cousin betty-第68章

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〃Whatever　you　want。〃

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

〃You！　the　Marechale　Hulot；　the　Comtesse　de　Frozheim？〃　cried　Hector；
startled。

〃Well；　Adeline　is　a　Baroness！〃　retorted　Betty　in　a　vicious　and
formidable　tone。　〃Listen　to　me；　you　old　libertine。　You　know　how
matters　stand；　your　family　may　find　itself　starving　in　the　gutter〃

〃That　is　what　I　dread；〃　said　Hulot　in　dismay。

〃And　if　your　brother　were　to　die；　who　would　maintain　your　wife　and
daughter？　The　widow　of　a　Marshal　gets　at　least　six　thousand　francs
pension；　doesn't　she？　Well；　then；　I　wish　to　marry　to　secure　bread　for
your　wife　and　daughterold　dotard！〃

〃I　had　not　seen　it　in　that　light！〃　said　the　Baron。　〃I　will　talk　to　my
brotherfor　we　are　sure　of　you。Tell　my　angel　that　my　life　is　hers。〃

And　the　Baron；　having　seen　Lisbeth　go　into　the　house　in　the　Rue
Vanneau；　went　back　to　his　whist　and　stayed　at　home。　The　Baroness　was
at　the　height　of　happiness；　her　husband　seemed　to　be　returning　to
domestic　habits；　for　about　a　fortnight　he　went　to　his　office　at　nine
every　morning；　he　came　in　to　dinner　at　six；　and　spent　the　evening　with
his　family。　He　twice　took　Adeline　and　Hortense　to　the　play。　The　mother
and　daughter　paid　for　three　thanksgiving　masses；　and　prayed　to　God　to
suffer　them　to　keep　the　husband　and　father　He　had　restored　to　them。

One　evening　Victorin　Hulot；　seeing　his　father　retire　for　the　night；
said　to　his　mother：

〃Well；　we　are　at　any　rate　so　far　happy　that　my　father　has　come　back　to
us。　My　wife　and　I　shall　never　regret　our　capital　if　only　this　lasts〃

〃Your　father　is　nearly　seventy；〃　said　the　Baroness。　〃He　still　thinks
of　Madame　Marneffe；　that　I　can　see；　but　he　will　forget　her　in　time。　A
passion　for　women　is　not　like　gambling；　or　speculation；　or　avarice；
there　is　an　end　to　it。〃

But　Adeline；　still　beautiful　in　spite　of　her　fifty　years　and　her
sorrows；　in　this　was　mistaken。　Profligates；　men　whom　Nature　has　gifted
with　the　precious　power　of　loving　beyond　the　limits　ordinarily　set　to
love；　rarely　are　as　old　as　their　age。



During　this　relapse　into　virtue　Baron　Hulot　had　been　three　times　to
the　Rue　du　Dauphin；　and　had　certainly　not　been　the　man　of　seventy。　His
rekindled　passion　made　him　young　again；　and　he　would　have　sacrificed
his　honor　to　Valerie；　his　family；　his　all；　without　a　regret。　But
Valerie；　now　completely　altered；　never　mentioned　money；　not　even　the
twelve　hundred　francs　a　year　to　be　settled　on　their　son；　on　the
contrary；　she　offered　him　money；　she　loved　Hulot　as　a　woman　of　six…
and…thirty　loves　a　handsome　law…studenta　poor；　poetical；　ardent　boy。
And　the　hapless　wife　fancied　she　had　reconquered　her　dear　Hector！

The　fourth　meeting　between　this　couple　had　been　agreed　upon　at　the　end
of　the　third；　exactly　as　formerly　in　Italian　theatres　the　play　was
announced　for　the　next　night。　The　hour　fixed　was　nine　in　the　morning。
On　the　next　day　when　the　happiness　was　due　for　which　the　amorous　old
man　had　resigned　himself　to　domestic　rules；　at　about　eight　in　the
morning；　Reine　came　and　asked　to　see　the　Baron。　Hulot；　fearing　some
catastrophe；　went　out　to　speak　with　Reine；　who　would　not　come　into　the
anteroom。　The　faithful　waiting…maid　gave　him　the　following　note：

　　〃DEAR　OLD　MAN；Do　not　go　to　the　Rue　du　Dauphin。　Our　incubus　is
　　ill；　and　I　must　nurse　him；　but　be　there　this　evening　at　nine。
　　Crevel　is　at　Corbeil　with　Monsieur　Lebas；　so　I　am　sure　he　will
　　bring　no　princess　to　his　little　palace。　I　have　made　arrangements
　　here　to　be　free　for　the　night　and　get　back　before　Marneffe　is
　　awake。　Answer　me　as　to　all　this；　for　perhaps　your　long　elegy　of　a
　　wife　no　longer　allows　you　your　liberty　as　she　did。　I　am　told　she
　　is　still　so　handsome　that　you　might　play　me　false；　you　are　such　a
　　gay　dog！　Burn　this　note；　I　am　suspicious　of　every　one。〃

Hulot　wrote　this　scrap　in　reply：

　　〃MY　LOVE；As　I　have　told　you；　my　wife　has　not　for　five…and…twenty
　　years　interfered　with　my　pleasures。　For　you　I　would　give　up　a
　　hundred　Adelines。I　will　be　in　the　Crevel　sanctum　at　nine　this
　　evening　awaiting　my　divinity。　Oh　that　your　clerk　might　soon　die！
　　We　should　part　no　more。　And　this　is　the　dearest　wish　of

