The old man turned round, keeping the bedclothes huddled
up to his chin.
"Well," he said, "and which do you like the best, Mme. de Restaud or
Mme. de Nucingen?"
"I like Mme. Delphine the best," said the law student, "because she
loves you the best."
At the words so heartily spoken the old man's hand slipped out from
under the bedclothes and grasped Eugene's.
"Thank you, thank you," he said, gratefully. "Then what did she say
about me?"
The student repeated the Baroness' remarks with some embellishments of
his own, the old man listening the while as though he heard a voice
from Heaven.
"Dear child!" he said. "Yes, yes, she is very fond of me. But you must
not believe all that she tells you about Anastasie. The two sisters
are jealous of each other, you see, another proof of their affection.
Mme. de Restaud is very fond of me too. I know she is. A father sees
his children as God sees all of us; he looks into the very depths of
their hearts; he knows their intentions; and both of them are so
loving. Oh! if I only had good sons-in-law, I should be too happy, and
I dare say there is no perfect happiness here below. If I might live
with them--simply hear their voices, know that they are there, see
them go and come as I used to do at home when they were still with me;
why, my heart bounds at the thought.
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