cousin betty-第101章

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〃My　dear　little　pet　Nanny；　what　an　age　since　we　met！〃　cried　Valerie。
〃I　am　so　unhappy！　Crevel　bores　me　to　death；　and　Wenceslas　is　gonewe
quarreled。〃

〃I　know；〃　said　Lisbeth；　〃and　that　is　what　brings　me　here。　Victorin　met
him　at　about　five　in　the　afternoon　going　into　an　eating…house　at　five…
and…twenty　sous；　and　he　brought　him　home；　hungry；　by　working　on　his
feelings；　to　the　Rue　Louis…le…Grand。Hortense；　seeing　Wenceslas　lean
and　ill　and　badly　dressed；　held　out　her　hand。　This　is　how　you　throw　me
over〃

〃Monsieur　Henri；　madame；〃　the　man…servant　announced　in　a　low　voice　to
Valerie。

〃Leave　me　now；　Lisbeth；　I　will　explain　it　all　to…morrow。〃　But；　as　will
be　seen；　Valerie　was　ere　long　not　in　a　state　to　explain　anything　to
anybody。



Towards　the　end　of　May；　Baron　Hulot's　pension　was　released　by
Victorin's　regular　payment　to　Baron　Nucingen。　As　everybody　knows；
pensions　are　paid　half…yearly；　and　only　on　the　presentation　of　a
certificate　that　the　recipient　is　alive：　and　as　Hulot's　residence　was
unknown；　the　arrears　unpaid　on　Vauvinet's　demand　remained　to　his
credit　in　the　Treasury。　Vauvinet　now　signed　his　renunciation　of　any
further　claims；　and　it　was　still　indispensable　to　find　the　pensioner
before　the　arrears　could　be　drawn。

Thanks　to　Bianchon's　care；　the　Baroness　had　recovered　her　health；　and
to　this　Josepha's　good　heart　had　contributed　by　a　letter；　of　which　the
orthography　betrayed　the　collaboration　of　the　Duc　d'Herouville。　This
was　what　the　singer　wrote　to　the　Baroness；　after　twenty　days　of
anxious　search：

　　〃MADAME　LA　BARONNE；Monsieur　Hulot　was　living；　two　months　since；
　　in　the　Rue　des　Bernardins；　with　Elodie　Chardin；　a　lace…mender；　for
　　whom　he　had　left　Mademoiselle　Bijou；　but　he　went　away　without　a
　　word；　leaving　everything　behind　him；　and　no　one　knows　where　he
　　went。　I　am　not　without　hope；　however；　and　I　have　put　a　man　on　this
　　track　who　believes　he　has　already　seen　him　in　the　Boulevard
　　Bourdon。

　　〃The　poor　Jewess　means　to　keep　the　promise　she　made　to　the
　　Christian。　Will　the　angel　pray　for　the　devil？　That　must　sometimes
　　happen　in　heaven。I　remain；　with　the　deepest　respect；　always　your
　　humble　servant；


〃JOSEPHA　MIRAH。〃

The　lawyer；　Maitre　Hulot　d'Ervy；　hearing　no　more　of　the　dreadful
Madame　Nourrisson；　seeing　his　father…in…law　married；　having　brought
back　his　brother…in…law　to　the　family　fold；　suffering　from　no
importunity　on　the　part　of　his　new　stepmother；　and　seeing　his　mother's
health　improve　daily；　gave　himself　up　to　his　political　and　judicial
duties；　swept　along　by　the　tide　of　Paris　life；　in　which　the　hours
count　for　days。

One　night；　towards　the　end　of　the　session；　having　occasion　to　write　up
a　report　to　the　Chamber　of　Deputies；　he　was　obliged　to　sit　at　work
till　late　at　night。　He　had　gone　into　his　study　at　nine　o'clock；　and；
while　waiting　till　the　man…servant　should　bring　in　the　candles　with
green　shades；　his　thoughts　turned　to　his　father。　He　was　blaming
himself　for　leaving　the　inquiry　so　much　to　the　singer；　and　had
resolved　to　see　Monsieur　Chapuzot　himself　on　the　morrow；　when　he　saw
in　the　twilight；　outside　the　window；　a　handsome　old　head；　bald　and
yellow；　with　a　fringe　of　white　hair。

〃Would　you　please　to　give　orders；　sir；　that　a　poor　hermit　is　to　be
admitted；　just　come　from　the　Desert；　and　who　is　instructed　to　beg　for
contributions　towards　rebuilding　a　holy　house。〃

This　apparition；　which　suddenly　reminded　the　lawyer　of　a　prophecy
uttered　by　the　terrible　Nourrisson；　gave　him　a　shock。

〃Let　in　that　old　man；〃　said　he　to　the　servant。

〃He　will　poison　the　place；　sir；〃　replied　the　man。　〃He　has　on　a　brown
gown　which　he　has　never　changed　since　he　left　Syria；　and　he　has　no
shirt〃

〃Show　him　in；〃　repeated　the　master。

The　old　man　came　in。　Victorin's　keen　eye　examined　this　so…called
pilgrim　hermit；　and　he　saw　a　fine　specimen　of　the　Neapolitan　friars；
whose　frocks　are　akin　to　the　rags　of　the　/lazzaroni/；　whose　sandals
are　tatters　of　leather；　as　the　friars　are　tatters　of　humanity。　The
get…up　was　so　perfect　that　the　lawyer；　though　still　on　his　guard；　was
vexed　with　himself　for　having　believed　it　to　be　one　of　Madame
Nourrisson's　tricks。

