father goriot-第51章

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mistress　of　the　situation。



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

might　be　of　some　use　in　sparing　my　modesty；〃　she　said　to　Poiret；

〃instead　of　standing　there　like　a　stock。〃



Vautrin　was　turned　over；　Mlle。　Michonneau　gave　his　shoulder　a

sharp　slap；　and　the　two　portentous　letters　appeared；　white

against　the　red。



〃There；　you　have　earned　your　three　thousand　francs　very　easily；〃

exclaimed　Poiret；　supporting　Vautrin　while　Mlle。　Michonneau

slipped　on　the　shirt　again。〃Ouf！　How　heavy　he　is；〃　he　added；　as

he　laid　the　convict　down。







〃Hush！　Suppose　there　is　a　strong…box　here！〃　said　the　old　maid

briskly；　her　glances　seemed　to　pierce　the　walls；　she　scrutinized

every　article　of　the　furniture　with　greedy　eyes。　〃Could　we　find

some　excuse　for　opening　that　desk？〃



〃It　mightn't　be　quite　right；〃　responded　Poiret　to　this。



〃Where　is　the　harm？　It　is　money　stolen　from　all　sorts　of　people；

so　it　doesn't　belong　to　any　one　now。　But　we　haven't　time；　there

is　the　Vauquer。〃



〃Here　is　the　ether；〃　said　that　lady。　〃I　must　say　that　this　is　an

eventful　day。　Lord！　that　man　can't　have　had　a　stroke；　he　is　as

white　as　curds。〃



〃White　as　curds？〃　echoed　Poiret。



〃And　his　pulse　is　steady；〃　said　the　widow；　laying　her　hand　on　his

breast。



〃Steady？〃　said　the　astonished　Poiret。



〃He　is　all　right。〃



〃Do　you　think　so？〃　asked　Poiret。



〃Lord！　Yes；　he　looks　as　if　he　were　sleeping。　Sylvie　has　gone　for

a　doctor。　I　say；　Mlle。　Michonneau；　he　is　sniffing　the　ether。

Pooh！　it　is　only　a　spasm。　His　pulse　is　good。　He　is　as　strong　as　a

Turk。　Just　look；　mademoiselle；　what　a　fur　tippet　he　has　on　his

chest；　that　is　the　sort　of　man　to　live　till　he　is　a　hundred。　His

wig　holds　on　tightly；　however。　Dear　me！　it　is　glued　on；　and　his

own　hair　is　red；　that　is　why　he　wears　a　wig。　They　say　that　red…

haired　people　are　either　the　worst　or　the　best。　Is　he　one　of　the

good　ones；　I　wonder？〃



〃Good　to　hang；〃　said　Poiret。



〃Round　a　pretty　woman's　neck；　you　mean；〃　said　Mlle　Michonneau；

hastily。　〃Just　go　away；　M。　Poiret。　It　is　a　woman's　duty　to　nurse

you　men　when　you　are　ill。　Besides；　for　all　the　good　you　are

doing；　you　may　as　well　take　yourself　off；〃　she　added。　〃Mme。

Vauquer　and　I　will　take　great　care　of　dear　M。　Vautrin。



Poiret　went　out　on　tiptoe　without　a　murmur；　like　a　dog　kicked　out

of　the　room　by　his　master。



Rastignac　had　gone　out　for　the　sake　of　physical　exertion；　he

wanted　to　breathe　the　air；　he　felt　stifled。　Yesterday　evening　he

had　meant　to　prevent　the　murder　arranged　for　half…past　eight　that

morning。　What　had　happened？　What　ought　he　to　do　now？　He　trembled

to　think　that　he　himself　might　be　implicated。　Vautrin's　coolness

still　further　dismayed　him。



〃Yet；　how　if　Vautrin　should　die　without　saying　a　word？〃　Rastignac

asked　himself。



He　hurried　along　the　alleys　of　the　Luxembourg　Gardens　as　if　the

hounds　of　justice　were　after　him；　and　he　already　heard　the　baying

of　the　pack。



〃Well？〃　shouted　Bianchon；　〃you　have　seen　the　Pilote？〃



The　Pilote　was　a　Radical　sheet；　edited　by　M。　Tissot。　It　came　out

several　hours　later　than　the　morning　papers；　and　was　meant　for

the　benefit　of　country　subscribers；　for　it　brought　the　morning

news　into　provincial　districts　twenty…four　hours　sooner　than　the

ordinary　local　journals。



〃There　is　a　wonderful　history　in　it；〃　said　the　house　student　of

the　Hopital　Cochin。　〃Young　Taillefer　called　out　Count

Franchessini；　of　the　Old　Guard；　and　the　Count　put　a　couple　of

inches　of　steel　into　his　forehead。　And　here　is　little　Victorine

one　of　the　richest　heiresses　in　Paris！　If　we　had　known　that；　eh？

What　a　game　of　chance　death　is！　They　say　Victorine　was　sweet　on

you；　was　there　any　truth　in　it？〃



〃Shut　up；　Bianchon；　I　shall　never　marry　her。　I　am　in　love　with　a

charming　woman；　and　she　is　in　love　with　me；　so〃



〃You　said　that　as　if　you　were　screwing　yourself　up　to　be　faithful

to　her。　I　should　like　to　see　the　woman　worth　the　sacrifice　of

