cousin betty-第102章

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depravity　of　speculation　there　is　no　check　or　hindrance；　for　the
religious　sense　is　wholly　lacking　in　France；　in　spite　of　the　laudable
endeavors　of　those　who　are　working　for　a　Catholic　revival。　And　this　is
the　opinion　of　every　man　who；　like　me；　studies　society　at　the　core。〃

〃And　you　have　few　pleasures？〃　said　Hortense。

〃The　true　physician；　madame；　is　in　love　with　his　science；〃　replied　the
doctor。　〃He　is　sustained　by　that　passion　as　much　as　by　the　sense　of
his　usefulness　to　society。

〃At　this　very　time　you　see　in　me　a　sort　of　scientific　rapture；　and
many　superficial　judges　would　regard　me　as　a　man　devoid　of　feeling。　I
have　to　announce　a　discovery　to…morrow　to　the　College　of　Medicine；　for
I　am　studying　a　disease　that　had　disappeareda　mortal　disease　for
which　no　cure　is　known　in　temperate　climates；　though　it　is　curable　in
the　West　Indiesa　malady　known　here　in　the　Middle　Ages。　A　noble　fight
is　that　of　the　physician　against　such　a　disease。　For　the　last　ten　days
I　have　thought　of　nothing　but　these　casesfor　there　are　two；　a
husband　and　wife。Are　they　not　connections　of　yours？　For　you；　madame；
are　surely　Monsieur　Crevel's　daughter？〃　said　he；　addressing　Celestine。

〃What；　is　my　father　your　patient？〃　asked　Celestine。　〃Living　in　the　Rue
Barbet…de…Jouy？〃

〃Precisely　so；〃　said　Bianchon。

〃And　the　disease　is　inevitably　fatal？〃　said　Victorin　in　dismay。

〃I　will　go　to　see　him；〃　said　Celestine；　rising。

〃I　positively　forbid　it；　madame；〃　Bianchon　quietly　said。　〃The　disease
is　contagious。〃

〃But　you　go　there；　monsieur；〃　replied　the　young　woman。　〃Do　you　think
that　a　daughter's　duty　is　less　binding　than　a　doctor's？〃

〃Madame；　a　physician　knows　how　to　protect　himself　against　infection；
and　the　rashness　of　your　devotion　proves　to　me　that　you　would　probably
be　less　prudent　than　I。〃

Celestine；　however；　got　up　and　went　to　her　room；　where　she　dressed　to
go　out。

〃Monsieur；〃　said　Victorin　to　Bianchon；　〃have　you　any　hope　of　saving
Monsieur　and　Madame　Crevel？〃

〃I　hope；　but　I　do　not　believe　that　I　may；〃　said　Bianchon。　〃The　case　is
to　me　quite　inexplicable。　The　disease　is　peculiar　to　negroes　and　the
American　tribes；　whose　skin　is　differently　constituted　to　that　of　the
white　races。　Now　I　can　trace　no　connection　with　the　copper…colored
tribes；　with　negroes　or　half…castes；　in　Monsieur　or　Madame　Crevel。

〃And　though　it　is　a　very　interesting　disease　to　us；　it　is　a　terrible
thing　for　the　sufferers。　The　poor　woman；　who　is　said　to　have　been　very
pretty；　is　punished　for　her　sins；　for　she　is　now　squalidly　hideous　if
she　is　still　anything　at　all。　She　is　losing　her　hair　and　teeth；　her
skin　is　like　a　leper's；　she　is　a　horror　to　herself；　her　hands　are
horrible；　covered　with　greenish　pustules；　her　nails　are　loose；　and　the
flesh　is　eaten　away　by　the　poisoned　humors。〃

〃And　the　cause　of　such　a　disease？〃　asked　the　lawyer。

〃Oh！〃　said　the　doctor；　〃the　cause　lies　in　a　form　of　rapid　blood…
poisoning；　it　degenerates　with　terrific　rapidity。　I　hope　to　act　on　the
blood；　I　am　having　it　analyzed；　and　I　am　now　going　home　to　ascertain
the　result　of　the　labors　of　my　friend　Professor　Duval；　the　famous
chemist；　with　a　view　to　trying　one　of　those　desperate　measures　by
which　we　sometimes　attempt　to　defeat　death。〃

〃The　hand　of　God　is　there！〃　said　Adeline；　in　a　voice　husky　with
emotion。　〃Though　that　woman　has　brought　sorrows　on　me　which　have　led
me　in　moments　of　madness　to　invoke　the　vengeance　of　Heaven；　I　hope
God　knows　I　hopeyou　may　succeed；　doctor。〃

Victorin　felt　dizzy。　He　looked　at　his　mother；　his　sister；　and　the
physician　by　turns；　quaking　lest　they　should　read　his　thoughts。　He
felt　himself　a　murderer。

Hortense；　for　her　part；　thought　God　was　just。

Celestine　came　back　to　beg　her　husband　to　accompany　her。

〃If　you　insist　on　going；　madame；　and　you　too；　monsieur；　keep　at　least
a　foot　between　you　and　the　bed　of　the　sufferer；　that　is　the　chief
precaution。　Neither　you　nor　your　wife　must　dream　of　kissing　the　dying
man。　And；　indeed；　you　ought　to　go　with　your　wife；　Monsieur　Hulot；　to
hinder　her　from　disobeying　my　injunctions。〃

