cousin betty-第40章

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her　friend　Valerie's　former　boudoir　and　bedroom。

〃I　began；〃　she　would　say；　〃as　a　hungry　nanny　goat；　and　I　am　ending　as
a　/lionne/。〃

She　still　worked　for　Monsieur　Rivet　at　the　more　elaborate　kinds　of
gold…trimming；　merely；　as　she　said；　not　to　lose　her　time。　At　the　same
time；　she　was；　as　we　shall　see；　very　full　of　business；　but　it　is
inherent　in　the　nature　of　country…folks　never　to　give　up　bread…
winning；　in　this　they　are　like　the　Jews。

Every　morning；　very　early；　Cousin　Betty　went　off　to　market　with　the
cook。　It　was　part　of　Lisbeth's　scheme　that　the　house…book；　which　was
ruining　Baron　Hulot；　was　to　enrich　her　dear　Valerieas　it　did　indeed。

Is　there　a　housewife　who；　since　1838；　has　not　suffered　from　the　evil
effects　of　Socialist　doctrines　diffused　among　the　lower　classes　by
incendiary　writers？　In　every　household　the　plague　of　servants　is
nowadays　the　worst　of　financial　afflictions。　With　very　few　exceptions；
who　ought　to　be　rewarded　with　the　Montyon　prize；　the　cook；　male　or
female；　is　a　domestic　robber；　a　thief　taking　wages；　and　perfectly
barefaced；　with　the　Government　for　a　fence；　developing　the　tendency　to
dishonesty；　which　is　almost　authorized　in　the　cook　by　the　time…honored
jest　as　to　the　〃handle　of　the　basket。〃　The　women　who　formerly　picked
up　their　forty　sous　to　buy　a　lottery　ticket　now　take　fifty　francs　to
put　into　the　savings　bank。　And　the　smug　Puritans　who　amuse　themselves
in　France　with　philanthropic　experiments　fancy　that　they　are　making
the　common　people　moral！

Between　the　market　and　the　master's　table　the　servants　have　their
secret　toll；　and　the　municipality　of　Paris　is　less　sharp　in　collecting
the　city…dues　than　the　servants　are　in　taking　theirs　on　every　single
thing。　To　say　nothing　of　fifty　per　cent　charged　on　every　form　of　food；
they　demand　large　New　Year's　premiums　from　the　tradesmen。　The　best
class　of　dealers　tremble　before　this　occult　power；　and　subsidize　it
without　a　wordcoachmakers；　jewelers；　tailors；　and　all。　If　any
attempt　is　made　to　interfere　with　them；　the　servants　reply　with
impudent　retorts；　or　revenge　themselves　by　the　costly　blunders　of
assumed　clumsiness；　and　in　these　days　they　inquire　into　their　master's
character　as；　formerly；　the　master　inquired　into　theirs。　This　mischief
is　now　really　at　its　height；　and　the　law…courts　are　beginning　to　take
cognizance　of　it；　but　in　vain；　for　it　cannot　be　remedied　but　by　a　law
which　shall　compel　domestic　servants；　like　laborers；　to　have　a　pass…
book　as　a　guarantee　of　conduct。　Then　the　evil　will　vanish　as　if　by
magic。　If　every　servant　were　obliged　to　show　his　pass…book；　and　if
masters　were　required　to　state　in　it　the　cause　of　his　dismissal；　this
would　certainly　prove　a　powerful　check　to　the　evil。

The　men　who　are　giving　their　attentions　to　the　politics　of　the　day
know　not　to　what　lengths　the　depravity　of　the　lower　classes　has　gone。
Statistics　are　silent　as　to　the　startling　number　of　working　men　of
twenty　who　marry　cooks　of　between　forty　and　fifty　enriched　by　robbery。
We　shudder　to　think　of　the　result　of　such　unions　from　the　three　points
of　view　of　increasing　crime；　degeneracy　of　the　race；　and　miserable
households。

As　to　the　mere　financial　mischief　that　results　from　domestic
peculation；　that　too　is　immense　from　a　political　point　of　view。　Life
being　made　to　cost　double；　any　superfluity　becomes　impossible　in　most
households。　Now　superfluity　means　half　the　trade　of　the　world；　as　it
is　half　the　elegance　of　life。　Books　and　flowers　are　to　many　persons　as
necessary　as　bread。

Lisbeth；　well　aware　of　this　dreadful　scourge　of　Parisian　households；
determined　to　manage　Valerie's；　promising　her　every　assistance　in　the
terrible　scene　when　the　two　women　had　sworn　to　be　like　sisters。　So　she
had　brought　from　the　depths　of　the　Vosges　a　humble　relation　on　her
mother's　side；　a　very　pious　and　honest　soul；　who　had　been　cook　to　the
Bishop　of　Nancy。　Fearing；　however；　her　inexperience　of　Paris　ways；　and
yet　more　the　evil　counsel　which　wrecks　such　fragile　virtue；　at　first
Lisbeth　always　went　to　market　with　Mathurine；　and　tried　to　teach　her
what　to　buy。　To　know　the　real　prices　of　things　and　command　the
salesman's　respect；　to　purchase　unnecessary　delicacies；　such　as　fish；
only　when　they　were　cheap；　to　be　well　informed　as　to　the　price　current
of　groceries　and　provisions；　so　as　to　buy　when　prices　are　low　in
anticipation　of　a　rise；all　this　housekeeping　skill　is　in　Paris
essential　to　domestic　economy。　As　Mathurine　got　good　wages　and　many
presents；　she　liked　the　house　well　enough　to　be　glad　to　drive　good
bargains。　And　by　this　time　Lisbeth　had　made　her　quite　a　match　for
herself；　sufficiently　experienced　and　trustworthy　to　be　sent　to　market
alone；　unless　Valerie　was　giving　a　dinnerwhich；　in　fact；　was　not
unfrequently　the　case。　And　this　was　how　it　came　about。

