eugenie grandet(欧也妮·葛朗台)-第31章

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brushed　a　good　many　cobwebs　out　of　his　brain；　he　perceived　that　the
best　means　of　attaining　fortune　in　tropical　regions；　as　well　as　in
Europe；　was　to　buy　and　sell　men。　He　went　to　the　coast　of　Africa　and
bought　Negroes；　combining　his　traffic　in　human　flesh　with　that　of
other　merchandise　equally　advantageous　to　his　interests。　He　carried
into　this　business　an　activity　which　left　him　not　a　moment　of　leisure。
He　was　governed　by　the　desire　of　reappearing　in　Paris　with　all　the
prestige　of　a　large　fortune；　and　by　the　hope　of　regaining　a　position
even　more　brilliant　than　the　one　from　which　he　had　fallen。
By　dint　of　jostling　with　men；　travelling　through　many　lands；　and
studying　a　variety　of　conflicting　customs；　his　ideas　had　been　modified
and　had　become　sceptical。　He　ceased　to　have　fixed　principles　of　right
and　wrong；　for　he　saw　what　was　called　a　crime　in　one　country　lauded　as
a　virtue　in　another。　In　the　perpetual　struggle　of　selfish　interests
his　heart　grew　cold；　then　contracted；　and　then　dried　up。　The　blood　of
the　Grandets　did　not　fail　of　its　destiny；　Charles　became　hard；　and
eager　for　prey。　He　sold　Chinamen；　Negroes；　birds'　nests；　children；
artists；　he　practised　usury　on　a　large　scale；　the　habit　of　defrauding
custom…houses　soon　made　him　less　scrupulous　about　the　rights　of　his
fellow　men。　He　went　to　the　Island　of　St。　Thomas　and　bought；　for　a　mere
song；　merchandise　that　had　been　captured　by　pirates；　and　took　it　to
ports　where　he　could　sell　it　at　a　good　price。　If　the　pure　and　noble
face　of　Eugenie　went　with　him　on　his　first　voyage；　like　that　image　of
the　Virgin　which　Spanish　mariners　fastened　to　their　masts；　if　he
attributed　his　first　success　to　the　magic　influence　of　the　prayers　and
intercessions　of　his　gentle　love；　later　on　women　of　other　kinds；
blacks；　mulattoes；　whites；　and　Indian　dancing…girls；orgies　and
adventures　in　many　lands；　completely　effaced　all　recollection　of　his
cousin；　of　Saumur；　of　the　house；　the　bench；　the　kiss　snatched　in　the
dark　passage。　He　remembered　only　the　little　garden　shut　in　with
crumbling　walls；　for　it　was　there　he　learned　the　fate　that　had
overtaken　him；　but　he　rejected　all　connection　with　his　family。　His
uncle　was　an　old　dog　who　had　filched　his　jewels；　Eugenie　had　no　place
in　his　heart　nor　in　his　thoughts；　though　she　did　have　a　place　in　his
accounts　as　a　creditor　for　the　sum　of　six　thousand　francs。
Such　conduct　and　such　ideas　explain　Charles　Grandet's　silence。　In　the
Indies；　at　St。　Thomas；　on　the　coast　of　Africa；　at　Lisbon；　and　in　the
United　States　the　adventurer　had　taken　the　pseudonym　of　Shepherd；　that
he　might　not　compromise　his　own　name。　Charles　Shepherd　could　safely　be
indefatigable；　bold；　grasping；　and　greedy　of　gain；　like　a　man　who
resolves　to　snatch　his　fortune　/quibus　cumque　viis/；　and　makes　haste
to　have　done　with　villany；　that　he　may　spend　the　rest　of　his　life　as
an　honest　man。
With　such　methods；　prosperity　was　rapid　and　brilliant；　and　in　1827
Charles　Grandet　returned　to　Bordeaux　on　the　〃Marie　Caroline；〃　a　fine
brig　belonging　to　a　royalist　house　of　business。　He　brought　with　him
nineteen　hundred　thousand　francs　worth　of　gold…dust；　from　which　he
expected　to　derive　seven　or　eight　per　cent　more　at　the　Paris　mint。　On
the　brig　he　met　a　gentleman…in…ordinary　to　His　Majesty　Charles　X。；
Monsieur　d'Aubrion；　a　worthy　old　man　who　had　committed　the　folly　of
marrying　a　woman　of　fashion　with　a　fortune　derived　from　the　West　India
Islands。　To　meet　the　costs　of　Madame　d'Aubrion's　extravagance；　he　had
gone　out　to　the　Indies　to　sell　the　property；　and　was　now　returning
with　his　family　to　France。
Monsieur　and　Madame　d'Aubrion；　of　the　house　of　d'Aubrion　de　Buch；　a
