登陆注册
15693900000075

第75章

"You are just beginning life; you find barriers at the outset that many a man finds insurmountable; a woman's hand opens the way and you shrink back! Why, you are sure to succeed! You will have a brilliant future. Success is written on that broad forehead of yours, and will you not be able to repay me my loan of today? Did not a lady in olden times arm her knight with sword and helmet and coat of mail, and find him a charger, so that he might fight for her in the tournament? Well, then, Eugene, these things that I offer you are the weapons of this age; every one who means to be something must have such tools as these. A pretty place your garret must be if it is like papa's room! See, dinner is waiting all this time. Do you want to make me unhappy?--Why don't you answer?" she said, shaking his hand. "MON DIEU! papa, make up his mind for him, or I will go away and never see him any more."

"I will make up your mind," said Goriot, coming down from the clouds. "Now, my dear M. Eugene, the next thing is to borrow money of the Jews, isn't it?"

"There is positively no help for it," said Eugene.

"All right, I will give you credit," said the other, drawing out a cheap leather pocket-book, much the worse for wear. "I have turned Jew myself; I paid for everything; here are the invoices.

You do not owe a penny for anything here. It did not come to very much--five thousand francs at most, and I am going to lend you the money myself. I am not a woman--you can refuse me. You shall give me a receipt on a scrap of paper, and you can return it some time or other."

Delphine and Eugene looked at each other in amazement, tears sprang to their eyes. Rastignac held out his hand and grasped Goriot's warmly.

"Well, what is all this about? Are you not my children?"

"Oh! my poor father," said Mme. de Nucingen, "how did you do it?"

"Ah! now you ask me. When I made up my mind to move him nearer to you, and saw you buying things as if they were wedding presents, I said to myself, 'She will never be able to pay for them.' The attorney says that those law proceedings will last quite six months before your husband can be made to disgorge your fortune.

Well and good. I sold out my property in the funds that brought in thirteen hundred and fifty livres a year, and bought a safe annuity of twelve hundred francs a year for fifteen thousand francs. Then I paid your tradesmen out of the rest of the capital. As for me, children, I have a room upstairs for which I pay fifty crowns a year; I can live like a prince on two francs a day, and still have something left over. I shall not have to spend anything much on clothes, for I never wear anything out.

This fortnight past I have been laughing in my sleeve, thinking to myself, 'How happy they are going to be!' and--well, now, are you not happy?"

"Oh papa! papa!" cried Mme. de Nucingen, springing to her father, who took her on his knee. She covered him with kisses, her fair hair brushed his cheek, her tears fell on the withered face that had grown so bright and radiant.

"Dear father, what a father you are! No, there is not another father like you under the sun. If Eugene loved you before, what must he feel for you now?"

"Why, children, why Delphinette!" cried Goriot, who had not felt his daughter's heart beat against his breast for ten years, "do you want me to die of joy? My poor heart will break! Come, Monsieur Eugene, we are quits already." And the old man strained her to his breast with such fierce and passionate force that she cried out.

"Oh! you are hurting me!" she said.

"I am hurting you!" He grew pale at the words. The pain expressed in his face seemed greater than it is given to humanity to know.

The agony of this Christ of paternity can only be compared with the masterpieces of those princes of the palette who have left for us the record of their visions of an agony suffered for a whole world by the Saviour of men. Father Goriot pressed his lips very gently against the waist than his fingers had grasped too roughly.

"Oh! no, no," he cried. "I have not hurt you, have I?" and his smile seemed to repeat the question. "YOU have hurt me with that cry just now.--The things cost rather more than that," he said in her ear, with another gentle kiss, "but I had to deceive him about it, or he would have been angry."

Eugene sat dumb with amazement in the presence of this inexhaustible love; he gazed at Goriot, and his face betrayed the artless admiration which shapes the beliefs of youth.

"I will be worthy of all this," he cried.

"Oh! my Eugene, that is nobly said," and Mme. de Nucingen kissed the law student on the forehead.

