cousin betty-第4章

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know　what　your　high　merits　are！　Many　a　time　has　he　blamed　himself　when
half　tipsy　as　he　has　expatiated　on　your　perfections。　Oh；　I　know　you
well！A　libertine　might　hesitate　between　you　and　a　girl　of　twenty。　I
do　not　hesitate〃

〃Monsieur！〃

〃Well；　I　say　no　more。　But　you　must　know；　saintly　and　noble　woman；　that
a　husband　under　certain　circumstances　will　tell　things　about　his　wife
to　his　mistress　that　will　mightily　amuse　her。〃

Tears　of　shame　hanging　to　Madame　Hulot's　long　lashes　checked　the
National　Guardsman。　He　stopped　short；　and　forgot　his　attitude。

〃To　proceed；〃　said　he。　〃We　became　intimate；　the　Baron　and　I；　through
the　two　hussies。　The　Baron；　like　all　bad　lots；　is　very　pleasant；　a
thoroughly　jolly　good　fellow。　Yes；　he　took　my　fancy；　the　old　rascal。
He　could　be　so　funny！Well；　enough　of　those　reminiscences。　We　got　to
be　like　brothers。　The　scoundrelquite　Regency　in　his　notionstried
indeed　to　deprave　me　altogether；　preached　Saint…Simonism　as　to　women；
and　all　sorts　of　lordly　ideas；　but；　you　see；　I　was　fond　enough　of　my
girl　to　have　married　her；　only　I　was　afraid　of　having　children。

〃Then　between　two　old　daddies；　such　friends　asas　we　were；　what　more
natural　than　that　we　should　think　of　our　children　marrying　each　other？
Three　months　after　his　son　had　married　my　Celestine；　HulotI　don't
know　how　I　can　utter　the　wretch's　name！　he　has　cheated　us　both；　madame
well；　the　villain　did　me　out　of　my　little　Josepha。　The　scoundrel
knew　that　he　was　supplanted　in　the　heart　of　Jenny　Cadine　by　a　young
lawyer　and　by　an　artistonly　two　of　them！for　the　girl　had　more　and
more　of　a　howling　success；　and　he　stole　my　sweet　little　girl；　a
perfect　darlingbut　you　must　have　seen　her　at　the　opera；　he　got　her
an　engagement　there。　Your　husband　is　not　so　well　behaved　as　I　am。　I　am
ruled　as　straight　as　a　sheet　of　music…paper。　He　had　dropped　a　good
deal　of　money　on　Jenny　Cadine；　who　must　have　cost　him　near　on　thirty
thousand　francs　a　year。　Well；　I　can　only　tell　you　that　he　is　ruining
himself　outright　for　Josepha。

〃Josepha；　madame；　is　a　Jewess。　Her　name　is　Mirah；　the　anagram　of
Hiram；　an　Israelite　mark　that　stamps　her；　for　she　was　a　foundling
picked　up　in　Germany；　and　the　inquiries　I　have　made　prove　that　she　is
the　illegitimate　child　of　a　rich　Jew　banker。　The　life　of　the　theatre；
and；　above　all；　the　teaching　of　Jenny　Cadine；　Madame　Schontz；　Malaga；
and　Carabine；　as　to　the　way　to　treat　an　old　man；　have　developed；　in
the　child　whom　I　had　kept　in　a　respectable　and　not　too　expensive　way
of　life；　all　the　native　Hebrew　instinct　for　gold　and　jewelsfor　the
golden　calf。

〃So　this　famous　singer；　hungering　for　plunder；　now　wants　to　be　rich；
very　rich。　She　tried　her　'prentice　hand　on　Baron　Hulot；　and　soon
plucked　him　bareplucked　him；　ay；　and　singed　him　to　the　skin。　The
miserable　man；　after　trying　to　vie　with　one　of　the　Kellers　and　with
the　Marquis　d'Esgrignon；　both　perfectly　mad　about　Josepha；　to　say
nothing　of　unknown　worshipers；　is　about　to　see　her　carried　off　by　that
very　rich　Duke；　who　is　such　a　patron　of　the　arts。　Oh；　what　is　his
name？a　dwarf。Ah；　the　Duc　d'Herouville。　This　fine　gentleman　insists
on　having　Josepha　for　his　very　own；　and　all　that　set　are　talking　about
it；　the　Baron　knows　nothing　of　it　as　yet；　for　it　is　the　same　in　the
Thirteenth　Arrondissement　as　in　every　other：　the　lover；　like　the
husband；　is　last　to　get　the　news。

〃Now；　do　you　understand　my　claim？　Your　husband；　dear　lady；　has　robbed
me　of　my　joy　in　life；　the　only　happiness　I　have　known　since　I　became　a
widower。　Yes；　if　I　had　not　been　so　unlucky　as　to　come　across　that　old
rip；　Josepha　would　still　be　mine；　for　I；　you　know；　should　never　have
placed　her　on　the　stage。　She　would　have　lived　obscure；　well　conducted；
and　mine。　Oh！　if　you　could　but　have　seen　her　eight　years　ago；　slight
and　wiry；　with　the　golden　skin　of　an　Andalusian；　as　they　say；　black
hair　as　shiny　as　satin；　an　eye　that　flashed　lightning　under　long　brown
lashes；　the　style　of　a　duchess　in　every　movement；　the　modesty　of　a
dependent；　decent　grace；　and　the　pretty　ways　of　a　wild　fawn。　And　by
that　Hulot's　doing　all　this　charm　and　purity　has　been　degraded　to　a
man…trap；　a　money…box　for　five…franc　pieces！　The　girl　is　the　Queen　of
Trollops；　and　nowadays　she　humbugs　every　oneshe　who　knew　nothing；
not　even　that　word。〃

