cousin betty-第56章

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Steinbock；　after　worshiping　his　wife　for　three　years　and　knowing　that
he　was　a　god　to　her；　was　so　much　nettled　at　finding　himself　barely
noticed　by　Madame　Marneffe；　that　he　made　it　a　point　of　honor　to
attract　her　attention。　He　compared　Valerie　with　his　wife　and　gave　her
the　palm。　Hortense　was　beautiful　flesh；　as　Valerie　had　said　to
Lisbeth；　but　Madame　Marneffe　had　spirit　in　her　very　shape；　and　the
savor　of　vice。

Such　devotion　as　Hortense's　is　a　feeling　which　a　husband　takes　as　his
due；　the　sense　of　the　immense　preciousness　of　such　perfect　love　soon
wears　off；　as　a　debtor；　in　the　course　of　time；　begins　to　fancy　that
the　borrowed　money　is　his　own。　This　noble　loyalty　becomes　the　daily
bread　of　the　soul；　and　an　infidelity　is　as　tempting　as　a　dainty。　The
woman　who　is　scornful；　and　yet　more　the　woman　who　is　reputed
dangerous；　excites　curiosity；　as　spices　add　flavor　to　good　food。
Indeed；　the　disdain　so　cleverly　acted　by　Valerie　was　a　novelty　to
Wenceslas；　after　three　years　of　too　easy　enjoyment。　Hortense　was　a
wife；　Valerie　a　mistress。

Many　men　desire　to　have　two　editions　of　the　same　work；　though　it　is　in
fact　a　proof　of　inferiority　when　a　man　cannot　make　his　mistress　of　his
wife。　Variety　in　this　particular　is　a　sign　of　weakness。　Constancy　will
always　be　the　real　genius　of　love；　the　evidence　of　immense　powerthe
power　that　makes　the　poet！　A　man　ought　to　find　every　woman　in　his
wife；　as　the　squalid　poets　of　the　seventeenth　century　made　their
Manons　figure　as　Iris　and　Chloe。

〃Well；〃　said　Lisbeth　to　the　Pole；　as　she　beheld　him　fascinated；　〃what
do　you　think　of　Valerie？〃

〃She　is　too　charming；〃　replied　Wenceslas。

〃You　would　not　listen　to　me；〃　said　Betty。　〃Oh！　my　little　Wenceslas；　if
you　and　I　had　never　parted；　you　would　have　been　that　siren's　lover；
you　might　have　married　her　when　she　was　a　widow；　and　you　would　have
had　her　forty　thousand　francs　a　year〃

〃Really？〃

〃Certainly；〃　replied　Lisbeth。　〃Now；　take　care　of　yourself；　I　warned
you　of　the　danger；　do　not　singe　your　wings　in　the　candle！Come；　give
me　your　arm；　dinner　is　served。〃

No　language　could　be　so　thoroughly　demoralizing　as　this；　for　if　you
show　a　Pole　a　precipice；　he　is　bound　to　leap　it。　As　a　nation　they　have
the　very　spirit　of　cavalry；　they　fancy　they　can　ride　down　every
obstacle　and　come　out　victorious。　The　spur　applied　by　Lisbeth　to
Steinbock's　vanity　was　intensified　by　the　appearance　of　the　dining…
room；　bright　with　handsome　silver　plate；　the　dinner　was　served　with
every　refinement　and　extravagance　of　Parisian　luxury。

〃I　should　have　done　better　to　take　Celimene；〃　thought　he　to　himself。

All　through　the　dinner　Hulot　was　charming；　pleased　to　see　his　son…in…
law　at　that　table；　and　yet　more　happy　in　the　prospect　of　a
reconciliation　with　Valerie；　whose　fidelity　he　proposed　to　secure　by
the　promise　of　Coquet's　head…clerkship。　Stidmann　responded　to　the
Baron's　amiability　by　shafts　of　Parisian　banter　and　an　artist's　high
spirits。　Steinbock　would　not　allow　himself　to　be　eclipsed　by　his
friend；　he　too　was　witty；　said　amusing　things；　made　his　mark；　and　was
pleased　with　himself；　Madame　Marneffe　smiled　at　him　several　times　to
show　that　she　quite　understood　him。

The　good　meal　and　heady　wines　completed　the　work；　Wenceslas　was　deep
in　what　must　be　called　the　slough　of　dissipation。　Excited　by　just　a
glass　too　much；　he　stretched　himself　on　a　settee　after　dinner；　sunk　in
physical　and　mental　ecstasy；　which　Madame　Marneffe　wrought　to　the
highest　pitch　by　coming　to　sit　down　by　himairy；　scented；　pretty
enough　to　damn　an　angel。　She　bent　over　Wenceslas　and　almost　touched
his　ear　as　she　whispered　to　him：

〃We　cannot　talk　over　business　matters　this　evening；　unless　you　will
remain　till　the　last。　Between　usyou；　Lisbeth；　and　mewe　can　settle
everything　to　suit　you。〃

〃Ah；　Madame；　you　are　an　angel！〃　replied　Wenceslas；　also　in　a　murmur。
〃I　was　a　pretty　fool　not　to　listen　to　Lisbeth〃

