第 60 节
作者:蒂帆      更新:2024-04-14 09:15      字数:9322
  〃No; the temperature and the light do not affect him now。 It
  would be a good thing for him if he felt heat or cold; but we
  must have a fire in any case to make tisanes and heat the other
  things。 I will send round a few sticks; they will last till we
  can have in some firewood。 I burned all the bark fuel you had
  left; as well as his; poor man; yesterday and during the night。
  The place is so damp that the water stood in drops on the walls;
  I could hardly get the room dry。 Christophe came in and swept the
  floor; but the place is like a stable; I had to burn juniper; the
  smell was something horrible。
  〃MON DIEU!〃 said Rastignac。 〃To think of those daughters of his。〃
  〃One moment; if he asks for something to drink; give him this;〃
  said the house student; pointing to a large white jar。 〃If he
  begins to groan; and the belly feels hot and hard to the touch;
  you know what to do; get Christophe to help you。 If he should
  happen to grow much excited; and begin to talk a good deal and
  even to ramble in his talk; do not be alarmed。 It would not be a
  bad symptom。 But send Christophe to the Hospice Cochin。 Our
  doctor; my chum; or I will come and apply moxas。 We had a great
  consultation this morning while you were asleep。 A surgeon; a
  pupil of Gall's came; and our house surgeon; and the head
  physician from the Hotel…Dieu。 Those gentlemen considered that
  the symptoms were very unusual and interesting; the case must be
  carefully watched; for it throws a light on several obscure and
  rather important scientific problems。 One of the authorities says
  that if there is more pressure of serum on one or other portion
  of the brain; it should affect his mental capacities in such and
  such directions。 So if he should talk; notice very carefully what
  kind of ideas his mind seems to run on; whether memory; or
  penetration; or the reasoning faculties are exercised; whether
  sentiments or practical questions fill his thoughts; whether he
  makes forecasts or dwells on the past; in fact; you must be
  prepared to give an accurate report of him。 It is quite likely
  that the extravasation fills the whole brain; in which case he
  will die in the imbecile state in which he is lying now。 You
  cannot tell anything about these mysterious nervous diseases。
  Suppose the crash came here;〃 said Bianchon; touching the back of
  the head; 〃very strange things have been known to happen; the
  brain sometimes partially recovers; and death is delayed。 Or the
  congested matter may pass out of the brain altogether through
  channels which can only be determined by a post…mortem
  examination。 There is an old man at the Hospital for Incurables;
  an imbecile patient; in his case the effusion has followed the
  direction of the spinal cord; he suffers horrid agonies; but he
  lives。〃
  〃Did they enjoy themselves?〃 It was Father Goriot who spoke。 He
  had recognized Eugene。
  〃Oh! he thinks of nothing but his daughters;〃 said Bianchon。
  〃Scores of times last night he said to me; 'They are dancing now!
  She has her dress。' He called them by their names。 He made me
  cry; the devil take it; calling with that tone in his voice; for
  'Delphine! my little Delphine! and Nasie!' Upon my word;〃 said
  the medical student; 〃it was enough to make any one burst out
  crying。〃
  〃Delphine;〃 said the old man; 〃she is there; isn't she? I knew
  she was there;〃 and his eyes sought the door。
  〃I am going down now to tell Sylvie to get the poultices ready;〃
  said Bianchon。 〃They ought to go on at once。〃
  Rastignac was left alone with the old man。 He sat at the foot of
  the bed; and gazed at the face before him; so horribly changed
  that it was shocking to see。
  〃Noble natures cannot dwell in this world;〃 he said; 〃Mme de
  Beauseant has fled from it; and there he lies dying。 What place
  indeed is there in the shallow petty frivolous thing called
  society for noble thoughts and feelings?〃
  Pictures of yesterday's ball rose up in his memory; in strange
  contrast to the deathbed before him。 Bianchon suddenly appeared。
  〃I say; Eugene; I have just seen our head surgeon at the
  hospital; and I ran all the way back here。 If the old man shows
  any signs of reason; if he begins to talk; cover him with a
  mustard poultice from the neck to the base of the spine; and send
  round for us。〃
  〃Dear Bianchon;〃 exclaimed Eugene。
  〃Oh! it is an interesting case from a scientific point of view;〃
  said the medical student; with all the enthusiasm of a neophyte。
