father goriot(高老头)-第68部分

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〃Ah！　Delphine！〃　he　said。

〃How　are　you　now？〃　she　asked。

〃Quite　comfortable。　Do　not　worry　about　me；　I　shall　get　up　presently。　Don't　stay　with　me；　children；　go；　go　and　be　happy。〃

Eugene　went　back　with　Delphine　as　far　as　her　door；　but　he　was　not　easy　about　Goriot；　and　would　not　stay　to　dinner；　as　she　proposed。　He　wanted　to　be　back　at　the　Maison　Vauquer。　Father　Goriot　had　left　his　room；　and　was　just　sitting　down　to　dinner　as　he　came　in。　Bianchon　had　placed　himself　where　he　could　watch　the　old　man　carefully；　and　when　the　old　vermicelli　maker　took　up　his　square　of　bread　and　smelled　it　to　find　out　the　quality　of　the　flour；　the　medical　student；　studying　him　closely；　saw　that　the　action　was　purely　mechanical；　and　shook　his　head。

〃Just　come　and　sit　over　here；　hospitaller　of　Cochin；〃　said　Eugene。

Bianchon　went　the　more　willingly　because　his　change　of　place　brought　him　next　to　the　old　lodger。

〃What　is　wrong　with　him？〃　asked　Rastignac。

〃It　is　all　up　with　him；　or　I　am　much　mistaken！　Something　very　extraordinary　must　have　taken　place；　he　looks　to　me　as　if　he　were　in　imminent　danger　of　serous　apoplexy。　The　lower　part　of　his　face　is　composed　enough；　but　the　upper　part　is　drawn　and　distorted。　Then　there　is　that　peculiar　look　about　the　eyes　that　indicates　an　effusion　of　serum　in　the　brain；　they　look　as　though　they　were　covered　with　a　film　of　fine　dust；　do　you　notice？　I　shall　know　more　about　it　by　to…morrow　morning。〃

〃Is　there　any　cure　for　it？〃

〃None。　It　might　be　possible　to　stave　death　off　for　a　time　if　a　way　could　be　found　of　setting　up　a　reaction　in　the　lower　extremities；　but　if　the　symptoms　do　not　abate　by　to…morrow　evening；　it　will　be　all　over　with　him；　poor　old　fellow！　Do　you　know　what　has　happened　to　bring　this　on？　There　must　have　been　some　violent　shock；　and　his　mind　has　given　way。〃

〃Yes；　there　was；〃　said　Rastignac；　remembering　how　the　two　daughters　had　struck　blow　on　blow　at　their　father's　heart。

〃But　Delphine　at　any　rate　loves　her　father；〃　he　said　to　himself。

That　evening　at　the　opera　Rastignac　chose　his　words　carefully；　lest　he　should　give　Mme。　de　Nucingen　needless　alarm。

〃Do　not　be　anxious　about　him；〃　she　said；　however；　as　soon　as　Eugene　began；　〃our　father　has　really　a　strong　constitution；　but　this　morning　we　gave　him　a　shock。　Our　whole　fortunes　were　in　peril；　so　the　thing　was　serious；　you　see。　I　could　not　live　if　your　affection　did　not　make　me　insensible　to　troubles　that　I　should　once　have　thought　too　hard　to　bear。　At　this　moment　I　have　but　one　fear　left；　but　one　misery　to　dreadto　lose　the　love　that　has　made　me　feel　glad　to　live。　Everything　else　is　as　nothing　to　me　compared　with　our　love；　I　care　for　nothing　else；　for　you　are　all　the　world　to　me。　If　I　feel　glad　to　be　rich；　it　is　for　your　sake。　To　my　shame　be　it　said；　I　think　of　my　lover　before　my　father。　Do　you　ask　why？　I　cannot　tell　you；　but　all　my　life　is　in　you。　My　father　gave　me　a　heart；　but　you　have　taught　it　to　beat。　The　whole　world　may　condemn　me；　what　does　it　matter　if　I　stand　acquitted　in　your　eyes；　for　you　have　no　right　to　think　ill　of　me　for　the　faults　which　a　tyrannous　love　has　forced　me　to　commit　for　you！　Do　you　think　me　an　unnatural　daughter？　Oh！　no；　no　one　could　help　loving　such　a　dear　kind　father　as　ours。　But　how　could　I　hide　the　inevitable　consequences　of　our　miserable　marriages　from　him？　Why　did　he　allow　us　to　marry　when　we　did？　Was　it　not　his　duty　to　think　for　us　and　foresee　for　us？　To…day　I　know　he　suffers　as　much　as　we　do；　but　how　can　it　be　helped？　And　as　for　comforting　him；　we　could　not　comfort　him　in　the　least。　Our　resignation　would　give　him　more　pain　and　hurt　him　far　more　than　complaints　and　upbraidings。　There　are　times　in　life　when　everything　turns　to　bitterness。〃

