father goriot-第8章

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eyes。



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

out；〃　she　said；　alluding　to　his　visitor。　〃Peste！　you　have　good

taste；　she　was　very　pretty。〃



〃That　was　my　daughter；〃　he　said；　with　a　kind　of　pride　in　his

voice；　and　the　rest　chose　to　consider　this　as　the　fatuity　of　an

old　man　who　wishes　to　save　appearances。



A　month　after　this　visit　M。　Goriot　received　another。　The　same

daughter　who　had　come　to　see　him　that　morning　came　again　after

dinner；　this　time　in　evening　dress。　The　boarders；　in　deep

discussion　in　the　dining…room；　caught　a　glimpse　of　a　lovely；

fair…haired　woman；　slender；　graceful；　and　much　too　distinguished…

looking　to　be　a　daughter　of　Father　Goriot's。



〃Two　of　them！〃　cried　the　portly　Sylvie；　who　did　not　recognize　the

lady　of　the　first　visit。



A　few　days　later；　and　another　young　ladya　tall；　well…moulded

brunette；　with　dark　hair　and　bright　eyescame　to　ask　for　M。

Goriot。



〃Three　of　them！〃　said　Sylvie。



Then　the　second　daughter；　who　had　first　come　in　the　morning　to

see　her　father；　came　shortly　afterwards　in　the　evening。　She　wore

a　ball　dress；　and　came　in　a　carriage。



〃Four　of　them！〃　commented　Mme。　Vauquer　and　her　plump　handmaid。

Sylvie　saw　not　a　trace　of　resemblance　between　this　great　lady　and

the　girl　in　her　simple　morning　dress　who　had　entered　her　kitchen

on　the　occasion　of　her　first　visit。



At　that　time　Goriot　was　paying　twelve　hundred　francs　a　year　to

his　landlady；　and　Mme。　Vauquer　saw　nothing　out　of　the　common　in

the　fact　that　a　rich　man　had　four　or　five　mistresses；　nay；　she

thought　it　very　knowing　of　him　to　pass　them　off　as　his　daughters。

She　was　not　at　all　inclined　to　draw　a　hard…and…fast　line；　or　to

take　umbrage　at　his　sending　for　them　to　the　Maison　Vauquer；　yet；

inasmuch　as　these　visits　explained　her　boarder's　indifference　to

her；　she　went　so　far　（at　the　end　of　the　second　year）　as　to　speak

of　him　as　an　〃ugly　old　wretch。〃　When　at　length　her　boarder

declined　to　nine　hundred　francs　a　year；　she　asked　him　very

insolently　what　he　took　her　house　to　be；　after　meeting　one　of

these　ladies　on　he　stairs。　Father　Goriot　answered　that　the　lady

was　his　eldest　daughter。



〃So　you　have　two　or　three　dozen　daughters；　have　you？〃　said　Mme。

Vauquer　sharply。



〃I　have　only　two；〃　her　boarder　answered　meekly；　like　a　ruined　man

who　is　broken　in　to　all　the　cruel　usage　of　misfortune。







Towards　the　end　of　the　third　year　Father　Goriot　reduced　his

expenses　still　further；　he　went　up　to　the　third　story；　and　now

paid　forty…five　francs　a　month。　He　did　without　snuff；　told　his

hairdresser　that　he　no　longer　required　his　services；　and　gave　up

wearing　powder。　When　Goriot　appeared　for　the　first　time　in　this

condition；　an　exclamation　of　astonishment　broke　from　his　hostess

at　the　color　of　his　haira　dingy　olive　gray。　He　had　grown　sadder

day　by　day　under　the　influence　of　some　hidden　trouble；　among　all

the　faces　round　the　table；　his　was　the　most　woe…begone。　There　was

no　longer　any　doubt。　Goriot　was　an　elderly　libertine；　whose　eyes

had　only　been　preserved　by　the　skill　of　the　physician　from　the

malign　influence　of　the　remedies　necessitated　by　the　state　of　his

health。　The　disgusting　color　of　his　hair　was　a　result　of　his

excesses　and　of　the　drugs　which　he　had　taken　that　he　might

continue　his　career。　The　poor　old　man's　mental　and　physical

condition　afforded　some　grounds　for　the　absurd　rubbish　talked

about　him。　When　his　outfit　was　worn　out；　he　replaced　the　fine

linen　by　calico　at　fourteen　sous　the　ell。　His　diamonds；　his　gold

snuff…box；　watch…chain　and　trinkets；　disappeared　one　by　one。　He

had　left　off　wearing　the　corn…flower　blue　coat；　and　was

sumptuously　arrayed；　summer　as　well　as　winter；　in　a　coarse

chestnut…brown　coat；　a　plush　waistcoat；　and　doeskin　breeches。　He

grew　thinner　and　thinner；　his　legs　were　shrunken；　his　cheeks；

once　so　puffed　out　by　contented　bourgeois　prosperity；　were

covered　with　wrinkles；　and　the　outlines　of　the　jawbones　were

