Eugenie with money [Grandet]

Riego couldn't figure out whether Eugenie had foreseen what might happen today when she first proposed to increase equipment for the army. Regardless of whether she thought about it or not, she deserved the gratitude of herself and all the soldiers.

For this gratitude, as long as Eugenie needs it, Riego is willing to clear all obstacles in Spain for her, although his time in Spain may not be long.

It was Nanon's husband Cornoille who transported the wine to Madrid for Grandet. A test for him.

Cornoille was very aware of this, so he maintained a high degree of vigilance along the way, and he was relieved until the payment was fully settled, and he was half relieved until he left the Spanish border and returned to France before he could fully relax .

Two thousand barrels of wine were transported by fifty vehicles, forming a huge convoy.Last year, the Spaniards went to the Château Traufonte to pull the wine in person, but this year they suddenly had to be transported by their own people. Cornoille didn't want to know the reason.

He can win out among all the suitors of Nanon, without asking what should not be asked, which is the magic weapon for Cornoyer.

"Cornovail, have you heard that Spaniards are not allowed to take more than [-] francs in cash out of the border." A coachman breathed white, wrapped his coat tightly, and told himself from the hotel Report the news to the leader.

"Then what should I do?" Cornoille was worried.The payment for goods settled yesterday was a full 44 francs, all of which were exchanged through the Madrid office of Bank Nucingen.Now, it's in the carriage he's riding in.

There are also several carriages on top, which also pull heavy boxes. The boxes are loaded by the Madrid office. I told Cornoille that this is a New Year’s gift from the office to the two partners. Pulling the car back can save a lot of shipping costs.

Cornoille did mention that his carriage would return directly to Saumur, and M. Grandet would not pay for his trip to Paris.But the manager of the office told him that Mademoiselle Eugenie would send someone to receive the gift as soon as he passed the border checkpoint between Spain and France, so he didn't need to make a special trip to Paris.

That's all about returning to France. How to get out of the Spanish border is a headache.With something on his mind, Cornoille remained silent along the way, but the closer he got to the border, the more his heart churned: from time to time there was news that some merchant's money was directly taken away by the border guards and refused to return it.

Cornoille didn't even dare to think, if he also encountered this situation, it would be better for him to go back to Saumur and be eaten by Grandet, or not to go back to Saumur and wander in Spain.Looking at the unremarkable and dilapidated box under his feet, Cornoille had the urge to throw it out of the car.

But he only dared to think, dared not to do it, and had to look at it like eyeballs.

Seeing that there was still less than five kilometers away before reaching the border, Gonovale's breathing was heavy and uncontrollable.Many carriages were parked on the side of the road, because the defenders wanted to check one by one, one by one.

With a wave of his hand, Cornoille let his convoy line up to the end, crossed his chest with both hands, and silently prayed to God, hoping that he could safely return to Paris with Mr. Grandet's money.

At this time, the sound of horseshoes sounded like mountains and seas, and the dust surrounded Cornoille's convoy all at once.Looking up, groups of soldiers on horseback were quickly approaching their group.

It's over.Cornoille groaned inwardly, pretending to be stupefied, and watched a man who looked like an officer rein in his horse and stop beside the convoy.As the officer stopped, the soldiers all reined in their horses.

"Who is the wine transporter in Saumur?" the officer asked loudly to the traffic in broken French.

Cornoille's heart became even colder, these people turned out to be targeting his group.I don't even want to stay in Spain to wander.I have a pity that I am in my 50s, and I have just married my wife for a few days, and I have come to this end. If I knew it, I might as well not marry Nanong, so that at least I can die safely in my old house.

Feeling agitated and regretful, Cornoille looked at the officer with a dull expression, exactly the same as those of the coachmen.

Seeing that no one answered, the officer's voice raised a little more: "Who is sending the wine from Saumur, France, come out quickly."

Because no one answered his question right away, the look on the officer's face was not good, and Cornoille felt that bad luck was inevitable, so he stood motionless in front of the carriage.But finally a coachman heard what the officer was asking, and kindly poked him: "Cornovail, they are looking for us."

The people in the other convoys had already started to look behind them to see what was going on, and the officer's horse also walked slowly towards the border with small steps.Several coachmen looked at Cornoille, wondering why he didn't answer.

Cornoille had no choice but to say: "We are sending wine to the army." The wine is sending to the army, and you are also soldiers, so you should be able to get close.

When the officer heard someone answering from behind, he turned his horse's head and glanced at Cornoille, with an even more unhappy expression on his face: "Why didn't you answer just now?"