Adeline　and　Hortense；　when　they　were　left　alone；　went　to　sit　with
Lisbeth。　Hortense　had　such　a　virulent　hatred　of　Valerie　that　she　could
not　contain　the　expression　of　it。

〃Cousin　Lisbeth；〃　she　exclaimed；　〃my　mother　and　I　are　avenged！　that
venomous　snake　is　herself　bittenshe　is　rotting　in　her　bed！〃

〃Hortense；　at　this　moment　you　are　not　a　Christian。　You　ought　to　pray
to　God　to　vouchsafe　repentance　to　this　wretched　woman。〃

〃What　are　you　talking　about？〃　said　Betty；　rising　from　her　couch。　〃Are
you　speaking　of　Valerie？〃

〃Yes；〃　replied　Adeline；　〃she　is　past　hopedying　of　some　horrible
disease　of　which　the　mere　description　makes　one　shudder〃

Lisbeth's　teeth　chattered；　a　cold　sweat　broke　out　all　over　her；　the
violence　of　the　shock　showed　how　passionate　her　attachment　to　Valerie
had　been。

〃I　must　go　there；〃　said　she。

〃But　the　doctor　forbids　your　going　out。〃

〃I　do　not　careI　must　go！Poor　Crevel！　what　a　state　he　must　be　in；
for　he　loves　that　woman。〃

〃He　is　dying　too；〃　replied　Countess　Steinbock。　〃Ah！　all　our　enemies
are　in　the　devil's　clutches〃

〃In　God's　hands；　my　child〃

Lisbeth　dressed　in　the　famous　yellow　Indian　shawl　and　her　black　velvet
bonnet；　and　put　on　her　boots；　in　spite　of　her　relations'
remonstrances；　she　set　out　as　if　driven　by　some　irresistible　power。

She　arrived　in　the　Rue　Barbet　a　few　minutes　after　Monsieur　and　Madame
Hulot；　and　found　seven　physicians　there；　brought　by　Bianchon　to　study
this　unique　case；　he　had　just　joined　them。　The　physicians；　assembled
in　the　drawing…room；　were　discussing　the　disease；　now　one　and　now
another　went　into　Valerie's　room　or　Crevel's　to　take　a　note；　and
returned　with　an　opinion　based　on　this　rapid　study。

These　princes　of　science　were　divided　in　their　opinions。　One；　who
stood　alone　in　his　views；　considered　it　a　case　of　poisoning；　of
private　revenge；　and　denied　its　identity　with　the　disease　known　in　the
Middle　Ages。　Three　others　regarded　it　as　a　specific　deterioration　of
the　blood　and　the　humors。　The　rest；　agreeing　with　Bianchon；　maintained
that　the　blood　was　poisoned　by　some　hitherto　unknown　morbid　infection。
Bianchon　produced　Professor　Duval's　analysis　of　the　blood。　The
remedies　to　be　applied；　though　absolutely　empirical　and　without　hope；
depended　on　the　verdict　in　this　medical　dilemma。

Lisbeth　stood　as　if　petrified　three　yards　away　from　the　bed　where
Valerie　lay　dying；　as　she　saw　a　priest　from　Saint…Thomas　d'Aquin
standing　by　her　friend's　pillow；　and　a　sister　of　charity　in
attendance。　Religion　could　find　a　soul　to　save　in　a　mass　of　rottenness
which；　of　the　five　senses　of　man；　had　now　only　that　of　sight。　The
sister　of　charity　who　alone　had　been　found　to　nurse　Valerie　stood
apart。　Thus　the　Catholic　religion；　that　divine　institution；　always
actuated　by　the　spirit　of　self…sacrifice；　under　its　twofold　aspect　of
the　Spirit　and　the　Flesh；　was　tending　this　horrible　and　atrocious
creature；　soothing　her　death…bed　by　its　infinite　benevolence　and
inexhaustible　stores　of　mercy。

The　servants；　in　horror；　refused　to　go　into　the　room　of　either　their
master　or　mistress；　they　thought　only　of　themselves；　and　judged　their
betters　as　righteously　stricken。　The　smell　was　so　foul　that　in　spite
of　open　windows　and　strong　perfumes；　no　one　could　remain　long　in
Valerie's　room。　Religion　alone　kept　guard　there。

How　could　a　woman　so　clever　as　Valerie　fail　to　ask　herself　to　what　end
these　two　representatives　of　the　Church　remained　with　her？　The　dying
woman　had　listened　to　the　words　of　the　priest。　Repentance　had　risen　on
her　darkened　soul　as　the　devouring　malady　had　consumed　her　beauty。　The
fragile　Valerie　had　been　less　able　to　resist　the　inroads　of　the
disease　than　Crevel；　she　would　be　the　first　to　succumb；　and；　indeed；
had　been　the　first　attacked。

〃If　I　had　not　been　ill　myself；　I　would　have　come　to　nurse　you；〃　said
Lisbeth　at　last；　after　a　glance　at　her　friend's　sunken　eyes。　〃I　have
kept　my　room　this　fortnight　or　three　weeks；　but　when　I　heard　of　your
state　from　the　doctor；　I　came　at　once。〃

〃Poor　Lisbeth；　you　at　least　love　me　still；　I　see！〃　said　Valerie。
〃Listen。　I　have　only　a　day　or　two　le