father goriot-第24章

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human　nature。



After　seven　years　of　unclouded　happiness；　Goriot　lost　his　wife。

It　was　very　unfortunate　for　him。　She　was　beginning　to　gain　an

ascendency　over　him　in　other　ways；　possibly　she　might　have

brought　that　barren　soil　under　cultivation；　she　might　have

widened　his　ideas　and　given　other　directions　to　his　thoughts。　But

when　she　was　dead；　the　instinct　of　fatherhood　developed　in　him

till　it　almost　became　a　mania。　All　the　affection　balked　by　death

seemed　to　turn　to　his　daughters；　and　he　found　full　satisfaction

for　his　heart　in　loving　them。　More　or　less　brilliant　proposals

were　made　to　him　from　time　to　time；　wealthy　merchants　or　farmers

with　daughters　vied　with　each　other　in　offering　inducements　to

him　to　marry　again；　but　he　determined　to　remain　a　widower。　His

father…in…law；　the　only　man　for　whom　he　felt　a　decided

friendship；　gave　out　that　Goriot　had　made　a　vow　to　be　faithful　to

his　wife's　memory。　The　frequenters　of　the　Corn　Exchange；　who

could　not　comprehend　this　sublime　piece　of　folly；　joked　about　it

among　themselves；　and　found　a　ridiculous　nickname　for　him。　One　of

them　ventured　（after　a　glass　over　a　bargain）　to　call　him　by　it；

and　a　blow　from　the　vermicelli　maker's　fist　sent　him　headlong

into　a　gutter　in　the　Rue　Oblin。　He　could　think　of　nothing　else

when　his　children　were　concerned；　his　love　for　them　made　him

fidgety　and　anxious；　and　this　was　so　well　known；　that　one　day　a

competitor；　who　wished　to　get　rid　of　him　to　secure　the　field　to

himself；　told　Goriot　that　Delphine　had　just　been　knocked　down　by

a　cab。　The　vermicelli　maker　turned　ghastly　pale；　left　the

Exchange　at　once；　and　did　not　return　for　several　days　afterwards；

he　was　ill　in　consequence　of　the　shock　and　the　subsequent　relief

on　discovering　that　it　was　a　false　alarm。　This　time；　however；　the

offender　did　not　escape　with　a　bruised　shoulder；　at　a　critical

moment　in　the　man's　affairs；　Goriot　drove　him　into　bankruptcy；

and　forced　him　to　disappear　from　the　Corn　Exchange。



As　might　have　been　expected；　the　two　girls　were　spoiled。　With　an

income　of　sixty　thousand　francs；　Goriot　scarcely　spent　twelve

hundred　on　himself；　and　found　all　his　happiness　in　satisfying　the

whims　of　the　two　girls。　The　best　masters　were　engaged；　that

Anastasie　and　Delphine　might　be　endowed　with　all　the

accomplishments　which　distinguish　a　good　education。　They　had　a

chaperonluckily　for　them；　she　was　a　woman　who　had　good　sense

and　good　taste；they　learned　to　ride；　they　had　a　carriage　for

their　use；　they　lived　as　the　mistress　of　a　rich　old　lord　might

live；　they　had　only　to　express　a　wish；　their　father　would　hasten

to　give　them　their　most　extravagant　desires；　and　asked　nothing　of

them　in　return　but　a　kiss。　Goriot　had　raised　the　two　girls　to　the

level　of　the　angels；　and；　quite　naturally；　he　himself　was　left

beneath　them。　Poor　man！　he　loved　them　even　for　the　pain　that　they

gave　him。



When　the　girls　were　old　enough　to　be　married；　they　were　left　free

to　choose　for　themselves。　Each　had　half　her　father's　fortune　as

her　dowry；　and　when　the　Comte　de　Restaud　came　to　woo　Anastasie

for　her　beauty；　her　social　aspirations　led　her　to　leave　her

father's　house　for　a　more　exalted　sphere。　Delphine　wished　for

money；　she　married　Nucingen；　a　banker　of　German　extraction；　who

became　a　Baron　of　the　Holy　Roman　Empire。　Goriot　remained　a

vermicelli　maker　as　before。　His　daughters　and　his　sons…in…law

began　to　demur；　they　did　not　like　to　see　him　still　engaged　in

trade；　though　his　whole　life　was　bound　up　with　his　business。　For

five　years　he　stood　out　against　their　entreaties；　then　he

yielded；　and　consented　to　retire　on　the　amount　realized　by　the

sale　of　his　business　and　the　savings　of　the　last　few　years。　It

was　this　capital　that　Mme。　Vauquer；　in　the　early　days　of　his

residence　with　her；　had　calculated　would　bring　in　eight　or　ten

thousand　livres　in　a　year。　He　had　taken　refuge　in　her　lodging…

house；　driven　there　by　despair　when　he　knew　that　his　daughters

