cousin betty-第25章

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case。　Count　Wenceslas　Steinbock　was　written　about　in　all　the
newspapers　and　reviews　without　his　having　the　least　suspicion　of　it；
any　more　than　had　Mademoiselle　Fischer。　Every　day；　as　soon　as　Lisbeth
had　gone　out　to　dinner；　Wenceslas　went　to　the　Baroness'　and　spent　an
hour　or　two　there；　excepting　on　the　evenings　when　Lisbeth　dined　with
the　Hulots。



This　state　of　things　lasted　for　several　days。

The　Baron；　assured　of　Count　Steinbock's　titles　and　position；　the
Baroness；　pleased　with　his　character　and　habits；　Hortense；　proud　of
her　permitted　love　and　of　her　suitor's　fame；　none　of　them　hesitated　to
speak　of　the　marriage；　in　short；　the　artist　was　in　the　seventh　heaven；
when　an　indiscretion　on　Madame　Marneffe's　part　spoilt　all。

And　this　was　how。

Lisbeth；　whom　the　Baron　wished　to　see　intimate　with　Madame　Marneffe；
that　she　might　keep　an　eye　on　the　couple；　had　already　dined　with
Valerie；　and　she；　on　her　part；　anxious　to　have　an　ear　in　the　Hulot
house；　made　much　of　the　old　maid。　It　occurred　to　Valerie　to　invite
Mademoiselle　Fischer　to　a　house…warming　in　the　new　apartments　she　was
about　to　move　into。　Lisbeth；　glad　to　have　found　another　house　to　dine
in；　and　bewitched　by　Madame　Marneffe；　had　taken　a　great　fancy　to
Valerie。　Of　all　the　persons　she　had　made　acquaintance　with；　no　one　had
taken　so　much　pains　to　please　her。　In　fact；　Madame　Marneffe；　full　of
attentions　for　Mademoiselle　Fischer；　found　herself　in　the　position
towards　Lisbeth　that　Lisbeth　held　towards　the　Baroness；　Monsieur
Rivet；　Crevel；　and　the　others　who　invited　her　to　dinner。

The　Marneffes　had　excited　Lisbeth's　compassion　by　allowing　her　to　see
the　extreme　poverty　of　the　house；　while　varnishing　it　as　usual　with
the　fairest　colors；　their　friends　were　under　obligations　to　them　and
ungrateful；　they　had　had　much　illness；　Madame　Fortin；　her　mother；　had
never　known　of　their　distress；　and　had　died　believing　herself　wealthy
to　the　end；　thanks　to　their　superhuman　effortsand　so　forth。

〃Poor　people！〃　said　she　to　her　Cousin　Hulot；　〃you　are　right　to　do　what
you　can　for　them；　they　are　so　brave　and　so　kind！　They　can　hardly　live
on　the　thousand　crowns　he　gets　as　deputy…head　of　the　office；　for　they
have　got　into　debt　since　Marshal　Montcornet's　death。　It　is　barbarity
on　the　part　of　the　Government　to　suppose　that　a　clerk　with　a　wife　and
family　can　live　in　Paris　on　two　thousand　four　hundred　francs　a　year。〃

And　so；　within　a　very　short　time；　a　young　woman　who　affected　regard
for　her；　who　told　her　everything；　and　consulted　her；　who　flattered
her；　and　seemed　ready　to　yield　to　her　guidance；　had　become　dearer　to
the　eccentric　Cousin　Lisbeth　than　all　her　relations。

The　Baron；　on　his　part；　admiring　in　Madame　Marneffe　such　propriety；
education；　and　breeding　as　neither　Jenny　Cadine　nor　Josepha；　nor　any
friend　of　theirs　had　to　show；　had　fallen　in　love　with　her　in　a　month；
developing　a　senile　passion；　a　senseless　passion；　which　had　an
appearance　of　reason。　In　fact；　he　found　here　neither　the　banter；　nor
the　orgies；　nor　the　reckless　expenditure；　nor　the　depravity；　nor　the
scorn　of　social　decencies；　nor　the　insolent　independence　which　had
brought　him　to　grief　alike　with　the　actress　and　the　singer。　He　was
spared；　too；　the　rapacity　of　the　courtesan；　like　unto　the　thirst　of
dry　sand。

Madame　Marneffe；　of　whom　he　had　made　a　friend　and　confidante；　made　the
greatest　difficulties　over　accepting　any　gift　from　him。

〃Appointments；　official　presents；　anything　you　can　extract　from　the
Government；　but　do　not　begin　by　insulting　a　woman　whom　you　profess　to
love；〃　said　Valerie。　〃If　you　do；　I　shall　cease　to　believe　youand　I
like　to　believe　you；〃　she　added；　with　a　glance　like　Saint　Theresa
leering　at　heaven。

Every　time　he　made　her　a　present　there　was　a　fortress　to　be　stormed；　a
conscience　to　be　over…persuaded。　The　hapless　Baron　laid　deep
stratagems　to　offer　her　some　triflecostly；　neverthelessproud　of
having　at　last　met　with　virtue　and　the　realization　of　his　dreams。　In
this　primitive　household；　as　he　assured　himself；　he　was　the　god　as
much　as　in　his　own。　And　Monsieur　Marneffe　seemed　at　a　thousand　leagues
from　suspecting　that　the　Jupiter　of　his　office　intended　to　descend　on
his　wife　in　a　shower　of　gold；　he　was　his　august　chief's　humblest
slave。

