cousin betty-第32章

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as　you　call　it；　in　my　arms；　that　are　like　vine…stocksbut　whether；
without　being　married；　we　could　not　get　on　together？　Listen；　I　have
the　commercial　spirit；　I　could　save　you　a　fortune　in　the　course　of　ten
years'　work；　for　Economy　is　my　name！while；　with　a　young　wife；　who
would　be　sheer　Expenditure；　you　would　squander　everything；　you　would
work　only　to　indulge　her。　But　happiness　creates　nothing　but　memories。
Even　I；　when　I　am　thinking　of　you；　sit　for　hours　with　my　hands　in　my
lap

〃Come；　Wenceslas；　stay　with　me。Look　here；　I　understand　all　about　it；
you　shall　have　your　mistresses；　pretty　ones　too；　like　that　little
Marneffe　woman　who　wants　to　see　you；　and　who　will　give　you　happiness
you　could　never　find　with　me。　Then；　when　I　have　saved　you　thirty
thousand　francs　a　year　in　the　funds〃

〃Mademoiselle；　you　are　an　angel；　and　I　shall　never　forget　this　hour；〃
said　Wenceslas；　wiping　away　his　tears。

〃That　is　how　I　like　to　see　you；　my　child；〃　said　she；　gazing　at　him
with　rapture。

Vanity　is　so　strong　a　power　in　us　all　that　Lisbeth　believed　in　her
triumph。　She　had　conceded　so　much　when　offering　him　Madame　Marneffe。
It　was　the　crowning　emotion　of　her　life；　for　the　first　time　she　felt
the　full　tide　of　joy　rising　in　her　heart。　To　go　through　such　an
experience　again　she　would　have　sold　her　soul　to　the　Devil。

〃I　am　engaged　to　be　married；〃　Steinbock　replied；　〃and　I　love　a　woman
with　whom　no　other　can　compete　or　compare。But　you　are；　and　always
will　be；　to　me　the　mother　I　have　lost。〃

The　words　fell　like　an　avalanche　of　snow　on　a　burning　crater。　Lisbeth
sat　down。　She　gazed　with　despondent　eyes　on　the　youth　before　her；　on
his　aristocratic　beautythe　artist's　brow；　the　splendid　hair；
everything　that　appealed　to　her　suppressed　feminine　instincts；　and
tiny　tears　moistened　her　eyes　for　an　instant　and　immediately　dried　up。
She　looked　like　one　of　those　meagre　statues　which　the　sculptors　of　the
Middle　Ages　carved　on　monuments。

〃I　cannot　curse　you；〃　said　she；　suddenly　rising。　〃Youyou　are　but　a
boy。　God　preserve　you！〃

She　went　downstairs　and　shut　herself　into　her　own　room。

〃She　is　in　love　with　me；　poor　creature！〃　said　Wenceslas　to　himself。
〃And　how　fervently　eloquent！　She　is　crazy。〃

This　last　effort　on　the　part　of　an　arid　and　narrow　nature　to　keep　hold
on　an　embodiment　of　beauty　and　poetry　was；　in　truth；　so　violent　that
it　can　only　be　compared　to　the　frenzied　vehemence　of　a　shipwrecked
creature　making　the　last　struggle　to　reach　shore。

On　the　next　day　but　one；　at　half…past　four　in　the　morning；　when　Count
Steinbock　was　sunk　in　the　deepest　sleep；　he　heard　a　knock　at　the　door
of　his　attic；　he　rose　to　open　it；　and　saw　two　men　in　shabby　clothing；
and　a　third；　whose　dress　proclaimed　him　a　bailiff　down　on　his　luck。

〃You　are　Monsieur　Wenceslas；　Count　Steinbock？〃　said　this　man。

〃Yes；　monsieur。〃

〃My　name　is　Grasset；　sir；　successor　to　Louchard；　sheriff's
officer〃

〃What　then？〃

〃You　are　under　arrest；　sir。　You　must　come　with　us　to　prisonto
Clichy。Please　to　get　dressed。We　have　done　the　civil；　as　you　see；　I
have　brought　no　police；　and　there　is　a　hackney　cab　below。〃

〃You　are　safely　nabbed；　you　see；〃　said　one　of　the　bailiffs；　〃and　we
look　to　you　to　be　liberal。〃

Steinbock　dressed　and　went　downstairs；　a　man　holding　each　arm；　when　he
was　in　the　cab；　the　driver　started　without　orders；　as　knowing　where　he
was　to　go；　and　within　half　an　hour　the　unhappy　foreigner　found　himself
safely　under　bolt　and　bar　without　even　a　remonstrance；　so　utterly
amazed　was　he。

At　ten　o'clock　he　was　sent　for　to　the　prison…office；　where　he　found
Lisbeth；　who；　in　tears；　gave　him　some　money　to　feed　himself　adequately
and　to　pay　for　a　room　large　enough　to　work　in。

〃My　dear　boy；〃　said　she；　〃never　say　a　word　of　your　arrest　to　anybody；
do　not　write　to　a　living　soul；　it　would　ruin　you　for　life；　we　must
hide　this　blot　on　your　character。　I　will　soon　have　you　out。　I　will
collect　the　moneybe　quite　easy。　Write　down　what　you　want　for　your
work。　You　shall　soon　be　free；　or　I　will　die　for　it。〃

〃Oh；　I　shall　owe　you　my　life　a　second　time！〃　cried　he；　〃for　I　should
lose　more　than　my　life　if　I　were　thought　a　bad　fellow。〃

