cousin betty-第80章

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it　is　too　much　to　be　what　I　am　already；　and　thrashed　into　the　bargain。
That　would　not　satisfy　me　at　all。〃

And　he　left　the　room。

〃What　an　impudent　scoundrel！〃　said　the　Prince。

Marshal　Hulot；　who　had　stood　up　throughout　this　scene；　as　pale　as　a
corpse；　studying　his　brother　out　of　the　corner　of　his　eye；　went　up　to
the　Prince；　and　took　his　hand；　repeating：

〃In　forty…eight　hours　the　pecuniary　mischief　shall　be　repaired；　but
honor！Good…bye；　Marshal。　It　is　the　last　shot　that　kills。　Yes；　I
shall　die　of　it！〃　he　said　in　his　ear。

〃What　the　devil　brought　you　here　this　morning？〃　said　the　Prince；　much
moved。

〃I　came　to　see　what　can　be　done　for　his　wife；〃　replied　the　Count；
pointing　to　his　brother。　〃She　is　wanting　breadespecially　now！〃

〃He　has　his　pension。〃

〃It　is　pledged！〃

〃The　Devil　must　possess　such　a　man；〃　said　the　Prince；　with　a　shrug。
〃What　philtre　do　those　baggages　give　you　to　rob　you　of　your　wits？〃　he
went　on　to　Hulot　d'Ervy。　〃How　could　youyou；　who　know　the　precise
details　with　which　in　French　offices　everything　is　written　down　at
full　length；　consuming　reams　of　paper　to　certify　to　the　receipt　or
outlay　of　a　few　centimesyou；　who　have　so　often　complained　that　a
hundred　signatures　are　needed　for　a　mere　trifle；　to　discharge　a
soldier；　to　buy　a　curry…combhow　could　you　hope　to　conceal　a　theft
for　any　length　of　time？　To　say　nothing　of　the　newspapers；　and　the
envious；　and　the　people　who　would　like　to　steal！those　women　must　rob
you　of　your　common…sense！　Do　they　cover　your　eyes　with　walnut…shells？
or　are　you　yourself　made　of　different　stuff　from　us？You　ought　to
have　left　the　office　as　soon　as　you　found　that　you　were　no　longer　a
man；　but　a　temperament。　If　you　have　complicated　your　crime　with　such
gross　folly；　you　will　endI　will　not　say　where〃

〃Promise　me；　Cottin；　that　you　will　do　what　you　can　for　her；〃　said　the
Marshal；　who　heard　nothing；　and　was　still　thinking　of　his　sister…in…
law。

〃Depend　on　me；！〃　said　the　Minister。

〃Thank　you；　and　good…bye　then！Come；　monsieur；〃　he　said　to　his
brother。

The　Prince　looked　with　apparent　calmness　at　the　two　brothers；　so
different　in　their　demeanor；　conduct；　and　characterthe　brave　man　and
the　coward；　the　ascetic　and　the　profligate；　the　honest　man　and　the
peculatorand　he　said　to　himself：

〃That　mean　creature　will　not　have　courage　to　die！　And　my　poor　Hulot；
such　an　honest　fellow！　has　death　in　his　knapsack；　I　know！〃

He　sat　down　again　in　his　big　chair　and　went　on　reading　the　despatches
from　Africa　with　a　look　characteristic　at　once　of　the　coolness　of　a
leader　and　of　the　pity　roused　by　the　sight　of　a　battle…field！　For　in
reality　no　one　is　so　humane　as　a　soldier；　stern　as　he　may　seem　in　the
icy　determination　acquired　by　the　habit　of　fighting；　and　so　absolutely
essential　in　the　battle…field。

Next　morning　some　of　the　newspapers　contained；　under　various　headings；
the　following　paragraphs：

　　〃Monsieur　le　Baron　Hulot　d'Ervy　has　applied　for　his　retiring
　　pension。　The　unsatisfactory　state　of　the　Algerian　exchequer；　which
　　has　come　out　in　consequence　of　the　death　and　disappearance　of　two
　　employes；　has　had　some　share　in　this　distinguished　official's
　　decision。　On　hearing　of　the　delinquencies　of　the　agents　whom　he
　　had　unfortunately　trusted；　Monsieur　le　Baron　Hulot　had　a　paralytic
　　stroke　in　the　War　Minister's　private　room。

　　〃Monsieur　Hulot　d'Ervy；　brother　to　the　Marshal　Comte　de　Forzheim；
　　has　been　forty…five　years　in　the　service。　His　determination　has
　　been　vainly　opposed；　and　is　greatly　regretted　by　all　who　know
　　Monsieur　Hulot；　whose　private　virtues　are　as　conspicuous　as　his
　　administrative　capacity。　No　one　can　have　forgotten　the　devoted
　　conduct　of　the　Commissary　General　of　the　Imperial　Guard　at　Warsaw；
　　or　the　marvelous　promptitude　with　which　he　organized　supplies　for
　　the　various　sections　of　the　army　so　suddenly　required　by　Napoleon
　　in　1815。

　　〃One　more　of　the　heroes　of　the　Empire　is　retiring　from　the　stage。
　　Monsieur　le　Baron　Hulot　has　never　ceased；　since　1830；　to　be　one　of
　　the　guiding　lights　of　the　State　Council　and　of　the　War　Office。〃