Master　Taillefer's　money！〃



〃Are　all　the　devils　of　hell　at　my　heels？〃　cried　Rastignac。



〃What　is　the　matter　with　you？　Are　you　mad？　Give　us　your　hand；〃

said　Bianchon；　〃and　let　me　feel　your　pulse。　You　are　feverish。〃



〃Just　go　to　Mother　Vauquer's；〃　said　Rastignac；　〃that　scoundrel

Vautrin　has　dropped　down　like　one　dead。〃



〃Aha！〃　said　Bianchon；　leaving　Rastignac　to　his　reflections；　〃you

confirm　my　suspicions；　and　now　I　mean　to　make　sure　for　myself。〃



The　law　student's　long　walk　was　a　memorable　one　for　him。　He　made

in　some　sort　a　survey　of　his　conscience。　After　a　close　scrutiny；

after　hesitation　and　self…examination；　his　honor　at　any　rate　came

out　scatheless　from　this　sharp　and　terrible　ordeal；　like　a　bar　of

iron　tested　in　the　English　fashion。　He　remembered　Father　Goriot's

confidences　of　the　evening　before；　he　recollected　the　rooms　taken

for　him　in　the　Rue　d'Artois；　so　that　he　might　be　near　Delphine；

and　then　he　thought　of　his　letter；　and　read　it　again　and　kissed

it。



〃Such　a　love　is　my　anchor　of　safety；〃　he　said　to　himself。　〃How

the　old　man's　heart　must　have　been　wrung！　He　says　nothing　about

all　that　he　has　been　through；　but　who　could　not　guess？　Well；

then；　I　will　be　like　a　son　to　him；　his　life　shall　be　made　happy。

If　she　cares　for　me；　she　will　often　come　to　spend　the　day　with

him。　That　grand　Comtesse　de　Restaud　is　a　heartless　thing；　she

would　make　her　father　into　her　hall　porter。　Dear　Delphine！　she　is

kinder　to　the　old　man；　she　is　worthy　to　be　loved。　Ah！　this

evening　I　shall　be　very　happy！〃



He　took　out　his　watch　and　admired　it。



〃I　have　had　nothing　but　success！　If　two　people　mean　to　love　each

other　for　ever；　they　may　help　each　other；　and　I　can　take　this。

Besides；　I　shall　succeed；　and　I　will　pay　her　a　hundredfold。　There

is　nothing　criminal　in　this　liaison；　nothing　that　could　cause　the

most　austere　moralist　to　frown。　How　many　respectable　people

contract　similar　unions！　We　deceive　nobody；　it　is　deception　that

makes　a　position　humiliating。　If　you　lie；　you　lower　yourself　at

once。　She　and　her　husband　have　lived　apart　for　a　long　while。

Besides；　how　if　I　called　upon　that　Alsatian　to　resign　a　wife　whom

he　cannot　make　happy？〃



Rastignac's　battle　with　himself　went　on　for　a　long　while；　and

though　the　scruples　of　youth　inevitably　gained　the　day；　an

irresistible　curiosity　led　him；　about　half…past　four；　to　return

to　the　Maison　Vauquer　through　the　gathering　dusk。



Bianchon　had　given　Vautrin　an　emetic；　reserving　the　contents　of

the　stomach　for　chemical　analysis　at　the　hospital。　Mlle。

Michonneau's　officious　alacrity　had　still　further　strengthened

his　suspicions　of　her。　Vautrin；　moreover；　had　recovered　so

quickly　that　it　was　impossible　not　to　suspect　some　plot　against

the　leader　of　all　frolics　at　the　lodging…house。　Vautrin　was

standing　in　front　of　the　stove　in　the　dining…room　when　Rastignac

came　in。　All　the　lodgers　were　assembled　sooner　than　usual　by　the

news　of　young　Taillefer's　duel。　They　were　anxious　to　hear　any

detail　about　the　affair；　and　to　talk　over　the　probable　change　in

Victorine's　prospects。　Father　Goriot　alone　was　absent；　but　the

rest　were　chatting。　No　sooner　did　Eugene　come　into　the　room；　than

his　eyes　met　the　inscrutable　gaze　of　Vautrin。　It　was　the　same

look　that　had　read　his　thoughts　beforethe　look　that　had　such

power　to　waken　evil　thoughts　in　his　heart。　He　shuddered。



〃Well；　dear　boy；〃　said　the　escaped　convict；　〃I　am　likely　to　cheat

death　for　a　good　while　yet。　According　to　these　ladies；　I　have　had

a　stroke　that　would　have　felled　an　ox；　and　come　off　with　flying

colors。〃



〃A　bull　you　might　say；〃　cried　the　widow。



〃You　really　might　be　sorry　to　see　me　still　alive；〃　said　Vautrin

in　Rastignac's　ear；　thinking　that　he　guessed　the　student's

thoughts。　〃You　must　be　mighty　sure　of　yourself。〃



〃Mlle。　Michonneau　was　talking　the　day　before　yesterday　about　a

gentleman　named　Trompe…la…Mort；〃　said　Bianchon；　〃and；　upon　my

word；　that　name　would　do