old man goriot

Chapter 20
The combination of the noble sentiments that make women so great and the mistakes that the current social structure forces them to commit made Eugene's heart confused; while he comforted her with good words, he secretly admired this beautiful woman, Her cry of pain was so innocent and fearless.

"You won't blackmail me about it," she said. "You must promise me."

"Oh, ma'am! I can't," said he.

She took the college student's hand and pressed it to her heart, her demeanor was full of gratitude and friendship.

"You have made me free and happy again. I used to feel that there was an iron hand oppressing me. Now I will live frugally and waste nothing. You feel good about it, my friend, don't you?" ? You can keep this point," she said, taking only six banknotes herself. "Actually, I still owe you three thousand francs, because I think it should be divided equally with you."

Eugene refused like a little girl.But the baroness said to him: "If you will not be my friend, I will regard you as an enemy." He had to accept the money.

"Then keep it as capital, just in case of accidents." He said.

"I'm afraid to hear that," she cried, turning pale. "If you've got me in your heart, swear to me," she said, "that you'll never go to a casino. My God! I screwed you up! Then I'm going to die of pain."

They returned.Compared with the hardship just now and the abundance in front of him, the college student only felt dizzy, and Fu Tuoleng's terrible words rang in his ears again.

"Sit here," said the baroness, entering the bedroom, pointing to the loveseat by the fireplace. "I have a difficult letter to write! Advise me."

"Don't write it at all," Eugene said to her, "put the banknotes directly in the envelope, write the address, and send your maid to deliver it."

"You can do it," she said. "Ah! Sir, that's called being educated! It's completely Bossian style." She said with a smile.

"She's so charming," thought Eugene, who was getting more and more emotional.He glanced at the bedroom, as luxurious and elegant as the home of a rich courtesan.

"Do you like it?" she asked, ringing the bell for the maid.

"Therese, if you send this to M. de Marcel in person, you must present it to him; if you cannot find him, bring the letter back to me."

Thérèse cast a sly glance at Eugene before leaving.Dinner is ready.Rastignac extended his arm to Madame de Nucingen's, and followed her to a fine dining room, where he saw again the splendid table which he had admired at his cousin's house.

"When there is a performance at the Italian Theater," she said, "come and dine with me, and come with me."

"If this kind of good life can last forever, I can certainly get used to it; but I am a poor student now, and I have to do something."

"It will be in the future," she said with a smile, "you see, everything will go with the flow, no, I didn't expect to be so happy at the time."

It is a woman's nature to use the possibility to prove the impossible, and to use the premonition to obliterate the fact.

Madame de Nucingen and Rastignac, when they both entered the box at the Burlesque, she looked so contented that she was very beautiful; everyone would gossip, not only the women who could not defend themselves. , and often make people believe some casually fabricated scandals.After you know Paris, you never believe the rumors there; but there are real facts that everyone keeps silent.Eugene squeezed the baroness's hand, and the two exchanged their feelings about listening to music by the strength of their hands instead of talking.That night, it really made them ecstatic.They came out of the theater together, and Madame de Nucingen, wishing to take Eugene to the Pont-Neuf, refused to give him a kiss as passionately as she had given him at the Palais du Palais.Eugene complained of her inconsistencies.

"Just now," she echoed, "it was repaying an unexpected kindness; now, it will become some kind of promise."

"You don't even want to give me a promise, you have no conscience."

Eugene was angry.So she held out her hand for him to kiss, with an eagerness that would make a lover's heart go wild, but the university student took up the hand with a displeasure, which the baroness could not help feeling very pleased with.

"I'll see you at the dance on Monday," she said.

Eugene walked in the bright moonlight, thinking seriously while walking.He was both happy and annoyed: he was happy because the outcome of this affair might lead him to get one of the most beautiful and temperamental women in Paris, who happened to be his favorite target; what was annoyed was that his plan to make a fortune was completely overturned .Only then did he realize what was going on with his vague thoughts the day before yesterday.A person does not realize the intensity of his expectations until he is frustrated.The more Eugene enjoyed life in Paris, the less he wanted to be a nameless poor boy.He twirled the thousand-franc note in his pocket, finding every plausible reason for wanting to keep it for himself.At last he reached the Rue Neuve Saint-Geneviève, climbed the stairs, and saw a light.Old Man Goriot opened the door of his room and lit a candle, intending to make the student forget one thing, according to him, to talk to him about his daughter.Eugene had nothing to hide from him.

"Well," cried Old Man Goriot, disconsolate, "they think I'm at the end of my rope, and I still have [-] francs of interest in public debt! My God! Poor boy, why don't you come here! I can sell it." Get rid of the public debt, take some money out of it, and convert the rest into a life pension. Why don't you come and tell me about her difficulties, my good neighbor? How can you bear to take her pitiful hundred francs to the gambling table? To venture up? What a pity. Son-in-law is such a thing! Hey! If I catch them, I'll strangle them. My God! Cry, did she cry?"