"He gave up Mlle. Taillefer and her millions for you," said Father Goriot. "Yes, the little thing was in love with you, and now that her brother is dead she is as rich as Croesus."

"Oh! why did you tell her?" cried Rastignac.

"Eugene," Delphine said in his ear, "I have one regret now this evening. Ah! how I will love you! and for ever!"

"This is the happiest day I have had since you two were married!" cried Goriot. "God may send me any suffering, so long as I do not suffer through you, and I can still say, 'In this short month of February I had more happiness than other men have in their whole lives.'--Look at me, Fifine!" he said to his daughter. "She is very beautiful, is she not? Tell me, now, have you seen many women with that pretty soft color--that little dimple of hers?

No, I thought not. Ah, well, and but for me this lovely woman would never have been. And very soon happiness will make her a thousand times lovelier, happiness through you. I could give up my place in heaven to you, neighbor, if needs be, and go down to hell instead. Come, let us have dinner," he added, scarcely knowing what he said, "everything is ours."

"Poor dear father!"

He rose and went over to her, and took her face in his hands, and set a kiss on the plaits of hair. "If you only knew, little one, how happy you can make me--how little it takes to make me happy!

Will you come and see me sometimes? I shall be just above, so it is only a step. Promise me, say that you will!"

"Yes, dear father."

"Say it again."

"Yes, I will, my kind father."

同类推荐
热门推荐
  • 注肇论疏

    注肇论疏

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。
  • 殇团

    殇团

    乱世将起谁主沉浮看韩羽如何以一个配角来看这充满尔虞我诈的世界被迫走向另一条不凡之路
  • 福妻驾到

    福妻驾到

    现代饭店彪悍老板娘魂穿古代。不分是非的极品婆婆?三年未归生死不明的丈夫?心狠手辣的阴毒亲戚?贪婪而好色的地主老财?吃上顿没下顿的贫困宭境?不怕不怕,神仙相助,一技在手,天下我有!且看现代张悦娘,如何身带福气玩转古代,开面馆、收小弟、左纳财富,右傍美男,共绘幸福生活大好蓝图!!!!快本新书《天媒地聘》已经上架开始销售,只要3.99元即可将整本书抱回家,你还等什么哪,赶紧点击下面的直通车,享受乐乐精心为您准备的美食盛宴吧!)
  • 绝世倾城:废材七小姐

    绝世倾城:废材七小姐

    她,是现代冷酷的‘黑暗之王’有着倾世容貌,她,是古代胆小懦弱有着其丑无比的相貌,当她变成了她,会发生在什么事呢?在当她遇上了他,又会发生什么事呢?
  • 盗墓密说

    盗墓密说

    自古以来,盗墓这一职业从未停过,从曹操时期的发丘中郎将再到现在的土夫子。然而,神秘的秦始皇陵却从来没有人敢去碰触,这究竟是为什么?阴差阳错之下,他进入了始皇陵。几经生死,他带出来一个惊天秘密。为了这个秘密,他不惜付出一切代价!
  • 寒冷世界之逐星

    寒冷世界之逐星

    黑暗与光明,只不过是一场宿命,生存或死亡,都是一个考验。
  • 缘到福来

    缘到福来

    这是一个不知道未来会怎么发展的故事...【神秘】
  • 异能快递员在都市

    异能快递员在都市

    偶然的神秘实验之下,令中东小奴隶一夜成为中东霸主,化身中华快递员,与各种美女纠缠。“诶诶诶小姐,您的快递……”
  • 查理九世之妹妹背着洋娃娃

    查理九世之妹妹背着洋娃娃

    为一首鬼歌冒险,唐晓翼回归,还带来一个奇怪的女孩,富家千金被活活剥下皮做成人皮娃娃
  • 时间的情之TFBOYS

    时间的情之TFBOYS

    这是盛夏的第一本关于三小只的小说,如写的不好,请各位多多海涵。