cousin betty-第42章

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to…morrow'　And　he　stays　with　Madame　Marneffe。　That　woman　is
ruining　him；　and　he　worships　her；　he　lives　only　in　her　sight。I　do
what　I　can；　if　I　were　not　there；　and　if　I　had　not　Mathurine　to　depend
upon；　he　would　spend　twice　as　much　as　he　does；　and　as　he　has　hardly
any　money　in　the　world；　he　would　have　blown　his　brains　out　by　this
time。　And；　I　tell　you；　Mariette；　Adeline　would　die　of　her　husband's
death；　I　am　perfectly　certain。　At　any　rate；　I　pull　to　make　both　ends
meet；　and　prevent　my　cousin　from　throwing　too　much　money　into　the
fire。〃

〃Yes；　that　is　what　madame　says；　poor　soul！　She　knows　how　much　she　owes
you；〃　replied　Mariette。　〃She　said　she　had　judged　you　unjustly　for　many
years〃

〃Indeed！〃　said　Lisbeth。　〃And　did　she　say　anything　else？〃

〃No；　mademoiselle。　If　you　wish　to　please　her；　talk　to　her　about
Monsieur　le　Baron；　she　envies　you　your　happiness　in　seeing　him　every
day。〃

〃Is　she　alone？〃

〃I　beg　pardon；　no；　the　Marshal　is　with　her。　He　comes　every　day；　and
she　always　tells　him　she　saw　monsieur　in　the　morning；　but　that　he
comes　in　very　late　at　night。〃

〃And　is　there　a　good　dinner　to…day？〃

Mariette　hesitated；　she　could　not　meet　Lisbeth's　eye。　The　drawing…room
door　opened；　and　Marshal　Hulot　rushed　out　in　such　haste　that　he　bowed
to　Lisbeth　without　looking　at　her；　and　dropped　a　paper。　Lisbeth　picked
it　up　and　ran　after　him　downstairs；　for　it　was　vain　to　hail　a　deaf
man；　but　she　managed　not　to　overtake　the　Marshal；　and　as　she　came　up
again　she　furtively　read　the　following　lines　written　in　pencil：

　　〃MY　DEAR　BROTHER；My　husband　has　given　me　the　money　for　my
　　quarter's　expenses；　but　my　daughter　Hortense　was　in　such　need　of
　　it；　that　I　lent　her　the　whole　sum；　which　was　scarcely　enough　to
　　set　her　straight。　Could　you　lend　me　a　few　hundred　francs？　For　I
　　cannot　ask　Hector　for　more；　if　he　were　to　blame　me；　I　could　not
　　bear　it。〃

〃My　word！〃　thought　Lisbeth；　〃she　must　be　in　extremities　to　bend　her
pride　to　such　a　degree！〃

Lisbeth　went　in。　She　saw　tears　in　Adeline's　eyes；　and　threw　her　arms
round　her　neck。

〃Adeline；　my　dearest；　I　know　all；〃　cried　Cousin　Betty。　〃Here；　the
Marshal　dropped　this　paperhe　was　in　such　a　state　of　mind；　and
running　like　a　greyhound。Has　that　dreadful　Hector　given　you　no　money
since？〃

〃He　gives　it　me　quite　regularly；〃　replied　the　Baroness；　〃but　Hortense
needed　it；　and〃

〃And　you　had　not　enough　to　pay　for　dinner　to…night；〃　said　Lisbeth；
interrupting　her。　〃Now　I　understand　why　Mariette　looked　so　confused
when　I　said　something　about　the　soup。　You　really　are　childish；
Adeline；　come；　take　my　savings。〃

〃Thank　you；　my　kind　cousin；〃　said　Adeline；　wiping　away　a　tear。　〃This
little　difficulty　is　only　temporary；　and　I　have　provided　for　the
future。　My　expenses　henceforth　will　be　no　more　than　two　thousand　four
hundred　francs　a　year；　rent　inclusive；　and　I　shall　have　the　money。
Above　all；　Betty；　not　a　word　to　Hector。　Is　he　well？〃

〃As　strong　as　the　Pont　Neuf；　and　as　gay　as　a　lark；　he　thinks　of
nothing　but　his　charmer　Valerie。〃

Madame　Hulot　looked　out　at　a　tall　silver…fir　in　front　of　the　window；
and　Lisbeth　could　not　see　her　cousin's　eyes　to　read　their　expression。

〃Did　you　mention　that　it　was　the　day　when　we　all　dine　together　here？〃

〃Yes。　But；　dear　me！　Madame　Marneffe　is　giving　a　grand　dinner；　she
hopes　to　get　Monsieur　Coquet　to　resign；　and　that　is　of　the　first
importance。Now；　Adeline；　listen　to　me。　You　know　that　I　am　fiercely
proud　as　to　my　independence。　Your　husband；　my　dear；　will　certainly
bring　you　to　ruin。　I　fancied　I　could　be　of　use　to　you　all　by　living
near　this　woman；　but　she　is　a　creature　of　unfathomable　depravity；　and
she　will　make　your　husband　promise　things　which　will　bring　you　all　to
disgrace。〃　Adeline　writhed　like　a　person　stabbed　to　the　heart。　〃My
dear　Adeline；　I　am　sure　of　what　I　say。　I　feel　it　is　my　duty　to
enlighten　you。Well；　let　us　think　of　the　future。　The　Marshal　is　an
old　man；　but　he　will　last　a　long　time　yethe　draws　good　pay；　when　he
dies　his　widow　would　have　a　pension　of　six　thousand　francs。　On　such　an
income　I　would　undertake　to　maintain　you　all。　Use　your　influence　over
the　good　man　to　get　him　to　marry　me。　It　is　not　for　the　sake　of　being
Madame　la　Marechale；　I　value　such　nonsense　at　no　more　than　I　value
Madame　Marneffe's　conscience；　but　you　will　all　have　bread。　I　see　that
Hortense　must　be　wanting　it；　since　you　give　her　yours。〃

