father goriot(高老头)-第7部分

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auquer。　Both　these　ladies；　moreover；　would　be　very　well　to　do　when　the　people　at　the　War　Office　had　come　to　an　end　of　their　formalities。　〃But　Government　departments　are　always　so　dilatory；〃　the　lady　added。

After　dinner　the　two　widows　went　together　up　to　Mme。　Vauquer's　room；　and　had　a　snug　little　chat　over　some　cordial　and　various　delicacies　reserved　for　the　mistress　of　the　house。　Mme。　Vauquer's　ideas　as　to　Goriot　were　cordially　approved　by　Mme。　de　l'Ambermesnil；　it　was　a　capital　notion；　which　for　that　matter　she　had　guessed　from　the　very　first；　in　her　opinion　the　vermicelli　maker　was　an　excellent　man。

〃Ah！　my　dear　lady；　such　a　well…preserved　man　of　his　age；　as　sound　as　my　eyesighta　man　who　might　make　a　woman　happy！〃　said　the　widow。

The　good…natured　Countess　turned　to　the　subject　of　Mme。　Vauquer's　dress；　which　was　not　in　harmony　with　her　projects。　〃You　must　put　yourself　on　a　war　footing；〃　said　she。

After　much　serious　consideration　the　two　widows　went　shopping　togetherthey　purchased　a　hat　adorned　with　ostrich　feathers　and　a　cap　at　the　Palais　Royal；　and　the　Countess　took　her　friend　to　the　Magasin　de　la　Petite　Jeannette；　where　they　chose　a　dress　and　a　scarf。　Thus　equipped　for　the　campaign；　the　widow　looked　exactly　like　the　prize　animal　hung　out　for　a　sign　above　an　a　la　mode　beef　shop；　but　she　herself　was　so　much　pleased　with　the　improvement；　as　she　considered　it；　in　her　appearance；　that　she　felt　that　she　lay　under　some　obligation　to　the　Countess；　and；　though　by　no　means　open…handed；　she　begged　that　lady　to　accept　a　hat　that　cost　twenty　francs。　The　fact　was　that　she　needed　the　Countess'　services　on　the　delicate　mission　of　sounding　Goriot；　the　countess　must　sing　her　praises　in　his　ears。　Mme。　de　l'Ambermesnil　lent　herself　very　good…naturedly　to　this　manoeuvre；　began　her　operations；　and　succeeded　in　obtaining　a　private　interview；　but　the　overtures　that　she　made；　with　a　view　to　securing　him　for　herself；　were　received　with　embarrassment；　not　to　say　a　repulse。　She　left　him；　revolted　by　his　coarseness。

〃My　angel；〃　said　she　to　her　dear　friend；　〃you　will　make　nothing　of　that　man　yonder。　He　is　absurdly　suspicious；　and　he　is　a　mean　curmudgeon；　an　idiot；　a　fool；　you　would　never　be　happy　with　him。〃

After　what　had　passed　between　M。　Goriot　and　Mme。　de　l'Ambermesnil；　the　Countess　would　no　longer　live　under　the　same　roof。　She　left　the　next　day；　forgot　to　pay　for　six　months'　board；　and　left　behind　her　wardrobe；　cast…off　clothing　to　the　value　of　five　francs。　Eagerly　and　persistently　as　Mme。　Vauquer　sought　her　quondam　lodger；　the　Comtesse　de　l'Ambermesnil　was　never　heard　of　again　in　Paris。　The　widow　often　talked　of　this　deplorable　business；　and　regretted　her　own　too　confiding　disposition。　As　a　matter　of　fact；　she　was　as　suspicious　as　a　cat；　but　she　was　like　many　other　people；　who　cannot　trust　their　own　kin　and　put　themselves　at　the　mercy　of　the　next　chance　comeran　odd　but　common　phenomenon；　whose　causes　may　readily　be　traced　to　the　depths　of　the　human　heart。

Perhaps　there　are　people　who　know　that　they　have　nothing　more　to　look　for　from　those　with　whom　they　live；　they　have　shown　the　emptiness　of　their　hearts　to　their　housemates；　and　in　their　secret　selves　they　are　conscious　that　they　are　severely　judged；　and　that　they　deserve　to　be　judged　severely；　but　still　they　feel　an　unconquerable　craving　for　praises　that　they　do　not　hear；　or　they　are　consumed　by　a　desire　to　appear　to　possess；　in　the　eyes　of　a　new　audience；　the　qualities　which　they　have　not；　hoping　to　win　the　admiration　or　affection　of　strangers　at　the　risk　of　forfeiting　it　again　some　day。　Or；　once　more；　there　are　other　mercenary　natures　who　never　do　a　kindness　to　a　friend　or　a　relation　simply　because　these　have　a　claim　upon　them；　while　a　service　done　to　a　stranger　brings　its　reward　to　self…love。　Such　natures　feel　but　little　affection　for　those　who　are　nearest　to　them；　they　keep　their　kindness　for　remoter　circles　of　acquaintance；　and　show　most　to　those　who　dwell　on　its　utmost　limits。　Mme。　Vauquer　belonged　to　both　these　essentially　mean；　false；　and　execrable　classes。

