gobseck-第15章

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lay　down　again；　and　a　few　hours　later　sank　into　unconsciousness。　The

priests　came　and　administered　the　sacraments。



〃At　midnight　he　died；　the　scene　that　morning　had　exhausted　his

remaining　strength；　and　on　the　stroke　of　midnight　I　arrived　with　Daddy

Gobseck。　The　house　was　in　confusion；　and　under　cover　of　it　we　walked

up　into　the　little　salon　adjoining　the　death…chamber。　The　three

children　were　there　in　tears；　with　two　priests；　who　had　come　to　watch

with　the　dead。　Ernest　came　over　to　me；　and　said　that　his　mother

desired　to　be　alone　in　the　Count's　room。



〃　'Do　not　go　in；'　he　said；　and　I　admired　the　child　for　his　tone　and

gesture；　'she　is　praying　there。'



〃Gobseck　began　to　laugh　that　soundless　laugh　of　his；　but　I　felt　too

much　touched　by　the　feeling　in　Ernest's　little　face　to　join　in　the

miser's　sardonic　amusement。　When　Ernest　saw　that　we　moved　towards　the

door；　he　planted　himself　in　front　of　it；　crying　out；　'Mamma；　here　are

some　gentlemen　in　black　who　want　to　see　you。！'



〃Gobseck　lifted　Ernest　out　of　the　way　as　if　the　child　had　been　a

feather；　and　opened　the　door。



〃What　a　scene　it　was　that　met　our　eyes！　The　room　was　in　frightful

disorder；　clothes　and　papers　and　rags　lay　tossed　about　in　a　confusion

horrible　to　see　in　the　presence　of　Death；　and　there；　in　the　midst；

stood　the　Countess　in　disheveled　despair；　unable　to　utter　a　word；　her

eyes　glittering。　The　Count　had　scarcely　breathed　his　last　before　his

wife　came　in　and　forced　open　the　drawers　and　the　desk；　the　carpet　was

strewn　with　litter；　some　of　the　furniture　and　boxes　were　broken；　the

signs　of　violence　could　be　seen　everywhere。　But　if　her　search　had　at

first　proved　fruitless；　there　was　that　in　her　excitement　and　attitude

which　led　me　to　believe　that　she　had　found　the　mysterious　documents　at

last。　I　glanced　at　the　bed；　and　professional　instinct　told　me　all　that

had　happened。　The　mattress　had　been　flung　contemptuously　down　by　the

bedside；　and　across　it；　face　downwards；　lay　the　body　of　the　Count；

like　one　of　the　paper　envelopes　that　strewed　the　carpethe　too　was

nothing　now　but　an　envelope。　There　was　something　grotesquely　horrible

in　the　attitude　of　the　stiffening　rigid　limbs。



〃The　dying　man　must　have　hidden　the　counter…deed　under　his　pillow　to

keep　it　safe　so　long　as　life　should　last；　and　his　wife　must　have

guessed　his　thought；　indeed；　it　might　be　read　plainly　in　his　last

dying　gesture；　in　the　convulsive　clutch　of　his　claw…like　hands。　The

pillow　had　been　flung　to　the　floor　at　the　foot　of　the　bed；　I　could　see

the　print　of　her　heel　upon　it。　At　her　feet　lay　a　paper　with　the

Count's　arms　on　the　seals；　I　snatched　it　up；　and　saw　that　it　was

addressed　to　me。　I　looked　steadily　at　the　Countess　with　the　pitiless

clear…sightedness　of　an　examining　magistrate　confronting　a　guilty

creature。　The　contents　were　blazing　in　the　grate；　she　had　flung　them

on　the　fire　at　the　sound　of　our　approach；　imagining；　from　a　first

hasty　glance　at　the　provisions　which　I　had　suggested　for　her　children；

that　she　was　destroying　a　will　which　disinherited　them。　A　tormented

conscience　and　involuntary　horror　of　the　deed　which　she　had　done　had

taken　away　all　power　of　reflection。　She　had　been　caught　in　the　act；

and　possibly　the　scaffold　was　rising　before　her　eyes；　and　she　already

felt　the　felon's　branding　iron。



〃There　she　stood　gasping　for　breath；　waiting　for　us　to　speak；　staring

at　us　with　haggard　eyes。



〃I　went　across　to　the　grate　and　pulled　out　an　unburned　fragment。　'Ah；

madame！'　I　exclaimed；　'you　have　ruined　your　children！　Those　papers

were　their　titles　to　their　property。'



〃Her　mouth　twitched；　she　looked　as　if　she　were　threatened　by　a

paralytic　seizure。



〃　'Eh！　eh！'　cried　Gobseck；　the　harsh；　shrill　tone　grated　upon　our　ears

like　the　sound　of　a　brass　candlestick　scratching　a　marble　surface。



〃There　was　a　pause；　then　the　old　man　turned　to　me　and　said　quietly：



〃　'Do　you　intend　Mme。　la　Comtesse　to　suppose　that　I　am　not　the

rightful　owner　of　the　property　sold　to　me　by　her　late　husband？　This

house　belongs　to　me　now。'



