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Nothing can be more depressing than the sight of that sitting…
room。 The furniture is covered with horse hair woven in alternate
dull and glossy stripes。 There is a round table in the middle；
with a purplish…red marble top； on which there stands； by way of
ornament； the inevitable white china tea…service； covered with a
half…effaced gilt network。 The floor is sufficiently uneven； the
wainscot rises to elbow height； and the rest of the wall space is
decorated with a varnished paper； on which the principal scenes
from Telemaque are depicted； the various classical personages
being colored。 The subject between the two windows is the banquet
given by Calypso to the son of Ulysses； displayed thereon for the
admiration of the boarders； and has furnished jokes these forty
years to the young men who show themselves superior to their
position by making fun of the dinners to which poverty condemns
them。 The hearth is always so clean and neat that it is evident
that a fire is only kindled there on great occasions； the stone
chimney…piece is adorned by a couple of vases filled with faded
artificial flowers imprisoned under glass shades； on either side
of a bluish marble clock in the very worst taste。
The first room exhales an odor for which there is no name in the
language； and which should be called the odeur de pension。 The
damp atmosphere sends a chill through you as you breathe it； it
has a stuffy； musty； and rancid quality； it permeates your
clothing； after…dinner scents seem to be mingled in it with
smells from the kitchen and scullery and the reek of a hospital。
It might be possible to describe it if some one should discover a
process by which to distil from the atmosphere all the nauseating
elements with which it is charged by the catarrhal exhalations of
every individual lodger； young or old。 Yet； in spite of these
stale horrors； the sitting…room is as charming and as delicately
perfumed as a boudoir； when compared with the adjoining dining…
room。
The paneled walls of that apartment were once painted some color；
now a matter of conjecture； for the surface is incrusted with
accumulated layers of grimy deposit； which cover it with
fantastic outlines。 A collection of dim…ribbed glass decanters；
metal discs with a satin sheen on them； and piles of blue…edged
earthenware plates of Touraine ware cover the sticky surfaces of
the sideboards that line the room。 In a corner stands a box
containing a set of numbered pigeon…holes； in which the lodgers'
table napkins； more or less soiled and stained with wine； are
kept。 Here you see that indestructible furniture never met with
elsewhere； which finds its way into lodging…houses much as the
wrecks of our civilization drift into hospitals for incurables。
You expect in such places as these to find the weather…house
whence a Capuchin issues on wet days； you look to find the
execrable engravings which spoil your appetite； framed every one
in a black varnished frame； with a gilt beading round it； you
know the sort of tortoise…shell clock…case； inlaid with brass；
the green stove； the Argand lamps； covered with oil and dust；
have met your eyes before。 The oilcloth which covers the long
table is so greasy that a waggish externe will write his name on
the surface； using his thumb…nail as a style。 The chairs are
broken…down invalids； the wretched little hempen mats slip away
from under your feet without slipping away for good； and finally；
the foot…warmers are miserable wrecks； hingeless； charred； broken
away about the holes。 It would be impossible to give an idea of
the old； rotten； shaky； cranky； worm…eaten； halt； maimed； one…
eyed； rickety； and ramshackle condition of the furniture without
an exhaustive description； which would delay the progress of the
story to an extent that impatient people would not pardon。 The
red tiles of the floor are full of depressions brought about by
scouring and periodical renewings of color。 In short； there is no
illusory grace left to the poverty that reigns here； it is dire；
parsimonious； concentrated； threadbare poverty； as yet it has not
sunk into the mire； it is only splashed by it； and though not in
rags as yet； its clothing is ready to drop to pieces。
This apartment is in all its glory at seven o'clock in the
morning； when Mme。 Vauquer's cat appears； announcing the near
approach of his mistress； and jumps upon the sideboards to sniff
