Miss Eugenie Grandet

Early the next morning, Mrs. Grandet knew that the old man had arrived unexpectedly last night.When he learned that he actually compromised with his daughter, and the daughter agreed to end her life in Floavon and go back with the old man, she felt excited and happy for the reconciliation between father and daughter, and decided that this must be the reason why she had been in front of the statue of the Virgin every morning and evening. It is caused by devout prayers—but this kind of joy is like a stave written by a beginner. Between the notes, there are always one or two discordant syllables that will pop up from time to time. broken.For example, the first thing you do when you open the door every day: eat.

As in Saumur, at 8 o'clock in the morning, when Mrs. Grandet finished her more pious morning prayer, Grandet also returned from a tour of the vineyard, and the family of three sat down to have breakfast.Looking at the bread sticks on the table, the freshly brewed jam for a few days, the jars filled with hot milk, and a few freshly boiled eggs, the old landowner restrained himself despite his embarrassment. He went to say more, but when he saw that Louise actually served another meat tart that was still sizzling in an iron pan and sprinkled with minced garlic and celery, he couldn't bear it any longer. He stopped, he couldn't even hold the fork steady, and stopped in mid-air tremblingly.

"My dear! Has anyone ever seen this eaten early in the morning! How much meat, how much eggs, how much butter it takes to make it! Is this how you spend your life when I am away? Solomon's treasure also I can't stand you chewing like this!"

The little maid had never dealt with Grandet much before, and was frightened by the current appearance of her old employer, and said in a panic: "Master...Master, Miss is called. Yesterday Danny's sent a beaten The hare, the lady said, the meat will go bad if left for a long time, let's make a meat tower today..."

"Miss tells you to cut up the meat of your old boss, and you really cut it with a knife—"

When the old man opened his eyes and yelled, he suddenly heard a cough next to him. He turned his head and saw Eugenie looking at him with a smile. Then he remembered, and finally stopped abruptly.

"Father, try it."

Eugenie cut the meat tower into small triangular pieces with a knife, forked a piece and sent it to Grandet's plate.After the old man swallowed the most extravagant breakfast he had ever had in his life with a tragic expression, he stared at the opposite wife without saying a word.The poor wife, under the watchful eyes of her husband, can't eat at all, and dare not even reach out to pour milk.

"Father!" Eugenie put down the tableware, and her expression became serious, "I think we should discuss it again. Although you are silent, if you make everyone's life difficult because of your other actions, I will have to reconsider my previous decision."

Grandet stood up angrily.

"Eat it! Old woman! Feel free to fill your mouth with meat! I don't want to watch it! This is the way of the world, and old birds will have their eyeballs pecked by the little birds that fly out of their nests. Is there any reason? !"

Grumbling and complaining, the old man turned and left.

----

Two days later, after Grandet had inspected the property of Floafont, the family returned to Saumur together, and, at the insistence of Eugenie, the little maid Louise also came and continued to work. former life.

Although the little maid was very afraid of old Grandet, she could tell that if there was a lady around, the master would just stare and whine at most, and there was no real threat to her, so she followed happily.

The news quickly spread throughout the city.After the inexplicable breakup between the father and daughter, how could they get back together inexplicably? Everyone talked a lot.That night, several Crochet and Grassin came to visit the mother and daughter Grandet who had disappeared for nearly half a year, and expressed their sincere welcome to their return.The presiding judge was very excited.In order to overwhelm his rival, the womanly Altdorf of the Grassins family, and to impress the heiress he hadn't seen for a long time with his masculinity, he finally took off the dress he had been wearing for years. The shirt with yellow stains on the front due to snuff was replaced by a newly made snow-white shirt with a neat bow tie, showing his masculinity without omission.In the living room where the familiar candle light was never bright enough, after he greeted him, he saw that the heiress' eyes seemed to rest on him for a moment, and finally nodded to him, he was so excited that he couldn't stop shivering .

"She looks prettier than ever!"

He sat beside Notary Crochet, and while the notary was talking to Grandet about the recent changes in the interest rates on the public debt, he kept looking at Eugenie, thinking this secretly.

People have eyes, especially the eyes of men when they examine women.There is nothing wrong with the judge's eyes, let alone the deception brought about by the so-called "beauty is in the eye of the beholder".

It is absolutely true to live in the body and raise the body.The new life in the past six months, whether it is the change of temperament brought about from the heart, or because of the improvement of living conditions, the current Miss Grandet is completely different from the previous Eugenie.Her hair was still braided and simply coiled around her head, but it was doubled in volume and gleamed in the sun.Her skin became fairer and smoother because of the good suet balm, especially her teeth, which were white and neat because of the attention to care, and her breath was fresh and pleasant. She was definitely not like Mrs. Grassin. She has a pretty face, too, but when she opens her mouth to smile, she reveals a pair of unappetizing yellow teeth.

When he was close to her just now, he accidentally smelled the faint fragrance from her body, which made the chief judge still dream about it for a long time.

As the heiress of a huge wealth, even if Eugenie was so ugly that Nanon stood up and surpassed the imperial sailors, he would not dislike her, not to mention that she was so beautiful?

The judge became more determined to pursue the goddess.

