father goriot(高老头)-第16章

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　stick　in　the　mire　for　the　rest　of　my　days。　I　know　that　all　your　hopes　are　set　on　me；　and　I　want　to　realize　them　quickly。　Sell　some　of　your　old　jewelry；　my　kind　mother；　I　will　give　you　other　jewels　very　soon。　I　know　enough　of　our　affairs　at　home　to　know　all　that　such　a　sacrifice　means；　and　you　must　not　think　that　I　would　lightly　ask　you　to　make　it；　I　should　be　a　monster　if　I　could。　You　must　think　of　my　entreaty　as　a　cry　forced　from　me　by　imperative　necessity。　Our　whole　future　lies　in　the　subsidy　with　which　I　must　begin　my　first　campaign；　for　life　in　Paris　is　one　continual　battle。　If　you　cannot　otherwise　procure　the　whole　of　the　money；　and　are　forced　to　sell　our　aunt's　lace；　tell　her　that　I　will　send　her　some　still　handsomer；〃　and　so　forth。

He　wrote　to　ask　each　of　his　sisters　for　their　savingswould　they　despoil　themselves　for　him；　and　keep　the　sacrifice　a　secret　from　the　family？　To　his　request　he　knew　that　they　would　not　fail　to　respond　gladly；　and　he　added　to　it　an　appeal　to　their　delicacy　by　touching　the　chord　of　honor　that　vibrates　so　loudly　in　young　and　high…strung　natures。

Yet　when　he　had　written　the　letters；　he　could　not　help　feeling　misgivings　in　spite　of　his　youthful　ambition；　his　heart　beat　fast；　and　he　trembled。　He　knew　the　spotless　nobleness　of　the　lives　buried　away　in　the　lonely　manor　house；　he　knew　what　trouble　and　what　joy　his　request　would　cause　his　sisters；　and　how　happy　they　would　be　as　they　talked　at　the　bottom　of　the　orchard　of　that　dear　brother　of　theirs　in　Paris。　Visions　rose　before　his　eyes；　a　sudden　strong　light　revealed　his　sisters　secretly　counting　over　their　little　store；　devising　some　girlish　stratagem　by　which　the　money　could　be　sent　to　him　incognito；　essaying；　for　the　first　time　in　their　lives；　a　piece　of　deceit　that　reached　the　sublime　in　its　unselfishness。

〃A　sister's　heart　is　a　diamond　for　purity；　a　deep　sea　of　tenderness！〃　he　said　to　himself。　He　felt　ashamed　of　those　letters。

What　power　there　must　be　in　the　petitions　put　up　by　such　hearts；　how　pure　the　fervor　that　bears　their　souls　to　Heaven　in　prayer！　What　exquisite　joy　they　would　find　in　self…sacrifice！　What　a　pang　for　his　mother's　heart　if　she　could　not　send　him　all　that　he　asked　for！　And　this　noble　affection；　these　sacrifices　made　at　such　terrible　cost；　were　to　serve　as　the　ladder　by　which　he　meant　to　climb　to　Delphine　de　Nucingen。　A　few　tears；　like　the　last　grains　of　incense　flung　upon　the　sacred　alter　fire　of　the　hearth；　fell　from　his　eyes。　He　walked　up　and　down；　and　despair　mingled　with　his　emotion。　Father　Goriot　saw　him　through　the　half…open　door。

〃What　is　the　matter；　sir？〃　he　asked　from　the　threshold。

〃Ah！　my　good　neighbor；　I　am　as　much　a　son　and　brother　as　you　are　a　father。　You　do　well　to　fear　for　the　Comtesse　Anastasie；　there　is　one　M。　Maxime　de　Trailles；　who　will　be　her　ruin。〃

Father　Goriot　withdrew；　stammering　some　words；　but　Eugene　failed　to　catch　their　meaning。

The　next　morning　Rastignac　went　out　to　post　his　letters。　Up　to　the　last　moment　he　wavered　and　doubted；　but　he　ended　by　flinging　them　into　the　box。　〃I　shall　succeed！〃　he　said　to　himself。　So　says　the　gambler；　so　says　the　great　captain；　but　the　three　words　that　have　been　the　salvation　of　some　few；　have　been　the　ruin　of　many　more。

