cousin betty-第74章

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full　of　sudden　hope　that　she　might　get　the　two　hundred　thousand　francs
without　degrading　herself：

〃Buy　a　soulyou　were　once　ready　to　buy　virtue！〃　she　went　on；　with　a
frenzied　gaze。　〃Trust　to　my　honesty　as　a　woman；　to　my　honor；　of　which
you　know　the　worth！　Be　my　friend！　Save　a　whole　family　from　ruin；
shame；　despair；　keep　it　from　falling　into　a　bog　where　the　quicksands
are　mingled　with　blood！　Oh！　ask　for　no　explanations；〃　she　exclaimed；
at　a　movement　on　Crevel's　part；　who　was　about　to　speak。　〃Above　all；　do
not　say　to　me；　'I　told　you　so！'　like　a　friend　who　is　glad　at　a
misfortune。　Come　now；　yield　to　her　whom　you　used　to　love；　to　the　woman
whose　humiliation　at　your　feet　is　perhaps　the　crowning　moment　of　her
glory；　ask　nothing　of　her；　expect　what　you　will　from　her　gratitude！
No；　no。　Give　me　nothing；　but　lendlend　to　me　whom　you　used　to　call
Adeline〃

At　this　point　her　tears　flowed　so　fast；　Adeline　was　sobbing　so
passionately；　that　Crevel's　gloves　were　wet。　The　words；　〃I　need　two
hundred　thousand　francs；〃　were　scarcely　articulate　in　the　torrent　of
weeping；　as　stones；　however　large；　are　invisible　in　Alpine　cataracts
swollen　by　the　melting　of　the　snows。

This　is　the　inexperience　of　virtue。　Vice　asks　for　nothing；　as　we　have
seen　in　Madame　Marneffe；　it　gets　everything　offered　to　it。　Women　of
that　stamp　are　never　exacting　till　they　have　made　themselves
indispensable；　or　when　a　man　has　to　be　worked　as　a　quarry　is　worked
where　the　lime　is　rather　scarcegoing　to　ruin；　as　the　quarry…men　say。

On　hearing　these　words；　〃Two　hundred　thousand　francs；〃　Crevel
understood　all。　He　cheerfully　raised　the　Baroness；　saying　insolently：

〃Come；　come；　bear　up；　mother；〃　which　Adeline；　in　her　distraction；
failed　to　hear。　The　scene　was　changing　its　character。　Crevel　was
becoming　〃master　of　the　situation；〃　to　use　his　own　words。　The　vastness
of　the　sum　startled　Crevel　so　greatly　that　his　emotion　at　seeing　this
handsome　woman　in　tears　at　his　feet　was　forgotten。　Besides；　however
angelical　and　saintly　a　woman　may　be；　when　she　is　crying　bitterly　her
beauty　disappears。　A　Madame　Marneffe；　as　has　been　seen；　whimpers　now
and　then；　a　tear　trickles　down　her　cheek；　but　as　to　melting　into　tears
and　making　her　eyes　and　nose　red！never　would　she　commit　such　a
blunder。

〃Come；　child；　compose　yourself。Deuce　take　it！〃　Crevel　went　on；
taking　Madame　Hulot's　hands　in　his　own　and　patting　them。　〃Why　do　you
apply　to　me　for　two　hundred　thousand　francs？　What　do　you　want　with
them？　Whom　are　they　for？〃

〃Do　not；〃　said　she；　〃insist　on　any　explanations。　Give　me　the　money！
You　will　save　three　lives　and　the　honor　of　our　children。〃

〃And　do　you　suppose；　my　good　mother；　that　in　all　Paris　you　will　find　a
man　who　at　a　word　from　a　half…crazy　woman　will　go　off　/hic　et　nunc/；
and　bring　out　of　some　drawer；　Heaven　knows　where；　two　hundred　thousand
francs　that　have　been　lying　simmering　there　till　she　is　pleased　to
scoop　them　up？　Is　that　all　you　know　of　life　and　of　business；　my
beauty？　Your　folks　are　in　a　bad　way；　you　may　send　them　the　last
sacraments；　for　no　one　in　Paris　but　her　Divine　Highness　Madame　la
Banque；　or　the　great　Nucingen；　or　some　miserable　miser　who　is　in　love
with　gold　as　we　other　folks　are　with　a　woman；　could　produce　such　a
miracle！　The　civil　list；　civil　as　it　may　be；　would　beg　you　to　call
again　tomorrow。　Every　one　invests　his　money；　and　turns　it　over　to　the
best　of　his　powers。

〃You　are　quite　mistaken；　my　angel；　if　you　suppose　that　King　Louis…
Philippe　rules　us；　he　himself　knows　better　than　that。　He　knows　as　well
as　we　do　that　supreme　above　the　Charter　reigns　the　holy；　venerated；
substantial；　delightful；　obliging；　beautiful；　noble；　ever…youthful；
and　all…powerful　five…franc　piece！　But　money；　my　beauty；　insists　on
interest；　and　is　always　engaged　in　seeking　it！　'God　of　the　Jews；　thou
art　supreme！'　says　Racine。　The　perennial　parable　of　the　golden　calf；
you　see！In　the　days　of　Moses　there　was　stock…jobbing　in　the　desert！

