cousin betty-第38章

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was　soon　spoken　of　as　an　agreeable　and　witty　woman。　To　account　for　her
change　of　style；　a　rumor　was　set　going　of　an　immense　legacy　bequeathed
to　her　by　her　〃natural　father；〃　Marshal　Montcornet；　and　left　in　trust。

With　an　eye　to　the　future；　Valerie　had　added　religious　to　social
hypocrisy。　Punctual　at　the　Sunday　services；　she　enjoyed　all　the　honors
due　to　the　pious。　She　carried　the　bag　for　the　offertory；　she　was　a
member　of　a　charitable　association；　presented　bread　for　the　sacrament；
and　did　some　good　among　the　poor；　all　at　Hector's　expense。　Thus
everything　about　the　house　was　extremely　seemly。　And　a　great　many
persons　maintained　that　her　friendship　with　the　Baron　was　entirely
innocent；　supporting　the　view　by　the　gentleman's　mature　age；　and
ascribing　to　him　a　Platonic　liking　for　Madame　Marneffe's　pleasant　wit；
charming　manners；　and　conversationsuch　a　liking　as　that　of　the　late
lamented　Louis　XVIII。　for　a　well…turned　note。

The　Baron　always　withdrew　with　the　other　company　at　about　midnight；
and　came　back　a　quarter　of　an　hour　later。

The　secret　of　this　secrecy　was　as　follows。　The　lodge…keepers　of　the
house　were　a　Monsieur　and　Madame　Olivier；　who；　under　the　Baron's
patronage；　had　been　promoted　from　their　humble　and　not　very　lucrative
post　in　the　Rue　du　Doyenne　to　the　highly…paid　and　handsome　one　in　the
Rue　Vanneau。　Now；　Madame　Olivier；　formerly　a　needlewoman　in　the
household　of　Charles　X。；　who　had　fallen　in　the　world　with　the
legitimate　branch；　had　three　children。　The　eldest；　an　under…clerk　in　a
notary's　office；　was　object　of　his　parents'　adoration。　This　Benjamin；
for　six　years　in　danger　of　being　drawn　for　the　army；　was　on　the　point
of　being　interrupted　in　his　legal　career；　when　Madame　Marneffe
contrived　to　have　him　declared　exempt　for　one　of　those　little
malformations　which　the　Examining　Board　can　always　discern　when
requested　in　a　whisper　by　some　power　in　the　ministry。　So　Olivier；
formerly　a　huntsman　to　the　King；　and　his　wife　would　have　crucified　the
Lord　again　for　the　Baron　or　for　Madame　Marneffe。

What　could　the　world　have　to　say？　It　knew　nothing　of　the　former
episode　of　the　Brazilian；　Monsieur　Montes　de　Montejanosit　could　say
nothing。　Besides；　the　world　is　very　indulgent　to　the　mistress　of　a
house　where　amusement　is　to　be　found。

And　then　to　all　her　charms　Valerie　added　the　highly…prized　advantage
of　being　an　occult　power。　Claude　Vignon；　now　secretary　to　Marshal　the
Prince　de　Wissembourg；　and　dreaming　of　promotion　to　the　Council　of
State　as　a　Master　of　Appeals；　was　constantly　seen　in　her　rooms；　to
which　came　also　some　Deputiesgood　fellows　and　gamblers。　Madame
Marneffe　had　got　her　circle　together　with　prudent　deliberation；　only
men　whose　opinions　and　habits　agreed　foregathered　there；　men　whose
interest　it　was　to　hold　together　and　to　proclaim　the　many　merits　of
the　lady　of　the　house。　Scandal　is　the　true　Holy　Alliance　in　Paris。
Take　that　as　an　axiom。　Interests　invariably　fall　asunder　in　the　end；
vicious　natures　can　always　agree。

Within　three　months　of　settling　in　the　Rue　Vanneau；　Madame　Marneffe
had　entertained　Monsieur　Crevel；　who　by　that　time　was　Mayor　of　his
/arrondissement/　and　Officer　of　the　Legion　of　Honor。　Crevel　had
hesitated；　he　would　have　to　give　up　the　famous　uniform　of　the　National
Guard　in　which　he　strutted　at　the　Tuileries；　believing　himself　quite
as　much　a　soldier　as　the　Emperor　himself；　but　ambition；　urged　by
Madame　Marneffe；　had　proved　stronger　than　vanity。　Then　Monsieur　le
Maire　had　considered　his　connection　with　Mademoiselle　Heloise
Brisetout　as　quite　incompatible　with　his　political　position。

Indeed；　long　before　his　accession　to　the　civic　chair　of　the　Mayoralty；
his　gallant　intimacies　had　been　wrapped　in　the　deepest　mystery。　But；
as　the　reader　may　have　guessed；　Crevel　had　soon　purchased　the　right　of
taking　his　revenge；　as　often　as　circumstances　allowed；　for　having　been
bereft　of　Josepha；　at　the　cost　of　a　bond　bearing　six　thousand　francs
of　interest　in　the　name　of　Valerie　Fortin；　wife　of　Sieur　Marneffe；　for
her　sole　and　separate　use。　Valerie；　inheriting　perhaps　from　her　mother
the　special　acumen　of　the　kept　woman；　read　the　character　of　her
grotesque　adorer　at　a　glance。　The　phrase　〃I　never　had　a　lady　for　a
mistress；〃　spoken　by　Crevel　to　Lisbeth；　and　repeated　by　Lisbeth　to　her
dear　Valerie；　had　been　handsomely　discounted　in　the　bargain　by　which
she　got　her　six　thousand　francs　a　year　in　five　per　cents。　And　since
then　she　had　never　allowed　her　prestige　to　grow　less　in　the　eyes　of
Cesar　Birotteau's　erewhile　bagman。

