father goriot-第56章

按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！



had　grown　so　bright　and　radiant。



〃Dear　father；　what　a　father　you　are！　No；　there　is　not　another

father　like　you　under　the　sun。　If　Eugene　loved　you　before；　what

must　he　feel　for　you　now？〃



〃Why；　children；　why　Delphinette！〃　cried　Goriot；　who　had　not　felt

his　daughter's　heart　beat　against　his　breast　for　ten　years；　〃do

you　want　me　to　die　of　joy？　My　poor　heart　will　break！　Come；

Monsieur　Eugene；　we　are　quits　already。〃　And　the　old　man　strained

her　to　his　breast　with　such　fierce　and　passionate　force　that　she

cried　out。



〃Oh！　you　are　hurting　me！〃　she　said。



〃I　am　hurting　you！〃　He　grew　pale　at　the　words。　The　pain　expressed

in　his　face　seemed　greater　than　it　is　given　to　humanity　to　know。

The　agony　of　this　Christ　of　paternity　can　only　be　compared　with

the　masterpieces　of　those　princes　of　the　palette　who　have　left

for　us　the　record　of　their　visions　of　an　agony　suffered　for　a

whole　world　by　the　Saviour　of　men。　Father　Goriot　pressed　his　lips

very　gently　against　the　waist　than　his　fingers　had　grasped　too

roughly。



〃Oh！　no；　no；〃　he　cried。　〃I　have　not　hurt　you；　have　I？〃　and　his

smile　seemed　to　repeat　the　question。　〃YOU　have　hurt　me　with　that

cry　just　now。The　things　cost　rather　more　than　that；〃　he　said　in

her　ear；　with　another　gentle　kiss；　〃but　I　had　to　deceive　him

about　it；　or　he　would　have　been　angry。〃



Eugene　sat　dumb　with　amazement　in　the　presence　of　this

inexhaustible　love；　he　gazed　at　Goriot；　and　his　face　betrayed　the

artless　admiration　which　shapes　the　beliefs　of　youth。



〃I　will　be　worthy　of　all　this；〃　he　cried。



〃Oh！　my　Eugene；　that　is　nobly　said；〃　and　Mme。　de　Nucingen　kissed

the　law　student　on　the　forehead。



〃He　gave　up　Mlle。　Taillefer　and　her　millions　for　you；〃　said

Father　Goriot。　〃Yes；　the　little　thing　was　in　love　with　you；　and

now　that　her　brother　is　dead　she　is　as　rich　as　Croesus。〃



〃Oh！　why　did　you　tell　her？〃　cried　Rastignac。



〃Eugene；〃　Delphine　said　in　his　ear；　〃I　have　one　regret　now　this

evening。　Ah！　how　I　will　love　you！　and　for　ever！〃



〃This　is　the　happiest　day　I　have　had　since　you　two　were　married！〃

cried　Goriot。　〃God　may　send　me　any　suffering；　so　long　as　I　do　not

suffer　through　you；　and　I　can　still　say；　'In　this　short　month　of

February　I　had　more　happiness　than　other　men　have　in　their　whole

lives。'Look　at　me；　Fifine！〃　he　said　to　his　daughter。　〃She　is

very　beautiful；　is　she　not？　Tell　me；　now；　have　you　seen　many

women　with　that　pretty　soft　colorthat　little　dimple　of　hers？

No；　I　thought　not。　Ah；　well；　and　but　for　me　this　lovely　woman

would　never　have　been。　And　very　soon　happiness　will　make　her　a

thousand　times　lovelier；　happiness　through　you。　I　could　give　up

my　place　in　heaven　to　you；　neighbor；　if　needs　be；　and　go　down　to

hell　instead。　Come；　let　us　have　dinner；〃　he　added；　scarcely

knowing　what　he　said；　〃everything　is　ours。〃



〃Poor　dear　father！〃



He　rose　and　went　over　to　her；　and　took　her　face　in　his　hands；　and

set　a　kiss　on　the　plaits　of　hair。　〃If　you　only　knew；　little　one；

how　happy　you　can　make　mehow　little　it　takes　to　make　me　happy！

Will　you　come　and　see　me　sometimes？　I　shall　be　just　above；　so　it

is　only　a　step。　Promise　me；　say　that　you　will！〃



〃Yes；　dear　father。〃



〃Say　it　again。〃



〃Yes；　I　will；　my　kind　father。〃



〃Hush！　hush！　I　should　make　you　say　it　a　hundred　times　over　if　I

followed　my　own　wishes。　Let　us　have　dinner。〃



The　three　behaved　like　children　that　evening；　and　Father　Goriot's

spirits　were　certainly　not　the　least　wild。　He　lay　at　his

daughter's　feet；　kissed　them；　gazed　into　her　eyes；　rubbed　his

head　against　her　dress；　in　short；　no　young　lover　could　have　been

more　extravagant　or　more　tender。



〃You　see！〃　Delphine　said　with　a　look　at　Eugene；　〃so　long　as　my

father　is　with　us；　he　monopolizes　me。　He　will　be　rather　in　the

way　sometimes。〃



Eugene　had　himself　already　felt　certain　twinges　of　jealousy；　and

could　not　blame　this　speech　that　contained　the　germ　of　all

