eugenie grandet-第9章

按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！


Paris；hearing　himself　addressed；　took　a　little　eye…glass；　suspended
by　a　chain　from　his　neck；　applied　it　to　his　right　eye　to　examine　what
was　on　the　table；　and　also　the　persons　sitting　round　it。　He　ogled
Madame　des　Grassins　with　much　impertinence；　and　said　to　her；　after　he
had　observed　all　he　wished；

〃Yes；　madame。　You　are　playing　at　loto；　aunt；〃　he　added。　〃Do　not　let　me
interrupt　you；　I　beg；　go　on　with　your　game：　it　is　too　amusing　to
leave。〃

〃I　was　certain　it　was　the　cousin；〃　thought　Madame　des　Grassins；
casting　repeated　glances　at　him。

〃Forty…seven！〃　cried　the　old　abbe。　〃Mark　it　down；　Madame　des　Grassins。
Isn't　that　your　number？〃

Monsieur　des　Grassins　put　a　counter　on　his　wife's　card；　who　sat
watching　first　the　cousin　from　Paris　and　then　Eugenie；　without
thinking　of　her　loto；　a　prey　to　mournful　presentiments。　From　time　to
time　the　young　the　heiress　glanced　furtively　at　her　cousin；　and　the
banker's　wife　easily　detected　a　/crescendo/　of　surprise　and　curiosity
in　her　mind。

Monsieur　Charles　Grandet；　a　handsome　young　man　of　twenty…two；
presented　at　this　moment　a　singular　contrast　to　the　worthy
provincials；　who；　considerably　disgusted　by　his　aristocratic　manners；
were　all　studying　him　with　sarcastic　intent。　This　needs　an
explanation。　At　twenty…two；　young　people　are　still　so　near　childhood
that　they　often　conduct　themselves　childishly。　In　all　probability；　out
of　every　hundred　of　them　fully　ninety…nine　would　have　behaved
precisely　as　Monsieur　Charles　Grandet　was　now　behaving。

Some　days　earlier　than　this　his　father　had　told　him　to　go　and　spend
several　months　with　his　uncle　at　Saumur。　Perhaps　Monsieur　Grandet　was
thinking　of　Eugenie。　Charles；　sent　for　the　first　time　in　his　life　into
the　provinces；　took　a　fancy　to　make　his　appearance　with　the
superiority　of　a　man　of　fashion；　to　reduce　the　whole　arrondissement　to
despair　by　his　luxury；　and　to　make　his　visit　an　epoch；　importing　into
those　country　regions　all　the　refinements　of　Parisian　life。　In　short；
to　explain　it　in　one　word；　he　mean　to　pass　more　time　at　Saumur　in
brushing　his　nails　than　he　ever　thought　of　doing　in　Paris；　and　to
assume　the　extra　nicety　and　elegance　of　dress　which　a　young　man　of
fashion　often　lays　aside　for　a　certain　negligence　which　in　itself　is
not　devoid　of　grace。　Charles　therefore　brought　with　him　a　complete
hunting…costume；　the　finest　gun；　the　best　hunting…knife　in　the
prettiest　sheath　to　be　found　in　all　Paris。　He　brought　his　whole
collection　of　waistcoats。　They　were　of　all　kinds；gray；　black；　white；
scarabaeus…colored：　some　were　shot　with　gold；　some　spangled；　some
/chined/；　some　were　double…breasted　and　crossed　like　a　shawl；　others
were　straight　in　the　collar；　some　had　turned…over　collars；　some
buttoned　up　to　the　top　with　gilt　buttons。　He　brought　every　variety　of
collar　and　cravat　in　fashion　at　that　epoch。　He　brought　two　of
Buisson's　coats　and　all　his　finest　linen　He　brought　his　pretty　gold
toilet…set；a　present　from　his　mother。　He　brought　all　his　dandy
knick…knacks；　not　forgetting　a　ravishing　little　desk　presented　to　him
by　the　most　amiable　of　women；amiable　for　him；　at　least；a　fine　lady
whom　he　called　Annette　and　who　at　this　moment　was　travelling；
matrimonially　and　wearily；　in　Scotland；　a　victim　to　certain　suspicions
which　required　a　passing　sacrifice　of　happiness；　in　the　desk　was　much
pretty　note…paper　on　which　to　write　to　her　once　a　fortnight。

In　short；　it　was　as　complete　a　cargo　of　Parisian　frivolities　as　it　was
possible　for　him　to　get　together；a　collection　of　all　the　implements
of　husbandry　with　which　the　youth　of　leisure　tills　his　life；　from　the
little　whip　which　helps　to　begin　a　duel；　to　the　handsomely　chased
pistols　which　end　it。　His　father　having　told　him　to　travel　alone　and
modestly；　he　had　taken　the　coupe　of　the　diligence　all　to　himself；
rather　pleased　at　not　having　to　damage　a　delightful　travelling…
carriage　ordered　for　a　journey　on　which　he　was　to　meet　his　Annette；
the　great　lady　who；　etc。；whom　he　intended　to　rejoin　at　Baden　in　the
following　June。　Charles　expected　to　meet　scores　of　people　at　his
uncle's　house；　to　hunt　in　his　uncle's　forests；to　live；　in　short；　the
usual　chateau　life；　he　did　not　know　that　his　uncle　was　in　Saumur；　and
had　only　inquired　about　him　incidentally　when　asking　the　way　to
Froidfond。　Hearing　that　he　was　in　town；　he　supposed　that　he　should
find　him　in　a　suitable　mansion。

