father goriot(高老头)-第2章

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e。

The　house　might　have　been　built　on　purpose　for　its　present　uses。　Access　is　given　by　a　French　window　to　the　first　room　on　the　ground　floor；　a　sitting…room　which　looks　out　upon　the　street　through　the　two　barred　windows　already　mentioned。　Another　door　opens　out　of　it　into　the　dining…room；　which　is　separated　from　the　kitchen　by　the　well　of　the　staircase；　the　steps　being　constructed　partly　of　wood；　partly　of　tiles；　which　are　colored　and　beeswaxed。　Nothing　can　be　more　depressing　than　the　sight　of　that　sitting…　room。　The　furniture　is　covered　with　horse　hair　woven　in　alternate　dull　and　glossy　stripes。　There　is　a　round　table　in　the　middle；　with　a　purplish…red　marble　top；　on　which　there　stands；　by　way　of　ornament；　the　inevitable　white　china　tea…service；　covered　with　a　half…effaced　gilt　network。　The　floor　is　sufficiently　uneven；　the　wainscot　rises　to　elbow　height；　and　the　rest　of　the　wall　space　is　decorated　with　a　varnished　paper；　on　which　the　principal　scenes　from　Telemaque　are　depicted；　the　various　classical　personages　being　colored。　The　subject　between　the　two　windows　is　the　banquet　given　by　Calypso　to　the　son　of　Ulysses；　displayed　thereon　for　the　admiration　of　the　boarders；　and　has　furnished　jokes　these　forty　years　to　the　young　men　who　show　themselves　superior　to　their　position　by　making　fun　of　the　dinners　to　which　poverty　condemns　them。　The　hearth　is　always　so　clean　and　neat　that　it　is　evident　that　a　fire　is　only　kindled　there　on　great　occasions；　the　stone　chimney…piece　is　adorned　by　a　couple　of　vases　filled　with　faded　artificial　flowers　imprisoned　under　glass　shades；　on　either　side　of　a　bluish　marble　clock　in　the　very　worst　taste。

The　first　room　exhales　an　odor　for　which　there　is　no　name　in　the　language；　and　which　should　be　called　the　odeur　de　pension。　The　damp　atmosphere　sends　a　chill　through　you　as　you　breathe　it；　it　has　a　stuffy；　musty；　and　rancid　quality；　it　permeates　your　clothing；　after…dinner　scents　seem　to　be　mingled　in　it　with　smells　from　the　kitchen　and　scullery　and　the　reek　of　a　hospital。　It　might　be　possible　to　describe　it　if　some　one　should　discover　a　process　by　which　to　distil　from　the　atmosphere　all　the　nauseating　elements　with　which　it　is　charged　by　the　catarrhal　exhalations　of　every　individual　lodger；　young　or　old。　Yet；　in　spite　of　these　stale　horrors；　the　sitting…room　is　as　charming　and　as　delicately　perfumed　as　a　boudoir；　when　compared　with　the　adjoining　dining…　room。

The　paneled　walls　of　that　apartment　were　once　painted　some　color；　now　a　matter　of　conjecture；　for　the　surface　is　incrusted　with　accumulated　layers　of　grimy　deposit；　which　cover　it　with　fantastic　outlines。　A　collection　of　dim…ribbed　glass　decanters；　metal　discs　with　a　satin　sheen　on　them；　and　piles　of　blue…edged　earthenware　plates　of　Touraine　ware　cover　the　sticky　surfaces　of　the　sideboards　that　line　the　room。　In　a　corner　stands　a　box　containing　a　set　of　numbered　pigeon…holes；　in　which　the　lodgers'　table　napkins；　more　or　less　soiled　and　stained　with　wine；　are　kept。　Here　you　see　that　indestructible　furniture　never　met　with　elsewhere；　which　finds　its　way　into　lodging…houses　much　as　the　wrecks　of　our　civilization　drift　into　hospitals　for　incurables。　You　expect　in　such　places　as　these　to　find　the　weather…house　whence　a　Capuchin　issues　on　wet　days；　you　look　to　find　the　execrable　engravings　which　spoil　your　appetite；　framed　every　one　in　a　black　varnished　frame；　with　a　gilt　beading　round　it；　you　know　the　sort　of　tortoise…shell　clock…case；　inlaid　with　brass；　the　green　stove；　the　Argand　lamps；　covered　with　oil　and　dust；　have　met　your　eyes　before。　The　oilcloth　which　covers　the　long　table　is　so　greasy　that　a　waggish　externe　will　write　his　name　on　the　surface；　using　his　thumb…nail　as　a　style。　The　chairs　are　broken…down　invalids；　the　wretched　little　hempen　mats　slip　away　from　under　your　feet　without　slipping　away　for　good；　and　finally；　the　foot…warmers　are　miserable　wrecks；　hingeless；　charred；　broken　away　about　the　holes。　It　would　be　impossible　to　give　an　idea　of　the　old；　rotten；　shaky；　cranky；　worm…eaten；　halt；　maimed；　one…　eyed；　rickety；　and　ramshackle　condition　of　the　furniture　without　an　exhaustive　description；　which　would　delay　the　progress　of　the　story　to　an　extent　that　impatient　people　would　not　pardon。　The　red　tiles　of　the　floor　are　full　of　depressions　brought　about　by　scouring　and　periodical　renewings　of　color。　In　short；　there　is　no　illusory　grace　left　to　the　poverty　that　reigns　here；　it　is　dire；　parsimonious；　concentrated；　threadbare　poverty；　as　yet　it　has　not　sunk　into　the　mire；　it　is　only　splashed　by　it；　and　though　not　in　rags　as　yet；　its　clothing　is　ready　to　drop　to　pieces。

