old man goriot

Chapter 13
As the first weekend of December approached, Rastignac received two letters, one from his mother and one from his eldest sister.The familiar handwriting made his heart beat with joy and tremble with fear.Regarding his hope, the verdict of life and death was written on these two thin sheets of paper.Thinking of his parents' predicament, he felt uneasy; after all, they had been too favored by them in the past, and he couldn't help worrying about sucking the last drops of their blood.The mother's letter reads:

Dear child, I will send you the money you want.Hope to use it well, even if I want to save your life next time, I can't hide it from your father, and if I ask for such a large amount, then there will be no peace for the family.To get money again, we had to mortgage the land.I don't know the content of the plan, so naturally I have no way of judging its benefits; but what is the plan, you dare not tell me?To explain, there is no need to write several books, we mothers only need one sentence, so that I will not be anxious and worry.I cannot help telling you that your letter has caused me great pain.Dear son, what is it that caused you to cause such panic in my heart?It must have been a pain when you wrote to me, because I have a pain when I read it.What line are you going to do?Does your life, your happiness, really lie in pretending to be an identity you don't have, spending money you can't afford, wasting your precious study time, and seeing that society?My dear Eugene, you must trust your mother's heart, no great things can be achieved by rounding the corners.A youth in your situation should regard patience and peace as virtues.I don't blame you, I don't want our funding to be bitter.My words are the words of a mother who believes in her son and has vision.You know where your duty lies; and I know how pure your heart is, and how well your intentions are.So I can safely say to you: OK, dear, go ahead!I am trembling because I am a mother; but every step you take, our kind wishes and blessings always accompany you every step.You have to be careful, dear child.Be sensible like an adult, the fate of your five beloved[29] rests on your shoulders.Yes, our fate is upon you, as your happiness is our happiness.We are all praying to God to help you when you are going ahead.Your aunt Marciak is so kind in the face of this that she even understood what you said to me about gloves.She also happily repeated that she was partial to the boss.Eugene, you must love her well, and I will tell you what she has done for you after you succeed, otherwise her money will burn your hands.You children don't know what it means to sacrifice a souvenir!But for you, what can't be sacrificed?She asked me to tell you that she kissed your forehead to give you strength and keep you happy forever.This kind and noble woman would have written to you herself if she hadn't suffered from gout in her fingers.Your father is in good health.The harvest of [-] was better than we expected.Goodbye, dear child.I won't say anything about your sister's situation. Luoer has another letter for you.She likes to gossip about household chores, so I'll let her do it.May God make you successful!oh!Yes, you must succeed, Eugene, you have caused me so much pain that I cannot bear a second time.I have known for a long time what it is like to be poor, and I want to have money for my children.Well, goodbye.Don't let us hope for faith; accept thy mother's kisses.

When Eugene finished reading the letter, his eyes were filled with tears; he thought of the scene where old man Goriot had wrung the silverware and sold the money to pay off his daughter's debts.

"Your mother has wrung her jewels too!" he said to himself. "My aunt must have wept when she sold her treasured souvenirs! What right have you to curse Anastasia? You are selfish." , for your own future, didn't you follow in the footsteps of others and did what she did for your lover! After all, who is better, she or you?"

The college student suddenly felt that all internal organs were burning, burning uncontrollably.He wanted to give up high society and not take the money.He is reproached by conscience in private, and its nobility and value are not much appreciated by ordinary people when judging the same kind. Instead, it is usually an angel from the upper world who forgives prisoners convicted by human judges.Rastignac opened his sister's letter, and his innocent words relieved him a little.