Eugene　was　silent；　the　artless　and　sincere　outpouring　made　an　impression　on　him。

Parisian　women　are　often　false；　intoxicated　with　vanity；　selfish　and　self…absorbed；　frivolous　and　shallow；　yet　of　all　women；　when　they　love；　they　sacrifice　their　personal　feelings　to　their　passion；　they　rise　but　so　much　the　higher　for　all　the　pettiness　overcome　in　their　nature；　and　become　sublime。　Then　Eugene　was　struck　by　the　profound　discernment　and　insight　displayed　by　this　woman　in　judging　of　natural　affection；　when　a　privileged　affection　had　separated　and　set　her　at　a　distance　apart。　Mme。　de　Nucingen　was　piqued　by　the　silence；

〃What　are　you　thinking　about？〃　she　asked。

〃I　am　thinking　about　what　you　said　just　now。　Hitherto　I　have　always　felt　sure　that　I　cared　far　more　for　you　than　you　did　for　me。〃

She　smiled；　and　would　not　give　way　to　the　happiness　she　felt；　lest　their　talk　should　exceed　the　conventional　limits　of　propriety。　She　had　never　heard　the　vibrating　tones　of　a　sincere　and　youthful　love；　a　few　more　words；　and　she　feared　for　her　self…　control。

〃Eugene；〃　she　said；　changing　the　conversation；　〃I　wonder　whether　you　know　what　has　been　happening？　All　Paris　will　go　to　Mme。　de　Beauseant's　to…morrow。　The　Rochefides　and　the　Marquis　d'Ajuda　have　agreed　to　keep　the　matter　a　profound　secret；　but　to…morrow　the　king　will　sign　the　marriage…contract；　and　your　poor　cousin　the　Vicomtesse　knows　nothing　of　it　as　yet。　She　cannot　put　off　her　ball；　and　the　Marquis　will　not　be　there。　People　are　wondering　what　will　happen？〃

〃The　world　laughs　at　baseness　and　connives　at　it。　But　this　will　kill　Mme。　de　Beauseant。〃

〃Oh；　no；〃　said　Delphine；　smiling；　〃you　do　not　know　that　kind　of　woman。　Why；　all　Paris　will　be　there；　and　so　shall　I；　I　ought　to　go　there　for　your　sake。〃

〃Perhaps；　after　all；　it　is　one　of　those　absurd　reports　that　people　set　in　circulation　here。〃

〃We　shall　know　the　truth　to…morrow。〃

Eugene　did　not　return　to　the　Maison　Vauquer。　He　could　not　forego　the　pleasure　of　occupying　his　new　rooms　in　the　Rue　d'Artois。　Yesterday　evening　he　had　been　obliged　to　leave　Delphine　soon　after　midnight；　but　that　night　it　was　Delphine　who　stayed　with　him　until　two　o'clock　in　the　morning。　He　rose　late；　and　waited　for　Mme。　de　Nucingen；　who　came　about　noon　to　breakfast　with　him。　Youth　snatches　eagerly　at　these　rosy　moments　of　happiness；　and　Eugene　had　almost　forgotten　Goriot's　existence。　The　pretty　things　that　surrounded　him　were　growing　familiar；　this　domestication　in　itself　was　one　long　festival　for　him；　and　Mme。　de　Nucingen　was　there　to　glorify　it　all　by　her　presence。　It　was　four　o'clock　before　they　thought　of　Goriot；　and　of　how　he　had　looked　forward　to　the　new　life　in　that　house。　Eugene　said　that　the　old　man　ought　to　be　moved　at　once；　lest　he　should　grow　too　ill　to　move。　He　left　Delphine　and　hurried　back　to　the　lodging…house。　Neither　Father　Goriot　nor　young　Bianchon　was　in　the　dining…room　with　the　others。

〃Aha！〃　said　the　painter　as　Eugene　came　in；　〃Father　Goriot　has　broken　down　at　last。　Bianchon　is　upstairs　with　him。　One　of　his　daughtersthe　Comtesse　de　Restauramacame　to　see　the　old　gentleman；　and　he　would　get　up　and　go　out；　and　made　himself　worse。　Society　is　about　to　lose　one　of　its　brightest　ornaments。〃

Rastignac　sprang　to　the　staircase。

〃Hey！　Monsieur　Eugene！〃

〃Monsieur　Eugene；　the　mistress　is　calling　you；〃　shouted　Sylvie。

〃It　is　this；　sir；〃　said　the　widow。　〃You　and　M。　Goriot　should　by　rights　have　moved　out　on　the　15th　of　February。　That　was　three　days　ago；　to…day　is　t