was standing on the shore of life where young illusions flower； where
daisies are gathered with delights ere long to be unknown； and thus
she said； looking at her image in the glass； unconscious as yet of
love： 〃I am too ugly； he will not notice me。〃
Then she opened the door of her chamber which led to the staircase；
and stretched out her neck to listen for the household noises。 〃He is
not up；〃 she thought； hearing Nanon's morning cough as the good soul
went and came； sweeping out the halls； lighting her fire； chaining the
dog； and speaking to the beasts in the stable。 Eugenie at once went
down and ran to Nanon； who was milking the cow。
〃Nanon； my good Nanon； make a little cream for my cousin's breakfast。〃
〃Why； mademoiselle； you should have thought of that yesterday；〃 said
Nanon； bursting into a loud peal of laughter。 〃I can't make cream。
Your cousin is a darling； a darling！ oh； that he is！ You should have
seen him in his dressing…gown； all silk and gold！ I saw him； I did！ He
wears linen as fine as the surplice of monsieur le cure。〃
〃Nanon； please make us a /galette/。〃
〃And who'll give me wood for the oven； and flour and butter for the
cakes？〃 said Nanon； who in her function of prime…minister to Grandet
assumed at times enormous importance in the eyes of Eugenie and her
mother。 〃Mustn't rob the master to feast the cousin。 You ask him for
butter and flour and wood： he's your father； perhaps he'll give you
some。 See！ there he is now； coming to give out the provisions。〃
Eugenie escaped into the garden； quite frightened as she heard the
staircase shaking under her father's step。 Already she felt the
effects of that virgin modesty and that special consciousness of
happiness which lead us to fancy； not perhaps without reason； that our
thoughts are graven on our foreheads and are open to the eyes of all。
Perceiving for the first time the cold nakedness of her father's
house； the poor girl felt a sort of rage that she could not put it in
harmony with her cousin's elegance。 She felt the need of doing
something for him；what； she did not know。 Ingenuous and truthful；
she followed her angelic nature without mistrusting her impressions or
her feelings。 The mere sight of her cousin had wakened within her the
natural yearnings of a woman；yearnings that were the more likely to
develop ardently because； having reached her twenty…third year； she
was in the plenitude of her intelligence and her desires。 For the
first time in her life her heart was full of terror at the sight of
her father； in him she saw the master of the fate； and she fancied
herself guilty of wrong…doing in hiding from his knowledge certain
thoughts。 She walked with hasty steps； surprised to breathe a purer
air； to feel the sun's rays quickening her pulses； to absorb from
their heat a moral warmth and a new life。 As she turned over in her
mind some stratagem by which to get the cake； a quarrelan event as
rare as the sight of swallows in winterbroke out between la Grande
Nanon and Grandet。 Armed with his keys； the master had come to dole
out provisions for the day's consumption。
〃Is there any bread left from yesterday？〃 he said to Nanon。
〃Not a crumb； monsieur。〃
Grandet took a large round loaf； well floured and moulded in one of
the flat baskets which they use for baking in Anjou； and was about to
cut it； when Nanon said to him；
〃We are five； to…day； monsieur。〃
〃That's true；〃 said Grandet； 〃but your loaves weigh six pounds；
there'll be some left。 Besides； these young fellows from Paris don't
eat bread； you'll see。〃
〃Then they must eat /frippe/？〃 said Nanon。
/Frippe/ is a word of the local lexicon of Anjou； and means any
accompaniment of bread； from butter which is spread upon it； the
commonest kind of /frippe/； to peach preserve； the most distinguished
of all the /frippes/； those who in their childhood have licked the
/frippe/ and left the bread； will comprehend the meaning of Nanon's
speech。
〃No；〃 answered Grandet； 〃they eat neither bread nor /frippe/； they are
something like marriageable girls。〃
After ordering the meals for the day with his usual parsimony； the
goodman； having locked the closets containing the supplies； was about
to go towards the fruit…garden； when Nanon stopped him to say；
〃Monsieur； give me a little flour and some butter； and I'll make a
/galette/ for the young ones。〃
〃Are you going to pillage the house on account of my nephew？〃
〃I wasn't thinking any more of your nephew than I was of your dog；
not more than you think yourself； for； look here； you've only forked
out six bits of sugar。 I want eight。〃
〃What's all this； Nanon？ I have never seen you like this before。 What
have you got in your head？ Are you the mistress here？ You sha'n't have
more than six pieces of sugar。〃
〃Well； then； how is your nephew to sweeten his coffee？〃
〃With two pieces； I'll go without myself。〃
〃Go without sugar at your age！ I'd rather buy you some out of my own
pocket。〃
〃Mind your own business。〃
In spite of the recent fall in prices； sugar was still in Grandet's
eyes the most valuable of all the colonial products； to him it was