At　this　stage　the　retired　perfumer　wiped　his　eyes；　which　were　full　of
tears。　The　sincerity　of　his　grief　touched　Madame　Hulot；　and　roused　her
from　the　meditation　into　which　she　had　sunk。

〃Tell　me；　madame；　is　a　man　of　fifty…two　likely　to　find　such　another
jewel？　At　my　age　love　costs　thirty　thousand　francs　a　year。　It　is
through　your　husband's　experience　that　I　know　the　price；　and　I　love
Celestine　too　truly　to　be　her　ruin。　When　I　saw　you；　at　the　first
evening　party　you　gave　in　our　honor；　I　wondered　how　that　scoundrel
Hulot　could　keep　a　Jenny　Cadineyou　had　the　manner　of　an　Empress。　You
do　not　look　thirty；〃　he　went　on。　〃To　me；　madame；　you　look　young；　and
you　are　beautiful。　On　my　word　of　honor；　that　evening　I　was　struck　to
the　heart。　I　said　to　myself；　'If　I　had　not　Josepha；　since　old　Hulot
neglects　his　wife；　she　would　fit　me　like　a　glove。'　Forgive　meit　is　a
reminiscence　of　my　old　business。　The　perfumer　will　crop　up　now　and
then；　and　that　is　what　keeps　me　from　standing　to　be　elected　deputy。

〃And　then；　when　I　was　so　abominably　deceived　by　the　Baron；　for　really
between　old　rips　like　us　our　friend's　mistress　should　be　sacred；　I
swore　I　would　have　his　wife。　It　is　but　justice。　The　Baron　could　say
nothing；　we　are　certain　of　impunity。　You　showed　me　the　door　like　a
mangy　dog　at　the　first　words　I　uttered　as　to　the　state　of　my　feelings；
you　only　made　my　passionmy　obstinacy；　if　you　willtwice　as　strong；
and　you　shall　be　mine。〃

〃Indeed；　how？〃

〃I　do　not　know；　but　it　will　come　to　pass。　You　see；　madame；　an　idiot　of
a　perfumerretired　from　businesswho　has　but　one　idea　in　his　head；
is　stronger　than　a　clever　fellow　who　has　a　thousand。　I　am　smitten　with
you；　and　you　are　the　means　of　my　revenge；　it　is　like　being　in　love
twice　over。　I　am　speaking　to　you　quite　frankly；　as　a　man　who　knows
what　he　means。　I　speak　coldly　to　you；　just　as　you　do　to　me；　when　you
say；　'I　never　will　be　yours；'　In　fact；　as　they　say；　I　play　the　game
with　the　cards　on　the　table。　Yes；　you　shall　be　mine；　sooner　or　later；
if　you　were　fifty；　you　should　still　be　my　mistress。　And　it　will　be；
for　I　expect　anything　from　your　husband！〃

Madame　Hulot　looked　at　this　vulgar　intriguer　with　such　a　fixed　stare
of　terror；　that　he　thought　she　had　gone　mad；　and　he　stopped。

〃You　insisted　on　it；　you　heaped　me　with　scorn；　you　defied　meand　I
have　spoken；〃　said　he；　feeling　that　he　must　justify　the　ferocity　of
his　last　words。

〃Oh；　my　daughter；　my　daughter；〃　moaned　the　Baroness　in　a　voice　like　a
dying　woman's。

〃Oh！　I　have　forgotten　all　else；〃　Crevel　went　on。　〃The　day　when　I　was
robbed　of　Josepha　I　was　like　a　tigress　robbed　of　her　cubs；　in　short；
as　you　see　me　now。Your　daughter？　Yes；　I　regard　her　as　the　means　of
winning　you。　Yes；　I　put　a　spoke　in　her　marriageand　you　will　not　get
her　married　without　my　help！　Handsome　as　Mademoiselle　Hortense　is；　she
needs　a　fortune〃

〃Alas！　yes；〃　said　the　Baroness；　wiping　her　eyes。

〃Well；　just　ask　your　husband　for　ten　thousand　francs；〃　said　Crevel；
striking　his　attitude　once　more。　He　waited　a　minute；　like　an　actor　who
has　made　a　point。

〃If　he　had　the　money；　he　would　give　it　to　the　woman　who　will　take
Josepha's　place；〃　he　went　on；　emphasizing　his　tones。　〃Does　a　man　ever
pull　up　on　the　road　he　has　taken？　In　the　first　place；　he　is　too　sweet
on　women。　There　is　a　happy　medium　in　all　things；　as　our　King　has　told
us。　And　then　his　vanity　is　implicated！　He　is　a　handsome　man！He　would
bring　you　all　to　ruin　for　his　pleasure；　in　fact；　you　are　already　on
the　highroad　to　the　workhouse。　Why；　look；　never　since　I　set　foot　in
your　house　have　you　been　able　to　do　up　your　drawing…room　furniture。
'Hard　up'　is　the　word　shouted　by　every　slit　in　the　stuff。　Where　will
you　find　a　son…in…law　who　would　not　turn　his　back　in　horror　of　the
ill…concealed　evidence　of　the　most　cruel　misery　there　isthat　of
people　in　decent　society？　I　have　kept　shop；　and　I　know。　There　is　no
eye　so　quick