cousin betty-第67章

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　　dear　self。　（Oh；　I　would　give　one　of　my　hands　to　have　you　by　me　on
　　our　sofa！）　A　letter　will　work　like　a　charm；　write　me　something
　　full　of　your　noble　soul；　I　will　return　your　note　to　you；　for　I
　　must　be　cautious；　I　should　not　know　where　to　hide　it；　he　pokes　his
　　nose　in　everywhere。　In　short；　comfort　your　Valerie；　your　little
　　wife；　the　mother　of　your　child。To　think　of　my　having　to　write　to
　　you；　when　I　used　to　see　you　every　day。　As　I　say　to　Lisbeth；　'I　did
　　not　know　how　happy　I　was。'　A　thousand　kisses；　dear　boy。　Be　true　to
　　your

〃VALERIE。〃


〃And　tears！〃　said　Hulot　to　himself　as　he　finished　this　letter；　〃tears
which　have　blotted　out　her　name。How　is　she？〃　said　he　to　Reine。

〃Madame　is　in　bed；　she　has　dreadful　spasms；〃　replied　Reine。　〃She　had　a
fit　of　hysterics　that　twisted　her　like　a　withy　round　a　faggot。　It　came
on　after　writing。　It　comes　of　crying　so　much。　She　heard　monsieur's
voice　on　the　stairs。〃

The　Baron　in　his　distress　wrote　the　following　note　on　office　paper
with　a　printed　heading：

　　〃Be　quite　easy；　my　angel；　he　will　die　a　second…class　clerk！Your
　　idea　is　admirable；　we　will　go　and　live　far　from　Paris；　where　we
　　shall　be　happy　with　our　little　Hector；　I　will　retire　on　my
　　pension；　and　I　shall　be　sure　to　find　some　good　appointment　on　a
　　railway。

　　〃Ah；　my　sweet　friend；　I　feel　so　much　the　younger　for　your　letter！
　　I　shall　begin　life　again　and　make　a　fortune；　you　will　see；　for　our
　　dear　little　one。　As　I　read　your　letter；　a　thousand　times　more
　　ardent　than　those　of　the　/Nouvelle　Heloise/；　it　worked　a　miracle！
　　I　had　not　believed　it　possible　that　I　could　love　you　more。　This
　　evening；　at　Lisbeth's　you　will　see

〃YOUR　HECTOR；　FOR　LIFE。〃


Reine　carried　off　this　reply；　the　first　letter　the　Baron　had　written
to　his　〃sweet　friend。〃　Such　emotions　to　some　extent　counterbalanced
the　disasters　growling　in　the　distance；　but　the　Baron；　at　this　moment
believing　he　could　certainly　avert　the　blows　aimed　at　his　uncle；
Johann　Fischer；　thought　only　of　the　deficit。

One　of　the　characteristics　of　the　Bonapartist　temperament　is　a　firm
belief　in　the　power　of　the　sword；　and　confidence　in　the　superiority　of
the　military　over　civilians。　Hulot　laughed　to　scorn　the　Public
Prosecutor　in　Algiers；　where　the　War　Office　is　supreme。　Man　is　always
what　he　has　once　been。　How　can　the　officers　of　the　Imperial　Guard
forget　that　time　was　when　the　mayors　of　the　largest　towns　in　the
Empire　and　the　Emperor's　prefects；　Emperors　themselves　on　a　minute
scale；　would　come　out　to　meet　the　Imperial　Guard；　to　pay　their
respects　on　the　borders　of　the　Departments　through　which　it　passed；
and　to　do　it；　in　short；　the　homage　due　to　sovereigns？

At　half…past　four　the　baron　went　straight　to　Madame　Marneffe's；　his
heart　beat　as　high　as　a　young　man's　as　he　went　upstairs；　for　he　was
asking　himself　this　question；　〃Shall　I　see　her？　or　shall　I　not？〃

How　was　he　now　to　remember　the　scene　of　the　morning　when　his　weeping
children　had　knelt　at　his　feet？　Valerie's　note；　enshrined　for　ever　in
a　thin　pocket…book　over　his　heart；　proved　to　him　that　she　loved　him
more　than　the　most　charming　of　young　men。

Having　rung；　the　unhappy　visitor　heard　within　the　shuffling　slippers
and　vexatious　scraping　cough　of　the　detestable　master。　Marneffe　opened
the　door；　but　only　to　put　himself　into　an　attitude　and　point　to　the
stairs；　exactly　as　Hulot　had　shown　him　the　door　of　his　private　room。

〃You　are　too　exclusively　Hulot；　Monsieur　Hulot！〃　said　he。

The　Baron　tried　to　pass　him；　Marneffe　took　a　pistol　out　of　his　pocket
and　cocked　it。

〃Monsieur　le　Baron；〃　said　he；　〃when　a　man　is　as　vile　as　I　amfor　you
think　me　very　vile；　don't　you？he　would　be　the　meanest　galley…slave
if　he　did　not　get　the　full　benefit　of　his　betrayed　honor。You　are　for
war；　it　will　be　hot　work　and　no　quarter。　Come　here　no　more；　and　do　not
attempt　to　get　past　me。　I　have　given　the　police　notice　of　my　position
with　regard　to　you。〃

And　taking　advantage　of　Hulot's　amazement；　he　pushed　him　out　and　shut
the　door。

〃What　a　low　scoundrel！〃　said　Hulot　to　himself；　as　he　went　upstairs　to
Lisbeth。　〃I　understand　her　letter　now。　Valerie　and　I　will　go　away　from
Paris。　Valerie　is　wholly　mine　for　the　remainder　of　my　days；　she　will
close　my　eyes。〃

