　cord　for

the　knife。　Or　he　might　have　been　a　receiver　at　the　door　of　a

public　slaughter…house；　or　a　sub…inspector　of　nuisances。　Indeed；

the　man　appeared　to　have　been　one　of　the　beasts　of　burden　in　our

great　social　mill；　one　of　those　Parisian　Ratons　whom　their

Bertrands　do　not　even　know　by　sight；　a　pivot　in　the　obscure

machinery　that　disposes　of　misery　and　things　unclean；　one　of

those　men；　in　short；　at　sight　of　whom　we　are　prompted　to　remark

that；　〃After　all；　we　cannot　do　without　them。〃



Stately　Paris　ignores　the　existence　of　these　faces　bleached　by

moral　or　physical　suffering；　but；　then；　Paris　is　in　truth　an

ocean　that　no　line　can　plumb。　You　may　survey　its　surface　and

describe　it；　but　no　matter　how　numerous　and　painstaking　the

toilers　in　this　sea；　there　will　always　be　lonely　and　unexplored

regions　in　its　depths；　caverns　unknown；　flowers　and　pearls　and

monsters　of　the　deep　overlooked　or　forgotten　by　the　divers　of

literature。　The　Maison　Vauquer　is　one　of　these　curious

monstrosities。



Two；　however；　of　Mme。　Vauquer's　boarders　formed　a　striking

contrast　to　the　rest。　There　was　a　sickly　pallor；　such　as　is　often

seen　in　anaemic　girls；　in　Mlle。　Victorine　Taillefer's　face；　and

her　unvarying　expression　of　sadness；　like　her　embarrassed　manner

and　pinched　look；　was　in　keeping　with　the　general　wretchedness　of

the　establishment　in　the　Rue　Nueve…Saint…Genevieve；　which　forms　a

background　to　this　picture；　but　her　face　was　young；　there　was

youthfulness　in　her　voice　and　elasticity　in　her　movements。　This

young　misfortune　was　not　unlike　a　shrub；　newly　planted　in　an

uncongenial　soil；　where　its　leaves　have　already　begun　to　wither。

The　outlines　of　her　figure；　revealed　by　her　dress　of　the　simplest

and　cheapest　materials；　were　also　youthful。　There　was　the　same

kind　of　charm　about　her　too　slender　form；　her　faintly　colored

face　and　light…brown　hair；　that　modern　poets　find　in　mediaeval

statuettes；　and　a　sweet　expression；　a　look　of　Christian

resignation　in　the　dark　gray　eyes。　She　was　pretty　by　force　of

contrast；　if　she　had　been　happy；　she　would　have　been　charming。

Happiness　is　the　poetry　of　woman；　as　the　toilette　is　her　tinsel。

If　the　delightful　excitement　of　a　ball　had　made　the　pale　face

glow　with　color；　if　the　delights　of　a　luxurious　life　had　brought

the　color　to　the　wan　cheeks　that　were　slightly　hollowed　already；

if　love　had　put　light　into　the　sad　eyes；　then　Victorine　might

have　ranked　among　the　fairest；　but　she　lacked　the　two　things

which　create　woman　a　second　timepretty　dresses　and　love…

letters。



A　book　might　have　been　made　of　her　story。　Her　father　was

persuaded　that　he　had　sufficient　reason　for　declining　to

acknowledge　her；　and　allowed　her　a　bare　six　hundred　francs　a

year；　he　had　further　taken　measures　to　disinherit　his　daughter；

and　had　converted　all　his　real　estate　into　personalty；　that　he

might　leave　it　undivided　to　his　son。　Victorine's　mother　had　died

broken…hearted　in　Mme。　Couture's　house；　and　the　latter；　who　was　a

near　relation；　had　taken　charge　of　the　little　orphan。　Unluckily；

the　widow　of　the　commissary…general　to　the　armies　of　the　Republic

had　nothing　in　the　world　but　her　jointure　and　her　widow's

pension；　and　some　day　she　might　be　obliged　to　leave　the　helpless；

inexperienced　girl　to　the　mercy　of　the　world。　The　good　soul；

therefore；　took　Victorine　to　mass　every　Sunday；　and　to　confession

once　a　fortnight；　thinking　that；　in　any　case；　she　would　bring　up

her　ward　to　be　devout。　She　was　right；　religion　offered　a　solution

of　the　problem　of　the　young　girl's　future。　The　poor　child　loved

the　father　who　refused　to　acknowledge　her。　Once　every　year　she

tried　to　see　him　to　deliver　her　mother's　message　of　forgiveness；

but　every　year　hitherto　she　had　knocked　at　that　door　in　vain；　her

father　was　inexorable。　Her　brother；　her　only　means　of

communication；　had　not　come　to　see　her　for　four　years；　and　had

