eugenie grandet-第3部分

按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！


language　and　habits　of　a　coarse　nature　came　to　the　surface；　especially
in　his　own　home；　where　he　controlled　himself　less　than　elsewhere。

Physically；　Grandet　was　a　man　five　feet　high；　thick…set；　square…built；
with　calves　twelve　inches　in　circumference；　knotted　knee…joints；　and
broad　shoulders；　his　face　was　round；　tanned；　and　pitted　by　the　small…
pox；　his　chin　was　straight；　his　lips　had　no　curves；　his　teeth　were
white；　his　eyes　had　that　calm；　devouring　expression　which　people
attribute　to　the　basilisk；　his　forehead；　full　of　transverse　wrinkles；
was　not　without　certain　significant　protuberances；　his　yellow…grayish
hair　was　said　to　be　silver　and　gold　by　certain　young　people　who　did
not　realize　the　impropriety　of　making　a　jest　about　Monsieur　Grandet。
His　nose；　thick　at　the　end；　bore　a　veined　wen；　which　the　common　people
said；　not　without　reason；　was　full　of　malice。　The　whole　countenance
showed　a　dangerous　cunning；　an　integrity　without　warmth；　the　egotism
of　a　man　long　used　to　concentrate　every　feeling　upon　the　enjoyments　of
avarice　and　upon　the　only　human　being　who　was　anything　whatever　to
him；his　daughter　and　sole　heiress；　Eugenie。　Attitude；　manners；
bearing；　everything　about　him；　in　short；　testified　to　that　belief　in
himself　which　the　habit　of　succeeding　in　all　enterprises　never　fails
to　give　to　a　man。

Thus；　though　his　manners　were　unctuous　and　soft　outwardly；　Monsieur
Grandet's　nature　was　of　iron。　His　dress　never　varied；　and　those　who
saw　him　to…day　saw　him　such　as　he　had　been　since　1791。　His　stout　shoes
were　tied　with　leathern　thongs；　he　wore；　in　all　weathers；　thick
woollen　stockings；　short　breeches　of　coarse　maroon　cloth　with　silver
buckles；　a　velvet　waistcoat；　in　alternate　stripes　of　yellow　and　puce；
buttoned　squarely；　a　large　maroon　coat　with　wide　flaps；　a　black
cravat；　and　a　quaker's　hat。　His　gloves；　thick　as　those　of　a　gendarme；
lasted　him　twenty　months；　to　preserve　them；　he　always　laid　them
methodically　on　the　brim　of　his　hat　in　one　particular　spot。　Saumur
knew　nothing　further　about　this　personage。

Only　six　individuals　had　a　right　of　entrance　to　Monsieur　Grandet's
house。　The　most　important　of　the　first　three　was　a　nephew　of　Monsieur
Cruchot。　Since　his　appointment　as　president　of　the　Civil　courts　of
Saumur　this　young　man　had　added　the　name　of　Bonfons　to　that　of
Cruchot。　He　now　signed　himself　C。　de　Bonfons。　Any　litigant　so　ill…
advised　as　to　call　him　Monsieur　Cruchot　would　soon　be　made　to　feel　his
folly　in　court。　The　magistrate　protected　those　who　called　him　Monsieur
le　president；　but　he　favored　with　gracious　smiles　those　who　addressed
him　as　Monsieur　de　Bonfons。　Monsieur　le　president　was　thirty…three
years　old；　and　possessed　the　estate　of　Bonfons　（Boni　Fontis）；　worth
seven　thousand　francs　a　year；　he　expected　to　inherit　the　property　of
his　uncle　the　notary　and　that　of　another　uncle；　the　Abbe　Cruchot；　a
dignitary　of　the　chapter　of　Saint…Martin　de　Tours；　both　of　whom　were
thought　to　be　very　rich。　These　three　Cruchots；　backed　by　a　goodly
number　of　cousins；　and　allied　to　twenty　families　in　the　town；　formed　a
party；　like　the　Medici　in　Florence；　like　the　Medici；　the　Cruchots　had
their　Pazzi。