〃YOUR　HECTOR。〃


That　evening　the　Baron　told　his　wife　that　he　had　business　with　the
Minister　at　Saint…Cloud；　that　he　would　come　home　at　about　four　or　five
in　the　morning；　and　he　went　to　the　Rue　du　Dauphin。　It　was　towards　the
end　of　the　month　of　June。

Few　men　have　in　the　course　of　their　life　known　really　the　dreadful
sensation　of　going　to　their　death；　those　who　have　returned　from　the
foot　of　the　scaffold　may　be　easily　counted。　But　some　have　had　a　vivid
experience　of　it　in　dreams；　they　have　gone　through　it　all；　to　the
sensation　of　the　knife　at　their　throat；　at　the　moment　when　waking　and
daylight　come　to　release　them。Well；　the　sensation　to　which　the
Councillor　of　State　was　a　victim　at　five　in　the　morning　in　Crevel's
handsome　and　elegant　bed；　was　immeasurably　worse　than　that　of　feeling
himself　bound　to　the　fatal　block　in　the　presence　of　ten　thousand
spectators　looking　at　you　with　twenty　thousand　sparks　of　fire。

Valerie　was　asleep　in　a　graceful　attitude。　She　was　lovely；　as　a　woman
is　who　is　lovely　enough　to　look　so　even　in　sleep。　It　is　art　invading
nature；　in　short；　a　living　picture。

In　his　horizontal　position　the　Baron's　eyes　were　but　three　feet　above
the　floor。　His　gaze；　wandering　idly；　as　that　of　a　man　who　is　just
awake　and　collecting　his　ideas；　fell　on　a　door　painted　with　flowers　by
Jan；　an　artist　disdainful　of　fame。　The　Baron　did　not　indeed　see　twenty
thousand　flaming　eyes；　like　the　man　condemned　to　death；　he　saw　but
one；　of　which　the　shaft　was　really　more　piercing　than　the　thousands　on
the　Public　Square。

Now　this　sensation；　far　rarer　in　the　midst　of　enjoyment　even　than　that
of　a　man　condemned　to　death；　was　one　for　which　many　a　splenetic
Englishman　would　certainly　pay　a　high　price。　The　Baron　lay　there；
horizontal　still；　and　literally　bathed　in　cold　sweat。　He　tried　to
doubt　the　fact；　but　this　murderous　eye　had　a　voice。　A　sound　of
whispering　was　heard　through　the　door。

〃So　long　as　it　is　nobody　but　Crevel　playing　a　trick　on　me！〃　said　the
Baron　to　himself；　only　too　certain　of　an　intruder　in　the　temple。

The　door　was　opened。　The　Majesty　of　the　French　Law；　which　in　all
documents　follows　next　to　the　King；　became　visible　in　the　person　of　a
worthy　little　police…officer　supported　by　a　tall　Justice　of　the　Peace；
both　shown　in　by　Monsieur　Marneffe。　The　police　functionary；　rooted　in
shoes　of　which　the　straps　were　tied　together　with　flapping　bows；　ended
at　top　in　a　yellow　skull　almost　bare　of　hair；　and　a　face　betraying　him
as　a　wide…awake；　cheerful；　and　cunning　dog；　from　whom　Paris　life　had
no　secrets。　His　eyes；　though　garnished　with　spectacles；　pierced　the
glasses　with　a　keen　mocking　glance。　The　Justice　of　the　Peace；　a
retired　attorney；　and　an　old　admirer　of　the　fair　sex；　envied　the
delinquent。

〃Pray　excuse　the　strong　measures　required　by　our　office；　Monsieur　le
Baron！〃　said　the　constable；　〃we　are　acting　for　the　plaintiff。　The
Justice　of　the　Peace　is　here　to　authorize　the　visitation　of　the
premises。I　know　who　you　are；　and　who　the　lady　is　who　is　accused。〃

Valerie　opened　her　astonished　eyes；　gave　such　a　shriek　as　actresses
use　to　depict　madness　on　the　stage；　writhed　in　convulsions　on　the　bed；
like　a　witch　of　the　Middle　Ages　in　her　sulphur…colored　frock　on　a　bed
of　faggots。

〃Death；　and　I　am　ready！　my　dear　Hectorbut　a　police　court？Oh！
never。〃

With　one　bound　she　passed　the　three　spectators　and　crouched　under　the
little　writing…table；　hiding　her　face　in　her　hands。

〃Ruin！　Death！〃　she　cried。

〃Monsieur；〃　said　Marneffe　to　Hulot；　〃if　Madame　Marneffe　goes　mad；　you
are　worse　than　a　profligate；　you　will　be　a　murderer。〃

What　can　a　man　do；　what　can　he　say；　when　he　is　discovered　in　a　bed
which　is　not　his；　even　on　the　score　of　hiring；　with　a　woman　who　is　no
more　his　than　the　bed　is？Well；　this：

〃Monsieur　the　Justice　of　the　Peace；　Monsieur　the　Police　Officer；〃　said
the　Baron　with　some　dignity；　〃be　good　enough　to　take　proper　care　of
that　unhappy　woman；　whose　reason　seems　to　me　to　be　in　danger。You　can
harangue　me　afterwards。　The　doors　are　loc