cousin betty-第84章

按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！


father　who　has　neither　money　nor　honor　can　only　be　stuffed　and　kept　in
a　glass　case。〃

The　Baron　could　not　help　smiling　at　these　abominable　jests。

〃Well；　now；　Bijou　is　to　come　to…morrow　morning　to　bring　me　an
embroidered　wrapper；　a　gem！　It　has　taken　six　months　to　make；　no　one
else　will　have　any　stuff　like　it！　Bijou　is　very　fond　of　me；　I　give　her
tidbits　and　my　old　gowns。　And　I　send　orders　for　bread　and　meat　and
wood　to　the　family；　who　would　break　the　shin…bones　of　the　first　comer
if　I　bid　them。I　try　to　do　a　little　good。　Ah！　I　know　what　I　endured
from　hunger　myself！Bijou　has　confided　to　me　all　her　little　sorrows。
There　is　the　making　of　a　super　at　the　Ambigu…Comique　in　that　child。
Her　dream　is　to　wear　fine　dresses　like　mine；　above　all；　to　ride　in　a
carriage。　I　shall　say　to　her；　'Look　here；　little　one；　would　you　like
to　have　a　friend　of'　How　old　are　you？〃　she　asked；　interrupting
herself。　〃Seventy…two？〃

〃I　have　given　up　counting。〃

〃　'Would　you　like　an　old　gentleman　of　seventy…two？'　I　shall　say。　'Very
clean　and　neat；　and　who　does　not　take　snuff；　who　is　as　sound　as　a
bell；　and　as　good　as　a　young　man？　He　will　marry　you　（in　the　Thirteenth
Arrondissement）　and　be　very　kind　to　you；　he　will　place　seven　thousand
francs　in　your　account；　and　furnish　you　a　room　all　in　mahogany；　and　if
you　are　good；　he　will　sometimes　take　you　to　the　play。　He　will　give　you
a　hundred　francs　a　month　for　pocket…money；　and　fifty　francs　for
housekeeping。'I　know　Bijou；　she　is　myself　at　fourteen。　I　jumped　for
joy　when　that　horrible　Crevel　made　me　his　atrocious　offers。　Well；　and
you；　old　man；　will　be　disposed　of　for　three　years。　She　is　a　good
child；　well　behaved；　for　three　or　four　years　she　will　have　her
illusionsnot　for　longer。〃

Hulot　did　not　hesitate；　he　had　made　up　his　mind　to　refuse；　but　to　seem
grateful　to　the　kind…hearted　singer；　who　was　benevolent　after　her
lights；　he　affected　to　hesitate　between　vice　and　virtue。

〃Why；　you　are　as　cold　as　a　paving…stone　in　winter！〃　she　exclaimed　in
amazement。　〃Come；　now。　You　will　make　a　whole　family　happya
grandfather　who　runs　all　the　errands；　a　mother　who　is　being　worn　out
with　work；　and　two　sistersone　of　them　very　plainwho　make　thirty…
two　sous　a　day　while　putting　their　eyes　out。　It　will　make　up　for　the
misery　you　have　caused　at　home；　and　you　will　expiate　your　sin　while
you　are　having　as　much　fun　as　a　minx　at　Mabille。〃

Hulot；　to　put　an　end　to　this　temptation；　moved　his　fingers　as　if　he
were　counting　out　money。

〃Oh！　be　quite　easy　as　to　ways　and　means；〃　replied　Josepha。　〃My　Duke
will　lend　you　ten　thousand　francs；　seven　thousand　to　start　an
embroidery　shop　in　Bijou's　name；　and　three　thousand　for　furnishing；
and　every　three　months　you　will　find　a　cheque　here　for　six　hundred　and
fifty　francs。　When　you　get　your　pension　paid　you；　you　can　repay　the
seventeen　thousand　francs。　Meanwhile　you　will　be　as　happy　as　a　cow　in
clover；　and　hidden　in　a　hole　where　the　police　will　never　find　you。　You
must　wear　a　loose　serge　coat；　and　you　will　look　like　a　comfortable
householder。　Call　yourself　Thoul；　if　that　is　your　fancy。　I　will　tell
Bijou　that　you　are　an　uncle　of　mine　come　from　Germany；　having　failed
in　business；　and　you　will　be　cosseted　like　a　divinity。There　now；
Daddy！And　who　knows！　you　may　have　no　regrets。　In　case　you　should　be
bored；　keep　one　Sunday　rig…out；　and　you　can　come　and　ask　me　for　a
dinner　and　spend　the　evening　here。〃

〃I！and　I　meant　to　settle　down　and　behave　myself！Look　here；　borrow
twenty　thousand　francs　for　me；　and　I　will　set　out　to　make　my　fortune
in　America；　like　my　friend　d'Aiglemont　when　Nucingen　cleaned　him　out。〃

〃You！〃　cried　Josepha。　〃Nay；　leave　morals　to　work…a…day　folks；　to　raw
recruits；　to　the　/worrrthy/　citizens　who　have　nothing　to　boast　of　but
their　virtue。　You！　You　were　born　to　be　something　better　than　a
nincompoop；　you　are　as　a　man　what　I　am　as　a　womana　spendthrift　of
genius。〃

