第 15 节
作者:蒂帆      更新:2024-04-14 09:15      字数:9322
  over this fair typical Parisian。
  〃Anastasie!〃 the Count called again to his wife。
  〃Poor Maxime!〃 she said; addressing the young man。 〃Come; we must
  resign ourselves。 This evening〃
  〃I hope; Nasie;〃 he said in her ear; 〃that you will give orders
  not to admit that youngster; whose eyes light up like live coals
  when he looks at you。 He will make you a declaration; and
  compromise you; and then you will compel me to kill him。〃
  〃Are you mad; Maxime?〃 she said。 〃A young lad of a student is; on
  the contrary; a capital lightning…conductor; is not that so? Of
  course; I mean to make Restaud furiously jealous of him。〃
  Maxime burst out laughing; and went out; followed by the
  Countess; who stood at the window to watch him into his carriage;
  he shook his whip; and made his horse prance。 She only returned
  when the great gate had been closed after him。
  〃What do you think; dear?〃 cried the Count; her husband; 〃this
  gentleman's family estate is not far from Verteuil; on the
  Charente; his great…uncle and my grandfather were acquainted。〃
  〃Delighted to find that we have acquaintances in common;〃 said
  the Countess; with a preoccupied manner。
  〃More than you think;〃 said Eugene; in a low voice。
  〃What do you mean?〃 she asked quickly。
  〃Why; only just now;〃 said the student; 〃I saw a gentleman go out
  at the gate; Father Goriot; my next door neighbor in the house
  where I am lodging。〃
  At the sound of this name; and the prefix that embellished it;
  the Count; who was stirring the fire; let the tongs fall as
  though they had burned his fingers; and rose to his feet。
  〃Sir;〃 he cried; 〃you might have called him 'Monsieur Goriot'!〃
  The Countess turned pale at first at the sight of her husband's
  vexation; then she reddened; clearly she was embarrassed; her
  answer was made in a tone that she tried to make natural; and
  with an air of assumed carelessness:
  〃You could not know any one who is dearer to us both 。 。 。〃
  She broke off; glanced at the piano as if some fancy had crossed
  her mind; and asked; 〃Are you fond of music; M。 de Rastignac?〃
  〃Exceedingly;〃 answered Eugene; flushing; and disconcerted by a
  dim suspicion that he had somehow been guilty of a clumsy piece
  of folly。
  〃Do you sing?〃 she cried; going to the piano; and; sitting down
  before it; she swept her fingers over the keyboard from end to
  end。 R…r…r…rah!
  〃No; madame。〃
  The Comte de Restaud walked to and fro。
  〃That is a pity; you are without one great means of success。Ca…
  ro; ca…a…ro; ca…a…a…ro; non du…bi…ta…re;〃 sang the Countess。
  Eugene had a second time waved a magic wand when he uttered
  Goriot's name; but the effect seemed to be entirely opposite to
  that produced by the formula 〃related to Mme。 de Beauseant。〃 His
  position was not unlike that of some visitor permitted as a favor
  to inspect a private collection of curiosities; when by
  inadvertence he comes into collision with a glass case full of
  sculptured figures; and three or four heads; imperfectly secured;
  fall at the shock。 He wished the earth would open and swallow
  him。 Mme。 de Restaud's expression was reserved and chilly; her
  eyes had grown indifferent; and sedulously avoided meeting those
  of the unlucky student of law。
  〃Madame;〃 he said; 〃you wish to talk with M。 de Restaud; permit
  me to wish you good…day〃
  The Countess interrupted him by a gesture; saying hastily;
  〃Whenever you come to see us; both M。 de Restaud and I shall be
  delighted to see you。〃
  Eugene made a profound bow and took his leave; followed by M。 de
  Restaud; who insisted; in spite of his remonstrances; on
  accompanying him into the hall。
  〃Neither your mistress nor I are at home to that gentleman when
  he calls;〃 the Count said to Maurice。
  As Eugene set foot on the steps; he saw that it was raining。
  〃Come;〃 said he to himself; 〃somehow I have just made a mess of
  it; I do not know how。 And now I am going to spoil my hat and
  coat into the bargain。 I ought to stop in my corner; grind away
  at law; and never look to be anything but a boorish country
  magistrate。 How can I go into society; when to manage properly
  you want a lot of cabs; varnished boots; gold watch chains; and
  all sorts of things; you have to wear white doeskin gloves that
  cost six francs in the morning; and primrose kid gloves every
  evening? A fig for that old humbug of a Goriot!〃
  When he reached the street door; the driver of a hackney coach;
