cousin betty-第48章

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been　entirely　kind；　to　whom　I　have　given　your　fill　of　happinessyou
cannot　wait！And　that　is　what　men　call　love！〃　she　exclaimed。

〃Though　I　began　with　an　ulterior　purpose；〃　said　Crevel；　〃I　have　become
your　poodle。　You　trample　on　my　heart；　you　crush　me；　you　stultify　me；
and　I　love　you　as　I　have　never　loved　in　my　life。　Valerie；　I　love　you
as　much　as　I　love　my　Celestine。　I　am　capable　of　anything　for　your
sake。Listen；　instead　of　coming　twice　a　week　to　the　Rue　du　Dauphin；
come　three　times。〃

〃Is　that　all！　You　are　quite　young　again；　my　dear　boy！〃

〃Only　let　me　pack　off　Hulot；　humiliate　him；　rid　you　of　him；〃　said
Crevel；　not　heeding　her　impertinence！　〃Have　nothing　to　say　to　the
Brazilian；　be　mine　alone；　you　shall　not　repent　of　it。　To　begin　with；　I
will　give　you　eight　thousand　francs　a　year；　secured　by　bond；　but　only
as　an　annuity；　I　will　not　give　you　the　capital　till　the　end　of　five
years'　constancy〃

〃Always　a　bargain！　A　tradesman　can　never　learn　to　give。　You　want　to
stop　for　refreshments　on　the　road　of　lovein　the　form　of　Government
bonds！　Bah！　Shopman；　pomatum　seller！　you　put　a　price　on　everything！
Hector　told　me　that　the　Duc　d'Herouville　gave　Josepha　a　bond　for
thirty　thousand　francs　a　year　in　a　packet　of　sugar　almonds！　And　I　am
worth　six　of　Josepha。

〃Oh！　to　be　loved！〃　she　went　on；　twisting　her　ringlets　round　her
fingers；　and　looking　at　herself　in　the　glass。　〃Henri　loves　me。　He
would　smash　you　like　a　fly　if　I　winked　at　him！　Hulot　loves　me；　he
leaves　his　wife　in　beggary！　As　for　you；　go　my　good　man；　be　the　worthy
father　of　a　family。　You　have　three　hundred　thousand　francs　over　and
above　your　fortune；　only　to　amuse　yourself；　a　hoard；　in　fact；　and　you
think　of　nothing　but　increasing　it〃

〃For　you；　Valerie；　since　I　offer　you　half；〃　said　he；　falling　on　his
knees。

〃What；　still　here！〃　cried　Marneffe；　hideous　in　his　dressing…gown。
〃What　are　you　about？〃

〃He　is　begging　my　pardon；　my　dear；　for　an　insulting　proposal　he　has
dared　to　make　me。　Unable　to　obtain　my　consent；　my　gentleman　proposed
to　pay　me〃

Crevel　only　longed　to　vanish　into　the　cellar；　through　a　trap；　as　is
done　on　the　stage。

〃Get　up；　Crevel；〃　said　Marneffe；　laughing；　〃you　are　ridiculous。　I　can
see　by　Valerie's　manner　that　my　honor　is　in　no　danger。〃

〃Go　to　bed　and　sleep　in　peace；〃　said　Madame　Marneffe。

〃Isn't　she　clever？〃　thought　Crevel。　〃She　has　saved　me。　She　is
adorable！〃

As　Marneffe　disappeared；　the　Mayor　took　Valerie's　hands　and　kissed
them；　leaving　on　them　the　traces　of　tears。

〃It　shall　all　stand　in　your　name；〃　he　said。

〃That　is　true　love；〃　she　whispered　in　his　ear。　〃Well；　love　for　love。
Hulot　is　below；　in　the　street。　The　poor　old　thing　is　waiting　to　return
when　I　place　a　candle　in　one　of　the　windows　of　my　bedroom。　I　give　you
leave　to　tell　him　that　you　are　the　man　I　love；　he　will　refuse　to
believe　you；　take　him　to　the　Rue　du　Dauphin；　give　him　every　proof；
crush　him；　I　allow　itI　order　it！　I　am　tired　of　that　old　seal；　he
bores　me　to　death。　Keep　your　man　all　night　in　the　Rue　du　Dauphin；
grill　him　over　a　slow　fire；　be　revenged　for　the　loss　of　Josepha。　Hulot
may　die　of　it　perhaps；　but　we　shall　save　his　wife　and　children　from
utter　ruin。　Madame　Hulot　is　working　for　her　bread〃

〃Oh！　poor　woman！　On　my　word；　it　is　quite　shocking！〃　exclaimed　Crevel；
his　natural　feeling　coming　to　the　top。

〃If　you　love　me；　Celestin；〃　said　she　in　Crevel's　ear；　which　she
touched　with　her　lips；　〃keep　him　there；　or　I　am　done　for。　Marneffe　is
suspicious。　Hector　has　a　key　of　the　outer　gate；　and　will　certainly
come　back。〃

Crevel　clasped　Madame　Marneffe　to　his　heart；　and　went　away　in　the
seventh　heaven　of　delight。　Valerie　fondly　escorted　him　to　the　landing；
and　then　followed　him；　like　a　woman　magnetized；　down　the　stairs　to　the
very　bottom。

〃My　Valerie；　go　back；　do　not　compromise　yourself　before　the　porters。
Go　back；　my　life；　my　treasure；　all　is　yours。Go　in；　my　duchess！〃