Cornoille pretended to be ignorant, and the officer didn't bother with him, pointing at him with the horsewhip in his hand: "Take your men, follow me. Hurry up!"

"But sir," Cornoille said, seeing that he was heading towards the border, his legs were so frightened that he thought he was going to take himself to the border to grab the money and push him back to France: "We still have to queue. "

There are so many people ahead, you want to grab theirs first.

The officer waved his hand impatiently, and dozens of soldiers surrounded Cornoille and his party, pointing their muskets at the coachman one by one: "Hurry up, don't dawdle."

"Gonovaye, what's going on, where are they taking us?" The coachmen were very disturbed and muttered in a low voice, hoping that the leader Cornoille could give them a reassuring answer.

What else could be going on, Cornoille, who knew it well, bid farewell to Nanon silently in his heart, and gave an order to the convoy with a pale face: "Follow." But the voice trembled unbecomingly, and there was no leading momentum at all. No.

His uneasiness infected everyone in the convoy, and everyone's uneasiness became more intense. They drove their cars silently, and along with Cornoyer, they walked along the gaps between the queued vehicles.

Those carriages waiting in line for inspection, whether they were the driver or the passengers, all looked at Cornoille and his party with sympathy—their faces were too pale, and the hands that drove the horses trembled too much, as if they were being slaughtered.

Then, before their convoy even arrived, the carriage in front quietly pulled aside to make way--bad news always travels faster than good news, and everyone knew that the team of wine-carriers was going to be in trouble.

The convoy finally stopped at the border checkpoint. The officer who escorted them over said something to the guard, who kept shaking his head.The expression on the officer's face became angry, he got off his horse, patted the horse refusal post as a symbol of the checkpoint, and shouted louder at the sentry.

Cornoille couldn't understand what he was yelling, but seeing that he wasn't embarrassing himself, his face recovered a little, and his heart also became alive.

"Be smarter later." Cornoille whispered to the coachman next to him: "Let those cars with gifts come to the front." He didn't know why he came up with this idea, and his intuition should be this way.

The coachmen spread the word one by one, and the car slowly changed positions.The sentinel noticed this situation, ignored the officer who was still yelling at him, but shouted in French to Cornoille and his party: "Back, back immediately. Otherwise, we will shoot. "

The officer pushed the guard and shouted in French: "Open the checkpoint quickly. These people are transporting wine for us. We Spaniards can't drink their good wine and rob them."

The defenders at the checkpoint, having discovered the conflict here, have begun to gather, and the officer issued an order to his soldiers who are still on the horse: "Open the checkpoint and let them pass!"

The coachmen and Cornoille were stunned by this turn of events, not knowing whether it was a real release or a trap to eliminate themselves, and dared not move.

The defenders of the checkpoint had already assembled and ran over quickly, each with a gun in his hand, not only pointing at Cornoyer and his party, but also pointing at the officers and cavalry who clashed with the sentry.

Hearing the officer's order, several cavalrymen dismounted and went to pull away the horse-rejection posts. The guards at the checkpoint stepped forward to stop their actions. The people on both sides were chaotically pushing and shoving. Stop this mess.

The gunshots only scared ordinary people like Cornoyer, and none of the soldiers on both sides who were pushing and shoving stopped.Because the number of officers and men who came with Cornoyer and others was superior, they quickly subdued the guards at the checkpoint.

"Let's go." The officer waved his hand at Gonovaye angrily: "Go back and tell your master that you will never show up in Spain again." After speaking, he took out a letter and handed it to him: "This is for you master."

Cornovaille wanted to say that Mr. Grandet had never been to Spain, and wanted to ask whether the letter was for Mr. or Mrs. Madam, but his mouth was not yet so frightened, and by the time he could speak, the whole convoy had already arrived. When they arrived in France, the soldiers of the two sides were still confronting each other in front of the checkpoint on the opposite side.

"What's the matter, they fought on their own, why did they let you over without checking?" There was also a checkpoint on the French border, and after watching a good show on the opposite side, it was natural to ask Cornoille about the situation.

Cornoille felt that he must be dreaming, and kept crossing his hands to thank God.

"What are you bringing?" The French garrison felt that the things they brought were suspicious, and they looked suspiciously at the country bumpkin who didn't answer his question: "Did the Spaniards buy you and let the soldiers buy you?" You brought something you shouldn't have brought to France?" Otherwise, why did they have a conflict among themselves.

