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Poor Delphine； take warning by me！〃
〃M。 de Rastignac is incapable of ruining the woman he loves；
dear。〃
〃Thanks！ Delphine。 I thought you would have been kinder to me in
my troubles； but you never did love me。〃
〃Yes； yes； she loves you； Nasie；〃 cried Goriot； 〃she was saying
so only just now。 We were talking about you； and she insisted
that you were beautiful； and that she herself was only pretty！〃
〃Pretty！〃 said the Countess。 〃She is as hard as a marble statue。〃
〃And if I am？〃 cried Delphine； flushing up； 〃how have you treated
me？ You would not recognize me； you closed the doors of every
house against me； you have never let an opportunity of mortifying
me slip by。 And when did I come； as you were always doing； to
drain our poor father； a thousand francs at a time； till he is
left as you see him now？ That is all your doing； sister！ I myself
have seen my father as often as I could。 I have not turned him
out of the house； and then come and fawned upon him when I wanted
money。 I did not so much as know that he had spent those twelve
thousand francs on me。 I am economical； as you know； and when
papa has made me presents； it has never been because I came and
begged for them。〃
〃You were better off than I。 M。 de Marsay was rich； as you have
reason to know。 You always were as slippery as gold。 Good…bye； I
have neither sister nor〃
〃Oh！ hush； hush； Nasie！〃 cried her father。
〃Nobody else would repeat what everybody has ceased to believe。
You are an unnatural sister！〃 cried Delphine。
〃Oh； children； children！ hush！ hush！ or I will kill myself before
your eyes。〃
〃There； Nasie； I forgive you；〃 said Mme。 de Nucingen； 〃you are
very unhappy。 But I am kinder than you are。 How could you say
THAT just when I was ready to do anything in the world to help
you； even to be reconciled with my husband； which for my own sake
I Oh！ it is just like you； you have behaved cruelly to me all
through these nine years。〃
〃Children； children； kiss each other！〃 cried the father。 〃You are
angels； both of you。〃
〃No。 Let me alone；〃 cried the Countess shaking off the hand that
her father had laid on her arm。 〃She is more merciless than my
husband。 Any one might think she was a model of all the virtues
herself！〃
〃I would rather have people think that I owed money to M。 de
Marsay than own that M。 de Trailles had cost me more than two
hundred thousand francs；〃 retorted Mme。 de Nucingen。
〃DELPHINE！〃 cried the Countess； stepping towards her sister。
〃I shall tell you the truth about yourself if you begin to
slander me；〃 said the Baroness coldly。
〃Delphine！ you are a 〃
Father Goriot sprang between them； grasped the Countess' hand；
and laid his own over her mouth。
〃Good heavens； father！ What have you been handling this morning？〃
said Anastasie。
〃Ah！ well； yes； I ought not to have touched you；〃 said the poor
father； wiping his hands on his trousers； 〃but I have been
packing up my things； I did not know that you were coming to see
me。〃
He was glad that he had drawn down her wrath upon himself。
〃Ah！〃 he sighed； as he sat down； 〃you children have broken my
heart between you。 This is killing me。 My head feels as if it
were on fire。 Be good to each other and love each other！ This
will be the death of me！ Delphine！ Nasie！ come； be sensible； you
are both in the wrong。 Come； Dedel；〃 he added； looking through
his tears at the Baroness； 〃she must have twelve thousand francs；
you see； let us see if we can find them for her。 Oh； my girls； do
not look at each other like that！〃 and he sank on his knees
beside Delphine。 〃Ask her to forgive youjust to please me；〃 he
said in her ear。 〃She is more miserable than you are。 Come now；
Dedel。〃
〃Poor Nasie！〃 said Delphine； alarmed at the wild extravagant
grief in her father's face； 〃I was in the wrong； kiss me〃
〃Ah！ that is like balm to my heart；〃 cried Father Goriot。 〃But
how are we to find twelve thousand francs？ I might offer myself
as a substitute in the army〃
〃Oh！ father dear！〃 they both cried； flinging their arms about
him。 〃No； no！〃
〃God reward you for the thought。 We are not worth it； are we；
Nasie？〃 asked Delphine。
〃And besides； father dear； it would only be a drop in the
bucket；〃 observed the Countess。
〃But is flesh and blood worth nothing？〃 cried the old man in his
despair。 〃I would give body and soul to save you； Nasie。 I would
do a murder for the man who would rescue you。 I would do； as
Vautrin did； go to the hulks； go〃 he stopped as if struck by
a thunderbolt； and put both hands to his head。 〃Nothing left！〃 he
cried； tearing his hair。 〃If I only knew of a way to steal money；
but it is so hard to do it； and then you can't set to work by
yourself； and it takes time to rob a bank。 Yes； it is time I was
dead； there is nothing left me to do but to die。 I am no good in
the world； I am no longer a father！ No。 She has come to me in her
extremity； and； wretch that I am； I have nothing to give her。 Ah！
you put your money into a life annuity； old scoundrel； and had
you not daughters？ You did not love them。 Die； die in a ditch；
like the dog that you are！ Yes； I am worse than a dog； a beast
would not have done as I have done！ Oh！ my head 。 。 。 it throbs
as if it would burst。〃
〃Papa！〃 cried both the young women at once； 〃do； pray； be
reasonable！〃 and they clung to him to prevent him from dashing
his head against the wall。 There was a sound of sobbing。
Eugene； greatly alarmed； took the bill that bore Vautrin's
signature； saw that the stamp would suffice for a larger sum；
altered the figures； made it into a regular bill for twelve
thousand francs； payable to Goriot's order； and went to his
neighbor's room。
〃Here is the money； madame；〃 he said； handing the piece of paper
to her。 〃I was asleep； your conversation awoke me； and by this
means I learned all that I owed to M。 Goriot。 This bill can be
discounted； and I shall meet it punctually at the due date。〃
The Countess stood motionless and speechless； but she held the
bill in her fingers。
〃Delphine；〃 she said； with a white face； and her whole frame
quivering with indignation； anger； and rage； 〃I forgave you
everything； God is my witness that I forgave you； but I cannot
forgive this！ So this gentleman was there all the time； and you
knew it！ Your petty spite has let you to wreak your vengeance on
me by betraying my secrets； my life； my children's lives； my
shame； my honor！ There； you are nothing to me any longer。 I hate
you。 I will do all that I can to injure you。 I will 。 。 。〃
Anger paralyzed her； the words died in her dry parched throat。
〃Why； he is my son； my child； he is your brother； your
preserver！〃 cried Goriot。 〃Kiss his hand； Nasie！ Stay； I will
embrace him myself；〃 he said； straining Eugene to his breast in a
frenzied clasp。 〃Oh my boy！ I will be more than a father to you；
if I had God's power； I would fling