〃Madame　Olivier；〃　Valerie　called　gently　when　the　gate　was　closed。

〃Why；　madame！　You　here？〃　said　the　woman　in　bewilderment。

〃Bolt　the　gates　at　top　and　bottom；　and　let　no　one　in。〃

〃Very　good；　madame。〃

Having　barred　the　gate；　Madame　Olivier　told　of　the　bribe　that　the　War
Office　chief　had　tried　to　offer　her。

〃You　behaved　like　an　angel；　my　dear　Olivier；　we　shall　talk　of　that
to…morrow。〃

Valerie　flew　like　an　arrow　to　the　third　floor；　tapped　three　times　at
Lisbeth's　door；　and　then　went　down　to　her　room；　where　she　gave
instructions　to　Mademoiselle　Reine；　for　a　woman　must　make　the　most　of
the　opportunity　when　a　Montes　arrives　from　Brazil。



〃By　Heaven！　only　a　woman　of　the　world　is　capable　of　such　love；〃　said
Crevel　to　himself。　〃How　she　came　down　those　stairs；　lighting　them　up
with　her　eyes；　following　me！　Never　did　JosephaJosepha！　she　is　cag…
mag！〃　cried　the　ex…bagman。　〃What　have　I　said？　/Cag…mag/why；　I　might
have　let　the　word　slip　out　at　the　Tuileries！　I　can　never　do　any　good
unless　Valerie　educates　meand　I　was　so　bent　on　being　a　gentleman。
What　a　woman　she　is！　She　upsets　me　like　a　fit　of　the　colic　when　she
looks　at　me　coldly。　What　grace！　What　wit！　Never　did　Josepha　move　me
so。　And　what　perfection　when　you　come　to　know　her！Ha；　there　is　my
man！〃

He　perceived　in　the　gloom　of　the　Rue　de　Babylone　the　tall；　somewhat
stooping　figure　of　Hulot；　stealing　along　close　to　a　boarding；　and　he
went　straight　up　to　him。

〃Good…morning；　Baron；　for　it　is　past　midnight；　my　dear　fellow。　What
the　devil　are　your　doing　here？　You　are　airing　yourself　under　a
pleasant　drizzle。　That　is　not　wholesome　at　our　time　of　life。　Will　you
let　me　give　you　a　little　piece　of　advice？　Let　each　of　us　go　home；　for；
between　you　and　me；　you　will　not　see　the　candle　in　the　window。〃

The　last　words　made　the　Baron　suddenly　aware　that　he　was　sixty…three；
and　that　his　cloak　was　wet。

〃Who　on　earth　told　you？〃　he　began。

〃Valerie；　of　course；　/our/　Valerie；　who　means　henceforth　to　be　/my/
Valerie。　We　are　even　now；　Baron；　we　will　play　off　the　tie　when　you
please。　You　have　nothing　to　complain　of；　you　know；　I　always　stipulated
for　the　right　of　taking　my　revenge；　it　took　you　three　months　to　rob　me
of　Josepha；　I　took　Valerie　from　you　inWe　will　say　no　more　about
that。　Now　I　mean　to　have　her　all　to　myself。　But　we　can　be　very　good
friends；　all　the　same。〃

〃Crevel；　no　jesting；〃　said　Hulot；　in　a　voice　choked　by　rage。　〃It　is　a
matter　of　life　and　death。〃

〃Bless　me；　is　that　how　you　take　it！Baron；　do　you　not　remember　what
you　said　to　me　the　day　of　Hortense's　marriage：　'Can　two　old　gaffers
like　us　quarrel　over　a　petticoat？　It　is　too　low；　too　common。　We　are
/Regence/；　we　agreed；　Pompadour；　eighteenth　century；　quite　the
Marechal　Richelieu；　Louis　XV。；　nay；　and　I　may　say；　/Liaisons
dangereuses/！〃

Crevel　might　have　gone　on　with　his　string　of　literary　allusions；　the
Baron　heard　him　as　a　deaf　man　listens　when　he　is　but　half　deaf。　But；
seeing　in　the　gaslight　the　ghastly　pallor　of　his　face；　the　triumphant
Mayor　stopped　short。　This　was；　indeed；　a　thunderbolt　after　Madame
Olivier's　asservations　and　Valerie's　parting　glance。

〃Good　God！　And　there　are　so　many　other　women　in　Paris！〃　he　said　at
last。

〃That　is　what　I　said　to　you　when　you　took　Josepha；〃　said　Crevel。

〃Look　here；　Crevel；　it　is　impossible。　Give　me　some　proof。Have　you　a
key；　as　I　have；　to　let　yourself　in？〃

And　having　reached　the　house；　the　Baron　put　the　key　into　the　lock；　but
the　gate　was　immovable；　he　tried　in　vain　to　open　it。

〃Do　not　make　a　noise　in　the　streets　at　night；〃　said　Crevel　coolly。　〃I
tell　you；　Baron；　I　have　far　better　proof　than　you　can　show。〃

〃Proofs！　give　me　proof！〃　cried　the　Baron；　almost　crazy　with
exasperation。

〃Come；　and　you　shall　have　them；〃　said　Crevel。

And　in　obedience　to　Valerie's　instructions；　he　led　the　Baron　away
towards　the　quay；　down　the　Rue　Hillerin…Bertin。　The　unhappy　Baron
walked　on；　as　a　merchant　walks　on　the　day　before　he　stops　payment；　he
was　lost　in　conjectures　as　to　the　reasons　of　the　depravity　buried　in
the　depths　of　Valerie's　heart；　and　still　believed　himself　the　victim
of　some　practical　joke。　As　they　crossed　the　Pont　Royal；　life　seemed　to
him　so　blank；　so　utterly　a　void；　and　so　out　of　joint　from　his
financial　difficulties；　that　he　was　within