　　〃ALGIERS。The　case　known　as　the　forage　supply　case；　to　which　some
　　of　our　contemporaries　have　given　absurd　prominence；　has　been
　　closed　by　the　death　of　the　chief　culprit。　Johann　Wisch　has
　　committed　suicide　in　his　cell；　his　accomplice；　who　had　absconded；
　　will　be　sentenced　in　default。

　　〃Wisch；　formerly　an　army　contractor；　was　an　honest　man　and　highly
　　respected；　who　could　not　survive　the　idea　of　having　been　the　dupe
　　of　Chardin；　the　storekeeper　who　has　disappeared。〃

And　in　the　/Paris　News/　the　following　paragraph　appeared：

　　〃Monsieur　le　Marechal　the　Minister　of　War；　to　prevent　the
　　recurrence　of　such　scandals　for　the　future；　has　arranged　for　a
　　regular　Commissariat　office　in　Africa。　A　head…clerk　in　the　War
　　Office；　Monsieur　Marneffe；　is　spoken　of　as　likely　to　be　appointed
　　to　the　post　of　director。〃



　　〃The　office　vacated　by　Baron　Hulot　is　the　object　of　much　ambition。
　　The　appointment　is　promised；　it　is　said；　to　Monsieur　le　Comte
　　Martial　de　la　Roche…Hugon；　Deputy；　brother…in…law　to　Monsieur　le
　　Comte　de　Rastignac。　Monsieur　Massol；　Master　of　Appeals；　will　fill
　　his　seat　on　the　Council　of　State；　and　Monsieur　Claude　Vignon
　　becomes　Master　of　Appeals。〃

Of　all　kinds　of　false　gossip；　the　most　dangerous　for　the　Opposition
newspapers　is　the　official　bogus　paragraph。　However　keen　journalists
may　be；　they　are　sometimes　the　voluntary　or　involuntary　dupes　of　the
cleverness　of　those　who　have　risen　from　the　ranks　of　the　Press；　like
Claude　Vignon；　to　the　higher　realms　of　power。　The　newspaper　can　only
be　circumvented　by　the　journalist。　It　may　be　said；　as　a　parody　on　a
line　by　Voltaire：

〃The　Paris　news　is　never　what　the　foolish　folk　believe。〃

Marshal　Hulot　drove　home　with　his　brother；　who　took　the　front　seat；
respectfully　leaving　the　whole　of　the　back　of　the　carriage　to　his
senior。　The　two　men　spoke　not　a　word。　Hector　was　helpless。　The　Marshal
was　lost　in　thought；　like　a　man　who　is　collecting　all　his　strength；
and　bracing　himself　to　bear　a　crushing　weight。　On　arriving　at　his　own
house；　still　without　speaking；　but　by　an　imperious　gesture；　he
beckoned　his　brother　into　his　study。　The　Count　had　received　from　the
Emperor　Napoleon　a　splendid　pair　of　pistols　from　the　Versailles
factory；　he　took　the　box；　with　its　inscription。　〃/Given　by　the　Emperor
Napoleon　to　General　Hulot/；〃　out　of　his　desk；　and　placing　it　on　the
top；　he　showed　it　to　his　brother；　saying；　〃There　is　your　remedy。〃

Lisbeth；　peeping　through　the　chink　of　the　door；　flew　down　to　the
carriage　and　ordered　the　coachman　to　go　as　fast　as　he　could　gallop　to
the　Rue　Plumet。　Within　about　twenty　minutes　she　had　brought　back
Adeline；　whom　she　had　told　of　the　Marshal's　threat　to　his　brother。

The　Marshal；　without　looking　at　Hector；　rang　the　bell　for　his
factotum；　the　old　soldier　who　had　served　him　for　thirty　years。

〃Beau…Pied；〃　said　he；　〃fetch　my　notary；　and　Count　Steinbock；　and　my
niece　Hortense；　and　the　stockbroker　to　the　Treasury。　It　is　now　half…
past　ten；　they　must　all　be　here　by　twelve。　Take　hackney　cabsand　go
faster　than　/that/！〃　he　added；　a　republican　allusion　which　in　past
days　had　been　often　on　his　lips。　And　he　put　on　the　scowl　that　had
brought　his　soldiers　to　attention　when　he　was　beating　the　broom　on　the
heaths　of　Brittany　in　1799。　（See　/Les　Chouans/。）

〃You　shall　be　obeyed；　Marechal；〃　said　Beau…Pied；　with　a　military
salute。

Still　paying　no　heed　to　his　brother；　the　old　man　came　back　into　his
study；　took　a　key　out　of　his　desk；　and　opened　a　little　malachite　box
mounted　in　steel；　the　gift　of　the　Emperor　Alexander。

By　Napoleon's　orders　he　had　gone　to　restore　to　the　Russian　Emperor　the
private　property　seized　at　the　battle　of　Dresden；　in　exchange　for
which　Napoleon　hoped　to　get　back　Vandamme。　The　Czar　rewarded　General
Hulot　very　handsomely；　giving　him　this　casket；　and　saying　that　he
hoped　one　day　to　show　the　same　courtesy　to　the　Emperor　of　the　French；
but　he　kept　Vandamme。　The　Imperial　arms　of　Russia　were　displayed　in
gold　on　the　lid　of　the　box；　which　was　inlaid　with　gold。

The　Marshal　counted　the　bank…notes　it　contained；　he　had