cousin betty-第39章

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and　he　laughs　at　the　exquisite　hypocrisy　while　admiring　the　hypocrite。

Valerie　had　taken　entire　possession　of　Baron　Hulot；　she　had　persuaded
him　to　grow　old　by　one　of　those　subtle　touches　of　flattery　which
reveal　the　diabolical　wit　of　women　like　her。　In　all　evergreen
constitutions　a　moment　arrives　when　the　truth　suddenly　comes　out；　as
in　a　besieged　town　which　puts　a　good　face　on　affairs　as　long　as
possible。　Valerie；　foreseeing　the　approaching　collapse　of　the　old　beau
of　the　Empire；　determined　to　forestall　it。

〃Why　give　yourself　so　much　bother；　my　dear　old　veteran？〃　said　she　one
day；　six　months　after　their　doubly　adulterous　union。　〃Do　you　want　to
be　flirting？　To　be　unfaithful　to　me？　I　assure　you；　I　should　like　you
better　without　your　make…up。　Oblige　me　by　giving　up　all　your
artificial　charms。　Do　you　suppose　that　it　is　for　two　sous'　worth　of
polish　on　your　boots　that　I　love　you？　For　your　india…rubber　belt；　your
strait…waistcoat；　and　your　false　hair？　And　then；　the　older　you　look；
the　less　need　I　fear　seeing　my　Hulot　carried　off　by　a　rival。〃

And　Hulot；　trusting　to　Madame　Marneffe's　heavenly　friendship　as　much
as　to　her　love；　intending；　too；　to　end　his　days　with　her；　had　taken
this　confidential　hint；　and　ceased　to　dye　his　whiskers　and　hair。　After
this　touching　declaration　from　his　Valerie；　handsome　Hector　made　his
appearance　one　morning　perfectly　white。　Madame　Marneffe　could　assure
him　that　she　had　a　hundred　times　detected　the　white　line　of　the　growth
of　the　hair。

〃And　white　hair　suits　your　face　to　perfection；〃　said　she；　〃it　softens
it。　You　look　a　thousand　times　better；　quite　charming。〃

The　Baron；　once　started　on　this　path　of　reform；　gave　up　his　leather
waistcoat　and　stays；　he　threw　off　all　his　bracing。　His　stomach　fell
and　increased　in　size。　The　oak　became　a　tower；　and　the　heaviness　of
his　movements　was　all　the　more　alarming　because　the　Baron　grew
immensely　older　by　playing　the　part　of　Louis　XII。　His　eyebrows　were
still　black；　and　left　a　ghostly　reminiscence　of　Handsome　Hulot；　as
sometimes　on　the　wall　of　some　feudal　building　a　faint　trace　of
sculpture　remains　to　show　what　the　castle　was　in　the　days　of　its
glory。　This　discordant　detail　made　his　eyes；　still　bright　and
youthful；　all　the　more　remarkable　in　his　tanned　face；　because　it　had
so　long　been　ruddy　with　the　florid　hues　of　a　Rubens；　and　now　a　certain
discoloration　and　the　deep　tension　of　the　wrinkles　betrayed　the
efforts　of　a　passion　at　odds　with　natural　decay。　Hulot　was　now　one　of
those　stalwart　ruins　in　which　virile　force　asserts　itself　by　tufts　of
hair　in　the　ears　and　nostrils　and　on　the　fingers；　as　moss　grows　on　the
almost　eternal　monuments　of　the　Roman　Empire。

How　had　Valerie　contrived　to　keep　Crevel　and　Hulot　side　by　side；　each
tied　to　an　apron…string；　when　the　vindictive　Mayor　only　longed　to
triumph　openly　over　Hulot？　Without　immediately　giving　an　answer　to
this　question；　which　the　course　of　the　story　will　supply；　it　may　be
said　that　Lisbeth　and　Valerie　had　contrived　a　powerful　piece　of
machinery　which　tended　to　this　result。　Marneffe；　as　he　saw　his　wife
improved　in　beauty　by　the　setting　in　which　she　was　enthroned；　like　the
sun　at　the　centre　of　the　sidereal　system；　appeared；　in　the　eyes　of　the
world；　to　have　fallen　in　love　with　her　again　himself；　he　was　quite
crazy　about　her。　Now；　though　his　jealousy　made　him　somewhat　of　a
marplot；　it　gave　enhanced　value　to　Valerie's　favors。　Marneffe
meanwhile　showed　a　blind　confidence　in　his　chief；　which　degenerated
into　ridiculous　complaisance。　The　only　person　whom　he　really　would　not
stand　was　Crevel。

Marneffe；　wrecked　by　the　debauchery　of　great　cities；　described　by
Roman　authors；　though　modern　decency　has　no　name　for　it；　was　as
hideous　as　an　anatomical　figure　in　wax。　But　this　disease　on　feet；
clothed　in　good　broadcloth；　encased　his　lathlike　legs　in　elegant
trousers。　The　hollow　chest　was　scented　with　fine　linen；　and　musk
disguised　the　odors　of　rotten　humanity。　This　hideous　specimen　of
decaying　vice；　trotting　in　red　heelsfor　Valerie　dressed　the　man　as
beseemed　his　income；　his　cross；　and　his　appointmenthorrified　Crevel；
who　could　not　meet　the　colorless　eyes　of　the　Government　clerk。
Marneffe　was　an　incubus　to　the　Mayor。　And　the　mean　rascal；　aware　of
the　strange　power　conferred　on　him　by　Lisbeth　and　his　wife；　was　amused
by　it；　he　played　on　it　as　on　an　instrument；　and　cards　being　the　last
resource　of　a　mind　as　completely　played　out　as　the　body；　he　plucked
Crevel　again　and　again；　the　Mayor　thinking　himself　bound　to
subserviency　to　the　worthy　official　whom　/he　was　cheating/。

