cousin betty-第7章

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their　prosperity；　for　Hulot　d'Ervy；　finding　them　intelligent　and
honest；　had　taken　them　from　the　army　provision　wagons　to　place　them　in
charge　of　a　government　contract　needing　despatch。　The　brothers　Fischer
had　done　further　service　during　the　campaign　of　1804。　At　the　peace
Hulot　had　secured　for　them　the　contract　for　forage　from　Alsace；　not
knowing　that　he　would　presently　be　sent　to　Strasbourg　to　prepare　for
the　campaign　of　1806。

This　marriage　was　like　an　Assumption　to　the　young　peasant　girl。　The
beautiful　Adeline　was　translated　at　once　from　the　mire　of　her　village
to　the　paradise　of　the　Imperial　Court；　for　the　contractor；　one　of　the
most　conscientious　and　hard…working　of　the　Commissariat　staff；　was
made　a　Baron；　obtained　a　place　near　the　Emperor；　and　was　attached　to
the　Imperial　Guard。　The　handsome　rustic　bravely　set　to　work　to　educate
herself　for　love　of　her　husband；　for　she　was　simply　crazy　about　him；
and；　indeed；　the　Commissariat　office　was　as　a　man　a　perfect　match　for
Adeline　as　a　woman。　He　was　one　of　the　picked　corps　of　fine　men。　Tall；
well…built；　fair；　with　beautiful　blue　eyes　full　of　irresistible　fire
and　life；　his　elegant　appearance　made　him　remarkable　by　the　side　of
d'Orsay；　Forbin；　Ouvrard；　in　short；　in　the　battalion　of　fine　men　that
surrounded　the　Emperor。　A　conquering　〃buck；〃　and　holding　the　ideas　of
the　Directoire　with　regard　to　women；　his　career　of　gallantry　was
interrupted　for　some　long　time　by　his　conjugal　affection。

To　Adeline　the　Baron　was　from　the　first　a　sort　of　god　who　could　do　no
wrong。　To　him　she　owed　everything：　fortuneshe　had　a　carriage；　a　fine
house；　every　luxury　of　the　day；　happinesshe　was　devoted　to　her　in
the　face　of　the　world；　a　title；　for　she　was　a　Baroness；　fame；　for　she
was　spoken　of　as　the　beautiful　Madame　Hulotand　in　Paris！　Finally；
she　had　the　honor　of　refusing　the　Emperor's　advances；　for　Napoleon
made　her　a　present　of　a　diamond　necklace；　and　always　remembered　her；
asking　now　and　again；　〃And　is　the　beautiful　Madame　Hulot　still　a　model
of　virtue？〃　in　the　tone　of　a　man　who　might　have　taken　his　revenge　on
one　who　should　have　triumphed　where　he　had　failed。

So　it　needs　no　great　intuition　to　discern　what　were　the　motives　in　a
simple；　guileless；　and　noble　soul　for　the　fanaticism　of　Madame　Hulot's
love。　Having　fully　persuaded　herself　that　her　husband　could　do　her　no
wrong；　she　made　herself　in　the　depths　of　her　heart　the　humble；　abject；
and　blindfold　slave　of　the　man　who　had　made　her。　It　must　be　noted；
too；　that　she　was　gifted　with　great　good　sensethe　good　sense　of　the
people；　which　made　her　education　sound。　In　society　she　spoke　little；
and　never　spoke　evil　of　any　one；　she　did　not　try　to　shine；　she　thought
out　many　things；　listened　well；　and　formed　herself　on　the　model　of　the
best…conducted　women　of　good　birth。

In　1815　Hulot　followed　the　lead　of　the　Prince　de　Wissembourg；　his
intimate　friend；　and　became　one　of　the　officers　who　organized　the
improvised　troops　whose　rout　brought　the　Napoleonic　cycle　to　a　close
at　Waterloo。　In　1816　the　Baron　was　one　of　the　men　best　hated　by　the
Feltre　administration；　and　was　not　reinstated　in　the　Commissariat　till
1823；　when　he　was　needed　for　the　Spanish　war。　In　1830　he　took　office
as　the　fourth　wheel　of　the　coach；　at　the　time　of　the　levies；　a　sort　of
conscription　made　by　Louis　Philippe　on　the　old　Napoleonic　soldiery。
From　the　time　when　the　younger　branch　ascended　the　throne；　having
taken　an　active　part　in　bringing　that　about；　he　was　regarded　as　an
indispensable　authority　at　the　War　Office。　He　had　already　won　his
Marshal's　baton；　and　the　King　could　do　no　more　for　him　unless　by
making　him　minister　or　a　peer　of　France。

From　1818　till　1823；　having　no　official　occupation；　Baron　Hulot　had
gone　on　active　service　to　womankind。　Madame　Hulot　dated　her　Hector's
first　infidelities　from　the　grand　/finale/　of　the　Empire。　Thus；　for
twelve　years　the　Baroness　had　filled　the　part　in　her　household　of
/prima　donna　assoluta/；　without　a　rival。　She　still　could　boast　of　the
old…fashioned；　inveterate　affection　which　husbands　feel　for　wives　who
are　resigned　to　be　gentle　and　virtuous　helpmates；　she　knew　that　if　she
had　a　rival；　that　rival　would　not　subsist　for　two　hours　under　a　word
of　reproof　from　herself；　but　she　shut　her　eyes；　she　stopped　her　ears；
she　would　know　nothing　of　her　husband's　proceedings　outside　his　home。
In　short；　she　treated　her　Hector　as　a　mother　treats　a　spoilt　child。

