cousin betty-第6章

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am　not　ungenerous；　for　this　advice　is　against　my　own　interests。〃

〃Oh；　Monsieur　Crevel；　if　you　would　indeed　be　my　friend　and　give　up
your　ridiculous　notions〃

〃Ridiculous？　Madame；　do　not　run　yourself　down。　Look　at　yourselfI
love　you；　and　you　will　come　to　be　mine。　The　day　will　come　when　I　shall
say　to　Hulot；　'You　took　Josepha；　I　have　taken　your　wife！'

〃It　is　the　old　law　of　tit…for…tat！　And　I　will　persevere　till　I　have
attained　my　end；　unless　you　should　become　extremely　ugly。I　shall
succeed；　and　I　will　tell　you　why；〃　he　went　on；　resuming　his　attitude；
and　looking　at　Madame　Hulot。　〃You　will　not　meet　with　such　an　old　man；
or　such　a　young　lover；〃　he　said　after　a　pause；　〃because　you　love　your
daughter　too　well　to　hand　her　over　to　the　manoeuvres　of　an　old
libertine；　and　because　youthe　Baronne　Hulot；　sister　of　the　old
Lieutenant…General　who　commanded　the　veteran　Grenadiers　of　the　Old
Guardwill　not　condescend　to　take　a　man　of　spirit　wherever　you　may
find　him；　for　he　might　be　a　mere　craftsman；　as　many　a　millionaire　of
to…day　was　ten　years　ago；　a　working　artisan；　or　the　foreman　of　a
factory。

〃And　then；　when　you　see　the　girl；　urged　by　her　twenty　years；　capable
of　dishonoring　you　all；　you　will　say　to　yourself；　'It　will　be　better
that　I　should　fall！　If　Monsieur　Crevel　will　but　keep　my　secret；　I　will
earn　my　daughter's　portiontwo　hundred　thousand　francs　for　ten　years'
attachment　to　that　old　glovesellerold　Crevel！'I　disgust　you　no
doubt；　and　what　I　am　saying　is　horribly　immoral；　you　think？　But　if　you
happened　to　have　been　bitten　by　an　overwhelming　passion；　you　would
find　a　thousand　arguments　in　favor　of　yieldingas　women　do　when　they
are　in　love。Yes；　and　Hortense's　interests　will　suggest　to　your
feelings　such　terms　of　surrendering　your　conscience〃

〃Hortense　has　still　an　uncle。〃

〃What！　Old　Fischer？　He　is　winding　up　his　concerns；　and　that　again　is
the　Baron's　fault；　his　rake　is　dragged　over　every　till　within　his
reach。〃

〃Comte　Hulot〃

〃Oh；　madame；　your　husband　has　already　made　thin　air　of　the　old
General's　savings。　He　spent　them　in　furnishing　his　singer's　rooms。
Now；　come；　am　I　to　go　without　a　hope？〃

〃Good…bye；　monsieur。　A　man　easily　gets　over　a　passion　for　a　woman　of
my　age；　and　you　will　fall　back　on　Christian　principles。　God　takes　care
of　the　wretched〃

The　Baroness　rose　to　oblige　the　captain　to　retreat；　and　drove　him　back
into　the　drawing…room。

〃Ought　the　beautiful　Madame　Hulot　to　be　living　amid　such　squalor？〃
said　he；　and　he　pointed　to　an　old　lamp；　a　chandelier　bereft　of　its
gilding；　the　threadbare　carpet；　the　very　rags　of　wealth　which　made　the
large　room；　with　its　red；　white；　and　gold；　look　like　a　corpse　of
Imperial　festivities。

〃Monsieur；　virtue　shines　on　it　all。　I　have　no　wish　to　owe　a　handsome
abode　to　having　made　of　the　beauty　you　are　pleased　to　ascribe　to　me　a
/man…trap/　and　/a　money…box　for　five…franc　pieces/！〃

The　captain　bit　his　lips　as　he　recognized　the　words　he　had　used　to
vilify　Josepha's　avarice。

〃And　for　whom　are　you　so　magnanimous？〃　said　he。　By　this　time　the
baroness　had　got　her　rejected　admirer　as　far　as　the　door。〃For　a
libertine！〃　said　he；　with　a　lofty　grimace　of　virtue　and　superior
wealth。

〃If　you　are　right；　my　constancy　has　some　merit；　monsieur。　That　is
all。〃

After　bowing　to　the　officer　as　a　woman　bows　to　dismiss　an　importune
visitor；　she　turned　away　too　quickly　to　see　him　once　more　fold　his
arms。　She　unlocked　the　doors　she　had　closed；　and　did　not　see　the
threatening　gesture　which　was　Crevel's　parting　greeting。　She　walked
with　a　proud；　defiant　step；　like　a　martyr　to　the　Coliseum；　but　her
strength　was　exhausted；　she　sank　on　the　sofa　in　her　blue　room；　as　if
she　were　ready　to　faint；　and　sat　there　with　her　eyes　fixed　on　the
tumble…down　summer…house；　where　her　daughter　was　gossiping　with　Cousin
Betty。