〃We　will　sleep　on　it　and　discuss　it　all　to…morrow　morning。〃

〃You　will　dine　with　the　Duke。　My　d'Herouville　will　receive　you　as
civilly　as　if　you　were　the　saviour　of　the　State；　and　to…morrow　you　can
decide。　Come；　be　jolly；　old　boy！　Life　is　a　garment；　when　it　is　dirty；
we　must　brush　it；　when　it　is　ragged；　it　must　be　patched；　but　we　keep
it　on　as　long　as　we　can。〃

This　philosophy　of　life；　and　her　high　spirits；　postponed　Hulot's
keenest　pangs。

At　noon　next　day；　after　a　capital　breakfast；　Hulot　saw　the　arrival　of
one　of　those　living　masterpieces　which　Paris　alone　of　all　the　cities
in　the　world　can　produce；　by　means　of　the　constant　concubinage　of
luxury　and　poverty；　of　vice　and　decent　honesty；　of　suppressed　desire
and　renewed　temptation；　which　makes　the　French　capital　the　daughter　of
Ninevah；　of　Babylon；　and　of　Imperial　Rome。

Mademoiselle　Olympe　Bijou；　a　child　of　sixteen；　had　the　exquisite　face
which　Raphael　drew　for　his　Virgins；　eyes　of　pathetic　innocence；　weary
with　overworkblack　eyes；　with　long　lashes；　their　moisture　parched
with　the　heat　of　laborious　nights；　and　darkened　with　fatigue；　a
complexion　like　porcelain；　almost　too　delicate；　a　mouth　like　a　partly
opened　pomegranate；　a　heaving　bosom；　a　full　figure；　pretty　hands；　the
whitest　teeth；　and　a　mass　of　black　hair；　and　the　whole　meagrely　set
off　by　a　cotton　frock　at　seventy…five　centimes　the　metre；　leather
shoes　without　heels；　and　the　cheapest　gloves。　The　girl；　all
unconscious　of　her　charms；　had　put　on　her　best　frock　to　wait　on　the
fine　lady。

The　Baron；　gripped　again　by　the　clutch　of　profligacy；　felt　all　his
life　concentrated　in　his　eyes。　He　forgot　everything　on　beholding　this
delightful　creature。　He　was　like　a　sportsman　in　sight　of　the　game；　if
an　emperor　were　present；　he　must　take　aim！

〃And　warranted　sound；〃　said　Josepha　in　his　ear。　〃An　honest　child；　and
wanting　bread。　This　is　ParisI　have　been　there！〃

〃It　is　a　bargain；〃　replied　the　old　man；　getting　up　and　rubbing　his
hands。

When　Olympe　Bijou　was　gone；　Josepha　looked　mischievously　at　the　Baron。

〃If　you　want　things　to　keep　straight；　Daddy；〃　said　she；　〃be　as　firm　as
the　Public　Prosecutor　on　the　bench。　Keep　a　tight　hand　on　her；　be　a
Bartholo！　Ware　Auguste；　Hippolyte；　Nestor；　Victor/or/；　that　is　gold；
in　every　form。　When　once　the　child　is　fed　and　dressed；　if　she　gets　the
upper　hand；　she　will　drive　you　like　a　serf。I　will　see　to　settling
you　comfortably。　The　Duke　does　the　handsome；　he　will　lendthat　is；
giveyou　ten　thousand　francs；　and　he　deposits　eight　thousand　with　his
notary；　who　will　pay　you　six　hundred　francs　every　quarter；　for　I
cannot　trust　you。Now；　am　I　nice？〃

〃Adorable。〃

Ten　days　after　deserting　his　family；　when　they　were　gathered　round
Adeline；　who　seemed　to　be　dying；　as　she　said　again　and　again；　in　a
weak　voice；　〃Where　is　he？〃　Hector；　under　the　name　of　Thoul；　was
established　in　the　Rue　Saint…Maur；　at　the　head　of　a　business　as
embroiderer；　under　the　name　of　Thoul　and　Bijou。



Victorin　Hulot；　under　the　overwhelming　disasters　of　his　family；　had
received　the　finishing　touch　which　makes　or　mars　the　man。　He　was
perfection。　In　the　great　storms　of　life　we　act　like　the　captain　of　a
ship　who；　under　the　stress　of　a　hurricane；　lightens　the　ship　of　its
heaviest　cargo。　The　young　lawyer　lost　his　self…conscious　pride；　his
too　evident　assertiveness；　his　arrogance　as　an　orator　and　his
political　pretensions。　He　was　as　a　man　what　his　wife　was　as　a　woman。
He　made　up　his　mind　to　make　the　best　of　his　Celestinewho　certainly
did　not　realize　his　dreamsand　was　wise　enough　to　estimate　life　at
its　true　value　by　contenting　himself　in　all　things　with　the　second
best。　He　vowed　to　fulfil　his　duties；　so　much　had　he　been　shocked　by
his　father's　example。

These　feelings　were　confirmed　as　he　stood　by　his　mother's　bed　on　the
day　when　she　was　out　of　danger。　Nor　did　this　happiness　come　single。
Claude　Vignon；　who　called　every　day　from　the　Prince　de　Wissembourg　to
inquire　as　to　Madame　Hulot's　progress；　desired　the　re…elected　deputy
to　go　with　him　to　see　the　Minister。

〃His　Excellency；〃　said　he；　〃wants　to　talk　over　your　family　affairs
with　you。〃

The　Prince　had　long　known　Victorin　Hulot；　and　received　him　with　a
friendliness　that　promised　well。

〃My　dear　fellow；〃　said　the　old　soldier；　〃I　promised　your　uncle；　in
this　ro