The　Baron　had　at　first　observed　the　strictest　decorum；　but　his　passion
for　Madame　Marneffe　had　ere　long　become　so　vehement；　so　greedy；　that
he　would　never　quit　her　if　he　could　help　it。　At　first　he　dined　there
four　times　a　week；　then　he　thought　it　delightful　to　dine　with　her
every　day。　Six　months　after　his　daughter's　marriage　he　was　paying　her
two　thousand　francs　a　month　for　his　board。　Madame　Marneffe　invited　any
one　her　dear　Baron　wished　to　entertain。　The　dinner　was　always　arranged
for　six；　he　could　bring　in　three　unexpected　guests。　Lisbeth's　economy
enabled　her　to　solve　the　extraordinary　problem　of　keeping　up　the　table
in　the　best　style　for　a　thousand　francs　a　month；　giving　the　other
thousand　to　Madame　Marneffe。　Valerie's　dress　being　chiefly　paid　for　by
Crevel　and　the　Baron；　the　two　women　saved　another　thousand　francs　a
month　on　this。

And　so　this　pure　and　innocent　being　had　already　accumulated　a　hundred
and　fifty　thousand　francs　in　savings。　She　had　capitalized　her　income
and　monthly　bonus；　and　swelled　the　amount　by　enormous　interest；　due　to
Crevel's　liberality　in　allowing　his　〃little　Duchess〃　to　invest　her
money　in　partnership　with　him　in　his　financial　operations。　Crevel　had
taught　Valerie　the　slang　and　the　procedure　of　the　money　market；　and；
like　every　Parisian　woman；　she　had　soon　outstripped　her　master。
Lisbeth；　who　never　spent　a　sou　of　her　twelve　hundred　francs；　whose
rent　and　dress　were　given　to　her；　and　who　never　put　her　hand　in　her
pocket；　had　likewise　a　small　capital　of　five　or　six　thousand　francs；
of　which　Crevel　took　fatherly　care。

At　the　same　time；　two　such　lovers　were　a　heavy　burthen　on　Valerie。　On
the　day　when　this　drama　reopens；　Valerie；　spurred　by　one　of　those
incidents　which　have　the　effect　in　life　that　the　ringing　of　a　bell　has
in　inducing　a　swarm　of　bees　to　settle；　went　up　to　Lisbeth's　rooms　to
give　vent　to　one　of　those　comforting　lamentationsa　sort　of　cigarette
blown　off　from　the　tongueby　which　women　alleviate　the　minor　miseries
of　life。

〃Oh；　Lisbeth；　my　love；　two　hours　of　Crevel　this　morning！　It　is
crushing！　How　I　wish　I　could　send　you　in　my　place！〃

〃That；　unluckily；　is　impossible；〃　said　Lisbeth；　smiling。　〃I　shall　die
a　maid。〃

〃Two　old　men　lovers！　Really；　I　am　ashamed　sometimes！　If　my　poor　mother
could　see　me。〃

〃You　are　mistaking　me　for　Crevel！〃　said　Lisbeth。

〃Tell　me；　my　little　Betty；　do　you　not　despise　me？〃

〃Oh！　if　I　had　but　been　pretty；　what　adventures　I　would　have　had！〃
cried　Lisbeth。　〃That　is　your　justification。〃

〃But　you　would　have　acted　only　at　the　dictates　of　your　heart；〃　said
Madame　Marneffe；　with　a　sigh。

〃Pooh！　Marneffe　is　a　dead　man　they　have　forgotten　to　bury；〃　replied
Lisbeth。　〃The　Baron　is　as　good　as　your　husband；　Crevel　is　your　adorer；
it　seems　to　me　that　you　are　quite　in　orderlike　every　other　married
woman。〃

〃No；　it　is　not　that；　dear；　adorable　thing；　that　is　not　where　the　shoe
pinches；　you　do　not　choose　to　understand。〃

〃Yes；　I　do；〃　said　Lisbeth。　〃The　unexpressed　factor　is　part　of　my
revenge；　what　can　I　do？　I　am　working　it　out。〃

〃I　love　Wenceslas　so　that　I　am　positively　growing　thin；　and　I　can
never　see　him；〃　said　Valerie；　throwing　up　her　arms。　〃Hulot　asks　him　to
dinner；　and　my　artist　declines。　He　does　not　know　that　I　idolize　him；
the　wretch！　What　is　his　wife　after　all？　Fine　flesh！　Yes；　she　is
handsome；　but　II　know　myselfI　am　worse！〃

〃Be　quite　easy；　my