were　compelled　by　their　husbands　not　only　to　refuse　to　receive

him　as　an　inmate　in　their　houses；　but　even　to　see　him　no　more

except　in　private。



This　was　all　the　information　which　Rastignac　gained　from　a　M。

Muret　who　had　purchased　Goriot's　business；　information　which

confirmed　the　Duchesse　de　Langeais'　suppositions；　and　herewith

the　preliminary　explanation　of　this　obscure　but　terrible　Parisian

tragedy　comes　to　an　end。



Towards　the　end　of　the　first　week　in　December　Rastignac　received

two　lettersone　from　his　mother；　and　one　from　his　eldest　sister。

His　heart　beat　fast；　half　with　happiness；　half　with　fear；　at　the

sight　of　the　familiar　handwriting。　Those　two　little　scraps　of

paper　contained　life　or　death　for　his　hopes。　But　while　he　felt　a

shiver　of　dread　as　he　remembered　their　dire　poverty　at　home；　he

knew　their　love　for　him　so　well　that　he　could　not　help　fearing

that　he　was　draining　their　very　life…blood。　His　mother's　letter

ran　as　follows：



〃My　Dear　Child；I　am　sending　you　the　money　that　you　asked　for。

Make　a　good　use　of　it。　Even　to　save　your　life　I　could　not　raise

so　large　a　sum　a　second　time　without　your　father's　knowledge；　and

there　would　be　trouble　about　it。　We　should　be　obliged　to　mortgage

the　land。　It　is　impossible　to　judge　of　the　merits　of　schemes　of

which　I　am　ignorant；　but　what　sort　of　schemes　can　they　be；　that

you　should　fear　to　tell　me　about　them？　Volumes　of　explanation

would　not　have　been　needed；　we　mothers　can　understand　at　a　word；

and　that　word　would　have　spared　me　the　anguish　of　uncertainty。　I

do　not　know　how　to　hide　the　painful　impression　that　your　letter

has　made　upon　me；　my　dear　son。　What　can　you　have　felt　when　you

were　moved　to　send　this　chill　of　dread　through　my　heart？　It　must

have　been　very　painful　to　you　to　write　the　letter　that　gave　me　so

much　pain　as　I　read　it。　To　what　courses　are　you　committed？　You

are　going　to　appear　to　be　something　that　you　are　not；　and　your

whole　life　and　success　depends　upon　this？　You　are　about　to　see　a

society　into　which　you　cannot　enter　without　rushing　into　expense

that　you　cannot　afford；　without　losing　precious　time　that　is

needed　for　your　studies。　Ah！　my　dear　Eugene；　believe　your　mother；

crooked　ways　cannot　lead　to　great　ends。　Patience　and　endurance

are　the　two　qualities　most　needed　in　your　position。　I　am　not

scolding　you；　I　do　not　want　any　tinge　of　bitterness　to　spoil　our

offering。　I　am　only　talking　like　a　mother　whose　trust　in　you　is

as　great　as　her　foresight　for　you。　You　know　the　steps　that　you

must　take；　and　I；　for　my　part；　know　the　purity　of　heart；　and　how

good　your　intentions　are；　so　I　can　say　to　you　without　a　doubt；

'Go　forward；　beloved！'　If　I　tremble；　it　is　because　I　am　a　mother；

but　my　prayers　and　blessings　will　be　with　you　at　every　step。　Be

very　careful；　dear　boy。　You　must　have　a　man's　prudence；　for　it

lies　with　you　to　shape　the　destinies　of　five　others　who　are　dear

to　you；　and　must　look　to　you。　Yes；　our　fortunes　depend　upon　you；

and　your　success　is　ours。　We　all　pray　to　God　to　be　with　you　in

all　that　you　do。　Your　aunt　Marcillac　has　been　most　generous

beyond　words　in　this　matter；　she　saw　at　once　how　it　was；　even

down　to　your　gloves。　'But　I　have　a　weakness　for　the　eldest！'　she

said　gaily。　You　must　love　your　aunt　very　much；　dear　Eugene。　I

shall　wait　till　you　have　succeeded　before　telling　you　all　that

she　has　done　for　you；　or　her　money　would　burn　your　fingers。　You；

who　are　young；　do　not　know　what　it　is　to　part　with　something　that

is　a　piece　of　your　past！　But　what　would　we　not　sacrifice　for　your

sakes？　Your　aunt　says　that　I　am　to　send　you　a　kiss　on　the

forehead　from　her；　and　that　kiss　is　to　bring　you　luck　again　and

again；　she　says。　She　would　have　written　you　herself；　the　dear

kind…hearted　woman；　but　she　is　troubled　with　the　gout　in　her

fingers　just　now。　Your　father　is　very　well。　The　vintage　of　1819

has　turned　out　better　than　we　expected。　Good…bye；　dear　boy；　I

will　say　nothing　about　your　sisters；　because　Laure　is　writing　to

you；　and　I　must　let　her　have