father goriot-第50章

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anything　stolen　from　you；　come　to　me；　and　I　will　do　my　best　to

get　it　back　for　you。〃



〃Well；　now；〃　Poiret　remarked　to　Mlle。　Michonneau；　〃there　are

idiots　who　are　scared　out　of　their　wits　by　the　word　police。　That

was　a　very　pleasant…spoken　gentleman；　and　what　he　wants　you　to　do

is　as　easy　as　saying　'Good…day。'　〃







The　next　day　was　destined　to　be　one　of　the　most　extraordinary　in

the　annals　of　the　Maison　Vauquer。　Hitherto　the　most　startling

occurrence　in　its　tranquil　existence　had　been　the　portentous；

meteor…like　apparition　of　the　sham　Comtesse　de　l'Ambermesnil。　But

the　catastrophes　of　this　great　day　were　to　cast　all　previous

events　into　the　shade；　and　supply　an　inexhaustible　topic　of

conversation　for　Mme。　Vauquer　and　her　boarders　so　long　as　she

lived。



In　the　first　place；　Goriot　and　Eugene　de　Rastignac　both　slept

till　close　upon　eleven　o'clock。　Mme。　Vauquer；　who　came　home　about

midnight　from　the　Gaite；　lay　a…bed　till　half…past　ten。

Christophe；　after　a　prolonged　slumber　（he　had　finished　Vautrin's

first　bottle　of　wine）；　was　behindhand　with　his　work；　but　Poiret

and　Mlle。　Michonneau　uttered　no　complaint；　though　breakfast　was

delayed。　As　for　Victorine　and　Mme。　Couture；　they　also　lay　late。

Vautrin　went　out　before　eight　o'clock；　and　only　came　back　just　as

breakfast　was　ready。　Nobody　protested；　therefore；　when　Sylvie　and

Christophe　went　up　at　a　quarter　past　eleven；　knocked　at　all　the

doors；　and　announced　that　breakfast　was　waiting。　While　Sylvie　and

the　man　were　upstairs；　Mlle。　Michonneau；　who　came　down　first；

poured　the　contents　of　the　phial　into　the　silver　cup　belonging　to

Vautrinit　was　standing　with　the　others　in　the　bain…marie　that

kept　the　cream　hot　for　the　morning　coffee。　The　spinster　had

reckoned　on　this　custom　of　the　house　to　do　her　stroke　of

business。　The　seven　lodgers　were　at　last　collected　together；　not

without　some　difficulty。　Just　as　Eugene　came　downstairs；

stretching　himself　and　yawning；　a　commissionaire　handed　him　a

letter　from　Mme。　de　Nucingen。　It　ran　thus：



〃I　feel　neither　false　vanity　nor　anger　where　you　are　concerned；

my　friend。　Till　two　o'clock　this　morning　I　waited　for　you。　Oh；

that　waiting　for　one　whom　you　love！　No　one　that　had　passed

through　that　torture　could　inflict　it　on　another。　I　know　now　that

you　have　never　loved　before。　What　can　have　happened？　Anxiety　has

taken　hold　of　me。　I　would　have　come　myself　to　find　out　what　had

happened；　if　I　had　not　feared　to　betray　the　secrets　of　my　heart。

How　can　I　walk　out　or　drive　out　at　this　time　of　day？　Would　it　not

be　ruin？　I　have　felt　to　the　full　how　wretched　it　is　to　be　a

woman。　Send　a　word　to　reassure　me；　and　explain　how　it　is　that　you

have　not　come　after　what　my　father　told　you。　I　shall　be　angry；

but　I　will　forgive　you。　One　word；　for　pity's　sake。　You　will　come

to　me　soon；　will　you　not？　If　you　are　busy；　a　line　will　be　enough。

Say；　'I　will　hasten　to　you；'　or　else；　'I　am　ill。'　But　if　you　were

ill　my　father　would　have　come　to　tell　me　so。　What　can　have

happened？　。　。　。〃



〃Yes；　indeed；　what　has　happened？〃　exclaimed　Eugene；　and；　hurrying

down　to　the　dining…room；　he　crumpled　up　the　letter　without

reading　any　more。　〃What　time　is　it？〃



〃Half…past　eleven；〃　said　Vautrin；　dropping　a　lump　of　sugar　into

his　coffee。



The　escaped　convict　cast　a　glance　at　Eugene；　a　cold　and

fascinating　glance；　men　gifted　with　this　magnetic　power　can　quell

furious　lunatics　in　a　madhouse　by　such　a　glance；　it　is　said。

Eugene　shook　in　every　limb。　There　was　the　sound　of　wheels　in　the

street；　and　in　another　moment　a　man　with　a　scared　face　rushed

into　the　room。　It　was　one　of　M。　Taillefer's　servants；　Mme。

Couture　recognized　the　livery　at　once。



〃Mademoiselle；〃　he　cried；　〃your　father　is　asking　for　you

something　terrible　has　happened！　M。　Frederic　has　had　a　sword

thrust　in　the　forehead　in　a　duel；　and　the　doctors　have　given　him

up。　You　will　scarcely　be　in　time　to　say　good…bye　to　him！　he　is

