eugenie grandet-第23章

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〃Wife；〃　said　Grandet；　〃give　Nanon　six　francs；　and　remind　me　to　get
some　of　the　good　wine　out　of　the　cellar。〃

〃Well；　then；　Monsieur　Grandet；〃　said　the　keeper；　who　had　come　prepared
with　an　harangue　for　the　purpose　of　settling　the　question　of　the
indemnity；　〃Monsieur　Grandet〃

〃Ta；　ta；　ta；　ta！〃　said　Grandet；　〃I　know　what　you　want　to　say。　You　are
a　good　fellow；　we　will　see　about　it　to…morrow；　I'm　too　busy　to…day。
Wife；　give　him　five　francs；〃　he　added　to　Madame　Grandet　as　he
decamped。

The　poor　woman　was　only　too　happy　to　buy　peace　at　the　cost　of　eleven
francs。　She　knew　that　Grandet　would　let　her　alone　for　a　fortnight
after　he　had　thus　taken　back；　franc　by　franc；　the　money　he　had　given
her。

〃Here；　Cornoiller；〃　she　said；　slipping　ten　francs　into　the　man's　hand；
〃some　day　we　will　reward　your　services。〃

Cornoiller　could　say　nothing；　so　he　went　away。

〃Madame；〃　said　Nanon；　who　had　put　on　her　black　coif　and　taken　her
basket；　〃I　want　only　three　francs。　You　keep　the　rest；　it'll　go　fast
enough　somehow。〃

〃Have　a　good　dinner；　Nanon；　my　cousin　will　come　down；〃　said　Eugenie。

〃Something　very　extraordinary　is　going　on；　I　am　certain　of　it；〃　said
Madame　Grandet。　〃This　is　only　the　third　time　since　our　marriage　that
your　father　has　given　a　dinner。〃

*****

About　four　o'clock；　just　as　Eugenie　and　her　mother　had　finished
setting　the　table　for　six　persons；　and　after　the　master　of　the　house
had　brought　up　a　few　bottles　of　the　exquisite　wine　which　provincials
cherish　with　true　affection；　Charles　came　down　into　the　hall。　The
young　fellow　was　pale；　his　gestures；　the　expression　of　his　face；　his
glance；　and　the　tones　of　his　voice；　all　had　a　sadness　which　was　full
of　grace。　He　was　not　pretending　grief；　he　truly　suffered；　and　the　veil
of　pain　cast　over　his　features　gave　him　an　interesting　air　dear　to　the
heart　of　women。　Eugenie　loved　him　the　more　for　it。　Perhaps　she　felt
that　sorrow　drew　him　nearer　to　her。　Charles　was　no　longer　the　rich　and
distinguished　young　man　placed　in　a　sphere　far　above　her；　but　a
relation　plunged　into　frightful　misery。　Misery　begets　equality。　Women
have　this　in　common　with　the　angels；suffering　humanity　belongs　to
them。　Charles　and　Eugenie　understood　each　other　and　spoke　only　with
their　eyes；　for　the　poor　fallen　dandy；　orphaned　and　impoverished；　sat
apart　in　a　corner　of　the　room；　and　was　proudly　calm　and　silent。　Yet；
from　time　to　time；　the　gentle　and　caressing　glance　of　the　young　girl
shone　upon　him　and　constrained　him　away　from　his　sad　thoughts；　drawing
him　with　her　into　the　fields　of　hope　and　of　futurity；　where　she　loved
to　hold　him　at　her　side。



VII

At　this　moment　the　town　of　Saumur　was　more　excited　about　the　dinner
given　by　Grandet　to　the　Cruchots　than　it　had　been　the　night　before　at
the　sale　of　his　vintage；　though　that　constituted　a　crime　of　high…
treason　against　the　whole　wine…growing　community。　If　the　politic　old
miser　had　given　his　dinner　from　the　same　idea　that　cost　the　dog　of
Alcibiades　his　tail；　he　might　perhaps　have　been　called　a　great　man；
but　the　fact　is；　considering　himself　superior　to　a　community　which　he
could　trick　on　all　occasions；　he　paid　very　little　heed　to　what　Saumur
might　say。

The　des　Grassins　soon　learned　the　facts　of　the　failure　and　the　violent
death　of　Guillaume　Grandet；　and　they　determined　to　go　to　their
client's　house　that　very　evening　to　commiserate　his　misfortune　and
show　him　some　marks　of　friendship；　with　a　view　of　ascertaining　the
motives　which　had　led　him　to　invite　the　Cruchots　to　dinner。　At
precisely　five　o'clock　Monsieur　C。　de　Bonfons　and　his　uncle　the　notary
arrived　in　their　Sunday　clothes。　The　party　sat　down　to　table　and　began
to　dine　with　good　appetites。　Grandet　was　grave；　Charles　silent；
Eugenie　dumb；　and　Madame　Grandet　did　not　say　more　than　usual；　so　that
the　dinner　was；　very　properly；　a　repast　of　condolence。　When　they　rose
from　table　Charles　said　to　his　aunt　and　uncle；

〃Will　you　permit　me　to　retire？　I　am　obliged　to　undertake　a　long　and
painful　correspondence。〃