This　apartment　is　in　all　its　glory　at　seven　o'clock　in　the　morning；　when　Mme。　Vauquer's　cat　appears；　announcing　the　near　approach　of　his　mistress；　and　jumps　upon　the　sideboards　to　sniff　at　the　milk　in　the　bowls；　each　protected　by　a　plate；　while　he　purrs　his　morning　greeting　to　the　world。　A　moment　later　the　widow　shows　her　face；　she　is　tricked　out　in　a　net　cap　attached　to　a　false　front　set　on　awry；　and　shuffles　into　the　room　in　her　slipshod　fashion。　She　is　an　oldish　woman；　with　a　bloated　countenance；　and　a　nose　like　a　parrot's　beak　set　in　the　middle　of　it；　her　fat　little　hands　（she　is　as　sleek　as　a　church　rat）　and　her　shapeless；　slouching　figure　are　in　keeping　with　the　room　that　reeks　of　misfortune；　where　hope　is　reduced　to　speculate　for　the　meanest　stakes。　Mme。　Vauquer　alone　can　breathe　that　tainted　air　without　being　disheartened　by　it。　Her　face　is　as　fresh　as　a　frosty　morning　in　autumn；　there　are　wrinkles　about　the　eyes　that　vary　in　their　expression　from　the　set　smile　of　a　ballet…dancer　to　the　dark；　suspicious　scowl　of　a　discounter　of　bills；　in　short；　she　is　at　once　the　embodiment　and　interpretation　of　her　lodging…　house；　as　surely　as　her　lodging…house　implies　the　existence　of　its　mistress。　You　can　no　more　imagine　the　one　without　the　other；　than　you　can　think　of　a　jail　without　a　turnkey。　The　unwholesome　corpulence　of　the　little　woman　is　produced　by　the　life　she　leads；　just　as　typhus　fever　is　bred　in　the　tainted　air　of　a　hospital。　The　very　knitted　woolen　petticoat　that　she　wears　beneath　a　skirt　made　of　an　old　gown；　with　the　wadding　protruding　through　the　rents　in　the　material；　is　a　sort　of　epitome　of　the　sitting…room；　the　dining…room；　and　the　little　garden；　it　discovers　the　cook；　it　foreshadows　the　lodgersthe　picture　of　the　house　is　completed　by　the　portrait　of　its　mistress。

Mme。　Vauquer　at　the　age　of　fifty　is　like　all　women　who　〃have　seen　a　deal　of　trouble。〃　She　has　the　glassy　eyes　and　innocent　air　of　a　trafficker　in　flesh　and　blood；　who　will　wax　virtuously　indignant　to　obtain　a　higher　price　for　her　services；　but　who　is　quite　ready　to　betray　a　Georges　or　a　Pichegru；　if　a　Georges　or　a　Pichegru　were　in　hiding　and　still　to　be　betrayed；　or　for　any　other　expedient　that　may　alleviate　her　lot。　Still；　〃she　is　a　good　woman　at　bottom；〃　said　the　lodgers　who　believed　that　the　widow　was　wholly　dependent　upon　the　money　that　they　paid　her；　and　sympathized　when　they　heard　her　cough　and　groan　like　one　of　themselves。

What　had　M。　Vauquer　been？　The　lady　was　never　very　explicit　on　this　head。　How　had　she　lost　her　money？　〃Through　trouble；〃　was　her　answer。　He　had　treated　her　badly；　had　left　her　nothing　but　her　eyes　to　cry　over　his　cruelty；　the　house　she　lived　in；　and　the　privilege　of　pitying　nobody；　because；　so　she　was　wont　to　say；　she　herself　had　been　through　every　possible　misfortune。

Sylvie；　the　stout　cook；　hearing　her　mistress'　shuffling　footsteps；　hastened　to　serve　the　lodgers'　breakfasts。　Beside　those　who　lived　in　the　house；　Mme。　Vauquer　took　boarders　who　came　for　their　meals；　but　these　externes　usually　only　came　to　dinner；　for　which　they　paid　thirty　francs　a　month。

At　the　time　when　this　story　begins；　the　lodging…house　contained　seven　inmates。　The　best　rooms　in　the　house　were　on　the　first　story；　Mme。　Vauquer　herself　occupying　the　least　important；　while　the　rest　were　let　to　a　Mme。　Couture；　the　widow　of　a　commissary…　general　in　the　service　of　the　Republic。　With　her　lived　Victorine　Taillefer；　a　schoolgirl；　to　whom　she　filled　the　place　of　mother。　These　two　ladies　paid　eighteen　hundred　francs　a　year。

The　two　sets　of　rooms　on　the　second　floor　were　respectively　occupied　by　an　old　ma