cousin betty-第60章

按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！


the　other；　I　could　not　hesitate。That　is　all。

〃What！　could　Hortense；　at　four…and…twenty；　lovely；　pure；　and　virtuous；
and　all　my　pride　and　glory；　imagine　that；　when　I　have　never　left　her
since　we　married；　I　could　now　preferwhat？a　tawny；　painted；　ruddled
creature？〃　said　he；　using　the　vulgar　exaggeration　of　the　studio　to
convince　his　wife　by　the　vehemence　that　women　like。

〃Oh！　if　only　your　father　had　ever　spoken　so！〃　cried　the　Baroness。

Hortense　threw　her　arms　round　her　husband's　neck。

〃Yes；　that　is　what　I　should　have　done；〃　said　her　mother。　〃Wenceslas；
my　dear　fellow；　your　wife　was　near　dying　of　it；〃　she　went　on　very
seriously。　〃You　see　how　well　she　loves　you。　And；　alasshe　is　yours！〃

She　sighed　deeply。

〃He　may　make　a　martyr　of　her；　or　a　happy　woman；〃　thought　she　to
herself；　as　every　mother　thinks　when　she　sees　her　daughter　married。
〃It　seems　to　me；〃　she　said　aloud；　〃that　I　am　miserable　enough　to　hope
to　see　my　children　happy。〃

〃Be　quite　easy；　dear　mamma；〃　said　Wenceslas；　only　too　glad　to　see　this
critical　moment　end　happily。　〃In　two　months　I　shall　have　repaid　that
dreadful　woman。　How　could　I　help　it；〃　he　went　on；　repeating　this
essentially　Polish　excuse　with　a　Pole's　grace；　〃there　are　times　when　a
man　would　borrow　of　the　Devil。And；　after　all；　the　money　belongs　to
the　family。　When　once　she　had　invited　me；　should　I　have　got　the　money
at　all　if　I　had　responded　to　her　civility　with　a　rude　refusal？〃

〃Oh；　mamma；　what　mischief　papa　is　bringing　on　us！〃　cried　Hortense。

The　Baroness　laid　her　finger　on　her　daughter's　lips；　aggrieved　by　this
complaint；　the　first　blame　she　had　ever　uttered　of　a　father　so
heroically　screened　by　her　mother's　magnanimous　silence。

〃Now；　good…bye；　my　children；〃　said　Madame　Hulot。　〃The　storm　is　over。
But　do　not　quarrel　any　more。〃

When　Wenceslas　and　his　wife　returned　to　their　room　after　letting　out
the　Baroness；　Hortense　said　to　her　husband：

〃Tell　me　all　about　last　evening。〃

And　she　watched　his　face　all　through　the　narrative；　interrupting　him
by　the　questions　that　crowd　on　a　wife's　mind　in　such　circumstances。
The　story　made　Hortense　reflect；　she　had　a　glimpse　of　the　infernal
dissipation　which　an　artist　must　find　in　such　vicious　company。

〃Be　honest；　my　Wenceslas；　Stidmann　was　there；　Claude　Vignon；
Vernisset。Who　else？　In　short；　it　was　good　fun？〃

〃I；　I　was　thinking　of　nothing　but　our　ten　thousand　francs；　and　I　was
saying　to　myself；　'My　Hortense　will　be　freed　from　anxiety。'　〃

This　catechism　bored　the　Livonian　excessively；　he　seized　a　gayer
moment　to　say：

〃And　you；　my　dearest；　what　would　you　have　done　if　your　artist　had
proved　guilty？〃

〃I；〃　said　she；　with　an　air　of　prompt　decision；　〃I　should　have　taken　up
Stidmannnot　that　I　love　him；　of　course！〃

〃Hortense！〃　cried　Steinbock；　starting　to　his　feet　with　a　sudden　and
theatrical　emphasis。　〃You　would　not　have　had　the　chanceI　would　have
killed　you！〃

Hortense　threw　herself　into　his　arms；　clasping　him　closely　enough　to
stifle　him；　and　covered　him　with　kisses；　saying：

〃Ah；　you　do　love　me！　I　fear　nothing！But　no　more　Marneffe。　Never　go
plunging　into　such　horrible　bogs。〃

〃I　swear　to　you；　my　dear　Hortense；　that　I　will　go　there　no　more；
excepting　to　redeem　my　note　of　hand。〃

She　pouted　at　this；　but　only　as　a　loving　woman　sulks　to　get　something
for　it。　Wenceslas；　tired　out　with　such　a　morning's　work；　went　off　to
his　studio　to　make　a　clay　sketch　of　the　/Samson　and　Delilah/；　for
which　he　had　the　drawings　in　his　pocket。

Hortense；　penitent　for　her　little　temper；　and　fancying　that　her
husband　was　annoyed　with　her；　went　to　the　studio　just　as　the　sculptor
had　finished　handling　the　clay　with　the　impetuosity　that　spurs　an
artist　when　the　mood　is　on　him。　On　seeing　his　wife；　Wenceslas　hastily
threw　the　wet　wrapper　over　the　group；　and　putting　both　arms　round　her；
he　said：

〃We　were　not　really　angry；　were　we；　my　pretty　puss？〃

Hortense　had　caught　sight　of　the　group；　had　seen　the　linen　thrown　over
it；　and　had　said　nothing；　but　as　she　was　leaving；　she　took　off　the
rag；　looked　at　the　model；　and　asked：

