cousin betty-第16章

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〃You　are　very　kind；　mademoiselle；〃　replied　the　exile　in　melancholy
tones。

〃It　will　do　you　good；　poor　boy。　You　get　feverish　by　working　so　hard；
you　were　not　born　to　such　a　rough　life。〃

Wenceslas　Steinbock　looked　at　her　with　a　bewildered　air。

〃Eatcome；　eat；〃　said　she　sharply；　〃instead　of　looking　at　me　as　you
do　at　one　of　your　images　when　you　are　satisfied　with　it。〃

On　being　thus　smacked　with　words；　the　young　man　seemed　less　puzzled；
for　this；　indeed；　was　the　female　Mentor　whose　tender　moods　were　always
a　surprise　to　him；　so　much　more　accustomed　was　he　to　be　scolded。

Though　Steinbock　was　nine…and…twenty；　like　many　fair　men；　he　looked
five　or　six　years　younger；　and　seeing　his　youth；　though　its　freshness
had　faded　under　the　fatigue　and　stress　of　life　in　exile；　by　the　side
of　that　dry；　hard　face；　it　seemed　as　though　Nature　had　blundered　in
the　distribution　of　sex。　He　rose　and　threw　himself　into　a　deep　chair
of　Louis　XV。　pattern；　covered　with　yellow　Utrecht　velvet；　as　if　to
rest　himself。　The　old　maid　took　a　greengage　and　offered　it　to　him。

〃Thank　you；〃　said　he；　taking　the　plum。

〃Are　you　tired？〃　said　she；　giving　him　another。

〃I　am　not　tired　with　work；　but　tired　of　life；〃　said　he。

〃What　absurd　notions　you　have！〃　she　exclaimed　with　some　annoyance。
〃Have　you　not　had　a　good　genius　to　keep　an　eye　on　you？〃　she　said；
offering　him　the　sweetmeats；　and　watching　him　with　pleasure　as　he　ate
them　all。　〃You　see；　I　thought　of　you　when　dining　with　my　cousin。〃

〃I　know；〃　said　he；　with　a　look　at　Lisbeth　that　was　at　once
affectionate　and　plaintive；　〃but　for　you　I　should　long　since　have
ceased　to　live。　But；　my　dear　lady；　artists　require　relaxation〃

〃Ah！　there　we　come　to　the　point！〃　cried　she；　interrupting　him；　her
hands　on　her　hips；　and　her　flashing　eyes　fixed　on　him。　〃You　want　to　go
wasting　your　health　in　the　vile　resorts　of　Paris；　like　so　many
artisans；　who　end　by　dying　in　the　workhouse。　No；　no；　make　a　fortune；
and　then；　when　you　have　money　in　the　funds；　you　may　amuse　yourself；
child；　then　you　will　have　enough　to　pay　for　the　doctor　and　for　your
pleasure；　libertine　that　you　are。〃

Wenceslas　Steinbock；　on　receiving　this　broadside；　with　an
accompaniment　of　looks　that　pierced　him　like　a　magnetic　flame；　bent
his　head。　The　most　malignant　slanderer　on　seeing　this　scene　would　at
once　have　understood　that　the　hints　thrown　out　by　the　Oliviers　were
false。　Everything　in　this　couple；　their　tone；　manner；　and　way　of
looking　at　each　other；　proved　the　purity　of　their　private　live。　The
old　maid　showed　the　affection　of　rough　but　very　genuine　maternal
feeling；　the　young　man　submitted；　as　a　respectful　son　yields　to　the
tyranny　of　a　mother。　The　strange　alliance　seemed　to　be　the　outcome　of
a　strong　will　acting　constantly　on　a　weak　character；　on　the　fluid
nature　peculiar　to　the　Slavs；　which；　while　it　does　not　hinder　them
from　showing　heroic　courage　in　battle；　gives　them　an　amazing
incoherency　of　conduct；　a　moral　softness　of　which　physiologists　ought
to　try　to　detect　the　causes；　since　physiologists　are　to　political　life
what　entomologists　are　to　agriculture。

〃But　if　I　die　before　I　am　rich？〃　said　Wenceslas　dolefully。

〃Die！〃　cried　she。　〃Oh；　I　will　not　let　you　die。　I　have　life　enough　for
both；　and　I　would　have　my　blood　injected　into　your　veins　if
necessary。〃

Tears　rose　to　Steinbock's　eyes　as　he　heard　her　vehement　and　artless
speech。

〃Do　not　be　unhappy；　my　little　Wenceslas；〃　said　Lisbeth　with　feeling。
〃My　cousin　Hortense　thought　your　seal　quite　pretty；　I　am　sure；　and　I
will　manage　to　sell　your　bronze　group；　you　will　see；　you　will　have
paid　me　off；　you　will　be　able　to　do　as　you　please；　you　will　soon　be
free。　Come；　smile　a　little！〃

〃I　can　never　repay　you；　mademoiselle；〃　said　the　exile。

〃And　why　not？〃　asked　the　peasant　woman；　taking　the　Livonian's　part
against　herself。

〃Because　you　not　only　fed　me；　lodged　me；　cared　for　me　in　my　poverty；
but　you　also　gave　me　strength。　You　have　made　me　what　I　am；　you　have
often　been　stern；　you　have　made　me　very　unhappy〃