〃We　have　reverted　to　Biblical　traditions；　the　Golden　Calf　was　the
first　State　ledger；〃　he　went　on。　〃You；　my　Adeline；　have　not　gone
beyond　the　Rue　Plumet。　The　Egyptians　had　lent　enormous　sums　to　the
Hebrews；　and　what　they　ran　after　was　not　God's　people；　but　their
capital。〃

He　looked　at　the　Baroness　with　an　expression　which　said；　〃How　clever　I
am！〃

〃You　know　nothing　of　the　devotion　of　every　city　man　to　his　sacred
hoard！〃　he　went　on；　after　a　pause。　〃Excuse　me。　Listen　to　me。　Get　this
well　into　your　head。You　want　two　hundred　thousand　francs？　No　one　can
produce　the　sum　without　selling　some　security。　Now　consider！　To　have
two　hundred　thousand　francs　in　hard　cash　it　would　be　needful　to　sell
about　seven　hundred　thousand　francs'　worth　of　stock　at　three　per　cent。
Well；　and　then　you　would　only　get　the　money　on　the　third　day。　That　is
the　quickest　way。　To　persuade　a　man　to　part　with　a　fortunefor　two
hundred　thousand　francs　is　the　whole　fortune　of　many　a　manhe　ought
at　least　to　know　where　it　is　all　going　to；　and　for　what　purpose〃

〃It　is　going；　my　dear　kind　Crevel；　to　save　the　lives　of　two　men；　one
of　whom　will　die　of　grief　and　the　other　will　kill　himself！　And　to　save
me　too　from　going　mad！　Am　I　not　a　little　mad　already？〃

〃Not　so　mad！〃　said　he；　taking　Madame　Hulot　round　the　knees；　〃old
Crevel　has　his　price；　since　you　thought　of　applying　to　him；　my　angel。〃

〃They　submit　to　have　a　man's　arms　round　their　knees；　it　would　seem！〃
thought　the　saintly　woman；　covering　her　face　with　her　hands。

〃Once　you　offered　me　a　fortune！〃　said　she；　turning　red。

〃Ay；　mother！　but　that　was　three　years　ago！〃　replied　Crevel。　〃Well；　you
are　handsomer　now　than　ever　I　saw　you！〃　he　went　on；　taking　the
Baroness'　arm　and　pressing　it　to　his　heart。　〃You　have　a　good　memory；
my　dear；　by　Jove！And　now　you　see　how　wrong　you　were　to　be　so
prudish；　for　those　three　hundred　thousand　francs　that　you　refused　so
magnanimously　are　in　another　woman's　pocket。　I　loved　you　then；　I　love
you　still；　but　just　look　back　these　three　years。

〃When　I　said　to　you；　'You　shall　be　mine；'　what　object　had　I　in　view？　I
meant　to　be　revenged　on　that　rascal　Hulot。　But　your　husband；　my
beauty；　found　himself　a　mistressa　jewel　of　a　woman；　a　pearl；　a
cunning　hussy　then　aged　three…and…twenty；　for　she　is　six…and…twenty
now。　It　struck　me　as　more　amusing；　more　complete；　more　Louis　XV。；　more
Marechal　de　Richelieu；　more　first…class　altogether；　to　filch　away　that
charmer；　who；　in　point　of　fact；　never　cared　for　Hulot；　and　who　for
these　three　years　has　been　madly　in　love　with　your　humble　servant。〃

As　he　spoke；　Crevel；　from　whose　hands　the　Baroness　had　released　her
own；　had　resumed　his　favorite　attitude；　both　thumbs　were　stuck　into
his　armholes；　and　he　was　patting　his　ribs　with　his　fingers；　like　two
flapping　wings；　fancying　that　he　was　thus　making　himself　very
attractive　and　charming。　It　was　as　much　as　to　say；　〃And　this　is　the
man　you　would　have　nothing　to　say　to！〃

〃There　you　are　my　dear；　I　had　my　revenge；　and　your　husband　knows　it。　I
proved　to　him　clearly　that　he　was　basketedjust　where　he　was　before；
as　we　say。　Madame　Marneffe　is　my　mistress；　and　when　her　precious
Marneffe　kicks　the　bucket；　she　will　be　my　wife。〃

Madame　Hulot　stared　at　Crevel　with　a　fixed　and　almost　dazed　look。

〃Hector　knew　it？〃　she　said。

〃And　went　back　to　her；〃　replied　Crevel。　〃And　I　allowed　it；　because
Valerie　wished　to　be　the　wife　of　a　head…clerk；　but　she　promised　me
that　she　would　manage　things　so　that　our　Baron　should　be　so
effectually　bowled　over　that　he　can　never　interfere　any　more。　And　my
little　duchessfor　that　woman　is　a　born　duchess；　on　my　soul！kept
her　word。　She　restores　you　your　Hector；　madame；　virtuous　in
perpetuity；　as　she　saysshe　is　so　witty！　He　has　had　a　good　lesson；　I
can　tell　you！　The　Baron　has　had　some　hard　knocks；　he　will　help　no　more
actresses　or　fine　ladies；　he　is　radically　cured；　cleaned　out　like　a
beer…glass。

〃If　you　had　listened　to　Crevel　in　the　first　instance；　instead　of
scorning　him　and　turning　him　out　of　the　house；　you　might　have　had　four
hundred　thousand　francs；　for　my　revenge　has　cost　me　all　of　that。But
I　shall　get　my　change　back；　I　hope；　when　Marneffe　diesI　have
invested　in　a　wife；　you　see；　that　is　the　secret　of　my　extravagan