cousin betty-第55章

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arranged　the　drawing…room；　laying　out　the　pretty　trifles　produced　in
Paris　and　nowhere　else；　which　reveal　the　woman　and　announce　her
presence：　albums　bound　in　enamel　or　embroidered　with　beads；　saucers
full　of　pretty　rings；　marvels　of　Sevres　or　Dresden　mounted　exquisitely
by　Florent　and　Chanor；　statues；　books；　all　the　frivolities　which　cost
insane　sums；　and　which　passion　orders　of　the　makers　in　its　first
deliriumor　to　patch　up　its　last　quarrel。

Besides；　Valerie　was　in　the　state　of　intoxication　that　comes　of
triumph。　She　had　promised　to　marry　Crevel　if　Marneffe　should　die；　and
the　amorous　Crevel　had　transferred　to　the　name　of　Valerie　Fortin　bonds
bearing　ten　thousand　francs　a　year；　the　sum…total　of　what　he　had　made
in　railway　speculations　during　the　past　three　years；　the　returns　on
the　capital　of　a　hundred　thousand　crowns　which　he　had　at　first　offered
to　the　Baronne　Hulot。　So　Valerie　now　had　an　income　of　thirty…two
thousand　francs。

Crevel　had　just　committed　himself　to　a　promise　of　far　greater
magnitude　than　this　gift　of　his　surplus。　In　the　paroxysm　of　rapture
which　/his　Duchess/　had　given　him　from　two　to　fourhe　gave　this　fine
title　to　Madame　/de/　Marneffe　to　complete　the　illusionfor　Valerie
had　surpassed　herself　in　the　Rue　du　Dauphin　that　afternoon；　he　had
thought　well　to　encourage　her　in　her　promised　fidelity　by　giving　her
the　prospect　of　a　certain　little　mansion；　built　in　the　Rue　Barbette　by
an　imprudent　contractor；　who　now　wanted　to　sell　it。　Valerie　could
already　see　herself　in　this　delightful　residence；　with　a　fore…court
and　a　garden；　and　keeping　a　carriage！

〃What　respectable　life　can　ever　procure　so　much　in　so　short　a　time；　or
so　easily？〃　said　she　to　Lisbeth　as　she　finished　dressing。　Lisbeth　was
to　dine　with　Valerie　that　evening；　to　tell　Steinbock　those　things
about　the　lady　which　nobody　can　say　about　herself。

Madame　Marneffe；　radiant　with　satisfaction；　came　into　the　drawing…room
with　modest　grace；　followed　by　Lisbeth　dressed　in　black　and　yellow　to
set　her　off。

〃Good…evening；　Claude；〃　said　she；　giving　her　hand　to　the　famous　old
critic。

Claude　Vignon；　like　many　another；　had　become　a　political　personagea
word　describing　an　ambitious　man　at　the　first　stage　of　his　career。　The
/political　personage/　of　1840　represents；　in　some　degree；　the　/Abbe/
of　the　eighteenth　century。　No　drawing…room　circle　is　complete　without
one。

〃My　dear；　this　is　my　cousin；　Count　Steinbock；〃　said　Lisbeth；
introducing　Wenceslas；　whom　Valerie　seemed　to　have　overlooked。

〃Oh　yes；　I　recognized　Monsieur　le　Comte；〃　replied　Valerie　with　a
gracious　bow　to　the　artist。　〃I　often　saw　you　in　the　Rue　du　Doyenne；
and　I　had　the　pleasure　of　being　present　at　your　wedding。It　would　be
difficult；　my　dear；〃　said　she　to　Lisbeth；　〃to　forget　your　adopted　son
after　once　seeing　him。It　is　most　kind　of　you；　Monsieur　Stidmann；〃
she　went　on；　〃to　have　accepted　my　invitation　at　such　short　notice；　but
necessity　knows　no　law。　I　knew　you　to　be　the　friend　of　both　these
gentlemen。　Nothing　is　more　dreary；　more　sulky；　than　a　dinner　where　all
the　guests　are　strangers；　so　it　was　for　their　sake　that　I　hailed　you
inbut　you　will　come　another　time　for　mine；　I　hope？Say　that　you
will。〃

And　for　a　few　minutes　she　moved　about　the　room　with　Stidmann；　wholly
occupied　with　him。

Crevel　and　Hulot　were　announced　separately；　and　then　a　deputy　named
Beauvisage。

This　individual；　a　provincial　Crevel；　one　of　the　men　created　to　make
up　the　crowd　in　the　world；　voted　under　the　banner　of　Giraud；　a　State
Councillor；　and　Victorin　Hulot。　These　two　politicians　were　trying　to
form　a　nucleus　of　progressives　in　the　loose　array　of　the　Conservative
Party。　Giraud　himself　occasionally　spent　the　evening　at　Madame
Marneffe's；　and　she　flattered　herself　that　she　should　also　capture
Victorin　Hulot；　but　the　puritanical　lawyer　had　hitherto　found　excuses
for　refusing　to　accompany　his　father　and　father…in…law。　It　seemed　to
him　criminal　to　be　seen　in　the　house　of　the　woman　who　cost　his　mother
so　many　tears。　Victorin　Hulot　was　to　the　puritans　of　political　life
what　a　pious　woman　is　among　bigots。