A　few　days　after　this　Eugene　called　at　Mme。　de　Restaud's　house；　she　was　not　at　home。　Three　times　he　tried　the　experiment；　and　three　times　he　found　her　doors　closed　against　him；　though　he　was　careful　to　choose　an　hour　when　M。　de　Trailles　was　not　there。　The　Vicomtesse　was　right。

The　student　studied　no　longer。　He　put　in　an　appearance　at　lectures　simply　to　answer　to　his　name；　and　after　thus　attesting　his　presence；　departed　forthwith。　He　had　been　through　a　reasoning　process　familiar　to　most　students。　He　had　seen　the　advisability　of　deferring　his　studies　to　the　last　moment　before　going　up　for　his　examinations；　he　made　up　his　mind　to　cram　his　second　and　third　years'　work　into　the　third　year；　when　he　meant　to　begin　to　work　in　earnest；　and　to　complete　his　studies　in　law　with　one　great　effort。　In　the　meantime　he　had　fifteen　months　in　which　to　navigate　the　ocean　of　Paris；　to　spread　the　nets　and　set　the　lines　that　would　bring　him　a　protectress　and　a　fortune。　Twice　during　that　week　he　saw　Mme。　de　Beauseant；　he　did　not　go　to　her　house　until　he　had　seen　the　Marquis　d'Ajuda　drive　away。

Victory　for　yet　a　few　more　days　was　with　the　great　lady；　the　most　poetic　figure　in　the　Faubourg　Saint…Germain；　and　the　marriage　of　the　Marquis　d'Ajuda…Pinto　with　Mlle。　de　Rochefide　was　postponed。　The　dread　of　losing　her　happiness　filled　those　days　with　a　fever　of　joy　unknown　before；　but　the　end　was　only　so　much　the　nearer。　The　Marquis　d'Ajuda　and　the　Rochefides　agreed　that　this　quarrel　and　reconciliation　was　a　very　fortunate　thing；　Mme。　de　Beauseant　（so　they　hoped）　would　gradually　become　reconciled　to　the　idea　of　the　marriage；　and　in　the　end　would　be　brought　to　sacrifice　d'Ajuda's　morning　visits　to　the　exigencies　of　a　man's　career；　exigencies　which　she　must　have　foreseen。　In　spite　of　the　most　solemn　promises；　daily　renewed；　M。　d'Ajuda　was　playing　a　part；　and　the　Vicomtesse　was　eager　to　be　deceived。　〃Instead　of　taking　a　leap　heroically　from　the　window；　she　is　falling　headlong　down　the　staircase；〃　said　her　most　intimate　friend；　the　Duchesse　de　Langeais。　Yet　this　after…glow　of　happiness　lasted　long　enough　for　the　Vicomtesse　to　be　of　service　to　her　young　cousin。　She　had　a　half…superstitious　affection　for　him。　Eugene　had　shown　her　sympathy　and　devotion　at　a　crisis　when　a　woman　sees　no　pity；　no　real　comfort　in　any　eyes；　when　if　a　man　is　ready　with　soothing　flatteries；　it　is　because　he　has　an　interested　motive。

Rastignac　made　up　his　mind　that　he　must　learn　the　whole　of　Goriot's　previous　history；　he　would　come　to　his　bearings　before　attempting　to　board　the　Maison　de　Nucingen。　The　results　of　his　inquiries　may　be　given　briefly　as　follows：

