father goriot(高老头)-第21部分

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chess　responded　in　the　prettiest　and　most　gracious　way。

〃Two　intimate　friends！〃　said　Rastignac　to　himself。　〃Henceforward　I　shall　have　two　protectresses；　those　two　women　are　great　friends；　no　doubt；　and　this　newcomer　will　doubtless　interest　herself　in　her　friend's　cousin。〃

〃To　what　happy　inspiration　do　I　owe　this　piece　of　good　fortune；　dear　Antoinette？〃　asked　Mme。　de　Beauseant。

〃Well；　I　saw　M。　d'Ajuda…Pinto　at　M。　de　Rochefide's　door；　so　I　thought　that　if　I　came　I　should　find　you　alone。〃

Mme。　de　Beauseant's　mouth　did　not　tighten；　her　color　did　not　rise；　her　expression　did　not　alter；　or　rather；　her　brow　seemed　to　clear　as　the　Duchess　uttered　those　deadly　words。

〃If　I　had　known　that　you　were　engaged〃　the　speaker　added；　glancing　at　Eugene。

〃This　gentleman　is　M。　Eugene　de　Rastignac；　one　of　my　cousins；〃　said　the　Vicomtesse。　〃Have　you　any　news　of　General　de　Montriveau？〃　she　continued。　〃Serizy　told　me　yesterday　that　he　never　goes　anywhere　now；　has　he　been　to　see　you　to…day？〃

It　was　believed　that　the　Duchess　was　desperately　in　love　with　M。　de　Montriveau；　and　that　he　was　a　faithless　lover；　she　felt　the　question　in　her　very　heart；　and　her　face　flushed　as　she　answered：

〃He　was　at　the　Elysee　yesterday。〃

〃In　attendance？〃

〃Claire；〃　returned　the　Duchess；　and　hatred　overflowed　in　the　glances　she　threw　at　Mme。　de　Beauseant；　〃of　course　you　know　that　M。　d'Ajuda…Pinto　is　going　to　marry　Mlle。　de　Rochefide；　the　bans　will　be　published　to…morrow。〃

This　thrust　was　too　cruel；　the　Vicomtesse's　face　grew　white；　but　she　answered；　laughing；　〃One　of　those　rumors　that　fools　amuse　themselves　with。　What　should　induce　M。　d'Ajuda　to　take　one　of　the　noblest　names　in　Portugal　to　the　Rochefides？　The　Rochefides　were　only　ennobled　yesterday。〃

〃But　Bertha　will　have　two　hundred　thousand　livres　a　year；　they　say。〃

〃M。　d'Ajuda　is　too　wealthy　to　marry　for　money。〃

〃But；　my　dear；　Mlle。　de　Rochefide　is　a　charming　girl。〃

〃Indeed？〃

〃And；　as　a　matter　of　fact；　he　is　dining　with　them　to…day；　the　thing　is　settled。　It　is　very　surprising　to　me　that　you　should　know　so　little　about　it。〃

Mme。　de　Beauseant　turned　to　Rastignac。　〃What　was　the　blunder　that　you　made；　monsieur？〃　she　asked。　〃The　poor　boy　is　only　just　launched　into　the　world；　Antoinette；　so　that　he　understands　nothing　of　all　this　that　we　are　speaking　of。　Be　merciful　to　him；　and　let　us　finish　our　talk　to…morrow。　Everything　will　be　announced　to…morrow；　you　know；　and　your　kind　informal　communication　can　be　accompanied　by　official　confirmation。〃

The　Duchess　gave　Eugene　one　of　those　insolent　glances　that　measure　a　man　from　head　to　foot；　and　leave　him　crushed　and　annihilated。

〃Madame；　I　have　unwittingly　plunged　a　dagger　into　Mme。　de　Restaud's　heart；　unwittinglytherein　lies　my　offence；〃　said　the　student　of　law；　whose　keen　brain　had　served　him　sufficiently　well；　for　he　had　detected　the　biting　epigrams　that　lurked　beneath　this　friendly　talk。　〃You　continue　to　receive；　possibly　you　fear；　those　who　know　the　amount　of　pain　that　they　deliberately　inflict；　but　a　clumsy　blunderer　who　has　no　idea　how　deeply　he　wounds　is　looked　upon　as　a　fool　who　does　not　know　how　to　make　use　of　his　opportunities；　and　every　one　despise　him。〃

Mme。　de　Beauseant　gave　the　student　a　glance；　one　of　those　glances　in　which　a　great　soul　can　mingle　dignity　and　gratitude。　It　was　like　balm　to　the　law　student；　who　was　still　smarting　under　the　Duchess'　insolent　scrutiny；　she　had　looked　at　him　as　an　auctioneer　might　look　at　some　article　to　appraise　its　value。

