cousin betty-第86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！


those　three　noble　lives；　the　object；　each；　of　her　hatred；　which　was
kept　growing　by　the　overthrow　of　all　her　hopes。

Once　a　month　she　went　to　see　Valerie；　sent；　indeed；　by　Hortense；　who
wanted　news　of　Wenceslas；　and　by　Celestine；　who　was　seriously　uneasy
at　the　acknowledged　and　well…known　connection　between　her　father　and　a
woman　to　whom　her　mother…in…law　and　sister…in…law　owed　their　ruin　and
their　sorrows。　As　may　be　supposed；　Lisbeth　took　advantage　of　this　to
see　Valerie　as　often　as　possible。



Thus；　about　twenty　months　passed　by；　during　which　the　Baroness
recovered　her　health；　though　her　palsied　trembling　never　left　her。　She
made　herself　familiar　with　her　duties；　which　afforded　her　a　noble
distraction　from　her　sorrow　and　constant　food　for　the　divine　goodness
of　her　heart。　She　also　regarded　it　as　an　opportunity　for　finding　her
husband　in　the　course　of　one　of　those　expeditions　which　took　her　into
every　part　of　Paris。

During　this　time；　Vauvinet　had　been　paid；　and　the　pension　of　six
thousand　francs　was　almost　redeemed。　Victorin　could　maintain　his
mother　as　well　as　Hortense　out　of　the　ten　thousand　francs　interest　on
the　money　left　by　Marshal　Hulot　in　trust　for　them。　Adeline's　salary
amounted　to　six　thousand　francs　a　year；　and　this；　added　to　the　Baron's
pension　when　it　was　freed；　would　presently　secure　an　income　of　twelve
thousand　francs　a　year　to　the　mother　and　daughter。

Thus；　the　poor　woman　would　have　been　almost　happy　but　for　her
perpetual　anxieties　as　to　the　Baron's　fate；　for　she　longed　to　have　him
with　her　to　share　the　improved　fortunes　that　smiled　on　the　family；　and
but　for　the　constant　sight　of　her　forsaken　daughter；　and　but　for　the
terrible　thrusts　constantly　and　/unconsciously/　dealt　her　by　Lisbeth；
whose　diabolical　character　had　free　course。

A　scene　which　took　place　at　the　beginning　of　the　month　of　March　1843
will　show　the　results　of　Lisbeth's　latent　and　persistent　hatred；　still
seconded；　as　she　always　was；　by　Madame　Marneffe。

Two　great　events　had　occurred　in　the　Marneffe　household。　In　the　first
place；　Valerie　had　given　birth　to　a　still…born　child；　whose　little
coffin　had　cost　her　two　thousand　francs　a　year。　And　then；　as　to
Marneffe　himself；　eleven　months　since；　this　is　the　report　given　by
Lisbeth　to　the　Hulot　family　one　day　on　her　return　from　a　visit　of
discovery　at　the　hotel　Marneffe。

〃This　morning；〃　said　she；　〃that　dreadful　Valerie　sent　for　Doctor
Bianchon　to　ask　whether　the　medical　men　who　had　condemned　her　husband
yesterday　had　made　no　mistake。　Bianchon　pronounced　that　to…night　at
the　latest　that　horrible　creature　will　depart　to　the　torments　that
await　him。　Old　Crevel　and　Madame　Marneffe　saw　the　doctor　out；　and　your
father；　my　dear　Celestine；　gave　him　five　gold　pieces　for　his　good
news。

