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wonder？ Am I to put your egg…polish on it？〃
〃Nanon； I think eggs would injure that kind of leather。 Tell him you
don't know how to black morocco； yes； that's morocco。 He will get you
something himself in Saumur to polish those boots with。 I have heard
that they put sugar into the blacking to make it shine。〃
〃They look good to eat；〃 said the cook； putting the boots to her nose。
〃Bless me！ if they don't smell like madame's eau…de…cologne。 Ah！ how
funny！〃
〃Funny！〃 said her master。 〃Do you call it funny to put more money into
boots than the man who stands in them is worth？〃
〃Monsieur；〃 she said； when Grandet returned the second time； after
locking the fruit…garden； 〃won't you have the /pot…au…feu/ put on once
or twice a week on account of your nephew？〃
〃Yes。〃
〃Am I to go to the butcher's？〃
〃Certainly not。 We will make the broth of fowls； the farmers will
bring them。 I shall tell Cornoiller to shoot some crows； they make the
best soup in the world。〃
〃Isn't it true； monsieur； that crows eat the dead？〃
〃You are a fool； Nanon。 They eat what they can get； like the rest of
the world。 Don't we all live on the dead？ What are legacies？〃
Monsieur Grandet； having no further orders to give； drew out his
watch； and seeing that he had half an hour to dispose of before
breakfast； he took his hat； went and kissed his daughter； and said to
her：
〃Do you want to come for a walk in the fields； down by the Loire？ I
have something to do there。〃
Eugenie fetched her straw bonnet； lined with pink taffeta； then the
father and daughter went down the winding street to the shore。
〃Where are you going at this early hour？〃 said Cruchot； the notary；
meeting them。
〃To see something；〃 answered Grandet； not duped by the matutinal
appearance of his friend。
When Pere Grandet went to 〃see something；〃 the notary knew by
experience there was something to be got by going with him； so he
went。
〃Come； Cruchot；〃 said Grandet； 〃you are one of my friends。 I'll show
you what folly it is to plant poplar…trees on good ground。〃
〃Do you call the sixty thousand francs that you pocketed for those
that were in your fields down by the Loire； folly？〃 said Maitre
Cruchot； opening his eyes with amazement。 〃What luck you have had！ To
cut down your trees at the very time they ran short of white…wood at
Nantes； and to sell them at thirty francs！〃
Eugenie listened； without knowing that she approached the most solemn
moment of her whole life； and that the notary was about to bring down
upon her head a paternal and supreme sentence。 Grandet had now reached
the magnificent fields which he owned on the banks of the Loire； where
thirty workmen were employed in clearing away； filling up； and
levelling the spots formerly occupied by the poplars。
〃Maitre Cruchot； see how much ground this tree once took up！ Jean；〃 he
cried to a laborer； 〃m…m…measure with your r…r…rule； b…both ways。〃
〃Four times eight feet；〃 said the man。
〃Thirty…two feet lost；〃 said Grandet to Cruchot。 〃I had three hundred
poplars in this one line； isn't that so？ Well； then； three h…h…hundred
times thir…thirty…two lost m…m…me five hundred in h…h…hay； add twice
as much for the side rows；fifteen hundred； the middle rows as much
more。 So we may c…c…call it a th…thousand b…b…bales of h…h…hay〃
〃Very good；〃 said Cruchot； to help out his friend； 〃a thousand bales
are worth about six hundred francs。〃
〃Say t…t…twelve hundred； be…c…cause there's three or four hundred
francs on the second crop。 Well； then； c…c…calculate that t…twelve
thousand francs a year for f…f…forty years with interest c…c…comes
to〃
〃Say sixty thousand francs；〃 said the notary。
〃I am willing； c…c…comes t…t…to sixty th…th…thousand。 Very good；〃
continued Grandet； without stuttering： 〃two thousand poplars forty
years old will only yield me fifty thousand francs。 There's a loss。 I
have found that myself；〃 said Grandet； getting on his high horse。
〃Jean； fill up all the holes except those at the bank of the river；
there you are to plant the poplars I have bought。 Plant 'em there； and
they'll get nourishment from the government；〃 he said； turning to
Cruchot； and giving a slight motion to the wen on his nose； which
expressed more than the most ironical of smiles。
〃True enough； poplars should only be planted on poor soil；〃 said
Cruchot； amazed at Grandet's calculations。
〃Y…y…yes； monsieur；〃 answered the old man satirically。
Eugenie； who was gazing at the sublime scenery of the Loire； and
paying no attention to her father's reckonings； presently turned an
