a daughter of eve-第5章

按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！



is　over　fifty　years　of　age；　the　widow　of　a　notary；　who　rules　him。　I

shall　never　be　free；　I　know　that；　so　long　as　he　lives。　My　life　is

regulated　like　that　of　a　queen；　my　meals　are　served　with　the　utmost

formality；　at　a　given　hour　I　must　drive　to　the　Bois；　I　am　always

accompanied　by　two　footmen　in　full　dress；　I　am　obliged　to　return　at　a

certain　hour。　Instead　of　giving　orders；　I　receive　them。　At　a　ball；　at

the　theatre；　a　servant　comes　to　me　and　says：　'Madame's　carriage　is

ready；'　and　I　am　obliged　to　go；　in　the　midst；　perhaps；　of　something　I

enjoy。　Ferdinand　would　be　furious　if　I　did　not　obey　the　etiquette　he

prescribes　for　his　wife；　he　frightens　me。　In　the　midst　of　this　hateful

opulence；　I　find　myself　regretting　the　past；　and　thinking　that　our

mother　was　kind；　she　left　us　the　nights　when　we　could　talk　together；

at　any　rate；　I　was　living　with　a　dear　being　who　loved　me　and　suffered

with　me；　whereas　here；　in　this　sumptuous　house；　I　live　in　a　desert。〃



At　this　terrible　confession　the　countess　caught　her　sister's　hand　and

kissed　it；　weeping。



〃How；　then；　can　I　help　you；〃　said　Eugenie；　in　a　low　voice。　〃He　would

be　suspicious　at　once　if　he　surprised　us　here；　and　would　insist　on

knowing　all　that　you　have　been　saying　to　me。　I　should　be　forced　to

tell　a　lie；　which　is　difficult　indeed　with　so　sly　and　treacherous　a

man；　he　would　lay　traps　for　me。　But　enough　of　my　own　miseries；　let　us

think　of　yours。　The　forty　thousand　francs　you　want　would　be；　of

course；　a　mere　nothing　to　Ferdinand；　who　handles　millions　with　that

fat　banker；　Baron　de　Nucingen。　Sometimes；　at　dinner；　in　my　presence；

they　say　things　to　each　other　which　make　me　shudder。　Du　Tillet　knows

my　discretion；　and　they　often　talk　freely　before　me；　being　sure　of　my

silence。　Well；　robbery　and　murder　on　the　high…road　seem　to　me　merciful

compared　to　some　of　their　financial　schemes。　Nucingen　and　he　no　more

mind　destroying　a　man　than　if　he　were　an　animal。　Often　I　am　told　to

receive　poor　dupes　whose　fate　I　have　heard　them　talk　of　the　night

before；men　who　rush　into　some　business　where　they　are　certain　to

lose　their　all。　I　am　tempted；　like　Leonardo　in　the　brigand's　cave；　to

cry　out；　'Beware！'　But　if　I　did；　what　would　become　of　me？　So　I　keep

silence。　This　splendid　house　is　a　cut…throat's　den！　But　Ferdinand　and

Nucingen　will　lavish　millions　for　their　own　caprices。　Ferdinand　is　now

buying　from　the　other　du　Tillet　family　the　site　of　their　old　castle；

he　intends　to　rebuild　it　and　add　a　forest　with　large　domains　to　the

estate；　and　make　his　son　a　count；　he　declares　that　by　the　third

generation　the　family　will　be　noble。　Nucingen；　who　is　tired　of　his

house　in　the　rue　Saint…Lazare；　is　building　a　palace。　His　wife　is　a

friend　of　mineAh！〃　she　cried；　interrupting　herself；　〃she　might　help

us；　she　is　very　bold　with　her　husband；　her　fortune　is　in　her　own

right。　Yes；　she　could　save　you。〃



〃Dear　heart；　I　have　but　a　few　hours　left；　let　us　go　to　her　this

evening；　now；　instantly；〃　said　Madame　de　Vandenesse；　throwing　herself

into　Madame　du　Tillet's　arms　with　a　burst　of　tears。



〃I　can't　go　out　at　eleven　o'clock　at　night；〃　replied　her　sister。



〃My　carriage　is　here。〃



〃What　are　you　two　plotting　together？〃　said　du　Tillet；　pushing　open　the

door　of　the　boudoir。



He　came　in　showing　a　torpid　face　lighted　now　by　a　speciously　amiable

expression。　The　carpets　had　dulled　his　steps　and　the　preoccupation　of

the　two　sisters　had　kept　them　from　noticing　the　noise　of　his　carriage…

wheels　on　entering　the　court…yard。　The　countess；　in　whom　the　habits　of

social　life　and　the　freedom　in　which　her　husband　had　left　her　had

developed　both　wit　and　shrewdness；qualities　repressed　in　her　sister

by　marital　despotism；　which　simply　continued　that　of　their　mother；

saw　that　Eugenie's　terror　was　on　the　point　of　betraying　them；　and　she

evaded　that　danger　by　a　frank　answer。



〃I　thought　my　sister　richer　than　she　is；〃　she　replied；　looking