The　Marshal　now　came　in；　he　had　made　such　haste；　that　he　was　mopping
his　forehead　with　his　bandana。

〃I　have　given　Mariette　two　thousand　francs；〃　he　whispered　to　his
sister…in…law。

Adeline　colored　to　the　roots　of　her　hair。　Two　tears　hung　on　the
fringes　of　the　still　long　lashes；　and　she　silently　pressed　the　old
man's　hand；　his　beaming　face　expressed　the　glee　of　a　favored　lover。

〃I　intended　to　spend　the　money　in　a　present　for　you；　Adeline；〃　said
he。　〃Instead　of　repaying　me；　you　must　choose　for　yourself　the　thing
you　would　like　best。〃

He　took　Lisbeth's　hand；　which　she　held　out　to　him；　and　so　bewildered
was　he　by　his　satisfaction；　that　he　kissed　it。

〃That　looks　promising；〃　said　Adeline　to　Lisbeth；　smiling　so　far　as　she
was　able　to　smile。

The　younger　Hulot　and　his　wife　now　came　in。

〃Is　my　brother　coming　to　dinner？〃　asked　the　Marshal　sharply。

Adeline　took　up　a　pencil　and　wrote　these　words　on　a　scrap　of　paper：

〃I　expect　him；　he　promised　this　morning　that　he　would　be　here；　but　if
he　should　not　come；　it　would　be　because　the　Marshal　kept　him。　He　is
overwhelmed　with　business。〃

And　she　handed　him　the　paper。　She　had　invented　this　way　of　conversing
with　Marshal　Hulot；　and　kept　a　little　collection　of　paper　scraps　and　a
pencil　at　hand　on　the　work…table。

〃I　know；〃　said　the　Marshal；　〃he　is　worked　very　hard　over　the　business
in　Algiers。〃

At　this　moment；　Hortense　and　Wenceslas　arrived；　and　the　Baroness；　as
she　saw　all　her　family　about　her；　gave　the　Marshal　a　significant
glance　understood　by　none　but　Lisbeth。

Happiness　had　greatly　improved　the　artist；　who　was　adored　by　his　wife
and　flattered　by　the　world。　His　face　had　become　almost　round；　and　his
graceful　figure　did　justice　to　the　advantages　which　blood　gives　to　men
of　birth。　His　early　fame；　his　important　position；　the　delusive
eulogies　that　the　world　sheds　on　artists　as　lightly　as　we　say；　〃How
d'ye　do？〃　or　discuss　the　weather；　gave　him　that　high　sense　of　merit
which　degenerates　into　sheer　fatuity　when　talent　wanes。　The　Cross　of
the　Legion　of　Honor　was　the　crowning　stamp　of　the　great　man　he
believed　himself　to　be。

After　three　years　of　married　life；　Hortense　was　to　her　husband　what　a
dog　is　to　its　master；　she　watched　his　every　movement　with　a　look　that
seemed　a　constant　inquiry；　her　eyes　were　always　on　him；　like　those　of
a　miser　on　his　treasure；　her　admiring　abnegation　was　quite　pathetic。
In　her　might　be　seen　her　mother's　spirit　and　teaching。　Her　beauty；　as
great　as　ever；　was　poetically　touched　by　the　gentle　shadow　of
concealed　melancholy。

On　seeing　Hortense　come　in；　it　struck　Lisbeth　that　some　long…
suppressed　complaint　was　about　to　break　through　the　thin　veil　of
reticence。　Lisbeth；　from　the　first　days　of　the　honeymoon；　had　been
sure　that　this　couple　had　too　small　an　income　for　so　great　a　passion。

Hortense；　as　she　embraced　her　mother；　exchanged　with　her　a　few
whispered　phrases；　heart　to　heart；　of　which　the　mystery　was　betrayed
to　Lisbeth　by　certain　shakes　of　the　head。

〃Adeline；　like　me；　must　work　for　her　living；〃　thought　Cousin　Betty。
〃She　shall　be　made　to　tell　me　what　she　will　do！　Those　pretty　fingers
will　know　at　last；　like　mine；　what　it　is　to　work　because　they　must。〃

At　six　o'clock　the　family　party　went　in　to　dinner。　A　place　was　laid
for　Hector。

〃Leave　it　so；〃　said　the　Baroness　to　Mariette；　〃monsieur　sometimes
comes　in　late。〃

〃Oh；　my　father　will　certainly　come；〃　said　Victorin　to　his　mother。　〃He
promised　me　he　would　when　we　parted　at　the　Chamber。〃

Lisbeth；　like　a　spider　in　the　middle　of　its　net；　gloated　over　all
these　countenances。　Having　known　Victorin　and　Hortense　from　their
birth；　their　faces　were　to　her　like　panes　of　glass；　through　which　she
could　read　their　young　souls。　Now；　from　certain　stolen　looks　directed
by　Victorin　on　his　mother；　she　saw　tha