〃How　much　to　you　want　of　me？〃

〃Whatever　you　feel　that　you　ought　to　give　me。〃

Victorin　took　a　five…franc　piece　from　a　little　pile　on　his　table；　and
handed　it　to　the　stranger。

〃That　is　not　much　on　account　of　fifty　thousand　francs；〃　said　the
pilgrim　of　the　desert。

This　speech　removed　all　Victorin's　doubts。

〃And　has　Heaven　kept　its　word？〃　he　said；　with　a　frown。

〃The　question　is　an　offence；　my　son；〃　said　the　hermit。　〃If　you　do　not
choose　to　pay　till　after　the　funeral；　you　are　in　your　rights。　I　will
return　in　a　week's　time。〃

〃The　funeral！〃　cried　the　lawyer；　starting　up。

〃The　world　moves　on；〃　said　the　old　man；　as　he　withdrew；　〃and　the　dead
move　quickly　in　Paris！〃

When　Hulot；　who　stood　looking　down；　was　about　to　reply；　the　stalwart
old　man　had　vanished。

〃I　don't　understand　one　word　of　all　this；〃　said　Victorin　to　himself。
〃But　at　the　end　of　the　week　I　will　ask　him　again　about　my　father；　if
we　have　not　yet　found　him。　Where　does　Madame　Nourrissonyes；　that　was
her　namepick　up　such　actors？〃

On　the　following　day；　Doctor　Bianchon　allowed　the　Baroness　to　go　down
into　the　garden；　after　examining　Lisbeth；　who　had　been　obliged　to　keep
to　her　room　for　a　month　by　a　slight　bronchial　attack。　The　learned
doctor；　who　dared　not　pronounce　a　definite　opinion　on　Lisbeth's　case
till　he　had　seen　some　decisive　symptoms；　went　into　the　garden　with
Adeline　to　observe　the　effect　of　the　fresh　air　on　her　nervous
trembling　after　two　months　of　seclusion。　He　was　interested　and　allured
by　the　hope　of　curing　this　nervous　complaint。　On　seeing　the　great
physician　sitting　with　them　and　sparing　them　a　few　minutes；　the
Baroness　and　her　family　conversed　with　him　on　general　subjects。

〃You　life　is　a　very　full　and　a　very　sad　one；〃　said　Madame　Hulot。　〃I
know　what　it　is　to　spend　one's　days　in　seeing　poverty　and　physical
suffering。〃

〃I　know；　madame；〃　replied　the　doctor；　〃all　the　scenes　of　which　charity
compels　you　to　be　a　spectator；　but　you　will　get　used　to　it　in　time；　as
we　all　do。　It　is　the　law　of　existence。　The　confessor；　the　magistrate；
the　lawyer　would　find　life　unendurable　if　the　spirit　of　the　State　did
not　assert　itself　above　the　feelings　of　the　individual。　Could　we　live
at　all　but　for　that？　Is　not　the　soldier　in　time　of　war　brought　face　to
face　with　spectacles　even　more　dreadful　than　those　we　see？　And　every
soldier　that　has　been　under　fire　is　kind…hearted。　We　medical　men　have
the　pleasure　now　and　again　of　a　successful　cure；　as　you　have　that　of
saving　a　family　from　the　horrors　of　hunger；　depravity；　or　misery；　and
of　restoring　it　to　social　respectability。　But　what　comfort　can　the
magistrate　find；　the　police　agent；　or　the　attorney；　who　spend　their
lives　in　investigating　the　basest　schemes　of　self…interest；　the　social
monster　whose　only　regret　is　when　it　fails；　but　on　whom　repentance
never　dawns？

〃One…half　of　society　spends　its　life　in　watching　the　other　half。　A
very　old　friend　of　mine　is　an　attorney；　now　retired；　who　told　me　that
for　fifteen　years　past　notaries　and　lawyers　have　distrusted　their
clients　quite　as　much　as　their　adversaries。　Your　son　is　a　pleader；　has
he　never　found　himself　compromised　by　the　client　for　whom　he　held　a
brief？〃

〃Very　often；〃　said　Victorin；　with　a　smile。

〃And　what　is　the　cause　of　this　deep…seated　evil？〃　asked　the　Baroness。

〃The　decay　of　religion；〃　said　Bianchon；　〃and　the　pre…eminence　of
finance；　which　is　simply　solidified　selfishness。　Money　used　not　to　be
everything；　there　were　some　kinds　of　superiority　that　ranked　above　it
nobility；　genius；　service　done　to　the　State。　But　nowadays　the　law
takes　wealth　as　the　universal　standard；　and　regards　it　as　the　measure
of　public　capacity。　Certain　magistrates　are　ineligible　to　the　Chamber；
Jean…Jacques　Rousseau　would　be　ineligible！　The　perpetual　subdivision
of　estate　compels　every　man　to　take　care　of　himself　from　the　age　of
twenty。

〃Well；　then；　between　the　necessity　for　making　a　fortune　and　the
depravity　of　speculation　there　is　no　check　or　hindrance；　for　the
religious　sense　is　wholly