Miss Eugenie Grandet

"Then what do you want to say?"

Eugenie asked a little helplessly.

Hearing his daughter ask himself this question, Grandet stopped talking.After walking around the room a few times with her hands behind her back, she suddenly stopped, turned her head and asked, "Eugenie, don't hide it from your father. That Jew..."

"Rochelle, Mr. James Rochelle!"

Eugenie interrupted, correcting the old man's impolite address with strong personal prejudice.

"Well, Mr. James Rochester! If it pleases you!"

The old man pronounced the name vaguely from his throat, appearing very reluctant.

"What did he come here for?"

"He knew that he was going to try to drive the locomotive today, so he came over to have a look. In addition, we talked about some possible investment matters related to this in the future."

"Apart from these?"

The old man continued to question, looking at Eugenie with a sly look.

"He will probably stay for a few days. After all, the scenery of the Loire River is still very fresh to him."

"Come on!"

As if proud of catching his daughter's grammatical errors, the old man said triumphantly, "A Jew among the Jews, he would take a three-day and three-night carriage from Paris to places like Saumur and Floavon." In the past few days, the purpose was just to enjoy the scenery of the Loire River? I saw it all last night! My daughter, has he also fallen in love with you, and wants to propose to you?"

Eugenie was surprised at the old father's cunning and a little embarrassed, but on the surface, she still said very calmly: "It's all your imagination. Father, is it because you are getting older recently that you are more serious than before? Love cranky?"

"Alright alright……"

Grandet was not angry when his daughter made such a judgment, but showed a mysterious smile instead.

"Then let's discuss the last question about this Jew." He still stubbornly used his favorite title to address the big banker from Paris, "Eugenie, if you get married, you will earn money from it." More money? For example, will he transfer his property, shares, etc. to you?"

"Father! I will not marry him!"

"It's just a hypothesis, a hypothesis..." Grandet clenched his teeth tightly.

"will not."

"So if you don't get married, will you make less money? For example, will he refuse to cooperate with you?"

Eugenie exhaled, "Neither!"

"Just as I thought!"

Old Grandet's eyes twinkled happily, proud of his wisdom.

"That is to say, if you don't get married, you won't make less money, and if you get married, you can't make more money. If you marry him, you will still be in business. The only person who can benefit is your future heir... Good guy , I was born lying in the mountains of gold and silver..." His voice suddenly dropped, and he muttered, "But what does it have to do with me?"

Eugenie was both amused and angry.

"Father, if that's what you're here for now, you can go back. I tell you again, I won't marry him."

"Yes! I totally agree!"

Grandet exclaimed cheerfully, "But the other young man is different! I mean, the little duke!"

Eugenie actually showed a rare smile when he said this.Alarm bells rang out in my heart, and my brows immediately frowned.

"Father, what do you mean by that? I know what you said when you went out to talk for a while today? No matter what he said, please don't take it seriously. In fact, he and I are not even friends !"

It's a pity that the daughter's extremely serious words didn't seem to have the effect it should have.After old Grandet listened, he didn't care.

"Okay, okay!" He happily immersed himself in his fantasy world, "Does it matter if they are friends? Isn't it the same when Dad and your mother got married? But now, everything proves that Dad How correct is your decision! We not only gave birth to you as an heir, but also earned an estate that ranks first in Saumur!"

"Father, don't you want me to marry him?" Eugenie was very surprised. "What did he tell you?"

"25 Flois Fon!"

The old cooper couldn't bear it any longer, and couldn't help shouting.

"He said today that after you get married, he will transfer all his land to you! My child, think about it, 25 Flois! How much land should there be in a year!"

Eugenie was stunned for a moment, then suddenly sneered.Old Grandet was so immersed in his excitement that he didn't notice the abnormality of his daughter, and thought that she was as happy as he was for hearing the 25 flotillas.

"Eugenie, my child! Think about it, once you get married, you can get such a large piece of real estate out of thin air! If you ride a horse, even if you run from morning to night, you may not be able to go around it! Mantai Bello is a good place! It has the most fertile land, the most fertile pastures, and endless forests. As long as you get married, all these will be yours..."

"It should be said that all this is yours, isn't it? Father," Eugenie interrupted the father's beautiful fantasy, "I'm afraid I will disappoint you," she said, "I will not marry him. "The tone is firm without room for negotiation.

The old cooper finally woke up from his beautiful fantasy, and stared at his daughter with an unbelievable gaze.

"Twenty-five flotillas! Grandpa's knife! Eugenie! Why don't you make such a good deal?"