In　the　days　before　the　Revolution；　Jean…Joachim　Goriot　was　simply　a　workman　in　the　employ　of　a　vermicelli　maker。　He　was　a　skilful；　thrifty　workman；　sufficiently　enterprising　to　buy　his　master's　business　when　the　latter　fell　a　chance　victim　to　the　disturbances　of　1789。　Goriot　established　himself　in　the　Rue　de　la　Jussienne；　close　to　the　Corn　Exchange。　His　plain　good　sense　led　him　to　accept　the　position　of　President　of　the　Section；　so　as　to　secure　for　his　business　the　protection　of　those　in　power　at　that　dangerous　epoch。　This　prudent　step　had　led　to　success；　the　foundations　of　his　fortune　were　laid　in　the　time　of　the　Scarcity　（real　or　artificial）；　when　the　price　of　grain　of　all　kinds　rose　enormously　in　Paris。　People　used　to　fight　for　bread　at　the　bakers'　doors；　while　other　persons　went　to　the　grocers'　shops　and　bought　Italian　paste　foods　without　brawling　over　it。　It　was　during　this　year　that　Goriot　made　the　money；　which；　at　a　later　time；　was　to　give　him　all　the　advantage　of　the　great　capitalist　over　the　small　buyer；　he　had；　moreover；　the　usual　luck　of　average　ability；　his　mediocrity　was　the　salvation　of　him。　He　excited　no　one's　envy；　it　was　not　even　suspected　that　he　was　rich　till　the　peril　of　being　rich　was　over；　and　all　his　intelligence　was　concentrated；　not　on　political；　but　on　commercial　speculations。　Goriot　was　an　authority　second　to　none　on　all　questions　relating　to　corn；　flour；　and　〃middlings〃；　and　the　production；　storage；　and　quality　of　grain。　He　could　estimate　the　yield　of　the　harvest；　and　foresee　market　prices；　he　bought　his　cereals　in　Sicily；　and　imported　Russian　wheat。　Any　one　who　had　heard　him　hold　forth　on　the　regulations　that　control　the　importation　and　exportation　of　grain；　who　had　seen　his　grasp　of　the　subject；　his　clear　insight　into　the　principles　involved；　his　appreciation　of　weak　points　in　the　way　that　the　system　worked；　would　have　thought　that　here　was　the　stuff　of　which　a　minister　is　made。　Patient；　active；　and　persevering；　energetic　and　prompt　in　action；　he　surveyed　his　business　horizon　with　an　eagle　eye。　Nothing　there　took　him　by　surprise；　he　foresaw　all　things；　knew　all　that　was　happening；　and　kept　his　own　counsel；　he　was　a　diplomatist　in　his　quick　comprehension　of　a　situation；　and　in　the　routine　of　business　he　was　as　patient　and　plodding　as　a　soldier　on　the　march。　But　beyond　this　business　horizon　he　could　not　see。　He　used　to　spend　his　hours　of　leisure　on　the　threshold　of　his　shop；　leaning　against　the　framework　of　the　door。　Take　him　from　his　dark　little　counting…house；　and　he　became　once　more　the　rough；　slow…witted　workman；　a　man　who　cannot　understand　a　piece　of　reasoning；　who　is　indifferent　to　all　intellectual　pleasures；　and　falls　asleep　at　the　play；　a　Parisian　Dolibom　in　short；　against　whose　stupidity　other　minds　are　powerless。

Natures　of　this　kind　are　nearly　all　alike；　in　almost　all　of　them　you　will　find　some　hidden　depth　of　sublime　affection。　Two　all…　absorbing　affections　filled　the　vermicelli　maker's　heart　to　the　exclusion　of　every　other　feeling；　into　them　he　seemed　to　put　all　the　forces　of　his　nature；　as　he　put　the　whole　power　of　his　brain　into　the　corn　trade。　He　had　regarded　his　wife；　the　only　daughter　of　a　rich　farmer　of　La　Brie；　with　a　devout　admiration；　his　love　for　her　had　been　boundless。　Goriot　had　felt　the　charm　of　a　lovely　and　sensitive　nature；　which；　in　its　delicate　strength；　was　the　very　opposite　of　his　own。　Is　there　any　instinct　more　deeply　implanted　in　the　heart　of　man　than　the　pride　of　protection；　a　protection　which　is　constantly　exerted　for　a　fragile　and　defenceless　creature？　Join　love　thereto；　the　warmth　of　gratitude　that　all　generous　souls　feel　for　the　source　of　their　pleasures；　and　you　have　the　explanation　of　many　strange　incongruities　in　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　shoc