Father Goriot HonorĂ© de Balzac (love books to read .TXT) đ
- Author: Honoré de Balzac
Book online «Father Goriot HonorĂ© de Balzac (love books to read .TXT) đ». Author HonorĂ© de Balzac
âBut you must see your rooms,â said Mme. de Nucingen. She took his hand and led him into a room carpeted and furnished like her own; indeed, down to the smallest details, it was a reproduction in miniature of Delphineâs apartment.
âThere is no bed,â said Rastignac.
âNo, monsieur,â she answered, reddening, and pressing his hand. EugĂšne, looking at her, understood, young though he yet was, how deeply modesty is implanted in the heart of a woman who loves.
âYou are one of those beings whom we cannot choose but to adore forever,â he said in her ear. âYes, the deeper and truer love is, the more mysterious and closely veiled it should be; I can dare to say so, since we understand each other so well. No one shall learn our secret.â
âOh! so I am nobody, I suppose,â growled the father.
âYou know quite well that âweâ means you.â
âAh! that is what I wanted. You will not mind me, will you? I shall go and come like a good fairy who makes himself felt everywhere without being seen, shall I not? Eh, Delphinette, Ninette, Dedelâ âwas it not a good idea of mine to say to you, âThere are some nice rooms to let in the Rue dâArtois; let us furnish them for him?â And she would not hear of it! Ah! your happiness has been all my doing. I am the author of your happiness and of your existence. Fathers must always be giving if they would be happy themselves; always givingâ âthey would not be fathers else.â
âWas that how it happened?â asked EugĂšne.
âYes. She would not listen to me. She was afraid that people would talk, as if the rubbish that they say about you were to be compared with happiness! Why, all women dream of doing what she has doneâ ââ
Father Goriot found himself without an audience, for Mme. de Nucingen had led Rastignac into the study; he heard a kiss given and taken, low though the sound was.
The study was furnished as elegantly as the other rooms, and nothing was wanting there.
âHave we guessed your wishes rightly?â she asked, as they returned to the drawing-room for dinner.
âYes,â he said, âonly too well, alas! For all this luxury so well carried out, this realization of pleasant dreams, the elegance that satisfies all the romantic fancies of youth, appeals to me so strongly that I cannot but feel that it is my rightful possession, but I cannot accept it from you, and I am too poor as yet toâ ââ
âAh! ah! you say me nay already,â she said with arch imperiousness, and a charming little pout of the lips, a womanâs way of laughing away scruples.
But EugĂšne had submitted so lately to that solemn self-questioning, and Vautrinâs arrest had so plainly shown him the depths of the pit that lay ready to his feet, that the instincts of generosity and honor had been strengthened in him, and he could not allow himself to be coaxed into abandoning his high-minded determinations. Profound melancholy filled his mind.
âDo you really mean to refuse?â said Mme. de Nucingen. âAnd do you know what such a refusal means? That you are not sure of yourself, that you do not dare to bind yourself to me. Are you really afraid of betraying my affection? If you love me, if Iâ âlove you, why should you shrink back from such a slight obligation? If you but knew what a pleasure it has been to see after all the arrangements of this bachelor establishment, you would not hesitate any longer, you would ask me to forgive you for your hesitation. I had some money that belonged to you, and I have made good use of it, that is all. You mean this for magnanimity, but it is very little of you. You are asking me for far more than this.â ââ ⊠Ah!â she cried, as EugĂšneâs passionate glance was turned on her, âand you are making difficulties about the merest trifles. Of, if you feel no love whatever for me, refuse, by all means. My fate hangs on a word from you. Speak!â âFather,â she said after a pause, âmake him listen to reason. Can he imagine that I am less nice than he is on the point of honor?â
Father Goriot was looking on and listening to this pretty quarrel with a placid smile, as if he had found some balm for all the sorrows of life.
âChild that you are!â she cried again, catching EugĂšneâs hand. âYou are just beginning life; you find barriers at the outset that many a man finds insurmountable; a womanâs hand opens the way and you shrink back! Why, you are sure to succeed! You will have a brilliant future. Success is written on that broad forehead of yours, and will you not be able to repay me my loan of today? Did not a lady in olden times arm her knight with sword and helmet and coat of mail, and find him a charger, so that he might fight for her in the tournament? Well, then, EugĂšne, these things that I offer you are the weapons of this age; everyone who means to be something must have such tools as these. A pretty place your garret must be if it is like papaâs room! See, dinner is waiting all this time. Do you want to make me unhappy?â âWhy donât you answer?â she said, shaking his hand. âMon Dieu! papa, make up his mind for him, or I will go away and never see him any more.â
âI will make up your mind,â said Goriot, coming down from the clouds. âNow, my dear M. EugĂšne, the next thing is to borrow money of the Jews, isnât it?â
âThere is positively no help for it,â said EugĂšne.
âAll right, I will give you credit,â said the other, drawing out a cheap leather pocketbook, much the worse for wear. âI have turned Jew myself; I paid for everything; here are the invoices. You do not owe a penny for anything here. It did not come
Comments (0)