Dear brother, your letter has come at just the right time.Agathe and I wanted to spend our money, but there were so many ways to spend it that we couldn't decide what to buy.You are like the servant of the King of Spain who broke his master's watch all at once, which reminds us of something.Indeed, we were always arguing about which of our many wishes came first, and, good brother Eugene, it never occurred to us that there was such a way of spending money that could satisfy all our wishes.Agathe jumped up with joy.Anyway, we've been crazy all day, haven't we (Aunt's version), and Mother said to us several times with a straight face, "What's the matter with you, ladies?" A reprimand in English, I think, we might be happier.A woman should take pleasure in suffering for the one she loves!Although I was happy in the past, when I was alone, I was full of worries and frowning.I may not be a virtuous woman in the future, I spend a lot of money; I bought myself two belts, a beautiful crochet hook for the holes in the corset, some boring little things, so I have less money than Fat Agaté ; she is very thrifty, and like a magpie[30] saves up her coins.She has two hundred francs!Me, poor friend, I'm only a hundred and fifty.I got so much retribution that I wanted to throw my belt down the well, I'd be miserable wearing it.I wiped your oil.Agathe is so nice.She said to me: "This 350 francs, let us send it together!" But I can't help telling you the truth.Do you know how we went out for a walk with this marvelous sum of money as you ordered, and as soon as we got on the road, we went straight to Ruffec, and handed the money to G. Mr Lambert!When we came back, we were as light as swallows.Agathe said to me: "Is it because we are happy that we are so lighthearted?" .oh!Good brother, anyway, in a word, we love you so much!As for keeping secrets, according to my aunt, little devils like us can do anything, even keep our mouths shut.My mother and aunt went secretly to Angoulême, the motives of which were secret, and after several lengthy deliberations; we and the Baron were not allowed to attend.In the kingdom of Rastignac, speculation abounded that the gowns of muslin, embroidered by the princesses for Her Majesty, were being secretly made; only two remained.It has been decided that there will be no wall at Verteuil, and a fence will be erected later.The little people no longer have fruit, and there are no more fruit trees on the edge of the garden, but outsiders can see everything inside.If the crown prince wanted a handkerchief, it had been announced, and the widow de Marciac rummaged through her treasury, and two chests called Pompeii and Herculaneum, and found a long-forgotten beautiful Dutch muslin; the Princesses Agathe and Lol, sewing as ordered, their hands always red.The two little princes, Don Henry and Don Gabriel, still have the same bad habits: drinking grape juice, making the princesses angry, refusing to learn anything, just like digging out bird nests, making noise, disregarding the laws of the country, arbitrarily Fold willow branches, make guns and sticks.The pope's envoy, commonly known as the curate, threatened them with excommunication if they continued to dance with guns and clubs without learning grammar classics.Farewell, dear brother, no letter has ever contained so many blessings for you, and so much satisfaction for friendship.

Next time you come back, there must be many things to tell us!You have to tell me everything, I am the big sister.We listened to my aunt as if you were making some progress in high society.

Only talk about one woman, and keep silent about the others. [32]
Of course not to us!Hey, Eugene, if you like, we can save the handkerchief and make you a shirt.Write to me quickly on this point.If you are in urgent need of a nice shirt, well made, we must hurry; and if there is any pattern in Paris that we do not know, send us a sample, especially of the cuffs.goodbye, goodbye!I kiss your left forehead, which is the position of the temple, which is exclusive to me.I left a place on the paper for Agathe, and she promised never to read my letters to you.But just to be on the safe side, I have to stay by her side when she writes.

love your sister lol de rastiner

"Oh! yes," thought Eugene to himself, "yes, at any rate, to be successful! Gold, silver, and treasure cannot repay such affection. I must give them all the happiness in the world. One thousand, five hundred and fifty francs!" He paused for a moment and then thought, "Every franc must be used wisely! Laure is right. How bad! I only have coarse shirts. A girl is as clever as a thief for a man's happiness. She also You don’t know much about the world, but you think about me so thoughtfully, like an angel from the upper world, who forgives the sins of the world before he understands them.”

The world is his now!The tailor had already been found, and after taking a breath, he had no choice but to nod.Rastignac had met M. de Trauilly and understood the influence of tailoring on the lives of young people.What a pity!There was no compromise: because of the bills, the tailor was either a sworn enemy or a good friend.The person Eugene met had long been familiar with the reason why children need clothes, and considered himself a bridge for young people to move forward.So Rastignac, in gratitude, later uttered such a kind word, which made the tailor rich. "I know," he said, "that he made two pairs of trousers, and that he's done some good marriages, and the dowry brings in twenty thousand francs a year."

Fifteen hundred francs, plus clothes to do whatever you want!At this time, the poor boy in the south became full of confidence; when he went downstairs to eat, he seemed to have the indescribable air of a young man who has a few pennies.When the money fell into the pocket of a college student, he immediately felt that his back was stiff; he walked more vigorously than before, his psychological levers had a fulcrum, his eyes were full, he looked straight ahead, and he was agile in his gestures; ; Now dare to teach the Prime Minister a lesson.A strange phenomenon appeared in his heart: he was omnipotent, omnipotent, wanting this and that, cheerful and forthright, and beaming with joy.In short, the fledgling birds in the past can now spread their wings and fly high.A penniless college student who tastes a little happiness is like a dog who has risked all kinds of difficulties to steal a bone, chews the bone and sucks the marrow, and keeps running.The young man fiddled with the few gold coins that did not stay in his pocket for a long time, feeling the joy of them, savoring them carefully, complacent, and flew to the sky with his heart, and he didn't know what the word "poverty" meant.All Paris was his.That is the age when everything is shining and shining!That is an age of exhilaration that grown men and women have no pleasure in enjoying!That is the age of heavy debts, thrilling, and endless fun!Anyone who is not acquainted with the left bank of the Seine, who has not been between the Rue Saint-Jacques and the Rue Sainte-Fères, does not understand life at all!

