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to fetch his lantern and came back to light it； offering to accompany
the des Grassins on their way。 Madame des Grassins had not foreseen
the incident which brought the evening prematurely to an end； her
servant therefore had not arrived。
〃Will you do me the honor to take my arm； madame？〃 said the abbe。
〃Thank you； monsieur l'abbe； but I have my son；〃 she answered dryly。
〃Ladies cannot compromise themselves with me；〃 said the abbe。
〃Take Monsieur Cruchot's arm；〃 said her husband。
The abbe walked off with the pretty lady so quickly that they were
soon some distance in advance of the caravan。
〃That is a good…looking young man； madame；〃 he said； pressing her arm。
〃Good…by to the grapes； the vintage is done。 It is all over with us。
We may as well say adieu to Mademoiselle Grandet。 Eugenie will belong
to the dandy。 Unless this cousin is enamoured of some Parisian woman；
your son Adolphe will find another rival in〃
〃Not at all； monsieur l'abbe。 This young man cannot fail to see that
Eugenie is a little fool；a girl without the least freshness。 Did you
notice her to…night？ She was as yellow as a quince。〃
〃Perhaps you made the cousin notice it？〃
〃I did not take the trouble〃
〃Place yourself always beside Eugenie； madame； and you need never take
the trouble to say anything to the young man against his cousin； he
will make his own comparisons； which〃
〃Well； he has promised to dine with me the day after to…morrow。〃
〃Ah！ if you only /would/； madame〃 said the abbe。
〃What is it that you wish me to do； monsieur l'abbe？ Do you mean to
offer me bad advice？ I have not reached the age of thirty…nine；
without a stain upon my reputation； thank God！ to compromise myself
now； even for the empire of the Great Mogul。 You and I are of an age
when we both know the meaning of words。 For an ecclesiastic； you
certainly have ideas that are very incongruous。 Fie！ it is worthy of
Faublas！〃
〃You have read Faublas？〃
〃No； monsieur l'abbe； I meant to say the /Liaisons dangereuses/。〃
〃Ah！ that book is infinitely more moral；〃 said the abbe； laughing。
〃But you make me out as wicked as a young man of the present day； I
only meant〃
〃Do you dare to tell me you were not thinking of putting wicked things
into my head？ Isn't it perfectly clear？ If this young manwho I admit
is very good…lookingwere to make love to me； he would not think of
his cousin。 In Paris； I know； good mothers do devote themselves in
this way to the happiness and welfare of their children； but we live
in the provinces； monsieur l'abbe。〃
〃Yes； madame。〃
〃And；〃 she continued； 〃I do not want； and Adolphe himself would not
want； a hundred millions brought at such a price。〃
〃Madame； I said nothing about a hundred millions； that temptation
might be too great for either of us to withstand。 Only； I do think
that an honest woman may permit herself； in all honor； certain
harmless little coquetries； which are； in fact； part of her social
duty and which〃
〃Do you think so？〃
〃Are we not bound； madame； to make ourselves agreeable to each other？
Permit me to blow my nose。I assure you； madame；〃 he resumed； 〃that
the young gentleman ogled you through his glass in a more flattering
manner than he put on when he looked at me； but I forgive him for
doing homage to beauty in preference to old age〃
〃It is quite apparent；〃 said the president in his loud voice； 〃that
Monsieur Grandet of Paris has sent his son to Saumur with extremely
matrimonial intentions。〃
〃But in that case the cousin wouldn't have fallen among us like a
cannon…ball；〃 answered the notary。
〃That doesn't prove anything；〃 said Monsieur des Grassins； 〃the old
miser is always making mysteries。〃
〃Des Grassins； my friend； I have invited the young man to dinner。 You
must go and ask Monsieur and Madame de Larsonniere and the du Hautoys；
with the beautiful demoiselle du Hautoy； of course。 I hope she will be
properly dressed； that jealous mother of hers does make such a fright
of her！ Gentlemen； I trust that you will all do us the honor to come；〃
she added； stopping the procession to address the two Cruchots。
〃Here you are at home； madame；〃 said the notary。
After bowing to the three des Grassins； the three Cruchots returned
home； applying their provincial genius for analysis to studying； under
all its aspects； the great event of the evening； which undoubtedly
changed the respective positions of Grassinists and Cruchotines。 The
admirable common…sense which guided all the actions of these great
machinators made each side feel the necessity of a momentary alliance
against a common enemy。 Must they not mutually hinder Eugenie from
loving her cousin； and the cousin from thinking of Eugenie？ Could the
Parisian resist the influence of treacherous insinuations； soft…spoken
calumnies； slanders full of faint praise and artless denials； which
should be made to circle incessantly about him and deceive him？
IV
When the four relations were left alone； Monsieur Grandet said to his
nephew；
〃We must go to bed。 It is too late to talk about the matters which
have brought you here； to…morrow we will take a suitable moment。 We
breakfast at eight o'clock； at midday we eat a little fruit or a bit
of bread； and drink a glass of white wine； and we dine； like the
Parisians； at five o'clock。 That's the order of the day。 If you like
to go and see the town and the environs you are free to do so。 You
will excuse me if my occupations do not permit me to accompany you。
You may perhaps hear people say that I am rich；Monsieur Grandet
this； Monsieur Grandet that。 I let them talk； their gossip does not
hurt my credit。 But I have not a penny； I work in my old age like an
apprentice whose worldly goods are a bad plane and two good arms。
Perhaps you'll soon know yourself what a franc costs when you have got
to sweat for it。 Nanon； where are the candles？〃
〃I trust； my nephew； that you will find all you want；〃 said Madame
Grandet； 〃but if you should need anything else； you can call Nanon。〃
〃My dear aunt； I shall need nothing； I have； I believe； brought
everything with me。 Permit me to bid you good…night； and my young
cousin also。〃
Charles took a lighted wax candle from Nanon's hand；an Anjou candle；
very yellow in color； and so shopworn that it looked like tallow and
deceived Monsieur Grandet； who； incapable of suspecting its presence
under his roof； did not perceive this magnificence。
〃I will show you the way；〃 he said。
Instead of leaving the hall by the door which opened under the
archway； Grandet ceremoniously went through the passage which divided
the hall from the kitchen。 A swing…door； furnished with a large oval
pane of glass； shut this passage from the staircase； so as to fend off
the cold air which rushed through it。 But the north wind whistled none
the less keenly in winter； and； in spite of the sand…bags at the
bottom of the doors of the living…room； the temperature within could
scarcely be kept at a proper height。 Nanon went to bolt the outer
door； then she closed the hall and let loose a wolf…dog； whose bark
was so strangled that he seemed to have laryngitis。 This animal； noted
for his ferocity； recognized no one but Nanon； the two untutored
children of the fields understood each other。
When Charles saw the yellow； smoke…stained walls of the well of the
staircase； where each worm…eaten step shook under the heavy foot…fall
of his uncle； his expectations began to sober more and more。 He
fancied himself in a hen…roost。 His aunt and cousin； to whom he turned
an inquiring look； were so used to the staircase that they did not
guess the cause of his amazement； and took the glance for an
expression of friendliness； which they answered by a smile that made
him desperate。
〃Why the devil did my father send me to such a place？〃 he said to
himself。
When they reached the first landing he saw three doors painted in
Etruscan red and without casings；doors sunk in the dusty walls and
provided with iron bars； which in fact were bolts； each ending with
the pattern of a flame； as did both ends of the long sheath of the
lock。 The first door at the top of the staircase； which opened into a
room directly above the kitchen； was evidently walled up。 In fact； the
only entrance to that room was thro