father goriot-第59章

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

please　on　condition　that　I　leave　him　to　carry　on　my　business　in

my　name。　To　prove　his　sincerity；　he　promised　that　M。　Derville

might　inspect　the　accounts　as　often　as　I　pleased；　so　that　I　might

be　assured　that　everything　was　being　conducted　properly。　In

short；　he　put　himself　in　my　power；　bound　hand　and　foot。　He　wishes

the　present　arrangements　as　to　the　expenses　of　housekeeping　to

continue　for　two　more　years；　and　entreated　me　not　to　exceed　my

allowance。　He　showed　me　plainly　that　it　was　all　that　he　could　do

to　keep　up　appearances；　he　has　broken　with　his　opera　dancer；　he

will　be　compelled　to　practise　the　most　strict　economy　（in　secret）

if　he　is　to　bide　his　time　with　unshaken　credit。　I　scolded；　I　did

all　I　could　to　drive　him　to　desperation；　so　as　to　find　out　more。

He　showed　me　his　ledgershe　broke　down　and　cried　at　last。　I

never　saw　a　man　in　such　a　state。　He　lost　his　head　completely；

talked　of　killing　himself；　and　raved　till　I　felt　quite　sorry　for

him。〃



〃Do　you　really　believe　that　silly　rubbish？〃　。　。　。　cried　her

father。　〃It　was　all　got　up　for　your　benefit！　I　have　had　to　do

with　Germans　in　the　way　of　business；　honest　and　straightforward

they　are　pretty　sure　to　be；　but　when　with　their　simplicity　and

frankness　they　are　sharpers　and　humbugs　as　well；　they　are　the

worst　rogues　of　all。　Your　husband　is　taking　advantage　of　you。　As

soon　as　pressure　is　brought　to　bear　on　him　he　shams　dead；　he

means　to　be　more　the　master　under　your　name　than　in　his　own。　He

will　take　advantage　of　the　position　to　secure　himself　against　the

risks　of　business。　He　is　as　sharp　as　he　is　treacherous；　he　is　a

bad　lot！　No；　no；　I　am　not　going　to　leave　my　girls　behind　me

without　a　penny　when　I　go　to　Pere…Lachaise。　I　know　something

about　business　still。　He　has　sunk　his　money　in　speculation；　he

says；　very　well　then；　there　is　something　to　show　for　itbills；

receipts；　papers　of　some　sort。　Let　him　produce　them；　and　come　to

an　arrangement　with　you。　We　will　choose　the　most　promising　of　his

speculations；　take　them　over　at　our　own　risk；　and　have　the

securities　transferred　into　your　name；　they　shall　represent　the

separate　estate　of　Delphine　Goriot；　wife　of　the　Baron　de

Nucingen。　Does　that　fellow　really　take　us　for　idiots？　Does　he

imagine　that　I　could　stand　the　idea　of　your　being　without

fortune；　without　bread；　for　forty…eight　hours？　I　would　not　stand

it　a　dayno；　not　a　night；　not　a　couple　of　hours！　If　there　had

been　any　foundation　for　the　idea；　I　should　never　get　over　it。

What！　I　have　worked　hard　for　forty　years；　carried　sacks　on　my

back；　and　sweated　and　pinched　and　saved　all　my　life　for　you；　my

darlings；　for　you　who　made　the　toil　and　every　burden　borne　for

you　seem　light；　and　now；　my　fortune；　my　whole　life；　is　to　vanish

in　smoke！　I　should　die　raving　mad　if　I　believed　a　word　of　it。　By

all　that's　holiest　in　heaven　and　earth；　we　will　have　this　cleared

up　at　once；　go　through　the　books；　have　the　whole　business　looked

thoroughly　into！　I　will　not　sleep；　nor　rest；　nor　eat　until　I　have

satisfied　myself　that　all　your　fortune　is　in　existence。　Your

money　is　settled　upon　you；　God　be　thanked！　and；　luckily；　your

attorney；　Maitre　Derville；　is　an　honest　man。　Good　Lord！　you　shall

have　your　snug　little　million；　your　fifty　thousand　francs　a　year；

as　long　as　you　live；　or　I　will　raise　a　racket　in　Paris；　I　will

so！　If　the　Tribunals　put　upon　us；　I　will　appeal　to　the　Chambers。

If　I　knew　that　you　were　well　and　comfortably　off　as　far　as　money

is　concerned；　that　thought　would　keep　me　easy　in　spite　of　bad

health　and　troubles。　Money？　why；　it　is　life！　Money　does

everything。　That　great　dolt　of　an　Alsatian　shall　sing　to　another

tune！　Look　here；　Delphine；　don't　give　way；　don't　make　a

concession　of　half　a　quarter　of　a　farthing　to　that　fathead；　who

has　ground　you　down　and　made　you　miserable。　If　he　can't　do

without　you；　we　will　give　him　a　good　cudgeling；　and　keep　him　in

