eugenie grandet-第3章

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of　Saumur　asked　if　he　were　as　rich　as　Monsieur　Grandet。　When　the
Parisian；　with　a　smile；　tossed　them　a　disdainful　affirmative；　they
looked　at　each　other　and　shook　their　heads　with　an　incredulous　air。　So
large　a　fortune　covered　with　a　golden　mantle　all　the　actions　of　this
man。　If　in　early　days　some　peculiarities　of　his　life　gave　occasion　for
laughter　or　ridicule；　laughter　and　ridicule　had　long　since　died　away。
His　least　important　actions　had　the　authority　of　results　repeatedly
shown。　His　speech；　his　clothing；　his　gestures；　the　blinking　of　his
eyes；　were　law　to　the　country…side；　where　every　one；　after　studying
him　as　a　naturalist　studies　the　result　of　instinct　in　the　lower
animals；　had　come　to　understand　the　deep　mute　wisdom　of　his　slightest
actions。

〃It　will　be　a　hard　winter；〃　said　one；　〃Pere　Grandet　has　put　on　his　fur
gloves。〃

〃Pere　Grandet　is　buying　quantities　of　staves；　there　will　be　plenty　of
wine　this　year。〃

Monsieur　Grandet　never　bought　either　bread　or　meat。　His　farmers
supplied　him　weekly　with　a　sufficiency　of　capons；　chickens；　eggs；
butter；　and　his　tithe　of　wheat。　He　owned　a　mill；　and　the　tenant　was
bound；　over　and　above　his　rent；　to　take　a　certain　quantity　of　grain
and　return　him　the　flour　and　bran。　La　Grande　Nanon；　his　only　servant；
though　she　was　no　longer　young；　baked　the　bread　of　the　household
herself　every　Saturday。　Monsieur　Grandet　arranged　with　kitchen…
gardeners　who　were　his　tenants　to　supply　him　with　vegetables。　As　to
fruits；　he　gathered　such　quantities　that　he　sold　the　greater　part　in
the　market。　His　fire…wood　was　cut　from　his　own　hedgerows　or　taken　from
the　half…rotten　old　sheds　which　he　built　at　the　corners　of　his　fields；
and　whose　planks　the　farmers　carted　into　town　for　him；　all　cut　up；　and
obligingly　stacked　in　his　wood…house；　receiving　in　return　his　thanks。
His　only　known　expenditures　were　for　the　consecrated　bread；　the
clothing　of　his　wife　and　daughter；　the　hire　of　their　chairs　in　church；
the　wages　of　la　Grand　Nanon；　the　tinning　of　the　saucepans；　lights；
taxes；　repairs　on　his　buildings；　and　the　costs　of　his　various
industries。　He　had　six　hundred　acres　of　woodland；　lately　purchased；
which　he　induced　a　neighbor's　keeper　to　watch；　under　the　promise　of　an
indemnity。　After　the　acquisition　of　this　property　he　ate　game　for　the
first　time。

Monsieur　Grandet's　manners　were　very　simple。　He　spoke　little。　He
usually　expressed　his　meaning　by　short　sententious　phrases　uttered　in
a　soft　voice。　After　the　Revolution；　the　epoch　at　which　he　first　came
into　notice；　the　good　man　stuttered　in　a　wearisome　way　as　soon　as　he
was　required　to　speak　at　length　or　to　maintain　an　argument。　This
stammering；　the　incoherence　of　his　language；　the　flux　of　words　in
which　he　drowned　his　thought；　his　apparent　lack　of　logic；　attributed
to　defects　of　education；　were　in　reality　assumed；　and　will　be
sufficiently　explained　by　certain　events　in　the　following　history。
Four　sentences；　precise　as　algebraic　formulas；　sufficed　him　usually　to
grasp　and　solve　all　difficulties　of　life　and　commerce：　〃I　don't　know；
I　cannot；　I　will　not；　I　will　see　about　it。〃　He　never　said　yes；　or　no；
and　never　committed　himself　to　writing。　If　people　talked　to　him　he
listened　coldly；　holding　his　chin　in　his　right　hand　and　resting　his
right　elbow　in　the　back　of　his　left　hand；　forming　in　his　own　mind
opinions　on　all　matters；　from　which　he　never　receded。　He　reflected
long　before　making　any　business　agreement。　When　his　opponent；　after
careful　conversation；　avowed　the　secret　of　his　own　purposes；　confident
that　he　had　secured　his　listener's　assent；　Grandet　answered：　〃I　can
decide　nothing　without　consulting　my　wife。〃　His　wife；　whom　he　had
reduced　to　a　state　of　helpless　slavery；　was　a　useful　screen　to　him　in
business。　He　went　nowhere　among　friends；　he　neither　gave　nor　accepted
dinners；　he　made　no　stir　or　noise；　seeming　to　economize　in　everything；
even　movement。　He　never　disturbed　or　disarranged　the　things　of　other
people；　out　of　respect　for　the　rights　of　property。　Nevertheless；　in
spite　of　his　soft　voice；　in　spite　of　his　circumspect　bearing；　the
language　and　habits　of　a　coarse　nature　came　to　the　surface；　especially
in　his　own　home；　where　he　controlled　himself　less　than　elsewhere。