"Weep with your head on my waistcoat," Eugene said.

"Oh! Give me the waistcoat," said old man Goriot. "Why! It has my daughter's on it, and the tears of my dear Danfina! She never cried when she was a child. Oh! I'll buy you another one." , don't wear this one, give it to me. According to the marriage contract, she should enjoy her own property. Well! I'm going to see the attorney at law, Deville, tomorrow. I'm going to set aside her property separately .I understand the law, I am an old wolf, and I can show my teeth and claws."

"Here, old man, here is the thousand francs she will give me after winning the money. Put it in your waistcoat and keep it for her."

Goriot looked at Eugene, reached out to take his hand, and a tear fell on Eugene's hand.

"You will succeed in life," the old man said to him. "God is fair, don't you know? I know what honesty means; and I dare say there are very, very few people like you. Then you will be me too." Dear child? Well, go to bed. You are not yet a father, you can sleep. I know now that she just cried, and I, in order not to let them shed a tear, even the Holy Father and the Holy Son Even someone who can betray the Holy Spirit, when she is in pain, I eat here with peace of mind, just like a fool!"

"Really," thought Eugene, as he lay down, "I believe that I will be a man of integrity all my life. Acting with conscience has its own pleasure."

Perhaps only those who believe in God will do good in secret, and Eugene believed in God.

When it was time for the ball the next day, Rastignac went to Madame de Beauseant's house.The Madame took him to introduce him to the Duchess de Carigliano.He was received very warmly by the Marshal's wife, and at her home he saw Madame de Nucingen again.But Finer deliberately dressed to please everyone, in order to please Eugene especially.She thought she could hold her breath, but she wished Eugene would have looked at her sooner.When you can read a woman's emotions, that's a lot of fun.When people are waiting for your opinion, you just want to show off; you are secretly proud of yourself, but you keep your face; To gloat, who doesn't like to come here often?At this grand meeting, the student suddenly saw his position clearly; he understood that just because he was a cousin recognized by Madame de Beauseant, he had a status in high society.He was supposed to have caught up with the Baroness de Nucingen, so he stood out, and all the young men cast admiring glances at him.Seeing this kind of gaze, he experienced the pleasure of self-satisfaction for the first time.Walking from one living room to another, passing through the crowd, he heard people praise him for his good fortune.The ladies all predicted that he would be very successful.But Fina was afraid of losing him, and promised him that he would not refuse to kiss at night, but he refused to kiss the day before yesterday.Rastignac was invited by several people at this ball.His cousin introduced him to several ladies, all of them pretentious and elegant, and their mansions were also recognized as pleasant places.He saw himself emerging in the noblest and most prestigious society of Paris.For him, this evening was the beginning of success, quite charming, and he will never forget it until his old age, just like a young girl who always remembers the ball where she was so popular.

At dinner the next day, in front of the guests of the apartment, he told old man Goriot all these proud things in detail, and Vautrin laughed grimly.

"Do you think," exclaimed the ruthless logician, "that a fashionable young man can stay in the rue Neuve Saint-Geneviève, at the Vauguet apartment? Of course, it is very respectable in all respects, but it is not the same as Trendy but not fashionable. Our apartment is comfortable and prosperous, and it is a great honor to be a temporary residence in Rastignac; but after all, in the rue Neuve Saint-Geneviève, there is no luxury to speak of, because it is purely traditional. Ambiance Rama. My young friend," said Vautrin, sarcastically, "you must have three horses, a caravan in the morning and a sedan in the evening, in order to show yourself in Paris. The total cost of transportation is nine thousand francs. Three thousand francs at the tailor, six hundred at the balm shop, three hundred at the shoemaker's, three hundred at the hatter's, and you are not worthy of luck. As for the washerwoman, you'll spend a thousand. Fashionable The young man is also very particular about shirts and handkerchiefs. Isn’t that what the public pays most attention to? Love is like a church, and the altar must be beautifully laid out. Our expenses have already reached fourteen thousand. I haven’t I mentioned to you the expenses of gambling, betting, presents; two thousand francs is not enough for petty expenses. I have experienced that kind of life, and I know how much it costs. To these necessities, add six thousand francs to eat bread. A thousand francs on the bed. Come on, lad, if you work hard like this, you will have twenty-five thousand a year in your pocket, or you will fall into the mud, and you will laugh at yourself, and all our prospects, achievements, and mistresses will be blown away! I forgot about the footman and the groom! Do you want Christophe to send you love letters? Always write love letters on the paper you have now? That's a dead end. Trust a well-informed old man! He added in rinforzando[52]'s bass: "If you want to hide in the lofty attic and study hard with your books in your hands; if you want to go another way."

Vautrin glanced at Mademoiselle Tayfan and squeezed his eyes. This look expressed and summarized his demagogic theory;

(End of this chapter)