eugenie grandet(欧也妮·葛朗台)-第35章

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else　to　swallow　up　the　money。　Perhaps　you　don't　like　to　part　with　your
gold；　hey；　my　girl？　Never　mind；　bring　it　to　me　all　the　same。　I'll　get
you　some　more　like　it；like　those　Dutch　coins　and　the　/portugaises/；
the　rupees　of　Mogul；　and　the　/genovines/；I'll　give　you　some　more　on
your　fete…days；　and　in　three　years　you'll　have　got　back　half　your
little　treasure。　What's　that　you　say？　Look　up；　now。　Come；　go　and　get
it；　the　precious　metal。　You　ought　to　kiss　me　on　the　eyelids　for
telling　you　the　secrets　and　the　mysteries　of　the　life　and　death　of
money。　Yes；　silver　and　gold　live　and　swarm　like　men；　they　come；　and
go；　and　sweat；　and　multiply〃
Eugenie　rose；　but　after　making　a　few　steps　towards　the　door　she　turned
abruptly；　looked　her　father　in　the　face；　and　said；
〃I　have　not　got　/my/　gold。〃
〃You　have　not　got　your　gold！〃　cried　Grandet；　starting　up　erect；　like　a
horse　that　hears　a　cannon　fired　beside　him。
〃No；　I　have　not　got　it。〃
〃You　are　mistaken；　Eugenie。〃
〃No。〃
〃By　the　shears　of　my　father！〃
Whenever　the　old　man　swore　that　oath　the　rafters　trembled。
〃Holy　Virgin！　Madame　is　turning　pale；〃　cried　Nanon。
〃Grandet；　your　anger　will　kill　me；〃　said　the　poor　mother。
〃Ta；　ta；　ta；　ta！　nonsense；　you　never　die　in　your　family！　Eugenie；　what
have　you　done　with　your　gold？〃　he　cried；　rushing　upon　her。
〃Monsieur；〃　said　the　daughter；　falling　at　Madame　Grandet's　knees；　〃my
mother　is　ill。　Look　at　her；　do　not　kill　her。〃
Grandet　was　frightened　by　the　pallor　which　overspread　his　wife's　face；
usually　so　yellow。
〃Nanon；　help　me　to　bed；〃　said　the　poor　woman　in　a　feeble　voice；　〃I　am
dying〃
Nanon　gave　her　mistress　an　arm；　Eugenie　gave　her　another；　but　it　was
only　with　infinite　difficulty　that　they　could　get　her　upstairs；　she
fell　with　exhaustion　at　every　step。　Grandet　remained　alone。　However；
in　a　few　moments　he　went　up　six　or　eight　stairs　and　called　out；
〃Eugenie；　when　your　mother　is　in　bed；　come　down。〃
〃Yes；　father。〃
She　soon　came；　after　reassuring　her　mother。
〃My　daughter；〃　said　Grandet；　〃you　will　now　tell　me　what　you　have　done
with　your　gold。〃
〃My　father；　if　you　make　me　presents　of　which　I　am　not　the　sole
mistress；　take　them　back；〃　she　answered　coldly；　picking　up　the
napoleon　from　the　chimney…piece　and　offering　it　to　him。
Grandet　seized　the　coin　and　slipped　it　into　his　breeches'　pocket。
〃I　shall　certainly　never　give　you　anything　again。　Not　so　much　as
that！〃　he　said；　clicking　his　thumb…nail　against　a　front　tooth。　〃Do　you
dare　to　despise　your　father？　have　you　no　confidence　in　him？　Don't　you
know　what　a　father　is？　If　he　is　nothing　for　you；　he　is　nothing　at　all。
Where　is　your　gold？〃
〃Father；　I　love　and　respect　you；　in　spite　of　your　anger；　but　I　humbly
ask　you　to　remember　that　I　am　twenty…three　years　old。　You　have　told　me
often　that　I　have　attained　my　majority；　and　I　do　not　forget　it。　I　have
used　my　money　as　I　chose　to　use　it；　and　you　may　be　sure　that　it　was
put　to　a　good　use〃
〃What　use？〃
〃That　is　an　inviolable　secret；〃　she　answered。　〃Have　you　no　secrets？〃
〃I　am　the　head　of　the　family；　I　have　my　own　affairs。〃
〃And　this　is　mine。〃
〃It　must　be　something　bad　if　you　can't　tell　it　to　your　father；
Mademoiselle　Grandet。〃
〃It　is　good；　and　I　cannot　tell　it　to　my　father。〃
〃At　least　you　can　tell　me　when　you　parted　with　your　gold？〃
Eugenie　made　a　negative　motion　with　her　head。
〃You　had　it　on　your　birthday；　hein？〃
She　grew　as　crafty　through　love　as　her　father　was　through　avarice；　and
reiterated　the　negative　sign。
〃Was　there　ever　such　obstinacy！　It's　a　theft；〃　cried　Grandet；　his
voice　going　up　in　a　crescendo　which　gradually　echoed　through　the
house。　〃What！　here；　in　my　own　home；　under　my　very　eyes；　somebody　has
taken　your　gold！the　only　gold　we　have！and　I'm　not　to　know　who　has
got　it！　Gold　is　a　precious　thing。　Virtuous　girls　go　wrong　sometimes；
and　giveI　don't　know　what；　they　do　it　among　the　great　people；　and
even　among　the　bourgeoisie。　But　give　their　gold！for　you　have　given
it　to　some　one；　hein？〃
Eugenie　was　silent　and　impassive。
〃Was　there　ever　such　a　daughter？　Is　it　possible　that　I　am　your　father？
