eugenie grandet-第14部分

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wonder？　Am　I　to　put　your　egg…polish　on　it？〃

〃Nanon；　I　think　eggs　would　injure　that　kind　of　leather。　Tell　him　you
don't　know　how　to　black　morocco；　yes；　that's　morocco。　He　will　get　you
something　himself　in　Saumur　to　polish　those　boots　with。　I　have　heard
that　they　put　sugar　into　the　blacking　to　make　it　shine。〃

〃They　look　good　to　eat；〃　said　the　cook；　putting　the　boots　to　her　nose。
〃Bless　me！　if　they　don't　smell　like　madame's　eau…de…cologne。　Ah！　how
funny！〃

〃Funny！〃　said　her　master。　〃Do　you　call　it　funny　to　put　more　money　into
boots　than　the　man　who　stands　in　them　is　worth？〃

〃Monsieur；〃　she　said；　when　Grandet　returned　the　second　time；　after
locking　the　fruit…garden；　〃won't　you　have　the　/pot…au…feu/　put　on　once
or　twice　a　week　on　account　of　your　nephew？〃

〃Yes。〃

〃Am　I　to　go　to　the　butcher's？〃

〃Certainly　not。　We　will　make　the　broth　of　fowls；　the　farmers　will
bring　them。　I　shall　tell　Cornoiller　to　shoot　some　crows；　they　make　the
best　soup　in　the　world。〃

〃Isn't　it　true；　monsieur；　that　crows　eat　the　dead？〃

〃You　are　a　fool；　Nanon。　They　eat　what　they　can　get；　like　the　rest　of
the　world。　Don't　we　all　live　on　the　dead？　What　are　legacies？〃

Monsieur　Grandet；　having　no　further　orders　to　give；　drew　out　his
watch；　and　seeing　that　he　had　half　an　hour　to　dispose　of　before
breakfast；　he　took　his　hat；　went　and　kissed　his　daughter；　and　said　to
her：

〃Do　you　want　to　come　for　a　walk　in　the　fields；　down　by　the　Loire？　I
have　something　to　do　there。〃

Eugenie　fetched　her　straw　bonnet；　lined　with　pink　taffeta；　then　the
father　and　daughter　went　down　the　winding　street　to　the　shore。

〃Where　are　you　going　at　this　early　hour？〃　said　Cruchot；　the　notary；
meeting　them。

〃To　see　something；〃　answered　Grandet；　not　duped　by　the　matutinal
appearance　of　his　friend。

When　Pere　Grandet　went　to　〃see　something；〃　the　notary　knew　by
experience　there　was　something　to　be　got　by　going　with　him；　so　he
went。

〃Come；　Cruchot；〃　said　Grandet；　〃you　are　one　of　my　friends。　I'll　show
you　what　folly　it　is　to　plant　poplar…trees　on　good　ground。〃

〃Do　you　call　the　sixty　thousand　francs　that　you　pocketed　for　those
that　were　in　your　fields　down　by　the　Loire；　folly？〃　said　Maitre
Cruchot；　opening　his　eyes　with　amazement。　〃What　luck　you　have　had！　To
cut　down　your　trees　at　the　very　time　they　ran　short　of　white…wood　at
Nantes；　and　to　sell　them　at　thirty　francs！〃

Eugenie　listened；　without　knowing　that　she　approached　the　most　solemn
moment　of　her　whole　life；　and　that　the　notary　was　about　to　bring　down
upon　her　head　a　paternal　and　supreme　sentence。　Grandet　had　now　reached
the　magnificent　fields　which　he　owned　on　the　banks　of　the　Loire；　where
thirty　workmen　were　employed　in　clearing　away；　filling　up；　and
levelling　the　spots　formerly　occupied　by　the　poplars。

〃Maitre　Cruchot；　see　how　much　ground　this　tree　once　took　up！　Jean；〃　he
cried　to　a　laborer；　〃m…m…measure　with　your　r…r…rule；　b…both　ways。〃