ingratitude。



〃And　when　will　the　rooms　be　ready？〃　asked　Eugene；　looking　round。

〃We　must　all　leave　them　this　evening；　I　suppose。〃



〃Yes；　but　to…morrow　you　must　come　and　dine　with　me；〃　she

answered；　with　an　eloquent　glance。　〃It　is　our　night　at　the

Italiens。〃



〃I　shall　go　to　the　pit；〃　said　her　father。



It　was　midnight。　Mme。　de　Nucingen's　carriage　was　waiting　for　her；

and　Father　Goriot　and　the　student　walked　back　to　the　Maison

Vauquer；　talking　of　Delphine；　and　warming　over　their　talk　till

there　grew　up　a　curious　rivalry　between　the　two　violent　passions。

Eugene　could　not　help　seeing　that　the　father's　self…less　love　was

deeper　and　more　steadfast　than　his　own。　For　this　worshiper

Delphine　was　always　pure　and　fair；　and　her　father's　adoration

drew　its　fervor　from　a　whole　past　as　well　as　a　future　of　love。



They　found　Mme。　Vauquer　by　the　stove；　with　Sylvie　and　Christophe

to　keep　her　company；　the　old　landlady；　sitting　like　Marius　among

the　ruins　of　Carthage；　was　waiting　for　the　two　lodgers　that　yet

remained　to　her；　and　bemoaning　her　lot　with　the　sympathetic

Sylvie。　Tasso's　lamentations　as　recorded　in　Byron's　poem　are

undoubtedly　eloquent；　but　for　sheer　force　of　truth　they　fall　far

short　of　the　widow's　cry　from　the　depths。



〃Only　three　cups　of　coffee　in　the　morning；　Sylvie！　Oh　dear！　to

have　your　house　emptied　in　this　way　is　enough　to　break　your

heart。　What　is　life；　now　my　lodgers　are　gone？　Nothing　at　all。

Just　think　of　it！　It　is　just　as　if　all　the　furniture　had　been

taken　out　of　the　house；　and　your　furniture　is　your　life。　How　have

I　offended　heaven　to　draw　down　all　this　trouble　upon　me？　And

haricot　beans　and　potatoes　laid　in　for　twenty　people！　The　police

in　my　house　too！　We　shall　have　to　live　on　potatoes　now；　and

Christophe　will　have　to　go！〃



The　Savoyard；　who　was　fast　asleep；　suddenly　woke　up　at　this；　and

said；　〃Madame；〃　questioningly。



〃Poor　fellow！〃　said　Sylvie；　〃he　is　like　a　dog。〃



〃In　the　dead　season；　too！　Nobody　is　moving　now。　I　would　like　to

know　where　the　lodgers　are　to　drop　down　from。　It　drives　me

distracted。　And　that　old　witch　of　a　Michonneau　goes　and　takes

Poiret　with　her！　What　can　she　have　done　to　make　him　so　fond　of

her？　He　runs　about　after　her　like　a　little　dog。〃



〃Lord！〃　said　Sylvie；　flinging　up　her　head；　〃those　old　maids　are

up　to　all　sorts　of　tricks。〃



〃There's　that　poor　M。　Vautrin　that　they　made　out　to　be　a

convict；〃　the　widow　went　on。　〃Well；　you　know　that　is　too　much　for

me；　Sylvie；　I　can't　bring　myself　to　believe　it。　Such　a　lively　man

as　he　was；　and　paid　fifteen　francs　a　month　for　his　coffee　of　an

evening；　paid　you　very　penny　on　the　nail　too。〃



〃And　open…handed　he　was！〃　said　Christophe。



〃There　is　some　mistake；〃　said　Sylvie。



〃Why；　no　there　isn't！　he　said　so　himself！〃　said　Mme。　Vauquer。

〃And　to　think　that　all　these　things　have　happened　in　my　house；

and　in　a　quarter　where　you　never　see　a　cat　go　by。　On　my　word　as

an　honest　woman；　it's　like　a　dream。　For；　look　here；　we　saw　Louis

XVI。　meet　with　his　mishap；　we　saw　the　fall　of　the　Emperor；　and　we

saw　him　come　back　and　fall　again；　there　was　nothing　out　of　the

way　in　all　that；　but　lodging…houses　are　not　liable　to

revolutions。　You　can　do　without　a　king；　but　you　must　eat　all　the

same；　and　so　long　as　a　decent　woman；　a　de　Conflans　born　and　bred；

will　give　you　all　sorts　of　good　things　for　dinner；　nothing　short

of　the　end　of　the　world　ought　tobut　there；　it　is　the　end　of　the

world；　that　is　just　what　it　is！〃



〃And　to　think　that　Mlle。　Michonneau　who　made　all　this　mischief　is

to　have　a　thousand　crowns　a　year　for　it；　so　I　hear；〃　cried

Sylvie。



〃Don't　speak　of　her；　she　is　a　wicked　woman！〃　said　Mme。　Vauquer。

〃She　is　going　to　the　Buneaud；　who　charges　less　than　cost。　But　the

Buneaud　is　capable　of　anything；　she　must　have　done　frightful

things；　robbed　and　murdered　people　in　her　time。　SHE　ought　to　be

put　in　jail　for　life　instead　of　that　poor　dear〃



Eugene　and　Goriot　rang　the　door…bell　at　that　moment。



〃Ah！　here　are　my　two