father goriot-第7章

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

service　done　to　a　stranger　brings　its　reward　to　self…love。　Such

natures　feel　but　little　affection　for　those　who　are　nearest　to

them；　they　keep　their　kindness　for　remoter　circles　of

acquaintance；　and　show　most　to　those　who　dwell　on　its　utmost

limits。　Mme。　Vauquer　belonged　to　both　these　essentially　mean；

false；　and　execrable　classes。



〃If　I　had　been　there　at　the　time；〃　Vautrin　would　say　at　the　end

of　the　story；　I　would　have　shown　her　up；　and　that　misfortune

would　not　have　befallen　you。　I　know　that　kind　of　phiz！〃



Like　all　narrow　natures；　Mme。　Vauquer　was　wont　to　confine　her

attention　to　events；　and　did　not　go　very　deeply　into　the　causes

that　brought　them　about；　she　likewise　preferred　to　throw　the

blame　of　her　own　mistakes　on　other　people；　so　she　chose　to

consider　that　the　honest　vermicelli　maker　was　responsible　for　her

misfortune。　It　had　opened　her　eyes；　so　she　said；　with　regard　to

him。　As　soon　as　she　saw　that　her　blandishments　were　in　vain；　and

that　her　outlay　on　her　toilette　was　money　thrown　away；　she　was

not　slow　to　discover　the　reason　of　his　indifference。　It　became

plain　to　her　at　once　that　there　was　SOME　OTHER　ATTRACTION；　to　use

her　own　expression。　In　short；　it　was　evident　that　the　hope　she

had　so　fondly　cherished　was　a　baseless　delusion；　and　that　she

would　〃never　make　anything　out　of　that　man　yonder；〃　in　the

Countess'　forcible　phrase。　The　Countess　seemed　to　have　been　a

judge　of　character。　Mme。　Vauquer's　aversion　was　naturally　more

energetic　than　her　friendship；　for　her　hatred　was　not　in

proportion　to　her　love；　but　to　her　disappointed　expectations。　The

human　heart　may　find　here　and　there　a　resting…place　short　of　the

highest　height　of　affection；　but　we　seldom　stop　in　the　steep；

downward　slope　of　hatred。　Still；　M。　Goriot　was　a　lodger；　and　the

widow's　wounded　self…love　could　not　vent　itself　in　an　explosion

of　wrath；　like　a　monk　harassed　by　the　prior　of　his　convent；　she

was　forced　to　stifle　her　sighs　of　disappointment；　and　to　gulp

down　her　craving　for　revenge。　Little　minds　find　gratification　for

their　feelings；　benevolent　or　otherwise；　by　a　constant　exercise

of　petty　ingenuity。　The　widow　employed　her　woman's　malice　to

devise　a　system　of　covert　persecution。　She　began　by　a　course　of

retrenchmentvarious　luxuries　which　had　found　their　way　to　the

table　appeared　there　no　more。



〃No　more　gherkins；　no　more　anchovies；　they　have　made　a　fool　of

me！〃　she　said　to　Sylvie　one　morning；　and　they　returned　to　the　old

bill　of　fare。



The　thrifty　frugality　necessary　to　those　who　mean　to　make　their

way　in　the　world　had　become　an　inveterate　habit　of　life　with　M。

Goriot。　Soup；　boiled　beef；　and　a　dish　of　vegetables　had　been；　and

always　would　be；　the　dinner　he　liked　best；　so　Mme。　Vauquer　found

it　very　difficult　to　annoy　a　boarder　whose　tastes　were　so　simple。

He　was　proof　against　her　malice；　and　in　desperation　she　spoke　to

him　and　of　him　slightingly　before　the　other　lodgers；　who　began　to

amuse　themselves　at　his　expense；　and　so　gratified　her　desire　for

revenge。



Towards　the　end　of　the　first　year　the　widow's　suspicions　had

reached　such　a　pitch　that　she　began　to　wonder　how　it　was　that　a

retired　merchant　with　a　secure　income　of　seven　or　eight　thousand

livres；　the　owner　of　such　magnificent　plate　and　jewelry　handsome

enough　for　a　kept　mistress；　should　be　living　in　her　house。　Why

should　he　devote　so　small　a　proportion　of　his　money　to　his

expenses？　Until　the　first　year　was　nearly　at　an　end；　Goriot　had

dined　out　once　or　twice　every　week；　but　these　occasions　came　less

frequently；　and　at　last　he　was　scarcely　absent　from　the　dinner…

table　twice　a　month。　It　was　hardly　expected　that　Mme。　Vauquer

should　regard　the　increased　regularity　of　her　boarder's　habits

with　complacency；　when　those　little　excursions　of　his　had　been　so

much　to　her　interest。　She　attributed　the　change　not　so　much　to　a

gradual　diminution　of　fortune　as　to　a　spiteful　wish　to　annoy　his

