eugenie grandet(欧也妮·葛朗台)-第32章

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the　affairs　of　Grandet　of　Paris；　was　enough　to　avert　the　shame　of
protested　notes　from　the　memory　of　the　defunct　merchant。　The　seals　on
the　property　were　taken　off　in　presence　of　the　creditors；　and　the
notary　employed　by　Grandet　went　to　work　at　once　on　the　inventory　of
the　assets。　Soon　after　this；　des　Grassins　called　a　meeting　of　the
creditors；　who　unanimously　elected　him；　conjointly　with　Francois
Keller；　the　head　of　a　rich　banking…house　and　one　of　those　principally
interested　in　the　affair；　as　liquidators；　with　full　power　to　protect
both　the　honor　of　the　family　and　the　interests　of　the　claimants。　The
credit　of　Grandet　of　Saumur；　the　hopes　he　diffused　by　means　of　des
Grassins　in　the　minds　of　all　concerned；　facilitated　the　transactions。
Not　a　single　creditor　proved　recalcitrant；　no　one　thought　of　passing
his　claim　to　his　profit…and…loss　account；　each　and　all　said
confidently；　〃Grandet　of　Saumur　will　pay。〃
Six　months　went　by。　The　Parisians　had　redeemed　the　notes　in
circulation　as　they　fell　due；　and　held　them　under　lock　and　key　in
their　desks。　First　result　aimed　at　by　the　old　cooper！　Nine　months
after　this　preliminary　meeting；　the　two　liquidators　distributed　forty…
seven　per　cent　to　each　creditor　on　his　claim。　This　amount　was　obtained
by　the　sale　of　the　securities；　property；　and　possessions　of　all　kinds
belonging　to　the　late　Guillaume　Grandet；　and　was　paid　over　with
scrupulous　fidelity。　Unimpeachable　integrity　was　shown　in　the
transaction。　The　creditors　gratefully　acknowledged　the　remarkable　and
incontestable　honor　displayed　by　the　Grandets。　When　these　praises　had
circulated　for　a　certain　length　of　time；　the　creditors　asked　for　the
rest　of　their　money。　It　became　necessary　to　write　a　collective　letter
to　Grandet　of　Saumur。
〃Here　it　comes！〃　said　the　old　man　as　he　threw　the　letter　into　the
fire。　〃Patience；　my　good　friends！〃
In　answer　to　the　proposals　contained　in　the　letter；　Grandet　of　Saumur
demanded　that　all　vouchers　for　claims　against　the　estate　of　his
brother　should　be　deposited　with　a　notary；　together　with　aquittances
for　the　forty…seven　per　cent　already　paid；　he　made　this　demand　under
pretence　of　sifting　the　accounts　and　finding　out　the　exact　condition
of　the　estate。　It　roused　at　once　a　variety　of　difficulties。　Generally
speaking；　the　creditor　is　a　species　of　maniac；　ready　to　agree　to
anything　one　day；　on　the　next　breathing　fire　and　slaughter；　later　on；
he　grows　amicable　and　easy…going。　To…day　his　wife　is　good…humored；　his
last　baby　has　cut　its　first　tooth；　all　is　well　at　home；　and　he　is
determined　not　to　lose　a　sou；　on　the　morrow　it　rains；　he　can't　go　out；
he　is　gloomy；　he　says　yes　to　any　proposal　that　is　made　to　him；　so　long
as　it　will　put　an　end　to　the　affair；　on　the　third　day　he　declares　he
must　have　guarantees；　by　the　end　of　the　month　he　wants　his　debtor's
head；　and　becomes　at　heart　an　executioner。　The　creditor　is　a　good　deal
like　the　sparrow　on　whose　tail　confiding　children　are　invited　to　put
salt；with　this　difference；　that　he　applies　the　image　to　his　claim；
the　proceeds　of　which　he　is　never　able　to　lay　hold　of。　Grandet　had
studied　the　atmospheric　variations　of　creditors；　and　the　creditors　of
his　brother　justified　all　his　calculations。　Some　were　angry；　and
flatly　refused　to　give　in　their　vouchers。
〃Very　good；　so　much　the　better；〃　said　Grandet；　rubbing　his　hands　over
the　letter　in　which　des　Grassins　announced　the　fact。
Others　agreed　to　the　demand；　but　only　on　condition　that　their　rights
should　be　fully　guaranteed；　they　renounced　none；　and　even　reserved　the
power　of　ultimately　compelling　a　failure。　On　this　began　a　long
correspondence；　which　ended　in　Grandet　of　Saumur　agreeing　to　all
conditions。　By　means　of　this　concession　the　placable　creditors　were
able　to　bring　the　dissatisfied　creditors　to　reason。　The　deposit　was
then　made；　but　not　without　sundry　complaints。
〃Your　goodman；〃　they　said　to　des　Grassins；　〃is　tricking　us。〃
Twenty…three　months　after　the　death　of　Guillaume　Grandet　many　of　the
creditors；　carried　away　by　more　pressing　business　in　the　markets　of
