cousin betty-第5章

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people　in　decent　society？　I　have　kept　shop；　and　I　know。　There　is　no
eye　so　quick　as　that　of　the　Paris　tradesman　to　detect　real　wealth　from
its　sham。You　have　no　money；〃　he　said；　in　a　lower　voice。　〃It　is
written　everywhere；　even　on　your　man…servant's　coat。

〃Would　you　like　me　to　disclose　any　more　hideous　mysteries　that　are
kept　from　you？〃

〃Monsieur；〃　cried　Madame　Hulot；　whose　handkerchief　was　wet　through
with　her　tears；　〃enough；　enough！〃

〃My　son…in…law；　I　tell　you；　gives　his　father　money；　and　this　is　what　I
particularly　wanted　to　come　to　when　I　began　by　speaking　of　your　son's
expenses。　But　I　keep　an　eye　on　my　daughter's　interests；　be　easy。〃

〃Oh；　if　I　could　but　see　my　daughter　married；　and　die！〃　cried　the　poor
woman；　quite　losing　her　head。

〃Well；　then；　this　is　the　way；〃　said　the　ex…perfumer。

Madame　Hulot　looked　at　Crevel　with　a　hopeful　expression；　which　so
completely　changed　her　countenance；　that　this　alone　ought　to　have
touched　the　man's　feelings　and　have　led　him　to　abandon　his　monstrous
schemes。

〃You　will　still　be　handsome　ten　years　hence；〃　Crevel　went　on；　with　his
arms　folded；　〃be　kind　to　me；　and　Mademoiselle　Hulot　will　marry。　Hulot
has　given　me　the　right；　as　I　have　explained　to　you；　to　put　the　matter
crudely；　and　he　will　not　be　angry。　In　three　years　I　have　saved　the
interest　on　my　capital；　for　my　dissipations　have　been　restricted。　I
have　three　hundred　thousand　francs　in　the　bank　over　and　above　my
invested　fortunethey　are　yours〃

〃Go；〃　said　Madame　Hulot。　〃Go；　monsieur；　and　never　let　me　see　you
again。　But　for　the　necessity　in　which　you　placed　me　to　learn　the
secret　of　your　cowardly　conduct　with　regard　to　the　match　I　had　planned
for　Hortenseyes；　cowardly！〃　she　repeated；　in　answer　to　a　gesture
from　Crevel。　〃How　can　you　load　a　poor　girl；　a　pretty；　innocent
creature；　with　such　a　weight　of　enmity？　But　for　the　necessity　that
goaded　me　as　a　mother；　you　would　never　have　spoken　to　me　again；　never
again　have　come　within　my　doors。　Thirty…two　years　of　an　honorable　and
loyal　life　shall　not　be　swept　away　by　a　blow　from　Monsieur　Crevel〃

〃The　retired　perfumer；　successor　to　Cesar　Birotteau　at　the　/Queen　of
the　Roses/；　Rue　Saint…Honore；〃　added　Crevel；　in　mocking　tones。
〃Deputy…mayor；　captain　in　the　National　Guard；　Chevalier　of　the　Legion
of　Honorexactly　what　my　predecessor　was！〃

〃Monsieur；〃　said　the　Baroness；　〃if；　after　twenty　years　of　constancy；
Monsieur　Hulot　is　tired　of　his　wife；　that　is　nobody's　concern　but
mine。　As　you　see；　he　has　kept　his　infidelity　a　mystery；　for　I　did　not
know　that　he　had　succeeded　you　in　the　affections　of　Mademoiselle
Josepha〃

〃Oh；　it　has　cost　him　a　pretty　penny；　madame。　His　singing…bird　has　cost
him　more　than　a　hundred　thousand　francs　in　these　two　years。　Ah；　ha！
you　have　not　seen　the　end　of　it！〃

〃Have　done　with　all　this；　Monsieur　Crevel。　I　will　not；　for　your　sake；
forego　the　happiness　a　mother　knows　who　can　embrace　her　children
without　a　single　pang　of　remorse　in　her　heart；　who　sees　herself
respected　and　loved　by　her　family；　and　I　will　give　up　my　soul　to　God
unspotted〃

〃Amen！〃　exclaimed　Crevel；　with　the　diabolical　rage　that　embitters　the
face　of　these　pretenders　when　they　fail　for　the　second　time　in　such　an
attempt。　〃You　do　not　yet　know　the　latter　end　of　povertyshame；
disgrace。I　have　tried　to　warn　you；　I　would　have　saved　you；　you　and
your　daughter。　Well；　you　must　study　the　modern　parable　of　the
/Prodigal　Father/　from　A　to　Z。　Your　tears　and　your　pride　move　me
deeply；〃　said　Crevel；　seating　himself；　〃for　it　is　frightful　to　see　the
woman　one　loves　weeping。　All　I　can　promise　you；　dear　Adeline；　is　to　do
nothing　against　your　interests　or　your　husband's。　Only　never　send　to
me　for　information。　That　is　all。〃