straight　at　her　brother…in…law。　〃Women　are　sometimes　embarrassed　for

money；　and　do　not　wish　to　tell　their　husbands；　like　Josephine　with

Napoleon。　I　came　here　to　ask　Eugenie　to　do　me　a　service。〃



〃She　can　easily　do　that；　madame。　Eugenie　is　very　rich；〃　replied　du

Tillet；　with　concealed　sarcasm。



〃Is　she？〃　replied　the　countess；　smiling　bitterly。



〃How　much　do　you　want？〃　asked　du　Tillet；　who　was　not　sorry　to　get　his

sister…in…law　into　his　meshes。



〃Ah；　monsieur！　but　I　have　told　you　already　we　do　not　wish　to　let　our

husbands　into　this　affair；〃　said　Madame　de　Vandenesse；　cautiously；

aware　that　if　she　took　his　money；　she　would　put　herself　at　the　mercy

of　the　man　whose　portrait　Eugenie　had　fortunately　drawn　for　her　not

ten　minutes　earlier。　〃I　will　come　to…morrow　and　talk　with　Eugenie。〃



〃To…morrow？〃　said　the　banker。　〃No；　Madame　du　Tillet　dines　to…morrow

with　a　future　peer　of　France；　the　Baron　de　Nucingen；　who　is　to　leave

me　his　place　in　the　Chamber　of　Deputies。〃



〃Then　permit　her　to　join　me　in　my　box　at　the　Opera；〃　said　the

countess；　without　even　glancing　at　her　sister；　so　much　did　she　fear

that　Eugenie's　candor　would　betray　them。



〃She　has　her　own　box；　madame；〃　said　du　Tillet；　nettled。



〃Very　good；　then　I　will　go　to　hers；〃　replied　the　countess。



〃It　will　be　the　first　time　you　have　done　us　that　honor；〃　said　du

Tillet。



The　countess　felt　the　sting　of　that　reproach；　and　began　to　laugh。



〃Well；　never　mind；　you　shall　not　be　made　to　pay　anything　this　time。

Adieu；　my　darling。〃



〃She　is　an　insolent　woman；〃　said　du　Tillet；　picking　up　the　flowers

that　had　fallen　on　the　carpet。　〃You　ought；〃　he　said　to　his　wife；　〃to

study　Madame　de　Vandenesse。　I'd　like　to　see　you　before　the　world　as

insolent　and　overbearing　as　your　sister　has　just　been　here。　You　have　a

silly；　bourgeois　air　which　I　detest。〃



Eugenie　raised　her　eyes　to　heaven　as　her　only　answer。



〃Ah　ca；　madame！　what　have　you　both　been　talking　of？〃　said　the　banker；

after　a　pause；　pointing　to　the　flowers。　〃What　has　happened　to　make

your　sister　so　anxious　all　of　a　sudden　to　go　to　your　opera…box？〃



The　poor　helot　endeavored　to　escape　questioning　on　the　score　of

sleepiness；　and　turned　to　go　into　her　dressing…room　to　prepare　for　the

night；　but　du　Tillet　took　her　by　the　arm　and　brought　her　back　under

the　full　light　of　the　wax…candles　which　were　burning　in　two　silver…

gilt　sconces　between　fragrant　nosegays。　He　plunged　his　light　eyes　into

hers　and　said；　coldly：



〃Your　sister　came　here　to　borrow　forty　thousand　francs　for　a　man　in

whom　she　takes　an　interest；　who'll　be　locked　up　within　three　days　in　a

debtor's　prison。〃



The　poor　woman　was　seized　with　a　nervous　trembling；　which　she

endeavored　to　repress。



〃You　alarm　me；〃　she　said。　〃But　my　sister　is　far　too　well　brought　up；

and　she　loves　her　husband　too　much　to　be　interested　in　any　man　to　that

extent。〃



〃Quite　the　contrary；〃　he　said；　dryly。　〃Girls　brought　up　as　you　two

were；　in　the　constraints　and　practice　of　piety；　have　a　thirst　for

liberty；　they　desire　happiness；　and　the　happiness　they　get　in　marriage

is　never　as　fine　as　that　they　dreamt　of。　Such　girls　make　bad　wives。〃



〃Speak　for　me；〃　said　poor　Eugenie；　in　a　tone　of　bitter　feeling；　〃but

respect　my　sister。　The　Comtesse　de　Vandenesse　is　happy；　her　husband

gives　her　too　much　freedom　not　to　make　her　truly　attached　to　him。

Besides；　if　your　supposition　were　true；　she　would　never　have　told　me

of　such　a　matter。〃



〃It　is　true；〃　he　said；　〃and　I　forbid　you　to　have　anything　to　do　with

the　affair。　My　interests　demand　that　the　man　shall　go　to　prison。

Remember　my　orders。〃



Madame　du　Tillet　left　the　room。



〃She　will　disobey　me；　of　course；　and　I　shall　find　out　all　the　facts　by

watching　her；〃　thought　du　Tillet；　when　alone　in　the　boudoir。　〃These

poor　fools　always　think　they　can　do　battle　against　us。〃



He　shrugged　his　shoulders　and　rejoined　his　wife；　or　to　speak　the

truth；　his　slave。



The　confidence　made　to　Madame　du　Tillet　by　Madame　Felix　de　Vandenesse

is　co