eugenie grandet-第36章
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over it。〃
〃She has no father！〃 said the old man。 〃Can it be you and I； Madame
Grandet； who have given birth to such a disobedient child？ A fine
education；religious； too！ Well！ why are you not in your chamber？
Come； to prison； to prison； mademoiselle！〃
〃Would you deprive me of my daughter； monsieur？〃 said Madame Grandet；
turning towards him a face that was now red with fever。
〃If you want to keep her； carry her off！ Clear outout of my house；
both of you！ Thunder！ where is the gold？ what's become of the gold？〃
Eugenie rose； looked proudly at her father； and withdrew to her room。
Grandet turned the key of the door。
〃Nanon；〃 he cried； 〃put out the fire in the hall。〃
Then he sat down in an armchair beside his wife's fire and said to
her；
〃Undoubtedly she has given the gold to that miserable seducer；
Charles； who only wanted our money。〃
〃I knew nothing about it；〃 she answered； turning to the other side of
the bed； that she might escape the savage glances of her husband。 〃I
suffer so much from your violence that I shall never leave this room；
if I trust my own presentiments； till I am carried out of it in my
coffin。 You ought to have spared me this suffering； monsieur；you； to
whom I have caused no pain； that is； I think so。 Your daughter loves
you。 I believe her to be as innocent as the babe unborn。 Do not make
her wretched。 Revoke your sentence。 The cold is very severe； you may
give her some serious illness。〃
〃I will not see her； neither will I speak to her。 She shall stay in
her room； on bread and water； until she submits to her father。 What
the devil！ shouldn't a father know where the gold in his house has
gone to？ She owned the only rupees in France； perhaps； and the Dutch
ducats and the /genovines/〃
〃Monsieur； Eugenie is our only child； and even if she had thrown them
into the water〃
〃Into the water！〃 cried her husband； 〃into the water！ You are crazy；
Madame Grandet！ What I have said is said； you know that well enough。
If you want peace in this household； make your daughter confess； pump
it out of her。 Women understand how to do that better than we do。
Whatever she has done； I sha'n't eat her。 Is she afraid of me？ Even if
she has plastered Charles with gold from head to foot； he is on the
high seas； and nobody can get at him； hein！〃
〃But； monsieur〃 Excited by the nervous crisis through which she had
passed； and by the fate of her daughter； which brought forth all her
tenderness and all her powers of mind； Madame Grandet suddenly
observed a frightful movement of her husband's wen； and； in the very
act of replying； she changed her speech without changing the tones of
her voice；〃But； monsieur； I have not more influence over her than
you have。 She has said nothing to me； she takes after you。〃
〃Tut； tut！ Your tongue is hung in the middle this morning。 Ta； ta； ta；
ta！ You are setting me at defiance； I do believe。 I daresay you are in
league with her。〃
He looked fixedly at his wife。
〃Monsieur Grandet； if you wish to kill me； you have only to go on like
this。 I tell you； monsieur；and if it were to cost me my life； I
would say it；you do wrong by your daughter； she is more in the right
than you are。 That money belonged to her； she is incapable of making
any but a good use of it； and God alone has the right to know our good
deeds。 Monsieur； I implore you； take Eugenie back into favor； forgive
her。 If you will do this you will lessen the injury your anger has
done me； perhaps you will save my life。 My daughter！ oh； monsieur；
give me back my daughter！〃
〃I shall decamp；〃 he said； 〃the house is not habitable。 A mother and
daughter talking and arguing like that！ Broooouh！ Pouah！ A fine New
Year's present you've made me； Eugenie；〃 he called out。 〃Yes； yes； cry
away！ What you've done will bring you remorse； do you hear？ What's the
good of taking the sacrament six times every three months； if you give
away your father's gold secretly to an idle fellow who'll eat your
heart out when you've nothing else to give him？ You'll find out some