〃What　did　she　say？〃

〃She　declared；　in　the　Rue　du　Doyenne；　that　you　loved　me！〃

Madame　Marneffe　looked　at　him；　seemed　covered　with　confusion；　and
hastily　left　her　seat。　A　young　and　pretty　woman　never　rouses　the　hope
of　immediate　success　with　impunity。　This　retreat；　the　impulse　of　a
virtuous　woman　who　is　crushing　a　passion　in　the　depths　of　her　heart；
was　a　thousand　times　more　effective　than　the　most　reckless　avowal。
Desire　was　so　thoroughly　aroused　in　Wenceslas　that　he　doubled　his
attentions　to　Valerie。　A　woman　seen　by　all　is　a　woman　wished　for。
Hence　the　terrible　power　of　actresses。　Madame　Marneffe；　knowing　that
she　was　watched；　behaved　like　an　admired　actress。　She　was　quite
charming；　and　her　success　was　immense。

〃I　no　longer　wonder　at　my　father…in…law's　follies；〃　said　Steinbock　to
Lisbeth。

〃If　you　say　such　things；　Wenceslas；　I　shall　to　my　dying　day　repent　of
having　got　you　the　loan　of　these　ten　thousand　francs。　Are　you；　like
all　these　men；〃　and　she　indicated　the　guests；　〃madly　in　love　with　that
creature？　Remember；　you　would　be　your　father…in…law's　rival。　And　think
of　the　misery　you　would　bring　on　Hortense。〃

〃That　is　true；〃　said　Wenceslas。　〃Hortense　is　an　angel；　I　should　be　a
wretch。〃

〃And　one　is　enough　in　the　family！〃　said　Lisbeth。

〃Artists　ought　never　to　marry！〃　exclaimed　Steinbock。

〃Ah！　that　is　what　I　always　told　you　in　the　Rue　du　Doyenne。　Your
groups；　your　statues；　your　great　works；　ought　to　be　your　children。〃

〃What　are　you　talking　about？〃　Valerie　asked；　joining　Lisbeth。〃Give
us　tea；　Cousin。〃

Steinbock；　with　Polish　vainglory；　wanted　to　appear　familiar　with　this
drawing…room　fairy。　After　defying　Stidmann；　Vignon；　and　Crevel　with　a
look；　he　took　Valerie's　hand　and　forced　her　to　sit　down　by　him　on　the
settee。

〃You　are　rather　too　lordly；　Count　Steinbock；〃　said　she；　resisting　a
little。　But　she　laughed　as　she　dropped　on　to　the　seat；　not　without
arranging　the　rosebud　pinned　into　her　bodice。

〃Alas！　if　I　were　really　lordly；〃　said　he；　〃I　should　not　be　here　to
borrow　money。〃

〃Poor　boy！　I　remember　how　you　worked　all　night　in　the　Rue　du　Doyenne。
You　really　were　rather　a　spooney；　you　married　as　a　starving　man
snatches　a　loaf。　You　knew　nothing　of　Paris；　and　you　see　where　you　are
landed。　But　you　turned　a　deaf　ear　to　Lisbeth's　devotion；　as　you　did　to
the　love　of　a　woman　who　knows　her　Paris　by　heart。〃

〃Say　no　more！〃　cried　Steinbock；　〃I　am　done　for！〃

〃You　shall　have　your　ten　thousand　francs；　my　dear　Wenceslas；　but　on
one　condition；〃　she　went　on；　playing　with　his　handsome　curls。

〃What　is　that？〃

〃I　will　take　no　interest〃

〃Madame！〃

〃Oh；　you　need　not　be　indignant；　you　shall　make　it　good　by　giving　me　a
bronze　group。　You　began　the　story　of　Samson；　finish　it。Do　a　Delilah
cutting　off　the　Jewish　Hercules'　hair。　And　you；　who；　if　you　will
listen　to　me；　will　be　a　great　artist；　must　enter　into　the　subject。
What　you　have　to　show　is　the　power　of　woman。　Samson　is　a　secondary
consideration。　He　is　the　corpse　of　dead　strength。　It　is　Delilah
passionthat　ruins　everything。　How　far　more　beautiful　is　that
/replica/That　is　what　you　call　it；　I　think〃　She　skilfully
interpolated；　as　Claude　Vignon　and　Stidmann　came　up　to　them　on　hearing
her　talk　of　sculpture〃how　far　more　beautiful　than　the　Greek　myth　is
that　/replica/　of　Hercules　at　Omphale's　feet。Did　Greece　copy　Judaea；
or　did　Judaea　borrow　the　symbolism　from　Greece？〃

〃There；　madame；　you　raise　an　important　questionthat　of　the　date　of
the　various　writings　in　the　Bible。　The　great　and　immortal　Spinoza
most　foolishly　ranked　as　an　atheist；　whereas　he　gave　mathematical
proof　of　the　existence　of　Godasserts　that　the　Book　of　Genesis　and
all　the　political　history　of　the　Bible　are　of　the　time　of　Moses；　and
he　demonstrates　the　interpolated　passages　by　philological　evidence。
And　he　was　thrice　stabbed　as　he　went　into　the　synagogue。〃

〃I　had　no　idea　I　was　so　learned；〃　said　Valerie；　annoyed　at　this
interruption　to　her　/tete…a…tete/。

〃Women　know　everything　by　instinct；〃　replied　Claude　Vignon。

〃Well；　then；　you　promise　me？〃　she　said　to　Steinbock；　taking　his　hand
with　the　timidity　of　a　girl　in　love。

〃You　are　indeed　a　happy　man；　my　dear　fellow；〃　cried　Stidmann；　〃if
madame　asks　a　favor　of　you！〃

〃What　is　it？〃　asked　Claude　Vignon。

〃A　small　bronze　gro