eugenie grandet(欧也妮·葛朗台)-第29部分

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she　has　plastered　Charles　with　gold　from　head　to　foot；　he　is　on　the
high　seas；　and　nobody　can　get　at　him；　hein！〃
〃But；　monsieur〃　Excited　by　the　nervous　crisis　through　which　she　had
passed；　and　by　the　fate　of　her　daughter；　which　brought　forth　all　her
tenderness　and　all　her　powers　of　mind；　Madame　Grandet　suddenly
observed　a　frightful　movement　of　her　husband's　wen；　and；　in　the　very
act　of　replying；　she　changed　her　speech　without　changing　the　tones　of
her　voice；〃But；　monsieur；　I　have　not　more　influence　over　her　than
you　have。　She　has　said　nothing　to　me；　she　takes　after　you。〃
〃Tut；　tut！　Your　tongue　is　hung　in　the　middle　this　morning。　Ta；　ta；　ta；
ta！　You　are　setting　me　at　defiance；　I　do　believe。　I　daresay　you　are　in
league　with　her。〃
He　looked　fixedly　at　his　wife。
〃Monsieur　Grandet；　if　you　wish　to　kill　me；　you　have　only　to　go　on　like
this。　I　tell　you；　monsieur；and　if　it　were　to　cost　me　my　life；　I
would　say　it；you　do　wrong　by　your　daughter；　she　is　more　in　the　right
than　you　are。　That　money　belonged　to　her；　she　is　incapable　of　making
any　but　a　good　use　of　it；　and　God　alone　has　the　right　to　know　our　good
deeds。　Monsieur；　I　implore　you；　take　Eugenie　back　into　favor；　forgive
her。　If　you　will　do　this　you　will　lessen　the　injury　your　anger　has
done　me；　perhaps　you　will　save　my　life。　My　daughter！　oh；　monsieur；
give　me　back　my　daughter！〃
〃I　shall　decamp；〃　he　said；　〃the　house　is　not　habitable。　A　mother　and
daughter　talking　and　arguing　like　that！　Broooouh！　Pouah！　A　fine　New
Year's　present　you've　made　me；　Eugenie；〃　he　called　out。　〃Yes；　yes；　cry
away！　What　you've　done　will　bring　you　remorse；　do　you　hear？　What's　the
good　of　taking　the　sacrament　six　times　every　three　months；　if　you　give
away　your　father's　gold　secretly　to　an　idle　fellow　who'll　eat　your
heart　out　when　you've　nothing　else　to　give　him？　You'll　find　out　some
day　what　your　Charles　is　worth；　with　his　morocco　boots　and
supercilious　airs。　He　has　got　neither　heart　nor　soul　if　he　dared　to
carry　off　a　young　girl's　treasure　without　the　consent　of　her　parents。〃
When　the　street…door　was　shut；　Eugenie　came　out　of　her　room　and　went
to　her　mother。
〃What　courage　you　have　had　for　your　daughter's　sake！〃　she　said。
〃Ah！　my　child；　see　where　forbidden　things　may　lead　us。　You　forced　me
to　tell　a　lie。〃
〃I　will　ask　God　to　punish　only　me。〃
〃Is　it　true；〃　cried　Nanon；　rushing　in　alarmed；　〃that　mademoiselle　is
to　be　kept　on　bread　and　water　for　the　rest　of　her　life？〃
〃What　does　that　signify；　Nanon？〃　said　Eugenie　tranquilly。
〃Goodness！　do　you　suppose　I'll　eat　/frippe/　when　the　daughter　of　the
house　is　eating　dry　bread？　No；　no！〃
〃Don't　say　a　word　about　all　this；　Nanon；〃　said　Eugenie。
〃I'll　be　as　mute　as　a　fish；　but　you'll　see！〃
*****
Grandet　dined　alone　for　the　first　time　in　twenty…four　years。
〃So　you're　a　widower；　monsieur；〃　said　Nanon；　〃it　must　be　disagreeable
to　be　a　widower　with　two　women　in　the　house。〃
〃I　did　not　speak　to　you。　Hold　your　jaw；　or　I'll　turn　you　off！　What　is
that　I　hear　boiling　in　your　saucepan　on　the　stove？〃
〃It　is　grease　I'm　trying　out。〃
〃There　will　be　some　company　to…night。　Light　the　fire。〃
The　Cruchots；　Madame　des　Grassins；　and　her　son　arrived　at　the　usual
hour　of　eight；　and　were　surprised　to　see　neither　Madame　Grandet　nor
her　daughter。
〃My　wife　is　not　very　well；　and　Eugenie　is　with　her；〃　said　the　old
wine…grower；　whose　face　betrayed　no　emotion。