No one is more wronged than Cornoille: "Where is there anything that shouldn't be brought, we are just Saumer sending wine to Spain. We only bring the payment for the wine. The Spaniards refuse to let more than [-] francs flow out , I thought I was going to be robbed."

Who knows how those soldiers helped them break through.

Speaking of this, he became vigilant, feeling that the convoy is not very safe now, and regretted that he should not have said that he had brought the payment.The soldier who asked the question changed his face after hearing this: "You can't leave now." He said and blew his whistle to the house where the defenders lived.

The same number of soldiers as the Spanish defenders, holding the same flintlock guns as the Spanish soldiers, pointed the same guns at Cornoille and his party, telling them to drive the carriage to the front of the house.

"Open it and see what's inside." The commander of the checkpoint patted several heavy boxes and made a request to Cornoyer.

Cornoille really burst into tears: "Sir, I'm just a driver. If the master asks me to deliver wine, I will deliver wine. Mr. Manager said that I will bring gifts for him, so I will bring gifts for him. This box is not mine, I No right to open it."

Why bother him.

The officer looked at Cornoyer's mournful face and smiled: "Any carriage that passes the border will be inspected. Didn't you know that when you left the border?"

You obviously didn't check when you left.Cornoille did not dare to contradict the officer, but begged with tears: "If the master finds that the box is opened halfway, he will kill me. Sir, if you show kindness, God will bless you."

"Gonnoyer, why are you here now?" A horse ran quickly in the distance, and immediately it was Mr. Te Pengfeng, whom Gonoyer knew.

Finally seeing someone he knew, Cornoille was very excited: "Mr. President, why are you here? They won't let us go and want to impound our car."

Hearing Cornoille's address to Te. Pengfeng, the commander glanced at Te. Pengfeng, but did not stop the soldiers from driving.Te Pengfeng dismounted, took out a piece of paper from his pocket and handed it to the commander: "Lieutenant Felix, please read the letter before making a decision."

When someone called out his name all of a sudden, the commander was stunned for a moment, then unconsciously took the paper handed over by Te Pengfeng, and then instinctively stood up straighter - this was an order issued by the king's attendant, requiring Border guards, let the convoy of wine to the Spanish army go!

The commander looked Suspiciously at Te Pomphon. No matter how you look at it, this man is incompatible with the Parisian in his impression. His collar is washed out, the color is also yellowish and dark, and there is suspicious snuff on it. Little black idea.

In Paris, such a person cannot get in touch with the people in the king's chamberlain.

The order in his hand cannot be forged, and the commander does not believe that anyone dares to forge it.The person who sent the order was very suspicious: "Sir," he gave a slight salute to Te Pengfeng: "According to the procedure, the order should be issued by the Border Command."

This is the most suspicious point.

When Te Pengfeng received the order himself, he was as shocked as the commander, so he understood his mood: "Yes, the Border Command also received a copy of the same order, but it was issued by the military department, according to the procedure. It was issued. This one," he smiled arrogantly: "In order to prevent today's situation, I had to deliver it in person. Fortunately, my horse runs fast, otherwise what would happen..."

The commander looked at the order in his hand. For such an unusual order, the king's attendant sent out two copies!This has never happened before, if I did not receive the order in time to detain the person... the commander broke out in a cold sweat, and he became more curious about the person represented by Te Pengfeng: "Sir, I don't know this What is the convoy?"

Te Pengfeng shook his head at him: "Lieutenant, we are all people who do things, and many things just need to be entertained according to the order."

Makes sense.

The commander gave a military salute to Te Pengfeng in awe, and waved his hands to let his subordinates go.Cornoille felt that he had narrowly escaped death, so he didn't dare to ask any more questions. He took the lead in driving the carriage and followed closely behind the horse of Te Bonfon.

"Lieutenant, isn't Saumme transporting wine? How did he get the order from the attendant's room?" The soldier asked his commander in puzzlement.

The lieutenant looked at the questioning soldier inscrutablely: "Security guard your checkpoint, and don't let any suspicious person go." He turned around and strode towards the house.The soldier rubbed his nose in confusion. He just saw suspicious people, and there were more than one, but he let them go with an order.

Cornoille had as many doubts as the soldiers, but he asked a very realistic question: "Monsieur President, shall I go back to Saumur or go back to Paris with you?"

Te Pontfeng took a look at the lucky man in Saumur: "Mr. Grandet is also in Paris now. Except for the cart pulling the gifts, the rest of the people can go back to Saumur first. After Mr. Grandet returns to Saumur, they will come back Pay everyone."