"Hey! If only the ladies of Paris knew!" thought Rastignac, as he ate the ripe pears that Madame Vauquer offered, "then they would come here to find love."

At this moment the gate bell rang, and a postman from the Royal Coach Company entered the dining-room.He went to M. Eugene de Rastigne and handed him two mailbags and a receipt book.At this moment, Eugene was given a meaningful look by Vautrin, as if he had been whipped.

"Now you can learn how to fencing and shooting a gun," Vautrin said to him.

"The gold ship has arrived," Madame Vauquer said to him, looking at the bag.

Miss Mi Xunuo didn't dare to look at the purse, for fear that people would see her jealousy.

"You have a good mother," said Mrs. Couture.

"Monsieur has a good mother," said Poiret imitatively.

"Yes, mother has squeezed out all the blood," said Vautrin, "and now you can play the game, go out in high society, fish for dowry, and dance with countesses with peach blossoms on your hair. But you have to believe In my case, young man, you should go to the shooting range often."

Vautrin made a motion aimed at his opponent.Rastignac wanted to tip the postman, but couldn't find one in his pocket.Vautrin dug into his pocket and threw a franc to the visitor.

"Your credit is pretty good." He looked at the college student and said.

Rastignac had no choice but to thank him, although he hated this guy very much after he had exchanged a few words with each other when he came back from Madame de Beauseant's house that day.For a full week after that, Eugene and Vautrin met each other in silence, you observed me and I observed you.College students deliberate, do not understand why.Probably the projection of thought is directly related to its forming power. Wherever the mind sends the thought, the thought will hit there. The mathematical principle in it is like a cannonball fired.The effects vary.Some personalities are easy to impress, and all kinds of thoughts are camped in their minds, flooding their minds; there are also some strong-armed personalities, whose heads are like copper walls and iron walls, and the will of others hits them like bullets hitting a city wall. There is a personality as soft as cotton, against which other people's thoughts have no effect, like cannonballs falling into the soft soil of a fortress.Some minds are full of gunpowder and ready to explode, and Rastignac belongs to this category.He is full of vigor, easy to accept the influence of thought and emotion; many bizarre phenomena exert influence on us unconsciously.His mental vision sees as far and as clearly as his hawk's eye.His body, mind, and senses had that mysterious length, that flexibility of distance and nearness which we marveled at, for only good men possess them, who, like a master fencer, catch every opening in their armor.Over the past month, Eugene had both advantages and disadvantages.High society and the gratification of increasing desires forced him to have these shortcomings.Among his advantages, there is the aggressiveness of the southerners, who often face difficulties and solve them, and the people south of the Loire do not hesitate; the northerners call this advantage a disadvantage: they think that this character It was both the secret of Murat's [34] success and the cause of his death.From this we can draw the following conclusion: a southerner who combines the cunning of the northerner with the bravery of the south of the Loire is a versatile man who can secure the throne of Sweden[35].Rastignac, therefore, could not remain under the fire of Vautrin for long without knowing whether the fellow was friend or foe.He often felt that this strange man had read his passions and his mind, while the strange man himself was closed, unfathomable, unmoved, like the Sphinx with the face of a sphinx, the Sphinx Knows everything, sees everything, yet says nothing.Eugene felt his pockets swell, and he rose up to resist.

"Please stay." He said to Vautrin when he saw Vautrin finished his last sips of coffee and got up to go out.

"What is it?" replied Vautrin, who was in his forties, putting on his wide-brimmed hat and lifting an iron walking stick.Normally, he would dance this cane around in circles, as if four thieves would not be afraid to attack.

"Here you go," said Rastignac, quickly untying a purse; counting out 140 francs to Madame Vauquer. "Close it up, good friend," he said to the widow. "Until the end of the year, we'll settle. Please give me five francs in change."

"Good friend, settle accounts." Poiret also said, looking at Vautrin.

"It's a franc," said Rastignac, handing the dollar to the sphinx with the wig.

(End of this chapter)