cousin betty-第46章

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official；　who　snorts　like　a　grampus；　who　has　fins　in　his　nostrils；　who
is　sixty…three　years　old；　and　who　had　grown　ten　years　older　by　dint　of
trying　to　be　young；　who　is　so　odious　to　me　that　the　very　day　when
Marneffe　is　promoted；　and　gets　his　Cross　of　the　Legion　of　Honor〃

〃How　much　more　will　your　husband　get　then？〃

〃A　thousand　crowns。〃

〃I　will　pay　him　as　much　in　an　annuity；〃　said　Baron　Montes。　〃We　will
leave　Paris　and　go〃

〃Where？〃　said　Valerie；　with　one　of　the　pretty　sneers　by　which　a　woman
makes　fun　of　a　man　she　is　sure　of。　〃Paris　is　the　only　place　where　we
can　live　happy。　I　care　too　much　for　your　love　to　risk　seeing　it　die
out　in　a　/tete…a…tete/　in　the　wilderness。　Listen；　Henri；　you　are　the
only　man　I　care　for　in　the　whole　world。　Write　that　down　clearly　in
your　tiger's　brain。〃

For　women；　when　they　have　made　a　sheep　of　a　man；　always　tell　him　that
he　is　a　lion　with　a　will　of　iron。

〃Now；　attend　to　me。　Monsieur　Marneffe　has　not　five　years　to　live；　he
is　rotten　to　the　marrow　of　his　bones。　He　spends　seven　months　of　the
twelve　in　swallowing　drugs　and　decoctions；　he　lives　wrapped　in
flannel；　in　short；　as　the　doctor　says；　he　lives　under　the　scythe；　and
may　be　cut　off　at　any　moment。　An　illness　that　would　not　harm　another
man　would　be　fatal　to　him；　his　blood　is　corrupt；　his　life　undermined
at　the　root。　For　five　years　I　have　never　allowed　him　to　kiss　mehe　is
poisonous！　Some　day；　and　the　day　is　not　far　off；　I　shall　be　a　widow。
Well；　then；　Iwho　have　already　had　an　offer　from　a　man　with　sixty
thousand　francs　a　year；　I　who　am　as　completely　mistress　of　that　man　as
I　am　of　this　lump　of　sugarI　swear　to　you　that　if　you　were　as　poor　as
Hulot　and　as　foul　as　Marneffe；　if　you　beat　me　even；　still　you　are　the
only　man　I　will　have　for　a　husband；　the　only　man　I　love；　or　whose　name
I　will　ever　bear。　And　I　am　ready　to　give　any　pledge　of　my　love　that
you　may　require。〃

〃Well；　then；　to…night〃

〃But　you；　son　of　the　South；　my　splendid　jaguar；　come　expressly　for　me
from　the　virgin　forest　of　Brazil；〃　said　she；　taking　his　hand　and
kissing　and　fondling　it；　〃I　have　some　consideration　for　the　poor
creature　you　mean　to　make　your　wife。Shall　I　be　your　wife；　Henri？〃

〃Yes；〃　said　the　Brazilian；　overpowered　by　this　unbridled　volubility　of
passion。　And　he　knelt　at　her　feet。

〃Well；　then；　Henri；〃　said　Valerie；　taking　his　two　hands　and　looking
straight　into　his　eyes；　〃swear　to　me　now；　in　the　presence　of　Lisbeth；
my　best　and　only　friend；　my　sisterthat　you　will　make　me　your　wife　at
the　end　of　my　year's　widowhood。〃

〃I　swear　it。〃

〃That　is　not　enough。　Swear　by　your　mother's　ashes　and　eternal
salvation；　swear　by　the　Virgin　Mary　and　by　all　your　hopes　as　a
Catholic！〃

Valerie　knew　that　the　Brazilian　would　keep　that　oath　even　if　she
should　have　fallen　into　the　foulest　social　slough。

The　Baron　solemnly　swore　it；　his　nose　almost　touching　Valerie's　white
bosom；　and　his　eyes　spellbound。　He　was　drunk；　drunk　as　a　man　is　when
he　sees　the　woman　he　loves　once　more；　after　a　sea　voyage　of　a　hundred
and　twenty　days。

〃Good。　Now　be　quite　easy。　And　in　Madame　Marneffe　respect　the　future
Baroness　de　Montejanos。　You　are　not　to　spend　a　sou　upon　me；　I　forbid
it。Stay　here　in　the　outer　room；　sleep　on　the　sofa。　I　myself　will
come　and　tell　you　when　you　may　move。We　will　breakfast　to…morrow
morning；　and　you　can　be　leaving　at　about　one　o'clock　as　if　you　had
come　to　call　at　noon。　There　is　nothing　to　fear；　the　gate…keepers　love
me　as　much　as　if　they　were　my　father　and　mother。Now　I　must　go　down
and　make　tea。〃

She　beckoned　to　Lisbeth；　who　followed　her　out　on　to　the　landing。　There
Valerie　whispered　in　the　old　maid's　ear：

〃My　darkie　has　come　back　too　soon。　I　shall　die　if　I　cannot　avenge　you
on　Hortense！〃

〃Make　your　mind　easy；　my　pretty　little　devil！〃　said　Lisbeth；　kissing
her　forehead。　〃Love　and　Revenge　on　the　same　track　will　never　lose　the
game。　Hortense　expects　me　to…morrow；　she　is　in　beggary。　For　a　thousand
francs　you　may　have　a　thousand　kisses　from　Wenceslas。〃

On　leaving　Valerie；　Hulot　had　gone　down　to　the　porter's　lodge　and　made
a　sudden　invasion　there。