Lisbeth　went　off　in　great　glee；　she　hoped；　by　keeping　her　artist　under
lock　and　key；　to　put　a　stop　to　his　marriage　by　announcing　that　he　was
a　married　man；　pardoned　by　the　efforts　of　his　wife；　and　gone　off　to
Russia。

To　carry　out　this　plan；　at　about　three　o'clock　she　went　to　the
Baroness；　though　it　was　not　the　day　when　she　was　due　to　dine　with　her；
but　she　wished　to　enjoy　the　anguish　which　Hortense　must　endure　at　the
hour　when　Wenceslas　was　in　the　habit　of　making　his　appearance。

〃Have　you　come　to　dinner？〃　asked　the　Baroness；　concealing　her
disappointment。

〃Well；　yes。〃

〃That's　well；〃　replied　Hortense。　〃I　will　go　and　tell　them　to　be
punctual；　for　you　do　not　like　to　be　kept　waiting。〃

Hortense　nodded　reassuringly　to　her　mother；　for　she　intended　to　tell
the　man…servant　to　send　away　Monsieur　Steinbock　if　he　should　call；　the
man；　however；　happened　to　be　out；　so　Hortense　was　obliged　to　give　her
orders　to　the　maid；　and　the　girl　went　upstairs　to　fetch　her　needlework
and　sit　in　the　ante…room。

〃And　about　my　lover？〃　said　Cousin　Betty　to　Hortense；　when　the　girl
came　back。　〃You　never　ask　about　him　now？〃

〃To　be　sure；　what　is　he　doing？〃　said　Hortense。　〃He　has　become　famous。
You　ought　to　be　very　happy；〃　she　added　in　an　undertone　to　Lisbeth。
〃Everybody　is　talking　of　Monsieur　Wenceslas　Steinbock。〃

〃A　great　deal　too　much；〃　replied　she　in　her　clear　tones。　〃Monsieur　is
departing。If　it　were　only　a　matter　of　charming　him　so　far　as　to　defy
the　attractions　of　Paris；　I　know　my　power；　but　they　say　that　in　order
to　secure　the　services　of　such　an　artist；　the　Emperor　Nichols　has
pardoned　him〃

〃Nonsense！〃　said　the　Baroness。

〃When　did　you　hear　that？〃　asked　Hortense；　who　felt　as　if　her　heart　had
the　cramp。

〃Well；〃　said　the　villainous　Lisbeth；　〃a　person　to　whom　he　is　bound　by
the　most　sacred　tieshis　wifewrote　yesterday　to　tell　him　so。　He
wants　to　be　off。　Oh；　he　will　be　a　great　fool　to　give　up　France　to　go
to　Russia！〃

Hortense　looked　at　her　mother；　but　her　head　sank　on　one　side；　the
Baroness　was　only　just　in　time　to　support　her　daughter；　who　dropped
fainting；　and　as　white　as　her　lace　kerchief。

〃Lisbeth！　you　have　killed　my　child！〃　cried　the　Baroness。　〃You　were
born　to　be　our　curse！〃

〃Bless　me！　what　fault　of　mine　is　this；　Adeline？〃　replied　Lisbeth；　as
she　rose　with　a　menacing　aspect；　of　which　the　Baroness；　in　her　alarm；
took　no　notice。

〃I　was　wrong；〃　said　Adeline；　supporting　the　girl。　〃Ring。〃

At　this　instant　the　door　opened；　the　women　both　looked　round；　and　saw
Wenceslas　Steinbock；　who　had　been　admitted　by　the　cook　in　the　maid's
absence。

〃Hortense！〃　cried　the　artist；　with　one　spring　to　the　group　of　women。
And　he　kissed　his　betrothed　before　her　mother's　eyes；　on　the　forehead；
and　so　reverently；　that　the　Baroness　could　not　be　angry。　It　was　a
better　restorative　than　any　smelling　salts。　Hortense　opened　her　eyes；
saw　Wenceslas；　and　her　color　came　back。　In　a　few　minutes　she　had　quite
recovered。

〃So　this　was　your　secret？〃　said　Lisbeth；　smiling　at　Wenceslas；　and
affecting　to　guess　the　facts　from　her　two　cousins'　confusion。

〃But　how　did　you　steal　away　my　lover？〃　said　she；　leading　Hortense　into
the　garden。

Hortense　artlessly　told　the　romance　of　her　love。　Her　father　and
mother；　she　said；　being　convinced　that　Lisbeth　would　never　marry；　had
authorized　the　Count's　visits。　Only　Hortense；　like　a　full…blown　Agnes；
attributed　to　chance　her　purchase　of　the　group　and　the　introduction　of
the　artist；　who；　by　her　account；　had　insisted　on　knowing　the　name　of
his　first　purchaser。

Presently　Steinbock　came　out　to　join　the　cousins；　and　thanked　the　old
maid　effusively　for　his　prompt　release。　Lisbeth　replied　Jesuitically
that　the　creditor　having　given　very　vague　promises；　she　had　not　hoped
to　be　able　to　get　him　out　before　the　morrow；　and　that　the　person　who
had　lent　her　the　money；　ashamed；　perhaps；　of　such　mean　conduct；　had
been　beforehand　with　her。　The　old　maid　appeared　to　be　perfectly
content；　and　congratulated　Wenceslas　on　his　happiness。

〃You　bad　boy！〃　said　she；　be