eugenie grandet-第12章

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〃Yes；　father。〃

〃Well　then；　my　nephew；　if　you　are　tired；　Nanon　shall　show　you　your
room。　It　isn't　a　dandy's　room；　but　you　will　excuse　a　poor　wine…grower
who　never　has　a　penny　to　spare。　Taxes　swallow　up　everything。〃

〃We　do　not　wish　to　intrude；　Grandet；〃　said　the　banker；　〃you　may　want
to　talk　to　your　nephew；　and　therefore　we　will　bid　you　good…night。〃

At　these　words　the　assembly　rose；　and　each　made　a　parting　bow　in
keeping　with　his　or　her　own　character。　The　old　notary　went　to　the　door
to　fetch　his　lantern　and　came　back　to　light　it；　offering　to　accompany
the　des　Grassins　on　their　way。　Madame　des　Grassins　had　not　foreseen
the　incident　which　brought　the　evening　prematurely　to　an　end；　her
servant　therefore　had　not　arrived。

〃Will　you　do　me　the　honor　to　take　my　arm；　madame？〃　said　the　abbe。

〃Thank　you；　monsieur　l'abbe；　but　I　have　my　son；〃　she　answered　dryly。

〃Ladies　cannot　compromise　themselves　with　me；〃　said　the　abbe。

〃Take　Monsieur　Cruchot's　arm；〃　said　her　husband。

The　abbe　walked　off　with　the　pretty　lady　so　quickly　that　they　were
soon　some　distance　in　advance　of　the　caravan。

〃That　is　a　good…looking　young　man；　madame；〃　he　said；　pressing　her　arm。
〃Good…by　to　the　grapes；　the　vintage　is　done。　It　is　all　over　with　us。
We　may　as　well　say　adieu　to　Mademoiselle　Grandet。　Eugenie　will　belong
to　the　dandy。　Unless　this　cousin　is　enamoured　of　some　Parisian　woman；
your　son　Adolphe　will　find　another　rival　in〃

〃Not　at　all；　monsieur　l'abbe。　This　young　man　cannot　fail　to　see　that
Eugenie　is　a　little　fool；a　girl　without　the　least　freshness。　Did　you
notice　her　to…night？　She　was　as　yellow　as　a　quince。〃

〃Perhaps　you　made　the　cousin　notice　it？〃

〃I　did　not　take　the　trouble〃

〃Place　yourself　always　beside　Eugenie；　madame；　and　you　need　never　take
the　trouble　to　say　anything　to　the　young　man　against　his　cousin；　he
will　make　his　own　comparisons；　which〃

〃Well；　he　has　promised　to　dine　with　me　the　day　after　to…morrow。〃

〃Ah！　if　you　only　/would/；　madame〃　said　the　abbe。

〃What　is　it　that　you　wish　me　to　do；　monsieur　l'abbe？　Do　you　mean　to
offer　me　bad　advice？　I　have　not　reached　the　age　of　thirty…nine；
without　a　stain　upon　my　reputation；　thank　God！　to　compromise　myself
now；　even　for　the　empire　of　the　Great　Mogul。　You　and　I　are　of　an　age
when　we　both　know　the　meaning　of　words。　For　an　ecclesiastic；　you
certainly　have　ideas　that　are　very　incongruous。　Fie！　it　is　worthy　of
Faublas！〃

〃You　have　read　Faublas？〃

〃No；　monsieur　l'abbe；　I　meant　to　say　the　/Liaisons　dangereuses/。〃

〃Ah！　that　book　is　infinitely　more　moral；〃　said　the　abbe；　laughing。
〃But　you　make　me　out　as　wicked　as　a　young　man　of　the　present　day；　I
only　meant〃

〃Do　you　dare　to　tell　me　you　were　not　thinking　of　putting　wicked　things
into　my　head？　Isn't　it　perfectly　clear？　If　this　young　manwho　I　admit
is　very　good…lookingwere　to　make　love　to　me；　he　would　not　think　of
his　cousin。　In　Paris；　I　know；　good　mothers　do　devote　themselves　in
this　way　to　the　happiness　and　welfare　of　their　children；　but　we　live
in　the　provinces；　monsieur　l'abbe。〃

〃Yes；　madame。〃

〃And；〃　she　continued；　〃I　do　not　want；　and　Adolphe　himself　would　not
want；　a　hundred　millions　brought　at　such　a　price。〃

〃Madame；　I　said　nothing　about　a　hundred　millions；　that　temptation
might　be　too　great　for　either　of　us　to　withstand。　Only；　I　do　think
that　an　honest　woman　may　permit　herself；　in　all　honor；　certain
harmless　little　coquetries；　which　are；　in　fact；　part　of　her　social
duty　and　which〃

〃Do　you　think　so？〃

〃Are　we　not　bound；　madame；　to　make　ourselves　agreeable　to　each　other？
Permit　me　to　blow　my　nose。I　assure　you；　madame；〃　he　resumed；　〃that
the　young　gentleman　ogled　you　through　his　glass　in　a　more　flattering
manner　than　he　put　on　when　he　looked　at　me；　but　I　forgive　him　for
doing　homage　to　beauty　in　preference　to　old　age〃

〃It　is　quite　apparent；〃　said　the　president　in　his　loud　voice；　〃that
Monsieur　Grandet　of　Paris　has　sent　his　son　to　Saumur　with　extremely
matrimonial　intentions。〃

