father goriot-第61章

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terms；　the　monster！　I　shall　say　to　him；　'A　word　or　two　with　you！

If　you　want　your　son　back　again；　give　my　daughter　her　property；

and　leave　her　to　do　as　she　pleases。'　〃



〃Father！〃



〃Yes。　I　am　your　father；　Nasie；　a　father　indeed！　That　rogue　of　a

great　lord　had　better　not　ill…treat　my　daughter。　Tonnerre！　What

is　it　in　my　veins？　There　is　the　blood　of　a　tiger　in　me；　I　could

tear　those　two　men　to　pieces！　Oh！　children；　children！　so　this　is

what　your　lives　are！　Why；　it　is　death！　。　。　。　What　will　become　of

you　when　I　shall　be　here　no　longer？　Fathers　ought　to　live　as　long

as　their　children。　Ah！　Lord　God　in　heaven！　how　ill　Thy　world　is

ordered！　Thou　hast　a　Son；　if　what　they　tell　us　is　true；　and　yet

Thou　leavest　us　to　suffer　so　through　our　children。　My　darlings；

my　darlings！　to　think　that　trouble　only　should　bring　you　to　me；

that　I　should　only　see　you　with　tears　on　your　faces！　Ah！　yes；

yes；　you　love　me；　I　see　that　you　love　me。　Come　to　me　and　pour　out

your　griefs　to　me；　my　heart　is　large　enough　to　hold　them　all。　Oh！

you　might　rend　my　heart　in　pieces；　and　every　fragment　would　make

a　father's　heart。　If　only　I　could　bear　all　your　sorrows　for　you！

。　。　。　Ah！　you　were　so　happy　when　you　were　little　and　still　with

me。　。　。　。〃



〃We　have　never　been　happy　since；〃　said　Delphine。　〃Where　are　the

old　days　when　we　slid　down　the　sacks　in　the　great　granary？〃



〃That　is　not　all；　father；〃　said　Anastasie　in　Goriot's　ear。　The

old　man　gave　a　startled　shudder。　〃The　diamonds　only　sold　for　a

hundred　thousand　francs。　Maxime　is　hard　pressed。　There　are　twelve

thousand　francs　still　to　pay。　He　has　given　me　his　word　that　he

will　be　steady　and　give　up　play　in　future。　His　love　is　all　that　I

have　left　in　the　world。　I　have　paid　such　a　fearful　price　for　it

that　I　should　die　if　I　lose　him　now。　I　have　sacrificed　my

fortune；　my　honor；　my　peace　of　mind；　and　my　children　for　him。　Oh！

do　something；　so　that　at　the　least　Maxime　may　be　at　large　and

live　undisgraced　in　the　world；　where　he　will　assuredly　make　a

career　for　himself。　Something　more　than　my　happiness　is　at　stake；

the　children　have　nothing；　and　if　he　is　sent　to　Sainte…Pelagie

all　his　prospects　will　be　ruined。〃



〃I　haven't　the　money；　Nasie。　I　have　NOTHINGnothing　left。　This

is　the　end　of　everything。　Yes；　the　world　is　crumbling　into　ruin；

I　am　sure。　Fly！　Save　yourselves！　Ah！I　have　still　my　silver

buckles　left；　and　half…a…dozen　silver　spoons　and　forks；　the　first

I　ever　had　in　my　life。　But　I　have　nothing　else　except　my　life

annuity；　twelve　hundred　francs　。　。　。〃



〃Then　what　has　become　of　your　money　in　the　funds？〃



〃I　sold　out；　and　only　kept　a　trifle　for　my　wants。　I　wanted　twelve

thousand　francs　to　furnish　some　rooms　for　Delphine。〃



〃In　your　own　house？〃　asked　Mme。　de　Restaud；　looking　at　her

sister。



〃What　does　it　matter　where　they　were？〃　asked　Goriot。　〃The　money

is　spent　now。〃



〃I　see　how　it　is；〃　said　the　Countess。　〃Rooms　for　M。　de　Rastignac。

Poor　Delphine；　take　warning　by　me！〃



〃M。　de　Rastignac　is　incapable　of　ruining　the　woman　he　loves；

dear。〃



〃Thanks！　Delphine。　I　thought　you　would　have　been　kinder　to　me　in

my　troubles；　but　you　never　did　love　me。〃



〃Yes；　yes；　she　loves　you；　Nasie；〃　cried　Goriot；　〃she　was　saying

so　only　just　now。　We　were　talking　about　you；　and　she　insisted

that　you　were　beautiful；　and　that　she　herself　was　only　pretty！〃



〃Pretty！〃　said　the　Countess。　〃She　is　as　hard　as　a　marble　statue。〃



〃And　if　I　am？〃　cried　Delphine；　flushing　up；　〃how　have　you　treated

me？　You　would　not　recognize　me；　you　closed　the　doors　of　every

house　against　me；　you　have　never　let　an　opportunity　of　mortifying

me　slip　by。　And　when　did　I　come；　as　you　were　always　doing；　to

drain　our　poor　father；　a　thousand　francs　at　a　time；　till　he　is

left　as　you　see　him　now？　That　is　all　your　doing；　sister！　I　myself

have　seen　my　father　as　often　as　I　could。　I　have　not　turned　him

out　of　the　house；　and　then　come　and　fawned　upon　him　when　I　wanted

