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
âAha!â said the painter as EugĂšne came in, âFather Goriot has broken down at last. Bianchon is upstairs with him. One of his daughtersâ âthe Comtesse de Restauramaâ âcame to see the old gentleman, and he would get up and go out, and made himself worse. Society is about to lose one of its brightest ornaments.â
Rastignac sprang to the staircase.
âHey! Monsieur EugĂšne!â
âMonsieur EugĂšne, the mistress is calling you,â shouted Sylvie.
âIt is this, sir,â said the widow. âYou and M. Goriot should by rights have moved out on the 15th of February. That was three days ago; today is the 18th, I ought really to be paid a month in advance; but if you will engage to pay for both, I shall be quite satisfied.â
âWhy canât you trust him?â
âTrust him, indeed! If the old gentleman went off his head and died, those daughters of his would not pay me a farthing, and his things wonât fetch ten francs. This morning he went out with all the spoons and forks he has left, I donât know why. He had got himself up to look quite young, andâ âLord, forgive meâ âbut I thought he had rouge on his cheeks; he looked quite young again.â
âI will be responsible,â said EugĂšne, shuddering with horror, for he foresaw the end.
He climbed the stairs and reached Father Goriotâs room. The old man was tossing on his bed. Bianchon was with him.
âGood evening, father,â said EugĂšne.
The old man turned his glassy eyes on him, smiled gently, and said:
âHow is she?â
âShe is quite well. But how are you?â
âThere is nothing much the matter.â
âDonât tire him,â said Bianchon, drawing EugĂšne into a corner of the room.
âWell?â asked Rastignac.
âNothing but a miracle can save him now. Serous congestion has set in; I have put on mustard plasters, and luckily he can feel them, they are acting.â
âIs it possible to move him?â
âQuite out of the question. He must stay where he is, and be kept as quiet as possibleâ ââ
âDear Bianchon,â said EugĂšne, âwe will nurse him between us.â
âI have had the head physician round from my hospital to see him.â
âAnd what did he say?â
âHe will give no opinion till tomorrow evening. He promised to look in again at the end of the day. Unluckily, the preposterous creature must needs go and do something foolish this morning; he will not say what it was. He is as obstinate as a mule. As soon as I begin to talk to him he pretends not to hear, and lies as if he were asleep instead of answering, or if he opens his eyes he begins to groan. Some time this morning he went out on foot in the streets, nobody knows where he went, and he took everything that he had of any value with him. He has been driving some confounded bargain, and it has been too much for his strength. One of his daughters has been here.â
âWas it the Countess?â asked EugĂšne. âA tall, dark-haired woman, with large bright eyes, slender figure, and little feet?â
âYes.â
âLeave him to me for a bit,â said Rastignac. âI will make him confess; he will tell me all about it.â
âAnd meanwhile I will get my dinner. But try not to excite him; there is still some hope left.â
âAll right.â
âHow they will enjoy themselves tomorrow,â said Father Goriot when they were alone. âThey are going to a grand ball.â
âWhat were you doing this morning, papa, to make yourself so poorly this evening that you have to stop in bed?â
âNothing.â
âDid not Anastasie come to see you?â demanded Rastignac.
âYes,â said Father Goriot.
âWell, then, donât keep anything from me. What more did she want of you?â
âOh, she was very miserable,â he answered, gathering up all his strength to speak. âIt was this way, my boy. Since that affair of the diamonds, Nasie has not had a penny of her own. For this ball she had ordered a golden gown like a setting for a jewel. Her mantua maker, a woman without a conscience, would not give her credit, so Nasieâs waiting-woman advanced a thousand francs on account. Poor Nasie! reduced to such shifts! It cut me to the heart to think of it! But when Nasieâs maid saw how things were between her master and mistress, she was afraid of losing her money, and came to an understanding with the dressmaker, and the woman refuses to send the ball-dress until the money is paid. The gown is ready, and the ball is tomorrow night! Nasie was in despair. She wanted to borrow my forks and spoons to pawn them. Her husband is determined that she shall go and wear the diamonds, so as to contradict the stories that are told all over Paris. How can she go to that heartless scoundrel and say, âI owe a thousand francs to my dressmaker; pay her for me!â She cannot. I saw that myself. Delphine will be there too in a superb toilette, and Anastasie ought not to be outshone by her younger sister. And thenâ âshe was drowned in tears, poor girl! I felt so humbled yesterday when I had not the twelve thousand francs, that I would have given the rest of my miserable life to wipe out that wrong. You see, I could have borne anything once, but latterly this want of money has broken my heart. Oh!
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