Cornoille shrugged nonchalantly, pretending not to hear the complaints of those coachmen who were not going to Paris - it is normal for Mr. Grandet to work and pay later, if he pays his wages in advance, he has to worry The safety of your own carriage.

Even though the gifts they were pulling were too heavy, and the coachmen were too tired from traveling for many days, Te Pontfeng urged these people more urgently than Cornoille, and it took less than four days for these carriages to stop at the Rue Bertin, in front of Eugenie's mansion.

It was Nanon who greeted them. The moment he saw Cornoille, Nanon took a step forward, but only one step, and then the excitement on his face disappeared, and he asked complainingly: "Why did you arrive now, didn't you say Let you unload the goods and come back?"

Cornoille didn't expect Nanon to be more affectionate to him. The step just now had caught him by surprise, and he took off his hat with a smile: "It's not too late, is the master in a hurry? This time it sold for a good price." The wine in Saumur is only worth 150 francs locally, but it is 220 francs in Madrid, which is more than half.

I don't know how the master found such a good buyer.It is estimated that this transaction will not be completed next year.

"Hurry up, you stupid thing, hurry up and have everything brought in." Nanon called to Cornoille, as if he were still an ordinary tenant of the Traufont estate.

Cornoille smiled indifferently. He thought it was M. Grandet who yelled just now.

"Gonnoyer, why don't you come in?" Mr. Grandet, whom Cornoyer had just thought of, appeared on the steps and shouted in the same tone as Nanon's.Cornoille called out to the parked coachmen to be gentle and not to scratch the bright marble steps.

"Good day, Monsieur Grandet." Cornoille glanced behind Grandet, but did not find Mademoiselle Eugenie, and looked at Nanon in puzzlement—could it be that the master still doesn't believe the lady and is unwilling to let her She participates in daily affairs?

No one explained to Cornoille, and both Grandet and Nanon fixed their eyes on the unloaded boxes.Nanon even personally led the way and directed everyone to move the box to Eugenie's reception room.

Both Nucingen and Eugenie were waiting in the drawing room, neither of them speaking.Cornoille had never seen such an exquisite room. When he came in, he didn't know whether he had put his hands and feet in the right place. After he stammered his greetings to Eugenie, he handed Eugenie the letter from the manager of the Madrid office: " Miss, your letter."

Then, he took out another letter and looked at Grandet in a daze: "Sir, this was given to me by a Spanish officer, who told me to give it to my master." Which one should I give it to? Owner?

Eugenie reached out to take both letters, looked at the words on the envelope and nodded, picked up the money bag that had been placed on the table long ago: "This is your wages, the rest you invite everyone to have a drink together , and find them a place to live.”

"Then..." Cornoille looked back to Nanon, wanting to ask himself if he wanted to live together.

Nanon looked at Cornoille with a blank expression, and managed to get him to swallow the question - Cornoille had no doubts at all that if he asked, Nanon would slap him.

"Nanon, go and take Cornoiler to wash up." Eugenie felt amused seeing the interaction between Nanon and Cornoiler: "Show him the new clothes you made for him."

Nanon, who was still expressionless, nodded silently, took a look at Cornoille and walked out without turning his head, Cornoille followed obediently behind him.He opened the purse as he walked, and after a while he called out in a low voice, "Nanon, the lady gave you the wrong purse."

"Shut up, Miss will not make mistakes." Nanon turned back to look at the money in the purse angrily: "Give them wages and let them return to Saumur as soon as possible. There is no need to find a place for them to live. These wages are enough for them to find on the way. place."

Fine.Cornoille stopped, dumped the money in the bag on the long table by the corridor, and counted it.Nanon waited for him to finish counting and asked, "How about it, Miss is generous, isn't she?"

Seeing that there are five thousand francs in the small purse, of course it is generous.Cornoille counted out a thousand francs and handed it to Nanon: "I am the leader, and these are what I deserve."

Nanon took the money and put it in his apron. He glanced at Cornoille and said, "I made you new clothes. I didn't make them myself. I made them to order at a tailor's shop. Master's clothes are also made there. "

One sentence was enough to make Cornoille happily go out to distribute the money to the coachmen.

In Eugenie's reception room, Nucingen and Grandet were also counting the money in the box.

Not all of them were francs, half of them were exchanged for gold at the market price - 5000 million francs, even at a ratio of [-] to [-], if converted into pesos, it would be Spain's annual treasury income, and the whole of Spain would not be able to exchange so many francs Come.

"These just make up for my treasury." Grandet's eyes were dyed with gold, and he made a request to Eugenie brazenly.