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very gently against the waist than his fingers had grasped too
roughly。
〃Oh！ no； no；〃 he cried。 〃I have not hurt you； have I？〃 and his
smile seemed to repeat the question。 〃YOU have hurt me with that
cry just now。The things cost rather more than that；〃 he said in
her ear； with another gentle kiss； 〃but I had to deceive him
about it； or he would have been angry。〃
Eugene sat dumb with amazement in the presence of this
inexhaustible love； he gazed at Goriot； and his face betrayed the
artless admiration which shapes the beliefs of youth。
〃I will be worthy of all this；〃 he cried。
〃Oh！ my Eugene； that is nobly said；〃 and Mme。 de Nucingen kissed
the law student on the forehead。
〃He gave up Mlle。 Taillefer and her millions for you；〃 said
Father Goriot。 〃Yes； the little thing was in love with you； and
now that her brother is dead she is as rich as Croesus。〃
〃Oh！ why did you tell her？〃 cried Rastignac。
〃Eugene；〃 Delphine said in his ear； 〃I have one regret now this
evening。 Ah！ how I will love you！ and for ever！〃
〃This is the happiest day I have had since you two were married！〃
cried Goriot。 〃God may send me any suffering； so long as I do not
suffer through you； and I can still say； 'In this short month of
February I had more happiness than other men have in their whole
lives。'Look at me； Fifine！〃 he said to his daughter。 〃She is
very beautiful； is she not？ Tell me； now； have you seen many
women with that pretty soft colorthat little dimple of hers？
No； I thought not。 Ah； well； and but for me this lovely woman
would never have been。 And very soon happiness will make her a
thousand times lovelier； happiness through you。 I could give up
my place in heaven to you； neighbor； if needs be； and go down to
hell instead。 Come； let us have dinner；〃 he added； scarcely
knowing what he said； 〃everything is ours。〃
〃Poor dear father！〃
He rose and went over to her； and took her face in his hands； and
set a kiss on the plaits of hair。 〃If you only knew； little one；
how happy you can make mehow little it takes to make me happy！
Will you come and see me sometimes？ I shall be just above； so it
is only a step。 Promise me； say that you will！〃
〃Yes； dear father。〃
〃Say it again。〃
〃Yes； I will； my kind father。〃
〃Hush！ hush！ I should make you say it a hundred times over if I
followed my own wishes。 Let us have dinner。〃
The three behaved like children that evening； and Father Goriot's
spirits were certainly not the least wild。 He lay at his
daughter's feet； kissed them； gazed into her eyes； rubbed his
head against her dress； in short； no young lover could have been
more extravagant or more tender。
〃You see！〃 Delphine said with a look at Eugene； 〃so long as my
father is with us； he monopolizes me。 He will be rather in the
way sometimes。〃
Eugene had himself already felt certain twinges of jealousy； and
could not blame this speech that contained the germ of all
ingratitude。
〃And when will the rooms be ready？〃 asked Eugene； looking round。
〃We must all leave them this evening； I suppose。〃
〃Yes； but to…morrow you must come and dine with me；〃 she
answered； with an eloquent glance。 〃It is our night at the
Italiens。〃
〃I shall go to the pit；〃 said her father。
It was midnight。 Mme。 de Nucingen's carriage was waiting for her；
and Father Goriot and the student walked back to the Maison
Vauquer； talking of Delphine； and warming over their talk till
there grew up a curious rivalry between the two violent passions。
Eugene could not help seeing that the father's self…less love was
deeper and more steadfast than his own。 For this worshiper
Delphine was always pure and fair； and her father's adoration
drew its fervor from a whole past as well as a future of love。
They found Mme。 Vauquer by the stove； with Sylvie and Christophe
to keep her company； the old landlady； sitting like Marius among
the ruins of Carthage； was waiting for the two lodgers that yet
remained to her； and bemoaning her lot with the sympathetic
Sylvie。 Tasso's lamentations as recorded in Byron's poem are
undoubtedly eloquent； but for sheer force of truth they fall far
short of the widow's cry from the depths。
〃Only three cups of coffee in the morning； Sylvie！ Oh dear！ to
have your house emptied in this way is enough to break your
heart。 What is life； now my lodgers are gone？ Nothing at all。
Just think of it！ It is just as if all the furniture had been
