cousin betty-第34章

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　　〃Leon　and　Bridau　do　not　want　your　cash；　they　will　ask　you　to　do
　　them　each　a　groupand　they　are　right。　At　least；　so　thinks　the　man
　　who　wishes　he　could　sign　himself　your　rival；　but　is　only　your
　　faithful　ally；

〃STIDMANN。

　　〃P。　S。I　told　the　Prince　you　were　away；　and　would　not　return　till
　　to…morrow；　so　he　said；　'Very　goodto…morrow。'　〃


Count　Wenceslas　went　to　bed　in　sheets　of　purple；　without　a　rose…leaf
to　wrinkle　them；　that　Favor　can　make　for　usFavor；　the　halting
divinity　who　moves　more　slowly　for　men　of　genius　than　either　Justice
or　Fortune；　because　Jove　has　not　chosen　to　bandage　her　eyes。　Hence；
lightly　deceived　by　the　display　of　impostors；　and　attracted　by　their
frippery　and　trumpets；　she　spends　the　time　in　seeing　them　and　the
money　in　paying　them　which　she　ought　to　devote　to　seeking　out　men　of
merit　in　the　nooks　where　they　hide。

It　will　now　be　necessary　to　explain　how　Monsieur　le　Baron　Hulot　had
contrived　to　count　up　his　expenditure　on　Hortense's　wedding　portion；
and　at　the　same　time　to　defray　the　frightful　cost　of　the　charming
rooms　where　Madame　Marneffe　was　to　make　her　home。　His　financial　scheme
bore　that　stamp　of　talent　which　leads　prodigals　and　men　in　love　into
the　quagmires　where　so　many　disasters　await　them。　Nothing　can
demonstrate　more　completely　the　strange　capacity　communicated　by　vice；
to　which　we　owe　the　strokes　of　skill　which　ambitious　or　voluptuous　men
can　occasionally　achieveor；　in　short；　any　of　the　Devil's　pupils。

On　the　day　before；　old　Johann　Fischer；　unable　to　pay　thirty　thousand
francs　drawn　for　on　him　by　his　nephew；　had　found　himself　under　the
necessity　of　stopping　payment　unless　the　Baron　could　remit　the　sum。

This　ancient　worthy；　with　the　white　hairs　of　seventy　years；　had　such
blind　confidence　in　Hulotwho；　to　the　old　Bonapartist；　was　an
emanation　from　the　Napoleonic　sunthat　he　was　calmly　pacing　his
anteroom　with　the　bank　clerk；　in　the　little　ground…floor　apartment
that　he　rented　for　eight　hundred　francs　a　year　as　the　headquarters　of
his　extensive　dealings　in　corn　and　forage。

〃Marguerite　is　gone　to　fetch　the　money　from　close　by；〃　said　he。

The　official；　in　his　gray　uniform　braided　with　silver；　was　so
convinced　of　the　old　Alsatian's　honesty；　that　he　was　prepared　to　leave
the　thirty　thousand　francs'　worth　of　bills　in　his　hands；　but　the　old
man　would　not　let　him　go；　observing　that　the　clock　had　not　yet　struck
eight。　A　cab　drew　up；　the　old　man　rushed　into　the　street；　and　held　out
his　hand　to　the　Baron　with　sublime　confidenceHulot　handed　him　out
thirty　thousand…franc　notes。

〃Go　on　three　doors　further；　and　I　will　tell　you　why；〃　said　Fischer。

〃Here；　young　man；〃　he　said；　returning　to　count　out　the　money　to　the
bank　emissary；　whom　he　then　saw　to　the　door。

When　the　clerk　was　out　of　sight；　Fischer　called　back　the　cab
containing　his　august　nephew；　Napoleon's　right　hand；　and　said；　as　he
led　him　into　the　house：

〃You　do　not　want　them　to　know　at　the　Bank　of　France　that　you　paid　me
the　thirty　thousand　francs；　after　endorsing　the　bills？It　was　bad
enough　to　see　them　signed　by　such　a　man　as　you！〃

〃Come　to　the　bottom　of　your　little　garden；　Father　Fischer；〃　said　the
important　man。　〃You　are　hearty？〃　he　went　on；　sitting　down　under　a　vine
arbor　and　scanning　the　old　man　from　head　to　foot；　as　a　dealer　in　human
flesh　scans　a　substitute　for　the　conscription。

〃Ay；　hearty　enough　for　a　tontine；〃　said　the　lean　little　old　man；　his
sinews　were　wiry；　and　his　eye　bright。

〃Does　heat　disagree　with　you？〃

〃Quite　the　contrary。〃

〃What　do　you　say　to　Africa？〃

〃A　very　nice　country！The　French　went　there　with　the　little　Corporal〃
（Napoleon）。

〃To　get　us　all　out　of　the　present　scrape；　you　must　go　to　Algiers；〃
said　the　Baron。

〃And　how　about　my　business？〃

〃An　official　in　the　War　Office；　who　has　to　retire；　and　has　not　enough
to　live　on　with　his　pension；　will　buy　your　business。〃

〃And　what　am　I　to　do　in　Algiers？〃

〃Supply　the　Commissariat　with　victuals；　corn；　and　forage；　I　have　your
commission　ready　filled　in　and　signed。　You　can　collect　supplies　in　the
country　at　seventy　per　cent　below　the　prices　at　which　you　can　credit
us。〃

