eugenie grandet-第42章

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admiration。　This　concert　of　praise；　never　before　bestowed　upon
Eugenie；　made　her　blush　under　its　novelty；　but　insensibly　her　ear
became　habituated　to　the　sound；　and　however　coarse　the　compliments
might　be；　she　soon　was　so　accustomed　to　hear　her　beauty　lauded　that　if
any　new…comer　had　seemed　to　think　her　plain；　she　would　have　felt　the
reproach　far　more　than　she　might　have　done　eight　years　earlier。　She
ended　at　last　by　loving　the　incense；　which　she　secretly　laid　at　the
feet　of　her　idol。　By　degrees　she　grew　accustomed　to　be　treated　as　a
sovereign　and　to　see　her　court　pressing　around　her　every　evening。

Monsieur　de　Bonfons　was　the　hero　of　the　little　circle；　where　his　wit；
his　person；　his　education；　his　amiability；　were　perpetually　praised。
One　or　another　would　remark　that　in　seven　years　he　had　largely
increased　his　fortune；　that　Bonfons　brought　in　at　least　ten　thousand
francs　a　year；　and　was　surrounded；　like　the　other　possessions　of　the
Cruchots；　by　the　vast　domains　of　the　heiress。

〃Do　you　know；　mademoiselle；〃　said　an　habitual　visitor；　〃that　the
Cruchots　have　an　income　of　forty　thousand　francs　among　them！〃

〃And　then；　their　savings！〃　exclaimed　an　elderly　female　Cruchotine；
Mademoiselle　de　Gribeaucourt。

〃A　gentleman　from　Paris　has　lately　offered　Monsieur　Cruchot　two
hundred　thousand　francs　for　his　practice；〃　said　another。　〃He　will　sell
it　if　he　is　appointed　/juge　de　paix/。〃

〃He　wants　to　succeed　Monsieur　de　Bonfons　as　president　of　the　Civil
courts；　and　is　taking　measures；〃　replied　Madame　d'Orsonval。　〃Monsieur
le　president　will　certainly　be　made　councillor。〃

〃Yes；　he　is　a　very　distinguished　man；〃　said　another；〃don't　you　think
so；　mademoiselle？〃

Monsieur　de　Bonfons　endeavored　to　put　himself　in　keeping　with　the　role
he　sought　to　play。　In　spite　of　his　forty　years；　in　spite　of　his　dusky
and　crabbed　features；　withered　like　most　judicial　faces；　he　dressed　in
youthful　fashions；　toyed　with　a　bamboo　cane；　never　took　snuff　in
Mademoiselle　de　Froidfond's　house；　and　came　in　a　white　cravat　and　a
shirt　whose　pleated　frill　gave　him　a　family　resemblance　to　the　race　of
turkeys。　He　addressed　the　beautiful　heiress　familiarly；　and　spoke　of
her　as　〃Our　dear　Eugenie。〃　In　short；　except　for　the　number　of
visitors；　the　change　from　loto　to　whist；　and　the　disappearance　of
Monsieur　and　Madame　Grandet；　the　scene　was　about　the　same　as　the　one
with　which　this　history　opened。　The　pack　were　still　pursuing　Eugenie
and　her　millions；　but　the　hounds；　more　in　number；　lay　better　on　the
scent；　and　beset　the　prey　more　unitedly。　If　Charles　could　have　dropped
from　the　Indian　Isles；　he　would　have　found　the　same　people　and　the
same　interests。　Madame　des　Grassins；　to　whom　Eugenie　was　full　of
kindness　and　courtesy；　still　persisted　in　tormenting　the　Cruchots。
Eugenie；　as　in　former　days；　was　the　central　figure　of　the　picture；　and
Charles；　as　heretofore；　would　still　have　been　the　sovereign　of　all。
Yet　there　had　been　some　progress。　The　flowers　which　the　president
formerly　presented　to　Eugenie　on　her　birthdays　and　fete…days　had　now
become　a　daily　institution。　Every　evening　he　brought　the　rich　heiress
a　huge　and　magnificent　bouquet；　which　Madame　Cornoiller　placed
conspicuously　in　a　vase；　and　secretly　threw　into　a　corner　of　the
court…yard　when　the　visitors　had　departed。

Early　in　the　spring；　Madame　des　Grassins　attempted　to　trouble　the
peace　of　the　Cruchotines　by　talking　to　Eugenie　of　the　Marquis　de
Froidfond；　whose　ancient　and　ruined　family　might　be　restored　if　the
heiress　would　give　him　back　his　estates　through　marriage。　Madame　des
Grassins　rang　the　changes　on　the　peerage　and　the　title　of　marquise；
until；　mistaking　Eugenie's　disdainful　smile　for　acquiescence；　she　went
about　proclaiming　that　the　marriage　with　〃Monsieur　Cruchot〃　was　not
nearly　as　certain　as　people　thought。

〃Though　Monsieur　de　Froidfond　is　fifty；〃　she　said；　〃he　does　not　look
older　than　Monsieur　Cruchot。　He　is　a　widower；　and　he　has　children；
that's　true。　But　then　he　is　a　marquis；　he　will　be　peer　of　France；　and
in　times　like　these　where　you　will　find　a　better　match？　I　know　it　for
a　fact　that　Pere　Grandet；　when　he　put　all　his　money　into　Froidfond；
intended　to　graft　himself　upon　that　stock；　he　often　told　me　so。　He　was
a　deep　one；　that　old　man！〃

