father goriot(高老头)-第79部分

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ought　to　do？〃

〃He　will　not　smell　at　his　bread　like　this　any　more；〃　said　the　painter；　mimicking　the　old　man's　little　trick。

〃Oh；　hang　it　all！〃　cried　the　tutor；　〃let　Father　Goriot　drop；　and　let　us　have　something　else　for　a　change。　He　is　a　standing　dish；　and　we　have　had　him　with　every　sauce　this　hour　or　more。　It　is　one　of　the　privileges　of　the　good　city　of　Paris　that　anybody　may　be　born；　or　live；　or　die　there　without　attracting　any　attention　whatsoever。　Let　us　profit　by　the　advantages　of　civilization。　There　are　fifty　or　sixty　deaths　every　day；　if　you　have　a　mind　to　do　it；　you　can　sit　down　at　any　time　and　wail　over　whole　hecatombs　of　dead　in　Paris。　Father　Goriot　has　gone　off　the　hooks；　has　he？　So　much　the　better　for　him。　If　you　venerate　his　memory；　keep　it　to　yourselves；　and　let　the　rest　of　us　feed　in　peace。〃

〃Oh；　to　be　sure；〃　said　the　widow；　〃it　is　all　the　better　for　him　that　he　is　dead。　It　looks　as　though　he　had　had　trouble　enough；　poor　soul；　while　he　was　alive。〃

And　this　was　all　the　funeral　oration　delivered　over　him　who　had　been　for　Eugene　the　type　and　embodiment　of　Fatherhood。

The　fifteen　lodgers　began　to　talk　as　usual。　When　Bianchon　and　Eugene　had　satisfied　their　hunger；　the　rattle　of　spoons　and　forks；　the　boisterous　conversation；　the　expressions　on　the　faces　that　bespoke　various　degrees　of　want　of　feeling；　gluttony；　or　indifference；　everything　about　them　made　them　shiver　with　loathing。　They　went　out　to　find　a　priest　to　watch　that　night　with　the　dead。　It　was　necessary　to　measure　their　last　pious　cares　by　the　scanty　sum　of　money　that　remained。　Before　nine　o'clock　that　evening　the　body　was　laid　out　on　the　bare　sacking　of　the　bedstead　in　the　desolate　room；　a　lighted　candle　stood　on　either　side；　and　the　priest　watched　at　the　foot。　Rastignac　made　inquiries　of　this　latter　as　to　the　expenses　of　the　funeral；　and　wrote　to　the　Baron　de　Nucingen　and　the　Comte　de　Restaud；　entreating　both　gentlemen　to　authorize　their　man　of　business　to　defray　the　charges　of　laying　their　father…in…law　in　the　grave。　He　sent　Christophe　with　the　letters；　then　he　went　to　bed；　tired　out；　and　slept。

Next　day　Bianchon　and　Rastignac　were　obliged　to　take　the　certificate　to　the　registrar　themselves；　and　by　twelve　o'clock　the　formalities　were　completed。　Two　hours　went　by；　no　word　came　from　the　Count　nor　from　the　Baron；　nobody　appeared　to　act　for　them；　and　Rastignac　had　already　been　obliged　to　pay　the　priest。　Sylvie　asked　ten　francs　for　sewing　the　old　man　in　his　winding…　sheet　and　making　him　ready　for　the　grave；　and　Eugene　and　Bianchon　calculated　that　they　had　scarcely　sufficient　to　pay　for　the　funeral；　if　nothing　was　forthcoming　from　the　dead　man's　family。　So　it　was　the　medical　student　who　laid　him　in　a　pauper's　coffin；　despatched　from　Bianchon's　hospital；　whence　he　obtained　it　at　a　cheaper　rate。

〃Let　us　play　those　wretches　a　trick；〃　said　he。　〃Go　to　the　cemetery；　buy　a　grave　for　five　years　at　Pere…Lachaise；　and　arrange　with　the　Church　and　the　undertaker　to　have　a　third…class　funeral。　If　the　daughters　and　their　husbands　decline　to　repay　you；　you　can　carve　this　on　the　headstone'HERE　LIES　M。　GORIOT；　FATHER　OF　THE　COMTESSE　DE　RESTAUD　AND　THE　BARONNE　DE　NUCINGEN；　INTERRED　AT　THE　EXPENSE　OF　TWO　STUDENTS。'　〃

Eugene　took　part　of　his　friend's　advice；　but　only　after　he　had　gone　in　person　first　to　M。　and　Mme。　de　Nucingen；　and　then　to　M。　and　Mme。　de　Restauda　fruitless　errand。　He　went　no　further　than　the　doorstep　in　either　house。　The　servants　had　received　strict　orders　to　admit　no　one。

