cousin betty-第11章

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〃By　my　life　eternal！〃

〃No；　by　your　happiness　in　this　world？〃

〃Yes。〃

〃Well；　then；　his　name　is　Wenceslas　Steinbock。〃

〃One　of　Charles　XII。's　Generals　was　named　Steinbock。〃

〃He　was　his　grand…uncle。　His　own　father　settled　in　Livonia　after　the
death　of　the　King　of　Sweden；　but　he　lost　all　his　fortune　during　the
campaign　of　1812；　and　died；　leaving　the　poor　boy　at　the　age　of　eight
without　a　penny。　The　Grand　Duke　Constantine；　for　the　honor　of　the　name
of　Steinbock；　took　him　under　his　protection　and　sent　him　to　school。〃

〃I　will　not　break　my　word；〃　Hortense　replied；　〃prove　his　existence；
and　you　shall　have　the　yellow　shawl。　The　color　is　most　becoming　to
dark　skins。〃

〃And　you　will　keep　my　secret？〃

〃And　tell　you　mine。〃

〃Well；　then；　the　next　time　I　come　you　shall　have　the　proof。〃

〃But　the　proof　will　be　the　lover；〃　said　Hortense。

Cousin　Betty；　who；　since　her　first　arrival　in　Paris；　had　been　bitten
by　a　mania　for　shawls；　was　bewitched　by　the　idea　of　owning　the　yellow
cashmere　given　to　his　wife　by　the　Baron　in　1808；　and　handed　down　from
mother　to　daughter　after　the　manner　of　some　families　in　1830。　The
shawl　had　been　a　good　deal　worn　ten　years　ago；　but　the　costly　object；
now　always　kept　in　its　sandal…wood　box；　seemed　to　the　old　maid　ever
new；　like　the　drawing…room　furniture。　So　she　brought　in　her　handbag　a
present　for　the　Baroness'　birthday；　by　which　she　proposed　to　prove　the
existence　of　her　romantic　lover。

This　present　was　a　silver　seal　formed　of　three　little　figures　back　to
back；　wreathed　with　foliage；　and　supporting　the　Globe。　They
represented　Faith；　Hope；　and　Charity；　their　feet　rested　on　monsters
rending　each　other；　among　them　the　symbolical　serpent。　In　1846；　now
that　such　immense　strides　have　been　made　in　the　art　of　which　Benvenuto
Cellini　was　the　master；　by　Mademoiselle　de　Fauveau；　Wagner；　Jeanest；
Froment…Meurice；　and　wood…carvers　like　Lienard；　this　little
masterpiece　would　amaze　nobody；　but　at　that　time　a　girl　who　understood
the　silversmith's　art　stood　astonished　as　she　held　the　seal　which
Lisbeth　put　into　her　hands；　saying：

〃There！　what　do　you　think　of　that？〃

In　design；　attitude；　and　drapery　the　figures　were　of　the　school　of
Raphael；　but　the　execution　was　in　the　style　of　the　Florentine　metal
workersthe　school　created　by　Donatello；　Brunelleschi；　Ghiberti；
Benvenuto　Cellini；　John　of　Bologna；　and　others。　The　French　masters　of
the　Renaissance　had　never　invented　more　strangely　twining　monsters
than　these　that　symbolized　the　evil　passions。　The　palms；　ferns；　reeds；
and　foliage　that　wreathed　the　Virtues　showed　a　style；　a　taste；　a
handling　that　might　have　driven　a　practised　craftsman　to　despair；　a
scroll　floated　above　the　three　figures；　and　on　its　surface；　between
the　heads；　were　a　W；　a　chamois；　and　the　word　/fecit/。

〃Who　carved　this？〃　asked　Hortense。

〃Well；　just　my　lover；〃　replied　Lisbeth。　〃There　are　ten　months'　work　in
it；　I　could　earn　more　at　making　sword…knots。He　told　me　that
Steinbock　means　a　rock　goat；　a　chamois；　in　German。　And　he　intends　to
mark　all　his　work　in　that　way。Ah；　ha！　I　shall　have　the　shawl。〃

〃What　for？〃

〃Do　you　suppose　I　could　buy　such　a　thing；　or　order　it？　Impossible！
Well；　then；　it　must　have　been　given　to　me。　And　who　would　make　me　such
a　present？　A　lover！〃

Hortense；　with　an　artfulness　that　would　have　frightened　Lisbeth
Fischer　if　she　had　detected　it；　took　care　not　to　express　all　her
admiration；　though　she　was　full　of　the　delight　which　every　soul　that
is　open　to　a　sense　of　beauty　must　feel　on　seeing　a　faultless　piece　of
workperfect　and　unexpected。

〃On　my　word；〃　said　she；　〃it　is　very　pretty。〃

〃Yes；　it　is　pretty；〃　said　her　cousin；　〃but　I　like　an　orange…colored
shawl　better。Well；　child；　my　lover　spends　his　time　in　doing　such
work　as　that。　Since　he　came　to　Paris　he　has　turned　out　three　or　four
little　trifles　in　that　style；　and　that　is　the　fruit　of　four　years'
study　and　toil。　He　has　served　as　apprentice　to　founders；　metal…
casters；　and　goldsmiths。There　he　has　paid　away　thousands　and
hundreds　of　francs。　And　my　gentleman　tells　me　that　in　a　few　months　now
he　will　be　famous　and　rich〃

