father goriot(高老头)-第43部分

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　her　as　far　as　the　Pont　Neuf；　he　disputing　with　her　the　whole　of　the　way　for　a　single　kiss　after　all　those　that　she　had　showered　upon　him　so　passionately　at　the　Palais…Royal；　Eugene　reproached　her　with　inconsistency。

〃That　was　gratitude；〃　she　said；　〃for　devotion　that　I　did　not　dare　to　hope　for；　but　now　it　would　be　a　promise。〃


〃And　will　you　give　me　no　promise；　ingrate？〃

He　grew　vexed。　Then；　with　one　of　those　impatient　gestures　that　fill　a　lover　with　ecstasy；　she　gave　him　her　hand　to　kiss；　and　he　took　it　with　a　discontented　air　that　delighted　her。

〃I　shall　see　you　at　the　ball　on　Monday；〃　she　said。

As　Eugene　went　home　in　the　moonlight；　he　fell　to　serious　reflections。　He　was　satisfied；　and　yet　dissatisfied。　He　was　pleased　with　an　adventure　which　would　probably　give　him　his　desire；　for　in　the　end　one　of　the　prettiest　and　best…dressed　women　in　Paris　would　be　his；　but；　as　a　set…off；　he　saw　his　hopes　of　fortune　brought　to　nothing；　and　as　soon　as　he　realized　this　fact；　the　vague　thoughts　of　yesterday　evening　began　to　take　a　more　decided　shape　in　his　mind。　A　check　is　sure　to　reveal　to　us　the　strength　of　our　hopes。　The　more　Eugene　learned　of　the　pleasures　of　life　in　Paris；　the　more　impatient　he　felt　of　poverty　and　obscurity。　He　crumpled　the　banknote　in　his　pocket；　and　found　any　quantity　of　plausible　excuses　for　appropriating　it。

He　reached　the　Rue　Neuve…Sainte…Genevieve　at　last；　and　from　the　stairhead　he　saw　a　light　in　Goriot's　room；　the　old　man　had　lighted　a　candle；　and　set　the　door　ajar；　lest　the　student　should　pass　him　by；　and　go　to　his　room　without　〃telling　him　all　about　his　daughter；〃　to　use　his　own　expression。　Eugene；　accordingly；　told　him　everything　without　reserve。

〃Then　they　think　that　I　am　ruined！〃　cried　Father　Goriot；　in　an　agony　of　jealousy　and　desperation。　〃Why；　I　have　still　thirteen　hundred　livres　a　year！　MON　DIEU！　Poor　little　girl！　why　did　she　not　come　to　me？　I　would　have　sold　my　rentes；　she　should　have　had　some　of　the　principal；　and　I　would　have　bought　a　life…annuity　with　the　rest。　My　good　neighbor；　why　did　not　YOU　come　to　tell　me　of　her　difficulty？　How　had　you　the　heart　to　go　and　risk　her　poor　little　hundred　francs　at　play？　This　is　heart…breaking　work。　You　see　what　it　is　to　have　sons…in…law。　Oh！　if　I　had　hold　of　them；　I　would　wring　their　necks。　MON　DIEU！　CRYING！　Did　you　say　she　was　crying？〃

〃With　her　head　on　my　waistcoat；〃　said　Eugene。

〃Oh！　give　it　to　me；〃　said　Father　Goriot。　〃What！　my　daughter's　tears　have　fallen　theremy　darling　Delphine；　who　never　used　to　cry　when　she　was　a　little　girl！　Oh！　I　will　buy　you　another；　do　not　wear　it　again；　let　me　have　it。　By　the　terms　of　her　marriage…　contract；　she　ought　to　have　the　use　of　her　property。　To…morrow　morning　I　will　go　and　see　Derville；　he　is　an　attorney。　I　will　demand　that　her　money　should　be　invested　in　her　own　name。　I　know　the　law。　I　am　an　old　wolf；　I　will　show　my　teeth。〃

〃Here；　father；　this　is　a　banknote　for　a　thousand　francs　that　she　wanted　me　to　keep　out　of　our　winnings。　Keep　them　for　her；　in　the　pocket　of　the　waistcoat。〃

Goriot　looked　hard　at　Eugene；　reached　out　and　took　the　law　student's　hand；　and　Eugene　felt　a　tear　fall　on　it。

〃You　will　succeed；〃　the　old　man　said。　〃God　is　just；　you　see。　I　know　an　honest　man　when　I　see　him；　and　I　can　tell　you；　there　are　not　many　men　like　you。　I　am　to　have　another　dear　child　in　you；　am　I？　There；　go　to　sleep；　you　can　sleep；　you　are　not　yet　a　father。　She　was　crying！　and　I　have　to　be　told　about　it！and　I　was　quietly　eating　my　dinner；　like　an　idiot；　all　the　timeI；　who　would　sell　the　Father；　Son　and　Holy　Ghost　to　save　one　tear　to　either　of　them。〃