distinctly　visible；　there　were　deep　furrows　in　his　forehead。　In

the　fourth　year　of　his　residence　in　the　Rue　Neuve…Sainte…

Genevieve　he　was　no　longer　like　his　former　self。　The　hale

vermicelli　manufacturer；　sixty…two　years　of　age；　who　had　looked

scarce　forty；　the　stout；　comfortable；　prosperous　tradesman；　with

an　almost　bucolic　air；　and　such　a　brisk　demeanor　that　it　did　you

good　to　look　at　him；　the　man　with　something　boyish　in　his　smile；

had　suddenly　sunk　into　his　dotage；　and　had　become　a　feeble；

vacillating　septuagenarian。



The　keen；　bright　blue　eyes　had　grown　dull；　and　faded　to　a　steel…

gray　color；　the　red　inflamed　rims　looked　as　though　they　had　shed

tears　of　blood。　He　excited　feelings　of　repulsion　in　some；　and　of

pity　in　others。　The　young　medical　students　who　came　to　the　house

noticed　the　drooping　of　his　lower　lip　and　the　conformation　of　the

facial　angle；　and；　after　teasing　him　for　some　time　to　no　purpose；

they　declared　that　cretinism　was　setting　in。



One　evening　after　dinner　Mme。　Vauquer　said　half　banteringly　to

him；　〃So　those　daughters　of　yours　don't　come　to　see　you　any　more；

eh？〃　meaning　to　imply　her　doubts　as　to　his　paternity；　but　Father

Goriot　shrank　as　if　his　hostess　had　touched　him　with　a　sword…

point。



〃They　come　sometimes；〃　he　said　in　a　tremulous　voice。



〃Aha！　you　still　see　them　sometimes？〃　cried　the　students。　〃Bravo；

Father　Goriot！〃



The　old　man　scarcely　seemed　to　hear　the　witticisms　at　his　expense

that　followed　on　the　words；　he　had　relapsed　into　the　dreamy　state

of　mind　that　these　superficial　observers　took　for　senile　torpor；

due　to　his　lack　of　intelligence。　If　they　had　only　known；　they

might　have　been　deeply　interested　by　the　problem　of　his

condition；　but　few　problems　were　more　obscure。　It　was　easy；　of

course；　to　find　out　whether　Goriot　had　really　been　a　vermicelli

manufacturer；　the　amount　of　his　fortune　was　readily　discoverable；

but　the　old　people；　who　were　most　inquisitive　as　to　his　concerns；

never　went　beyond　the　limits　of　the　Quarter；　and　lived　in　the

lodging…house　much　as　oysters　cling　to　a　rock。　As　for　the　rest；

the　current　of　life　in　Paris　daily　awaited　them；　and　swept　them

away　with　it；　so　soon　as　they　left　the　Rue　Neuve…Sainte…

Genevieve；　they　forgot　the　existence　of　the　old　man；　their　butt

at　dinner。　For　those　narrow　souls；　or　for　careless　youth；　the

misery　in　Father　Goriot's　withered　face　and　its　dull　apathy　were

quite　incompatible　with　wealth　or　any　sort　of　intelligence。　As

for　the　creatures　whom　he　called　his　daughters；　all　Mme。

Vauquer's　boarders　were　of　her　opinion。　With　the　faculty　for

severe　logic　sedulously　cultivated　by　elderly　women　during　long

evenings　of　gossip　till　they　can　always　find　an　hypothesis　to　fit

all　circumstances；　she　was　wont　to　reason　thus：



〃If　Father　Goriot　had　daughters　of　his　own　as　rich　as　those

ladies　who　came　here　seemed　to　be；　he　would　not　be　lodging　in　my

house；　on　the　third　floor；　at　forty…five　francs　a　month；　and　he

would　not　go　about　dressed　like　a　poor　man。〃



No　objection　could　be　raised　to　these　inferences。　So　by　the　end

of　the　month　of　November　1819；　at　the　time　when　the　curtain　rises

on　this　drama；　every　one　in　the　house　had　come　to　have　a　very

decided　opinion　as　to　the　poor　old　man。　He　had　never　had　either

wife　or　daughter；　excesses　had　reduced　him　to　this　sluggish

condition；　he　was　a　sort　of　human　mollusk　who　should　be　classed

among　the　capulidoe；　so　one　of　the　dinner　contingent；　an　employe

at　the　Museum；　who　had　a　pretty　wit　of　his　own。　Poiret　was　an

eagle；　a　gentleman；　compared　with　Goriot。　Poiret　would　join　the

talk；　argue；　answer　when　he　was　spoken　to；　as　a　matter　of　fact；

his　talk；　arguments；　and　responses　contributed　nothing　to　the

conversation；　for　Poiret　had　a　habit　of　repeating　what　the　others

said　in　different　words；　still；　he　did　join　in　the　talk；　he　was

alive；　and　seemed　capable　of　feeling；　while　Father　Goriot　（to

quote　the　Museum　official　again）　was　invariably　at　zeroReaumur。



Eugene　de　R