From　the　first　days　of　her　married　life　to　the　present　time　the
Baroness　had　loved　her　husband；　as　Josephine　in　the　end　had　loved
Napoleon；　with　an　admiring；　maternal；　and　cowardly　devotion。　Though
ignorant　of　the　details　given　her　by　Crevel；　she　knew　that　for　twenty
years　past　Baron　Hulot　been　anything　rather　than　a　faithful　husband；
but　she　had　sealed　her　eyes　with　lead；　she　had　wept　in　silence；　and　no
word　of　reproach　had　ever　escaped　her。　In　return　for　this　angelic
sweetness；　she　had　won　her　husband's　veneration　and　something
approaching　to　worship　from　all　who　were　about　her。

A　wife's　affection　for　her　husband　and　the　respect　she　pays　him　are
infectious　in　a　family。　Hortense　believed　her　father　to　be　a　perfect
model　of　conjugal　affection；　as　to　their　son；　brought　up　to　admire　the
Baron；　whom　everybody　regarded　as　one　of　the　giants　who　so　effectually
backed　Napoleon；　he　knew　that　he　owed　his　advancement　to　his　father's
name；　position；　and　credit；　and　besides；　the　impressions　of　childhood
exert　an　enduring　influence。　He　still　was　afraid　of　his　father；　and　if
he　had　suspected　the　misdeeds　revealed　by　Crevel；　as　he　was　too　much
overawed　by　him　to　find　fault；　he　would　have　found　excuses　in　the　view
every　man　takes　of　such　matters。

It　now　will　be　necessary　to　give　the　reasons　for　the　extraordinary
self…devotion　of　a　good　and　beautiful　woman；　and　this；　in　a　few　words；
is　her　past　history。



Three　brothers；　simple　laboring　men；　named　Fischer；　and　living　in　a
village　situated　on　the　furthest　frontier　of　Lorraine；　were　compelled
by　the　Republican　conscription　to　set　out　with　the　so…called　army　of
the　Rhine。

In　1799　the　second　brother；　Andre；　a　widower；　and　Madame　Hulot's
father；　left　his　daughter　to　the　care　of　his　elder　brother；　Pierre
Fischer；　disabled　from　service　by　a　wound　received　in　1797；　and　made　a
small　private　venture　in　the　military　transport　service；　an　opening　he
owed　to　the　favor　of　Hulot　d'Ervy；　who　was　high　in　the　commissariat。
By　a　very　obvious　chance　Hulot；　coming　to　Strasbourg；　saw　the　Fischer
family。　Adeline's　father　and　his　younger　brother　were　at　that　time
contractors　for　forage　in　the　province　of　Alsace。

Adeline；　then　sixteen　years　of　age；　might　be　compared　with　the　famous
Madame　du　Barry；　like　her；　a　daughter　of　Lorraine。　She　was　one　of
those　perfect　and　striking　beautiesa　woman　like　Madame　Tallien；
finished　with　peculiar　care　by　Nature；　who　bestows　on　them　all　her
choicest　giftsdistinction；　dignity；　grace；　refinement；　elegance；
flesh　of　a　superior　texture；　and　a　complexion　mingled　in　the　unknown
laboratory　where　good　luck　presides。　These　beautiful　creatures　all
have　something　in　common：　Bianca　Capella；　whose　portrait　is　one　of
Bronzino's　masterpieces；　Jean　Goujon's　Venus；　painted　from　the　famous
Diane　de　Poitiers；　Signora　Olympia；　whose　picture　adorns　the　Doria
gallery；　Ninon；　Madame　du　Barry；　Madame　Tallien；　Mademoiselle　Georges；
Madame　Recamier。all　these　women　who　preserved　their　beauty　in　spite
of　years；　of　passion；　and　of　their　life　of　excess　and　pleasure；　have
in　figure；　frame；　and　in　the　character　of　their　beauty　certain
striking　resemblances；　enough　to　make　one　believe　that　there　is　in　the
ocean　of　generations　an　Aphrodisian　current　whence　every　such　Venus　is
born；　all　daughters　of　the　same　salt　wave。

Adeline　Fischer；　one　of　the　loveliest　of　this　race　of　goddesses；　had
the　splendid　type；　the　flowing　lines；　the　exquisite　texture　of　a　woman
born　a　queen。　The　fair　hair　that　our　mother　Eve　received　from　the　hand
of　God；　the　form　of　an　Empress；　an　air　of　grandeur；　and　an　august　line
of　profile；　with　her　rural　modesty；　made　every　man　pause　in　delight　as
she　passed；　like　amateurs　in　front　of　a　Raphael；　in　short；　having　once
seen　her；　the　Commissariat　officer　made　Mademoiselle　Adeline　Fischer
his　wife　as　quickly　as　the　law　would　permit；　to　the　great　astonishment
of　the　Fischers；　who　had　all　been　brought　up　in　the　fear　of　their
betters。

The　eldest；　a　soldier　of　1792；　severely　wounded　in　the　attack　on　the
lines　at　Wissembourg；　adored　the　Emperor　Napoleon　and　everything　that
had　to　do　with　the　/Grande　Armee/。　Andre　and　Johann　spoke　with　respect
of　Commissary　Hulot；　the　Emperor's　protege；　to　whom　indeed　they　owed
their　prosperity；　for　Hulot　d'Ervy；　finding　them　intelligent　and
honest；　had　taken　them　from　the　army　provision　wagons　to　place　them　i