〃Certainly；　nephew。〃

As　soon　as　the　goodman　was　certain　that　Charles　could　hear　nothing　and
was　probably　deep　in　his　letter…writing；　he　said；　with　a　dissimulating
glance　at　his　wife；

〃Madame　Grandet；　what　we　have　to　talk　about　will　be　Latin　to　you；　it
is　half…past　seven；　you　can　go　and　attend　to　your　household　accounts。
Good…night；　my　daughter。〃

He　kissed　Eugenie；　and　the　two　women　departed。　A　scene　now　took　place
in　which　Pere　Grandet　brought　to　bear；　more　than　at　any　other　moment
of　his　life；　the　shrewd　dexterity　he　had　acquired　in　his　intercourse
with　men；　and　which　had　won　him　from　those　whose　flesh　he　sometimes
bit　too　sharply　the　nickname　of　〃the　old　dog。〃　If　the　mayor　of　Saumur
had　carried　his　ambition　higher　still；　if　fortunate　circumstances；
drawing　him　towards　the　higher　social　spheres；　had　sent　him　into
congresses　where　the　affairs　of　nations　were　discussed；　and　had　he
there　employed　the　genius　with　which　his　personal　interests　had
endowed　him；　he　would　undoubtedly　have　proved　nobly　useful　to　his
native　land。　Yet　it　is　perhaps　equally　certain　that　outside　of　Saumur
the　goodman　would　have　cut　a　very　sorry　figure。　Possibly　there　are
minds　like　certain　animals　which　cease　to　breed　when　transplanted　from
the　climates　in　which　they　are　born。

〃M…m…mon…sieur　le　p…p…president；　you　said　t…t…that　b…b…bankruptcy〃

The　stutter　which　for　years　the　old　miser　had　assumed　when　it　suited
him；　and　which；　together　with　the　deafness　of　which　he　sometimes
complained　in　rainy　weather；　was　thought　in　Saumur　to　be　a　natural
defect；　became　at　this　crisis　so　wearisome　to　the　two　Cruchots　that
while　they　listened　they　unconsciously　made　faces　and　moved　their
lips；　as　if　pronouncing　the　words　over　which　he　was　hesitating　and
stuttering　at　will。　Here　it　may　be　well　to　give　the　history　of　this
impediment　of　the　speech　and　hearing　of　Monsieur　Grandet。　No　one　in
Anjou　heard　better；　or　could　pronounce　more　crisply　the　French
language　（with　an　Angevin　accent）　than　the　wily　old　cooper。　Some　years
earlier；　in　spite　of　his　shrewdness；　he　had　been　taken　in　by　an
Israelite；　who　in　the　course　of　the　discussion　held　his　hand　behind
his　ear　to　catch　sounds；　and　mangled　his　meaning　so　thoroughly　in
trying　to　utter　his　words　that　Grandet　fell　a　victim　to　his　humanity
and　was　compelled　to　prompt　the　wily　Jew　with　the　words　and　ideas　he
seemed　to　seek；　to　complete　himself　the　arguments　of　the　said　Jew；　to
say　what　that　cursed　Jew　ought　to　have　said　for　himself；　in　short；　to
be　the　Jew　instead　of　being　Grandet。　When　the　cooper　came　out　of　this
curious　encounter　he　had　concluded　the　only　bargain　of　which　in　the
course　of　a　long　commercial　life　he　ever　had　occasion　to　complain。　But
if　he　lost　at　the　time　pecuniarily；　he　gained　morally　a　valuable
lesson；　later；　he　gathered　its　fruits。　Indeed；　the　goodman　ended　by
blessing　that　Jew　for　having　taught　him　the　art　of　irritating　his
commercial　antagonist　and　leading　him　to　forget　his　own　thoughts　in
his　impatience　to　suggest　those　over　which　his　tormentor　was
stuttering。　No　affair　had　ever　needed　the　assistance　of　deafness；
impediments　of　speech；　and　all　the　incomprehensible　circumlocutions
with　which　Grandet　enveloped　his　ideas；　as　much　as　the　affair　now　in
hand。　In　the　first　place；　he　did　not　mean　to　shoulder　the
responsibility　of　his　own　scheme；　in　the　next；　he　was　determined　to
remain　master　of　the　conversation　and　to　leave　his　real　intentions　in
doubt。

〃M…m…monsieur　de　B…B…Bonfons；〃for　the　second　time　in　three　years
Grandet　called　the　Cruchot　nephew　Monsieur　de　Bonfons；　the　president
felt　he　might　consider　himself　the　artful　old　fellow's　son…in…law；
〃you…ou　said　th…th…that　b…b…bankruptcy　c…c…could；　in　some　c…c…cases；
b…b…be　p…p…prevented　b…b…by〃

〃By　the　courts　of　commerce　themselves。　It　is　done　constantly；〃　said
Monsieur　C。　de　Bonfons；　bestriding　Grandet's　meaning；　or　thinking　he
guessed　it；　and　kindly　wishing　to　help　him　out　with　it。　〃Listen。〃

〃Y…yes；〃　said　Grandet　humbly；　with　the　mischievous　expression　of　a　boy
who　is　inwardly　laughing　at　his　teacher　while　he　pays　him　the　greatest
attention。

〃When　a　man　so　respected　and　important　as；　for　example；　your　late