〃What　is　to　be　done？〃　cried　Madame　Hulot。

Up　to　now　the　Baroness　had　bravely　faced　the　threefold　torment　which
this　explanation　inflicted　on　her；　for　she　was　wounded　as　a　woman；　as
a　mother；　and　as　a　wife。　In　fact；　so　long　as　her　son's　father…in…law
was　insolent　and　offensive；　she　had　found　the　strength　in　her
resistance　to　the　aggressive　tradesman；　but　the　sort　of　good…nature　he
showed；　in　spite　of　his　exasperation　as　a　mortified　adorer　and　as　a
humiliated　National　Guardsman；　broke　down　her　nerve；　strung　to　the
point　of　snapping。　She　wrung　her　hands；　melted　into　tears；　and　was　in
a　state　of　such　helpless　dejection；　that　she　allowed　Crevel　to　kneel
at　her　feet；　kissing　her　hands。

〃Good　God！　what　will　become　of　us！〃　she　went　on；　wiping　away　her
tears。　〃Can　a　mother　sit　still　and　see　her　child　pine　away　before　her
eyes？　What　is　to　be　the　fate　of　that　splendid　creature；　as　strong　in
her　pure　life　under　her　mother's　care　as　she　is　by　every　gift　of
nature？　There　are　days　when　she　wanders　round　the　garden；　out　of
spirits　without　knowing　why；　I　find　her　with　tears　in　her　eyes〃

〃She　is　one…and…twenty；〃　said　Crevel。

〃Must　I　place　her　in　a　convent？〃　asked　the　Baroness。　〃But　in　such
cases　religion　is　impotent　to　subdue　nature；　and　the　most　piously
trained　girls　lose　their　head！Get　up；　pray；　monsieur；　do　you　not
understand　that　everything　is　final　between　us？　that　I　look　upon　you
with　horror？　that　you　have　crushed　a　mother's　last　hopes〃

〃But　if　I　were　to　restore　them；〃　asked　he。

Madame　Hulot　looked　at　Crevel　with　a　frenzied　expression　that　really
touched　him。　But　he　drove　pity　back　to　the　depths　of　his　heart；　she
had　said；　〃I　look　upon　you　with　horror。〃

Virtue　is　always　a　little　too　rigid；　it　overlooks　the　shades　and
instincts　by　help　of　which　we　are　able　to　tack　when　in　a　false
position。

〃So　handsome　a　girl　as　Mademoiselle　Hortense　does　not　find　a　husband
nowadays　if　she　is　penniless；〃　Crevel　remarked；　resuming　his
starchiest　manner。　〃Your　daughter　is　one　of　those　beauties　who　rather
alarm　intending　husbands；　like　a　thoroughbred　horse；　which　is　too
expensive　to　keep　up　to　find　a　ready　purchaser。　If　you　go　out　walking
with　such　a　woman　on　your　arm；　every　one　will　turn　to　look　at　you；　and
follow　and　covet　his　neighbor's　wife。　Such　success　is　a　source　of　much
uneasiness　to　men　who　do　not　want　to　be　killing　lovers；　for；　after
all；　no　man　kills　more　than　one。　In　the　position　in　which　you　find
yourself　there　are　just　three　ways　of　getting　your　daughter　married：
Either　by　my　helpand　you　will　have　none　of　it！　That　is　one。Or　by
finding　some　old　man　of　sixty；　very　rich；　childless；　and　anxious　to
have　children；　that　is　difficult；　still　such　men　are　to　be　met　with。
Many　old　men　take　up　with　a　Josepha；　a　Jenny　Cadine；　why　should　not
one　be　found　who　is　ready　to　make　a　fool　of　himself　under　legal
formalities？　If　it　were　not　for　Celestine　and　our　two　grandchildren；　I
would　marry　Hortense　myself。　That　is　two。The　last　way　is　the
easiest〃

Madame　Hulot　raised　her　head；　and　looked　uneasily　at　the　ex…perfumer。

〃Paris　is　a　town　whither　every　man　of　energyand　they　sprout　like
saplings　on　French　soilcomes　to　meet　his　kind；　talent　swarms　here
without　hearth　or　home；　and　energy　equal　to　anything；　even　to　making　a
fortune。　Well；　these　youngstersyour　humble　servant　was　such　a　one　in
his　time；　and　how　many　he　has　known！　What　had　du　Tillet　or　Popinot
twenty　years　since？　They　were　both　pottering　round　in　Daddy
Birotteau's　shop；　with　not　a　penny　of　capital　but　their　determination
to　get　on；　which；　in　my　opinion；　is　the　best　capital　a　man　can　have。
Money　may　be　eaten　through；　but　you　don't　eat　through　your
determination。　Why；　what　had　I？　The　will　to　get　on；　and　plenty　of
pluck。　At　this　day　du　Tillet　is　a　match　for　the　greatest　folks；　little
Popinot；　the　richest　druggist　of　the　Rue　des　Lombards；　became　a
deputy；　now　he　is　in　office。Well；　one　of　these　free　lances；　as　we
say　on　the　stock　market；　of　the　pen；　or　of　the　brush；　is　the　only　man
in　Paris　who　would　marry　a　penniless　beauty；　for　they　have　courage
enough　for　anything。　Monsieur　Popinot　married　Mademoiselle　Birotteau
without　asking　for　a　farthing。　Those　men　are　madmen；　to　be　sure！　They
trust　in　love　as　they　trust　in　good　luck　and　brains！Find　a　man　of
energy　who　will　fall　in　love　with　your　daughter；　and　he　will　marry
without　a　thought　of　money。　You　must　confess　that　by　way　of　an　enemy　I
am　not　ungenerous；　for　this　advice　is　against　my　own　interests。〃