Lisbeth　was　out。　Madame　Olivier　told　the　Baron　that　she　had　gone　to
his　wife's　house；　thinking　that　she　would　find　him　there。

〃Poor　thing！　I　should　never　have　expected　her　to　be　so　sharp　as　she
was　this　morning；〃　thought　Hulot；　recalling　Lisbeth's　behavior　as　he
made　his　way　from　the　Rue　Vanneau　to　the　Rue　Plumet。

As　he　turned　the　corner　of　the　Rue　Vanneau　and　the　Rue　de　Babylone；　he
looked　back　at　the　Eden　whence　Hymen　had　expelled　him　with　the　sword
of　the　law。　Valerie；　at　her　window；　was　watching　his　departure；　as　he
glanced　up；　she　waved　her　handkerchief；　but　the　rascally　Marneffe　hit
his　wife's　cap　and　dragged　her　violently　away　from　the　window。　A　tear
rose　to　the　great　official's　eye。

〃Oh！　to　be　so　well　loved！　To　see　a　woman　so　ill　used；　and　to　be　so
nearly　seventy　years　old！〃　thought　he。

Lisbeth　had　come　to　give　the　family　the　good　news。　Adeline　and
Hortense　had　already　heard　that　the　Baron；　not　choosing　to　compromise
himself　in　the　eyes　of　the　whole　office　by　appointing　Marneffe　to　the
first　class；　would　be　turned　from　the　door　by　the　Hulot…hating
husband。　Adeline；　very　happy；　had　ordered　a　dinner　that　her　Hector　was
to　like　better　than　any　of　Valerie's；　and　Lisbeth；　in　her　devotion；
was　helping　Mariette　to　achieve　this　difficult　result。　Cousin　Betty
was　the　idol　of　the　hour。　Mother　and　daughter　kissed　her　hands；　and
had　told　her　with　touching　delight　that　the　Marshal　consented　to　have
her　as　his　housekeeper。

〃And　from　that；　my　dear；　there　is　but　one　step　to　becoming　his　wife！〃
said　Adeline。

〃In　fact；　he　did　not　say　no　when　Victorin　mentioned　it；〃　added　the
Countess。

The　Baron　was　welcomed　home　with　such　charming　proofs　of　affection；　so
pathetically　overflowing　with　love；　that　he　was　fain　to　conceal　his
troubles。

Marshal　Hulot　came　to　dinner。　After　dinner；　Hector　did　not　go　out。
Victorin　and　his　wife　joined　them；　and　they　made　up　a　rubber。

〃It　is　a　long　time；　Hector；　said　the　Marshal　gravely；　〃since　you　gave
us　the　treat　of　such　an　evening。〃

This　speech　from　the　old　soldier；　who　spoiled　his　brother　though　he
thus　implicitly　blamed　him；　made　a　deep　impression。　It　showed　how　wide
and　deep　were　the　wounds　in　a　heart　where　all　the　woes　he　had　divined
had　found　an　echo。　At　eight　o'clock　the　Baron　insisted　on　seeing
Lisbeth　home；　promising　to　return。

〃Do　you　know；　Lisbeth；　he　ill…treats　her！〃　said　he　in　the　street。　〃Oh；
I　never　loved　her　so　well！〃

〃I　never　imagined　that　Valerie　loved　you　so　well；〃　replied　Lisbeth。
〃She　is　frivolous　and　a　coquette；　she　loves　to　have　attentions　paid
her；　and　to　have　the　comedy　of　love…making　performed　for　her；　as　she
says；　but　you　are　her　only　real　attachment。〃

〃What　message　did　she　send　me？〃

〃Why；　this；〃　said　Lisbeth。　〃She　has；　as　you　know；　been　on　intimate
terms　with　Crevel。　You　must　owe　her　no　grudge；　for　that；　in　fact；　is
what　has　raised　her　above　utter　poverty　for　the　rest　of　her　life；　but
she　detests　him；　and　matters　are　nearly　at　an　end。Well；　she　has　kept
the　key　of　some　rooms〃

〃Rue　du　Dauphin！〃　cried　the　thrice…blest　Baron。　〃If　it　were　for　that
alone；　I　would　overlook　Crevel。I　have　been　there；　I　know。〃

〃Here；　then；　is　the　key；〃　said　Lisbeth。　〃Have　another　made　from　it　in
the　course　of　to…morrowtwo　if　you　can。〃

〃And　then；〃　said　Hulot　eagerly。

〃Well；　I　will　dine　at　your　house　again　to…morrow；　you　must　give　me
back　Valerie's　key；　for　old　Crevel　might　ask　her　to　return　it　to　him；
and　you　can　meet　her　there　the　day　after；　then　you　can　decide　what
your　facts　are　to　be。　You　will　be　quite　safe；　as　there　are　two　ways
out。　If　by　chance　Crevel；　who　is　/Regence/　in　his　habits；　as　he　is
fond　of　saying；　should　come　in　by　the　side　street；　you　could　go　out
through　the　shop；　or　/vice　versa/。

〃You　owe　all　this　to　me；　you　old　villain；　now　what　will　you　do　for
me？〃

〃Whatever　you　want。〃

〃Then　you　will　not　oppose　my　marrying　your　brother？〃

〃You！　the　Marechale　Hulot；　the　Comtesse　de　Frozh