old man goriot

Chapter 33: Father's Death (5)
"Here, if he wants water, give him this," said the intern, pointing to Rastignac a large white jug, "and if you hear him grunting and his stomach is hot and hard, call Chris. Tove help him... you know. In case he gets excited and rambunctious and a little unhinged anyway, let him go. That's not a bad thing, but you gotta call Christophe Come to Keshan Hospital. Our doctor, my classmate, or me, we will come to give him moxibustion. When you were sleeping this morning, we had a consultation, and there was a student of Dr. Gal, the principal The chief physician of Palace Hospital and our chief physician. They think the symptoms are a bit strange. The next step is to observe the development of the disease, which can clarify several important medical problems. One said that if the blood pressure of a certain organ is higher than that of another organ , will lead to some special phenomena. So if the old man speaks, you should listen carefully to see what kind of thought his words belong to, whether memory, comprehension or judgment is at work; see whether he is concerned with material issues or emotional issues; Calculating, whether to remember the past; in short, you are going to give us an accurate report. The attack may be full-blown, and he will die as stupefied as he is now. This kind of disease is very strange! If it occurs in this part, "Bian Xun pointed to the patient's occipital bone and said, "There are some strange phenomena in some cases: the brain recovers some functions, and it can't die at once. The fluid will deviate from the brain, and the path of flow can only be known by dissecting the corpse. Old man, the effusion is running down the spine; the person is in terrible pain, but he is still alive."

"Are they having a good time?" Old Man Goriot said suddenly recognizing Eugene.

"Oh! He only thinks of his two daughters," Bianchon said. "Last night, he said to me no less than a hundred times: 'They're dancing! She's got her dress.' He called them by name. The tone was so terrible that I couldn't help crying, he cried. : 'Danfina! My little Danfina! Nasi!' Really," said the medical student, "it's almost unstoppable."

"Danfina," said the old man, "is she there, isn't she? I've known it for a long time." As he spoke, his eyes rolled wildly, and he looked towards the wall and the door.

"I'll go downstairs and tell Sylvie to prepare the mustard puree," Bianchon said loudly, "this is a good time for the medicine."

Rastignac was alone with the old man, sitting at the foot of the bed, looking at the face with terror and distress.

"Madame de Beauseant has escaped, and this one is dying," he said to himself. "In this society, a man with a good heart does not last long. Indeed, how can a great feeling be compared with a narrow, vulgar one?" , Shallow society get along?"

Scenes from the party he had attended played back in his mind, in contrast to the bed of the dying man before him.Bianchon suddenly returned.

"Hey, Eugene, I met our chief physician just now, and I ran all the way back. If the patient shows signs of awakening, if he talks, you can let him lie on a long strip of mustard mud, and let the mustard rub his neck." Wrap it up to your waist; then send someone to call us."

"My dear Bianchon," said Eugene.

"Oh! This is a medical case," said the medical student with the enthusiasm of a novice.

"Well," said Eugene, "then I am the only one who cares for the poor old man out of affection."

"You wouldn't have said that if you had seen me this morning," said Bianchon without anger, "the clinician sees only the disease; I see the sick, my dear boy. "

He left, leaving Eugene alone with the old man; Eugene was afraid that his condition would soon take a turn for the worse.

"Ah! It's you, my dear boy," said Old Man Goriot, recognizing Eugene.

"Are you better?" asked the student, squeezing his hand.

"It's better. My head looked like it was caught in pincers. It's easy now. Have you seen my daughters? They're coming soon; as soon as they know I'm sick, they will come here quickly; Street, how well they take care of me! My God! I want the house to be clean for them. A young man has burned all my peat."

"I heard Christophe's voice," Eugene told him. "He is bringing you the wood that the young man sent for you."

"Okay! But what about the firewood? I've got nothing, boy. I've given away everything, everything. I've become a beggar. At least, isn't that gold and silver brocade dress nice?" (Ouch! I ache!) Thank you, Christopher. God will reward you, boy; I have nothing left."

"I will pay you and Sylvie." Eugene whispered in the assistant's ear.

"Christopher, my two daughters told you they were coming, didn't they? You go again and I'll give you five francs. You tell them I don't feel well and that I want to die Hug them, want to see them again. You tell them these things, but don't scare them too much."

Christophe set off when Eugene signaled.

"They're coming," said the old man again. "I know them. Good Dana, how sad she will be if I die! Nasi too. I don't want to die, but I don't want them to cry. My Good Eugene, to die is to never see them again. I must be bored there. For a father, to go to hell is to be separated from children; since they I got a taste of this when I got married. My heaven was in the Rue des Uccien back then. Hey, if I go to heaven, my soul can return to the world and to them. I've heard of such things Can it be true? I can still see them when they were on Chian Street. They came downstairs early in the morning and said, 'Good morning, Daddy.' Playing with them, laughing and laughing. They also touched me affectionately. We had breakfast and dinner together every day. Anyway, I was a father at that time, and I watched the children have fun. When I lived on Xi'an Street, they didn't talk back. They don't understand human affairs, they love me so much. God! Why do they grow up? (Ouch! I ache; pain in my head.) Ah! Ah! I'm sorry, boys! I'm dying of pain; this is It hurts, because you have made me feel safe. God! If only I could hold their hands, I wouldn't feel pain. Do you think they will come? Christophe is a jerk! I should have He went by himself. He could see them. You were at the ball yesterday. Tell me, how are they? They don't know I'm sick, do they? Otherwise they wouldn't be dancing, poor boy. Oh! I don't want to be sick anymore. They need me so badly. Their fortunes are in trouble; what kind of husbands are they in! Cure me, cure me! (Oh! I How miserable! Yo! Yo! Yo!) You see, I must be cured, because they need money, and I know where to get it. I am going to Odessa to work in starch processing. I am smart, and I will earn money. Millions. (Oh! I'm dying of pain!)"

Goriot was silent for a moment, as if desperately concentrating on the pain.

"I won't complain when they're here," he said. "Why should I complain?"

He was dazed again, and for a long time.Christopher is back.Rastignac thought that old man Goriot was asleep, so he let the assistant speak loudly about his going out on errands.

"Monsieur," said he, "I went first to the countess's; she had an important business with her husband, and I could not speak to her. I insisted so much that M. de Restaut came out himself, and said to me:' Monsieur Goriot is dying, that's the best. I have something important to say to Madame de Resto; she'll go when it's over.' He seemed very angry, sir. I was about to come out , Madame walked into the anteroom through a door I could not see, and said to me: "Christopher, you tell my father that I am discussing something with my husband, and I can't leave for a while; the life and death of my children are at stake." Question; but I'll be there when it's over.' As for the baroness, that's another matter! I haven't seen her at all, and I can't talk to her. The maid said to me: 'Yo! Madame five-one I just came back from the ball at a quarter, and I'm sleeping now; I'll be scolded for waking her up before noon. When she rings for me, I'll tell her that her father is seriously ill. Since it's bad news, what? It's never too late to tell her.' I begged, but it didn't work! Oh, yes! I asked to see the Baron again, but he's out."

"None of her daughters will come!" cried Rastignac. "I will write to them."

"None will come," said the old man, pulling himself up, "they're busy, they're sleeping, and they won't come. I knew that. You don't know what children are until you're dying. Alas, my friend." , don't marry, don't have children! You make them live, they want you dead. You bring them into the world, they drive you out of the world. Yes, two daughters won't come! Ten years I knew it before. I think about it sometimes, but I just can’t believe it.”

A single teardrop welled up in each of his eyes, dripping on the edge of the red eyelids and not falling.

(End of this chapter)