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sorely！〃
There was something terribly attractive in the sight of this young
sorrow； sincere without reasoning or afterthought。 It was a virgin
grief which the simple hearts of Eugenie and her mother were fitted to
comprehend； and they obeyed the sign Charles made them to leave him to
himself。 They went downstairs in silence and took their accustomed
places by the window and sewed for nearly an hour without exchanging a
word。 Eugenie had seen in the furtive glance that she cast about the
young man's roomthat girlish glance which sees all in the twinkling
of an eyethe pretty trifles of his dressing…case； his scissors； his
razors embossed with gold。 This gleam of luxury across her cousin's
grief only made him the more interesting to her； possibly by way of
contrast。 Never before had so serious an event； so dramatic a sight；
touched the imaginations of these two passive beings； hitherto sunk in
the stillness and calm of solitude。
〃Mamma；〃 said Eugenie； 〃we must wear mourning for my uncle。〃
〃Your father will decide that；〃 answered Madame Grandet。
They relapsed into silence。 Eugenie drew her stitches with a uniform
motion which revealed to an observer the teeming thoughts of her
meditation。 The first desire of the girl's heart was to share her
cousin's mourning。
VI
About four o'clock an abrupt knock at the door struck sharply on the
heart of Madame Grandet。
〃What can have happened to your father？〃 she said to her daughter。
Grandet entered joyously。 After taking off his gloves； he rubbed his
hands hard enough to take off their skin as well； if his epidermis had
not been tanned and cured like Russia leather；saving； of course； the
perfume of larch…trees and incense。 Presently his secret escaped him。
〃Wife；〃 he said； without stuttering； 〃I've trapped them all！ Our wine
is sold！ The Dutch and the Belgians have gone。 I walked about the
market…place in front of their inn； pretending to be doing nothing。
That Belgian fellowyou know who I meancame up to me。 The owners of
all the good vineyards have kept back their vintages； intending to
wait； well； I didn't hinder them。 The Belgian was in despair； I saw
that。 In a minute the bargain was made。 He takes my vintage at two
hundred francs the puncheon； half down。 He paid me in gold； the notes
are drawn。 Here are six louis for you。 In three months wines will have
fallen。〃
These words； uttered in a quiet tone of voice； were nevertheless so
bitterly sarcastic that the inhabitants of Saumur； grouped at this
moment in the market…place and overwhelmed by the news of the sale
Grandet had just effected； would have shuddered had they heard them。
Their panic would have brought the price of wines down fifty per cent
at once。
〃Did you have a thousand puncheons this year； father？〃
〃Yes； little one。〃
That term applied to his daughter was the superlative expression of
the old miser's joy。
〃Then that makes two hundred thousand pieces of twenty sous each？〃
〃Yes； Mademoiselle Grandet。〃
〃Then； father； you can easily help Charles。〃
The amazement； the anger； the stupefaction of Belshazzar when he saw
the /Mene…Tekel…Upharsin/ before his eyes is not to be compared with
the cold rage of Grandet； who； having forgotten his nephew； now found
him enshrined in the heart and calculations of his daughter。
〃What's this？ Ever since that dandy put foot in MY house everything
goes wrong！ You behave as if you had the right to buy sugar…plums and
make feasts and weddings。 I won't have that sort of thing。 I hope I
know my duty at my time of life！ I certainly sha'n't take lessons from
my daughter； or from anybody else。 I shall do for my nephew what it is
proper to do； and you have no need to poke your nose into it。 As for
you； Eugenie；〃 he added； facing her； 〃don't speak of this again； or
I'll send you to the Abbaye des Noyers with Nanon； see if I don't； and
no later than to…morrow either； if you disobey me！ Where is that
fellow； has he come down yet？〃
〃No； my friend；〃 answered Madame Grandet。
〃What is he doing then？〃
〃He is weeping for his father；〃 said Eugenie。
Grandet looked at his daughter without finding a word to say； after
all； he was a father。 He made a couple of turns up and down the room；
and then went hurriedly to his secret den to think over an investment
he was meditating in the public Funds。 The thinning out of his two
thousand acres of forest land had yielded him six hundred thousand
francs： putting this sum to that derived from the sale of his poplars
and to his other gains for the last year and for the current year； he