"Father, I know that in your eyes, anything can be a deal, so I will not be surprised at all when you say such a thing, let alone feel sad." Eugenie said, "If Yes, to make you happy, I will do as you say. But this, sorry, I cannot promise."

"Go! Go! Go! Go!"

Grandet uttered a terrible voice that he had not seen for a long time.After confirming that her daughter was telling the truth, she walked around the house angrily.

Eugenie knew how terrible it would be for him to let him give up the "25 Flois Fronds" that he thought could be easily pocketed, so after thinking about it, she calmed down and comforted: "Father, believe me I, I can earn you absolutely no less money than this!"

"But we could have earned more!" the old man tried hard to persuade, "I don't like that little boy either. But what does it matter? Who stipulates that a couple must like each other? It's pleasing to the eye And besides, there are twenty-five Flotafons, and doesn't that add to his value in your eyes?"

"Not at all."

Eugenie said firmly, went to the door, and opened it.

"Father, I'm tired and I need to rest. Go back to sleep too."

The father looked at his daughter with a sad look.

In the past, if his daughter dared to go against his will and hinder his plan to make a fortune, he would have been furious, but now, in the face of his daughter's refusal, he seemed a little powerless.However, if you think that he will give in so easily, you are wrong.

He decided to change his approach.

"Ah-ah-"

He showed an aging appearance, feeling sorry for himself, hoping to win his daughter's sympathy, "Poor old man, you have lived long enough in this world, and you have worked so hard to raise your eldest daughter, and now you can't dance for a few days Now...if she has a conscientious child, she should know how to repay her poor old father..."

Eugenie rolled her eyes, turned her face away, and opened the door wider.

"Forget it, forget it...the cruel children have always treated the old father like this...she doesn't care how sad and disappointed he is in his heart..."

The old Grandet hung his head, muttered and left his daughter's room unwillingly.When he walked along the corridor with his brows tightly furrowed and thoughtful, he stopped.

"Young man, if you can't stand the cold and want to ask the servant to add firewood to you, I advise you to bear it!" He yelled angrily at Mr. Duke who stood there as if wandering non-stop, "My maid is lazy. And sleepy, even if you prick her with a needle right now, she won't wake up to listen to you!"

Philip walked up to him quickly.

"Father Grandet, you must have conveyed my sincerity to your daughter on my behalf? What did she say?"

He cast his hopeful eyes on old Grandet.

All the depression and disappointment in front of his daughter just now have completely disappeared from Grandet's face.

"Young man," he said with a sly gleam in his nearly transparent gray pupils, staring at the young man in front of him motionlessly, with a very serious expression, "I have already conveyed your sincerity to her. She was moved. But getting married is not something that can be decided in a hurry, so it takes time to think about it. But—"

He tugged at the corners of his mouth that were a little stiff, revealing a smile that seemed to be encouraging.

"I have good news for you," he leaned into the other's ear and whispered, "My daughter will never marry that Jew. Let me accept a Jewish son-in-law, it is better to throw me into the Loire River Go feed the fish!"

A look of excitement flashed across Mr. Lana's eyes.He looked at the kind father Grandet with grateful eyes, and he almost wanted to hold his hand as thick as the skin of an old grape vine and kiss it enough, so that he could express his heartfelt gratitude at the moment .

"Treating a young and awkward lady is different from fighting a British guy in the battlefield. You need patience."

The old man patted Mr. Laner on the shoulder lovingly, turned his head and walked away.

----

In the house of Floavonds, no one, either master or guest, could sleep that night, except Madame Grandet and Nanon, who had been favored and thoughtless by the Lord.

Early the next morning Eugenie went to Floavonds.It was with James.

She funded a primary school similar to a church school in the town, and hired a female teacher to volunteer to teach children from poor families to read and master simple calculation skills.Bernard's daughter Allie also attends the school.After distributing the food brought to the children, feeling their smiling faces, when they came back, because they were attracted by the wild and interesting scenery along the riverside of the manor, at the suggestion of the guests, Eugenie performed the duties of the host and brought He walked along the river, admiring the scenery and chatting happily.The two first talked about their feelings about what they saw today.James admired her generosity and expressed that he would be happy to emulate her kindness if given the opportunity.

"This is really very happy news," Eugenie smiled, "Because of your participation, more people who are relatively disadvantaged will get better help."

"My pleasure," said James, "of course, I must admit that it was your infection and inspiration that gave me this kind of baptismal ecstasy that I couldn't get even in the atmosphere of church hymns." The heart is touched. Miss Grandet, please allow me to ask again seriously, in the future life, are you willing to continue to be the important person who leads my heart to be moved?"