father goriot-第58章

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turning　some　power　of　inner　vision　upon　this　latter；　he　asked

himself　whether　that　past　self　bore　any　resemblance　to　the

Rastignac　of　that　moment。



〃Madame　is　in　her　room；〃　Therese　came　to　tell　him。　The　woman's

voice　made　him　start。



He　found　Delphine　lying　back　in　her　low　chair　by　the　fireside；

looking　fresh　and　bright。　The　sight　of　her　among　the　flowing

draperies　of　muslin　suggested　some　beautiful　tropical　flower；

where　the　fruit　is　set　amid　the　blossom。



〃Well；〃　she　said；　with　a　tremor　in　her　voice；　〃here　you　are。〃



〃Guess　what　I　bring　for　you；〃　said　Eugene；　sitting　down　beside

her。　He　took　possession　of　her　arm　to　kiss　her　hand



Mme。　de　Nucingen　gave　a　joyful　start　as　she　saw　the　card。　She

turned　to　Eugene；　there　were　tears　in　her　eyes　as　she　flung　her

arms　about　his　neck；　and　drew　him　towards　her　in　a　frenzy　of

gratified　vanity。



〃And　I　owe　this　happiness　to　youto　THEE〃　（she　whispered　the

more　intimate　word　in　his　ear）；　〃but　Therese　is　in　my　dressing…

room；　let　us　be　prudent。This　happinessyes；　for　I　may　call　it

so；　when　it　comes　to　me　through　YOUis　surely　more　than　a

triumph　for　self…love？　No　one　has　been　willing　to　introduce　me

into　that　set。　Perhaps　just　now　I　may　seem　to　you　to　be

frivolous；　petty；　shallow；　like　a　Parisienne；　but　remember；　my

friend；　that　I　am　ready　to　give　up　all　for　you；　and　that　if　I

long　more　than　ever　for　an　entrance　into　the　Faubourg　Saint…

Germain；　it　is　because　I　shall　meet　you　there。〃



〃Mme。　de　Beauseant's　note　seems　to　say　very　plainly　that　she　does

not　expect　to　see　the　BARON　de　Nucingen　at　her　ball；　don't　you

think　so？〃　said　Eugene。



〃Why；　yes；〃　said　the　Baroness　as　she　returned　the　letter。　〃Those

women　have　a　talent　for　insolence。　But　it　is　of　no　consequence；　I

shall　go。　My　sister　is　sure　to　be　there；　and　sure　to　be　very

beautifully　dressed。Eugene；〃　she　went　on；　lowering　her　voice；

〃she　will　go　to　dispel　ugly　suspicions。　You　do　not　know　the

things　that　people　are　saying　about　her。　Only　this　morning

Nucingen　came　to　tell　me　that　they　had　been　discussing　her　at　the

club。　Great　heavens！　on　what　does　a　woman's　character　and　the

honor　of　a　whole　family　depend！　I　feel　that　I　am　nearly　touched

and　wounded　in　my　poor　sister。　According　to　some　people；　M。　de

Trailles　must　have　put　his　name　to　bills　for　a　hundred　thousand

francs；　nearly　all　of　them　are　overdue；　and　proceedings　are

threatened。　In　this　predicament；　it　seems　that　my　sister　sold　her

diamonds　to　a　Jewthe　beautiful　diamonds　that　belonged　to　her

husband's　mother；　Mme。　de　Restaud　the　elder；you　have　seen　her

wearing　them。　In　fact；　nothing　else　has　been　talked　about　for　the

last　two　days。　So　I　can　see　that　Anastasie　is　sure　to　come　to

Mme。　de　Beauseant's　ball　in　tissue　of　gold；　and　ablaze　with

diamonds；　to　draw　all　eyes　upon　her；　and　I　will　not　be　outshone。

She　has　tried　to　eclipse　me　all　her　life；　she　has　never　been　kind

to　me；　and　I　have　helped　her　so　often；　and　always　had　money　for

her　when　she　had　none。But　never　mind　other　people　now；　to…day　I

mean　to　be　perfectly　happy。〃



At　one　o'clock　that　morning　Eugene　was　still　with　Mme。　de

Nucingen。　In　the　midst　of　their　lovers'　farewell；　a　farewell　full

of　hope　of　bliss　to　come；　she　said　in　a　troubled　voice；　〃I　am

very　fearful；　superstitious。　Give　what　name　you　like　to　my

presentiments；　but　I　am　afraid　that　my　happiness　will　be　paid　for

by　some　horrible　catastrophe。〃



〃Child！〃　said　Eugene。



〃Ah！　have　we　changed　places；　and　am　I　the　child　to…night？〃　she

asked；　laughingly。



Eugene　went　back　to　the　Maison　Vauquer；　never　doubting　but　that

he　should　leave　it　for　good　on　the　morrow；　and　on　the　way　he　fell

to　dreaming　the　bright　dreams　of　youth；　when　the　cup　of　happiness

has　left　its　sweetness　on　the　lips。



〃Well？〃　cried　Goriot；　as　Rastignac　passed　by　his　door。



〃Yes；〃　said　Eugene；　〃I　will　tell　you　everything　to…morrow。〃



〃Everything；　will　you　not？〃　cried　the　old　man。　〃Go　to　bed。　To…

