eugenie grandet-第29部分

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over　it。〃

〃She　has　no　father！〃　said　the　old　man。　〃Can　it　be　you　and　I；　Madame
Grandet；　who　have　given　birth　to　such　a　disobedient　child？　A　fine
education；religious；　too！　Well！　why　are　you　not　in　your　chamber？
Come；　to　prison；　to　prison；　mademoiselle！〃

〃Would　you　deprive　me　of　my　daughter；　monsieur？〃　said　Madame　Grandet；
turning　towards　him　a　face　that　was　now　red　with　fever。

〃If　you　want　to　keep　her；　carry　her　off！　Clear　outout　of　my　house；
both　of　you！　Thunder！　where　is　the　gold？　what's　become　of　the　gold？〃

Eugenie　rose；　looked　proudly　at　her　father；　and　withdrew　to　her　room。
Grandet　turned　the　key　of　the　door。

〃Nanon；〃　he　cried；　〃put　out　the　fire　in　the　hall。〃

Then　he　sat　down　in　an　armchair　beside　his　wife's　fire　and　said　to
her；

〃Undoubtedly　she　has　given　the　gold　to　that　miserable　seducer；
Charles；　who　only　wanted　our　money。〃

〃I　knew　nothing　about　it；〃　she　answered；　turning　to　the　other　side　of
the　bed；　that　she　might　escape　the　savage　glances　of　her　husband。　〃I
suffer　so　much　from　your　violence　that　I　shall　never　leave　this　room；
if　I　trust　my　own　presentiments；　till　I　am　carried　out　of　it　in　my
coffin。　You　ought　to　have　spared　me　this　suffering；　monsieur；you；　to
whom　I　have　caused　no　pain；　that　is；　I　think　so。　Your　daughter　loves
you。　I　believe　her　to　be　as　innocent　as　the　babe　unborn。　Do　not　make
her　wretched。　Revoke　your　sentence。　The　cold　is　very　severe；　you　may
give　her　some　serious　illness。〃

〃I　will　not　see　her；　neither　will　I　speak　to　her。　She　shall　stay　in
her　room；　on　bread　and　water；　until　she　submits　to　her　father。　What
the　devil！　shouldn't　a　father　know　where　the　gold　in　his　house　has
gone　to？　She　owned　the　only　rupees　in　France；　perhaps；　and　the　Dutch
ducats　and　the　/genovines/〃

〃Monsieur；　Eugenie　is　our　only　child；　and　even　if　she　had　thrown　them
into　the　water〃

〃Into　the　water！〃　cried　her　husband；　〃into　the　water！　You　are　crazy；
Madame　Grandet！　What　I　have　said　is　said；　you　know　that　well　enough。
If　you　want　peace　in　this　household；　make　your　daughter　confess；　pump
it　out　of　her。　Women　understand　how　to　do　that　better　than　we　do。
Whatever　she　has　done；　I　sha'n't　eat　her。　Is　she　afraid　of　me？　Even　if
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　throu