〃I？〃　said　the　old　maid。　〃Are　you　going　to　pour　out　all　your　nonsense
once　more　about　poetry　and　the　arts；　and　to　crack　your　fingers　and
stretch　your　arms　while　you　spout　about　the　ideal；　and　beauty；　and　all
your　northern　madness？Beauty　is　not　to　compare　with　solid　pudding
and　what　am　I！You　have　ideas　in　your　brain？　What　is　the　use　of　them？
I　too　have　ideas。　What　is　the　good　of　all　the　fine　things　you　may　have
in　your　soul　if　you　can　make　no　use　of　them？　Those　who　have　ideas　do
not　get　so　far　as　those　who　have　none；　if　they　don't　know　which　way　to
go。

〃Instead　of　thinking　over　your　ideas　you　must　work。Now；　what　have
you　done　while　I　was　out？〃

〃What　did　your　pretty　cousin　say？〃

〃Who　told　you　she　was　pretty？〃　asked　Lisbeth　sharply；　in　a　tone　hollow
with　tiger…like　jealousy。

〃Why；　you　did。〃

〃That　was　only　to　see　your　face。　Do　you　want　to　go　trotting　after
petticoats？　You　who　are　so　fond　of　women；　well；　make　them　in　bronze。
Let　us　see　a　cast　of　your　desires；　for　you　will　have　to　do　without　the
ladies　for　some　little　time　yet；　and　certainly　without　my　cousin；　my
good　fellow。　She　is　not　game　for　your　bag；　that　young　lady　wants　a　man
with　sixty　thousand　francs　a　yearand　has　found　him！

〃Why；　your　bed　is　not　made！〃　she　exclaimed；　looking　into　the　adjoining
room。　〃Poor　dear　boy；　I　quite　forgot　you！〃

The　sturdy　woman　pulled　off　her　gloves；　her　cape　and　bonnet；　and
remade　the　artist's　little　camp　bed　as　briskly　as　any　housemaid。　This
mixture　of　abruptness；　of　roughness　even；　with　real　kindness；　perhaps
accounts　for　the　ascendency　Lisbeth　had　acquired　over　the　man　whom　she
regarded　as　her　personal　property。　Is　not　our　attachment　to　life　based
on　its　alternations　of　good　and　evil？

If　the　Livonian　had　happened　to　meet　Madame　Marneffe　instead　of
Lisbeth　Fischer；　he　would　have　found　a　protectress　whose　complaisance
must　have　led　him　into　some　boggy　or　discreditable　path；　where　he
would　have　been　lost。　He　would　certainly　never　have　worked；　nor　the
artist　have　been　hatched　out。　Thus；　while　he　deplored　the　old　maid's
grasping　avarice；　his　reason　bid　him　prefer　her　iron　hand　to　the　life
of　idleness　and　peril　led　by　many　of　his　fellow…countrymen。



This　was　the　incident　that　had　given　rise　to　the　coalition　of　female
energy　and　masculine　feeblenessa　contrast　in　union　said　not　to　be
uncommon　in　Poland。

In　1833　Mademoiselle　Fischer；　who　sometimes　worked　into　the　night　when
business　was　good；　at　about　one　o'clock　one　morning　perceived　a　strong
smell　of　carbonic　acid　gas；　and　heard　the　groans　of　a　dying　man。　The
fumes　and　the　gasping　came　from　a　garret　over　the　two　rooms　forming
her　dwelling；　and　she　supposed　that　a　young　man　who　had　but　lately
come　to　lodge　in　this　atticwhich　had　been　vacant　for　three　years
was　committing　suicide。　She　ran　upstairs；　broke　in　the　door　by　a　push
with　her　peasant　strength；　and　found　the　lodger　writhing　on　a　camp…bed
in　the　convulsions　of　death。　She　extinguished　the　brazier；　the　door
was　open；　the　air　rushed　in；　and　the　exile　was　saved。　Then；　when
Lisbeth　had　put　him　to　bed　like　a　patient；　and　he　was　asleep；　she
could　detect　the　motives　of　his　suicide　in　the　destitution　of　the
rooms；　where　there　was　nothing　whatever　but　a　wretched　table；　the
camp…bed；　and　two　chairs。

On　the　table　lay　a　document；　which　she　read：

　　〃I　am　Count　Wenceslas　Steinbock；　born　at　Prelia；　in　Livonia。

　　〃No　one　is　to　be　accused　of　my　death；　my　reasons　for　killing
　　myself　are；　in　the　words　of　Kosciusko；　/Finis　Polonioe/！

　　〃The　grand…nephew　of　a　valiant　General　under　Charles　XII。　could
　　not　beg。　My　weakly　constitution　forbids　my　taking　military
　　service；　and　I　yesterday　saw　the　last　of　the　hundred　thalers　which
　　I　had　brought　with　me　from　Dresden　to　Paris。　I　have　left　twenty…
　　five　francs　in　the　drawer　of　this　table　to　pay　the　rent　I　owe　to
　　the　landlord。

　　〃My　parents　being　dead；　my　death　will　affect　nobody。　I　desire　that
　　my　countrymen　will　not　blame　the　French　Government。　I　have　never
　　registered　myself　as　a　refugee；　and　I　have　asked　for　nothing；　I
　　have　met　none　of　my　fellow…exiles；　no　one　in　Paris　knows　of　my
　　existence。

　　〃I　am　dying　in　Christian　belie