father goriot-第40章

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with　the　rest。　My　good　neighbor；　why　did　not　YOU　come　to　tell　me

of　her　difficulty？　How　had　you　the　heart　to　go　and　risk　her　poor

little　hundred　francs　at　play？　This　is　heart…breaking　work。　You

see　what　it　is　to　have　sons…in…law。　Oh！　if　I　had　hold　of　them；　I

would　wring　their　necks。　MON　DIEU！　CRYING！　Did　you　say　she　was

crying？〃



〃With　her　head　on　my　waistcoat；〃　said　Eugene。



〃Oh！　give　it　to　me；〃　said　Father　Goriot。　〃What！　my　daughter's

tears　have　fallen　theremy　darling　Delphine；　who　never　used　to

cry　when　she　was　a　little　girl！　Oh！　I　will　buy　you　another；　do

not　wear　it　again；　let　me　have　it。　By　the　terms　of　her　marriage…

contract；　she　ought　to　have　the　use　of　her　property。　To…morrow

morning　I　will　go　and　see　Derville；　he　is　an　attorney。　I　will

demand　that　her　money　should　be　invested　in　her　own　name。　I　know

the　law。　I　am　an　old　wolf；　I　will　show　my　teeth。〃



〃Here；　father；　this　is　a　banknote　for　a　thousand　francs　that　she

wanted　me　to　keep　out　of　our　winnings。　Keep　them　for　her；　in　the

pocket　of　the　waistcoat。〃



Goriot　looked　hard　at　Eugene；　reached　out　and　took　the　law

student's　hand；　and　Eugene　felt　a　tear　fall　on　it。



〃You　will　succeed；〃　the　old　man　said。　〃God　is　just；　you　see。　I

know　an　honest　man　when　I　see　him；　and　I　can　tell　you；　there　are

not　many　men　like　you。　I　am　to　have　another　dear　child　in　you；　am

I？　There；　go　to　sleep；　you　can　sleep；　you　are　not　yet　a　father。

She　was　crying！　and　I　have　to　be　told　about　it！and　I　was

quietly　eating　my　dinner；　like　an　idiot；　all　the　timeI；　who

would　sell　the　Father；　Son　and　Holy　Ghost　to　save　one　tear　to

either　of　them。〃







〃An　honest　man！〃　said　Eugene　to　himself　as　he　lay　down。　〃Upon　my

word；　I　think　I　will　be　an　honest　man　all　my　life；　it　is　so

pleasant　to　obey　the　voice　of　conscience。〃　Perhaps　none　but

believers　in　God　do　good　in　secret；　and　Eugene　believed　in　a　God。



The　next　day　Rastignac　went　at　the　appointed　time　to　Mme。　de

Beauseant；　who　took　him　with　her　to　the　Duchesse　de　Carigliano's

ball。　The　Marechale　received　Eugene　most　graciously。　Mme。　de

Nucingen　was　there。　Delphine's　dress　seemed　to　suggest　that　she

wished　for　the　admiration　of　others；　so　that　she　might　shine　the

more　in　Eugene's　eyes；　she　was　eagerly　expecting　a　glance　from

him；　hiding；　as　she　thought；　this　eagerness　from　all　beholders。

This　moment　is　full　of　charm　for　one　who　can　guess　all　that

passes　in　a　woman's　mind。　Who　has　not　refrained　from　giving　his

opinion；　to　prolong　her　suspense；　concealing　his　pleasure　from　a

desire　to　tantalize；　seeking　a　confession　of　love　in　her

uneasiness；　enjoying　the　fears　that　he　can　dissipate　by　a　smile？

In　the　course　of　the　evening　the　law　student　suddenly

comprehended　his　position；　he　saw　that；　as　the　cousin　of　Mme。　de

Beauseant；　he　was　a　personage　in　this　world。　He　was　already

credited　with　the　conquest　of　Mme。　de　Nucingen；　and　for　this

reason　was　a　conspicuous　figure；　he　caught　the　envious　glances　of

other　young　men；　and　experienced　the　earliest　pleasures　of

coxcombry。　People　wondered　at　his　luck；　and　scraps　of　these

conversations　came　to　his　ears　as　he　went　from　room　to　room；　all

the　women　prophesied　his　success；　and　Delphine；　in　her　dread　of

losing　him；　promised　that　this　evening　she　would　not　refuse　the

kiss　that　all　his　entreaties　could　scarcely　win　yesterday。



Rastignac　received　several　invitations。　His　cousin　presented　him

to　other　women　who　were　present；　women　who　could　claim　to　be　of

the　highest　fashion；　whose　houses　were　looked　upon　as　pleasant；

and　this　was　the　loftiest　and　most　fashionable　society　in　Paris

into　which　he　was　launched。　So　this　evening　had　all　the　charm　of

a　brilliant　debut；　it　was　an　evening　that　he　was　to　remember　even

in　old　age；　as　a　woman　looks　back　upon　her　first　ball　and　the

memories　of　her　girlish　triumphs。



The　next　morning；　at　breakfast；　he　related　the　story　of　his

success　for　the　benefit　of　Father　Goriot　and　the　lodgers。　Vautrin

