cousin betty-第24章

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Cousin　Betty；　who　was　considerably　amazed　on　opening　the　door　to　see
who　her　visitor　was；　for　he　had　never　called　on　her　before。　She　at
once　said　to　herself；　〃Can　it　be　that　Hortense　wants　my　lover？〃for
she　had　heard　the　evening　before；　at　Monsieur　Crevel's；　that　the
marriage　with　the　Councillor　of　the　Supreme　Court　was　broken　off。

〃What；　Cousin！　you　here？　This　is　the　first　time　you　have　ever　been　to
see　me；　and　it　is　certainly　not　for　love　of　my　fine　eyes　that　you　have
come　now。〃

〃Fine　eyes　is　the　truth；〃　said　the　Baron；　〃you　have　as　fine　eyes　as　I
have　ever　seen〃

〃Come；　what　are　you　here　for？　I　really　am　ashamed　to　receive　you　in
such　a　kennel。〃

The　outer　room　of　the　two　inhabited　by　Lisbeth　served　her　as　sitting…
room；　dining…room；　kitchen；　and　workroom。　The　furniture　was　such　as
beseemed　a　well…to…do　artisanwalnut…wood　chairs　with　straw　seats；　a
small　walnut…wood　dining　table；　a　work　table；　some　colored　prints　in
black　wooden　frames；　short　muslin　curtains　to　the　windows；　the　floor
well　polished　and　shining　with　cleanliness；　not　a　speck　of　dust
anywhere；　but　all　cold　and　dingy；　like　a　picture　by　Terburg　in　every
particular；　even　to　the　gray　tone　given　by　a　wall　paper　once　blue　and
now　faded　to　gray。　As　to　the　bedroom；　no　human　being　had　ever
penetrated　its　secrets。

The　Baron　took　it　all　in　at　a　glance；　saw　the　sign…manual　of
commonness　on　every　detail；　from　the　cast…iron　stove　to　the　household
utensils；　and　his　gorge　rose　as　he　said　to　himself；　〃And　/this/　is
virtue！What　am　I　here　for？〃　said　he　aloud。　〃You　are　far　too　cunning
not　to　guess；　and　I　had　better　tell　you　plainly；〃　cried　he；　sitting
down　and　looking　out　across　the　courtyard　through　an　opening　he　made
in　the　puckered　curtain。　〃There　is　a　very　pretty　woman　in　the
house〃

〃Madame　Marneffe！　Now　I　understand！〃　she　exclaimed；　seeing　it　all。
〃But　Josepha？〃

〃Alas；　Cousin；　Josepha　is　no　more。　I　was　turned　out　of　doors　like　a
discarded　footman。〃

〃And　you　would　like　。　。　。？〃　said　Lisbeth；　looking　at　the　Baron　with
the　dignity　of　a　prude　on　her　guard　a　quarter　of　an　hour　too　soon。

〃As　Madame　Marneffe　is　very　much　the　lady；　and　the　wife　of　an　employe；
you　can　meet　her　without　compromising　yourself；〃　the　Baron　went　on；
〃and　I　should　like　to　see　you　neighborly。　Oh！　you　need　not　be　alarmed；
she　will　have　the　greatest　consideration　for　the　cousin　of　her
husband's　chief。〃

At　this　moment　the　rustle　of　a　gown　was　heard　on　the　stairs　and　the
footstep　of　a　woman　wearing　the　thinnest　boots。　The　sound　ceased　on
the　landing。　There　was　a　tap　at　the　door；　and　Madame　Marneffe　came　in。

〃Pray　excuse　me；　mademoiselle；　for　thus　intruding　upon　you；　but　I
failed　to　find　you　yesterday　when　I　came　to　call；　we　are　near
neighbors；　and　if　I　had　known　that　you　were　related　to　Monsieur　le
Baron；　I　should　long　since　have　craved　your　kind　interest　with　him。　I
saw　him　come　in；　so　I　took　the　liberty　of　coming　across；　for　my
husband；　Monsieur　le　Baron；　spoke　to　me　of　a　report　on　the　office
clerks　which　is　to　be　laid　before　the　minister　to…morrow。〃

She　seemed　quite　agitated　and　nervousbut　she　had　only　run　upstairs。

〃You　have　no　need　to　play　the　petitioner；　fair　lady；〃　replied　the
Baron。　〃It　is　I　who　should　ask　the　favor　of　seeing　you。〃

〃Very　well；　if　mademoiselle　allows　it；　pray　come！〃　said　Madame
Marneffe。

〃Yesgo；　Cousin；　I　will　join　you；〃　said　Lisbeth　judiciously。

The　Parisienne　had　so　confidently　counted　on　the　chief's　visit　and
intelligence；　that　not　only　had　she　dressed　herself　for　so　important
an　interviewshe　had　dressed　her　room。　Early　in　the　day　it　had　been
furnished　with　flowers　purchased　on　credit。　Marneffe　had　helped　his
wife　to　polish　the　furniture；　down　to　the　smallest　objects；　washing；
brushing；　and　dusting　everything。　Valerie　wished　to　be　found　in　an
atmosphere　of　sweetness；　to　attract　the　chief　and　to　please　him　enough
to　have　a　right　to　be　cruel；　to　tantalize　him　as　a　child　would；　with
all　the　tricks　of　fashionable　tactics。　She　had　gauged　Hulot。　Give　a
Paris　woman　at　bay　four…and…twenty　hours；　and　she　will　overthrow　a
ministry。

