father goriot-第53章

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themselves　by　dragging　out　this　business　till　the　end　of　time　to

keep　me　idle。　If　they　were　to　send　me　straight　to　jail；　I　should

soon　be　back　at　my　old　tricks　in　spite　of　the　duffers　at　the　Quai

des　Orfevres。　Down　yonder　they　will　all　turn　themselves　inside

out　to　help　their　generaltheir　good　Trompe…la…Mortto　get

clear　away。　Is　there　a　single　one　among　you　that　can　say；　as　I

can；　that　he　has　ten　thousand　brothers　ready　to　do　anything　for

him？〃　he　asked　proudly。　〃There　is　some　good　there；〃　he　said

tapping　his　heart；　〃I　have　never　betrayed　any　one！Look　you

here；　you　slut；〃　he　said　to　the　old　maid；　〃they　are　all　afraid　of

me；　do　you　see？　but　the　sight　of　you　turns　them　sick。　Rake　in

your　gains。〃



He　was　silent　for　a　moment；　and　looked　round　at　the　lodgers'

faces。



〃What　dolts　you　are；　all　of　you！　Have　you　never　seen　a　convict

before？　A　convict　of　Collin's　stamp；　whom　you　see　before　you；　is

a　man　less　weak…kneed　than　others；　he　lifts　up　his　voice　against

the　colossal　fraud　of　the　Social　Contract；　as　Jean　Jacques　did；

whose　pupil　he　is　proud　to　declare　himself。　In　short；　I　stand

here　single…handed　against　a　Government　and　a　whole　subsidized

machinery　of　tribunals　and　police；　and　I　am　a　match　for　them

all。〃



〃Ye　gods！〃　cried　the　painter；　〃what　a　magnificent　sketch　one

might　make　of　him！〃



〃Look　here；　you　gentlemen…in…waiting　to　his　highness　the　gibbet；

master　of　ceremonies　to　the　widow〃　（a　nickname　full　of　sombre

poetry；　given　by　prisoners　to　the　guillotine）；　〃be　a　good　fellow；

and　tell　me　if　it　really　was　Fil…de…Soie　who　sold　me。　I　don't

want　him　to　suffer　for　some　one　else；　that　would　not　be　fair。〃



But　before　the　chief　had　time　to　answer；　the　rest　of　the　party

returned　from　making　their　investigations　upstairs。　Everything

had　been　opened　and　inventoried。　A　few　words　passed　between　them

and　the　chief；　and　the　official　preliminaries　were　complete。



〃Gentlemen；〃　said　Collin；　addressing　the　lodgers；　〃they　will　take

me　away　directly。　You　have　all　made　my　stay　among　you　very

agreeable；　and　I　shall　look　back　upon　it　with　gratitude。　Receive

my　adieux；　and　permit　me　to　send　you　figs　from　Provence。〃



He　advanced　a　step　or　two；　and　then　turned　to　look　once　more　at

Rastignac。



〃Good…bye；　Eugene；〃　he　said；　in　a　sad　and　gentle　tone；　a　strange

transition　from　his　previous　rough　and　stern　manner。　〃If　you

should　be　hard　up；　I　have　left　you　a　devoted　friend；〃　and；　in

spite　of　his　shackles；　he　managed　to　assume　a　posture　of　defence；

called；　〃One；　two！〃　like　a　fencing…master；　and　lunged。　〃If

anything　goes　wrong；　apply　in　that　quarter。　Man　and　money；　all　at

your　service。〃



The　strange　speaker's　manner　was　sufficiently　burlesque；　so　that

no　one　but　Rastignac　knew　that　there　was　a　serious　meaning

underlying　the　pantomime。



As　soon　as　the　police；　soldiers；　and　detectives　had　left　the

house；　Sylvie；　who　was　rubbing　her　mistress'　temples　with

vinegar；　looked　round　at　the　bewildered　lodgers。



〃Well；〃　said　she；　〃he　was　a　man；　he　was；　for　all　that。〃



Her　words　broke　the　spell。　Every　one　had　been　too　much　excited；

too　much　moved　by　very　various　feelings　to　speak。　But　now　the

lodgers　began　to　look　at　each　other；　and　then　all　eyes　were

turned　at　once　on　Mlle。　Michonneau；　a　thin；　shriveled；　dead…

alive；　mummy…like　figure；　crouching　by　the　stove；　her　eyes　were

downcast；　as　if　she　feared　that　the　green　eye…shade　could　not

shut　out　the　expression　of　those　faces　from　her。　This　figure　and

the　feeling　of　repulsion　she　had　so　long　excited　were　explained

all　at　once。　A　smothered　murmur　filled　the　room；　it　was　so

unanimous；　that　it　seemed　as　if　the　same　feeling　of　loathing　had

pitched　all　the　voices　in　one　key。　Mlle。　Michonneau　heard　it；　and

did　not　stir。　It　was　Bianchon　who　was　the　first　to　move；　he　bent

over　his　neighbor；　and　said　in　a　low　voice；　〃If　that　creature　is

going　to　stop　here；　and　have　dinner　with　us；　I　shall　clear　out。〃