〃But　in　that　case　the　cousin　wouldn't　have　fallen　among　us　like　a
cannon…ball；〃　answered　the　notary。

〃That　doesn't　prove　anything；〃　said　Monsieur　des　Grassins；　〃the　old
miser　is　always　making　mysteries。〃

〃Des　Grassins；　my　friend；　I　have　invited　the　young　man　to　dinner。　You
must　go　and　ask　Monsieur　and　Madame　de　Larsonniere　and　the　du　Hautoys；
with　the　beautiful　demoiselle　du　Hautoy；　of　course。　I　hope　she　will　be
properly　dressed；　that　jealous　mother　of　hers　does　make　such　a　fright
of　her！　Gentlemen；　I　trust　that　you　will　all　do　us　the　honor　to　come；〃
she　added；　stopping　the　procession　to　address　the　two　Cruchots。

〃Here　you　are　at　home；　madame；〃　said　the　notary。

After　bowing　to　the　three　des　Grassins；　the　three　Cruchots　returned
home；　applying　their　provincial　genius　for　analysis　to　studying；　under
all　its　aspects；　the　great　event　of　the　evening；　which　undoubtedly
changed　the　respective　positions　of　Grassinists　and　Cruchotines。　The
admirable　common…sense　which　guided　all　the　actions　of　these　great
machinators　made　each　side　feel　the　necessity　of　a　momentary　alliance
against　a　common　enemy。　Must　they　not　mutually　hinder　Eugenie　from
loving　her　cousin；　and　the　cousin　from　thinking　of　Eugenie？　Could　the
Parisian　resist　the　influence　of　treacherous　insinuations；　soft…spoken
calumnies；　slanders　full　of　faint　praise　and　artless　denials；　which
should　be　made　to　circle　incessantly　about　him　and　deceive　him？



IV

When　the　four　relations　were　left　alone；　Monsieur　Grandet　said　to　his
nephew；

〃We　must　go　to　bed。　It　is　too　late　to　talk　about　the　matters　which
have　brought　you　here；　to…morrow　we　will　take　a　suitable　moment。　We
breakfast　at　eight　o'clock；　at　midday　we　eat　a　little　fruit　or　a　bit
of　bread；　and　drink　a　glass　of　white　wine；　and　we　dine；　like　the
Parisians；　at　five　o'clock。　That's　the　order　of　the　day。　If　you　like
to　go　and　see　the　town　and　the　environs　you　are　free　to　do　so。　You
will　excuse　me　if　my　occupations　do　not　permit　me　to　accompany　you。
You　may　perhaps　hear　people　say　that　I　am　rich；Monsieur　Grandet
this；　Monsieur　Grandet　that。　I　let　them　talk；　their　gossip　does　not
hurt　my　credit。　But　I　have　not　a　penny；　I　work　in　my　old　age　like　an
apprentice　whose　worldly　goods　are　a　bad　plane　and　two　good　arms。
Perhaps　you'll　soon　know　yourself　what　a　franc　costs　when　you　have　got
to　sweat　for　it。　Nanon；　where　are　the　candles？〃

〃I　trust；　my　nephew；　that　you　will　find　all　you　want；〃　said　Madame
Grandet；　〃but　if　you　should　need　anything　else；　you　can　call　Nanon。〃

〃My　dear　aunt；　I　shall　need　nothing；　I　have；　I　believe；　brought
everything　with　me。　Permit　me　to　bid　you　good…night；　and　my　young
cousin　also。〃

Charles　took　a　lighted　wax　candle　from　Nanon's　hand；an　Anjou　candle；
very　yellow　in　color；　and　so　shopworn　that　it　looked　like　tallow　and
deceived　Monsieur　Grandet；　who；　incapable　of　suspecting　its　presence
under　his　roof；　did　not　perceive　this　magnificence。

〃I　will　show　you　the　way；〃　he　said。

Instead　of　leaving　the　hall　by　the　door　which　opened　under　the
archway；　Grandet　ceremoniously　went　through　the　passage　which　divided
the　hall　from　the　kitchen。　A　swing…door；　furnished　with　a　large　oval
pane　of　glass；　shut　this　passage　from　the　staircase；　so　as　to　fend　off
the　cold　air　which　rushed　through　it。　But　the　north　wind　whistled　none
the　less　keenly　in　winter；　and；　in　spite　of　the　sand…bags　at　the
bottom　of　the　doors　of　the　living…room；　the　temperature　within　could
scarcely　be　kept　at　a　proper　height。　Nanon　went　to　bolt　the　outer
door；　then　she　closed　the　hall　and　let　loose　a　wolf…dog；　whose　bark
was　so　strangled　that　he　seemed　to　have　laryngitis。　This　animal；　noted
for　his　ferocity；　recognized　no　one　but　Nanon；　the　two　untutored
children　of　the　fields　understood　each　other。

When　Charles　saw　the　yellow；　smoke…stained　walls　of　the　well　of　the
staircase；　where　each　worm…eaten　step　shook　under　the　heavy　foot…fall
of　his　uncle；　his　expectations　began　to　sober　more　and　more。　He
fancied　himself　in　a　hen…roost。　His　aunt　and　cousin；　to　whom　he　turned
an　inquiring　look；　were　so　used　to　the　staircase　that　they　did　not
guess　the　cause　of　his　amazement；　and　took　the　glance　for　an
expression　of　friendliness；　which　t