old man goriot

Chapter 18
This kind of idea, he did not think blatantly; he was not yet experienced enough to measure, evaluate, and estimate the situation; Nothing pure and pure can be distilled from the crucible of conscience.Ordinary people are like this, first blindly submitting, and finally the world is getting worse, and now they advocate it, so they have a good character, kindness, honesty, and integrity, and people who think that a little deviation from the righteous way is like a crime, compared with previous generations, are more serious rare.We already have two masterpieces concerning the great image of integrity and honesty, Alceste[46] by Molière, and the Dinges and Dings in the works of Walter Scott not long ago[47] .Perhaps the works on the contrary, describe how a high-class person, an ambitious man has no conscience, tries every means to join forces with evil, and achieves his goal under the disguised appearance, and it will be equally beautiful and wonderful.When Rastignac reached the door of the apartment, he had already fallen in love with Madame de Nucingen, thinking that she was slim and light as a swallow.The enchanting eyes, the smooth skin, the faintly visible blood flow, the charming voice, the golden hair, everything is vivid; perhaps his blood pulsed when he walked, and he fancied more and more like this.He knocked hard on Old Man Goriot's door.

"Old neighbor," said he, "I have seen Madame Danfina."

"Where?"

"Italian theater."

"Is she having fun? Come in." The old man got up in his underwear, opened the door and quickly lay down again. "Tell me about her," he begged.

It was the first time for Eugene to visit old man Goriot's house; after admiring his daughter's attire, he could not help but be surprised when he saw the shabby room where his father lived.There are no curtains on the windows, and the wallpaper pasted on the wall has peeled off and shrunk in several places due to damp, exposing smoky yellow lime.The old man was lying on a broken bed with only a thin quilt, and the cotton pads covering his feet were remade from Madame Vauquer's old dress.The damp tile floor was covered with dirt.Opposite the window is an old cabinet, made of fragrant wood, with a bulging shape in the middle, and the copper handle is decorated with arabesques; an old wooden washstand with a washbasin on it, a kettle in the basin, and a full set of shaving tools next to it utensils.There are shoes in the corner; the small cabinet by the bed has no cabinet door, and no marble countertop; the fireplace has no traces of fire, and there is a walnut square table next to it. The old man turned the silver tableware on it. .A shapeless desk with an old man's hat on it.In addition, a grass-stuffed armchair, and two other chairs, completed the tattered furniture.The bed frame was fastened to the floor with a strip of cloth, and a coarse red and white checked curtain was hung.Even the garret where the poorest errand boy lives must be better furnished than what old Goriot used at Madame Vauquer's.The appearance of this bedroom is chilling and heart-wrenching, just like the most gloomy cell in a prison.Fortunately, Old Man Goriot did not see the passing expression on Eugene's face. At this time, Eugene put the candle on the bedside table.The old man turned sideways, the quilt still covering his chin.

"Hey! Madame de Restort or Madame de Nucingen, which do you prefer?"

"I like Madame Danfina de Nucingen," replied the student, "because she is more filial to you."

Hearing these words uttered warmly, the old man stretched out his arm from the bed and took Eugene's hand.

"Thank you, thank you," replied the old man excitedly, "what did she tell you about me?"

The student repeated what the baroness had said, embellishing it as he said it, and the old man listened as if he had heard the oracle of God.

"What a good girl! Yes, yes, she is very kind to me. But don't believe what she says about Anastasia. These two sisters are jealous of each other, you know? This further proves that they are affectionate." Mrs. de Restor was kind to me too. I know that. A father is to his children what God is to us. He can see the heart and know what is in his heart. They both have the same affection. Oh! If the son-in-law is good, I am so happy. There is probably no perfect happiness in the world. If I live with them, as long as I hear them talk, know they are there, and see them coming in and out, as they used to be by my side, then my heart will be Will jump up and down. Are they well dressed?"

"Well dressed," said Eugene; "but, Monsieur Goriot, since your daughters are all married so richly, why do you live in such a poor room?"