hostess。　It　is　one　of　the　most　detestable　habits　of　a　Liliputian

mind　to　credit　other　people　with　its　own　malignant　pettiness。



Unluckily；　towards　the　end　of　the　second　year；　M。　Goriot's

conduct　gave　some　color　to　the　idle　talk　about　him。　He　asked　Mme。

Vauquer　to　give　him　a　room　on　the　second　floor；　and　to　make　a

corresponding　reduction　in　her　charges。　Apparently；　such　strict

economy　was　called　for；　that　he　did　without　a　fire　all　through

the　winter。　Mme。　Vauquer　asked　to　be　paid　in　advance；　an

arrangement　to　which　M。　Goriot　consented；　and　thenceforward　she

spoke　of　him　as　〃Father　Goriot。〃



What　had　brought　about　this　decline　and　fall？　Conjecture　was

keen；　but　investigation　was　difficult。　Father　Goriot　was　not

communicative；　in　the　sham　countess'　phrase　he　was　〃a

curmudgeon。〃　Empty…headed　people　who　babble　about　their　own

affairs　because　they　have　nothing　else　to　occupy　them；　naturally

conclude　that　if　people　say　nothing　of　their　doings　it　is　because

their　doings　will　not　bear　being　talked　about；　so　the　highly

respectable　merchant　became　a　scoundrel；　and　the　late　beau　was　an

old　rogue。　Opinion　fluctuated。　Sometimes；　according　to　Vautrin；

who　came　about　this　time　to　live　in　the　Maison　Vauquer；　Father

Goriot　was　a　man　who　went　on　'Change　and　DABBLED　（to　use　the

sufficiently　expressive　language　of　the　Stock　Exchange）　in　stocks

and　shares　after　he　had　ruined　himself　by　heavy　speculation。

Sometimes　it　was　held　that　he　was　one　of　those　petty　gamblers　who

nightly　play　for　small　stakes　until　they　win　a　few　francs。　A

theory　that　he　was　a　detective　in　the　employ　of　the　Home　Office

found　favor　at　one　time；　but　Vautrin　urged　that　〃Goriot　was　not

sharp　enough　for　one　of　that　sort。〃　There　were　yet　other

solutions；　Father　Goriot　was　a　skinflint；　a　shark　of　a　money…

lender；　a　man　who　lived　by　selling　lottery　tickets。　He　was　by

turns　all　the　most　mysterious　brood　of　vice　and　shame　and　misery；

yet；　however　vile　his　life　might　be；　the　feeling　of　repulsion

which　he　aroused　in　others　was　not　so　strong　that　he　must　be

banished　from　their　societyhe　paid　his　way。　Besides；　Goriot　had

his　uses；　every　one　vented　his　spleen　or　sharpened　his　wit　on

him；　he　was　pelted　with　jokes　and　belabored　with　hard　words。　The

general　consensus　of　opinion　was　in　favor　of　a　theory　which

seemed　the　most　likely；　this　was　Mme。　Vauquer's　view。　According

to　her；　the　man　so　well　preserved　at　his　time　of　life；　as　sound

as　her　eyesight；　with　whom　a　woman　might　be　very　happy；　was　a

libertine　who　had　strange　tastes。　These　are　the　facts　upon　which

Mme。　Vauquer's　slanders　were　based。



Early　one　morning；　some　few　months　after　the　departure　of　the

unlucky　Countess　who　had　managed　to　live　for　six　months　at　the

widow's　expense；　Mme。　Vauquer　（not　yet　dressed）　heard　the　rustle

of　a　silk　dress　and　a　young　woman's　light　footstep　on　the　stair；

some　one　was　going　to　Goriot's　room。　He　seemed　to　expect　the

visit；　for　his　door　stood　ajar。　The　portly　Sylvie　presently　came

up　to　tell　her　mistress　that　a　girl　too　pretty　to　be　honest；

〃dressed　like　a　goddess；〃　and　not　a　speck　of　mud　on　her　laced

cashmere　boots；　had　glided　in　from　the　street　like　a　snake；　had

found　the　kitchen；　and　asked　for　M。　Goriot's　room。　Mme。　Vauquer

and　the　cook；　listening；　overheard　several　words　affectionately

spoken　during　the　visit；　which　lasted　for　some　time。　When　M。

Goriot　went　downstairs　with　the　lady；　the　stout　Sylvie　forthwith

took　her　basket　and　followed　the　lover…like　couple；　under　pretext

of　going　to　do　her　marketing。



〃M。　Goriot　must　be　awfully　rich；　all　the　same；　madame；〃　she

reported　on　her　return；　〃to　keep　her　in　such　style。　Just　imagine

it！　There　was　a　splendid　carriage　waiting　at　the　corner　of　the

Place　de　l'Estrapade；　and　SHE　got　into　it。〃



While　they　were　at　dinner　that　evening；　Mme。　Vauquer　went　to　the

window　and　drew　the　curtain；　as　the　sun　was　shining　into　Goriot's

eyes。



〃You　are　beloved　of　fair　ladies；　M。　Goriotthe　sun　seeks　you

ou