〃Then　you　often　see　him？〃

〃Bless　me；　do　you　think　it　is　all　a　fable？　I　told　you　truth　in　jest。〃

〃And　he　is　in　love　with　you？〃　asked　Hortense　eagerly。

〃He　adores　me；〃　replied　Lisbeth　very　seriously。　〃You　see；　child；　he
had　never　seen　any　women　but　the　washed　out；　pale　things　they　all　are
in　the　north；　and　a　slender；　brown；　youthful　thing　like　me　warmed　his
heart。But；　mum；　you　promised；　you　know！〃

〃And　he　will　fare　like　the　five　others；〃　said　the　girl　ironically；　as
she　looked　at　the　seal。

〃Six　others；　miss。　I　left　one　in　Lorraine；　who；　to　this　day；　would
fetch　the　moon　down　for　me。〃

〃This　one　does　better　than　that；〃　said　Hortense；　〃he　has　brought　down
the　sun。〃

〃Where　can　that　be　turned　into　money？〃　asked　her　cousin。　〃It　takes
wide　lands　to　benefit　by　the　sunshine。〃

These　witticisms；　fired　in　quick　retort；　and　leading　to　the　sort　of
giddy　play　that　may　be　imagined；　had　given　cause　for　the　laughter
which　had　added　to　the　Baroness'　troubles　by　making　her　compare　her
daughter's　future　lot　with　the　present；　when　she　was　free　to　indulge
the　light…heartedness　of　youth。

〃But　to　give　you　a　gem　which　cost　him　six　months　of　work；　he　must　be
under　some　great　obligations　to　you？〃　said　Hortense；　in　whom　the
silver　seal　had　suggested　very　serious　reflections。

〃Oh；　you　want　to　know　too　much　at　once！〃　said　her　cousin。　〃But；
listen；　I　will　let　you　into　a　little　plot。〃

〃Is　your　lover　in　it　too？〃

〃Oh；　ho！　you　want　so　much　to　see　him！　But；　as　you　may　suppose；　an　old
maid　like　Cousin　Betty；　who　had　managed　to　keep　a　lover　for　five
years；　keeps　him　well　hidden。Now；　just　let　me　alone。　You　see；　I　have
neither　cat　nor　canary；　neither　dog　nor　a　parrot；　and　the　old　Nanny
Goat　wanted　something　to　pet　and　teaseso　I　treated　myself　to　a
Polish　Count。〃

〃Has　he　a　moustache？〃

〃As　long　as　that；〃　said　Lisbeth；　holding　up　her　shuttle　filled　with
gold　thread。　She　always　took　her　lace…work　with　her；　and　worked　till
dinner　was　served。

〃If　you　ask　too　many　questions；　you　will　be　told　nothing；〃　she　went
on。　〃You　are　but　two…and…twenty；　and　you　chatter　more　than　I　do　though
I　am　forty…twonot　to　say　forty…three。〃

〃I　am　listening；　I　am　a　wooden　image；〃　said　Hortense。

〃My　lover　has　finished　a　bronze　group　ten　inches　high；〃　Lisbeth　went
on。　〃It　represents　Samson　slaying　a　lion；　and　he　has　kept　it　buried
till　it　is　so　rusty　that　you　might　believe　it　to　be　as　old　as　Samson
himself。　This　fine　piece　is　shown　at　the　shop　of　one　of　the　old
curiosity　sellers　on　the　Place　du　Carrousel；　near　my　lodgings。　Now；
your　father　knows　Monsieur　Popinot；　the　Minister　of　Commerce　and
Agriculture；　and　the　Comte　de　Rastignac；　and　if　he　would　mention　the
group　to　them　as　a　fine　antique　he　had　seen　by　chance！　It　seems　that
such　things　take　the　fancy　of　your　grand　folks；　who　don't　care　so　much
about　gold　lace；　and　that　my　man's　fortune　would　be　made　if　one　of
them　would　buy　or　even　look　at　the　wretched　piece　of　metal。　The　poor
fellow　is　sure　that　it　might　be　mistaken　for　old　work；　and　that　the
rubbish　is　worth　a　great　deal　of　money。　And　then；　if　one　of　the
ministers　should　purchase　the　group；　he　would　go　to　pay　his　respects；
and　prove　that　he　was　the　maker；　and　be　almost　carried　in　triumph！　Oh！
he　believes　he　has　reached　the　pinnacle；　poor　young　man；　and　he　is　as
proud　as　two　newly…made　Counts。〃

〃Michael　Angelo　over　again；　but；　for　a　lover；　he　has　kept　his　head　on
his　shoulders！〃　said　Hortense。　〃And　how　much　does　he　want　for　it？〃

〃Fifteen　hundred　francs。　The　dealer　will　not　let　it　go　for　less；　since
he　must　take　his　commission。〃

〃Papa　is　in　the　King's　household　just　now；〃　said　Hortense。　〃He　sees
those　two　ministers　every　day　at　the　Chamber；　and　he　will　do　the　thing
I　undertake　that。　You　will　be　a　rich　woman；　Madame　la　Comtesse　de
Steinbock。〃

〃No；　the　boy　is　too　lazy；　for　whole　weeks　he　sits　twiddling　with　bits
of　red　wax；　and　nothing　comes　of　it。　Why；　he　spends　all　his　days　at
the　Louvre　and　the　Library；　looking　at　prints　and　sketching　things。　He
is　an　idler！〃

The　cousins　chatted　and　giggled；　Hortense　laughin