cousin betty-第85章

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friendliness　that　promised　well。

〃My　dear　fellow；〃　said　the　old　soldier；　〃I　promised　your　uncle；　in
this　room；　that　I　would　take　care　of　your　mother。　That　saintly　woman；
I　am　told；　is　getting　well　again；　now　is　the　time　to　pour　oil　into
your　wounds。　I　have　for　you　here　two　hundred　thousand　francs；　I　will
give　them　to　you〃

The　lawyer's　gesture　was　worthy　of　his　uncle　the　Marshal。

〃Be　quite　easy；〃　said　the　Prince；　smiling；　〃it　is　money　in　trust。　My
days　are　numbered；　I　shall　not　always　be　here；　so　take　this　sum；　and
fill　my　place　towards　your　family。　You　may　use　this　money　to　pay　off
the　mortgage　on　your　house。　These　two　hundred　thousand　francs　are　the
property　of　your　mother　and　your　sister。　If　I　gave　the　money　to　Madame
Hulot；　I　fear　that；　in　her　devotion　to　her　husband；　she　would　be
tempted　to　waste　it。　And　the　intention　of　those　who　restore　it　to　you
is；　that　it　should　produce　bread　for　Madame　Hulot　and　her　daughter；
the　Countess　Steinbock。　You　are　a　steady　man；　the　worthy　son　of　your
noble　mother；　the　true　nephew　of　my　friend　the　Marshal；　you　are
appreciated　here；　you　seeand　elsewhere。　So　be　the　guardian　angel　of
your　family；　and　take　this　as　a　legacy　from　your　uncle　and　me。〃

〃Monseigneur；〃　said　Hulot；　taking　the　Minister's　hand　and　pressing　it；
〃such　men　as　you　know　that　thanks　in　words　mean　nothing；　gratitude
must　be　proven。〃

〃Prove　yours〃　said　the　old　man。

〃In　what　way？〃

〃By　accepting　what　I　have　to　offer　you；〃　said　the　Minister。　〃We
propose　to　appoint　you　to　be　attorney　to　the　War　Office；　which　just
now　is　involved　in　litigations　in　consequence　of　the　plan　for
fortifying　Paris；　consulting　clerk　also　to　the　Prefecture　of　Police；
and　a　member　of　the　Board　of　the　Civil　List。　These　three　appointments
will　secure　you　salaries　amounting　to　eighteen　thousand　francs；　and
will　leave　you　politically　free。　You　can　vote　in　the　Chamber　in
obedience　to　your　opinions　and　your　conscience。　Act　in　perfect　freedom
on　that　score。　It　would　be　a　bad　thing　for　us　if　there　were　no
national　opposition！

〃Also；　a　few　lines　from　your　uncle；　written　a　day　or　two　before　he
breathed　his　last；　suggested　what　I　could　do　for　your　mother；　whom　he
loved　very　truly。Mesdames　Popinot；　de　Rastignac；　de　Navarreins；
d'Espard；　de　Grandlieu；　de　Carigliano；　de　Lenoncourt；　and　de　la　Batie
have　made　a　place　for　your　mother　as　a　Lady　Superintendent　of　their
charities。　These　ladies；　presidents　of　various　branches　of　benevolent
work；　cannot　do　everything　themselves；　they　need　a　lady　of　character
who　can　act　for　them　by　going　to　see　the　objects　of　their　beneficence；
ascertaining　that　charity　is　not　imposed　upon；　and　whether　the　help
given　really　reaches　those　who　applied　for　it；　finding　out　that　the
poor　who　are　ashamed　to　beg；　and　so　forth。　Your　mother　will　fulfil　an
angelic　function；　she　will　be　thrown　in　with　none　but　priests　and
these　charitable　ladies；　she　will　be　paid　six　thousand　francs　and　the
cost　of　her　hackney　coaches。

〃You　see；　young　man；　that　a　pure　and　nobly　virtuous　man　can　still
assist　his　family；　even　from　the　grave。　Such　a　name　as　your　uncle's
is；　and　ought　to　be；　a　buckler　against　misfortune　in　a　well…organized
scheme　of　society。　Follow　in　his　path；　you　have　started　in　it；　I　know；
continue　in　it。〃

〃Such　delicate　kindness　cannot　surprise　me　in　my　mother's　friend；〃
said　Victorin。　〃I　will　try　to　come　up　to　all　your　hopes。〃

〃Go　at　once；　and　take　comfort　to　your　family。By　the　way；〃　added　the
Prince；　as　he　shook　hands　with　Victorin；　〃your　father　has
disappeared？〃

〃Alas！　yes。〃

〃So　much　the　better。　That　unhappy　man　has　shown　his　wit；　in　which；
indeed；　he　is　not　lacking。〃

〃There　are　bills　of　his　to　be　met。〃

〃Well；　you　shall　have　six　months'　pay　of　your　three　appointments　in
advance。　This　pre…payment　will　help　you；　perhaps；　to　get　the　notes　out
of　the　hands　of　the　money…lender。　And　I　will　see　Nucingen；　and　perhaps
may　succeed　in　releasing　your　father's　pension；　pledged　to　him；
without　its　costing　you　or　our　office　a　sou。　The　peer　has　not　killed
the　banker　in　Nucingen；　he　is　insatiable；　he　wants　some　concession。I
know　not　what〃