At　the　end　of　an　hour　spent　in　idle　conversation；　Madame　des　Grassins；
who　had　gone　up　to　see　Madame　Grandet；　came　down；　and　every　one
inquired；
〃How　is　Madame　Grandet？〃
〃Not　at　all　well；〃　she　answered；　〃her　condition　seems　to　me　really
alarming。　At　her　age　you　ought　to　take　every　precaution；　Papa
Grandet。〃
〃We'll　see　about　it；〃　said　the　old　man　in　an　absent　way。
They　all　wished　him　good…night。　When　the　Cruchots　got　into　the　street
Madame　des　Grassins　said　to　them；
〃There　is　something　going　on　at　the　Grandets。　The　mother　is　very　ill
without　her　knowing　it。　The　girl's　eyes　are　red；　as　if　she　had　been
crying　all　day。　Can　they　be　trying　to　marry　her　against　her　will？〃
*****
When　Grandet　had　gone　to　bed　Nanon　came　softly　to　Eugenie's　room　in
her　stockinged　feet　and　showed　her　a　pate　baked　in　a　saucepan。
〃See；　mademoiselle；〃　said　the　good　soul；　〃Cornoiller　gave　me　a　hare。
You　eat　so　little　that　this　pate　will　last　you　full　a　week；　in　such
frosty　weather　it　won't　spoil。　You　sha'n't　live　on　dry　bread；　I'm
determined；　it　isn't　wholesome。〃
〃Poor　Nanon！〃　said　Eugenie；　pressing　her　hand。
〃I've　made　it　downright　good　and　dainty；　and　/he/　never　found　it　out。
I　bought　the　lard　and　the　spices　out　of　my　six　francs：　I'm　the
mistress　of　my　own　money〃；　and　she　disappeared　rapidly；　fancying　she
heard　Grandet。

XI
For　several　months　the　old　wine…grower　came　constantly　to　his　wife's
room　at　all　hours　of　the　day；　without　ever　uttering　his　daughter's
name；　or　seeing　her；　or　making　the　smallest　allusion　to　her。　Madame
Grandet　did　not　leave　her　chamber；　and　daily　grew　worse。　Nothing
softened　the　old　man；　he　remained　unmoved；　harsh；　and　cold　as　a
granite　rock。　He　continued　to　go　and　come　about　his　business　as　usual；
but　ceased　to　stutter；　talked　less；　and　was　more　obdurate　in　business
transactions　than　ever　before。　Often　he　made　mistakes　in　adding　up　his
figures。
〃Something　is　going　on　at　the　Grandets；〃　said　the　Grassinists　and　the
Cruchotines。
〃What　has　happened　in　the　Grandet　family？〃　became　a　fixed　question
which　everybody　asked　everybody　else　at　the　little　evening…parties　of
Saumur。　Eugenie　went　to　Mass　escorted　by　Nanon。　If　Madame　des　Grassins
said　a　few　words　to　her　on　coming　out　of　church；　she　answered　in　an
evasive　manner；　without　satisfying　any　curiosity。　However；　at　the　end
of　two　months；　it　became　impossible　to　hide；　either　from　the　three
Cruchots　or　from　Madame　des　Grassins；　the　fact　that　Eugenie　was　in
confinement。　There　came　a　moment　when　all　pretexts　failed　to　explain
her　perpetual　absence。　Then；　though　it　was　impossible　to　discover　by
whom　the　secret　had　been　betrayed；　all　the　town　became　aware　that　ever
since　New　Year's　day　Mademoiselle　Grandet　had　been　kept　in　her　room
without　fire；　on　bread　and　water；　by　her　father's　orders；　and　that
Nanon　cooked　little　dainties　and　took　them　to　her　secretly　at　night。
It　was　even　known　that　the　young　woman　was　not　able　to　see　or　take
care　of　her　mother；　except　at　certain　times　when　her　father　was　out　of
the　house。
Grandet's　conduct　was　severely　condemned。　The　whole　town　outlawed　him；
so　to　speak；　they　remembered　his　treachery；　his　hard…heartedness；　and
they　excommunicated　him。　When　he　passed　along　the　streets；　people
pointed　him　out　and　muttered　at　him。　When　his　daughter　came　down　the
winding　street；　accompanied　by　Nanon；　on　her　way　to　Mass　or　Vespers；
the　inhabitants　ran　to　the　windows　and　examined　with　intense　curiosity