In　the　twinkling　of　an　eye　it　was　clear　that　every　one　in　the

room；　save　Poiret；　was　of　the　medical　student's　opinion；　so　that

the　latter；　strong　in　the　support　of　the　majority；　went　up　to

that　elderly　person。



〃You　are　more　intimate　with　Mlle。　Michonneau　than　the　rest　of

us；〃　he　said；　〃speak　to　her；　make　her　understand　that　she　must

go；　and　go　at　once。〃



〃At　once！〃　echoed　Poiret　in　amazement。



Then　he　went　across　to　the　crouching　figure；　and　spoke　a　few

words　in　her　ear。



〃I　have　paid　beforehand　for　the　quarter；　I　have　as　much　right　to

be　here　as　any　one　else；〃　she　said；　with　a　viperous　look　at　the

boarders。



〃Never　mind　that！　we　will　club　together　and　pay　you　the　money

back；〃　said　Rastignac。



〃Monsieur　is　taking　Collin's　part〃　she　said；　with　a　questioning；

malignant　glance　at　the　law　student；　〃it　is　not　difficult　to

guess　why。〃



Eugene　started　forward　at　the　words；　as　if　he　meant　to　spring

upon　her　and　wring　her　neck。　That　glance；　and　the　depths　of

treachery　that　it　revealed；　had　been　a　hideous　enlightenment。



〃Let　her　alone！〃　cried　the　boarders。



Rastignac　folded　his　arms　and　was　silent。



〃Let　us　have　no　more　of　Mlle。　Judas；〃　said　the　painter；　turning

to　Mme。　Vauquer。　〃If　you　don't　show　the　Michonneau　the　door；

madame；　we　shall　all　leave　your　shop；　and　wherever　we　go　we　shall

say　that　there　are　only　convicts　and　spies　left　there。　If　you　do

the　other　thing；　we　will　hold　our　tongues　about　the　business；　for

when　all　is　said　and　done；　it　might　happen　in　the　best　society

until　they　brand　them　on　the　forehead；　when　they　send　them　to　the

hulks。　They　ought　not　to　let　convicts　go　about　Paris　disguised

like　decent　citizens；　so　as　to　carry　on　their　antics　like　a　set

of　rascally　humbugs；　which　they　are。〃



At　this　Mme。　Vauquer　recovered　miraculously。　She　sat　up　and

folded　her　arms；　her　eyes　were　wide　open　now；　and　there　was　no

sign　of　tears　in　them。



〃Why；　do　you　really　mean　to　be　the　ruin　of　my　establishment；　my

dear　sir？　There　is　M。　VautrinGoodness；〃　she　cried；

interrupting　herself；　〃I　can't　help　calling　him　by　the　name　he

passed　himself　off　by　for　an　honest　man！　There　is　one　room　to　let

already；　and　you　want　me　to　turn　out　two　more　lodgers　in　the

middle　of　the　season；　when　no　one　is　moving〃



〃Gentlemen；　let　us　take　our　hats　and　go　and　dine　at　Flicoteaux's

in　the　Place　Sorbonne；〃　cried　Bianchon。



Mme。　Vauquer　glanced　round；　and　saw　in　a　moment　on　which　side　her

interest　lay。　She　waddled　across　to　Mlle。　Michonneau。



〃Come；　now；〃　she　said；　〃you　would　not　be　the　ruin　of　my

establishment；　would　you；　eh？　There's　a　dear；　kind　soul。　You　see

what　a　pass　these　gentlemen　have　brought　me　to；　just　go　up　to

your　room　for　this　evening。〃



〃Never　a　bit　of　it！〃　cried　the　boarders。　〃She　must　go；　and　go

this　minute！〃



〃But　the　poor　lady　has　had　no　dinner；〃　said　Poiret；　with　piteous

entreaty。



〃She　can　go　and　dine　where　she　likes；〃　shouted　several　voices。



〃Turn　her　out；　the　spy！〃



〃Turn　them　both　out！　Spies！〃



〃Gentlemen；〃　cried　Poiret；　his　heart　swelling　with　the　courage

that　love　gives　to　the　ovine　male；　〃respect　the　weaker　sex。〃



〃Spies　are　of　no　sex！〃　said　the　painter。



〃A　precious　sexorama！〃



〃Turn　her　into　the　streetorama！〃



〃Gentlemen；　this　is　not　manners！　If　you　turn　people　out　of　the

house；　it　ought　not　to　be　done　so　unceremoniously　and　with　no

notice　at　all。　We　have　paid　our　money；　and　we　are　not　going；〃

said　Poiret；　putting　on　his　cap；　and　taking　a　chair　beside　Mlle。

Michonneau；　with　whom　Mme。　Vauquer　was　remonstrating。



〃Naughty　boy！〃　said　the　painter；　with　a　comical　look；　〃run　away；

naughty　little　boy！〃



〃Look　here；〃　said　Bianchon；　〃if　you　do　not　go；　all　the　rest　of　us

will；〃　and　the　boarders；　to　a　man；　made　for　the　sitting…room…

door。



〃Oh！　mademoiselle；　what　is　to　be　done？〃　cried　Mme。　Vauquer。　〃I　am

a　ruined　woman。　You　can't　stay　here；　they　will　go　further；　do

something　violent。〃



Mlle。　Michonneau　rose　to　her　feet。