cousin betty-第28章

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a　symbol；　is　supremely　great　above　every　other　type；　whether　Hindoo；
Egyptian；　or　Greek。　Virginity；　the　mother　of　great　things；　/magna
parens　rerum/；　holds　in　her　fair　white　hands　the　keys　of　the　upper
worlds。　In　short；　that　grand　and　terrible　exception　deserves　all　the
honors　decreed　to　her　by　the　Catholic　Church。

Thus；　in　one　moment；　Lisbeth　Fischer　had　become　the　Mohican　whose
snares　none　can　escape；　whose　dissimulation　is　inscrutable；　whose
swift　decisiveness　is　the　outcome　of　the　incredible　perfection　of
every　organ　of　sense。　She　was　Hatred　and　Revenge；　as　implacable　as
they　are　in　Italy；　Spain；　and　the　East。　These　two　feelings；　the
obverse　of　friendship　and　love　carried　to　the　utmost；　are　known　only
in　lands　scorched　by　the　sun。　But　Lisbeth　was　also　a　daughter　of
Lorraine；　bent　on　deceit。

She　accepted　this　detail　of　her　part　against　her　will；　she　began　by
making　a　curious　attempt；　due　to　her　ignorance。　She　fancied；　as
children　do；　that　being　imprisoned　meant　the　same　thing　as　solitary
confinement。　But　this　is　the　superlative　degree　of　imprisonment；　and
that　superlative　is　the　privilege　of　the　Criminal　Bench。

As　soon　as　she　left　Madame　Marneffe；　Lisbeth　hurried　off　to　Monsieur
Rivet；　and　found　him　in　his　office。

〃Well；　my　dear　Monsieur　Rivet；〃　she　began；　when　she　had　bolted　the
door　of　the　room。　〃You　were　quite　right。　Those　Poles！　They　are　low
villainsall　alike；　men　who　know　neither　law　nor　fidelity。〃

〃And　who　want　to　set　Europe　on　fire；〃　said　the　peaceable　Rivet；　〃to
ruin　every　trade　and　every　trader　for　the　sake　of　a　country　that　is
all　bog…land；　they　say；　and　full　of　horrible　Jews；　to　say　nothing　of
the　Cossacks　and　the　peasantsa　sort　of　wild　beasts　classed　by
mistake　with　human　beings。　Your　Poles　do　not　understand　the　times　we
live　in；　we　are　no　longer　barbarians。　War　is　coming　to　an　end；　my　dear
mademoiselle；　it　went　out　with　the　Monarchy。　This　is　the　age　of
triumph　for　commerce；　and　industry；　and　middle…class　prudence；　such　as
were　the　making　of　Holland。

〃Yes；〃　he　went　on　with　animation；　〃we　live　in　a　period　when　nations
must　obtain　all　they　need　by　the　legal　extension　of　their　liberties
and　by　the　pacific　action　of　Constitutional　Institutions；　that　is　what
the　Poles　do　not　see；　and　I　hope

〃You　were　saying；　my　dear？〃　he　added；　interrupting　himself　when　he
saw　from　his　work…woman's　face　that　high　politics　were　beyond　her
comprehension。

〃Here　is　the　schedule；〃　said　Lisbeth。　〃If　I　don't　want　to　lose　my
three　thousand　two　hundred　and　ten　francs；　I　must　clap　this　rogue　into
prison。〃

〃Didn't　I　tell　you　so？〃　cried　the　oracle　of　the　Saint…Denis　quarter。

The　Rivets；　successor　to　Pons　Brothers；　had　kept　their　shop　still　in
the　Rue　des　Mauvaises…Paroles；　in　the　ancient　Hotel　Langeais；　built　by
that　illustrious　family　at　the　time　when　the　nobility　still　gathered
round　the　Louvre。

〃Yes；　and　I　blessed　you　on　my　way　here；〃　replied　Lisbeth。

〃If　he　suspects　nothing；　he　can　be　safe　in　prison　by　eight　o'clock　in
the　morning；〃　said　Rivet；　consulting　the　almanac　to　ascertain　the　hour
of　sunrise；　〃but　not　till　the　day　after　to…morrow；　for　he　cannot　be
imprisoned　till　he　has　had　notice　that　he　is　to　be　arrested　by　writ；
with　the　option　of　payment　or　imprisonment。　And　so〃

〃What　an　idiotic　law！〃　exclaimed　Lisbeth。　〃Of　course　the　debtor
escapes。〃

〃He　has　every　right　to　do　so；〃　said　the　Assessor；　smiling。　〃So　this　is
the　way〃

〃As　to　that；〃　said　Lisbeth；　interrupting　him；　〃I　will　take　the　paper
and　hand　it　to　him；　saying　that　I　have　been　obliged　to　raise　the
money；　and　that　the　lender　insists　on　this　formality。　I　know　my
gentleman。　He　will　not　even　look　at　the　paper；　he　will　light　his　pipe
with　it。〃

〃Not　a　bad　idea；　not　bad；　Mademoiselle　Fischer！　Well；　make　your　mind
easy；　the　job　shall　be　done。But　stop　a　minute；　to　put　your　man　in
prison　is　not　the　only　point　to　be　considered；　you　only　want　to
indulge　in　that　legal　luxury　in　order　to　get　your　money。　Who　is　to　pay
you？〃