〃Imagine；　too；　that　I　had　just　made　some　progress　with　the　Comte　de　Restaud；　for　I　should　tell　you；　madame；〃　he　went　on；　turning　to　the　Duchess　with　a　mixture　of　humility　and　malice　in　his　manner；　〃that　as　yet　I　am　only　a　poor　devil　of　a　student；　very　much　alone　in　the　world；　and　very　poor〃

〃You　should　not　tell　us　that；　M。　de　Rastignac。　We　women　never　care　about　anything　that　no　one　else　will　take。〃

〃Bah！〃　said　Eugene。　〃I　am　only　two…and…twenty；　and　I　must　make　up　my　mind　to　the　drawbacks　of　my　time　of　life。　Besides；　I　am　confessing　my　sins；　and　it　would　be　impossible　to　kneel　in　a　more　charming　confessional；　you　commit　your　sins　in　one　drawing…room；　and　receive　absolution　for　them　in　another。〃

The　Duchess'　expression　grew　colder；　she　did　not　like　the　flippant　tone　of　these　remarks；　and　showed　that　she　considered　them　to　be　in　bad　taste　by　turning　to　the　Vicomtesse　with〃This　gentleman　has　only　just　come〃

Mme。　de　Beauseant　began　to　laugh　outright　at　her　cousin　and　at　the　Duchess　both。

〃He　has　only　just　come　to　Paris；　dear；　and　is　in　search　of　some　one　who　will　give　him　lessons　in　good　taste。〃

〃Mme。　la　Duchesse；〃　said　Eugene；　〃is　it　not　natural　to　wish　to　be　initiated　into　the　mysteries　which　charm　us？〃　（〃Come；　now；〃　he　said　to　himself；　〃my　language　is　superfinely　elegant；　I'm　sure。〃）

〃But　Mme。　de　Restaud　is　herself；　I　believe；　M。　de　Trailles'　pupil；〃　said　the　Duchess。

〃Of　that　I　had　no　idea；　madame；〃　answered　the　law　student；　〃so　I　rashly　came　between　them。　In　fact；　I　got　on　very　well　with　the　lady's　husband；　and　his　wife　tolerated　me　for　a　time　until　I　took　it　into　my　head　to　tell　them　that　I　knew　some　one　of　whom　I　had　just　caught　a　glimpse　as　he　went　out　by　a　back　staircase；　a　man　who　had　given　the　Countess　a　kiss　at　the　end　of　a　passage。〃

〃Who　was　it？〃　both　women　asked　together。

〃An　old　man　who　lives　at　the　rate　of　two　louis　a　month　in　the　Faubourg　Saint…Marceau；　where　I；　a　poor　student；　lodge　likewise。　He　is　a　truly　unfortunate　creature；　everybody　laughs　at　himwe　all　call　him　'Father　Goriot。'　〃

〃Why；　child　that　you　are；〃　cried　the　Vicomtesse；　〃Mme。　de　Restaud　was　a　Mlle。　Goriot！〃

〃The　daughter　of　a　vermicelli　manufacturer；〃　the　Duchess　added；　〃and　when　the　little　creature　went　to　Court；　the　daughter　of　a　pastry…cook　was　presented　on　the　same　day。　Do　you　remember；　Claire？　The　King　began　to　laugh；　and　made　some　joke　in　Latin　about　flour。　Peoplewhat　was　it？people〃

〃Ejusdem　farinae；〃　said　Eugene。

〃Yes；　that　was　it；〃　said　the　Duchess。

〃Oh！　is　that　her　father？〃　the　law　student　continued；　aghast。

〃Yes；　certainly；　the　old　man　had　two　daughters；　he　dotes　on　them；　so　to　speak；　though　they　will　scarcely　acknowledge　him。〃

〃Didn't　the　second　daughter　marry　a　banker　with　a　German　name？〃　the　Vicomtesse　asked；　turning　to　Mme。　de　Langeais；　〃a　Baron　de　Nucingen？　And　her　name　is　Delphine；　is　it　not？　Isn't　she　a　fair…　haired　woman　who　has　a　side…box　at　the　Opera？　She　comes　sometimes　to　the　Bouffons；　and　laughs　loudly　to　attract　attention。〃

The　Duchess　smiled　and　said：

〃I　wonder　at　you；　dear。　Why　do　you　take　so　much　interest　in　people　of　that　kind？　One　must　have　been　as　madly　in　love　as　Restaud　was；　to　be　infatuated　with　Mlle。　Anastasie　and　her　flour　sacks。　Oh！　he　will　not　find　her　a　good　bargain！　She　is　in　M。　de　Trailles'　hands；　and　he　will　ruin　her。〃

〃And　they　do　not　acknowledge　their　father！〃　Eugene　repeated。

〃Oh！　well；　yes；　their　father；　the　father；　a　father；〃　replied　the　Vicomtesse；　〃a　kind　father　who　gave　them　each　five　or　six　hundred　thousand　francs；　it　is　said；　to　secure　their　happiness　by　marrying　them　well；　while　he　only　kept　eight　or　ten　thousand　livres　a　year　for　himself；　thinking　that　his　daughters　would　alw