eugenie grandet(欧也妮·葛朗台)-第7章

按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！


〃Poor　Nanon！〃　said　Grandet；　filling　a　glass。
〃Did　you　hurt　yourself？〃　asked　Eugenie；　looking　kindly　at　her。
〃No；　I　didn't　fall；　I　threw　myself　back　on　my　haunches。〃
〃Well！　as　it　is　Eugenie's　birthday；〃　said　Grandet；　〃I'll　have　the　step
mended。　You　people　don't　know　how　to　set　your　foot　in　the　corner　where
the　wood　is　still　firm。〃
Grandet　took　the　candle；　leaving　his　wife；　daughter；　and　servant
without　any　other　light　than　that　from　the　hearth；　where　the　flames
were　lively；　and　went　into　the　bakehouse　to　fetch　planks；　nails；　and
tools。
〃Can　I　help　you？〃　cried　Nanon；　hearing　him　hammer　on　the　stairs。
〃No；　no！　I'm　an　old　hand　at　it；〃　answered　the　former　cooper。
At　the　moment　when　Grandet　was　mending　his　worm…eaten　staircase　and
whistling　with　all　his　might；　in　remembrance　of　the　days　of　his　youth；
the　three　Cruchots　knocked　at　the　door。
〃Is　it　you；　Monsieur　Cruchot？〃　asked　Nanon；　peeping　through　the　little
grating。
〃Yes；〃　answered　the　president。
Nanon　opened　the　door；　and　the　light　from　the　hearth；　reflected　on　the
ceiling；　enabled　the　three　Cruchots　to　find　their　way　into　the　room。
〃Ha！　you've　come　a…greeting；〃　said　Nanon；　smelling　the　flowers。
〃Excuse　me；　messieurs；〃　cried　Grandet；　recognizing　their　voices；　〃I'll
be　with　you　in　a　moment。　I'm　not　proud；　I　am　patching　up　a　step　on　my
staircase。〃
〃Go　on；　go　on；　Monsieur　Grandet；　a　man's　house　is　his　castle；〃　said
the　president　sententiously。
Madame　and　Mademoiselle　Grandet　rose。　The　president；　profiting　by　the
darkness；　said　to　Eugenie：
〃Will　you　permit　me；　mademoiselle；　to　wish　you；　on　this　the　day　of
your　birth；　a　series　of　happy　years　and　the　continuance　of　the　health
which　you　now　enjoy？〃
He　offered　her　a　huge　bouquet　of　choice　flowers　which　were　rare　in
Saumur；　then；　taking　the　heiress　by　the　elbows；　he　kissed　her　on　each
side　of　her　neck　with　a　complacency　that　made　her　blush。　The
president；　who　looked　like　a　rusty　iron　nail；　felt　that　his　courtship
was　progressing。
〃Don't　stand　on　ceremony；〃　said　Grandet；　entering。　〃How　well　you　do
things　on　fete…days；　Monsieur　le　president！〃
〃When　it　concerns　mademoiselle；〃　said　the　abbe；　armed　with　his　own
bouquet；　〃every　day　is　a　fete…day　for　my　nephew。〃
The　abbe　kissed　Eugenie's　hand。　As　for　Maitre　Cruchot；　he　boldly
kissed　her　on　both　cheeks；　remarking：　〃How　we　sprout　up；　to　be　sure！
Every　year　is　twelve　months。〃
As　he　replaced　the　candlestick　beside　the　clock；　Grandet；　who　never
forgot　his　own　jokes；　and　repeated　them　to　satiety　when　he　thought
them　funny；　said；
〃As　this　is　Eugenie's　birthday　let　us　illuminate。〃
He　carefully　took　off　the　branches　of　the　candelabra；　put　a　socket　on
each　pedestal；　took　from　Nanon　a　new　tallow　candle　with　paper　twisted
round　the　end　of　it；　put　it　into　the　hollow；　made　it　firm；　lit　it；　and
then　sat　down　beside　his　wife；　looking　alternately　at　his　friends；　his
daughter；　and　the　two　candles。　The　Abbe　Cruchot；　a　plump；　puffy　little
man；　with　a　red　wig　plastered　down　and　a　face　like　an　old　female
gambler；　said　as　he　stretched　out　his　feet；　well　shod　in　stout　shoes
with　silver　buckles：　〃The　des　Grassins　have　not　come？〃
〃Not　yet；〃　said　Grandet。
〃But　are　they　coming？〃　asked　the　old　notary；　twisting　his　face；　which
had　as　many　holes　as　a　collander；　into　a　queer　grimace。
〃I　think　so；〃　answered　Madame　Grandet。
〃Are　your　vintages　all　finished？〃　said　Monsieur　de　Bonfons　to　Grandet。
〃Yes；　all　of　them；〃　said　the　old　man；　rising　to　walk　up　and　down　the
room；　his　chest　swelling　with　pride　as　he　said　the　words；　〃all　of
them。〃　Through　the　door　of　the　passage　which　led　to　the　kitchen　he　saw
la　Grande　Nanon　sitting　beside　her　fire　with　a　candle　and　preparing　to
spin　there；　so　as　not　to　intrude　among　the　guests。
〃Nanon；〃　he　said；　going　into　the　passage；　〃put　out　that　fire　and　that
candle；　and　come　and　sit　with　us。　Pardieu！　the　hall　is　big　enough　for
all。〃
〃But　monsieur；　you　are　to　have　the　great　people。〃
〃Are　not　you　as　good　as　they？　They　are　descended　from　Adam；　and　so　are
you。〃
Grandet　came　back　to　the　president　and　said；
〃Have　you　sold　your　vintage？〃