Of course, Nanon is the happiest person for the return of Grandet's mother and daughter.This loyal maid can not only continue to get along with them day and night, but what makes her feel even more proud is that she has been promoted now and has subordinates!Although she still can only get an annuity of sixty francs from the old Grandet, she finally has a little servant who can be dispatched, and she can breathe a sigh of relief. Momentary pause.

"Miss, you are very kind to Nanon!" When she learned from Madame Grandet that the lady had finally persuaded her old employer to agree to bring the little maid back to help her work after she learned from Madame Grandet. She was so grateful that she almost burst into tears, and patted her chest, "Miss, just speak up if you have something to do, Nanon will never frown!"

Having lived in Flotafont for less than half a year, she was already a little accustomed to the bright and spacious environment, and she suddenly returned to the old house of Saumur. To be honest, Eugenie was really not used to it at first.But she didn't intend to make drastic changes to the residence immediately, after all, she still had to take her father's feelings into consideration.If the idea of ​​Saumur's old house is brought up now, I'm afraid he will really have a blood vessel burst.Take it step by step, there is no rush anyway, let him get used to eating and other daily routines first.Moreover, Eugenie actually didn't have much hope for her father's promise at the beginning.He is willing to let go, which is a big victory.She is also ready for a tug of war.So, when she found out that in the past few days after returning home, not only did her father pay more attention to the safekeeping of the bunch of keys with her, but also added a new lock to the door of the secret room at some point, she didn't say anything, just smiled laugh.On the other hand, Grandet, seeing his daughter's reaction, blushed a little, faltered and explained a few words, turned around, and covered the key even more tightly.

As the head of the family, although the father is a little helpless in front of his daughter, he is not so considerate when facing his wife who has been suppressed by him for most of his life.It’s not like forcibly confiscating the new belongings that his wife bought in the past six months, but every time, when he touches the mattress on his wife’s bed, looks at the crepe summer gray dress on his wife, or when he hears When Eugenie discussed today's dishes with her mother, although she didn't speak, the knife-like stern gaze and bursts of lamenting and sighing were enough to make Madame Grandet couldn't help but start to reflect on her serious sins.

"Eugenie, why don't we listen to your father?" At last, after returning from the first mass, on the way back from the church, Madame Grandet said sadly, "he keeps saying that we spend money, Still depressed..."

"He will be happy when he sees the gold," said Eugenie. "Mamma, he will certainly complain, all kinds of complaints. I hope you will not soften your heart, do not be afraid of him, and do not feel sorry for him. Do you believe what he said, and think that the life we ​​are living now is squandering? What is squandering? Let me tell you, like the former Empress Josephine, who piled up seven hundred dresses, two hundred hats, Countless shawls, gems and tiaras worth millions, this is a life of splurge. We live a normal life. It's just because Dad was so mean before, that makes you feel that life is a splurge . If you give in, you'll be fooled by him."

"Holy Mother! Seven hundred pieces of clothing! Two hundred hats!" Nanon was so surprised that her eyes almost fell out, "Even if one is in the daytime and one in the evening, how long will it take to wear them all..." She bowed her head and counted with her fingers. , "Ah, too few fingers to figure it out. But what a bill it pays, my lady..."

"They don't change more than two sets of clothes a day," Eugenie laughed. "In short, that's called extravagance."

"Nanon understands!" the maid shouted at Madame Grandet. "Madame, next time the master complains, tell him that Empress Josephine has seven hundred dresses. Madam, you only have two, so don't forget." What!"

"He will tear me off!" Madame Grandet tremblingly said.

----

Not only did the old man fail to get along with his wife, but he also discovered something worse and worse—the wife seemed to be influenced by her daughter, and gradually began to disregard herself.For example, just now, when he took advantage of his daughter's absence and teased his wife for putting on the dress like a heavy old quail, she replied in a low voice: "Josephine has seven hundred dresses! I only have two." , is nothing."

The old man was stunned on the spot, and when he finally realized that the old woman was challenging his husband's power, he became furious, and jumped to his feet and shouted: "Your master is a cooper who works so hard to plan food! Seven hundred A piece of clothing? You can tell! Shall I wrap you up and send you to the island to accompany that tyrant?"

It turned out that under the influence of her daughter, Mrs. Grandet gradually discovered that the old cooper was not as scary as she thought before.When he was angry, he was at most like a tiger in a cage. Although he kept baring his teeth and claws and rattling the cage, he did not cause any substantial harm to himself.So, now she dared to speak up once in a while.

"Monsieur," madame, seeing his old face looming before her eyes, was a little frightened, blinked her eyes, and drew back her neck, "I didn't say that, but Eugenie. If you don't Love to listen, I won't talk about it in the future..."

"Go ahead, my good lady," the old cooper sneered, and replied in a contemptuous tone, "you are now backed by your daughter, and you are almost as good as that Creole woman..."

When the old cooper was being aggressive, a clanging mail truck stopped in front of the gate, and this rescued the poor lady who was in trouble because she accidentally said the wrong word.

A letter came from Paris, which attracted all the attention of the old Grandet, ignoring his wife's disrespect to him.

The letter was from James Rochelle to Eugenie.He wrote that he was due to call on Mademoiselle Grandet about a week later.