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father goriot(高老头)-第62章

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 you; you can carve this on the headstone'HERE LIES M。 GORIOT; FATHER OF THE COMTESSE DE RESTAUD AND THE BARONNE DE NUCINGEN; INTERRED AT THE EXPENSE OF TWO STUDENTS。' 〃

Eugene took part of his friend's advice; but only after he had gone in person first to M。 and Mme。 de Nucingen; and then to M。 and Mme。 de Restauda fruitless errand。 He went no further than the doorstep in either house。 The servants had received strict orders to admit no one。

〃Monsieur and Madame can see no visitors。 They have just lost their father; and are in deep grief over their loss。〃

Eugene's Parisian experience told him that it was idle to press the point。 Something clutched strangely at his heart when he saw that it was impossible to reach Delphine。

〃Sell some of your ornaments;〃 he wrote hastily in the porter's room; 〃so that your father may be decently laid in his last resting…place。〃

He sealed the note; and begged the porter to give it to Therese for her mistress; but the man took it to the Baron de Nucingen; who flung the note into the fire。 Eugene; having finished his errands; returned to the lodging…house about three o'clock。 In spite of himself; the tears came into his eyes。 The coffin; in its scanty covering of black cloth; was standing there on the pavement before the gate; on two chairs。 A withered sprig of hyssop was soaking in the holy water bowl of silver…plated copper; there was not a soul in the street; not a passer…by had stopped to sprinkle the coffin; there was not even an attempt at a black drapery over the wicket。 It was a pauper who lay there; no one made a pretence of mourning for him; he had neither friends nor kindredthere was no one to follow him to the grave。

Bianchon's duties compelled him to be at the hospital; but he had left a few lines for Eugene; telling his friend about the arrangements he had made for the burial service。 The house student's note told Rastignac that a mass was beyond their means; that the ordinary office for the dead was cheaper; and must suffice; and that he had sent word to the undertaker by Christophe。 Eugene had scarcely finished reading Bianchon's scrawl; when he looked up and saw the little circular gold locket that contained the hair of Goriot's two daughters in Mme。 Vauquer's hands。

〃How dared you take it?〃 he asked。

〃Good Lord! is that to be buried along with him?〃 retorted Sylvie。 〃It is gold。〃

〃Of course it shall!〃 Eugene answered indignantly; 〃he shall at any rate take one thing that may represent his daughters into the grave with him。〃

When the hearse came; Eugene had the coffin carried into the house again; unscrewed the lid; and reverently laid on the old man's breast the token that recalled the days when Delphine and Anastasie were innocent little maidens; before they began 〃to think for themselves;〃 as he had moaned out in his agony。

Rastignac and Christophe and the two undertaker's men were the only followers of the funeral。 The Church of Saint…Etienne du Mont was only a little distance from the Rue Nueve…Sainte… Genevieve。 When the coffin had been deposited in a low; dark; little chapel; the law student looked round in vain for Goriot's two daughters or their husbands。 Christophe was his only fellow… mourner; Christophe; who appeared to think it was his duty to attend the funeral of the man who had put him in the way of such handsome tips。 As they waited there in the chapel for the two priests; the chorister; and the beadle; Rastignac grasped Christophe's hand。 He could not utter a word just then。

〃Yes; Monsieur Eugene;〃 said Christophe; 〃he was a good and worthy man; who never said one word louder than another; he never did any one any harm; and gave nobody any trouble。〃

The two priests; the chorister; and the beadle came; and said and did as much as could be expected for seventy francs in an age when religion cannot afford to say prayers for nothing。

The ecclesiatics chanted a psalm; the Libera nos and the De profundis。 The whole service lasted about twenty minutes。 There was but one mourning coach; which the priest and chorister agreed to share with Eugene and Christophe。

〃There is no one else to follow us;〃 remarked the priest; 〃so we may as well go quickly; and so save time; it is half…past five。〃

But just as the coffin was put in the hearse; two empty carriages; with the armorial bearings of the Comte de Restaud and the Baron de Nucingen; arrived and followed in the procession to Pere…Lachaise。 At six o'clock Goriot's coffin was lowered into the grave; his daughters' servants standing round the while。 The ecclesiastic recited the short prayer that the students could afford to pay for; and then both priest and lackeys disappeared at once。 The two grave diggers flung in several spadefuls of earth; and then stopped and asked Rastignac for their fee。 Eugene felt in vain in his pocket; and was obliged to borrow five francs of Christophe。 This thing; so trifling in itself; gave Rastignac a terrible pang of distress。 It was growing dusk; the damp twilight fretted his nerves; he gazed down into the grave and the tears he shed were drawn from him by the sacred emotion; a single…hearted sorrow。 When such tears fall on earth; their radiance reaches heaven。 And with that tear that fell on Father Goriot's grave; Eugene Rastignac's youth ended。 He folded his arms and gazed at the clouded sky; and Christophe; after a glance at him; turned and wentRastignac was left alone。

