cousin betty-第78章

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bridge　defended　by　three　batteries　of　cannon；　one　above　another；　on　a
sort　of　cliff；　three　redoubts　like　three　shelves；　and　commanding　the
bridge。　We　were　under　Marshal　Massena。　That　man　whom　you　see　there　was
Colonel　of　the　Grenadier　Guards；　and　I　was　one　of　them。　Our　columns
held　one　bank　of　the　river；　the　batteries　were　on　the　other。　Three
times　they　tried　for　the　bridge；　and　three　times　they　were　driven
back。　'Go　and　find　Hulot！'　said　the　Marshal；　'nobody　but　he　and　his
men　can　bolt　that　morsel。'　So　we　came。　The　General；　who　was　just
retiring　from　the　bridge；　stopped　Hulot　under　fire；　to　tell　him　how　to
do　it；　and　he　was　in　the　way。　'I　don't　want　advice；　but　room　to　pass；'
said　our　General　coolly；　marching　across　at　the　head　of　his　men。　And
then；　rattle；　thirty　guns　raking　us　at　once。〃

〃By　Heaven！〃　cried　the　workman；　〃that　accounts　for　some　of　these
crutches！〃

〃And　if　you；　like　me；　my　boy；　had　heard　those　words　so　quietly　spoken；
you　would　bow　before　that　man　down　to　the　ground！　It　is　not　so　famous
as　Arcole；　but　perhaps　it　was　finer。　We　followed　Hulot　at　the　double；
right　up　to　those　batteries。　All　honor　to　those　we　left　there！〃　and
the　old　man　lifted　his　hat。　〃The　Austrians　were　amazed　at　the　dash　of
it。The　Emperor　made　the　man　you　saw　a　Count；　he　honored　us　all　by
honoring　our　leader；　and　the　King　of　to…day　was　very　right　to　make　him
a　Marshal。〃

〃Hurrah　for　the　Marshal！〃　cried　the　workman。

〃Oh；　you　may　shoutshout　away！　The　Marshal　is　as　deaf　as　a　post　from
the　roar　of　cannon。〃

This　anecdote　may　give　some　idea　of　the　respect　with　which　the
/Invalides/　regarded　Marshal　Hulot；　whose　Republican　proclivities
secured　him　the　popular　sympathy　of　the　whole　quarter　of　the　town。

Sorrow　taking　hold　on　a　spirit　so　calm　and　strict　and　noble；　was　a
heart…breaking　spectacle。　The　Baroness　could　only　tell　lies；　with　a
woman's　ingenuity；　to　conceal　the　whole　dreadful　truth　from　her
brother…in…law。

In　the　course　of　this　miserable　morning；　the　Marshal；　who；　like　all
old　men；　slept　but　little；　had　extracted　from　Lisbeth　full　particulars
as　to　his　brother's　situation；　promising　to　marry　her　as　the　reward　of
her　revelations。　Any　one　can　imagine　with　what　glee　the　old　maid
allowed　the　secrets　to　be　dragged　from　her　which　she　had　been　dying　to
tell　ever　since　she　had　come　into　the　house；　for　by　this　means　she
made　her　marriage　more　certain。

〃Your　brother　is　incorrigible！〃　Lisbeth　shouted　into　the　Marshal's
best　ear。

Her　strong；　clear　tones　enabled　her　to　talk　to　him；　but　she　wore　out
her　lungs；　so　anxious　was　she　to　prove　to　her　future　husband　that　to
her　he　would　never　be　deaf。

〃He　has　had　three　mistresses；〃　said　the　old　man；　〃and　his　wife　was　an
Adeline！　Poor　Adeline！〃

〃If　you　will　take　my　advice；〃　shrieked　Lisbeth；　〃you　will　use　your
influence　with　the　Prince　de　Wissembourg　to　secure　her　some　suitable
appointment。　She　will　need　it；　for　the　Baron's　pay　is　pledged　for
three　years。〃

〃I　will　go　to　the　War　Office；〃　said　he；　〃and　see　the　Prince；　to　find
out　what　he　thinks　of　my　brother；　and　ask　for　his　interest　to　help　my
sister。　Think　of　some　place　that　is　fit　for　her。〃

〃The　charitable　ladies　of　Paris；　in　concert　with　the　Archbishop；　have
formed　various　beneficent　associations；　they　employ　superintendents；
very　decently　paid；　whose　business　it　is　to　seek　out　cases　of　real
want。　Such　an　occupation　would　exactly　suit　dear　Adeline；　it　would　be
work　after　her　own　heart。〃

〃Send　to　order　the　horses；〃　said　the　Marshal。　〃I　will　go　and　dress。　I
will　drive　to　Neuilly　if　necessary。〃

〃How　fond　he　is　of　her！　She　will　always　cross　my　path　wherever　I
turn！〃　said　Lisbeth　to　herself。

Lisbeth　was　already　supreme　in　the　house；　but　not　with　the　Marshal's
cognizance。　She　had　struck　terror　into　the　three　servantsfor　she　had
allowed　herself　a　housemaid；　and　she　exerted　her　old…maidish　energy　in
taking　stock　of　everything；　examining　everything；　and　arranging　in
every　respect　for　the　comfort　of　her　dear　Marshal。　Lisbeth；　quite　as
Republican　as　he　could　be；　pleased　him　by　her　democratic　opinions；　and
she　flattered　him　with　amazing　dexterity；　for　the　last　fortnight　the
old　man；　whose　house　was　better　kept；　and　who　was　cared　for　as　a　child
by　its　mother；　had　begun　to　regard　Lisbeth　as　a　part　of　what　he　had
dreamed　of。