Madame　des　Grassins；　mother　of　a　son　twenty…three　years　of　age；　came
assiduously　to　play　cards　with　Madame　Grandet；　hoping　to　marry　her
dear　Adolphe　to　Mademoiselle　Eugenie。　Monsieur　des　Grassins；　the
banker；　vigorously　promoted　the　schemes　of　his　wife　by　means　of　secret
services　constantly　rendered　to　the　old　miser；　and　always　arrived　in
time　upon　the　field　of　battle。　The　three　des　Grassins　likewise　had
their　adherents；　their　cousins；　their　faithful　allies。　On　the　Cruchot
side　the　abbe；　the　Talleyrand　of　the　family；　well　backed…up　by　his
brother　the　notary；　sharply　contested　every　inch　of　ground　with　his
female　adversary；　and　tried　to　obtain　the　rich　heiress　for　his　nephew
the　president。

This　secret　warfare　between　the　Cruchots　and　des　Grassins；　the　prize
thereof　being　the　hand　in　marriage　of　Eugenie　Grandet；　kept　the
various　social　circles　of　Saumur　in　violent　agitation。　Would
Mademoiselle　Grandet　marry　Monsieur　le　president　or　Monsieur　Adolphe
des　Grassins？　To　this　problem　some　replied　that　Monsieur　Grandet　would
never　give　his　daughter　to　the　one　or　to　the　other。　The　old　cooper；
eaten　up　with　ambition；　was　looking；　they　said；　for　a　peer　of　France；
to　whom　an　income　of　three　hundred　thousand　francs　would　make　all　the
past；　present；　and　future　casks　of　the　Grandets　acceptable。　Others
replied　that　Monsieur　and　Madame　des　Grassins　were　nobles；　and
exceedingly　rich；　that　Adolphe　was　a　personable　young　fellow；　and　that
unless　the　old　man　had　a　nephew　of　the　pope　at　his　beck　and　call；　such
a　suitable　alliance　ought　to　satisfy　a　man　who　came　from　nothing；a
man　whom　Saumur　remembered　with　an　adze　in　his　hand；　and　who　had；
moreover；　worn　the　/bonnet　rouge/。　Certain　wise　heads　called　attention
to　the　fact　that　Monsieur　Cruchot　de　Bonfons　had　the　right　of　entry　to
the　house　at　all　times；　whereas　his　rival　was　received　only　on
Sundays。　Others；　however；　maintained　that　Madame　des　Grassins　was　more
intimate　with　the　women　of　the　house　of　Grandet　than　the　Cruchots
were；　and　could　put　into　their　minds　certain　ideas　which　would　lead；
sooner　or　later；　to　success。　To　this　the　former　retorted　that　the　Abbe
Cruchot　was　the　most　insinuating　man　in　the　world：　pit　a　woman　against
a　monk；　and　the　struggle　was　even。　〃It　is　diamond　cut　diamond；〃　said　a
Saumur　wit。

The　oldest　inhabitants；　wiser　than　their　fellows；　declared　that　the
Grandets　knew　better　than　to　let　the　property　go　out　of　the　family；
and　that　Mademoiselle　Eugenie　Grandet　of　Saumur　would　be　married　to
the　son　of　Monsieur　Grandet　of　Paris；　a　wealthy　wholesale　wine…
merchant。　To　this　the　Cruchotines　and　the　Grassinists　replied：　〃In　the
first　place；　the　two　brothers　have　seen　each　other　only　twice　in
thirty　years；　and　next；　Monsieur　Grandet　of　Paris　has　ambitious
designs　for　his　son。　He　is　mayor　of　an　arrondissement；　a　deputy；
colonel　of　the　National　Guard；　judge　in　the　commercial　courts；　he
disowns　the　Grandets　of　Saumur；　and　means　to　ally　himself　with　some
ducal　family；ducal　under　favor　of　Napoleon。〃　In　short；　was　there
anything　not　said　of　an　heiress　who　was　talked　of　through　a
circumference　of　fifty　miles；　and　even　in　the　public　conveyances　from
Angers　to　Blois；　inclusively！