In　order　that　he　might　make　a　becoming　first　appearance　before　his
uncle　either　at　Saumur　or　at　Froidfond；　he　had　put　on　his　most　elegant
travelling　attire；　simple　yet　exquisite；〃adorable；〃　to　use　the　word
which　in　those　days　summed　up　the　special　perfections　of　a　man　or　a
thing。　At　Tours　a　hairdresser　had　re…curled　his　beautiful　chestnut
locks；　there　he　changed　his　linen　and　put　on　a　black　satin　cravat；
which；　combined　with　a　round　shirt…collar；　framed　his　fair　and　smiling
countenance　agreeably。　A　travelling　great…coat；　only　half　buttoned　up；
nipped　in　his　waist　and　disclosed　a　cashmere　waistcoat　crossed　in
front；　beneath　which　was　another　waistcoat　of　white　material。　His
watch；　negligently　slipped　into　a　pocket；　was　fastened　by　a　short　gold
chain　to　a　buttonhole。　His　gray　trousers；　buttoned　up　at　the　sides；
were　set　off　at　the　seams　with　patterns　of　black　silk　embroidery。　He
gracefully　twirled　a　cane；　whose　chased　gold　knob　did　not　mar　the
freshness　of　his　gray　gloves。　And　to　complete　all；　his　cap　was　in
excellent　taste。　None　but　a　Parisian；　and　a　Parisian　of　the　upper
spheres；　could　thus　array　himself　without　appearing　ridiculous；　none
other　could　give　the　harmony　of　self…conceit　to　all　these　fopperies；
which　were　carried　off；　however；　with　a　dashing　air；the　air　of　a
young　man　who　has　fine　pistols；　a　sure　aim；　and　Annette。

Now　if　you　wish　to　understand　the　mutual　amazement　of　the　provincial
party　and　the　young　Parisian；　if　you　would　clearly　see　the　brilliance
which　the　traveller's　elegance　cast　among　the　gray　shadows　of　the　room
and　upon　the　faces　of　this　family　group；endeavor　to　picture　to　your
minds　the　Cruchots。　All　three　took　snuff；　and　had　long　ceased　to
repress　the　habit　of　snivelling　or　to　remove　the　brown　blotches　which
strewed　the　frills　of　their　dingy　shirts　and　the　yellowing　creases　of
their　crumpled　collars。　Their　flabby　cravats　were　twisted　into　ropes
as　soon　as　they　wound　them　about　their　throats。　The　enormous　quantity
of　linen　which　allowed　these　people　to　have　their　clothing　washed　only
once　in　six　months；　and　to　keep　it　during　that　time　in　the　depths　of
their　closets；　also　enabled　time　to　lay　its　grimy　and　decaying　stains
upon　it。　There　was　perfect　unison　of　ill…grace　and　senility　about
them；　their　faces；　as　faded　as　their　threadbare　coats；　as　creased　as
their　trousers；　were　worn…out；　shrivelled…up；　and　puckered。　As　for　the
others；　the　general　negligence　of　their　dress；　which　was　incomplete
and　wanting　in　freshness；like　the　toilet　of　all　country　places；
where　insensibly　people　cease　to　dress　for　others　and　come　to　think
seriously　of　the　price　of　a　pair　of　gloves；was　in　keeping　with　the
negligence　of　the　Cruchots。　A　horror　of　fashion　was　the　only　point　on
which　the　Grassinists　and　the　Cruchotines　agreed。

When　the　Parisian　took　up　his　eye…glass　to　examine　the　strange
accessories　of　this　dwelling；the　joists　of　the　ceiling；　the　color　of
the　woodwork；　and　the　specks　which　the　flies　had　left　there　in
sufficient　number　to　punctuate　the　〃Moniteur〃　and　the　〃Encyclopaedia
of　Sciences；〃the　loto…players　lifted　their　noses　and　looked　at　him
with　as　much　curiosity　as　they　might　have　felt　about　a　giraffe。
Monsieur　des　Grassins　and　his　son；　to　whom　the　appearance　of　a　man　of
fashion　was　not　wholly　unknown；　were　nevertheless　as　much　astonished
as　their　neighbors；　whether　it　was　that　they　fell　under　the
indefinable　influence　of　the　general　feeling；　or　that　they　really
shared　it　as　with　satirical　glances　they　seemed　to　say　to　their
compatriots；

〃That　is　what　you　see　in　Paris！〃

They　were　able　to　examine　Charles　at　their　leisure　without　fearing　to
displease　the　master　of　the　house。　Grandet　was　absorbed　in　the　long
letter　which　he　held　in　his　hand；　and　to　read　it　he　had　taken　the　only
candle　upon　the　card…table；　paying　no　heed　to