cousin betty-第107章

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characteristic　of　childhood。　But　the　happiness　of　the　family　was
dashed　by　the　change　that　had　come　over　him。　He　had　been　still　hale
when　he　had　gone　away　from　his　home；　he　had　come　back　almost　a
hundred；　broken；　bent；　and　his　expression　even　debased。

A　splendid　dinner；　improvised　by　Celestine；　reminded　the　old　man　of
the　singer's　banquets；　he　was　dazzled　by　the　splendor　of　his　home。

〃A　feast　in　honor　of　the　return　of　the　prodigal　father？〃　said　he　in　a
murmur　to　Adeline。

〃Hush！〃　said　she；　〃all　is　forgotten。〃

〃And　Lisbeth？〃　he　asked；　not　seeing　the　old　maid。

〃I　am　sorry　to　say　that　she　is　in　bed；〃　replied　Hortense。　〃She　can
never　get　up；　and　we　shall　have　the　grief　of　losing　her　ere　long。　She
hopes　to　see　you　after　dinner。〃

At　daybreak　next　morning　Victorin　Hulot　was　informed　by　the　porter's
wife　that　soldiers　of　the　municipal　guard　were　posted　all　round　the
premises；　the　police　demanded　Baron　Hulot。　The　bailiff；　who　had
followed　the　woman；　laid　a　summons　in　due　form　before　the　lawyer；　and
asked　him　whether　he　meant　to　pay　his　father's　debts。　The　claim　was
for　ten　thousand　francs　at　the　suit　of　an　usurer　named　Samanon；　who
had　probably　lent　the　Baron　two　or　three　thousand　at　most。　Victorin
desired　the　bailiff　to　dismiss　his　men；　and　paid。

〃But　is　it　the　last？〃　he　anxiously　wondered。

Lisbeth；　miserable　already　at　seeing　the　family　so　prosperous；　could
not　survive　this　happy　event。　She　grew　so　rapidly　worse　that　Bianchon
gave　her　but　a　week　to　live；　conquered　at　last　in　the　long　struggle　in
which　she　had　scored　so　many　victories。

She　kept　the　secret　of　her　hatred　even　through　a　painful　death　from
pulmonary　consumption。　And；　indeed；　she　had　the　supreme　satisfaction
of　seeing　Adeline；　Hortense；　Hulot；　Victorin；　Steinbock；　Celestine；
and　their　children　standing　in　tears　round　her　bed　and　mourning　for
her　as　the　angel　of　the　family。

Baron　Hulot；　enjoying　a　course　of　solid　food　such　as　he　had　not　known
for　nearly　three　years；　recovered　flesh　and　strength；　and　was　almost
himself　again。　This　improvement　was　such　a　joy　to　Adeline　that　her
nervous　trembling　perceptibly　diminished。

〃She　will　be　happy　after　all；〃　said　Lisbeth　to　herself　on　the　day
before　she　died；　as　she　saw　the　veneration　with　which　the　Baron
regarded　his　wife；　of　whose　sufferings　he　had　heard　from　Hortense　and
Victorin。

And　vindictiveness　hastened　Cousin　Betty's　end。　The　family　followed
her；　weeping；　to　the　grave。

The　Baron　and　Baroness；　having　reached　the　age　which　looks　for　perfect
rest；　gave　up　the　handsome　rooms　on　the　first　floor　to　the　Count　and
Countess　Steinbock；　and　took　those　above。　The　Baron　by　his　son's
exertions　found　an　official　position　in　the　management　of　a　railroad；
in　1845；　with　a　salary　of　six　thousand　francs；　which；　added　to　the　six
thousand　of　his　pension　and　the　money　left　to　him　by　Madame　Crevel；
secured　him　an　income　of　twenty…four　thousand　francs。　Hortense　having
enjoyed　her　independent　income　during　the　three　years　of　separation
from　Wenceslas；　Victorin　now　invested　the　two　hundred　thousand　francs
he　had　in　trust；　in　his　sister's　name　and　he　allowed　her　twelve
thousand　francs。

Wenceslas；　as　the　husband　of　a　rich　woman；　was　not　unfaithful；　but　he
was　an　idler；　he　could　not　make　up　his　mind　to　begin　any　work；　however
trifling。　Once　more　he　became　the　artist　/in　partibus/；　he　was　popular
in　society；　and　consulted　by　amateurs；　in　short；　he　became　a　critic；
like　all　the　feeble　folk　who　fall　below　their　promise。

Thus　each　household；　though　living　as　one　family；　had　its　own　fortune。
The　Baroness；　taught　by　bitter　experience；　left　the　management　of
matters　to　her　son；　and　the　Baron　was　thus　reduced　to　his　salary；　in
hope　that　the　smallness　of　his　income　would　prevent　his　relapsing　into
mischief。　And　by　some　singular　good　fortune；　on　which　neither　the
mother　nor　the　son　had　reckoned；　Hulot　seemed　to　have　foresworn　the
fair　sex。　His　subdued　behaviour；　ascribed　to　the　course　of　nature；　so
completely　reassured　the　family；　that　they　enjoyed　to　the　full　his
recovered　amiability　and　delightful　qualities。　He　was　unfailingly
attentive　to　his　wife　and　children；　escorted　them　to　the　play；
reappeared　in　society；　and　did　the　honors　to　his　son's　house　with
exquisite　grace。　In　short；　this　reclaimed　prodigal　was　the　joy　of　his
family。