At　the　beginning　of　1811；　the　Cruchotines　won　a　signal　advantage　over
the　Grassinists。　The　estate　of　Froidfond；　remarkable　for　its　park；　its
mansion；　its　farms；　streams；　ponds；　forests；　and　worth　about　three
millions；　was　put　up　for　sale　by　the　young　Marquis　de　Froidfond；　who
was　obliged　to　liquidate　his　possessions。　Maitre　Cruchot；　the
president；　and　the　abbe；　aided　by　their　adherents；　were　able　to
prevent　the　sale　of　the　estate　in　little　lots。　The　notary　concluded　a
bargain　with　the　young　man　for　the　whole　property；　payable　in　gold；
persuading　him　that　suits　without　number　would　have　to　be　brought
against　the　purchasers　of　small　lots　before　he　could　get　the　money　for
them；　it　was　better；　therefore；　to　sell　the　whole　to　Monsieur　Grandet；
who　was　solvent　and　able　to　pay　for　the　estate　in　ready　money。　The
fine　marquisate　of　Froidfond　was　accordingly　conveyed　down　the　gullet
of　Monsieur　Grandet；　who；　to　the　great　astonishment　of　Saumur；　paid
for　it；　under　proper　discount；　with　the　usual　formalities。

This　affair　echoed　from　Nantes　to　Orleans。　Monsieur　Grandet　took
advantage　of　a　cart　returning　by　way　of　Froidfond　to　go　and　see　his
chateau。　Having　cast　a　master's　eye　over　the　whole　property；　he
returned　to　Saumur；　satisfied　that　he　had　invested　his　money　at　five
per　cent；　and　seized　by　the　stupendous　thought　of　extending　and
increasing　the　marquisate　of　Froidfond　by　concentrating　all　his
property　there。　Then；　to　fill　up　his　coffers；　now　nearly　empty；　he
resolved　to　thin　out　his　woods　and　his　forests；　and　to　sell　off　the
poplars　in　the　meadows。



II

It　is　now　easy　to　understand　the　full　meaning　of　the　term；　〃the　house
of　Monsieur　Grandet；〃that　cold；　silent；　pallid　dwelling；　standing
above　the　town　and　sheltered　by　the　ruins　of　the　ramparts。　The　two
pillars　and　the　arch；　which　made　the　porte…cochere　on　which　the　door
opened；　were　built；　like　the　house　itself；　of　tufa；a　white　stone
peculiar　to　the　shores　of　the　Loire；　and　so　soft　that　it　lasts　hardly
more　than　two　centuries。　Numberless　irregular　holes；　capriciously
bored　or　eaten　out　by　the　inclemency　of　the　weather；　gave　an
appearance　of　the　vermiculated　stonework　of　French　architecture　to　the
arch　and　the　side　walls　of　this　entrance；　which　bore　some　resemblance
to　the　gateway　of　a　jail。　Above　the　arch　was　a　long　bas…relief；　in
hard　stone；　representing　the　four　seasons；　the　faces　already　crumbling
away　and　blackened。　This　bas…relief　was　surmounted　by　a　projecting
plinth；　upon　which　a　variety　of　chance　growths　had　sprung　up；yellow
pellitory；　bindweed；　convolvuli；　nettles；　plantain；　and　even　a　little
cherry…tree；　already　grown　to　some　height。

The　door　of　the　archway　was　made　of　solid　oak；　brown；　shrunken；　and
split　in　many　places；　though　frail　in　appearance；　it　was　firmly　held
in　place　by　a　system　of　iron　bolts　arranged　in　symmetrical　patterns。　A
small　square　grating；　with　close　bars　red　with　rust；　filled　up　the
middle　panel　and　made；　as　it　were；　a　motive　for　the　knocker；　fastened
to　it　by　a　ring；　which　struck　upon　the　grinning　head　of　a　huge　nail。
This　knocker；　of　the　oblong　shape　and　kind　which　our　ancestors　called
/jaquemart/；　looked　like　a　huge　note　of　exclamation；　an　antiquary　who
examined　it　attentively　might　have　found　indications　of　the　figure；
essentially　burlesque；　which　it　once　represented；　and　which　long　usage
had　now　effaced。　Through　this　little　gratingintended　in　olden　times
for　the　recognition　of　friends　in　times　of　civil　warinquisitive
persons　could　perceive；　at　the　farther　end　of　the　dark　and　slimy
vault；　a　few　broken　steps　which　led　to　a　garden；　picturesquely　shut　in
by　walls　that　were　thick　and　damp；　and　through　which　oozed　a　moisture
that　nourished　tufts　of　sickly　herbage。　These　walls　were　the　ruins　of
the　ramparts；　under　which　ranged　the　gardens　of　several　neighboring
houses。

The　most　important　room　on　the