ouse for a bride. Oh! we have done a lot of things in
the last month, and you knew nothing about it. My attorney has appeared
on the scene, and my daughter is to have thirty-six thousand francs a
year, the interest on her money, and I shall insist on having her eight
hundred thousand invested in sound securities, landed property that
won't run away."

Eugene was dumb. He folded his arms and paced up and down in his
cheerless, untidy room. Father Goriot waited till the student's back was
turned, and seized the opportunity to go to the chimney-piece and set
upon it a little red morocco case with Rastignac's arms stamped in gold
on the leather.

"My dear boy," said the kind soul, "I have been up to the eyes in this
business. You see, there was plenty of selfishness on my part; I have an
interested motive in helping you to change lodgings. You will not refuse
me if I ask you something; will you, eh?"

"What is it?"

"There is a room on the fifth floor, up above your rooms, that is to let
along with them; that is where I am going to live, isn't that so? I am
getting old: I am too far from my girls. I shall not be in the way, but
I shall be there, that is all. You will come and talk to me about her
every evening. It will not put you about, will it? I shall have gone to
bed before you come in, but I shall hear you come up, and I shall say
to myself, 'He has just seen my little Delphine. He has been to a dance
with her, and she is happy, thanks to him.' If I were ill, it would do
my heart good to hear you moving about below, to know when you leave
the house and when you come in. It is only a step to the Champs-Elysees,
where they go every day, so I shall be sure of seeing them, whereas now
I am sometimes too late. And then--perhaps she may come to see you! I
shall hear her, I shall see her in her soft quilted pelisse tripping
about as daintily as a kitten. In this one month she has become my
little girl again, so light-hearted and gay. Her soul is recovering, and
her happiness is owing to you! Oh! I would do impossibilities for you.
Only just now she said to me, 'I am very happy, papa!' When they say
'father' stiffly, it sends a chill through me; but when they call me
'papa,' it brings all the old memories back. I feel most their father
then; I even believe that they belong to me, and to no one else."

The good man wiped his eyes, he was crying.

"It is a long while since I have heard them talk like that, a long, long
ti