Crevel　himself　had　married　for　money　the　daughter　of　a　miller　of　la
Brie；　an　only　child　indeed；　whose　inheritance　constituted　three…
quarters　of　his　fortune；　for　when　retail…dealers　grow　rich；　it　is
generally　not　so　much　by　trade　as　through　some　alliance　between　the
shop　and　rural　thrift。　A　large　proportion　of　the　farmers；　corn…
factors；　dairy…keepers；　and　market…gardeners　in　the　neighborhood　of
Paris；　dream　of　the　glories　of　the　desk　for　their　daughters；　and　look
upon　a　shopkeeper；　a　jeweler；　or　a　money…changer　as　a　son…in…law　after
their　own　heart；　in　preference　to　a　notary　or　an　attorney；　whose
superior　social　position　is　a　ground　of　suspicion；　they　are　afraid　of
being　scorned　in　the　future　by　these　citizen　bigwigs。

Madame　Crevel；　ugly；　vulgar；　and　silly；　had　given　her　husband　no
pleasures　but　those　of　paternity；　she　died　young。　Her　libertine
husband；　fettered　at　the　beginning　of　his　commercial　career　by　the
necessity　for　working；　and　held　in　thrall　by　want　of　money；　had　led
the　life　of　Tantalus。　Thrown　inas　he　phrased　itwith　the　most
elegant　women　in　Paris；　he　let　them　out　of　the　shop　with　servile
homage；　while　admiring　their　grace；　their　way　of　wearing　the　fashions；
and　all　the　nameless　charms　of　what　is　called　breeding。　To　rise　to　the
level　of　one　of　these　fairies　of　the　drawing…room　was　a　desire　formed
in　his　youth；　but　buried　in　the　depths　of　his　heart。　Thus　to　win　the
favors　of　Madame　Marneffe　was　to　him　not　merely　the　realization　of　his
chimera；　but；　as　has　been　shown；　a　point　of　pride；　of　vanity；　of　self…
satisfaction。　His　ambition　grew　with　success；　his　brain　was　turned
with　elation；　and　when　the　mind　is　captivated；　the　heart　feels　more
keenly；　every　gratification　is　doubled。

Also；　it　must　be　said　that　Madame　Marneffe　offered　to　Crevel　a
refinement　of　pleasure　of　which　he　had　no　idea；　neither　Josepha　nor
Heloise　had　loved　him；　and　Madame　Marneffe　thought　it　necessary　to
deceive　him　thoroughly；　for　this　man；　she　saw；　would　prove　an
inexhaustible　till。　The　deceptions　of　a　venal　passion　are　more
delightful　than　the　real　thing。　True　love　is　mixed　up　with　birdlike
squabbles；　in　which　the　disputants　wound　each　other　to　the　quick；　but
a　quarrel　without　animus　is；　on　the　contrary；　a　piece　of　flattery　to
the　dupe's　conceit。

The　rare　interviews　granted　to　Crevel　kept　his　passion　at　white　heat。
He　was　constantly　blocked　by　Valerie's　virtuous　severity；　she　acted
remorse；　and　wondered　what　her　father　must　be　thinking　of　her　in　the
paradise　of　the　brave。　Again　and　again　he　had　to　contend　with　a　sort
of　coldness；　which　the　cunning　slut　made　him　believe　he　had　overcome
by　seeming　to　surrender　to　the　man's　crazy　passion；　and　then；　as　if
ashamed；　she　entrenched　herself　once　more　in　her　pride　of
respectability　and　airs　of　virtue；　just　like　an　Englishwoman；　neither
more　nor　less；　and　she　always　crushed　her　Crevel　under　the　weight　of
her　dignityfor　Crevel　had；　in　the　first　instance；　swallowed　her
pretensions　to　virtue。

In　short；　Valerie　had　special　veins　of　affections　which　made　her
equally　indispensable　to　Crevel　and　to　the　Baron。　Before　the　world　she
displayed　the　attractive　combination　of　modest　and　pensive　innocence；
of　irreproachable　propriety；　with　a　bright　humor　enhanced　by　the
suppleness；　the　grace　and　softness　of　the　Creole；　but　in　a　/tete…a…
tete/　she　would　outdo　any　courtesan；　she　was　audacious；　amusing；　and
full　of　original　inventiveness。　Such　a　contrast　is　irresistible　to　a
man　of　the　Crevel　type；　he　is　flattered　by　believing　himself　sole
author　of　the　comedy；　thinking　it　is　performed　for　his　benefit　alone；
and　he　laughs　at　the　exquisite　hypocrisy　while　admiring　the　hy