the　bearing　of　the　rich　heiress　and　her　countenance；　which　bore　the
impress　of　angelic　gentleness　and　melancholy。　Her　imprisonment　and　the
condemnation　of　her　father　were　as　nothing　to　her。　Had　she　not　a　map
of　the　world；　the　little　bench；　the　garden；　the　angle　of　the　wall？　Did
she　not　taste　upon　her　lips　the　honey　that　love's　kisses　left　there？
She　was　ignorant　for　a　time　that　the　town　talked　about　her；　just　as
Grandet　himself　was　ignorant　of　it。　Pious　and　pure　in　heart　before
God；　her　conscience　and　her　love　helped　her　to　suffer　patiently　the
wrath　and　vengeance　of　her　father。
One　deep　grief　silenced　all　others。　Her　mother；　that　gentle；　tender
creature；　made　beautiful　by　the　light　which　shone　from　the　inner　to
the　outer　as　she　approached　the　tomb；her　mother　was　perishing　from
day　to　day。　Eugenie　often　reproached　herself　as　the　innocent　cause　of
the　slow；　cruel　malady　that　was　wasting　her　away。　This　remorse；　though
her　mother　soothed　it；　bound　her　still　closer　to　her　love。　Every
morning；　as　soon　as　her　father　left　the　house；　she　went　to　the　bedside
of　her　mother；　and　there　Nanon　brought　her　breakfast。　The　poor　girl；
sad；　and　suffering　through　the　sufferings　of　her　mother；　would　turn
her　face　to　the　old　servant　with　a　mute　gesture；　weeping；　and　yet　not
daring　to　speak　of　her　cousin。　It　was　Madame　Grandet　who　first　found
courage　to　say；
〃Where　is　/he/？　Why　does　/he/　not　write？〃
〃Let　us　think　about　him；　mother；　but　not　speak　of　him。　You　are　ill
you；　before　all。〃
〃All〃　meant　〃him。〃
〃My　child；〃　said　Madame　Grandet；　〃I　do　not　wish　to　live。　God　protects
me　and　enables　me　to　look　with　joy　to　the　end　of　my　misery。〃
Every　utterance　of　this　woman　was　unfalteringly　pious　and　Christian。
Sometimes；　during　the　first　months　of　the　year；　when　her　husband　came
to　breakfast　with　her　and　tramped　up　and　down　the　room；　she　would　say
to　him　a　few　religious　words；　always　spoken　with　angelic　sweetness；
yet　with　the　firmness　of　a　woman　to　whom　approaching　death　lends　a
courage　she　had　lacked　in　life。
〃Monsieur；　I　thank　you　for　the　interest　you　take　in　my　health；〃　she
would　answer　when　he　made　some　commonplace　inquiry；　〃but　if　you　really
desire　to　render　my　last　moments　less　bitter　and　to　ease　my　grief；
take　back　your　daughter：　be　a　Christian；　a　husband；　and　a　father。〃
When　he　heard　these　words；　Grandet　would　sit　down　by　the　bed　with　the
air　of　a　man　who　sees　the　rain　coming　and　quietly　gets　under　the
shelter　of　a　gateway　till　it　is　over。　When　these　touching；　tender；　and
religious　supplications　had　all　been　made；　he　would　say；
〃You　are　rather　pale　to…day；　my　poor　wife。〃
Absolute　forgetfulness　of　his　daughter　seemed　graven　on　his　stony
brow；　on　his　closed　lips。　He　was　unmoved　by　the　tears　which　flowed
down　the　white　cheeks　of　his　unhappy　wife　as　she　listened　to　his
meaningless　answers。
〃May　God　pardon　you；〃　she　said；　〃even　as　I　pardon　you！　You　will　some
day　stand　in　need　of　mercy。〃
Since　Madame　Grandet's　illness　he　had　not　dared　to　make　use　of　his
terrible　〃Ta；　ta；　ta；　ta！〃　Yet；　for　all　that；　his　despotic　nature　was
not　disarmed　by　this　angel　of　gentleness；　whose　ugliness　day　by　day
decreased；　driven　out　by　the　ineffable　expression　of　moral　qualities
which　shone　upon　her　face。　She　was　all　soul。　The　spirit　of　prayer
seemed　to　purify　her　and　refine　those　homely　features　and　make　them
luminous。　Who　has　not　seen　the　phenomenon　of　a　like　transfiguration　on
sacred　faces　where　the　habits　o