sent　her　no　assistance；　yet　she　prayed　to　God　to　unseal　her

father's　eyes　and　to　soften　her　brother's　heart；　and　no

accusations　mingled　with　her　prayers。　Mme。　Couture　and　Mme。

Vauquer　exhausted　the　vocabulary　of　abuse；　and　failed　to　find

words　that　did　justice　to　the　banker's　iniquitous　conduct；　but

while　they　heaped　execrations　on　the　millionaire；　Victorine's

words　were　as　gentle　as　the　moan　of　the　wounded　dove；　and

affection　found　expression　even　in　the　cry　drawn　from　her　by

pain。



Eugene　de　Rastignac　was　a　thoroughly　southern　type；　he　had　a　fair

complexion；　blue　eyes；　black　hair。　In　his　figure；　manner；　and　his

whole　bearing　it　was　easy　to　see　that　he　had　either　come　of　a

noble　family；　or　that；　from　his　earliest　childhood；　he　had　been

gently　bred。　If　he　was　careful　of　his　wardrobe；　only　taking　last

year's　clothes　into　daily　wear；　still　upon　occasion　he　could

issue　forth　as　a　young　man　of　fashion。　Ordinarily　he　wore　a

shabby　coat　and　waistcoat；　the　limp　black　cravat；　untidily

knotted；　that　students　affect；　trousers　that　matched　the　rest　of

his　costume；　and　boots　that　had　been　resoled。



Vautrin　（the　man　of　forty　with　the　dyed　whiskers）　marked　a

transition　stage　between　these　two　young　people　and　the　others。

He　was　the　kind　of　man　that　calls　forth　the　remark：　〃He　looks　a

jovial　sort！〃　He　had　broad　shoulders；　a　well…developed　chest；

muscular　arms；　and　strong　square…fisted　hands；　the　joints　of　his

fingers　were　covered　with　tufts　of　fiery　red　hair。　His　face　was

furrowed　by　premature　wrinkles；　there　was　a　certain　hardness

about　it　in　spite　of　his　bland　and　insinuating　manner。　His　bass

voice　was　by　no　means　unpleasant；　and　was　in　keeping　with　his

boisterous　laughter。　He　was　always　obliging；　always　in　good

spirits；　if　anything　went　wrong　with　one　of　the　locks；　he　would

soon　unscrew　it；　take　it　to　pieces；　file　it；　oil　and　clean　and

set　it　in　order；　and　put　it　back　in　its　place　again；　〃I　am　an　old

hand　at　it；〃　he　used　to　say。　Not　only　so；　he　knew　all　about

ships；　the　sea；　France；　foreign　countries；　men；　business；　law；

great　houses　and　prisons；there　was　nothing　that　he　did　not

know。　If　any　one　complained　rather　more　than　usual；　he　would

offer　his　services　at　once。　He　had　several　times　lent　money　to

Mme。　Vauquer；　or　to　the　boarders；　but；　somehow；　those　whom　he

obliged　felt　that　they　would　sooner　face　death　than　fail　to　repay

him；　a　certain　resolute　look；　sometimes　seen　on　his　face；

inspired　fear　of　him；　for　all　his　appearance　of　easy　good…nature。

In　the　way　he　spat　there　was　an　imperturbable　coolness　which

seemed　to　indicate　that　this　was　a　man　who　would　not　stick　at　a

crime　to　extricate　himself　from　a　false　position。　His　eyes；　like

those　of　a　pitiless　judge；　seemed　to　go　to　the　very　bottom　of　all

questions；　to　read　all　natures；　all　feelings　and　thoughts。　His

habit　of　life　was　very　regular；　he　usually　went　out　after

breakfast；　returning　in　time　for　dinner；　and　disappeared　for　the

rest　of　the　evening；　letting　himself　in　about　midnight　with　a

latch　key；　a　privilege　that　Mme。　Vauquer　accorded　to　no　other

boarder。　But　then　he　was　on　very　good　terms　with　the　widow；　he

used　to　call　her　〃mamma；〃　and　put　his　arm　round　her　waist；　a

piece　of　flattery　perhaps　not　appreciated　to　the　full！　The　worthy

woman　might　imagine　this　to　be　an　easy　feat；　but；　as　a　matter　of

fact；　no　arm　but　Vautrin's　was　long　enough　to　encircle　her。



It　was　a　characteristic　trait　of　his　generously　to　pay　fifteen

francs　a　month　for　the　cup　of　coffee　with　a　dash　of　brandy　in　it；

which　he　took　after　dinner。　Less　superficial　observers　than　young

men　engulfed　by　the　whirlpool　of　Parisian　life；　or　old　men；　who

took　no　interest　in　anything　that　did　not　directly　concern　them；

would　not　have　stopped　short　at　the　vaguely　unsatisfactory

impression　that　Vautrin　made　upon　them。　He　knew　or　guessed　the