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〃My angels；〃 murmured Goriot faintly。 〃Oh； why should it be
trouble that draws you together？〃
This warm and palpitating affection seemed to give the Countess
courage。
〃To save Maxime's life；〃 she said； 〃to save all my own happiness；
I went to the money…lender you know of； a man of iron forged in
hell…fire； nothing can melt him； I took all the family diamonds
that M。 de Restaud is so proud ofhis and mine tooand sold
them to that M。 Gobseck。 SOLD THEM！ Do you understand？ I saved
Maxime； but I am lost。 Restaud found it all out。〃
〃How？ Who told him？ I will kill him；〃 cried Goriot。
〃Yesterday he sent to tell me to come to his room。 I went。 。 。 。
'Anastasie；' he said in a voiceoh！ such a voice； that was
enough； it told me everything'where are your diamonds？''In my
room''No；' he said； looking straight at me； 'there they are
on that chest of drawers' and he lifted his handkerchief and
showed me the casket。 'Do you know where they came from？' he
said。 I fell at his feet。 。 。 。 I cried； I besought him to tell
me the death he wished to see me die。〃
〃You said that！〃 cried Goriot。 〃By God in heaven； whoever lays a
hand on either of you so long as I am alive may reckon on being
roasted by slow fires！ Yes； I will cut him in pieces like 。 。 。〃
Goriot stopped； the words died away in his throat。
〃And then； dear； he asked something worse than death of me。 Oh！
heaven preserve all other women from hearing such words as I
heard then！〃
〃I will murder that man；〃 said Goriot quietly。 〃But he has only
one life； and he deserves to die twice。And then； what next？〃 he
added； looking at Anastasie。
〃Then；〃 the Countess resumed； 〃there was a pause； and he looked
at me。 'Anastasie；' he said； 'I will bury this in silence； there
shall be no separation； there are the children。 I will not kill
M。 de Trailles。 I might miss him if we fought； and as for other
ways of getting rid of him； I should come into collision with the
law。 If I killed him in your arms； it would bring dishonor on
THOSE children。 But if you do not want to see your children
perish； nor their father nor me； you must first of all submit to
two conditions。 Answer me。 Have I a child of my own？' I answered；
'Yes；''Which？''Ernest； our eldest boy。''Very well；' he
said； 'and now swear to obey me in this particular from this time
forward。' I swore。 'You will make over your property to me when I
require you to do so。' 〃
〃Do nothing of the kind！〃 cried Goriot。 〃Aha！ M。 de Restaud； you
could not make your wife happy； she has looked for happiness and
found it elsewhere； and you make her suffer for your own
ineptitude？ He will have to reckon with me。 Make yourself easy；
Nasie。 Aha！ he cares about his heir！ Good； very good。 I will get
hold of the boy； isn't he my grandson？ What the blazes！ I can
surely go to see the brat！ I will stow him away somewhere； I will
take care of him； you may be quite easy。 I will bring Restaud to
terms； the monster！ I shall say to him； 'A word or two with you！
If you want your son back again； give my daughter her property；
and leave her to do as she pleases。' 〃
〃Father！〃
〃Yes。 I am your father； Nasie； a father indeed！ That rogue of a
great lord had better not ill…treat my daughter。 Tonnerre！ What
is it in my veins？ There is the blood of a tiger in me； I could
tear those two men to pieces！ Oh！ children； children！ so this is
what your lives are！ Why； it is death！ 。 。 。 What will become of
you when I shall be here no longer？ Fathers ought to live as long
as their children。 Ah！ Lord God in heaven！ how ill Thy world is
ordered！ Thou hast a Son； if what they tell us is true； and yet
Thou leavest us to suffer so through our children。 My darlings；
my darlings！ to think that trouble only should bring you to me；
that I should only see you with tears on your faces！ Ah！ yes；
yes； you love me； I see that you love me。 Come to me and pour out
your griefs to me； my heart is large enough to hold them all。 Oh！
you might rend my heart in pieces； and every fragment would make
a father's heart。 If only I could bear all your sorrows for you！
。 。 。 Ah！ you were so happy when you were little and still with
me。 。 。 。〃
〃We have never been happy since；〃 said Delphine。 〃Where are the
old days when we slid down the sacks in the great granary？〃
〃That is not all； father；〃 said Anastasie in Goriot's ear。 The