order。　Great　heavens！　my　brain　is　on　fire；　it　is　as　if　there　were

something　redhot　inside　my　head。　My　Delphine　lying　on　straw！　You！

my　Fifine！　Good　gracious！　Where　are　my　gloves？　Come；　let　us　go　at

once；　I　mean　to　see　everything　with　my　own　eyesbooks；　cash；　and

correspondence；　the　whole　business。　I　shall　have　no　peace　until　I

know　for　certain　that　your　fortune　is　secure。〃



〃Oh！　father　dear；　be　careful　how　you　set　about　it！　If　there　is

the　least　hint　of　vengeance　in　the　business；　if　you　show　yourself

openly　hostile；　it　will　be　all　over　with　me。　He　knows　whom　he　has

to　deal　with；　he　thinks　it　quite　natural　that　if　you　put　the　idea

into　my　head；　I　should　be　uneasy　about　my　money；　but　I　swear　to

you　that　he　has　it　in　his　own　hands；　and　that　he　had　meant　to

keep　it。　He　is　just　the　man　to　abscond　with　all　the　money　and

leave　us　in　the　lurch；　the　scoundrel！　He　knows　quite　well　that　I

will　not　dishonor　the　name　I　bear　by　bringing　him　into　a　court　of

law。　His　position　is　strong　and　weak　at　the　same　time。　If　we

drive　him　to　despair；　I　am　lost。〃



〃Why；　then；　the　man　is　a　rogue？〃



〃Well；　yes；　father；〃　she　said；　flinging　herself　into　a　chair；　〃I

wanted　to　keep　it　from　you　to　spare　your　feelings；〃　and　she　burst

into　tears；　〃I　did　not　want　you　to　know　that　you　had　married　me

to　such　a　man　as　he　is。　He　is　just　the　same　in　private　lifebody

and　soul　and　consciencethe　same　through　and　throughhideous！　I

hate　him；　I　despise　him！　Yes；　after　all　that　that　despicable

Nucingen　has　told　me；　I　cannot　respect　him　any　longer。　A　man

capable　of　mixing　himself　up　in　such　affairs；　and　of　talking

about　them　to　me　as　he　did；　without　the　slightest　scruple；it　is

because　I　have　read　him　through　and　through　that　I　am　afraid　of

him。　He；　my　husband；　frankly　proposed　to　give　me　my　liberty；　and

do　you　know　what　that　means？　It　means　that　if　things　turn　out

badly　for　him；　I　am　to　play　into　his　hands；　and　be　his　stalking…

horse。〃



〃But　there　is　law　to　be　had！　There　is　a　Place　de　Greve　for　sons…

in…law　of　that　sort；〃　cried　her　father；　〃why；　I　would　guillotine

him　myself　if　there　was　no　headsman　to　do　it。〃



〃No；　father；　the　law　cannot　touch　him。　Listen；　this　is　what　he

says；　stripped　of　all　his　circumlocutions'Take　your　choice；　you

and　no　one　else　can　be　my　accomplice；　either　everything　is　lost；

you　are　ruined　and　have　not　a　farthing；　or　you　will　let　me　carry

this　business　through　myself。'　Is　that　plain　speaking？　He　MUST

have　my　assistance。　He　is　assured　that　his　wife　will　deal　fairly

by　him；　he　knows　that　I　shall　leave　his　money　to　him　and　be

content　with　my　own。　It　is　an　unholy　and　dishonest　compact；　and

he　holds　out　threats　of　ruin　to　compel　me　to　consent　to　it。　He　is

buying　my　conscience；　and　the　price　is　liberty　to　be　Eugene's

wife　in　all　but　name。　'I　connive　at　your　errors；　and　you　allow　me

to　commit　crimes　and　ruin　poor　families！'　Is　that　sufficiently

explicit？　Do　you　know　what　he　means　by　speculations？　He　buys　up

land　in　his　own　name；　then　he　finds　men　of　straw　to　run　up　houses

upon　it。　These　men　make　a　bargain　with　a　contractor　to　build　the

houses；　paying　them　by　bills　at　long　dates；　then　in　consideration

of　a　small　sum　they　leave　my　husband　in　possession　of　the　houses；

and　finally　slip　through　the　fingers　of　the　deluded　contractors

by　going　into　bankruptcy。　The　name　of　the　firm　of　Nucingen　has

been　used　to　dazzle　the　poor　contractors。　I　saw　that。　I　noticed；

too；　that　Nucingen　had　sent　bills　for　large　amounts　to　Amsterdam；

London；　Naples；　and　Vienna；　in　order　to　prove　if　necessary　that

large　sums　had　been　paid　away　by　the　firm。　How　could　we　get

possession　of　those　bills？〃



Eugene　heard　a　dull　thud　on　the　floor；　Father　Goriot　must　have

fallen　on　his　knees。



〃Great　heavens！　what　have　I　done　to　you？　Bound　my　daughter　to

this　scoundrel　who　does　as　he　likes　with　her！Oh！　my　child；　my

child！　forgive　me！〃　cried　the　old　man。



〃Yes；　if　I　am　in　the　depths　of　despair；　perhaps　you　are　to

blame；〃　said　Delphine。　〃We　have　so　little　sense　when　we　mar