unconscious。〃



〃Poor　young　fellow！〃　exclaimed　Vautrin。　〃How　can　people　brawl

when　they　have　a　certain　income　of　thirty　thousand　livres？　Young

people　have　bad　manners；　and　that　is　a　fact。〃



〃Sir！〃　cried　Eugene。



〃Well；　what　then；　you　big　baby！〃　said　Vautrin；　swallowing　down

his　coffee　imperturbably；　an　operation　which　Mlle。　Michonneau

watched　with　such　close　attention　that　she　had　no　emotion　to

spare　for　the　amazing　news　that　had　struck　the　others　dumb　with

amazement。　〃Are　there　not　duels　every　morning　in　Paris？〃　added

Vautrin。



〃I　will　go　with　you；　Victorine；〃　said　Mme。　Couture；　and　the　two

women　hurried　away　at　once　without　either　hats　or　shawls。　But

before　she　went；　Victorine；　with　her　eyes　full　of　tears；　gave

Eugene　a　glance　that　said〃How　little　I　thought　that　our

happiness　should　cost　me　tears！〃



〃Dear　me；　you　are　a　prophet；　M。　Vautrin；〃　said　Mme。　Vauquer。



〃I　am　all　sorts　of　things；〃　said　Vautrin。



〃Queer；　isn't　it？〃　said　Mme。　Vauquer；　stringing　together　a

succession　of　commonplaces　suited　to　the　occasion。　〃Death　takes

us　off　without　asking　us　about　it。　The　young　often　go　before　the

old。　It　is　a　lucky　thing　for　us　women　that　we　are　not　liable　to

fight　duels；　but　we　have　other　complaints　that　men　don't　suffer

from。　We　bear　children；　and　it　takes　a　long　time　to　get　over　it。

What　a　windfall　for　Victorine！　Her　father　will　have　to

acknowledge　her　now！〃



〃There！〃　said　Vautrin；　looking　at　Eugene；　〃yesterday　she　had　not

a　penny；　this　morning　she　has　several　millions　to　her　fortune。〃



〃I　say；　M。　Eugene！〃　cried　Mme。　Vauquer；　〃you　have　landed　on　your

feet！〃



At　this　exclamation；　Father　Goriot　looked　at　the　student；　and　saw

the　crumpled　letter　still　in　his　hand。



〃You　have　not　read　it　through！　What　does　this　mean？　Are　you　going

to　be　like　the　rest　of　them？〃　he　asked。



〃Madame；　I　shall　never　marry　Mlle。　Victorine；〃　said　Eugene；

turning　to　Mme。　Vauquer　with　an　expression　of　terror　and　loathing

that　surprised　the　onlookers　at　this　scene。



Father　Goriot　caught　the　student's　hand　and　grasped　it　warmly。　He

could　have　kissed　it。



〃Oh；　ho！〃　said　Vautrin；　〃the　Italians　have　a　good　proverbCol

tempo。〃



〃Is　there　any　answer？〃　said　Mme。　de　Nucingen's　messenger；

addressing　Eugene。



〃Say　that　I　will　come　directly。〃



The　man　went。　Eugene　was　in　a　state　of　such　violent　excitement

that　he　could　not　be　prudent。



〃What　is　to　be　done？〃　he　exclaimed　aloud。　〃There　are　no　proofs！〃



Vautrin　began　to　smile。　Though　the　drug　he　had　taken　was　doing

its　work；　the　convict　was　so　vigorous　that　he　rose　to　his　feet；

gave　Rastignac　a　look；　and　said　in　hollow　tones；　〃Luck　comes　to

us　while　we　sleep；　young　man；〃　and　fell　stiff　and　stark；　as　if　he

were　struck　dead。



〃So　there　is　a　Divine　Justice！〃　said　Eugene。



〃Well；　if　ever！　What　has　come　to　that　poor　dear　M。　Vautrin？〃



〃A　stroke！〃　cried　Mlle。　Michonneau。



〃Here；　Sylvie！　girl；　run　for　the　doctor；〃　called　the　widow。　〃Oh；

M。　Rastignac；　just　go　for　M。　Bianchon；　and　be　as　quick　as　you

can；　Sylvie　might　not　be　in　time　to　catch　our　doctor；　M。

Grimprel。〃



Rastignac　was　glad　of　an　excuse　to　leave　that　den　of　horrors；　his

hurry　for　the　doctor　was　nothing　but　a　flight。



〃Here；　Christophe；　go　round　to　the　chemist's　and　ask　for

something　that's　good　for　the　apoplexy。〃



Christophe　likewise　went。



〃Father　Goriot；　just　help　us　to　get　him　upstairs。〃



Vautrin　was　taken　up　among　them；　carried　carefully　up　the　narrow

staircase；　and　laid　upon　his　bed。



〃I　can　do　no　good　here；　so　I　shall　go　to　see　my　daughter；〃　said

M。　Goriot。



〃Selfish　old　thing！〃　cried　Mme。　Vauquer。　〃Yes；　go；　I　wish　you　may

die　like　a　dog。〃



〃Just　go　and　see　if　you　can　find　some　ether；〃　said　Mlle。

Michonneau　to　Mme。　Vauquer；　the　former；　with　some　help　from

Poiret；　had　unfastened　the　sick　man's　clothes。



Mme。　Vauquer　went　down　to　her　room；　and　left　Mlle。　Michonneau

mistress　of　the　situation。



〃Now！　just　pull　down　his　shirt　and　turn　him　over