〃What　is　that？〃

〃A　group　for　which　I　had　just　had　an　idea。〃

〃And　why　did　you　hide　it？〃

〃I　did　not　mean　you　to　see　it　till　it　was　finished。〃

〃The　woman　is　very　pretty；〃　said　Hortense。

And　a　thousand　suspicions　cropped　up　in　her　mind；　as；　in　India；　tall；
rank　plants　spring　up　in　a　night…time。



By　the　end　of　three　weeks；　Madame　Marneffe　was　intensely　irritated　by
Hortense。　Women　of　that　stamp　have　a　pride　of　their　own；　they　insist
that　men　shall　kiss　the　devil's　hoof；　they　have　no　forgiveness　for　the
virtue　that　does　not　quail　before　their　dominion；　or　that　even　holds
its　own　against　them。　Now；　in　all　that　time　Wenceslas　had　not　paid　one
visit　in　the　Rue　Vanneau；　not　even　that　which　politeness　required　to　a
woman　who　had　sat　for　Delilah。

Whenever　Lisbeth　called　on　the　Steinbocks；　there　had　been　nobody　at
home。　Monsieur　and　madame　lived　in　the　studio。　Lisbeth；　following　the
turtle　doves　to　their　nest　at　le　Gros…Caillou；　found　Wenceslas　hard　at
work；　and　was　informed　by　the　cook　that　madame　never　left　monsieur's
side。　Wenceslas　was　a　slave　to　the　autocracy　of　love。　So　now　Valerie；
on　her　own　account；　took　part　with　Lisbeth　in　her　hatred　of　Hortense。

Women　cling　to　a　lover　that　another　woman　is　fighting　for；　just　as
much　as　men　do　to　women　round　whom　many　coxcombs　are　buzzing。　Thus　any
reflections　/a　propos/　to　Madame　Marneffe　are　equally　applicable　to
any　lady…killing　rake；　he　is；　in　fact；　a　sort　of　male　courtesan。
Valerie's　last　fancy　was　a　madness；　above　all；　she　was　bent　on　getting
her　group；　she　was　even　thinking　of　going　one　morning　to　the　studio　to
see　Wenceslas；　when　a　serious　incident　arose　of　the　kind　which；　to　a
woman　of　that　class；　may　be　called　the　spoil　of　war。

This　is　how　Valerie　announced　this　wholly　personal　event。

She　was　breakfasting　with　Lisbeth　and　her　husband。

〃I　say；　Marneffe；　what　would　you　say　to　being　a　second　time　a　father？〃

〃You　don't　mean　ita　baby？Oh；　let　me　kiss　you！〃

He　rose　and　went　round　the　table；　his　wife　held　up　her　head　so　that　he
could　just　kiss　her　hair。

〃If　that　is　so；〃　he　went　on；　〃I　am　head…clerk　and　officer　of　the
Legion　of　Honor　at　once。　But　you　must　understand；　my　dear；　Stanislas
is　not　to　be　the　sufferer；　poor　little　man。〃

〃Poor　little　man？〃　Lisbeth　put　in。　〃You　have　not　set　your　eyes　on　him
these　seven　months。　I　am　supposed　to　be　his　mother　at　the　school；　I　am
the　only　person　in　the　house　who　takes　any　trouble　about　him。〃

〃A　brat　that　costs　us　a　hundred　crowns　a　quarter！〃　said　Valerie。　〃And
he；　at　any　rate；　is　your　own　child；　Marneffe。　You　ought　to　pay　for　his
schooling　out　of　your　salary。The　newcomer；　far　from　reminding　us　of
butcher's　bills；　will　rescue　us　from　want。〃

〃Valerie；〃　replied　Marneffe；　assuming　an　attitude　like　Crevel；　〃I　hope
that　Monsieur　le　Baron　Hulot　will　take　proper　charge　of　his　son；　and
not　lay　the　burden　on　a　poor　clerk。　I　intend　to　keep　him　well　up　to
the　mark。　So　take　the　necessary　steps；　madame！　Get　him　to　write　you
letters　in　which　he　alludes　to　his　satisfaction；　for　he　is　rather
backward　in　coming　forward　in　regard　to　my　appointment。〃

And　Marneffe　went　away　to　the　office；　where　his　chief's　precious
leniency　allowed　him　to　come　in　at　about　eleven　o'clock。　And；　indeed；
he　did　little　enough；　for　his　incapacity　was　notorious；　and　he
detested　work。

No　sooner　were　they　alone　than　Lisbeth　and　Valerie　looked　at　each
other　for　a　moment　like　Augurs；　and　both　together　burst　into　a　loud
fit　of　laughter。

〃I　say；　Valerieis　it　the　fact？〃　said　Lisbeth；　〃or　merely　a　farce？〃

〃It　is　a　physical　fact！〃　replied　Valerie。　〃Now；　I　am　sick　and　tired　of
Hortense；　and　it　occurred　to　me　in　the　night　that　I　might　fire　this
infant；　like　a　bomb；　into　the　Steinbock　household。〃

Valerie　went　back　to　her　room；　followed　by　Lisbeth；　to　whom　she　showed
the　following　letter：

　　〃WENCESLAS　MY　DEAR；I　still　believe　in　your　love；　though　it　is
　　nearly　three　weeks　since　I　saw　you。　Is　this　scorn？　Delilah　can
　　scarcely　believe　that。　Does　it　not　rather　result　from　the　tyranny
　　of　a　woman　whom；　as　you　told　me；　you　can　no　longer　love？
　　Wenceslas；　you　are　too　grea