day what your Charles is worth； with his morocco boots and
supercilious airs。 He has got neither heart nor soul if he dared to
carry off a young girl's treasure without the consent of her parents。〃
When the street…door was shut； Eugenie came out of her room and went
to her mother。
〃What courage you have had for your daughter's sake！〃 she said。
〃Ah！ my child； see where forbidden things may lead us。 You forced me
to tell a lie。〃
〃I will ask God to punish only me。〃
〃Is it true；〃 cried Nanon； rushing in alarmed； 〃that mademoiselle is
to be kept on bread and water for the rest of her life？〃
〃What does that signify； Nanon？〃 said Eugenie tranquilly。
〃Goodness！ do you suppose I'll eat /frippe/ when the daughter of the
house is eating dry bread？ No； no！〃
〃Don't say a word about all this； Nanon；〃 said Eugenie。
〃I'll be as mute as a fish； but you'll see！〃
*****
Grandet dined alone for the first time in twenty…four years。
〃So you're a widower； monsieur；〃 said Nanon； 〃it must be disagreeable
to be a widower with two women in the house。〃
〃I did not speak to you。 Hold your jaw； or I'll turn you off！ What is
that I hear boiling in your saucepan on the stove？〃
〃It is grease I'm trying out。〃
〃There will be some company to…night。 Light the fire。〃
The Cruchots； Madame des Grassins； and her son arrived at the usual
hour of eight； and were surprised to see neither Madame Grandet nor
her daughter。
〃My wife is not very well； and Eugenie is with her；〃 said the old
wine…grower； whose face betrayed no emotion。
At the end of an hour spent in idle conversation； Madame des Grassins；
who had gone up to see Madame Grandet； came down； and every one
inquired；
〃How is Madame Grandet？〃
〃Not at all well；〃 she answered； 〃her condition seems to me really
alarming。 At her age you ought to take every precaution； Papa
Grandet。〃
〃We'll see about it；〃 said the old man in an absent way。
They all wished him good…night。 When the Cruchots got into the street
Madame des Grassins said to them；
〃There is something going on at the Grandets。 The mother is very ill
without her knowing it。 The girl's eyes are red； as if she had been
crying all day。 Can they be trying to marry her against her will？〃
*****
When Grandet had gone to bed Nanon came softly to Eugenie's room in
her stockinged feet and showed her a pate baked in a saucepan。
〃See； mademoiselle；〃 said the good soul； 〃Cornoiller gave me a hare。
You eat so little that this pate will last you full a week； in such
frosty weather it won't spoil。 You sha'n't live on dry bread； I'm
determined； it isn't wholesome。〃
〃Poor Nanon！〃 said Eugenie； pressing her hand。
〃I've made it downright good and dainty； and /he/ never found it out。
I bought the lard and the spices out of my six francs： I'm the
mistress of my own money〃； and she disappeared rapidly； fancying she
heard Grandet。
XI
For several months the old wine…grower came constantly to his wife's
room at all hours of the day； without ever uttering his daughter's
name； or seeing her； or making the smallest allusion to her。 Madame
Grandet did not leave her chamber； and daily grew worse。 Nothing
softened the old man； he remained unmoved； harsh； and cold as a
granite rock。 He continued to go and come about his business as usual；
but ceased to stutter； talked less； and was more obdurate in business
transactions than ever before。 Often he made mistakes in adding up his
figures。
〃Something is going on at the Grandets；〃 said the Grassinists and the
Cruchotines。
〃What has happened in the Grandet family？〃 became a fixed question
which everybody asked everybody else at the little evening…parties of
Saumur。 Eugenie went to Mass escorted by Nanon。 If Madame des Grassins
said a few words to her on coming out of church； she answered in an
evasive manner； without satisfying any curiosity。 However； at the end
of two months； it became impossible to hide； either from the three
Cruchots or from Madame des Grassins； the fact that Eugenie was in
confinement。 There came a moment when all pretexts failed to explain
her perpetual absence。 Then； though it was impossible t