〃My　dear　Marshal；〃　she　shouted；　following　him　out　on　to　the　steps；
〃pull　up　the　windows；　do　not　sit　in　a　draught；　to　oblige　me！〃

The　Marshal；　who　had　never　been　so　cosseted　in　his　life；　went　off
smiling　at　Lisbeth；　though　his　heart　was　aching。

At　the　same　hour　Baron　Hulot　was　quitting　the　War　Office　to　call　on
his　chief；　Marshal　the　Prince　de　Wissembourg；　who　had　sent　for　him。
Though　there　was　nothing　extraordinary　in　one　of　the　Generals　on　the
Board　being　sent　for；　Hulot's　conscience　was　so　uneasy　that　he　fancied
he　saw　a　cold　and　sinister　expression　in　Mitouflet's　face。

〃Mitouflet；　how　is　the　Prince？〃　he　asked；　locking　the　door　of　his
private　room　and　following　the　messenger　who　led　the　way。

〃He　must　have　a　crow　to　pluck　with　you；　Monsieur　le　Baron；〃　replied
the　man；　〃for　his　face　is　set　at　stormy。〃

Hulot　turned　pale；　and　said　no　more；　he　crossed　the　anteroom　and
reception　rooms；　and；　with　a　violently　beating　heart；　found　himself　at
the　door　of　the　Prince's　private　study。

The　chief；　at　this　time　seventy　years　old；　with　perfectly　white　hair；
and　the　tanned　complexion　of　a　soldier　of　that　age；　commanded
attention　by　a　brow　so　vast　that　imagination　saw　in　it　a　field　of
battle。　Under　this　dome；　crowned　with　snow；　sparkled　a　pair　of　eyes；
of　the　Napoleon　blue；　usually　sad…looking　and　full　of　bitter　thoughts
and　regrets；　their　fire　overshadowed　by　the　penthouse　of　the　strongly
projecting　brow。　This　man；　Bernadotte's　rival；　had　hoped　to　find　his
seat　on　a　throne。　But　those　eyes　could　flash　formidable　lightnings
when　they　expressed　strong　feelings。

Then；　his　voice；　always　somewhat　hollow；　rang　with　strident　tones。
When　he　was　angry；　the　Prince　was　a　soldier　once　more；　he　spoke　the
language　of　Lieutenant　Cottin；　he　spared　nothingnobody。　Hulot　d'Ervy
found　the　old　lion；　his　hair　shaggy　like　a　mane；　standing　by　the
fireplace；　his　brows　knit；　his　back　against　the　mantel…shelf；　and　his
eyes　apparently　fixed　on　vacancy。

〃Here！　At　your　orders；　Prince！〃　said　Hulot；　affecting　a　graceful　ease
of　manner。

The　Marshal　looked　hard　at　the　Baron；　without　saying　a　word；　during
the　time　it　took　him　to　come　from　the　door　to　within　a　few　steps　of
where　the　chief　stood。　This　leaden　stare　was　like　the　eye　of　God；
Hulot　could　not　meet　it；　he　looked　down　in　confusion。

〃He　knows　everything！〃　said　he　to　himself。

〃Does　your　conscience　tell　you　nothing？〃　asked　the　Marshal；　in　his
deep；　hollow　tones。

〃It　tells　me；　sir；　that　I　have　been　wrong；　no　doubt；　in　ordering
/razzias/　in　Algeria　without　referring　the　matter　to　you。　At　my　age；
and　with　my　tastes；　after　forty…five　years　of　service；　I　have　no
fortune。You　know　the　principles　of　the　four　hundred　elect
representatives　of　France。　Those　gentlemen　are　envious　of　every
distinction；　they　have　pared　down　even　the　Ministers'　paythat　says
everything！　Ask　them　for　money　for　an　old　servant！What　can　you
expect　of　men　who　pay　a　whole　class　so　badly　as　they　pay　the
Government　legal　officials？who　give　thirty　sous　a　day　to　the
laborers　on　the　works　at　Toulon；　when　it　is　a　physical　impossibility
to　live　there　and　keep　a　family　on　less　than　forty　sous？who　never
think　of　the　atrocity　of　giving　salaries　of　six　hundred　francs；　up　to
a　thousand　or　twelve　hundred　perhaps；　to　clerks　living　in　Paris；　and
who　want　to　secure　our　places　for　themselves　as　soon　as　the　pay　rises
to　forty　thousand？who；　finally；　refuse　to　restore　to　the　Crown　a
piece　of　Crown　property　confiscated　from　the　Crown　in　1830property
acquired；　too；　by　Louis　XVI。　out　of　his　privy　purse！If　you　had　no
private　fortune；　Prince；　you　would　be　left　high　and　dry；　like　my
brother；　with　your　pay　and　not　another　sou；　and　no　thought　of　your
having　saved　the　army；　and　me　with　it；　in　the　boggy　plains　of　Poland。〃

〃You　have　robbed　the　State！　You　have　made　yourself　liable　to　be
brought　before　the　bench　at　Assizes；〃　said　the　Marshal；　〃l