"Well," he said, with an air of indifference, "what's a good place for me to do? I can't tell you these things; I can't put in two coherent, coherent words. It's all here," he said. He patted his heart and said, "Well, my life is all about my two daughters. As long as they have fun, live happily, dress nicely, have a carpet to walk on, what clothes do I wear, where do I sleep? What does it matter? When they are warm, I am not cold; when they smile, I am not bothered. I am only sad when they are sad. You will be a father, and when you hear a child babbling, you will think to yourself:' It's from me!' You'll feel that every drop of blood these little fellows is yours, the essence of your blood, that's all! I can't move. My daughter's voice is answering me everywhere. When their eyes are unhappy, my blood freezes. One day you will know that as long as they are happy, you will feel happier than yourself. About this, I will tell you You can't tell, but it's moving inside, and it's so good. Anyway, I'm living a life of three people. Shall I tell you something strange? That's good! I didn't know God until I became a father. God has no Everywhere, since all things are born of him. Sir, it is the same between me and my daughter. Only I love my daughter more than God loves human beings, because human beings are not as beautiful as God, but my daughter is more beautiful than me. They and I My soul is connected, so I had a premonition that you would see them tonight. My God! If there is a man who makes my little Danfina happy, as happy as a woman who is loved and loved, I can do it for her. He shines boots and works as a footman. I learned from the maid that De Marcel's boy is a vicious dog. Sometimes I want to wring his neck. There's a sweet baby, a whining beauty. Love! Why did she marry such a chubby Alsatian stump when she didn't have eyes? Both sisters have to match a handsome young man. After all, they chose it themselves."

Old Man Goriot is really great.Eugene had never seen him glow with paternal love.It is worth noting that feelings have a nurturing power.No matter how vulgar a person is, as long as he expresses strong true feelings, he will exude a special breath, change his face, enliven his actions, and speak vividly.Often the most stupid person, under the influence of emotion, can at least reach the highest level of eloquence in thought, if not in speech. He seems to move in an atmosphere of light.The way the old man behaved at this time was as contagious as a big-name actor.Aren't our beautiful feelings but poems expressing our wishes?

"Well, perhaps you won't be offended when you hear that," said Eugene to him, "that she may be breaking up with that fellow de Marcel. The dandy has left her for Latio. Princess Na. I have fallen in love with Lady Danfina tonight."

"Oh!" Old Man Gao blurted out.

"Yes. She doesn't dislike me. We talked about love for an hour; and I'm going to see her on Saturday which is the day after tomorrow."

"Oh! my dear sir, if she likes you, I like you. You are a good man, and you will not trouble her. If you do her any harm, I will cut your neck first. A woman loves only once in her life, you know? Goodness! I am talking nonsense, Monsieur Eugene. You are very cold here. Goodness! Then you heard her, what did she ask you to tell me?"

"Not a word," Eugene thought to himself, but he answered aloud: "She told me she gave you her daughter's kiss."

"Good-bye, good neighbor, I wish you a good night's sleep and some sweet dreams. With your words just now, I have had a good dream. God bless you all the best! You are my good angel tonight, you Brought back to me the breath of my daughter."

"Poor man," thought Eugene, as he lay down, "even a heart of stone would be touched by it. His daughter never thought of him, and was only an outsider."

After this conversation, Old Man Gao regarded his neighbor as a confidant who met by chance, a friend.Between the two of them, a relationship that the old man could only make friends with was established.Emotional calculations are never wrong.If Eugene became the baroness's favorite person, old man Goriot would feel that he was closer to his daughter Danfina, and the reception would be better.Moreover, he has already told Eugene the secret pain in his daughter's heart.Every day he wished Madame Nucingen happiness a thousand times, but this daughter did not get sweet love.Of course, according to him, Eugene is the best young man he has ever seen, and he seems to have a premonition that Eugene can give his daughter all kinds of happiness that he should have but never had.Therefore, the old man's friendship with this neighbor gradually developed. Without this friendship, everyone might not know the ending of this story.

When dinner was served the next morning, Old Man Goriot sat down next to Eugene, looked at him kindly, talked to him, and changed his usual plaster-like face, much to the amazement of the lodgers.It was the first time Vautrin had seen the college student since the last conversation between the two of them, and it seemed that he wanted to read his mind.Before going to sleep the night before, Eugene had estimated the vast world before his eyes. At this moment, remembering the ups and downs of the cold plan, he naturally thought of Miss Taifan's dowry, and he couldn't help but look at Vidoline, just like a very decent woman. Young man, look at a girl with a large inheritance.The eyes of the two met unexpectedly.Of course the poor girl felt that Eugene looked very talented in a new attire.The two sides looked at each other meaningfully, so Rastignac affirmed that he had become the goal in her mind; that kind of hazy desire, the girl is no exception, the first time she meets a charming man, she will dream about it.Eugene heard a voice shouting in his ear: "80 francs!" But after thinking about what happened yesterday, he thought that his enthusiasm for Madame Nucingen's posturing was just like the antidote for her. Involuntary evil thoughts.

"Yesterday at the Italian Theater was Rossini's Barber of Seville. I've never heard such beautiful music," he said. "My God! It's a blessing to have a box at the Italian Theater."