〃If　I　had　been　there　at　the　time；〃　Vautrin　would　say　at　the　end　of　the　story；　I　would　have　shown　her　up；　and　that　misfortune　would　not　have　befallen　you。　I　know　that　kind　of　phiz！〃

Like　all　narrow　natures；　Mme。　Vauquer　was　wont　to　confine　her　attention　to　events；　and　did　not　go　very　deeply　into　the　causes　that　brought　them　about；　she　likewise　preferred　to　throw　the　blame　of　her　own　mistakes　on　other　people；　so　she　chose　to　consider　that　the　honest　vermicelli　maker　was　responsible　for　her　misfortune。　It　had　opened　her　eyes；　so　she　said；　with　regard　to　him。　As　soon　as　she　saw　that　her　blandishments　were　in　vain；　and　that　her　outlay　on　her　toilette　was　money　thrown　away；　she　was　not　slow　to　discover　the　reason　of　his　indifference。　It　became　plain　to　her　at　once　that　there　was　SOME　OTHER　ATTRACTION；　to　use　her　own　expression。　In　short；　it　was　evident　that　the　hope　she　had　so　fondly　cherished　was　a　baseless　delusion；　and　that　she　would　〃never　make　anything　out　of　that　man　yonder；〃　in　the　Countess'　forcible　phrase。　The　Countess　seemed　to　have　been　a　judge　of　character。　Mme。　Vauquer's　aversion　was　naturally　more　energetic　than　her　friendship；　for　her　hatred　was　not　in　proportion　to　her　love；　but　to　her　disappointed　expectations。　The　human　heart　may　find　here　and　there　a　resting…place　short　of　the　highest　height　of　affection；　but　we　seldom　stop　in　the　steep；　downward　slope　of　hatred。　Still；　M。　Goriot　was　a　lodger；　and　the　widow's　wounded　self…love　could　not　vent　itself　in　an　explosion　of　wrath；　like　a　monk　harassed　by　the　prior　of　his　convent；　she　was　forced　to　stifle　her　sighs　of　disappointment；　and　to　gulp　down　her　craving　for　revenge。　Little　minds　find　gratification　for　their　feelings；　benevolent　or　otherwise；　by　a　constant　exercise　of　petty　ingenuity。　The　widow　employed　her　woman's　malice　to　devise　a　system　of　covert　persecution。　She　began　by　a　course　of　retrenchmentvarious　luxuries　which　had　found　their　way　to　the　table　appeared　there　no　more。

〃No　more　gherkins；　no　more　anchovies；　they　have　made　a　fool　of　me！〃　she　said　to　Sylvie　one　morning；　and　they　returned　to　the　old　bill　of　fare。

The　thrifty　frugality　necessary　to　those　who　mean　to　make　their　way　in　the　world　had　become　an　inveterate　habit　of　life　with　M。　Goriot。　Soup；　boiled　beef；　and　a　dish　of　vegetables　had　been；　and　always　would　be；　the　dinner　he　liked　best；　so　Mme。　Vauquer　found　it　very　difficult　to　annoy　a　boarder　whose　tastes　were　so　simple。　He　was　proof　against　her　malice；　and　in　desperation　she　spoke　to　him　and　of　him　slightingly　before　the　other　lodgers；　who　began　to　amuse　themselves　at　his　expense；　and　so　gratified　her　desire　for　revenge。

Towards　the　end　of　the　first　year　the　widow's　suspicions　had　reached　such　a　pitch　that　she　began　to　wonder　how　it　was　that　a　retired　merchant　with　a　secure　income　of　seven　or　eight　thousand　livres；　the　owner　of　such　magnificent　plate　and　jewelry　handsome　enough　for　a　kept　mistress；　should　be　living　in　her　house。　Why　should　he　devote　so　small　a　proportion　of　his　money　to　his　expenses？　Until　the　first　year　was　nearly　at　an　end；　Goriot　had　dined　out　once　or　twice　every　week；　but　these　occasions　came　less　frequen