Three　years　before　the　conversation　reported　above；　Hortense；　at　the
Theatre　des　Varietes；　had　recognized　her　father　in　a　lower　tier　stage…
box　with　Jenny　Cadine；　and　had　exclaimed：

〃There　is　papa！〃

〃You　are　mistaken；　my　darling；　he　is　at　the　Marshal's；〃　the　Baroness
replied。

She　too　had　seen　Jenny　Cadine；　but　instead　of　feeling　a　pang　when　she
saw　how　pretty　she　was；　she　said　to　herself；　〃That　rascal　Hector　must
think　himself　very　lucky。〃

She　suffered　nevertheless；　she　gave　herself　up　in　secret　to　rages　of
torment；　but　as　soon　as　she　saw　Hector；　she　always　remembered　her
twelve　years　of　perfect　happiness；　and　could　not　find　it　in　her　to
utter　a　word　of　complaint。　She　would　have　been　glad　if　the　Baron　would
have　taken　her　into　his　confidence；　but　she　never　dared　to　let　him　see
that　she　knew　of　his　kicking　over　the　traces；　out　of　respect　for　her
husband。　Such　an　excess　of　delicacy　is　never　met　with　but　in　those
grand　creatures；　daughters　of　the　soil；　whose　instinct　it　is　to　take
blows　without　ever　returning　them；　the　blood　of　the　early　martyrs
still　lives　in　their　veins。　Well…born　women；　their　husbands'　equals；
feel　the　impulse　to　annoy　them；　to　mark　the　points　of　their　tolerance；
like　points　at　billiards；　by　some　stinging　word；　partly　in　the　spirit
of　diabolical　malice；　and　to　secure　the　upper　hand　or　the　right　of
turning　the　tables。

The　Baroness　had　an　ardent　admirer　in　her　brother…in…law；　Lieutenant…
General　Hulot；　the　venerable　Colonel　of　the　Grenadiers　of　the　Imperial
Infantry　Guard；　who　was　to　have　a　Marshal's　baton　in　his　old　age。　This
veteran；　after　having　served　from　1830　to　1834　as　Commandant　of　the
military　division；　including　the　departments　of　Brittany；　the　scene　of
his　exploits　in　1799　and　1800；　had　come　to　settle　in　Paris　near　his
brother；　for　whom　he　had　a　fatherly　affection。

This　old　soldier's　heart　was　in　sympathy　with　his　sister…in…law；　he
admired　her　as　the　noblest　and　saintliest　of　her　sex。　He　had　never
married；　because　he　hoped　to　find　a　second　Adeline；　though　he　had
vainly　sought　for　her　through　twenty　campaigns　in　as　many　lands。　To
maintain　her　place　in　the　esteem　of　this　blameless　and　spotless　old
republicanof　whom　Napoleon　had　said；　〃That　brave　old　Hulot　is　the
most　obstinate　republican；　but　he　will　never　be　false　to　me〃Adeline
would　have　endured　griefs　even　greater　than　those　that　had　just　come
upon　her。　But　the　old　soldier；　seventy…two　years　of　age；　battered　by
thirty　campaigns；　and　wounded　for　the　twenty…seventh　time　at　Waterloo；
was　Adeline's　admirer；　and　not　a　〃protector。〃　The　poor　old　Count；
among　other　infirmities；　could　only　hear　through　a　speaking　trumpet。

So　long　as　Baron　Hulot　d'Ervy　was　a　fine　man；　his　flirtations　did　not
damage　his　fortune；　but　when　a　man　is　fifty；　the　Graces　claim　payment。
At　that　age　love　becomes　vice；　insensate　vanities　come　into　play。
Thus；　at　about　that　time；　Adeline　saw　that　her　husband　was　incredibly
particular　about　his　dress；　he　dyed　his　hair　and　whiskers；　and　wore　a
belt　and　stays。　He　was　determined　to　remain　handsome　at　any　cost。　This
care　of　his　person；　a　weakness　he　had　once　mercilessly　mocked　at；　was
carried　out　in　the　minutest　details。

At　last　Adeline　perceived　that　the　Pactolus　poured　out　before　the
Baron's　mistresses　had　its　source　in　her　pocket。　In　eight　years　he　had
dissipated　a　considerable　amount　of　money；　and　so　effectually；　that；
on　his　son's　marriage　two　years　previously；　the　Baron　had　been
compelled　to　explain　to　his　wife　that　his　pay　constituted　their　whole
income。

〃What　shall　we　come　to？〃　asked　Adeline。

〃Be　quite　easy；〃　said　the　official；　〃I　will　leave　the　whole　of　my
salary　in　your　hands；　and　I　will　make　a　fortune　for　Hortense；　and　some
savings　for　the　future；　in　business。〃

The　wife