Madame　Marneffe；　twenty…three　years　of　age；　a　pure　and　bashful　middle…
class　wife；　a　blossom　hidden　in　the　Rue　du　Doyenne；　could　know　nothing
of　the　depravity　and　demoralizing　harlotry　which　the　Baron　could　no
longer　think　of　without　disgust；　for　he　had　never　known　the　charm　of
recalcitrant　virtue；　and　the　coy　Valerie　made　him　enjoy　it　to　the
utmostall　along　the　line；　as　the　saying　goes。

The　question　having　come　to　this　point　between　Hector　and　Valerie；　it
is　not　astonishing　that　Valerie　should　have　heard　from　Hector　the
secret　of　the　intended　marriage　between　the　great　sculptor　Steinbock
and　Hortense　Hulot。　Between　a　lover　on　his　promotion　and　a　lady　who
hesitates　long　before　becoming　his　mistress；　there　are　contests；
uttered　or　unexpressed；　in　which　a　word　often　betrays　a　thought；　as；
in　fencing；　the　foils　fly　as　briskly　as　the　swords　in　duel。　Then　a
prudent　man　follows　the　example　of　Monsieur　de　Turenne。　Thus　the　Baron
had　hinted　at　the　greater　freedom　his　daughter's　marriage　would　allow
him；　in　reply　to　the　tender　Valerie；　who　more　than　once　had　exclaimed：

〃I　cannot　imagine　how　a　woman　can　go　wrong　for　a　man　who　is　not　wholly
hers。〃

And　a　thousand　times　already　the　Baron　had　declared　that　for　five…and…
twenty　years　all　had　been　at　an　end　between　Madame　Hulot　and　himself。

〃And　they　say　she　is　so　handsome！〃　replied　Madame　Marneffe。　〃I　want
proof。〃

〃You　shall　have　it；〃　said　the　Baron；　made　happy　by　this　demand；　by
which　his　Valerie　committed　herself。

Hector　had　then　been　compelled　to　reveal　his　plans；　already　being
carried　into　effect　in　the　Rue　Vanneau；　to　prove　to　Valerie　that　he
intended　to　devote　to　her　that　half　of　his　life　which　belonged　to　his
lawful　wife；　supposing　that　day　and　night　equally　divide　the　existence
of　civilized　humanity。　He　spoke　of　decently　deserting　his　wife；
leaving　her　to　herself　as　soon　as　Hortense　should　be　married。　The
Baroness　would　then　spend　all　her　time　with　Hortense　or　the　young
Hulot　couple；　he　was　sure　of　her　submission。

〃And　then；　my　angel；　my　true　life；　my　real　home　will　be　in　the　Rue
Vanneau。〃

〃Bless　me；　how　you　dispose　of　me！〃　said　Madame　Marneffe。　〃And　my
husband〃

〃That　rag！〃

〃To　be　sure；　as　compared　with　you　so　he　is！〃　said　she　with　a　laugh。

Madame　Marneffe；　having　heard　Steinbock's　history；　was　frantically
eager　to　see　the　young　Count；　perhaps　she　wished　to　have　some　trifle
of　his　work　while　they　still　lived　under　the　same　roof。　This　curiosity
so　seriously　annoyed　the　Baron　that　Valerie　swore　to　him　that　she
would　never　even　look　at　Wenceslas。　But　though　she　obtained；　as　the
reward　of　her　surrender　of　this　wish；　a　little　tea…service　of　old
Sevres　/pate　tendre/；　she　kept　her　wish　at　the　bottom　of　her　heart；　as
if　written　on　tablets。

So　one　day　when　she　had　begged　〃/my/　Cousin　Betty〃　to　come　to　take
coffee　with　her　in　her　room；　she　opened　on　the　subject　of　her　lover；
to　know　how　she　might　see　him　without　risk。

〃My　dear　child；〃　said　she；　for　they　called　each　my　dear；　〃why　have　you
never　introduced　your　lover　to　me？　Do　you　know　that　within　a　short
time　he　has　become　famous？〃

〃He　famous？〃

〃He　is　the　one　subject　of　conversation。〃

〃Pooh！〃　cried　Lisbeth。

〃He　is　going　to　execute　the　statue　of　my　father；　and　I　could　be　of
great　use　to　him　and　help　him　to　succeed　in　the　work；　for　Madame
Montcornet　cannot　lend　him；　as　I　can；　a　miniature　by　Sain；　a　beautiful
thing　done　in　1809；　before　the　Wagram　Campaign；　and　given　to　my　poor
motherMontcornet　when　he　was　young　and　handsome。〃

Sain　and　Augustin　between　them　held　the　sceptre　of　miniature　painting
under　the　Empire。

〃He　is　going　to　make　a　statue；　my　dear；　did　you　say？〃

〃Nine　feet　highby　the　orders　of　the　Minister　of　War。　Why；　where　have
you　dropped　from　that　I　should　tell　you　the　news？　Why；　the　Government
is　going　to　give　Count　Steinbock　rooms　and　a　studio　at　Le　Gros…
Caillou；　the　depot　for　marble；　your　Pole　will　be　made　the　Dir