〃Ah！　Nanon；〃　said　Eugenie；　one　night　as　she　was　going　to　bed；　〃how　is
it　that　in　seven　years　he　has　never　once　written　to　me？〃



XIII

While　these　events　were　happening　in　Saumur；　Charles　was　making　his
fortune　in　the　Indies。　His　commercial　outfit　had　sold　well。　He　began
by　realizing　a　sum　of　six　thousand　dollars。　Crossing　the　line　had
brushed　a　good　many　cobwebs　out　of　his　brain；　he　perceived　that　the
best　means　of　attaining　fortune　in　tropical　regions；　as　well　as　in
Europe；　was　to　buy　and　sell　men。　He　went　to　the　coast　of　Africa　and
bought　Negroes；　combining　his　traffic　in　human　flesh　with　that　of
other　merchandise　equally　advantageous　to　his　interests。　He　carried
into　this　business　an　activity　which　left　him　not　a　moment　of　leisure。
He　was　governed　by　the　desire　of　reappearing　in　Paris　with　all　the
prestige　of　a　large　fortune；　and　by　the　hope　of　regaining　a　position
even　more　brilliant　than　the　one　from　which　he　had　fallen。

By　dint　of　jostling　with　men；　travelling　through　many　lands；　and
studying　a　variety　of　conflicting　customs；　his　ideas　had　been　modified
and　had　become　sceptical。　He　ceased　to　have　fixed　principles　of　right
and　wrong；　for　he　saw　what　was　called　a　crime　in　one　country　lauded　as
a　virtue　in　another。　In　the　perpetual　struggle　of　selfish　interests
his　heart　grew　cold；　then　contracted；　and　then　dried　up。　The　blood　of
the　Grandets　did　not　fail　of　its　destiny；　Charles　became　hard；　and
eager　for　prey。　He　sold　Chinamen；　Negroes；　birds'　nests；　children；
artists；　he　practised　usury　on　a　large　scale；　the　habit　of　defrauding
custom…houses　soon　made　him　less　scrupulous　about　the　rights　of　his
fellow　men。　He　went　to　the　Island　of　St。　Thomas　and　bought；　for　a　mere
song；　merchandise　that　had　been　captured　by　pirates；　and　took　it　to
ports　where　he　could　sell　it　at　a　good　price。　If　the　pure　and　noble
face　of　Eugenie　went　with　him　on　his　first　voyage；　like　that　image　of
the　Virgin　which　Spanish　mariners　fastened　to　their　masts；　if　he
attributed　his　first　success　to　the　magic　influence　of　the　prayers　and
intercessions　of　his　gentle　love；　later　on　women　of　other　kinds；
blacks；　mulattoes；　whites；　and　Indian　dancing…girls；orgies　and
adventures　in　many　lands；　completely　effaced　all　recollection　of　his
cousin；　of　Saumur；　of　the　house；　the　bench；　the　kiss　snatched　in　the
dark　passage。　He　remembered　only　the　little　garden　shut　in　with
crumbling　walls；　for　it　was　there　he　learned　the　fate　that　had
overtaken　him；　but　he　rejected　all　connection　with　his　family。　His
uncle　was　an　old　dog　who　had　filched　his　jewels；　Eugenie　had　no　place
in　his　heart　nor　in　his　thoughts；　though　she　did　have　a　place　in　his
accounts　as　a　creditor　for　the　sum　of　six　thousand　francs。

Such　conduct　and　such　ideas　explain　Charles　Grandet's　silence。　In　the
Indies；　at　St。　Thomas；　on　the　coast　of　Africa；　at　Lisbon；　and　in　the
United　States　the　adventurer　had　taken　the　pseudonym　of　Shepherd；　that
he　might　not　compromise　his　own　name。　Charles　Shepherd　could　safely　be
indefatigable；　bold；　grasping；　and　greedy　of　gain；　like　a　man　who
resolves　to　snatch　his　fortune　/quibus　cumque　viis/；　and　makes　haste
to　have　done　with　villany；　that　he　may　spend　the　rest　of　his　life　as
an　honest　man。

With　such　methods；　prosperity　was　rapid　and　brilliant；　and　in　1827
Charles　Grandet　returned　to　Bordeaux　on　the　〃Marie　Caroline；〃　a　fine
brig　belonging　to　a　royalist　house　of　business。　He　brought　with　him
nineteen　hundred　thousand　francs　worth　of　gold…dust；　from　which　he
expected　to　derive　seven　or　eight　per　cent　more　at　the　Paris　mint。　On
the　brig　he　met　a　gentleman…in…ordinary　to　His　Majesty　Charles　X。；
Monsieur　d'Aubrion；　a　worthy　old　man　who　had　committed　the　folly　of
marrying　a　woman　of　fashion　with　a　fortune　derived　from　the　West　India
Islands。　To　meet　the　costs　of　Madame　d'Aubrion's　extravagance；　he　had
gone　out　to　the　Indies　to　sell　the　property；　and　was　now　returning
with　his　family　to　France。

M