He　was　a　most　agreeable　old　man；　a　ruin；　but　full　of　wit；　having
retained　no　more　of　his　vice　than　made　it　an　added　social　grace。

Of　course；　everybody　was　quite　satisfied　and　easy。　The　young　people
and　the　Baroness　lauded　the　model　father　to　the　skies；　forgetting　the
death　of　the　two　uncles。　Life　cannot　go　on　without　much　forgetting！

Madame　Victorin；　who　managed　this　enormous　household　with　great　skill；
due；　no　doubt；　to　Lisbeth's　training；　had　found　it　necessary　to　have　a
man…cook。　This　again　necessitated　a　kitchen…maid。　Kitchen…maids　are　in
these　days　ambitious　creatures；　eager　to　detect　the　/chef's/　secrets；
and　to　become　cooks　as　soon　as　they　have　learnt　to　stir　a　sauce。
Consequently；　the　kitchen…maid　is　liable　to　frequent　change。

At　the　beginning　of　1845　Celestine　engaged　as　kitchen…maid　a　sturdy
Normandy　peasant　come　from　Isignyshort…waisted；　with　strong　red
arms；　a　common　face；　as　dull　as　an　〃occasional　piece〃　at　the　play；　and
hardly　to　be　persuaded　out　of　wearing　the　classical　linen　cap　peculiar
to　the　women　of　Lower　Normandy。　This　girl；　as　buxom　as　a　wet…nurse；
looked　as　if　she　would　burst　the　blue　cotton　check　in　which　she
clothed　her　person。　Her　florid　face　might　have　been　hewn　out　of　stone；
so　hard　were　its　tawny　outlines。

Of　course　no　attention　was　paid　to　the　advent　in　the　house　of　this
girl；　whose　name　was　Agathean　ordinary；　wide…awake　specimen；　such　as
is　daily　imported　from　the　provinces。　Agathe　had　no　attractions　for
the　cook；　her　tongue　was　too　rough；　for　she　had　served　in　a　suburban
inn；　waiting　on　carters；　and　instead　of　making　a　conquest　of　her　chief
and　winning　from　him　the　secrets　of　the　high　art　of　the　kitchen；　she
was　the　object　of　his　great　contempt。　The　/chef's/　attentions　were；　in
fact；　devoted　to　Louise；　the　Countess　Steinbock's　maid。　The　country
girl；　thinking　herself　ill…used；　complained　bitterly　that　she　was
always　sent　out　of　the　way　on　some　pretext　when　the　/chef/　was
finishing　a　dish　or　putting　the　crowning　touch　to　a　sauce。

〃I　am　out　of　luck；〃　said　she；　〃and　I　shall　go　to　another　place。〃

And　yet　she　stayed　though　she　had　twice　given　notice　to　quit。

One　night；　Adeline；　roused　by　some　unusual　noise；　did　not　see　Hector
in　the　bed　he　occupied　near　hers；　for　they　slept　side　by　side　in　two
beds；　as　beseemed　an　old　couple。　She　lay　awake　an　hour；　but　he　did　not
return。　Seized　with　a　panic；　fancying　some　tragic　end　had　overtaken
himan　apoplectic　attack；　perhapsshe　went　upstairs　to　the　floor
occupied　by　the　servants；　and　then　was　attracted　to　the　room　where
Agathe　slept；　partly　by　seeing　a　light　below　the　door；　and　partly　by
the　murmur　of　voices。　She　stood　still　in　dismay　on　recognizing　the
voice　of　her　husband；　who；　a　victim　to　Agathe's　charms；　to　vanquish
this　strapping　wench's　not　disinterested　resistance；　went　to　the
length　of　saying：

〃My　wife　has　not　long　to　live；　and　if　you　like　you　may　be　a　Baroness。〃

Adeline　gave　a　cry；　dropped　her　candlestick；　and　fled。

Three　days　later　the　Baroness；　who　had　received　the　last　sacraments；
was　dying；　surrounded　by　her　weeping　family。

Just　before　she　died；　she　took　her　husband's　hand　and　pressed　it；
murmuring　in　his　ear：

〃My　dear；　I　had　nothing　left　to　give　up　to　you　but　my　life。　In　a
minute　or　two　you　will　be　free；　and　can　make　another　Baronne　Hulot。〃

And；　rare　sight；　tears　oozed　from　her　dead　eyes。

This　desperateness　of　vice　had　vanquished　the　patience　of　the　angel；
who；　on　the　brink　of　eternity；　gave　utterance　to　the　only　reproach　she
had　ever　spoken　in　her　life。

The　Baron　left　Paris　three　days　after　his　wife's　funeral。　Eleven
months　after　Victorin　heard　indirectly　of　his　father's　marriage　to
Mademoiselle　Agathe　Piquetard；　solemnized　at　Isigny；　on　the　1st
February　1846。

〃Parents　may　hinder　their　children's　marriage；　but　children　cannot
interfere　with　the　insane　acts　of　their　parents　in　t