〃Four　times　eight　feet；〃　said　the　man。

〃Thirty…two　feet　lost；〃　said　Grandet　to　Cruchot。　〃I　had　three　hundred
poplars　in　this　one　line；　isn't　that　so？　Well；　then；　three　h…h…hundred
times　thir…thirty…two　lost　m…m…me　five　hundred　in　h…h…hay；　add　twice
as　much　for　the　side　rows；fifteen　hundred；　the　middle　rows　as　much
more。　So　we　may　c…c…call　it　a　th…thousand　b…b…bales　of　h…h…hay〃

〃Very　good；〃　said　Cruchot；　to　help　out　his　friend；　〃a　thousand　bales
are　worth　about　six　hundred　francs。〃

〃Say　t…t…twelve　hundred；　be…c…cause　there's　three　or　four　hundred
francs　on　the　second　crop。　Well；　then；　c…c…calculate　that　t…twelve
thousand　francs　a　year　for　f…f…forty　years　with　interest　c…c…comes
to〃

〃Say　sixty　thousand　francs；〃　said　the　notary。

〃I　am　willing；　c…c…comes　t…t…to　sixty　th…th…thousand。　Very　good；〃
continued　Grandet；　without　stuttering：　〃two　thousand　poplars　forty
years　old　will　only　yield　me　fifty　thousand　francs。　There's　a　loss。　I
have　found　that　myself；〃　said　Grandet；　getting　on　his　high　horse。
〃Jean；　fill　up　all　the　holes　except　those　at　the　bank　of　the　river；
there　you　are　to　plant　the　poplars　I　have　bought。　Plant　'em　there；　and
they'll　get　nourishment　from　the　government；〃　he　said；　turning　to
Cruchot；　and　giving　a　slight　motion　to　the　wen　on　his　nose；　which
expressed　more　than　the　most　ironical　of　smiles。

〃True　enough；　poplars　should　only　be　planted　on　poor　soil；〃　said
Cruchot；　amazed　at　Grandet's　calculations。

〃Y…y…yes；　monsieur；〃　answered　the　old　man　satirically。

Eugenie；　who　was　gazing　at　the　sublime　scenery　of　the　Loire；　and
paying　no　attention　to　her　father's　reckonings；　presently　turned　an
ear　to　the　remarks　of　Cruchot　when　she　heard　him　say；

〃So　you　have　brought　a　son…in…law　from　Paris。　All　Saumur　is　talking
about　your　nephew。　I　shall　soon　have　the　marriage…contract　to　draw　up；
hey！　Pere　Grandet？〃

〃You　g…g…got　up　very　early　to　t…t…tell　me　that；〃　said　Grandet；
accompanying　the　remark　with　a　motion　of　his　wen。　〃Well；　old
c…c…comrade；　I'll　be　frank；　and　t…t…tell　you　what　you　want　t…t…to
know。　I　would　rather；　do　you　see；　f…f…fling　my　daughter　into　the　Loire
than　g…g…give　her　to　her　c…c…cousin。　You　may　t…t…tell　that　everywhere；
no；　never　mind；　let　the　world　t…t…talk。〃

This　answer　dazzled　and　blinded　the　young　girl　with　sudden　light。　The
distant　hopes　upspringing　in　her　heart　bloomed　suddenly；　became　real；
tangible；　like　a　cluster　of　flowers；　and　she　saw　them　cut　down　and
wilting　on　the　earth。　Since　the　previous　evening　she　had　attached
herself　to　Charles　by　those　links　of　happiness　which　bind　soul　to
soul；　from　henceforth　suffering　was　to　rivet　them。　Is　it　not　the　noble
destiny　of　women　to　be　more　moved　by　the　dark　solemnities　of　grief
than　by　the　splendors　of　fortune？　How　was　it　that　fatherly　feeling　had
died　out　of　her　father's　heart？　Of　what　crime　had　Charles　been　guilty？
Mysterious　questions！　Already　her　dawning　love；　a　mystery　so　profound；
was　wrapping　itself　in　mystery。　She　walked　back　trembling　in　all　her
limbs；　and　when　she　reached　the　gloomy　street；　lately　so　joyous　to
her；　she　felt　its　sadness；　she　breathed　the　melancholy　which　time　and
events　had　printed　there。　None　of　love's　lessons　lacked。　A　few　steps
from　their　own　door　she　went　on　before　her　father　and　waited　at　the
threshold。　But　Grandet；　who　saw　a　newspaper　in　the　notary's　hand；
stopped　short　and　asked；