Old man Gao heard this sentence suddenly, as if the dog understood the owner's gestures all of a sudden.

"You are so free," said Madame Vauquer, "you men can do what you like."

"How did you get back?" asked Vautrin.

"Walking back," Eugene replied.

"If it were me," said Vautrin seductively, "I don't like to be half-hearted. I'd like to ride in my own carriage, get into my own box, and come back in comfort. All or nothing! This is mine." saying."

"That's right," continued Madame Vauquer.

"Perhaps you are going to see Madame de Nucingen," said Eugene in a low voice to Goriot; "of course she will welcome you with her arms outstretched, and she will ask you for details about me. I have learned that , she will try her best to make my cousin Madame de Beauseant receive her at home. Don't forget to tell her that I love her, and she will naturally think of making her get what she wants."

Rastignac hurried off to law school, he didn't want to spend another minute in this loathsome apartment.He loitered about all day, his head burning, as is the case with all young men who hope too much.Vautrin's comments made him think about social life repeatedly, and at this time he met his friend Bianchon in the Luxembourg Gardens.

"Why are you so serious?" the medical student said to him, taking his arm and strolling in front of the Luxembourg Palace.

"I'm so bored with bad thoughts running through my head."

"What kind? Thoughts can also be cured."

"How?"

"Follow your thoughts."

"You don't know what's going on, just laugh. Have you read Rousseau?"

"I have read it."

"Do you remember the passage saying that if you stay in Paris and don't move, you can kill an old Mandarin in China and make a fortune just by the power of your mind? He asked the readers what they would do.[48]"

"remember."

"how about you?"

"Hmph! I've killed the No.30 three Mandarins."

"Don't be kidding me. Hey, if you can be convinced that something is really possible, you just need to nod, then would you do it?"

"That Mandarin, isn't he very old? But, huh! Old, young, paralyzed, healthy, to be honest...go to hell! Hey! I won't do it."

"You're a good boy, Bianchon. But if you're in love with a woman, and you're madly in love with her, and if she needs money, lots of money, for clothes and carriages and fancy things like that, what to do?"

"But you've confused me, and I want to explain."

"That's good! Bi Anxun, I'm crazy, please cure me. I have two younger sisters who are as beautiful and pure as angels. I want to make them happy. Where will I go in five years from now?" Get 20 francs for them as a dowry? You see, life sometimes has to bet big and hard, and you can't waste happiness for a few small money."

"The question you raised will be encountered by everyone who steps into society. You want to imitate the ancients' sharp sword and cut knots. Dude, if you want to do this, unless you are Alexander back then, you can only go to jail. Me, I I am content to build a small life in the provinces in the future, be honest, and inherit my father's business. People can be fully satisfied in the smallest circle as in the vast world. Napoleon couldn't eat two dinners, and his mistresses had more , no more than the mistress of an intern at the Capuchin Mission Hospital. Our happiness, buddy, lies in our bodies from head to toe; the price of happiness is a million or a hundred louis a year, we feel the same in our hearts Yes. In short, I will not take the life of that Chinese.”

"Thank you, you make me feel better, Bi Anxun! We will always be good friends."

"Well," said the medical student, "I just came out of Cuvier's [49] class in the Botanical Garden and saw Michnot and Poiret sitting on a bench talking to a man. Last year near the Parliament I saw that man during the trouble; it gave me the impression of a plainclothes police station, dressed as an honest citizen living on a pension. We need to study the man and woman, and I will tell you why later. Goodbye, I Going to the four o'clock roll call."

When Eugene returned to the apartment, he found old Goriot waiting for him.

"Here," said the old man, "here is a letter from her. Look, how beautifully it is written!"

Eugene opened the letter and looked at it.

Sir, my father told me that you like Italian music.I would be very honored if you would take a seat in my box.On Saturday, we will go to listen to the concerts of Rafodor and Pellegrini. I believe you will not refuse me.Monsieur de Nucingen supports my proposal, please come and have a light meal with us.If it is approved, he will be very happy, because he will be spared the drudgery of my husband, and will not have to accompany me.No need to reply, but please come; regards.

Dan de New

"Let me see," said the old man to Eugene when he had read the letter. "You must be going, aren't you?" He sniffed the letter paper and said again. "It's so fragrant! That's what she touched with her fingers!"

"Women don't take the initiative like this with men." Eugene murmured inwardly.She was trying to use me so that de Marcet would change his mind; only a grudge would do that.

"Hello," Old Man Gao asked, "what are you thinking about?"

(End of this chapter)