〃No；　not　I；　I　shall　keep　it。　If　the　wine　is　good　this　year；　it　will　be
better　two　years　hence。　The　proprietors；　you　know；　have　made　an
agreement　to　keep　up　the　price；　and　this　year　the　Belgians　won't　get
the　better　of　us。　Suppose　they　are　sent　off　empty…handed　for　once；
faith！　they'll　come　back。〃
〃Yes；　but　let　us　mind　what　we　are　about；〃　said　Grandet　in　a　tone　which
made　the　president　tremble。
〃Is　he　driving　some　bargain？〃　thought　Cruchot。
At　this　moment　the　knocker　announced　the　des　Grassins　family；　and
their　arrival　interrupted　a　conversation　which　had　begun　between
Madame　Grandet　and　the　abbe。
Madame　des　Grassins　was　one　of　those　lively；　plump　little　women；　with
pink…and…white　skins；　who；　thanks　to　the　claustral　calm　of　the
provinces　and　the　habits　of　a　virtuous　life；　keep　their　youth　until
they　are　past　forty。　She　was　like　the　last　rose　of　autumn；pleasant
to　the　eye；　though　the　petals　have　a　certain　frostiness；　and　their
perfume　is　slight。　She　dressed　well；　got　her　fashions　from　Paris；　set
the　tone　to　Saumur；　and　gave　parties。　Her　husband；　formerly　a
quartermaster　in　the　Imperial　guard；　who　had　been　desperately　wounded
at　Austerlitz；　and　had　since　retired；　still　retained；　in　spite　of　his
respect　for　Grandet；　the　seeming　frankness　of　an　old　soldier。
〃Good　evening；　Grandet；〃　he　said；　holding　out　his　hand　and　affecting　a
sort　of　superiority；　with　which　he　always　crushed　the　Cruchots。
〃Mademoiselle；〃　he　added；　turning　to　Eugenie；　after　bowing　to　Madame
Grandet；　〃you　are　always　beautiful　and　good；　and　truly　I　do　not　know
what　to　wish　you。〃　So　saying；　he　offered　her　a　little　box　which　his
servant　had　brought　and　which　contained　a　Cape　heather；a　flower
lately　imported　into　Europe　and　very　rare。
Madame　des　Grassins　kissed　Eugenie　very　affectionately；　pressed　her
hand；　and　said：　〃Adolphe　wishes　to　make　you　my　little　offering。〃
A　tall；　blond　young　man；　pale　and　slight；　with　tolerable　manners　and
seemingly　rather　shy；　although　he　had　just　spent　eight　or　ten　thousand
francs　over　his　allowance　in　Paris；　where　he　had　been　sent　to　study
law；　now　came　forward　and　kissed　Eugenie　on　both　cheeks；　offering　her
a　workbox　with　utensils　in　silver…gilt；mere　show…case　trumpery；　in
spite　of　the　monogram　E。G。　in　gothic　letters　rather　well　engraved；
which　belonged　properly　to　something　in　better　taste。　As　she　opened
it；　Eugenie　experienced　one　of　those　unexpected　and　perfect　delights
which　make　a　young　girl　blush　and　quiver　and　tremble　with　pleasure。
She　turned　her　eyes　to　her　father　as　if　to　ask　permission　to　accept
it；　and　Monsieur　Grandet　replied：　〃Take　it；　my　daughter；〃　in　a　tone
which　would　have　made　an　actor　illustrious。
The　three　Cruchots　felt　crushed　as　they　saw　the　joyous；　animated　look
cast　upon　Adolphe　des　Grassins　by　the　heiress；　to　whom　such　riches
were　unheard…of。　Monsieur　des　Grassins　offered　Grandet　a　pinch　of
snuff；　took　one　himself；　shook　off　the　grains　as　they　fell　on　the
ribbon　of　the　Legion　of　honor　which　was　attached　to　the　button…hole　of
his　blue　surtout；　then　he　looked　at　the　Cruchots　with　an　air　that
seemed　to　say；　〃Parry　that　thrust　if　you　can！〃　Madame　des　Grassins
cast　her　eyes　on　the　blue　vases　which　held　the　Cruchot　bouquets；
looking　at　the　enemy's　gifts　with　the　pretended　interest　of　a
satirical　woman。　At　this　delicate　juncture　the　Abbe　Cruchot　left　the
company　seated　in　a　circle　round　the　fire　and　joined　Grandet　at　the
lower　end　of　the　hall。　As　the　two　men　reached　the　embrasure　of　the
farthest　window　the　priest　said　in　the　miser's　ear：　〃Those　people
throw　money　out　of　the　windows。〃
〃What　does　that　matter　if　it　gets　into　my　cellar？〃　retorted　the　old
wine…grower。
〃If　you　want　to　give　gilt　scissors　to　your　daughter；　you　have　the
means；〃　said　the　abbe。
〃I　give　her　something　better　than　scissors；〃　answered　Grandet。
〃My　nephew　is　a　blockhead；〃　thought　the　abbe　as　he　looked　at　the
president；　whose　rumpled　hair　added　to　the　ill　grace　of　his　brown
countenance。　〃Couldn't　he　have　found　some　little　trifle　which　cost
money？〃
〃We　will　join　you　at　cards；　Madame　Grandet；〃　said　Madame　des　Grassins。
〃We　might　have　two　tables；　as　we　are　all　here。〃
〃As　it　is　E