money。　I　did　not　so　much　as　know　that　he　had　spent　those　twelve

thousand　francs　on　me。　I　am　economical；　as　you　know；　and　when

papa　has　made　me　presents；　it　has　never　been　because　I　came　and

begged　for　them。〃



〃You　were　better　off　than　I。　M。　de　Marsay　was　rich；　as　you　have

reason　to　know。　You　always　were　as　slippery　as　gold。　Good…bye；　I

have　neither　sister　nor〃



〃Oh！　hush；　hush；　Nasie！〃　cried　her　father。



〃Nobody　else　would　repeat　what　everybody　has　ceased　to　believe。

You　are　an　unnatural　sister！〃　cried　Delphine。



〃Oh；　children；　children！　hush！　hush！　or　I　will　kill　myself　before

your　eyes。〃



〃There；　Nasie；　I　forgive　you；〃　said　Mme。　de　Nucingen；　〃you　are

very　unhappy。　But　I　am　kinder　than　you　are。　How　could　you　say

THAT　just　when　I　was　ready　to　do　anything　in　the　world　to　help

you；　even　to　be　reconciled　with　my　husband；　which　for　my　own　sake

I　Oh！　it　is　just　like　you；　you　have　behaved　cruelly　to　me　all

through　these　nine　years。〃



〃Children；　children；　kiss　each　other！〃　cried　the　father。　〃You　are

angels；　both　of　you。〃



〃No。　Let　me　alone；〃　cried　the　Countess　shaking　off　the　hand　that

her　father　had　laid　on　her　arm。　〃She　is　more　merciless　than　my

husband。　Any　one　might　think　she　was　a　model　of　all　the　virtues

herself！〃



〃I　would　rather　have　people　think　that　I　owed　money　to　M。　de

Marsay　than　own　that　M。　de　Trailles　had　cost　me　more　than　two

hundred　thousand　francs；〃　retorted　Mme。　de　Nucingen。



〃DELPHINE！〃　cried　the　Countess；　stepping　towards　her　sister。



〃I　shall　tell　you　the　truth　about　yourself　if　you　begin　to

slander　me；〃　said　the　Baroness　coldly。



〃Delphine！　you　are　a　〃



Father　Goriot　sprang　between　them；　grasped　the　Countess'　hand；

and　laid　his　own　over　her　mouth。



〃Good　heavens；　father！　What　have　you　been　handling　this　morning？〃

said　Anastasie。



〃Ah！　well；　yes；　I　ought　not　to　have　touched　you；〃　said　the　poor

father；　wiping　his　hands　on　his　trousers；　〃but　I　have　been

packing　up　my　things；　I　did　not　know　that　you　were　coming　to　see

me。〃



He　was　glad　that　he　had　drawn　down　her　wrath　upon　himself。



〃Ah！〃　he　sighed；　as　he　sat　down；　〃you　children　have　broken　my

heart　between　you。　This　is　killing　me。　My　head　feels　as　if　it

were　on　fire。　Be　good　to　each　other　and　love　each　other！　This

will　be　the　death　of　me！　Delphine！　Nasie！　come；　be　sensible；　you

are　both　in　the　wrong。　Come；　Dedel；〃　he　added；　looking　through

his　tears　at　the　Baroness；　〃she　must　have　twelve　thousand　francs；

you　see；　let　us　see　if　we　can　find　them　for　her。　Oh；　my　girls；　do

not　look　at　each　other　like　that！〃　and　he　sank　on　his　knees

beside　Delphine。　〃Ask　her　to　forgive　youjust　to　please　me；〃　he

said　in　her　ear。　〃She　is　more　miserable　than　you　are。　Come　now；

Dedel。〃



〃Poor　Nasie！〃　said　Delphine；　alarmed　at　the　wild　extravagant

grief　in　her　father's　face；　〃I　was　in　the　wrong；　kiss　me〃



〃Ah！　that　is　like　balm　to　my　heart；〃　cried　Father　Goriot。　〃But

how　are　we　to　find　twelve　thousand　francs？　I　might　offer　myself

as　a　substitute　in　the　army〃



〃Oh！　father　dear！〃　they　both　cried；　flinging　their　arms　about

him。　〃No；　no！〃



〃God　reward　you　for　the　thought。　We　are　not　worth　it；　are　we；

Nasie？〃　asked　Delphine。



〃And　besides；　father　dear；　it　would　only　be　a　drop　in　the

bucket；〃　observed　the　Countess。



〃But　is　flesh　and　blood　worth　nothing？〃　cried　the　old　man　in　his

despair。　〃I　would　give　body　and　soul　to　save　you；　Nasie。　I　would

do　a　murder　for　the　man　who　would　rescue　you。　I　would　do；　as

Vautrin　did；　go　to　the　hulks；　go〃　he　stopped　as　if　struck　by

a　thunderbolt；　and　put　both　hands　to　his　head。　〃Nothing　left！〃　he

cried；　tearing　his　hair。　〃If　I　only　knew　of　a　way　to　steal　money；

but　it　is　so　hard　to　do　it；　and　then　you　can't　set　to　work　by

yourself；　and　it　takes　time　to　rob　a　bank。　Yes；　it　is　time　I　was

dead；　there　is　nothing　left　me　to　do　but　to　die。　I　am　no　good　in

the　world；　I　am　no　longer　a　father！　No。　She　has　come　to　me　in　her

extremity；　and；　wretch　that　I　am；　I　have　not