《Gobseck》世界各国经典文学读本.pdf

Gobseck

by Honore de Balzac
DEDICATION
To M. le Baron Barchou de Penhoen.
Among all the pupils of the Oratorian school at
Vendome, we are, I think, the only two who have
afterwards met in mid career of a life of letters we who
once were cultivating Philosophy when by rights we should
have been minding our De viris. When we met, you were
engaged upon your noble works on German philosophy,
and I upon this study. So neither of us has missed his
vocation; and you, when you see your name here, will feel,
no doubt, as much pleasure as he who inscribes his work to
you. Your old schoolfellow,
1840
De Balzac
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Gobseck

It was one o’clock in the morning, during the winter of
1829 30, but in the tesse de Grandlieu’s salon two
persons stayed on who did not belong to her family circle.
A young and good looking man heard the clock strike, and
took his leave. When the courtyard echoed with the sound
of a departing carriage, the tesse looked up, saw that
no one was present save her brother and a friend of the
family finishing their game of piquet, and went across to
her daughter. The girl, standing by the chimney piece,
apparently examining a transparent fire screen, was
listening to the sounds from the courtyard in a way that
justified certain maternal fears.
"Camille," said the tesse, "if you continue to
behave to te de Restaud as you have done this
evening, you will oblige me to see no more of him here.
Listen, child, and if you have any confidence in my love,
let me guide you in life. At seventeen one cannot judge of
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Gobseck
past or future, nor of certain social considerations. I have
only one thing to say to you. M. de Restaud has a mother, a
mother who would waste millions of francs; a woman of no
birth, a Mlle. Goriot; people talked a good deal about her at
one time. She behaved so badly to her own father, that she
certainly does not deserve to have so good a son. The