〃How　shall　we　get　them？〃

〃Oh；　by　raids；　by　taxes　in　kind；　and　the　Khaliphat。The　country　is
little　known；　though　we　settled　there　eight　years　ago；　Algeria
produces　vast　quantities　of　corn　and　forage。　When　this　produce　belongs
to　Arabs；　we　take　it　from　them　under　various　pretences；　when　it
belongs　to　us；　the　Arabs　try　to　get　it　back　again。　There　is　a　great
deal　of　fighting　over　the　corn；　and　no　one　ever　knows　exactly　how　much
each　party　has　stolen　from　the　other。　There　is　not　time　in　the　open
field　to　measure　the　corn　as　we　do　in　the　Paris　market；　or　the　hay　as
it　is　sold　in　the　Rue　d'Enfer。　The　Arab　chiefs；　like　our　Spahis；
prefer　hard　cash；　and　sell　the　plunder　at　a　very　low　price。　The
Commissariat　needs　a　fixed　quantity　and　must　have　it。　It　winks　at
exorbitant　prices　calculated　on　the　difficulty　of　procuring　food；　and
the　dangers　to　which　every　form　of　transport　is　exposed。　That　is
Algiers　from　the　army　contractor's　point　of　view。

〃It　is　a　muddle　tempered　by　the　ink…bottle；　like　every　incipient
government。　We　shall　not　see　our　way　through　it　for　another　ten　years
we　who　have　to　do　the　governing；　but　private　enterprise　has　sharp
eyes。So　I　am　sending　you　there　to　make　a　fortune；　I　give　you　the
job；　as　Napoleon　put　an　impoverished　Marshal　at　the　head　of　a　kingdom
where　smuggling　might　be　secretly　encouraged。

〃I　am　ruined；　my　dear　Fischer；　I　must　have　a　hundred　thousand　francs
within　a　year。〃

〃I　see　no　harm　in　getting　it　out　of　the　Bedouins；〃　said　the　Alsatian
calmly。　〃It　was　always　done　under　the　Empire〃

〃The　man　who　wants　to　buy　your　business　will　be　here　this　morning；　and
pay　you　ten　thousand　francs　down；〃　the　Baron　went　on。　〃That　will　be
enough；　I　suppose；　to　take　you　to　Africa？〃

The　old　man　nodded　assent。

〃As　to　capital　out　there；　be　quite　easy。　I　will　draw　the　remainder　of
the　money　due　if　I　find　it　necessary。〃

〃All　I　have　is　yoursmy　very　blood；〃　said　old　Fischer。

〃Oh；　do　not　be　uneasy；〃　said　Hulot；　fancying　that　his　uncle　saw　more
clearly　than　was　the　fact。　〃As　to　our　excise　dealings；　your　character
will　not　be　impugned。　Everything　depends　on　the　authority　at　your
back；　now　I　myself　appointed　the　authorities　out　there；　I　am　sure　of
them。　This；　Uncle　Fischer；　is　a　dead　secret　between　us。　I　know　you
well；　and　I　have　spoken　out　without　concealment　or　circumlocution。〃

〃It　shall　be　done；〃　said　the　old　man。　〃And　it　will　go　on？〃

〃For　two　years；　You　will　have　made　a　hundred　thousand　francs　of　your
own　to　live　happy　on　in　the　Vosges。〃

〃I　will　do　as　you　wish；　my　honor　is　yours；〃　said　the　little　old　man
quietly。

〃That　is　the　sort　of　man　I　like。However；　you　must　not　go　till　you
have　seen　your　grand…niece　happily　married。　She　is　to　be　a　Countess。〃

But　even　taxes　and　raids　and　the　money　paid　by　the　War　Office　clerk
for　Fischer's　business　could　not　forthwith　provide　sixty　thousand
francs　to　give　Hortense；　to　say　nothing　of　her　trousseau；　which　was　to
cost　about　five　thousand；　and　the　forty　thousand　spentor　to　be　spent
on　Madame　Marneffe。

Where；　then　had　the　Baron　found　the　thirty　thousand　francs　he　had　just
produced？　This　was　the　history。

A　few　days　previously　Hulot　had　insured　his　life　for　the　sum　of　a
hundred　and　fifty　thousand　francs；　for　three　years；　in　two　separate
companies。　Armed　with　the　policies；　of　which　he　paid　the　premium；　he
had　spoken　as　follows　to　the　Baron　de　Nucingen；　a　peer　of　the　Chamber；
in　whose　carriage　he　found　himself　after　a　sitting；　driving　home；　in
fact；　to　dine　with　him：

〃Baron；　I　want　seventy　thousand　francs；　and　I　apply　to　you。　You　must
find　some　one　to　lend　his　name；　to　whom　I　will　make　over　the　right　to
draw　my　pay　for　three　years；　it　amounts　to　twenty…five　thousand　francs
a　yearthat　is；　seventy…five　thousand　francs。You　will　say；　'But　you
may　die'　〃the　banker　signified　his　assent〃Here；　then；　is　a　policy
of　insurance　for　a　hundred　and　fifty　thousand　francs；　which　I　will
deposit　with　you　till　you　have　drawn　up　the　eighty　thousand　francs；〃
said　Hulot；　producing　the　document　form　his　pocket。

〃But　if　you　sh