at the milk in the bowls； each protected by a plate； while he
purrs his morning greeting to the world。 A moment later the widow
shows her face； she is tricked out in a net cap attached to a
false front set on awry； and shuffles into the room in her
slipshod fashion。 She is an oldish woman； with a bloated
countenance； and a nose like a parrot's beak set in the middle of
it； her fat little hands （she is as sleek as a church rat） and
her shapeless； slouching figure are in keeping with the room that
reeks of misfortune； where hope is reduced to speculate for the
meanest stakes。 Mme。 Vauquer alone can breathe that tainted air
without being disheartened by it。 Her face is as fresh as a
frosty morning in autumn； there are wrinkles about the eyes that
vary in their expression from the set smile of a ballet…dancer to
the dark； suspicious scowl of a discounter of bills； in short；
she is at once the embodiment and interpretation of her lodging…
house； as surely as her lodging…house implies the existence of
its mistress。 You can no more imagine the one without the other；
than you can think of a jail without a turnkey。 The unwholesome
corpulence of the little woman is produced by the life she leads；
just as typhus fever is bred in the tainted air of a hospital。
The very knitted woolen petticoat that she wears beneath a skirt
made of an old gown； with the wadding protruding through the
rents in the material； is a sort of epitome of the sitting…room；
the dining…room； and the little garden； it discovers the cook； it
foreshadows the lodgersthe picture of the house is completed by
the portrait of its mistress。
Mme。 Vauquer at the age of fifty is like all women who 〃have seen
a deal of trouble。〃 She has the glassy eyes and innocent air of a
trafficker in flesh and blood； who will wax virtuously indignant
to obtain a higher price for her services； but who is quite ready
to betray a Georges or a Pichegru； if a Georges or a Pichegru
were in hiding and still to be betrayed； or for any other
expedient that may alleviate her lot。 Still； 〃she is a good woman
at bottom；〃 said the lodgers who believed that the widow was
wholly dependent upon the money that they paid her； and
sympathized when they heard her cough and groan like one of
themselves。
What had M。 Vauquer been？ The lady was never very explicit on
this head。 How had she lost her money？ 〃Through trouble；〃 was her
answer。 He had treated her badly； had left her nothing but her
eyes to cry over his cruelty； the house she lived in； and the
privilege of pitying nobody； because； so she was wont to say； she
herself had been through every possible misfortune。
Sylvie； the stout cook； hearing her mistress' shuffling
footsteps； hastened to serve the lodgers' breakfasts。 Beside
those who lived in the house； Mme。 Vauquer took boarders who came
for their meals； but these externes usually only came to dinner；
for which they paid thirty francs a month。
At the time when this story begins； the lodging…house contained
seven inmates。 The best rooms in the house were on the first
story； Mme。 Vauquer herself occupying the least important； while
the rest were let to a Mme。 Couture； the widow of a commissary…
general in the service of the Republic。 With her lived Victorine
Taillefer； a schoolgirl； to whom she filled the place of mother。
These two ladies paid eighteen hundred francs a year。
The two sets of rooms on the second floor were respectively
occupied by an old man named Poiret and a man of forty or
thereabouts； the wearer of a black wig and dyed whiskers； who
gave out that he was a retired merchant； and was addressed as M。
Vautrin。 Two of the four rooms on the third floor were also let
one to an elderly spinster； a Mlle。 Michonneau； and the other to
a retired manufacturer of vermicelli； Italian paste and starch；
who allowed the others to address him as 〃Father Goriot。〃 The
remaining rooms were allotted to various birds of passage； to
impecunious students； who like 〃Father Goriot〃 and Mlle。
Michonneau； could only muster forty…five francs a month to pay
for their board and lodging。 Mme。 Vauquer had little desire for
lodgers of this sort； they ate too much bread； and she only took
them in default of better。
At that time one of the rooms was tenanted by a law student； a
young man from the neighborhood of Angouleme； one of a large
family who pinched and starved themselves to spare twelve hundred
francs a year for him。 Misfortune had accustomed Eugene de
Rastignac； for that was his