began　to　smile　in　a　diabolical　fashion。



〃And　do　you　suppose；〃　cried　that　cold…blooded　logician；　〃that　a

young　man　of　fashion　can　live　here　in　the　Rue　Neuve…Sainte…

Genevieve；　in　the　Maison　Vauqueran　exceedingly　respectable

boarding…house　in　every　way；　I　grant　you；　but　an　establishment

that；　none　the　less；　falls　short　of　being　fashionable？　The　house

is　comfortable；　it　is　lordly　in　its　abundance；　it　is　proud　to　be

the　temporary　abode　of　a　Rastignac；　but；　after　all；　it　is　in　the

Rue　Neuve…Sainte…Genevieve；　and　luxury　would　be　out　of　place

here；　where　we　only　aim　at　the　purely　patriarchalorama。　If　you

mean　to　cut　a　figure　in　Paris；　my　young　friend；〃　Vautrin

continued；　with　half…paternal　jocularity；　〃you　must　have　three

horses；　a　tilbury　for　the　mornings；　and　a　closed　carriage　for　the

evening；　you　should　spend　altogether　about　nine　thousand　francs

on　your　stables。　You　would　show　yourself　unworthy　of　your　destiny

if　you　spent　no　more　than　three　thousand　francs　with　your　tailor；

six　hundred　in　perfumery；　a　hundred　crowns　to　your　shoemaker；　and

a　hundred　more　to　your　hatter。　As　for　your　laundress；　there　goes

another　thousand　francs；　a　young　man　of　fashion　must　of　necessity

make　a　great　point　of　his　linen；　if　your　linen　comes　up　to　the

required　standard；　people　often　do　not　look　any　further。　Love　and

the　Church　demand　a　fair　altar…cloth。　That　is　fourteen　thousand

francs。　I　am　saying　nothing　of　losses　at　play；　bets；　and

presents；　it　is　impossible　to　allow　less　than　two　thousand　francs

for　pocket　money。　I　have　led　that　sort　of　life；　and　I　know　all

about　these　expenses。　Add　the　cost　of　necessaries　next；　three

hundred　louis　for　provender；　a　thousand　francs　for　a　place　to

roost　in。　Well；　my　boy；　for　all　these　little　wants　of　ours　we　had

need　to　have　twenty…five　thousand　francs　every　year　in　our　purse；

or　we　shall　find　ourselves　in　the　kennel；　and　people　laughing　at

us；　and　our　career　is　cut　short；　good…bye　to　success；　and　good…

bye　to　your　mistress！　I　am　forgetting　your　valet　and　your　groom！

Is　Christophe　going　to　carry　your　billets…doux　for　you？　Do　you

mean　to　employ　the　stationery　you　use　at　present？　Suicidal

policy！　Hearken　to　the　wisdom　of　your　elders！〃　he　went　on；　his

bass　voice　growing　louder　at　each　syllable。　〃Either　take　up　your

quarters　in　a　garret；　live　virtuously；　and　wed　your　work；　or　set

about　the　thing　in　a　different　way。〃



Vautrin　winked　and　leered　in　the　direction　of　Mlle。　Taillefer　to

enforce　his　remarks　by　a　look　which　recalled　the　late　tempting

proposals　by　which　he　had　sought　to　corrupt　the　student's　mind。



Several　days　went　by；　and　Rastignac　lived　in　a　whirl　of　gaiety。

He　dined　almost　every　day　with　Mme。　de　Nucingen；　and　went

wherever　she　went；　only　returning　to　the　Rue　Neuve…Sainte…

Genevieve　in　the　small　hours。　He　rose　at　mid…day；　and　dressed　to

go　into　the　Bois　with　Delphine　if　the　day　was　fine；　squandering

in　this　way　time　that　was　worth　far　more　than　he　knew。　He　turned

as　eagerly　to　learn　the　lessons　of　luxury；　and　was　as　quick　to

feel　its　fascination；　as　the　flowers　of　the　date　palm　to　receive

the　fertilizing　pollen。　He　played　high；　lost　and　won　large　sums

of　money；　and　at　last　became　accustomed　to　the　extravagant　life

that　young　men　lead　in　Paris。　He　sent　fifteen　hundred　francs　out

of　his　first　winnings　to　his　mother　and　sisters；　sending　handsome

presents　as　well　as　the　money。　He　had　given　out　that　he　meant　to

leave　the　Maison　Vauquer；　but　January　came　and　went；　and　he　was

still　there；　still　unprepared　to　go。



One　rule　holds　good　of　most　young　menwhether　rich　or　poor。　They

never　have　money　for　the　necessaries　of　life；　but　they　have

always　money　to　spare　for　their　capricesan　anomaly　which　finds

its　explanation　in　their　youth　and　in　the　almost　frantic

eagerness　with　which　youth　grasps　at　pleasure。　They　are　reckless

with　anything　obtained　on　credit；　while　everything　for　which　they

must　pay　in　ready　money　is　made　to　last　as　long　as　possible；　if

they　cannot　have　all　that　they　want；　they