morrow　our　happy　life　will　begin。〃



Next　day；　Goriot　and　Rastignac　were　ready　to　leave　the　lodging…

house；　and　only　awaited　the　good　pleasure　of　a　porter　to　move　out

of　it；　but　towards　noon　there　was　a　sound　of　wheels　in　the　Rue

Neuve…Sainte…Genevieve；　and　a　carriage　stopped　before　the　door　of

the　Maison　Vauquer。　Mme。　de　Nucingen　alighted；　and　asked　if　her

father　was　still　in　the　house；　and；　receiving　an　affirmative

reply　from　Sylvie；　ran　lightly　upstairs。



It　so　happened　that　Eugene　was　at　home　all　unknown　to　his

neighbor。　At　breakfast　time　he　had　asked　Goriot　to　superintend

the　removal　of　his　goods；　saying　that　he　would　meet　him　in　the

Rue　d'Artois　at　four　o'clock；　but　Rastignac's　name　had　been

called　early　on　the　list　at　the　Ecole　de　Droit；　and　he　had　gone

back　at　once　to　the　Rue　Nueve…Sainte…Genevieve。　No　one　had　seen

him　come　in；　for　Goriot　had　gone　to　find　a　porter；　and　the

mistress　of　the　house　was　likewise　out。　Eugene　had　thought　to　pay

her　himself；　for　it　struck　him　that　if　he　left　this；　Goriot　in

his　zeal　would　probably　pay　for　him。　As　it　was；　Eugene　went　up　to

his　room　to　see　that　nothing　had　been　forgotten；　and　blessed　his

foresight　when　he　saw　the　blank　bill　bearing　Vautrin's　signature

lying　in　the　drawer　where　he　had　carelessly　thrown　it　on　the　day

when　he　had　repaid　the　amount。　There　was　no　fire　in　the　grate；　so

he　was　about　to　tear　it　into　little　pieces；　when　he　heard　a　voice

speaking　in　Goriot's　room；　and　the　speaker　was　Delphine！　He　made

no　more　noise；　and　stood　still　to　listen；　thinking　that　she

should　have　no　secrets　from　him；　but　after　the　first　few　words；

the　conversation　between　the　father　and　daughter　was　so　strange

and　interesting　that　it　absorbed　all　his　attention。



〃Ah！　thank　heaven　that　you　thought　of　asking　him　to　give　an

account　of　the　money　settled　on　me　before　I　was　utterly　ruined；

father。　Is　it　safe　to　talk？〃　she　added。



〃Yes；　there　is　no　one　in　the　house；〃　said　her　father　faintly。



〃What　is　the　matter　with　you？〃　asked　Mme。　de　Nucingen。



〃God　forgive　you！　you　have　just　dealt　me　a　staggering　blow；

child！〃　said　the　old　man。　〃You　cannot　know　how　much　I　love　you；

or　you　would　not　have　burst　in　upon　me　like　this；　with　such　news；

especially　if　all　is　not　lost。　Has　something　so　important

happened　that　you　must　come　here　about　it？　In　a　few　minutes　we

should　have　been　in　the　Rue　d'Artois。〃



〃Eh！　does　one　think　what　one　is　doing　after　a　catastrophe？　It　has

turned　my　head。　Your　attorney　has　found　out　the　state　of　things

now；　but　it　was　bound　to　come　out　sooner　or　later。　We　shall　want

your　long　business　experience；　and　I　come　to　you　like　a　drowning

man　who　catches　at　a　branch。　When　M。　Derville　found　that　Nucingen

was　throwing　all　sorts　of　difficulties　in　his　way；　he　threatened

him　with　proceedings；　and　told　him　plainly　that　he　would　soon

obtain　an　order　from　the　President　of　the　Tribunal。　So　Nucingen

came　to　my　room　this　morning；　and　asked　if　I　meant　to　ruin　us

both。　I　told　him　that　I　knew　nothing　whatever　about　it；　that　I

had　a　fortune；　and　ought　to　be　put　into　possession　of　my　fortune；

and　that　my　attorney　was　acting　for　me　in　the　matter；　I　said

again　that　I　knew　absolutely　nothing　about　it；　and　could　not

possibly　go　into　the　subject　with　him。　Wasn't　that　what　you　told

me　to　tell　him？〃



〃Yes；　quite　right；〃　answered　Goriot。



〃Well；　then；〃　Delphine　continued；　〃he　told　me　all　about　his

affairs。　He　had　just　invested　all　his　capital　and　mine　in

business　speculations；　they　have　only　just　been　started；　and　very

large　sums　of　money　are　locked　up。　If　I　were　to　compel　him　to

refund　my　dowry　now；　he　would　be　forced　to　file　his　petition；　but

if　I　will　wait　a　year；　he　undertakes；　on　his　honor；　to　double　or

treble　my　fortune；　by　investing　it　in　building　land；　and　I　shall

be　mistress　at　last　of　the　whole　of　my　property。　He　was　speaking

the　truth；　father　dear；　he　frightened　me！　He　asked　my　pardon　for

his　conduct；　he　has　given　me　my　liberty；　I　am　free　to　act　as　I