family　of　southern　France；　whose　last　/captal/；　or　chief；　died　before
1789；　were　now　reduced　to　an　income　of　about　twenty　thousand　francs；
and　they　possessed　an　ugly　daughter　whom　the　mother　was　resolved　to
marry　without　a　/dot/；the　family　fortune　being　scarcely　sufficient
for　the　demands　of　her　own　life　in　Paris。　This　was　an　enterprise　whose
success　might　have　seemed　problematical　to　most　men　of　the　world；　in
spite　of　the　cleverness　with　which　such　men　credit　a　fashionable
woman；　in　fact；　Madame　d'Aubrion　herself；　when　she　looked　at　her
daughter；　almost　despaired　of　getting　rid　of　her　to　any　one；　even　to　a
man　craving　connection　with　nobility。　Mademoiselle　d'Aubrion　was　a
long；　spare；　spindling　demoiselle；　like　her　namesake　the　insect；　her
mouth　was　disdainful；　over　it　hung　a　nose　that　was　too　long；　thick　at
the　end；　sallow　in　its　normal　condition；　but　very　red　after　a　meal；a
sort　of　vegetable　phenomenon　which　is　particularly　disagreeable　when
it　appears　in　the　middle　of　a　pale；　dull；　and　uninteresting　face。　In
one　sense　she　was　all　that　a　worldly　mother；　thirty…eight　years　of　age
and　still　a　beauty　with　claims　to　admiration；　could　have　wished。
However；　to　counterbalance　her　personal　defects；　the　marquise　gave　her
daughter　a　distinguished　air；　subjected　her　to　hygienic　treatment
which　provisionally　kept　her　nose　at　a　reasonable　flesh…tint；　taught
her　the　art　of　dressing　well；　endowed　her　with　charming　manners；
showed　her　the　trick　of　melancholy　glances　which　interest　a　man　and
make　him　believe　that　he　has　found　a　long…sought　angel；　taught　her　the
manoeuvre　of　the　foot；letting　it　peep　beneath　the　petticoat；　to　show
its　tiny　size；　at　the　moment　when　the　nose　became　aggressively　red；　in
short；　Madame　d'Aubrion　had　cleverly　made　the　very　best　of　her
offspring。　By　means　of　full　sleeves；　deceptive　pads；　puffed　dresses
amply　trimmed；　and　high…pressure　corsets；　she　had　obtained　such
curious　feminine　developments　that　she　ought；　for　the　instruction　of
mothers；　to　have　exhibited　them　in　a　museum。
Charles　became　very　intimate　with　Madame　d'Aubrion　precisely　because
she　was　desirous　of　becoming　intimate　with　him。　Persons　who　were　on
board　the　brig　declared　that　the　handsome　Madame　d'Aubrion　neglected
no　means　of　capturing　so　rich　a　son…in…law。　On　landing　at　Bordeaux　in
June；　1827；　Monsieur；　Madame；　Mademoiselle　d'Aubrion；　and　Charles
lodged　at　the　same　hotel　and　started　together　for　Paris。　The　hotel
d'Aubrion　was　hampered　with　mortgages；　Charles　was　destined　to　free
it。　The　mother　told　him　how　delighted　she　would　be　to　give　up　the
ground…floor　to　a　son…in…law。　Not　sharing　Monsieur　d'Aubrion's
prejudices　on　the　score　of　nobility；　she　promised　Charles　Grandet　to
obtain　a　royal　ordinance　from　Charles　X。　which　would　authorize　him；
Grandet；　to　take　the　name　and　arms　of　d'Aubrion　and　to　succeed；　by
purchasing　the　entailed　estate　for　thirty…six　thousand　francs　a　year；
to　the　titles　of　Captal　de　Buch　and　Marquis　d'Aubrion。　By　thus　uniting
their　fortunes；　living　on　good　terms；　and　profiting　by　sinecures；　the
two　families　might　occupy　the　hotel　d'Aubrion　with　an　income　of　over　a
hundred　thousand　francs。
〃And　when　a　man　has　a　hundred　thousand　francs　a　year；　a　name；　a
family；　and　a　position　at　court；for　I　will　get　you　appointed　as
gentleman…of…the…bedchamber；he　can　do　what　he　likes；〃　she　said　to
Charles。　〃You　can　then　become　anything　you　choose；master　of　the
rolls　in　the　council　of　State；　prefect；　secretary　to　an　embassy；　the
ambassador　himself；　if　you　like。　Charles　X。　is　fond　of　d'Aubrion；　they
have　known　each　other　from　childhood。〃
Intoxicated　with　ambition；　Charles　toyed　with　the　hopes　thus　cleverly
presented　to　him　in　the　guise　of　confidences　poured　from　heart　to
heart。　Believing　his　father's　affairs　to　have　been　settled　by　his
