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Updated: June 13, 2025
Mother and daughter, in Grandet's absence, allowed themselves the pleasure of looking for a likeness to Charles in the portrait of his mother. "It is exactly his forehead and his mouth," Eugenie was saying as the old man opened the door. At the look which her husband cast upon the gold, Madame Grandet cried out, "O God, have pity upon us!"
Eat as much as you like, my children, it costs nothing. Des Grassins is getting along very well. I am satisfied with him. The old fish is doing Charles a good service, and gratis too. He is making a very good settlement of that poor deceased Grandet's business. Hoo! hoo!" he muttered, with his mouth full, after a pause, "how good it is! Eat some, wife; that will feed you for at least two days."
He was unmoved by the tears which flowed down the white cheeks of his unhappy wife as she listened to his meaningless answers. "May God pardon you," she said, "even as I pardon you! You will some day stand in need of mercy." Since Madame Grandet's illness he had not dared to make use of his terrible "Ta, ta, ta, ta!"
He resembled neither parent in the least, and, except that such vagaries of nature are not unknown, it might have been supposed that some cuckoo had visited the parental nest. A gaunt, hard-featured domestic completed this interesting family, and she was uncommon too. By no means young, what Balzac calls "a woman of canonical age," she resembled Pere Grandet's tall Nanon.
Among her first acts she had settled an annuity of twelve hundred francs on Nanon, who, already possessed of six hundred more, became a rich and enviable match. In less than a month that good soul passed from single to wedded life under the protection of Antoine Cornoiller, who was appointed keeper of all Mademoiselle Grandet's estates.
"Yes, in full, capital and interest; and I am about to do honor to his memory " "What folly!" exclaimed his mother-in-law. "Who is this?" she whispered in Grandet's ear, perceiving the president. "My man of business," he answered in a low voice. The marquise bowed superciliously to Monsieur de Bonfons. "We are pushing each other's fortunes already," said the president, taking up his hat.
These words, corroborated by Grandet's attitude as he stood silently nursing his chin, astonished the three des Grassins, who had been leisurely discussing the old man's avarice as they came along, very nearly accusing him of fratricide. "Ah! I was sure of it," cried the banker, looking at his wife. "What did I tell you just now, Madame des Grassins?
Attitude, manners, bearing, everything about him, in short, testified to that belief in himself which the habit of succeeding in all enterprises never fails to give to a man. Thus, though his manners were unctuous and soft outwardly, Monsieur Grandet's nature was of iron. His dress never varied; and those who saw him to-day saw him such as he had been since 1791.
He had six hundred acres of woodland, lately purchased, which he induced a neighbor's keeper to watch, under the promise of an indemnity. After the acquisition of this property he ate game for the first time. Monsieur Grandet's manners were very simple. He spoke little. He usually expressed his meaning by short sententious phrases uttered in a soft voice.
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