〃A　sudden　blow　on　the　head　from　a　bludgeon　would　have　given　me　less

pain　and　astonishment。　The　Countess　saw　the　look　of　hesitation　in　my

face。



〃　'Monsieur；'　she　cried；　'Monsieur！'　She　could　find　no　other　words。



〃　'You　are　a　trustee；　are　you　not？'　I　asked。



〃　'That　is　possible。'



〃　'Then　do　you　mean　to　take　advantage　of　this　crime　of　hers？'



〃　'Precisely。'



〃I　went　at　that；　leaving　the　Countess　sitting　by　her　husband's

bedside；　shedding　hot　tears。　Gobseck　followed　me。　Outside　in　the

street　I　separated　from　him；　but　he　came　after　me；　flung　me　one　of

those　searching　glances　with　which　he　probed　men's　minds；　and　said　in

the　husky　flute…tones；　pitched　in　a　shriller　key：



〃　'Do　you　take　it　upon　yourself　to　judge　me？'







〃From　that　time　forward　we　saw　little　of　each　other。　Gobseck　let　the

Count's　mansion　on　lease；　he　spent　the　summers　on　the　country　estates。

He　was　a　lord　of　the　manor　in　earnest；　putting　up　farm　buildings；

repairing　mills　and　roadways；　and　planting　timber。　I　came　across　him

one　day　in　a　walk　in　the　Jardin　des　Tuileries。



〃　'The　Countess　is　behaving　like　a　heroine；'　said　I；　'she　gives

herself　up　entirely　to　the　children's　education；　she　is　giving　them　a

perfect　bringing　up。　The　oldest　boy　is　a　charming　young　fellow'



〃　'That　is　possible。'



〃　'But　ought　you　not　to　help　Ernest？'　I　suggested。



〃　'Help　him！'　cried　Gobseck。　'Not　I。　Adversity　is　the　greatest　of　all

teachers；　adversity　teaches　us　to　know　the　value　of　money　and　the

worth　of　men　and　women。　Let　him　set　sail　on　the　seas　of　Paris；　when　he

is　a　qualified　pilot；　we　will　give　him　a　ship　to　steer。'



〃I　left　him　without　seeking　to　explain　the　meaning　of　his　words。



〃M。　de　Restaud's　mother　has　prejudiced　him　against　me；　and　he　is　very

far　from　taking　me　as　his　legal　adviser；　still；　I　went　to　see　Gobseck

last　week　to　tell　him　about　Ernest's　love　for　Mlle。　Camille；　and

pressed　him　to　carry　out　his　contract；　since　that　young　Restaud　is

just　of　age。



〃I　found　the　old　bill…discounter　had　been　kept　to　his　bed　for　a　long

time　by　the　complaint　of　which　he　was　to　die。　He　put　me　off；　saying

that　he　would　give　the　matter　his　attention　when　he　could　get　up　again

and　see　after　his　business；　his　idea　being　no　doubt　that　he　would　not

give　up　any　of　his　possessions　so　long　as　the　breath　was　in　him；　no

other　reason　could　be　found　for　his　shuffling　answer。　He　seemed　to　me

to　be　much　worse　than　he　at　all　suspected。　I　stayed　with　him　long

enough　to　discern　the　progress　of　a　passion　which　age　had　converted

into　a　sort　of　craze。　He　wanted　to　be　alone　in　the　house；　and　had

taken　the　rooms　one　by　one　as　they　fell　vacant。　In　his　own　room　he　had

changed　nothing；　the　furniture　which　I　knew　so　well　sixteen　years　ago

looked　the　same　as　ever；　it　might　have　been　kept　under　a　glass　case。

Gobseck's　faithful　old　portress；　with　her　husband；　a　pensioner；　who

sat　in　the　entry　while　she　was　upstairs；　was　still　his　housekeeper　and

charwoman；　and　now　in　addition　his　sick…nurse。　In　spite　of　his

feebleness；　Gobseck　saw　his　clients　himself　as　heretofore；　and

received　sums　of　money；　his　affairs　had　been　so　simplified；　that　he

only　needed　to　send　his　pensioner　out　now　and　again　on　an　errand；　and

could　carry　on　business　in　his　bed。



〃After　the　treaty；　by　which　France　recognized　the　Haytian　Republic；

Gobseck　was　one　of　the　members　of　the　commission　appointed　to

liquidate　claims　and　assess　repayments　due　by　Hayti；　his　special

knowledge　of　old　fortunes　in　San　Domingo；　and　the　planters　and　their

heirs　and　assigns　to　whom　the　indemnities　were　due；　had　led　to　his

nomination。　Gobseck's　peculiar　genius　had　then　devised　an　agency　for

discounting　the　planters'　claims　on　the　government。　The　business　was

carried　on　under　the　names　of　Werbrust　and　Gigonnet；　with　whom　he

shared　the　spoil　without　disbursements；　for　his　knowledge　was　accepted

instead