uncle；　he　imagined　himself　suddenly　anchored　in　the　Faubourg　Saint…
Germain；that　social　object　of　all　desire；　where；　under　shelter　of
Mademoiselle　Mathilde's　purple　nose；　he　was　to　reappear　as　the　Comte
d'Aubrion；　very　much　as　the　Dreux　reappeared　in　Breze。　Dazzled　by　the
prosperity　of　the　Restoration；　which　was　tottering　when　he　left
France；　fascinated　by　the　splendor　of　aristocratic　ideas；　his
intoxication；　which　began　on　the　brig；　increased　after　he　reached
Paris；　and　he　finally　determined　to　take　the　course　and　reach　the　high
position　which　the　selfish　hopes　of　his　would…be　mother…in…law　pointed
out　to　him。　His　cousin　counted　for　no　more　than　a　speck　in　this
brilliant　perspective；　but　he　went　to　see　Annette。　True　woman　of　the
world；　Annette　advised　her　old　friend　to　make　the　marriage；　and
promised　him　her　support　in　all　his　ambitious　projects。　In　her　heart
she　was　enchanted　to　fasten　an　ugly　and　uninteresting　girl　on　Charles；
whose　life　in　the　West　Indies　had　rendered　him　very　attractive。　His
complexion　had　bronzed；　his　manners　had　grown　decided　and　bold；　like
those　of　a　man　accustomed　to　make　sharp　decisions；　to　rule；　and　to
succeed。　Charles　breathed　more　at　his　ease　in　Paris；　conscious　that　he
now　had　a　part　to　play。
Des　Grassins；　hearing　of　his　return；　of　his　approaching　marriage　and
his　large　fortune；　came　to　see　him；　and　inquired　about　the　three
hundred　thousand　francs　still　required　to　settle　his　father's　debts。
He　found　Grandet　in　conference　with　a　goldsmith；　from　whom　he　had
ordered　jewels　for　Mademoiselle　d'Aubrion's　/corbeille/；　and　who　was
then　submitting　the　designs。　Charles　had　brought　back　magnificent
diamonds；　and　the　value　of　their　setting；　together　with　the　plate　and
jewelry　of　the　new　establishment；　amounted　to　more　than　two　hundred
thousand　francs。　He　received　des　Grassins；　whom　he　did　not　recognize；
with　the　impertinence　of　a　young　man　of　fashion　conscious　of　having
killed　four　men　in　as　many　duels　in　the　Indies。　Monsieur　des　Grassins
had　already　called　several　times。　Charles　listened　to　him　coldly；　and
then　replied；　without　fully　understanding　what　had　been　said　to　him；
〃My　father's　affairs　are　not　mine。　I　am　much　obliged；　monsieur；　for
the　trouble　you　have　been　good　enough　to　take；by　which；　however；　I
really　cannot　profit。　I　have　not　earned　two　millions　by　the　sweat　of
my　brow　to　fling　them　at　the　head　of　my　father's　creditors。〃
〃But　suppose　that　your　father's　estate　were　within　a　few　days　to　be
declared　bankrupt？〃
〃Monsieur；　in　a　few　days　I　shall　be　called　the　Comte　d'Aubrion；　you
will　understand；　therefore；　that　what　you　threaten　is　of　no
consequence　to　me。　Besides；　you　know　as　well　as　I　do　that　when　a　man
has　an　income　of　a　hundred　thousand　francs　his　father　has　/never
failed/。〃　So　saying；　he　politely　edged　Monsieur　des　Grassins　to　the
door。
*****
At　the　beginning　of　August　in　the　same　year；　Eugenie　was　sitting　on
the　little　wooden　bench　where　her　cousin　had　sworn　to　love　her
eternally；　and　where　she　usually　breakfasted　if　the　weather　were　fine。
The　poor　girl　was　happy；　for　the　moment；　in　the　fresh　and　joyous
summer　air；　letting　her　memory　recall　the　great　and　the　little　events
of　her　love　and　the　catastrophes　which　had　followed　it。　The　sun　had
just　reached　the　angle　of　the　ruined　wall；　so　full　of　chinks；　which　no
one；　through　a　caprice　of　the　mistress；　was　allowed　to　touch；　though
Cornoiller　often　remarked　to　his　wife　that　〃it　would　fall　and　crush
somebody　one　of　these　days。〃　At　this　moment　the　postman　knocked；　and
gave　a　letter　to　Madame　Cornoiller；　who　ran　into　the　garden；　crying
out：
〃Mademoiselle；　a　letter！〃　She　gave　it　to　her　mistress；　adding；　〃Is　it
the　one　you　expected？〃
The　words　rang　as　loudly　in　the　heart　of　Eugenie　as　they　echoed　in
sound　from　wall　to　wall　of　the