Paris；　had　forgotten　their　Grandet　claims；　or　only　thought　of　them　to
say：
〃I　begin　to　believe　that　forty…seven　per　cent　is　all　I　shall　ever　get
out　of　that　affair。〃
The　old　cooper　had　calculated　on　the　power　of　time；　which；　as　he　used
to　say；　is　a　pretty　good　devil　after　all。　By　the　end　of　the　third　year
des　Grassins　wrote　to　Grandet　that　he　had　brought　the　creditors　to
agree　to　give　up　their　claims　for　ten　per　cent　on　the　two　million　four
hundred　thousand　francs　still　due　by　the　house　of　Grandet。　Grandet
answered　that　the　notary　and　the　broker　whose　shameful　failures　had
caused　the　death　of　his　brother　were　still　living；　that　they　might　now
have　recovered　their　credit；　and　that　they　ought　to　be　sued；　so　as　to
get　something　out　of　them　towards　lessening　the　total　of　the　deficit。
By　the　end　of　the　fourth　year　the　liabilities　were　definitely
estimated　at　a　sum　of　twelve　hundred　thousand　francs。　Many
negotiations；　lasting　over　six　months；　took　place　between　the
creditors　and　the　liquidators；　and　between　the　liquidators　and
Grandet。　To　make　a　long　story　short；　Grandet　of　Saumur；　anxious　by
this　time　to　get　out　of　the　affair；　told　the　liquidators；　about　the
ninth　month　of　the　fourth　year；　that　his　nephew　had　made　a　fortune　in
the　Indies　and　was　disposed　to　pay　his　father's　debts　in　full；　he
therefore　could　not　take　upon　himself　to　make　any　settlement　without
previously　consulting　him；　he　had　written　to　him；　and　was　expecting　an
answer。　The　creditors　were　held　in　check　until　the　middle　of　the　fifth
year　by　the　words；　〃payment　in　full；〃　which　the　wily　old　miser　threw
out　from　time　to　time　as　he　laughed　in　his　beard；　saying　with　a　smile
and　an　oath；　〃Those　Parisians！〃
But　the　creditors　were　reserved　for　a　fate　unexampled　in　the　annals　of
commerce。　When　the　events　of　this　history　bring　them　once　more　into
notice；　they　will　be　found　still　in　the　position　Grandet　had　resolved
to　force　them　into　from　the　first。
As　soon　as　the　Funds　reached　a　hundred　and　fifteen；　Pere　Grandet　sold
out　his　interests　and　withdrew　two　million　four　hundred　thousand
francs　in　gold；　to　which　he　added；　in　his　coffers；　the　six　hundred
thousand　francs　compound　interest　which　he　had　derived　from　the
capital。　Des　Grassins　now　lived　in　Paris。　In　the　first　place　he　had
been　made　a　deputy；　then　he　became　infatuated　（father　of　a　family　as
he　was；　though　horribly　bored　by　the　provincial　life　of　Saumur）　with　a
pretty　actress　at　the　Theatre　de　Madame；　known　as　Florine；　and　he
presently　relapsed　into　the　old　habits　of　his　army　life。　It　is　useless
to　speak　of　his　conduct；　Saumur　considered　it　profoundly　immoral。　His
wife　was　fortunate　in　the　fact　of　her　property　being　settled　upon
herself；　and　in　having　sufficient　ability　to　keep　up　the　banking…house
in　Saumur；　which　was　managed　in　her　name　and　repaired　the　breach　in
her　fortune　caused　by　the　extravagance　of　her　husband。　The　Cruchotines
made　so　much　talk　about　the　false　position　of　the　quasi…widow　that　she
married　her　daughter　very　badly；　and　was　forced　to　give　up　all　hope　of
an　alliance　between　Eugenie　Grandet　and　her　son。　Adolphe　joined　his
father　in　Paris　and　became；　it　was　said；　a　worthless　fellow。　The
Cruchots　triumphed。
〃Your　husband　hasn't　common　sense；〃　said　Grandet　as　he　lent　Madame　des
Grassins　some　money　on　a　note　securely　endorsed。　〃I　am　very　sorry　for
you；　for　you　are　a　good　little　woman。〃
〃Ah；　monsieur；〃　said　the　poor　lady；　〃who　could　have　believed　that　when
he　left　Saumur　to　go　to　Paris　on　your　business　he　was　going　to　his
ruin？〃
〃Heaven　is　my　witness；　madame；　that　up　to　the　last　moment　I　did　all　I
could　to　prevent　him　from　going。　Monsieur　le　president　was　most
anxious　to　take　his　place；　but　he　was　determined　to　go；　and　now　we　all
see　why。〃
In　this　way　Grandet　made　it　quite　plain　that　he　was　under　no
obligation　to　des　Grassins。
*****
In　all　situations　women　have　more　cause　for　suffering　than　men；　and
they　suffer　more。　Man　has　strength　and　the　power　of　exercising　it；　he
acts；　moves；　thinks；　occupies　himself；　he　looks　ahead；　and　sees
consolation　in　the　future。　It　was　thus　with　Charles。　But　the　woman
stays　at　home；　she　is　always　face　to　fa