He went a few paces further; to the highest point of the cemetery; and looked out over Paris and the windings of the Seine; the lamps were beginning to shine on either side of the river。 His eyes turned almost eagerly to the space between the column of the Place Vendome and the cupola of the Invalides; there lay the shining world that he had wished to reach。 He glanced over that humming hive; seeming to draw a foretaste of its honey; and said magniloquently:

〃Henceforth there is war between us。〃

And by way of throwing down the glove to Society; Rastignac went to dine with Mme。 de Nucingen。



ADDENDUM

The following personages appear in other stories of the Human Comedy。

Ajuda…Pinto; Marquis Miguel d'   Scenes from a Courtesan's Life   The Secrets of a Princess   Beatrix

Beauseant; Marquis   An Episode under the Terror

Beauseant; Vicomte de   The Deserted Woman

Beauseant; Vicomtesse de   The Deserted Woman   Albert Savarus

Bianchon; Horace   The Atheist's Mass   Cesar Birotteau   The Commission in Lunacy   Lost Illusions   A Distinguished Provincial at Paris   A Bachelor's Establishment   The Secrets of a Princess   The Government Clerks   Pierrette   A Study of Woman   Scenes from a Courtesan's Life   Honorine   The Seamy Side of History   The Magic Skin   A Second Home   A Prince of Bohemia   Letters of Two Brides   The Muse of the Department   The Imaginary Mistress   The Middle Classes   Cousin Betty   The Country Parson In addition; M。 Bianchon narrated the following:   Another Study of Woman   La Grande Breteche

Bibi…Lupin (chief of secret police; called himself Gondureau)   Scenes from a Courtesan's Life

Carigliano; Marechal; Duc de   Sarrasine

Collin; Jacques   Lost Illusions   A Distinguished Provincial at Paris   Scenes from a Courtesan's Life   The Member for Arcis

Derville   Gobseck   A Start in Life   The Gondreville Mystery   Colonel Chabert   Scenes from a Courtesan's Life

Franchessini; Colonel   The Member for Arcis

Galathionne; Princess   A Daughter of Eve

Gobseck; Jean…Esther Van   Gobseck   Cesar Birotteau   The Government Clerks   The Unconscious Humoriists

Jacques (M。 de Beauseant's butler)   The Deserted Woman

Langeais; Duchesse Antoinette de   The Thirteen

Marsay; Henri de   The Thirteen   The Unconscious Humorists   Another Study of Woman   The Lily of the Valley   Jealousies of a Country Town   Ursule Mirouet   A Marriage Settlement   Lost Illusions   A Distinguished Provincial at Paris   Letters of Two Brides   The Ball at Sceaux   Modest Mignon   The Secrets of a Princess   The Gondreville Mystery   A Daughter of Eve

Maurice (de Restaud's valet)   Gobseck

Montriveau; General Marquis Armand de   The Thirteen   Lost Illusions   A Distinguished Provincial at Paris   Another Study of Woman   Pierrette   The Member for Arcis

Nucingen; Baron Frederic de   The Firm of Nucingen   Pierrette   Cesar Birotteau   Lost Illusions   A Distinguished Provincial at Paris   Scenes from a Courtesan's Life   Another Study of Woman   The Secrets of a Princess   A Man of Business   Cousin Betty   The Muse of the Department   The Unconscious Humorists

Nucingen; Baronne Delphine de   The Thirteen   Eugenie Grandet   Cesar Birotteau   Melmoth Reconciled   Lost Illusions   A Distinguished Provincial at Paris   The Commission in Lunacy   Scenes from a Courtesan's Life   Modeste Mignon   The Firm of Nucingen   Another Study of Woman   A Daughter of Eve   The Member for Arcis

Poiret   The Government Clerks   A Start in Life   Scenes from a Courtesan's Life   The Middle Classes

Poiret; Madame (nee Christine…Michelle Michonneau)   Scenes from a Courtesan's Life   The Middle Classes

Rastignac; Baron and Baronne de (Eugene's parents)   Lost Illusions

Rastignac; Eugene de   A Distinguished Provincial at Paris   Scen
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