taken out of the house； and your furniture is your life。 How have
I offended heaven to draw down all this trouble upon me？ And
haricot beans and potatoes laid in for twenty people！ The police
in my house too！ We shall have to live on potatoes now； and
Christophe will have to go！〃
The Savoyard； who was fast asleep； suddenly woke up at this； and
said； 〃Madame；〃 questioningly。
〃Poor fellow！〃 said Sylvie； 〃he is like a dog。〃
〃In the dead season； too！ Nobody is moving now。 I would like to
know where the lodgers are to drop down from。 It drives me
distracted。 And that old witch of a Michonneau goes and takes
Poiret with her！ What can she have done to make him so fond of
her？ He runs about after her like a little dog。〃
〃Lord！〃 said Sylvie； flinging up her head； 〃those old maids are
up to all sorts of tricks。〃
〃There's that poor M。 Vautrin that they made out to be a
convict；〃 the widow went on。 〃Well； you know that is too much for
me； Sylvie； I can't bring myself to believe it。 Such a lively man
as he was； and paid fifteen francs a month for his coffee of an
evening； paid you very penny on the nail too。〃
〃And open…handed he was！〃 said Christophe。
〃There is some mistake；〃 said Sylvie。
〃Why； no there isn't！ he said so himself！〃 said Mme。 Vauquer。
〃And to think that all these things have happened in my house；
and in a quarter where you never see a cat go by。 On my word as
an honest woman； it's like a dream。 For； look here； we saw Louis
XVI。 meet with his mishap； we saw the fall of the Emperor； and we
saw him come back and fall again； there was nothing out of the
way in all that； but lodging…houses are not liable to
revolutions。 You can do without a king； but you must eat all the
same； and so long as a decent woman； a de Conflans born and bred；
will give you all sorts of good things for dinner； nothing short
of the end of the world ought tobut there； it is the end of the
world； that is just what it is！〃
〃And to think that Mlle。 Michonneau who made all this mischief is
to have a thousand crowns a year for it； so I hear；〃 cried
Sylvie。
〃Don't speak of her； she is a wicked woman！〃 said Mme。 Vauquer。
〃She is going to the Buneaud； who charges less than cost。 But the
Buneaud is capable of anything； she must have done frightful
things； robbed and murdered people in her time。 SHE ought to be
put in jail for life instead of that poor dear〃
Eugene and Goriot rang the door…bell at that moment。
〃Ah！ here are my two faithful lodgers；〃 said the widow； sighing。
But the two faithful lodgers； who retained but shadowy
recollections of the misfortunes of their lodging…house；
announced to their hostess without more ado that they were about
to remove to the Chaussee d'Antin。
〃Sylvie！〃 cried the widow； 〃this is the last straw。Gentlemen；
this will be the death of me！ It has quite upset me！ There's a
weight on my chest！ I am ten years older for this day！ Upon my
word； I shall go out of my senses！ And what is to be done with
the haricots！Oh； well； if I am to be left here all by myself；
you shall go to…morrow； Christophe。Good…night； gentlemen；〃 and
she went。
〃What is the matter now？〃 Eugene inquired of Sylvie。
〃Lord！ everybody is going about his business； and that has addled
her wits。 There！ she is crying upstairs。 It will do her good to
snivel a bit。 It's the first time she has cried since I've been
with her。〃
By the morning； Mme。 Vauquer； to use her own expression； had
〃made up her mind to it。〃 True； she still wore a doleful
countenance； as might be expected of a woman who had lost all her
lodgers； and whose manner of life had been suddenly
revolutionized； but she had all her wits about her。 Her grief was
genuine and profound； it was real pain of mind； for her purse had
suffered； the routine of her existence had been broken。 A lover's
farewell glance at his lady…love's window is not more mournful
than Mme。 Vauquer's survey of the empty places round her table。
Eugene administered comfort； telling the widow that Bianchon；
whose term of residence at the hospital was about to expire；
would doubtless take his （Rastignac's） place； that the official
from the Museum had often expressed a desire to have Mme。
Couture's rooms； and that in a very few days her household would
be on the old footing。
〃God send it may； my dear sir！ but bad luck has come to lodge
here。 There'll be a death in the house before ten