〃Those　who　give　him　money。〃

〃To　be　sure；　I　forgot　that　the　Minister　of　War　had　commissioned　him　to
erect　a　monument　to　one　of　our　late　customers。　Ah！　the　house　has
supplied　many　an　uniform　to　General　Montcornet；　he　soon　blackened　them
with　the　smoke　of　cannon。　A　brave　man；　he　was！　and　he　paid　on　the
nail。〃

A　marshal　of　France　may　have　saved　the　Emperor　or　his　country；　〃He
paid　on　the　nail〃　will　always　be　the　highest　praise　he　can　have　from　a
tradesman。

〃Very　well。　And　on　Saturday；　Monsieur　Rivet；　you　shall　have　the　flat
tassels。By　the　way；　I　am　moving　from　the　Rue　du　Doyenne；　I　am　going
to　live　in　the　Rue　Vanneau。〃

〃You　are　very　right。　I　could　not　bear　to　see　you　in　that　hole　which；
in　spite　of　my　aversion　to　the　Opposition；　I　must　say　is　a　disgrace；　I
repeat　it；　yes！　is　a　disgrace　to　the　Louvre　and　the　Place　du
Carrousel。　I　am　devoted　to　Louis…Philippe；　he　is　my　idol；　he　is　the
august　and　exact　representative　of　the　class　on　whom　he　founded　his
dynasty；　and　I　can　never　forget　what　he　did　for　the　trimming…makers　by
restoring　the　National　Guard〃

〃When　I　hear　you　speak　so；　Monsieur　Rivet；　I　cannot　help　wondering　why
you　are　not　made　a　deputy。〃

〃They　are　afraid　of　my　attachment　to　the　dynasty；〃　replied　Rivet。　〃My
political　enemies　are　the　King's。　He　has　a　noble　character！　They　are　a
fine　family；　in　short；〃　said　he；　returning　to　the　charge；　〃he　is　our
ideal：　morality；　economy；　everything。　But　the　completion　of　the　Louvre
is　one　of　the　conditions　on　which　we　gave　him　the　crown；　and　the　civil
list；　which；　I　admit；　had　no　limits　set　to　it；　leaves　the　heart　of
Paris　in　a　most　melancholy　state。It　is　because　I　am　so　strongly　in
favor　of　the　middle　course　that　I　should　like　to　see　the　middle　of
Paris　in　a　better　condition。　Your　part　of　the　town　is　positively
terrifying。　You　would　have　been　murdered　there　one　fine　day。And　so
your　Monsieur　Crevel　has　been　made　Major　of　his　division！　He　will　come
to　us；　I　hope；　for　his　big　epaulette。〃

〃I　am　dining　with　him　to…night；　and　will　send　him　to　you。〃

Lisbeth　believed　that　she　had　secured　her　Livonian　to　herself　by
cutting　him　off　from　all　communication　with　the　outer　world。　If　he
could　no　longer　work；　the　artist　would　be　forgotten　as　completely　as　a
man　buried　in　a　cellar；　where　she　alone　would　go　to　see　him。　Thus　she
had　two　happy　days；　for　she　hoped　to　deal　a　mortal　blow　at　the
Baroness　and　her　daughter。

To　go　to　Crevel's　house；　in　the　Rue　des　Saussayes；　she　crossed　the
Pont　du　Carrousel；　went　along　the　Quai　Voltaire；　the　Quai　d'Orsay；　the
Rue　Bellechasse；　Rue　de　l'Universite；　the　Pont　de　la　Concorde；　and　the
Avenue　de　Marigny。　This　illogical　route　was　traced　by　the　logic　of
passion；　always　the　foe　of　the　legs。

Cousin　Betty；　as　long　as　she　followed　the　line　of　the　quays；　kept
watch　on　the　opposite　shore　of　the　Seine；　walking　very　slowly。　She　had
guessed　rightly。　She　had　left　Wenceslas　dressing；　she　at　once
understood　that；　as　soon　as　he　should　be　rid　of　her；　the　lover　would
go　off　to　the　Baroness'　by　the　shortest　road。　And；　in　fact；　as　she
wandered　along　by　the　parapet　of　the　Quai　Voltaire；　in　fancy
suppressing　the　river　and　walking　along　the　opposite　bank；　she
recognized　the　artist　as　he　came　out　of　the　Tuileries　to　cross　the
Pont　Royal。　She　there　came　up　with　the　faithless　one；　and　could　follow
him　unseen；　for　lovers　rarely　look　behind　them。　She　escorted　him　as
far　as　Madame　Hulot's　house；　where　he　went　in　like　an　accustomed
visitor。

This　crowning　proof；　confirming　Madame　Marneffe's　revelations；　put
Lisbeth　quite　beside　herself。

She　arrived　at　the　newly　promoted　Major's　door　in　the　state　of　mental
irritation　which　prompts　men　to　commit　murder；　and　found　Monsieur
Crevel　/senior/　in　his　drawing…room　awaiting　his　children；　Monsieur
and　Madame　Hulot　/junior/。

But　Celestin　Crevel　was　so　unconscious　and　so　perfect　a　type　of　the
Parisian　parvenu；　that　we　can　scarcely　venture　so　unceremoniously　into
the　presence　of　Cesar　Birotteau's　successor。　Celestin　Crevel　was　a
world　in　himself；　and　he；　even　more　than　Rivet；　deserves　the　honors　of
the　palette　by　reason　of　his　importance　in　this　domestic　drama。



Have　you　ever　observed　how　in　childhood；　or　at　the　early　stages　of