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第66章

father goriot-第66章

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only one I can trust here among all these。 Oh; my friend; when

you love; love a woman whom you are sure that you can love

always。 Never forsake a woman。〃



She took Rastignac's arm; and went towards a sofa in the card…

room。



〃I want you to go to the Marquis;〃 she said。 〃Jacques; my

footman; will go with you; he has a letter that you will take。 I

am asking the Marquis to give my letters back to me。 He will give

them all up; I like to think that。 When you have my letters; go

up to my room with them。 Some one shall bring me word。〃



She rose to go to meet the Duchesse de Langeais; her most

intimate friend; who had come like the rest of the world。



Rastignac went。 He asked for the Marquis d'Ajuda at the Hotel

Rochefide; feeling certain that the latter would be spending his

evening there; and so it proved。 The Marquis went to his own

house with Rastignac; and gave a casket to the student; saying as

he did so; 〃They are all there。〃



He seemed as if he was about to say something to Eugene; to ask

about the ball; or the Vicomtesse; perhaps he was on the brink of

the confession that; even then; he was in despair; and knew that

his marriage had been a fatal mistake; but a proud gleam shone in

his eyes; and with deplorable courage he kept his noblest

feelings a secret。



〃Do not even mention my name to her; my dear Eugene。〃 He grasped

Rastignac's hand sadly and affectionately; and turned away from

him。 Eugene went back to the Hotel Beauseant; the servant took

him to the Vicomtesse's room。 There were signs there of

preparations for a journey。 He sat down by the fire; fixed his

eyes on the cedar wood casket; and fell into deep mournful

musings。 Mme。 de Beauseant loomed large in these imaginings; like

a goddess in the Iliad。



〃Ah! my friend! 。 。 。〃 said the Vicomtesse; she crossed the room

and laid her hand on Rastignac's shoulder。 He saw the tears in

his cousin's uplifted eyes; saw that one hand was raised to take

the casket; and that the fingers of the other trembled。 Suddenly

she took the casket; put it in the fire; and watched it burn。



〃They are dancing;〃 she said。 〃They all came very early; but

death will be long in coming。 Hush! my friend;〃 and she laid a

finger on Rastignac's lips; seeing that he was about to speak。 〃I

shall never see Paris again。 I am taking my leave of the world。

At five o'clock this morning I shall set out on my journey; I

mean to bury myself in the remotest part of Normandy。 I have had

very little time to make my arrangements; since three o'clock

this afternoon I have been busy signing documents; setting my

affairs in order; there was no one whom I could send to 。 。 。〃



She broke off。



〃He was sure to be 。 。 。〃



Again she broke off; the weight of her sorrow was more than she

could bear。 In such moments as these everything is agony; and

some words are impossible to utter。



〃And so I counted upon you to do me this last piece of service

this evening;〃 she said。 〃I should like to give you some pledge

of friendship。 I shall often think of you。 You have seemed to me

to be kind and noble; fresh…hearted and true; in this world where

such qualities are seldom found。 I should like you to think

sometimes of me。 Stay;〃 she said; glancing about her; 〃there is

this box that has held my gloves。 Every time I opened it before

going to a ball or to the theatre; I used to feel that I must be

beautiful; because I was so happy; and I never touched it except

to lay some gracious memory in it: there is so much of my old

self in it; of a Madame de Beauseant who now lives no longer。

Will you take it? I will leave directions that it is to be sent

to you in the Rue d'Artois。Mme。 de Nucingen looked very

charming this evening。 Eugene; you must love her。 Perhaps we may

never see each other again; my friend; but be sure of this; that

I shall pray for you who have been kind to me。Now; let us go

downstairs。 People shall not think that I am weeping。 I have all

time and eternity before me; and where I am going I shall be

alone; and no one will ask me the reason of my tears。 One last

look round first。〃



She stood for a moment。 Then she covered her eyes with her hands

for an instant; dashed away the tears; bathed her face with cold

water; and took the student's arm。



〃Let us go!〃 she said。



This suffering; endured with such noble fortitude; shook Eugene

with a more violent emotion than he had felt before。 They went

back to the ballroom; and Mme。 de Beauseant went through the

rooms on Eugene's armthe last delicately gracious act of a

gracious woman。 In another moment he saw the sisters; Mme。 de

Restaud and Mme。 de Nucingen。 The Countess shone in all the glory

of her magnificent diamonds; every stone must have scorched like

fire; she was never to wear them again。 Strong as love and pride

might be in her; she found it difficult to meet her husband's

eyes。 The sight of her was scarcely calculated to lighten

Rastignac's sad thougths; through the blaze of those diamonds he

seemed to see the wretched pallet…bed on which Father Goriot was

lying。 The Vicomtesse misread his melancholy; she withdrew her

hand from his arm。



〃Come;〃 she said; 〃I must not deprive you of a pleasure。〃



Eugene was soon claimed by Delphine。 She was delighted by the

impression that she had made; and eager to lay at her lover's

feet the homage she had received in this new world in which she

hoped to live and move henceforth。



〃What do you think of Nasie?〃 she asked him。



〃She has discounted everything; even her own father's death;〃

said Rastignac。



Towards four o'clock in the morning the rooms began to empty。 A

little later the music ceased; and the Duchesse de Langeais and

Rastignac were left in the great ballroom。 The Vicomtesse; who

thought to find the student there alone; came back there at last。

She had taken leave of M。 de Beauseant; who had gone off to bed;

saying again as he went; 〃It is a great pity; my dear; to shut

yourself up at your age! Pray stay among us。〃



Mme。 de Beauseant saw the Duchesse; and; in spite of herself; an

exclamation broke from her。



〃I saw how it was; Clara;〃 said Mme。 de Langeais。 〃You are going

from among us; and you will never come back。 But you must not go

until you have heard me; until we have understood each other。〃



She took her friend's arm; and they went together into the next

room。 There the Duchess looked at her with tears in her eyes; she

held her friend in close embrace and kissed her cheek。



〃I could not let you go without a word; dearest; the remorse

would have been too hard to bear。 You can count upon me as surely

as upon yourself。 You have shown yourself great this evening; I

feel that I am worthy of our friendship; and I mean to prove

myself worthy of it。 I have not always been kind; I was in the

wrong; forgive me; dearest; I wish I could unsay anything that

may have hurt you; I take back those words。 One common sorrow has

brought us together again; for I do not know which of us is the

more miserable。 M。 de Montriveau was not here to…night; do you

understand what that means?None of those who saw you to…night;

Clara; will ever forget you。 I mean to make one last effort。 If I

fail; I shall go into a convent。 Clara; where are you going?〃



〃Into Normandy; to Courcelles。 I shall love and pray there until

the day when God shall take me from this world。M。 de

Rastignac!〃 called the Vicomtesse; in a tremulous voice;

remembering that the young man was waiting there。



The student knelt to kiss his cousin's hand。



〃Good…bye; Antoinette!〃 said Mme。 de Beauseant。 〃May you be

happy。〃She turned to the student。 〃You are young;〃 she said;

〃you have some beliefs still left。 I have been privileged; like

some dying people; to find sincere and reverent feeling in those

about me as I take my leave of this world。〃



It was nearly five o'clock that morning when Rastignac came away。

He had put

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