ear to the remarks of Cruchot when she heard him say；
〃So you have brought a son…in…law from Paris。 All Saumur is talking
about your nephew。 I shall soon have the marriage…contract to draw up；
hey！ Pere Grandet？〃
〃You g…g…got up very early to t…t…tell me that；〃 said Grandet；
accompanying the remark with a motion of his wen。 〃Well； old
c…c…comrade； I'll be frank； and t…t…tell you what you want t…t…to
know。 I would rather； do you see； f…f…fling my daughter into the Loire
than g…g…give her to her c…c…cousin。 You may t…t…tell that everywhere；
no； never mind； let the world t…t…talk。〃
This answer dazzled and blinded the young girl with sudden light。 The
distant hopes upspringing in her heart bloomed suddenly； became real；
tangible； like a cluster of flowers； and she saw them cut down and
wilting on the earth。 Since the previous evening she had attached
herself to Charles by those links of happiness which bind soul to
soul； from henceforth suffering was to rivet them。 Is it not the noble
destiny of women to be more moved by the dark solemnities of grief
than by the splendors of fortune？ How was it that fatherly feeling had
died out of her father's heart？ Of what crime had Charles been guilty？
Mysterious questions！ Already her dawning love； a mystery so profound；
was wrapping itself in mystery。 She walked back trembling in all her
limbs； and when she reached the gloomy street； lately so joyous to
her； she felt its sadness； she breathed the melancholy which time and
events had printed there。 None of love's lessons lacked。 A few steps
from their own door she went on before her father and waited at the
threshold。 But Grandet； who saw a newspaper in the notary's hand；
stopped short and asked；
〃How are the Funds？〃
〃You never listen to my advice； Grandet；〃 answered Cruchot。 〃Buy soon；
you will still make twenty per cent in two years； besides getting an
excellent rate of interest；five thousand a year for eighty thousand
francs fifty centimes。〃
〃We'll see about that；〃 answered Grandet； rubbing his chin。
〃Good God！〃 exclaimed the notary。
〃Well； what？〃 cried Grandet； and at the same moment Cruchot put the
newspaper under his eyes and said：
〃Read that！〃
〃Monsieur Grandet； one of the most respected merchants in Paris；
blew his brains out yesterday； after making his usual appearance
at the Bourse。 He had sent his resignation to the president of the
Chamber of Deputies； and had also resigned his functions as a
judge of the commercial courts。 The failures of Monsieur Roguin
and Monsieur Souchet； his broker and his notary； had ruined him。
The esteem felt for Monsieur Grandet and the credit he enjoyed
were nevertheless such that he might have obtained the necessary
assistance from other business houses。 It is much to be regretted
that so honorable a man should have yielded to momentary despair；〃
etc。
〃I knew it；〃 said the old wine…grower to the notary。
The words sent a chill of horror through Maitre Cruchot； who；
notwithstanding his impassibility as a notary； felt the cold running
down his spine as he thought that Grandet of Paris had possibly
implored in vain the millions of Grandet of Saumur。
〃And his son； so joyous yesterday〃
〃He knows nothing as yet；〃 answered Grandet； with the same composure。
〃Adieu！ Monsieur Grandet；〃 said Cruchot； who now understood the state
of the case； and went off to reassure Monsieur de Bonfons。
On entering； Grandet found breakfast ready。 Madame Grandet； round
whose neck Eugenie had flung her arms； kissing her with the quick
effusion of feeling often caused by secret grief； was already seated
in her chair on castors； knitting sleeves for the coming winter。
〃You can begin to eat；〃 said Nanon； coming downstairs four steps at a
time； 〃the young one is sleeping like a cherub。 Isn't he a darling
with his eyes shut？ I went in and I called him： no answer。〃
〃Let him sleep；〃 said Grandet； 〃he'll wake soon enough to hear ill…
tidings。〃
〃What is it？〃 asked Eugenie； putting into her coffee the two little
bits of sugar weighing less than half an ounce which the old miser
amused himself by cutting up in his leisure hours。 Madame Grandet； who
did not dare to put the question； gazed at her husband。
〃His father has blown his brains out。〃
〃My uncle？〃 said Eugenie。
〃Poor young man！〃 exclaimed Madame Grandet。
〃Poor indeed！〃 said Grandet； 〃he isn't worth a sou！〃
〃Eh！ poor boy； and he's sleeping like the king of the world！〃 said
Nanon in a gentle voice。
Eugenie stopped eating。 Her heart was wrung； as the young heart is
wrung when pity for the suffering of one she loves overflows； for