father goriot-第6章

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thirty…nine　of　themMme。　Vauquer　had　her　own　ideas。　Though

Goriot's　eyes　seemed　to　have　shrunk　in　their　sockets；　though　they

were　weak　and　watery；　owing　to　some　glandular　affection　which

compelled　him　to　wipe　them　continually；　she　considered　him　to　be

a　very　gentlemanly　and　pleasant…looking　man。　Moreover；　the　widow

saw　favorable　indications　of　character　in　the　well…developed

calves　of　his　legs　and　in　his　square…shaped　nose；　indications

still　further　borne　out　by　the　worthy　man's　full…moon　countenance

and　look　of　stupid　good…nature。　This；　in　all　probability；　was　a

strongly…build　animal；　whose　brains　mostly　consisted　in　a

capacity　for　affection。　His　hair；　worn　in　ailes　de　pigeon；　and

duly　powdered　every　morning　by　the　barber　from　the　Ecole

Polytechnique；　described　five　points　on　his　low　forehead；　and

made　an　elegant　setting　to　his　face。　Though　his　manners　were

somewhat　boorish；　he　was　always　as　neat　as　a　new　pin　and　he　took

his　snuff　in　a　lordly　way；　like　a　man　who　knows　that　his　snuff…

box　is　always　likely　to　be　filled　with　maccaboy；　so　that　when

Mme。　Vauquer　lay　down　to　rest　on　the　day　of　M。　Goriot's

installation；　her　heart；　like　a　larded　partridge；　sweltered

before　the　fire　of　a　burning　desire　to　shake　off　the　shroud　of

Vauquer　and　rise　again　as　Goriot。　She　would　marry　again；　sell　her

boarding…house；　give　her　hand　to　this　fine　flower　of　citizenship；

become　a　lady　of　consequence　in　the　quarter；　and　ask　for

subscriptions　for　charitable　purposes；　she　would　make　little

Sunday　excursions　to　Choisy；　Soissy；　Gentilly；　she　would　have　a

box　at　the　theatre　when　she　liked；　instead　of　waiting　for　the

author's　tickets　that　one　of　her　boarders　sometimes　gave　her；　in

July；　the　whole　Eldorado　of　a　little　Parisian　household　rose　up

before　Mme。　Vauquer　in　her　dreams。　Nobody　knew　that　she　herself

possessed　forty　thousand　francs；　accumulated　sou　by　sou；　that　was

her　secret；　surely　as　far　as　money　was　concerned　she　was　a　very

tolerable　match。　〃And　in　other　respects；　I　am　quite　his　equal；〃

she　said　to　herself；　turning　as　if　to　assure　herself　of　the

charms　of　a　form　that　the　portly　Sylvie　found　moulded　in　down

feathers　every　morning。



For　three　months　from　that　day　Mme。　Veuve　Vauquer　availed　herself

of　the　services　of　M。　Goriot's　coiffeur；　and　went　to　some　expense

over　her　toilette；　expense　justifiable　on　the　ground　that　she

owed　it　to　herself　and　her　establishment　to　pay　some　attention　to

appearances　when　such　highly…respectable　persons　honored　her

house　with　their　presence。　She　expended　no　small　amount　of

ingenuity　in　a　sort　of　weeding　process　of　her　lodgers；　announcing

her　intention　of　receiving　henceforward　none　but　people　who　were

in　every　way　select。　If　a　stranger　presented　himself；　she　let　him

know　that　M。　Goriot；　one　of　the　best　known　and　most　highly…

respected　merchants　in　Paris；　had　singled　out　her　boarding…house

for　a　residence。　She　drew　up　a　prospectus　headed　MAISON　VAUQUER；

in　which　it　was　asserted　that　hers　was　〃one　of　the　oldest　and

most　highly　recommended　boarding…houses　in　the　Latin　Quarter。〃

〃From　the　windows　of　the　house；〃　thus　ran　the　prospectus；　〃there

is　a　charming　view　of　the　Vallee　des　Gobelins　（so　there　isfrom

the　third　floor）；　and　a　BEAUTIFUL　garden；　EXTENDING　down　to　AN

AVENUE　OF　LINDENS　at　the　further　end。〃　Mention　was　made　of　the

bracing　air　of　the　place　and　its　quiet　situation。



It　was　this　prospectus　that　attracted　Mme。　la　Comtesse　de

l'Ambermesnil；　a　widow　of　six　and　thirty；　who　was　awaiting　the

final　settlement　of　her　husband's　affairs；　and　of　another　matter

regarding　a　pension　due　to　her　as　the　wife　of　a　general　who　had

died　〃on　the　field　of　battle。〃　On　this　Mme。　Vauquer　saw　to　her

table；　lighted　a　fire　daily　in　the　sitting…room　for　nearly　six

months；　and　kept　the　promise　of　her　prospectus；　even　going　to

some　expense　to　do　so。　And　the　Countess；　on　her　side；　addressed

Mme。　Vauquer　as　〃my　dear；〃　and　promised　her　two　more　boarders；