〃Monsieur　and　Madame　can　see　no　visitors。　They　have　just　lost　their　father；　and　are　in　deep　grief　over　their　loss。〃

Eugene's　Parisian　experience　told　him　that　it　was　idle　to　press　the　point。　Something　clutched　strangely　at　his　heart　when　he　saw　that　it　was　impossible　to　reach　Delphine。

〃Sell　some　of　your　ornaments；〃　he　wrote　hastily　in　the　porter's　room；　〃so　that　your　father　may　be　decently　laid　in　his　last　resting…place。〃

He　sealed　the　note；　and　begged　the　porter　to　give　it　to　Therese　for　her　mistress；　but　the　man　took　it　to　the　Baron　de　Nucingen；　who　flung　the　note　into　the　fire。　Eugene；　having　finished　his　errands；　returned　to　the　lodging…house　about　three　o'clock。　In　spite　of　himself；　the　tears　came　into　his　eyes。　The　coffin；　in　its　scanty　covering　of　black　cloth；　was　standing　there　on　the　pavement　before　the　gate；　on　two　chairs。　A　withered　sprig　of　hyssop　was　soaking　in　the　holy　water　bowl　of　silver…plated　copper；　there　was　not　a　soul　in　the　street；　not　a　passer…by　had　stopped　to　sprinkle　the　coffin；　there　was　not　even　an　attempt　at　a　black　drapery　over　the　wicket。　It　was　a　pauper　who　lay　there；　no　one　made　a　pretence　of　mourning　for　him；　he　had　neither　friends　nor　kindredthere　was　no　one　to　follow　him　to　the　grave。

Bianchon's　duties　compelled　him　to　be　at　the　hospital；　but　he　had　left　a　few　lines　for　Eugene；　telling　his　friend　about　the　arrangements　he　had　made　for　the　burial　service。　The　house　student's　note　told　Rastignac　that　a　mass　was　beyond　their　means；　that　the　ordinary　office　for　the　dead　was　cheaper；　and　must　suffice；　and　that　he　had　sent　word　to　the　undertaker　by　Christophe。　Eugene　had　scarcely　finished　reading　Bianchon's　scrawl；　when　he　looked　up　and　saw　the　little　circular　gold　locket　that　contained　the　hair　of　Goriot's　two　daughters　in　Mme。　Vauquer's　hands。

〃How　dared　you　take　it？〃　he　asked。

〃Good　Lord！　is　that　to　be　buried　along　with　him？〃　retorted　Sylvie。　〃It　is　gold。〃

〃Of　course　it　shall！〃　Eugene　answered　indignantly；　〃he　shall　at　any　rate　take　one　thing　that　may　represent　his　daughters　into　the　grave　with　him。〃

When　the　hearse　came；　Eugene　had　the　coffin　carried　into　the　house　again；　unscrewed　the　lid；　and　reverently　laid　on　the　old　man's　breast　the　token　that　recalled　the　days　when　Delphine　and　Anastasie　were　innocent　little　maidens；　before　they　began　〃to　think　for　themselves；〃　as　he　had　moaned　out　in　his　agony。

Rastignac　and　Christophe　and　the　two　undertaker's　men　were　the　only　followers　of　the　funeral。　The　Church　of　Saint…Etienne　du　Mont　was　only　a　little　distance　from　the　Rue　Nueve…Sainte…　Genevieve。　When　the　coffin　had　been　deposited　in　a　low；　dark；　little　chapel；　the　law　student　looked　round　in　vain　for　Goriot's　two　daughters　or　their　husbands。　Christophe　was　his　only　fellow…　mourner；　Christophe；　who　appeared　to　think　it　was　his　duty　to　attend　the　funeral　of　the　man　who　had　put　him　in　the　way　of　such　handsome　tips。　As　they　waited　there　in　the　chapel　for　the　two　priests；　the　chorister；　and　the　beadle；　Rastignac　grasped　Christophe's　hand。　He　could　not　utter　a　word　just　then。

〃Yes；　Monsieur　Eugene；〃　said　Christophe；　〃he　was　a　good　and　worthy　man；　who　never　said　one　word　louder　than　another；　he　never　did　any　one　any　harm；　and　gave　nobody　any　trouble。〃

The　two　priests；　the　chorister；　and　the　beadle　came；　and　said　and　did　as　much　as　could　be　expected　for　seventy　francs　in　an　age　when　religion　cannot　afford　to　say　prayers　for　nothing。

The　ecclesiatics　chanted　a　psalm；　the　Libera　nos　and　the　De　profundis。　The　whole　service　lasted　about　twenty　minutes。　There　was　but　one　mourning　coach；　which　the　priest　and　chorister　agreed　to　share　with　Eugene　and　Christophe。

〃There　is　no　one　else　to　follow　us；〃　remarked　the　priest；