Seeing　Crevel　a　mere　child　in　the　hands　of　that　hideous　and　atrocious
mummy；　of　whose　utter　vileness　the　Mayor　knew　nothing；　and　seeing　him；
yet　more；　an　object　of　deep　contempt　to　Valerie；　who　made　game　of
Crevel　as　of　some　mountebank；　the　Baron　apparently　thought　him　so
impossible　as　a　rival　that　he　constantly　invited　him　to　dinner。

Valerie；　protected　by　two　lovers　on　guard；　and　by　a　jealous　husband；
attracted　every　eye；　and　excited　every　desire　in　the　circle　she　shone
upon。　And　thus；　while　keeping　up　appearances；　she　had；　in　the　course
of　three　years；　achieved　the　most　difficult　conditions　of　the　success
a　courtesan　most　cares　for　and　most　rarely　attains；　even　with　the　help
of　audacity　and　the　glitter　of　an　existence　in　the　light　of　the　sun。
Valerie's　beauty；　formerly　buried　in　the　mud　of　the　Rue　du　Doyenne；
now；　like　a　well…cut　diamond　exquisitely　set　by　Chanor；　was　worth　more
than　its　real　valueit　could　break　hearts。　Claude　Vignon　adored
Valerie　in　secret。



This　retrospective　explanation；　quite　necessary　after　the　lapse　of
three　years；　shows　Valerie's　balance…sheet。　Now　for　that　of　her
partner；　Lisbeth。

Lisbeth　Fischer　filled　the　place　in　the　Marneffe　household　of　a
relation　who　combines　the　functions　of　a　lady　companion　and　a
housekeeper；　but　she　suffered　from　none　of　the　humiliations　which；　for
the　most　part；　weigh　upon　the　women　who　are　so　unhappy　as　to　be
obliged　to　fill　these　ambiguous　situations。　Lisbeth　and　Valerie
offered　the　touching　spectacle　of　one　of　those　friendships　between
women；　so　cordial　and　so　improbable；　that　men；　always　too　keen…tongued
in　Paris；　forthwith　slander　them。　The　contrast　between　Lisbeth's　dry
masculine　nature　and　Valerie's　creole　prettiness　encouraged　calumny。
And　Madame　Marneffe　had　unconsciously　given　weight　to　the　scandal　by
the　care　she　took　of　her　friend；　with　matrimonial　views；　which　were；
as　will　be　seen；　to　complete　Lisbeth's　revenge。

An　immense　change　had　taken　place　in　Cousin　Betty；　and　Valerie；　who
wanted　to　smarten　her；　had　turned　it　to　the　best　account。　The　strange
woman　had　submitted　to　stays；　and　laced　tightly；　she　used　bandoline　to
keep　her　hair　smooth；　wore　her　gowns　as　the　dressmaker　sent　them　home；
neat　little　boots；　and　gray　silk　stockings；　all　of　which　were　included
in　Valerie's　bills；　and　paid　for　by　the　gentleman　in　possession。　Thus
furbished　up；　and　wearing　the　yellow　cashmere　shawl；　Lisbeth　would
have　been　unrecognizable　by　any　one　who　had　not　seen　her　for　three
years。

This　other　diamonda　black　diamond；　the　rarest　of　allcut　by　a
skilled　hand；　and　set　as　best　became　her；　was　appreciated　at　her　full
value　by　certain　ambitious　clerks。　Any　one　seeing　her　for　the　first
time　might　have　shuddered　involuntarily　at　the　look　of　poetic　wildness
which　the　clever　Valerie　had　succeeded　in　bringing　out　by　the　arts　of
dress　in　this　Bleeding　Nun；　framing　the　ascetic　olive　face　in　thick
bands　of　hair　as　black　as　the　fiery　eyes；　and　making　the　most　of　the
rigid；　slim　figure。　Lisbeth；　like　a　Virgin　by　Cranach　or　Van　Eyck；　or
a　Byzantine　Madonna　stepped　out　of　its　frame；　had　all　the　stiffness；
the　precision　of　those　mysterious　figures；　the　more　modern　cousins　of
Isis　and　her　sister　goddesses　sheathed　in　marble　folds　by　Egyptian
sculptors。　It　was　granite；　basalt；　porphyry；　with　life　and　movement。

Saved　from　want　for　the　rest　of　her　life；　Lisbeth　was　most　amiable；
wherever　she　dined　she　brought　merriment。　And　the　Baron　paid　the　rent
of　her　little　apartment；　furnished；　as　we　know；　with　the　leavings　of
her　friend　Valerie's　former　boudoir　and　bedroom。

〃I　began；〃　she　would　say；　〃as　a　hungr