〃An　honest　man！〃　said　Eugene　to　himself　as　he　lay　down。　〃Upon　my　word；　I　think　I　will　be　an　honest　man　all　my　life；　it　is　so　pleasant　to　obey　the　voice　of　conscience。〃　Perhaps　none　but　believers　in　God　do　good　in　secret；　and　Eugene　believed　in　a　God。

The　next　day　Rastignac　went　at　the　appointed　time　to　Mme。　de　Beauseant；　who　took　him　with　her　to　the　Duchesse　de　Carigliano's　ball。　The　Marechale　received　Eugene　most　graciously。　Mme。　de　Nucingen　was　there。　Delphine's　dress　seemed　to　suggest　that　she　wished　for　the　admiration　of　others；　so　that　she　might　shine　the　more　in　Eugene's　eyes；　she　was　eagerly　expecting　a　glance　from　him；　hiding；　as　she　thought；　this　eagerness　from　all　beholders。　This　moment　is　full　of　charm　for　one　who　can　guess　all　that　passes　in　a　woman's　mind。　Who　has　not　refrained　from　giving　his　opinion；　to　prolong　her　suspense；　concealing　his　pleasure　from　a　desire　to　tantalize；　seeking　a　confession　of　love　in　her　uneasiness；　enjoying　the　fears　that　he　can　dissipate　by　a　smile？　In　the　course　of　the　evening　the　law　student　suddenly　comprehended　his　position；　he　saw　that；　as　the　cousin　of　Mme。　de　Beauseant；　he　was　a　personage　in　this　world。　He　was　already　credited　with　the　conquest　of　Mme。　de　Nucingen；　and　for　this　reason　was　a　conspicuous　figure；　he　caught　the　envious　glances　of　other　young　men；　and　experienced　the　earliest　pleasures　of　coxcombry。　People　wondered　at　his　luck；　and　scraps　of　these　conversations　came　to　his　ears　as　he　went　from　room　to　room；　all　the　women　prophesied　his　success；　and　Delphine；　in　her　dread　of　losing　him；　promised　that　this　evening　she　would　not　refuse　the　kiss　that　all　his　entreaties　could　scarcely　win　yesterday。

Rastignac　received　several　invitations。　His　cousin　presented　him　to　other　women　who　were　present；　women　who　could　claim　to　be　of　the　highest　fashion；　whose　houses　were　looked　upon　as　pleasant；　and　this　was　the　loftiest　and　most　fashionable　society　in　Paris　into　which　he　was　launched。　So　this　evening　had　all　the　charm　of　a　brilliant　debut；　it　was　an　evening　that　he　was　to　remember　even　in　old　age；　as　a　woman　looks　back　upon　her　first　ball　and　the　memories　of　her　girlish　triumphs。

The　next　morning；　at　breakfast；　he　related　the　story　of　his　success　for　the　benefit　of　Father　Goriot　and　the　lodgers。　Vautrin　began　to　smile　in　a　diabolical　fashion。

〃And　do　you　suppose；〃　cried　that　cold…blooded　logician；　〃that　a　young　man　of　fashion　can　live　here　in　the　Rue　Neuve…Sainte…　Genevieve；　in　the　Maison　Vauqueran　exceedingly　respectable　boarding…house　in　every　way；　I　grant　you；　but　an　establishment　that；　none　the　less；　falls　short　of　being　fashionable？　The　house　is　comfortable；　it　is　lordly　in　its　abundance；　it　is　proud　to　be　the　temporary　abode　of　a　Rastignac；　but；　after　all；　it　is　in　the　Rue　Neuve…Sainte…Genevieve；　and　luxury　would　be　out　of　place　here；　where　we　only　aim　at　the　purely　patriarchalorama。　If　you　mean　to　cut　a　figure　in　Paris；　my　young　friend；〃　Vautrin　continued；　with　half…paternal　jocularity；　〃you　must　have　three　horses；　a　tilbury　for　the　mornings；　and　a　closed　carriage　for　the　evening；　you　should　spend　altogether　about　nine　thousand　francs　on　your　stables。　You　would　show　yourself　unworthy　of　your　destiny　if　you　spent　no　more　than　three　thousand　francs　with　your　tailor；　six　hundred　in　perfumery；　a　hundred　crowns　to　your　shoemaker；　and　a　hundred　more　to　your　hatter。　As　for　your　laundress；　there　goes　another　thousand　francs；　a　young　man　of　fashion　must　of　necessity　make　a　great　point　of　his　linen；　if　your　linen　comes　up　to　the　required　standard；　people　often　do　not　look　any　further。　Love　and　the　Church