  who had probably just deposited a wedding party at their door;
  and asked nothing better than a chance of making a little money
  for himself without his employer's knowledge; saw that Eugene had
  no umbrella; remarked his black coat; white waistcoat; yellow
  gloves; and varnished boots; and stopped and looked at him
  inquiringly。 Eugene; in the blind desperation that drives a young
  man to plunge deeper and deeper into an abyss; as if he might
  hope to find a fortunate issue in its lowest depths; nodded in
  reply to the driver's signal; and stepped into the cab; a few
  stray petals of orange blossom and scraps of wire bore witness to
  its recent occupation by a wedding party。
  〃Where am I to drive; sir?〃 demanded the man; who; by this time;
  had taken off his white gloves。
  〃Confound it!〃 Eugene said to himself; 〃I am in for it now; and
  at least I will not spend cab…hire for nothing!Drive to the
  Hotel Beauseant;〃 he said aloud。
  〃Which?〃 asked the man; a portentous word that reduced Eugene to
  confusion。 This young man of fashion; species incerta; did not
  know that there were two Hotels Beauseant; he was not aware how
  rich he was in relations who did not care about him。
  〃The Vicomte de Beauseant; Rue〃
  〃De Grenelle;〃 interrupted the driver; with a jerk of his head。
  〃You see; there are the hotels of the Marquis and Comte de
  Beauseant in the Rue Saint…Dominique;〃 he added; drawing up the
  step。
  〃I know all about that;〃 said Eugene; severely。〃Everybody is
  laughing at me to…day; it seems!〃 he said to himself; as he
  deposited his hat on the opposite seat。 〃This escapade will cost
  me a king's ransom; but; at any rate; I shall call on my so…
  called cousin in a thoroughly aristocratic fashion。 Goriot has
  cost me ten francs already; the old scoundrel。 My word! I will
  tell Mme。 de Beauseant about my adventure; perhaps it may amuse
  her。 Doubtless she will know the secret of the criminal relation
  between that handsome woman and the old rat without a tail。 It
  would be better to find favor in my cousin's eyes than to come in
  contact with that shameless woman; who seems to me to have very
  expensive tastes。 Surely the beautiful Vicomtesse's personal
  interest would turn the scale for me; when the mere mention of
  her name produces such an effect。 Let us look higher。 If you set
  yourself to carry the heights of heaven; you must face God。〃
  The innumerable thoughts that surged through his brain might be
  summed up in these phrases。 He grew calmer; and recovered
  something of his assurance as he watched the falling rain。 He
  told himself that though he was about to squander two of the
  precious five…franc pieces that remained to him; the money was
  well laid out in preserving his coat; boots; and hat; and his
  cabman's cry of 〃Gate; if you please;〃 almost put him in spirits。
  A Swiss; in scarlet and gold; appeared; the great door groaned on
  its hinges; and Rastignac; with sweet satisfaction; beheld his
  equipage pass under the archway and stop before the flight of
  steps beneath the awning。 The driver; in a blue…and…red
  greatcoat; dismounted and let down the step。 As Eugene stepped
  out of the cab; he heard smothered laughter from the peristyle。
  Three or four lackeys were making merry over the festal
  appearance of the vehicle。 In another moment the law student was
  enlightened as to the cause of their hilarity; he felt the full
  force of the contrast between his equipage and one of the
  smartest broughams in Paris; a coachman; with powdered hair;
  seemed to find it difficult to hold a pair of spirited horses;
  who stood chafing the bit。 In Mme。 de Restaud's courtyard; in the
  Chaussee d'Antin; he had seen the neat turnout of a young man of
  six…and…twenty; in the Faubourg Saint…Germain he found the
  luxurious equipage of a man of rank; thirty thousand francs would
  not have purchased it。
  〃Who can be here?〃 said Eugene to himself。 He began to
  understand; though somewhat tardily; that he must not expect to
  find many women in Paris who were not already appropriated; and
  that the capture of one of these queens would be likely to cost
  something more than bloodshed。 〃Confound it all! I expect my
  cousin also has her Maxime。〃
  He went up the steps; feeling that he was a blighted being。 The
  glass door was opened for him; the servants were as solemn as
  jackasses under the curry comb。 So far; Eugene had only been in
  the ballroom on the ground floor of the Hotel Beauseant; the f