The　man　of　the　Empire；　accustomed　to　the　ways　to　the　Empire；　was　no
doubt　quite　ignorant　of　the　ways　of　modern　love…making；　of　the
scruples　in　vogue　and　the　various　styles　of　conversation　invented
since　1830；　which　led　to　the　poor　weak　woman　being　regarded　as　the
victim　of　her　lover's　desiresa　Sister　of　Charity　salving　a　wound；　an
angel　sacrificing　herself。

This　modern　art　of　love　uses　a　vast　amount　of　evangelical　phrases　in
the　service　of　the　Devil。　Passion　is　martyrdom。　Both　parties　aspire　to
the　Ideal；　to　the　Infinite；　love　is　to　make　them　so　much　better。　All
these　fine　words　are　but　a　pretext　for　putting　increased　ardor　into
the　practical　side　of　it；　more　frenzy　into　a　fall　than　of　old。　This
hypocrisy；　a　characteristic　of　the　times；　is　a　gangrene　in　gallantry。
The　lovers　are　both　angels；　and　they　behave；　if　they　can；　like　two
devils。

Love　had　no　time　for　such　subtle　analysis　between　two　campaigns；　and
in　1809　its　successes　were　as　rapid　as　those　of　the　Empire。　So；　under
the　Restoration；　the　handsome　Baron；　a　lady's　man　once　more；　had　begun
by　consoling　some　old　friends　now　fallen　from　the　political　firmament；
like　extinguished　stars；　and　then；　as　he　grew　old；　was　captured　by
Jenny　Cadine　and　Josepha。

Madame　Marneffe　had　placed　her　batteries　after　due　study　of　the
Baron's　past　life；　which　her　husband　had　narrated　in　much　detail；
after　picking　up　some　information　in　the　offices。　The　comedy　of　modern
sentiment　might　have　the　charm　of　novelty　to　the　Baron；　Valerie　had
made　up　her　mind　as　to　her　scheme；　and　we　may　say　the　trial　of　her
power　that　she　made　this　morning　answered　her　highest　expectations。
Thanks　to　her　manoeuvres；　sentimental；　high…flown；　and　romantic；
Valerie；　without　committing　herself　to　any　promises；　obtained　for　her
husband　the　appointment　as　deputy　head　of　the　office　and　the　Cross　of
the　Legion　of　Honor。

The　campaign　was　not　carried　out　without　little　dinners　at　the　/Rocher
de　Cancale/；　parties　to　the　play；　and　gifts　in　the　form　of　lace；
scarves；　gowns；　and　jewelry。　The　apartment　in　the　Rue　du　Doyenne　was
not　satisfactory；　the　Baron　proposed　to　furnish　another　magnificently
in　a　charming　new　house　in　the　Rue　Vanneau。

Monsieur　Marneffe　got　a　fortnight's　leave；　to　be　taken　a　month　hence
for　urgent　private　affairs　in　the　country；　and　a　present　in　money；　he
promised　himself　that　he　would　spend　both　in　a　little　town　in
Switzerland；　studying　the　fair　sex。

While　Monsieur　Hulot　thus　devoted　himself　to　the　lady　he　was
〃protecting；〃　he　did　not　forget　the　young　artist。　Comte　Popinot；
Minister　of　Commerce；　was　a　patron　of　Art；　he　paid　two　thousand　francs
for　a　copy　of　the　/Samson/　on　condition　that　the　mould　should　be
broken；　and　that　there　should　be　no　/Samson/　but　his　and　Mademoiselle
Hulot's。　The　group　was　admired　by　a　Prince；　to　whom　the　model　sketch
for　the　clock　was　also　shown；　and　who　ordered　it；　but　that　again　was
to　be　unique；　and　he　offered　thirty　thousand　francs　for　it。

Artists　who　were　consulted；　and　among　them　Stidmann；　were　of　opinion
that　the　man　who　had　sketched　those　two　models　was　capable　of
achieving　a　statue。　The　Marshal　Prince　de　Wissembourg；　Minister　of
War；　and　President　of　the　Committee　for　the　subscriptions　to　the
monument　of　Marshal　Montcornet；　called　a　meeting；　at　which　it　was
decided　that　the　execution　of　the　work　should　be　placed　in　Steinbock's
hands。　The　Comte　de　Rastignac；　at　that　time　Under…secretary　of　State；
wished　to　possess　a　work　by　the　artist；　whose　glory　was　waxing　amid
the　acclamations　of　his　rivals。　Steinbock　sold　to　him　the　charming
group　of　two　little　boys　crowning　a　little　girl；　and　he　promised　to
secure　for　the　sculptor　a　studio　attached　to　the　Government　marble…
quarries；　situated；　as　all　the　world　knows；　at　Le　Gros…Caillou。

This　was　a　success；　such　success　as　is　won　in　Paris；　that　is　to　say；
stupendous　success；　that　crushes　those　whose　shoulders　and　loins　are
not　strong　enough　to　bear　itas；　be　it　said；　not　unfrequently　is　the
case。　Count　Wenceslas　Steinbock　was　written　about　in　all　the
newspapers　and　reviews　without　his　having　the　least　suspicion　of