〃Madame　Olivier？〃

On　hearing　the　imperious　tone　of　this　address；　and　seeing　the　action
by　which　the　Baron　emphasized　it；　Madame　Olivier　came　out　into　the
courtyard　as　far　as　the　Baron　led　her。

〃You　know　that　if　any　one　can　help　your　son　to　a　connection　by　and　by；
it　is　I；　it　is　owing　to　me　that　he　is　already　third　clerk　in　a
notary's　office；　and　is　finishing　his　studies。〃

〃Yes；　Monsieur　le　Baron；　and　indeed；　sir；　you　may　depend　on　our
gratitude。　Not　a　day　passes　that　I　do　not　pray　to　God　for　Monsieur　le
Baron's　happiness。〃

〃Not　so　many　words；　my　good　woman；〃　said　Hulot；　〃but　deeds〃

〃What　can　I　do；　sir？〃　asked　Madame　Olivier。

〃A　man　came　here　to…night　in　a　carriage。　Do　you　know　him？〃

Madame　Olivier　had　recognized　Montes　well　enough。　How　could　she　have
forgotten　him？　In　the　Rue　du　Doyenne　the　Brazilian　had　always　slipped
a　five…franc　piece　into　her　hand　as　he　went　out　in　the　morning；　rather
too　early。　If　the　Baron　had　applied　to　Monsieur　Olivier；　he　would
perhaps　have　learned　all　he　wanted　to　know。　But　Olivier　was　in　bed。　In
the　lower　orders　the　woman　is　not　merely　the　superior　of　the　manshe
almost　always　has　the　upper　hand。　Madame　Olivier　had　long　since　made
up　her　mind　as　to　which　side　to　take　in　case　of　a　collision　between
her　two　benefactors；　she　regarded　Madame　Marneffe　as　the　stronger
power。

〃Do　I　know　him？〃　she　repeated。　〃No；　indeed；　no。　I　never　saw　him
before！〃

〃What！　Did　Madame　Marneffe's　cousin　never　go　to　see　her　when　she　was
living　in　the　Rue　du　Doyenne？〃

〃Oh！　Was　it　her　cousin？〃　cried　Madame　Olivier。　〃I　dare　say　he　did
come；　but　I　did　not　know　him　again。　Next　time；　sir；　I　will　look　at
him〃

〃He　will　be　coming　out；〃　said　Hulot；　hastily　interrupting　Madame
Olivier。

〃He　has　left；〃　said　Madame　Olivier；　understanding　the　situation。　〃The
carriage　is　gone。〃

〃Did　you　see　him　go？〃

〃As　plainly　as　I　see　you。　He　told　his　servant　to　drive　to　the
Embassy。〃

This　audacious　statement　wrung　a　sigh　of　relief　from　the　Baron；　he
took　Madame　Olivier's　hand　and　squeezed　it。

〃Thank　you；　my　good　Madame　Olivier。　But　that　is　not　all。Monsieur
Crevel？〃

〃Monsieur　Crevel？　What　can　you　mean；　sir？　I　do　not　understand；〃　said
Madame　Olivier。

〃Listen　to　me。　He　is　Madame　Marneffe's　lover〃

〃Impossible；　Monsieur　le　Baron；　impossible；〃　said　she；　clasping　her
hands。

〃He　is　Madame　Marneffe's　lover；〃　the　Baron　repeated　very　positively。
〃How　do　they　manage　it？　I　don't　know；　but　I　mean　to　know；　and　you　are
to　find　out。　If　you　can　put　me　on　the　tracks　of　this　intrigue；　your
son　is　a　notary。〃

〃Don't　you　fret　yourself　so；　Monsieur　le　Baron；〃　said　Madame　Olivier。
〃Madame　cares　for　you；　and　for　no　one　but　you；　her　maid　knows　that　for
true；　and　we　say；　between　her　and　me；　that　you　are　the　luckiest　man　in
this　worldfor　you　know　what　madame　is。Just　perfection！

〃She　gets　up　at　ten　every　morning；　then　she　breakfasts。　Well　and　good。
After　that　she　takes　an　hour　or　so　to　dress；　that　carries　her　on　till
two；　then　she　goes　for　a　walk　in　the　Tuileries　in　the　sight　of　all
men；　and　she　is　always　in　by　four　to　be　ready　for　you。　She　lives　like
clockwork。　She　keeps　no　secrets　from　her　maid；　and　Reine　keeps　nothing
from　me；　you　may　be　sure。　Reine　can't　if　she　wouldalong　of　my　son；
for　she　is　very　sweet　upon　him。　So；　you　see；　if　madame　had　any
intimacy　with　Monsieur　Crevel；　we　should　be　bound　to　know　it。〃

The　Baron　went　upstairs　again　with　a　beaming　countenance；　convinced
that　he　was　the　only　man　in　the　world　to　that　shameless　slut；　as
treacherous；　but　as　lovely　and　as　engaging　as　a　siren。

Crevel　and　Marneffe　had　begun　a　second　rubber　at　piquet。　Crevel　was
losing；　as　a　man　must　who　is　not　giving　his　thoughts　to　his　game。
Marneffe；　who　knew　the　cause　of　the　Mayor's　absence　of　mind；　took
unscrupulous　advantage　of　it；　he　looked　at　the　cards　in　reverse；　and
discarded　accordingly；　thus；　knowing　his　adversary's　hand；　he　played
to　beat　him。　The　stake　being　a　franc　a　point；　he　had　already　robbed
the　Mayor　of　thirty　francs　when　Hulot　came　in。

〃Hey　day！〃　said　he；　amazed　to　find　no　company。　〃Are　you　alone？　Where