Physically；　Grandet　was　a　man　five　feet　high；　thick…set；　square…built；
with　calves　twelve　inches　in　circumference；　knotted　knee…joints；　and
broad　shoulders；　his　face　was　round；　tanned；　and　pitted　by　the　small…
pox；　his　chin　was　straight；　his　lips　had　no　curves；　his　teeth　were
white；　his　eyes　had　that　calm；　devouring　expression　which　people
attribute　to　the　basilisk；　his　forehead；　full　of　transverse　wrinkles；
was　not　without　certain　significant　protuberances；　his　yellow…grayish
hair　was　said　to　be　silver　and　gold　by　certain　young　people　who　did
not　realize　the　impropriety　of　making　a　jest　about　Monsieur　Grandet。
His　nose；　thick　at　the　end；　bore　a　veined　wen；　which　the　common　people
said；　not　without　reason；　was　full　of　malice。　The　whole　countenance
showed　a　dangerous　cunning；　an　integrity　without　warmth；　the　egotism
of　a　man　long　used　to　concentrate　every　feeling　upon　the　enjoyments　of
avarice　and　upon　the　only　human　being　who　was　anything　whatever　to
him；his　daughter　and　sole　heiress；　Eugenie。　Attitude；　manners；
bearing；　everything　about　him；　in　short；　testified　to　that　belief　in
himself　which　the　habit　of　succeeding　in　all　enterprises　never　fails
to　give　to　a　man。

Thus；　though　his　manners　were　unctuous　and　soft　outwardly；　Monsieur
Grandet's　nature　was　of　iron。　His　dress　never　varied；　and　those　who
saw　him　to…day　saw　him　such　as　he　had　been　since　1791。　His　stout　shoes
were　tied　with　leathern　thongs；　he　wore；　in　all　weathers；　thick
woollen　stockings；　short　breeches　of　coarse　maroon　cloth　with　silver
buckles；　a　velvet　waistcoat；　in　alternate　stripes　of　yellow　and　puce；
buttoned　squarely；　a　large　maroon　coat　with　wide　flaps；　a　black
cravat；　and　a　quaker's　hat。　His　gloves；　thick　as　those　of　a　gendarme；
lasted　him　twenty　months；　to　preserve　them；　he　always　laid　them
methodically　on　the　brim　of　his　hat　in　one　particular　spot。　Saumur
knew　nothing　further　about　this　personage。

Only　six　individuals　had　a　right　of　entrance　to　Monsieur　Grandet's
house。　The　most　important　of　the　first　three　was　a　nephew　of　Monsieur
Cruchot。　Since　his　appointment　as　president　of　the　Civil　courts　of
Saumur　this　young　man　had　added　the　name　of　Bonfons　to　that　of
Cruchot。　He　now　signed　himself　C。　de　Bonfons。　Any　litigant　so　ill…
advised　as　to　call　him　Monsieur　Cruchot　would　soon　be　made　to　feel　his
folly　in　court。　The　magistrate　protected　those　who　called　him　Monsieur
le　president；　but　he　favored　with　gracious　smiles　those　who　addressed
him　as　Monsieur　de　Bonfons。　Monsieur　le　president　was　thirty…three
years　old；　and　possessed　the　estate　of　Bonfons　（Boni　Fontis）；　worth
seven　thousand　francs　a　year；　he　expected　to　inherit　the　property　of
his　uncle　the　notary　and　that　of　another　uncle；　the　Abbe　Cruchot；　a
dignitary　of　the　chapter　of　Saint…Martin　de　Tours；　both　of　whom　were
thought　to　be　very　rich。　These　three　Cruchots；　backed　by　a　goodly
number　of　cousins；　and　allied　to　twenty　families　in　the　town；　formed　a
party；　like　the　Medici　in　Florence；　like　the　Medici；　the　Cruchots　had
their　Pazzi。

Madame　des　Grassins；　mother　of　a　son　twenty…three　years　of　age；　came
assiduously　to　play　cards　with　Madame　Grandet；　hoping　to　marry　her
dear　Adolphe　to　Mademoiselle　Eugenie。　Monsieur　des　Grassins；　the
banker；　vigorously　promoted　the　schemes　of　his　wife　by　means　of　secret
services　constantly　rendered　to　the　old　miser；　and　always　arrived　in
time　upon　the　field　of　battle。　The　three　des　Grassins　likewise　had
their　adherents；　their　cousins；　their　faithful　allies。　On　the　Cruchot
side　the　abbe；　the　Talleyrand　of　the　family；　well　backed…up　by　his
brother　the　notary；　sharply　contested　every　inch　of　ground　with　his
female　adversary；　and　tried　to　obtain　the　rich　heiress　for　his　nephew
the　president。

This　secret　warfare　between　the　Cruchots　and　des　Grassins；　the　prize
thereof　being　the　hand　in　marriage　of　Eugenie　Grandet；　kept　the
various　social　circles　of　Saumur　in　violent　agitation。　Would
Mademoiselle　Grandet　marry　Monsieur　le　presiden