If　you　have　invested　it　anywhere；　you　must　have　a　receipt〃
〃Was　I　freeyes　or　noto　do　what　I　would　with　my　own？　Was　it　not
mine？〃
〃You　are　a　child。〃
〃Of　age。〃
Dumbfounded　by　his　daughter's　logic；　Grandet　turned　pale　and　stamped
and　swore。　When　at　last　he　found　words；　he　cried：　〃Serpent！　Cursed
girl！　Ah；　deceitful　creature！　You　know　I　love　you；　and　you　take
advantage　of　it。　She'd　cut　her　father's　throat！　Good　God！　you've　given
our　fortune　to　that　ne'er…do…well；that　dandy　with　morocco　boots！　By
the　shears　of　my　father！　I　can't　disinherit　you；　but　I　curse　you；you
and　your　cousin　and　your　children！　Nothing　good　will　come　of　it！　Do
you　hear？　If　it　was　to　Charlesbut；　no；　it's　impossible。　What！　has
that　wretched　fellow　robbed　me？〃
He　looked　at　his　daughter；　who　continued　cold　and　silent。
〃She　won't　stir；　she　won't　flinch！　She's　more　Grandet　than　I'm
Grandet！　Ha！　you　have　not　given　your　gold　for　nothing？　Come；　speak　the
truth！〃
Eugenie　looked　at　her　father　with　a　sarcastic　expression　that　stung
him。
〃Eugenie；　you　are　here；　in　my　house；in　your　father's　house。　If　you
wish　to　stay　here；　you　must　submit　yourself　to　me。　The　priests　tell
you　to　obey　me。〃　Eugenie　bowed　her　head。　〃You　affront　me　in　all　I　hold
most　dear。　I　will　not　see　you　again　until　you　submit。　Go　to　your
chamber。　You　will　stay　there　till　I　give　you　permission　to　leave　it。
Nanon　will　bring　you　bread　and　water。　You　hear　mego！〃
Eugenie　burst　into　tears　and　fled　up　to　her　mother。　Grandet；　after
marching　two　or　three　times　round　the　garden　in　the　snow　without
heeding　the　cold；　suddenly　suspected　that　his　daughter　had　gone　to　her
mother；　only　too　happy　to　find　her　disobedient　to　his　orders；　he
climbed　the　stairs　with　the　agility　of　a　cat　and　appeared　in　Madame
Grandet's　room　just　as　she　was　stroking　Eugenie's　hair；　while　the
girl's　face　was　hidden　in　her　motherly　bosom。
〃Be　comforted；　my　poor　child；〃　she　was　saying；　〃your　father　will　get
over　it。〃
〃She　has　no　father！〃　said　the　old　man。　〃Can　it　be　you　and　I；　Madame
Grandet；　who　have　given　birth　to　such　a　disobedient　child？　A　fine
education；religious；　too！　Well！　why　are　you　not　in　your　chamber？
Come；　to　prison；　to　prison；　mademoiselle！〃
〃Would　you　deprive　me　of　my　daughter；　monsieur？〃　said　Madame　Grandet；
turning　towards　him　a　face　that　was　now　red　with　fever。
〃If　you　want　to　keep　her；　carry　her　off！　Clear　outout　of　my　house；
both　of　you！　Thunder！　where　is　the　gold？　what's　become　of　the　gold？〃
Eugenie　rose；　looked　proudly　at　her　father；　and　withdrew　to　her　room。
Grandet　turned　the　key　of　the　door。
〃Nanon；〃　he　cried；　〃put　out　the　fire　in　the　hall。〃
Then　he　sat　down　in　an　armchair　beside　his　wife's　fire　and　said　to
her；
〃Undoubtedly　she　has　given　the　gold　to　that　miserable　seducer；
Charles；　who　only　wanted　our　money。〃
〃I　knew　nothing　about　it；〃　she　answered；　turning　to　the　other　side　of
the　bed；　that　she　might　escape　the　savage　glances　of　her　husband。　〃I
suffer　so　much　from　your　violence　that　I　shall　never　leave　this　room；
if　I　trust　my　own　presentiments；　till　I　am　carried　out　of　it　in　my
coffin。　You　ought　to　have　spared　me　this　suffering；　monsieur；you；　to
whom　I　have　caused　no　pain；　that　is；　I　think　so。　Your　daughter　loves
you。　I　believe　her　to　be　as　innocent　as　the　babe　unborn。　Do　not　make
her　wretched。　Revoke　your　sentence。　The　cold　is　very　severe；　you　may
give　her　some　serious　illness。〃
〃I　will　not　see　her；　neither　will　I　speak　to　her。　She　shall　stay　in
her　room；　on　bread　and　water；　until　she　submits　to　her　father。　What
the　devil！　shouldn't　a　father　know　where　the　gold　in　his　house　has
gone　to？　She　owned　the　only　rupees　in　France；　perhaps；　and　the　Dutch
ducats　and　the　/genovines/〃
〃Monsieur；　Eugenie　is　our　only　child；　and　even　if　she　had　thrown　them
into　the　water〃
〃Into　the　water！〃　cried　her　husband；　〃into　the　water！　You　are　crazy；
Madame　Grandet！　What　I　have　said　is　said；　you　know　that　well　enough。
If　you　want　peace　in　this　household；　make　your　daughter　confess；　pump
it　out　of　her。　Women　understand　how　to　do　that　better　than　we　do。
Whatever　she　has　done；　I　sha'n't　eat　her。　Is　she　afraid　of　me？　Even　if
she　has　plastered　Charles　with　gold　from　head　to　foot；