So　on　his　return　to　the　Rue　Plumet；　Victorin　could　carry　out　his　plan
of　lodging　his　mother　and　sister　under　his　roof。

The　young　lawyer；　already　famous；　had；　for　his　sole　fortune；　one　of
the　handsomest　houses　in　Paris；　purchased　in　1834　in　preparation　for
his　marriage；　situated　on　the　boulevard　between　the　Rue　de　la　Paix　and
the　Rue　Louis…le…Grand。　A　speculator　had　built　two　houses　between　the
boulevard　and　the　street；　and　between　these；　with　the　gardens　and
courtyards　to　the　front　and　back；　there　remained　still　standing　a
splendid　wing；　the　remains　of　the　magnificent　mansion　of　the
Verneuils。　The　younger　Hulot　had　purchased　this　fine　property；　on　the
strength　of　Mademoiselle　Crevel's　marriage…portion；　for　one　million
francs；　when　it　was　put　up　to　auction；　paying　five　hundred　thousand
down。　He　lived　on　the　ground　floor；　expecting　to　pay　the　remainder　out
of　letting　the　rest；　but　though　it　is　safe　to　speculate　in　house…
property　in　Paris；　such　investments　are　capricious　or　hang　fire；
depending　on　unforeseen　circumstances。

As　the　Parisian　lounger　may　have　observed；　the　boulevard　between　the
Rue　de　la　Paix　and　the　Rue　Louis…le…Grand　prospered　but　slowly；　it
took　so　long　to　furbish　and　beautify　itself；　that　trade　did　not　set　up
its　display　there　till　1840the　gold　of　the　money…changers；　the
fairy…work　of　fashion；　and　the　luxurious　splendor　of　shop…fronts。

In　spite　of　two　hundred　thousand　francs　given　by　Crevel　to　his
daughter　at　the　time　when　his　vanity　was　flattered　by　this　marriage；
before　the　Baron　had　robbed　him　of　Josepha；　in　spite　of　the　two
hundred　thousand　francs　paid　off　by　Victorin　in　the　course　of　seven
years；　the　property　was　still　burdened　with　a　debt　of　five　hundred
thousand　francs；　in　consequence　of　Victorin's　devotion　to　his　father。
Happily；　a　rise　in　rents　and　the　advantages　of　the　situation　had　at
this　time　improved　the　value　of　the　houses。　The　speculation　was
justifying　itself　after　eight　years'　patience；　during　which　the　lawyer
had　strained　every　nerve　to　pay　the　interest　and　some　trifling　amounts
of　the　capital　borrowed。

The　tradespeople　were　ready　to　offer　good　rents　for　the　shops；　on
condition　of　being　granted　leases　for　eighteen　years。　The　dwelling
apartments　rose　in　value　by　the　shifting　of　the　centre　in　Paris　life
henceforth　transferred　to　the　region　between　the　Bourse　and　the
Madeleine；　now　the　seat　of　the　political　power　and　financial　authority
in　Paris。　The　money　paid　to　him　by　the　Minister；　added　to　a　year's
rent　in　advance　and　the　premiums　paid　by　his　tenants；　would　finally
reduce　the　outstanding　debt　to　two　hundred　thousand　francs。　The　two
houses；　if　entirely　let；　would　bring　in　a　hundred　thousand　francs　a
year。　Within　two　years　more；　during　which　the　Hulots　could　live　on　his
salaries；　added　to　by　the　Marshal's　investments；　Victorin　would　be　in
a　splendid　position。

This　was　manna　from　heaven。　Victorin　could　give　up　the　first　floor　of
his　own　house　to　his　mother；　and　the　second　to　Hortense；　excepting　two
rooms　reserved　for　Lisbeth。　With　Cousin　Betty　as　the　housekeeper；　this
compound　household　could　bear　all　these　charges；　and　yet　keep　up　a
good　appearance；　as　beseemed　a　pleader　of　note。　The　great　stars　of　the
law…courts　were　rapidly　disappearing；　and　Victorin　Hulot；　gifted　with
a　shrewd　tongue　and　strict　honesty；　was　listened　to　by　the　Bench　and
Councillors；　he　studied　his　cases　thoroughly；　and　advanced　nothing
that　he　could　not　prove。　He　would　not　hold　every　brief　that　offered；
in　fact；　he　was　a　credit　to　the　bar。

The　Baroness'　home　in　the　Rue　Plumet　had　become　so　odious　to　her；　that
she　allowed　herself　to　be　taken　to　the　Rue　Louis…le…Grand。　Thus；　by
her　son's　care；　Adeline　occupied　a　fine　apartment；　she　was　spared　all
the　daily　worries　of　life；　for　Lisbeth　consented　to　begin　again；
working　wonders　of　domestic　economy；　such　as　she　had　achieved　for
Madame　Marneffe；　seeing　here　a　way　of　exerting　her　silent　vengeance　on
those　three　noble　lives；　the　object；　each；　of　her　hatred；　which　was
kept　growing　by　the　overthrow　of　all　her　hopes。

Once　a　month　sh