old man gave a startled shudder。 〃The diamonds only sold for a
hundred thousand francs。 Maxime is hard pressed。 There are twelve
thousand francs still to pay。 He has given me his word that he
will be steady and give up play in future。 His love is all that I
have left in the world。 I have paid such a fearful price for it
that I should die if I lose him now。 I have sacrificed my
fortune； my honor； my peace of mind； and my children for him。 Oh！
do something； so that at the least Maxime may be at large and
live undisgraced in the world； where he will assuredly make a
career for himself。 Something more than my happiness is at stake；
the children have nothing； and if he is sent to Sainte…Pelagie
all his prospects will be ruined。〃
〃I haven't the money； Nasie。 I have NOTHINGnothing left。 This
is the end of everything。 Yes； the world is crumbling into ruin；
I am sure。 Fly！ Save yourselves！ Ah！I have still my silver
buckles left； and half…a…dozen silver spoons and forks； the first
I ever had in my life。 But I have nothing else except my life
annuity； twelve hundred francs 。 。 。〃
〃Then what has become of your money in the funds？〃
〃I sold out； and only kept a trifle for my wants。 I wanted twelve
thousand francs to furnish some rooms for Delphine。〃
〃In your own house？〃 asked Mme。 de Restaud； looking at her
sister。
〃What does it matter where they were？〃 asked Goriot。 〃The money
is spent now。〃
〃I see how it is；〃 said the Countess。 〃Rooms for M。 de Rastignac。
Poor Delphine； take warning by me！〃
〃M。 de Rastignac is incapable of ruining the woman he loves；
dear。〃
〃Thanks！ Delphine。 I thought you would have been kinder to me in
my troubles； but you never did love me。〃
〃Yes； yes； she loves you； Nasie；〃 cried Goriot； 〃she was saying
so only just now。 We were talking about you； and she insisted
that you were beautiful； and that she herself was only pretty！〃
〃Pretty！〃 said the Countess。 〃She is as hard as a marble statue。〃
〃And if I am？〃 cried Delphine； flushing up； 〃how have you treated
me？ You would not recognize me； you closed the doors of every
house against me； you have never let an opportunity of mortifying
me slip by。 And when did I come； as you were always doing； to
drain our poor father； a thousand francs at a time； till he is
left as you see him now？ That is all your doing； sister！ I myself
have seen my father as often as I could。 I have not turned him
out of the house； and then come and fawned upon him when I wanted
money。 I did not so much as know that he had spent those twelve
thousand francs on me。 I am economical； as you know； and when
papa has made me presents； it has never been because I came and
begged for them。〃
〃You were better off than I。 M。 de Marsay was rich； as you have
reason to know。 You always were as slippery as gold。 Good…bye； I
have neither sister nor〃
〃Oh！ hush； hush； Nasie！〃 cried her father。
〃Nobody else would repeat what everybody has ceased to believe。
You are an unnatural sister！〃 cried Delphine。
〃Oh； children； children！ hush！ hush！ or I will kill myself before
your eyes。〃
〃There； Nasie； I forgive you；〃 said Mme。 de Nucingen； 〃you are
very unhappy。 But I am kinder than you are。 How could you say
THAT just when I was ready to do anything in the world to help
you； even to be reconciled with my husband； which for my own sake
I Oh！ it is just like you； you have behaved cruelly to me all
through these nine years。〃
〃Children； children； kiss each other！〃 cried the father。 〃You are
angels； both of you。〃
〃No。 Let me alone；〃 cried the Countess shaking off the hand that
her father had laid on her arm。 〃She is more merciless than my
husband。 Any one might think she was a model of all the virtues
herself！〃
〃I would rather have people think that I owed money to M。 de
Marsay than own that M。 de Trailles had cost me more than two
hundred thousand francs；〃 retorted Mme。 de Nucingen。
〃DELPHINE！〃 cried the Countess； stepping towards her sister。
〃I shall tell you the truth about yourself if you begin to
slander me；〃 said the Baroness coldly。
〃Delphine！ you are a 〃
Father Goriot sprang between them； grasped the Countess' hand；
and laid his own over her mouth。
〃Good heavens； father！ What have you been handling this morning？〃
said Anastasie。
〃Ah！ well； yes； I ought not to have touched you；〃 said the poor
father； wiping his hands on his trousers； 〃but I have been
packing up my things； I did not know that you were coming to