Beauvisage；　formerly　a　stocking　manufacturer　at　Arcis；　was　anxious　to
/pick　up　the　Paris　style/。　This　man；　one　of　the　outer　stones　of　the
Chamber；　was　forming　himself　under　the　auspices　of　this　delicious　and
fascinating　Madame　Marneffe。　Introduced　here　by　Crevel；　he　had
accepted　him；　at　her　instigation；　as　his　model　and　master。　He
consulted　him　on　every　point；　took　the　address　of　his　tailor；　imitated
him；　and　tried　to　strike　the　same　attitudes。　In　short；　Crevel　was　his
Great　Man。

Valerie；　surrounded　by　these　bigwigs　and　the　three　artists；　and
supported　by　Lisbeth；　struck　Wenceslas　as　a　really　superior　woman；　all
the　more　so　because　Claude　Vignon　spoke　of　her　like　a　man　in　love。

〃She　is　Madame　de　Maintenon　in　Ninon's　petticoats！〃　said　the　veteran
critic。　〃You　may　please　her　in　an　evening　if　you　have　the　wit；　but　as
for　making　her　love　youthat　would　be　a　triumph　to　crown　a　man's
ambition　and　fill　up　his　life。〃

Valerie；　while　seeming　cold　and　heedless　of　her　former　neighbor；
piqued　his　vanity；　quite　unconsciously　indeed；　for　she　knew　nothing　of
the　Polish　character。　There　is　in　the　Slav　a　childish　element；　as
there　is　in　all　these　primitively　wild　nations　which　have　overflowed
into　civilization　rather　than　that　they　have　become　civilized。　The
race　has　spread　like　an　inundation；　and　has　covered　a　large　portion　of
the　globe。　It　inhabits　deserts　whose　extent　is　so　vast　that　it　expands
at　its　ease；　there　is　no　jostling　there；　as　there　is　in　Europe；　and
civilization　is　impossible　without　the　constant　friction　of　minds　and
interests。　The　Ukraine；　Russia；　the　plains　by　the　Danube；　in　short；
the　Slav　nations；　are　a　connecting　link　between　Europe　and　Asia；
between　civilization　and　barbarism。　Thus　the　Pole；　the　wealthiest
member　of　the　Slav　family；　has　in　his　character　all　the　childishness
and　inconsistency　of　a　beardless　race。　He　has　courage；　spirit；　and
strength；　but；　cursed　with　instability；　that　courage；　strength；　and
energy　have　neither　method　nor　guidance；　for　the　Pole　displays　a
variability　resembling　that　of　the　winds　which　blow　across　that　vast
plain　broken　with　swamps；　and　though　he　has　the　impetuosity　of　the
snow　squalls　that　wrench　and　sweep　away　buildings；　like　those　aerial
avalanches　he　is　lost　in　the　first　pool　and　melts　into　water。　Man
always　assimilates　something　from　the　surroundings　in　which　he　lives。
Perpetually　at　strife　with　the　Turk；　the　Pole　has　imbibed　a　taste　for
Oriental　splendor；　he　often　sacrifices　what　is　needful　for　the　sake　of
display。　The　men　dress　themselves　out　like　women；　yet　the　climate　has
given　them　the　tough　constitution　of　Arabs。

The　Pole；　sublime　in　suffering；　has　tired　his　oppressors'　arms　by
sheer　endurance　of　beating；　and；　in　the　nineteenth　century；　has
reproduced　the　spectacle　presented　by　the　early　Christians。　Infuse
only　ten　per　cent　of　English　cautiousness　into　the　frank　and　open
Polish　nature；　and　the　magnanimous　white　eagle　would　at　this　day　be
supreme　wherever　the　two…headed　eagle　has　sneaked　in。　A　little
Machiavelism　would　have　hindered　Poland　from　helping　to　save　Austria；
who　has　taken　a　share　of　it；　from　borrowing　from　Prussia；　the　usurer
who　had　undermined　it；　and　from　breaking　up　as　soon　as　a　division　was
first　made。

At　the　christening　of　Poland；　no　doubt；　the　Fairy　Carabosse；
overlooked　by　the　genii　who　endowed　that　attractive　people　with　the
most　brilliant　gifts；　came　in　to　say：

〃Keep　all　the　gifts　that　my　sisters　have　bestowed　on　you；　but　you
shall　never　know　what　you　wish　for！〃

If；　in　its　heroic　duel　with　Russia；　Poland　had　won　the　day；　the　Poles
would　now　be　fighting　among　themselves；　as　they　formerly　fought　in
their　Diets　to　hinder　each　other　from　being　chosen　King。　When　that
nation；　composed　entirely　of　hot…headed　dare…devils；　has　good　sense
enough　to　seek　a　Louis　XI。　among　her　own　offspring；　to　accept　his
despotism　and　a　dynasty；　she　will　be　saved。

What　Poland　has　been　politically；　almost　every　Pole　is　in　private
life；　especially　under　the　stress　of　disaster。　Thus　Wenceslas
Steinbock；　after　worshiping　his　wife　for　three　years　and　knowing　that