〃How　are　the　Funds？〃

〃You　never　listen　to　my　advice；　Grandet；〃　answered　Cruchot。　〃Buy　soon；
you　will　still　make　twenty　per　cent　in　two　years；　besides　getting　an
excellent　rate　of　interest；five　thousand　a　year　for　eighty　thousand
francs　fifty　centimes。〃

〃We'll　see　about　that；〃　answered　Grandet；　rubbing　his　chin。

〃Good　God！〃　exclaimed　the　notary。

〃Well；　what？〃　cried　Grandet；　and　at　the　same　moment　Cruchot　put　the
newspaper　under　his　eyes　and　said：

〃Read　that！〃

　　〃Monsieur　Grandet；　one　of　the　most　respected　merchants　in　Paris；
　　blew　his　brains　out　yesterday；　after　making　his　usual　appearance
　　at　the　Bourse。　He　had　sent　his　resignation　to　the　president　of　the
　　Chamber　of　Deputies；　and　had　also　resigned　his　functions　as　a
　　judge　of　the　commercial　courts。　The　failures　of　Monsieur　Roguin
　　and　Monsieur　Souchet；　his　broker　and　his　notary；　had　ruined　him。
　　The　esteem　felt　for　Monsieur　Grandet　and　the　credit　he　enjoyed
　　were　nevertheless　such　that　he　might　have　obtained　the　necessary
　　assistance　from　other　business　houses。　It　is　much　to　be　regretted
　　that　so　honorable　a　man　should　have　yielded　to　momentary　despair；〃
　　etc。

〃I　knew　it；〃　said　the　old　wine…grower　to　the　notary。

The　words　sent　a　chill　of　horror　through　Maitre　Cruchot；　who；
notwithstanding　his　impassibility　as　a　notary；　felt　the　cold　running
down　his　spine　as　he　thought　that　Grandet　of　Paris　had　possibly
implored　in　vain　the　millions　of　Grandet　of　Saumur。

〃And　his　son；　so　joyous　yesterday〃

〃He　knows　nothing　as　yet；〃　answered　Grandet；　with　the　same　composure。

〃Adieu！　Monsieur　Grandet；〃　said　Cruchot；　who　now　understood　the　state
of　the　case；　and　went　off　to　reassure　Monsieur　de　Bonfons。

On　entering；　Grandet　found　breakfast　ready。　Madame　Grandet；　round
whose　neck　Eugenie　had　flung　her　arms；　kissing　her　with　the　quick
effusion　of　feeling　often　caused　by　secret　grief；　was　already　seated
in　her　chair　on　castors；　knitting　sleeves　for　the　coming　winter。

〃You　can　begin　to　eat；〃　said　Nanon；　coming　downstairs　four　steps　at　a
time；　〃the　young　one　is　sleeping　like　a　cherub。　Isn't　he　a　darling
with　his　eyes　shut？　I　went　in　and　I　called　him：　no　answer。〃

〃Let　him　sleep；〃　said　Grandet；　〃he'll　wake　soon　enough　to　hear　ill…
tidings。〃

〃What　is　it？〃　asked　Eugenie；　putting　into　her　coffee　the　two　little
bits　of　sugar　weighing　less　than　half　an　ounce　which　the　old　miser
amused　himself　by　cutting　up　in　his　leisure　hours。　Madame　Grandet；　who
did　not　dare　to　put　the　question；　gazed　at　her　husband。

〃His　father　has　blown　his　brains　out。〃

〃My　uncle？〃　said　Eugenie。

〃Poor　young　man！〃　exclaimed　Madame　Grandet。

〃Poor　indeed！〃　said　Grandet；　〃he　isn't　worth　a　sou！〃

〃Eh！　poor　boy；　and　he's　sleeping　like　the　king　of　the　world！〃　said
Nanon　in　a　gentle　voice。

Eugenie　stopped　eating。　Her　heart　was　wrung；　as　the　young　heart　is
wrung　when　pity　for　the　suffering　of　one　she　loves　overflows；　for