always six francs a pound。 The necessity of economizing it； acquired
under the Empire； had grown to be the most inveterate of his habits。
All women； even the greatest ninnies； know how to dodge and dodge to
get their ends； Nanon abandoned the sugar for the sake of getting the
/galette/。
〃Mademoiselle！〃 she called through the window； 〃do you want some
/galette/？〃
〃No； no；〃 answered Eugenie。
〃Come； Nanon；〃 said Grandet； hearing his daughter's voice。 〃See here。〃
He opened the cupboard where the flour was kept； gave her a cupful；
and added a few ounces of butter to the piece he had already cut off。
〃I shall want wood for the oven；〃 said the implacable Nanon。
〃Well； take what you want；〃 he answered sadly； 〃but in that case you
must make us a fruit…tart； and you'll cook the whole dinner in the
oven。 In that way you won't need two fires。〃
〃Goodness！〃 cried Nanon； 〃you needn't tell me that。〃
Grandet cast a look that was well…nigh paternal upon his faithful
deputy。
〃Mademoiselle；〃 she cried； when his back was turned； 〃we shall have
the /galette/。〃
Pere Grandet returned from the garden with the fruit and arranged a
plateful on the kitchen…table。
〃Just see； monsieur；〃 said Nanon； 〃what pretty boots your nephew has。
What leather！ why it smells good！ What does he clean it with； I
wonder？ Am I to put your egg…polish on it？〃
〃Nanon； I think eggs would injure that kind of leather。 Tell him you
don't know how to black morocco； yes； that's morocco。 He will get you
something himself in Saumur to polish those boots with。 I have heard
that they put sugar into the blacking to make it shine。〃
〃They look good to eat；〃 said the cook； putting the boots to her nose。
〃Bless me！ if they don't smell like madame's eau…de…cologne。 Ah！ how
funny！〃
〃Funny！〃 said her master。 〃Do you call it funny to put more money into
boots than the man who stands in them is worth？〃
〃Monsieur；〃 she said； when Grandet returned the second time； after
locking the fruit…garden； 〃won't you have the /pot…au…feu/ put on once
or twice a week on account of your nephew？〃
〃Yes。〃
〃Am I to go to the butcher's？〃
〃Certainly not。 We will make the broth of fowls； the farmers will
bring them。 I shall tell Cornoiller to shoot some crows； they make the
best soup in the world。〃
〃Isn't it true； monsieur； that crows eat the dead？〃
〃You are a fool； Nanon。 They eat what they can get； like the rest of
the world。 Don't we all live on the dead？ What are legacies？〃
Monsieur Grandet； having no further orders to give； drew out his
watch； and seeing that he had half an hour to dispose of before
breakfast； he took his hat； went and kissed his daughter； and said to
her：
〃Do you want to come for a walk in the fields； down by the Loire？ I
have something to do there。〃
Eugenie fetched her straw bonnet； lined with pink taffeta； then the
father and daughter went down the winding street to the shore。
〃Where are you going at this early hour？〃 said Cruchot； the notary；
meeting them。
〃To see something；〃 answered Grandet； not duped by the matutinal
appearance of his friend。
When Pere Grandet went to 〃see something；〃 the notary knew by
experience there was something to be got by going with him； so he
went。
〃Come； Cruchot；〃 said Grandet； 〃you are one of my friends。 I'll show
you what folly it is to plant poplar…trees on good ground。〃
〃Do you call the sixty thousand francs that you pocketed for those
that were in your fields down by the Loire； folly？〃 said Maitre
Cruchot； opening his eyes with amazement。 〃What luck you have had！ To
cut down your trees at the very time they ran short of white…wood at
Nantes； and to sell them at thirty francs！〃
Eugenie listened； without knowing that she approached the most solemn
moment of her whole life； and that the notary was about to bring down
upon her head a paternal and supreme sentence。 Grandet had now reached
the magnificent fields which he owned on the banks of the Loire； where
thirty workmen were employed in clearing away； filling up； and
levelling the spots formerly occupied by the poplars。
〃Maitre Cruchot； see how much ground this tree once took up！ Jean；〃 he
cried to a laborer； 〃m…m…measure with your r…r…rule； b…both ways。〃
〃Four times eight feet；〃 said the man。
〃Thirty…two feet lost；〃 said Grandet to Cruchot。 〃I had three hundred
poplars in this one line； isn't that so？ Well； then； three h…h…hundred
times thir…thirty…two lost m…m…me five hundred in h…h…hay； add twice
as much for the side rows；fifteen hundred； the middle rows as much
more。 So we may c…c…call it a th…thousand b…b…bales of h…h…hay〃
〃Very good；〃 said Cruchot； to help out his friend； 〃a thousand bales
are worth about six hundred francs。〃
〃Say t…t…twelve hundred； be…c…cause there's three or four hundred
francs on the second crop。 Well； then； c…c…calculate that t…twelve
thousand francs a year for f…f…forty years with interest c…c…comes
to〃
〃Say sixty thousand francs；〃 said the notary。
〃I am willing； c…c…comes t…t…to sixty th…th…thousand。 Very good；〃
continued Grandet； without stuttering： 〃two thousand poplars forty
years old will only yield me fifty thousand francs。 There's a loss。 I
have found