had amassed a total of nine hundred thousand francs； without counting
the two hundred thousand he had got by the sale just concluded。 The
twenty per cent which Cruchot assured him would gain in a short time
from the Funds； then quoted at seventy； tempted him。 He figured out
his calculation on the margin of the newspaper which gave the account
of his brother's death； all the while hearing the moans of his nephew；
but without listening to them。 Nanon came and knocked on the wall to
summon him to dinner。 On the last step of the staircase he was saying
to himself as he came down；
〃I'll do it； I shall get eight per cent interest。 In two years I shall
have fifteen hundred thousand francs； which I will then draw out in
good gold；Well； where's my nephew？〃
〃He says he doesn't want anything to eat；〃 answered Nanon； 〃that's not
good for him。〃
〃So much saved；〃 retorted her master。
〃That's so；〃 she said。
〃Bah！ he won't cry long。 Hunger drives the wolves out of the woods。〃
The dinner was eaten in silence。
〃My good friend；〃 said Madame Grandet； when the cloth was removed； 〃we
must put on mourning。〃
〃Upon my word； Madame Grandet！ what will you invent next to spend
money on？ Mourning is in the heart； and not in the clothes。〃
〃But mourning for a brother is indispensable； and the Church commands
us to〃
〃Buy your mourning out of your six louis。 Give me a hat…band； that's
enough for me。〃
Eugenie raised her eyes to heaven without uttering a word。 Her
generous instincts； slumbering and long repressed but now suddenly and
for the first time awakened； were galled at every turn。 The evening
passed to all appearance like a thousand other evenings of their
monotonous life； yet it was certainly the most horrible。 Eugenie sewed
without raising her head； and did not use the workbox which Charles
had despised the night before。 Madame Grandet knitted her sleeves。
Grandet twirled his thumbs for four hours； absorbed in calculations
whose results were on the morrow to astonish Saumur。 No one came to
visit the family that day。 The whole town was ringing with the news of
the business trick just played by Grandet； the failure of his brother；
and the arrival of his nephew。 Obeying the desire to gossip over their
mutual interests； all the upper and middle…class wine…growers in
Saumur met at Monsieur des Grassins； where terrible imprecations were
being fulminated against the ex…mayor。 Nanon was spinning； and the
whirr of her wheel was the only sound heard beneath the gray rafters
of that silent hall。
〃We don't waste our tongues；〃 she said； showing her teeth； as large
and white as peeled almonds。
〃Nothing should be wasted；〃 answered Grandet； rousing himself from his
reverie。 He saw a perspective of eight millions in three years； and he
was sailing along that sheet of gold。 〃Let us go to bed。 I will bid my
nephew good…night for the rest of you； and see if he will take
anything。〃
Madame Grandet remained on the landing of the first storey to hear the
conversation that was about to take place between the goodman and his
nephew。 Eugenie； bolder than her mother； went up two stairs。
〃Well； nephew； you are in trouble。 Yes； weep； that's natural。 A father
is a father； but we must bear our troubles patiently。 I am a good
uncle to you； remember that。 Come； take courage！ Will you have a
little glass of wine？〃 （Wine costs nothing in Saumur； and they offer
it as tea is offered in China。） 〃Why！〃 added Grandet； 〃you have got no
light！ That's bad； very bad； you ought to see what you are about；〃 and
he walked to the chimney…piece。 〃What's this？〃 he cried。 〃A wax
candle！ How the devil did they filch a wax candle？ The spendthrifts
would tear down the ceilings of my house to boil the fellow's eggs。〃
Hearing these words； mother and daughter slipped back into their rooms
and burrowed in their beds； with the celerity of frightened mice
getting back to their holes。
〃Madame Grandet； have you found a mine？〃 said the man； coming into the
chamber of his wife。
〃My friend； wait； I am saying my prayers；〃 said the poor mother in a
trembling voice。
〃The devil take your good God！〃 growled Grandet in reply。
Misers have no belief in a future life； the present is their all in
all。 This thought casts a terrible light upon our present epoch； in
which； far more than at any former period； money sways the laws and
politics and morals。 Institutions； books； men； and dogmas； all
conspire to undermine belief in a future life；a belief upon which
the social edifice has rested for eighteen hundred years。 The grave；
as a means of transition； is little feared in our day。