the　Baronne　de　Vaumerland　and　the　widow　of　a　colonel；　the　late

Comte　de　Picquoisie；　who　were　about　to　leave　a　boarding…house　in

the　Marais；　where　the　terms　were　higher　than　at　the　Maison

Vauquer。　Both　these　ladies；　moreover；　would　be　very　well　to　do

when　the　people　at　the　War　Office　had　come　to　an　end　of　their

formalities。　〃But　Government　departments　are　always　so　dilatory；〃

the　lady　added。



After　dinner　the　two　widows　went　together　up　to　Mme。　Vauquer's

room；　and　had　a　snug　little　chat　over　some　cordial　and　various

delicacies　reserved　for　the　mistress　of　the　house。　Mme。　Vauquer's

ideas　as　to　Goriot　were　cordially　approved　by　Mme。　de

l'Ambermesnil；　it　was　a　capital　notion；　which　for　that　matter　she

had　guessed　from　the　very　first；　in　her　opinion　the　vermicelli

maker　was　an　excellent　man。



〃Ah！　my　dear　lady；　such　a　well…preserved　man　of　his　age；　as　sound

as　my　eyesighta　man　who　might　make　a　woman　happy！〃　said　the

widow。



The　good…natured　Countess　turned　to　the　subject　of　Mme。　Vauquer's

dress；　which　was　not　in　harmony　with　her　projects。　〃You　must　put

yourself　on　a　war　footing；〃　said　she。



After　much　serious　consideration　the　two　widows　went　shopping

togetherthey　purchased　a　hat　adorned　with　ostrich　feathers　and

a　cap　at　the　Palais　Royal；　and　the　Countess　took　her　friend　to

the　Magasin　de　la　Petite　Jeannette；　where　they　chose　a　dress　and

a　scarf。　Thus　equipped　for　the　campaign；　the　widow　looked　exactly

like　the　prize　animal　hung　out　for　a　sign　above　an　a　la　mode　beef

shop；　but　she　herself　was　so　much　pleased　with　the　improvement；

as　she　considered　it；　in　her　appearance；　that　she　felt　that　she

lay　under　some　obligation　to　the　Countess；　and；　though　by　no

means　open…handed；　she　begged　that　lady　to　accept　a　hat　that　cost

twenty　francs。　The　fact　was　that　she　needed　the　Countess'

services　on　the　delicate　mission　of　sounding　Goriot；　the　countess

must　sing　her　praises　in　his　ears。　Mme。　de　l'Ambermesnil　lent

herself　very　good…naturedly　to　this　manoeuvre；　began　her

operations；　and　succeeded　in　obtaining　a　private　interview；　but

the　overtures　that　she　made；　with　a　view　to　securing　him　for

herself；　were　received　with　embarrassment；　not　to　say　a　repulse。

She　left　him；　revolted　by　his　coarseness。



〃My　angel；〃　said　she　to　her　dear　friend；　〃you　will　make　nothing

of　that　man　yonder。　He　is　absurdly　suspicious；　and　he　is　a　mean

curmudgeon；　an　idiot；　a　fool；　you　would　never　be　happy　with　him。〃



After　what　had　passed　between　M。　Goriot　and　Mme。　de

l'Ambermesnil；　the　Countess　would　no　longer　live　under　the　same

roof。　She　left　the　next　day；　forgot　to　pay　for　six　months'　board；

and　left　behind　her　wardrobe；　cast…off　clothing　to　the　value　of

five　francs。　Eagerly　and　persistently　as　Mme。　Vauquer　sought　her

quondam　lodger；　the　Comtesse　de　l'Ambermesnil　was　never　heard　of

again　in　Paris。　The　widow　often　talked　of　this　deplorable

business；　and　regretted　her　own　too　confiding　disposition。　As　a

matter　of　fact；　she　was　as　suspicious　as　a　cat；　but　she　was　like

many　other　people；　who　cannot　trust　their　own　kin　and　put

themselves　at　the　mercy　of　the　next　chance　comeran　odd　but

common　phenomenon；　whose　causes　may　readily　be　traced　to　the

depths　of　the　human　heart。



Perhaps　there　are　people　who　know　that　they　have　nothing　more　to

look　for　from　those　with　whom　they　live；　they　have　shown　the

emptiness　of　their　hearts　to　their　housemates；　and　in　their

secret　selves　they　are　conscious　that　they　are　severely　judged；

and　that　they　deserve　to　be　judged　severely；　but　still　they　feel

an　unconquerable　craving　for　praises　that　they　do　not　hear；　or

they　are　consumed　by　a　desire　to　appear　to　possess；　in　the　eyes

of　a　new　audience；　the　qualities　which　they　have　not；　hoping　to

win　the　admiration　or　affection　of　strangers　at　the　risk　of

forfeiting　it　again　some　day。　Or；　once　more；　there　are　other

mercenary　natures　who　never　do　a　kindness　to　a　friend　or　a

relation　simply　because　these　have　a　claim　upon　them；　while　a

service　done　to　a　stranger　brings