  〃So!〃 said Eugene。 〃Am I really the only one who cares for the
  poor old man for his own sake?〃
  〃You would not have said so if you had seen me this morning;〃
  returned Bianchon; who did not take offence at this speech。
  〃Doctors who have seen a good deal of practice never see anything
  but the disease; but; my dear fellow; I can see the patient
  still。〃
  He went。 Eugene was left alone with the old man; and with an
  apprehension of a crisis that set in; in fact; before very long。
  〃Ah! dear boy; is that you?〃 said Father Goriot; recognizing
  Eugene。
  〃Do you feel better?〃 asked the law student; taking his hand。
  〃Yes。 My head felt as if it were being screwed up in a vise; but
  now it is set free again。 Did you see my girls? They will be here
  directly; as soon as they know that I am ill they will hurry here
  at once; they used to take such care of me in the Rue de la
  Jussienne! Great Heavens! if only my room was fit for them to
  come into! There has been a young man here; who has burned up all
  my bark fuel。〃
  〃I can hear Christophe coming upstairs;〃 Eugene answered。 〃He is
  bringing up some firewood that that young man has sent you。〃
  〃Good; but how am I to pay for the wood。 I have not a penny left;
  dear boy。 I have given everything; everything。 I am a pauper now。
  Well; at least the golden gown was grand; was it not? (Ah! what
  pain this is!) Thanks; Christophe! God will reward you; my boy; I
  have nothing left now。〃
  Eugene went over to Christophe and whispered in the man's ear; 〃I
  will pay you well; and Sylvie too; for your trouble。〃
  〃My daughters told you that they were coming; didn't they;
  Christophe? Go again to them; and I will give you five francs。
  Tell them that I am not feeling well; that I should like to kiss
  them both and see them once again before I die。 Tell them that;
  but don't alarm them more than you can help。〃
  Rastignac signed to Christophe to go; and the man went。
  〃They will come before long;〃 the old man went on。 〃I know them
  so well。 My tender…hearted Delphine! If I am going to die; she
  will feel it so much! And so will Nasie。 I do not want to die;
  they will cry if I die; and if I die; dear Eugene; I shall not
  see them any more。 It will be very dreary there where I am going。
  For a father it is hell to be without your children; I have
  served my apprenticeship already since they married。 My heaven
  was in the Rue de la Jussienne。 Eugene; do you think that if I go
  to heaven I can come back to earth; and be near them in spirit? I
  have heard some such things said。 It is true? It is as if I could
  see them at this moment as they used to be when we all lived in
  the Rue de la Jussienne。 They used to come downstairs of a
  morning。 'Good…morning; papa!' they used to say; and I would take
  them on my knees; we had all sorts of little games of play
  together; and they had such pretty coaxing ways。 We always had
  breakfast together; too; every morning; and they had dinner with
  mein fact; I was a father then。 I enjoyed my children。 They did
  not think for themselves so long as they lived in the Rue de la
  Jussienne; they knew nothing of the world; they loved me with all
  their hearts。 MON DIEU! why could they not always be little
  girls? (Oh! my head! this racking pain in my head!) Ah! ah!
  forgive me; children; this pain is fearful; it must be agony
  indeed; for you have used me to endure pain。 MON DIEU! if only I
  held their hands in mine; I should not feel it at all。Do you
  think that they are on the way? Christophe is so stupid; I ought
  to have gone myself。 HE will see them。 But you went to the ball
  yesterday; just tell me how they looked。 They did not know that I
  was ill; did they; or they would not have been dancing; poor
  little things? Oh! I must not be ill any longer。 They stand too
  much in need of me; their fortunes are in danger。 And such
  husbands as they are bound to! I must get well! (Oh! what pain
  this is! what pain this is! 。 。 。 ah! ah!)I must get well; you
  see; for they MUST have money; and I know how to set about making
  some。 I will go to Odessa and manufacture starch there。 I am an
  old hand; I will make millions。 (Oh! this is agony!)〃
  Goriot was silent for a moment; it seemed to require his whole
  strength to endure the pain。
  〃If they were here; I should not complain;〃 he said。 〃So why
  should I complain now?〃
  He seemed to grow drowsy with exhaustion; and lay quietly for a
  long time。 Christophe came bac