〃When　he　came　back　into　the　drawing…room；　Crevel　cut　capers　like　a
dancer；　he　embraced　that　woman；　exclaiming；　'Then；　at　last；　you　will
be　Madame　Crevel！'And　to　me；　when　she　had　gone　back　to　her　husband's
bedside；　for　he　was　at　his　last　gasp；　your　noble　father　said　to　me；
'With　Valerie　as　my　wife；　I　can　become　a　peer　of　France！　I　shall　buy
an　estate　I　have　my　eye　onPresles；　which　Madame　de　Serizy　wants　to
sell。　I　shall　be　Crevel　de　Presles；　member　of　the　Common　Council　of
Seine…et…Oise；　and　Deputy。　I　shall　have　a　son！　I　shall　be　everything　I
have　ever　wished　to　be。''Heh！'　said　I；　'and　what　about　your
daughter？''Bah！'　says　he；　'she　is　only　a　woman！　And　she　is　quite　too
much　of　a　Hulot。　Valerie　has　a　horror　of　them　all。My　son…in…law　has
never　chosen　to　come　to　this　house；　why　has　he　given　himself　such　airs
as　a　Mentor；　a　Spartan；　a　Puritan；　a　philanthropist？　Besides；　I　have
squared　accounts　with　my　daughter；　she　has　had　all　her　mother's
fortune；　and　two　hundred　thousand　francs　to　that。　So　I　am　free　to　act
as　I　please。I　shall　judge　of　my　son…in…law　and　Celestine　by　their
conduct　on　my　marriage；　as　they　behave；　so　shall　I。　If　they　are　nice
to　their　stepmother；　I　will　receive　them。　I　am　a　man；　after　all！'In
short；　all　this　rhodomontade！　And　an　attitude　like　Napoleon　on　the
column。〃

The　ten　months'　widowhood　insisted　on　by　the　law　had　now　elapsed　some
few　days　since。　The　estate　of　Presles　was　purchased。　Victorin　and
Celestine　had　that　very　morning　sent　Lisbeth　to　make　inquiries　as　to
the　marriage　of　the　fascinating　widow　to　the　Mayor　of　Paris；　now　a
member　of　the　Common　Council　of　the　Department　of　Seine…et…Oise。

Celestine　and　Hortense；　in　whom　the　ties　of　affection　had　been　drawn
closer　since　they　had　lived　under　the　same　roof；　were　almost
inseparable。　The　Baroness；　carried　away　by　a　sense　of　honesty　which
led　her　to　exaggerate　the　duties　of　her　place；　devoted　herself　to　the
work　of　charity　of　which　she　was　the　agent；　she　was　out　almost　every
day　from　eleven　till　five。　The　sisters…in…law；　united　in　their　cares
for　the　children　whom　they　kept　together；　sat　at　home　and　worked。　They
had　arrived　at　the　intimacy　which　thinks　aloud；　and　were　a　touching
picture　of　two　sisters；　one　cheerful　and　the　other　sad。　The　less　happy
of　the　two；　handsome；　lively；　high…spirited；　and　clever；　seemed　by　her
manner　to　defy　her　painful　situation；　while　the　melancholy　Celestine；
sweet　and　calm；　and　as　equable　as　reason　itself；　might　have　been
supposed　to　have　some　secret　grief。　It　was　this　contradiction；
perhaps；　that　added　to　their　warm　friendship。　Each　supplied　the　other
with　what　she　lacked。

Seated　in　a　little　summer…house　in　the　garden；　which　the　speculator's
trowel　had　spared　by　some　fancy　of　the　builder's；　who　believed　that　he
was　preserving　these　hundred　feet　square　of　earth　for　his　own
pleasure；　they　were　admiring　the　first　green　shoots　of　the　lilac…
trees；　a　spring　festival　which　can　only　be　fully　appreciated　in　Paris
when　the　inhabitants　have　lived　for　six　months　oblivious　of　what
vegetation　means；　among　the　cliffs　of　stone　where　the　ocean　of
humanity　tosses　to　and　fro。

〃Celestine；〃　said　Hortense　to　her　sister…in…law；　who　had　complained
that　in　such　fine　weather　her　husband　should　be　kept　at　the　Chamber；
〃I　think　you　do　not　fully　appreciate　your　happiness。　Victorin　is　a
perfect　angel；　and　you　sometimes　torment　him。〃

〃My　dear；　men　like　to　be　tormented！　Certain　ways　of　teasing　are　a
proof　of　affection。　If　your　poor　mother　had　only　beenI　will　not　say
exacting；　but　always　prepared　to　be　exacting；　you　would　not　have　had
so　much　to　grieve　over。〃

〃Lisbeth　is　not　come　back。　I　shall　have　to　sing　the　song　of
/Malbrouck/；〃　said　Hortense。　〃I　do　long　for　some　news　of　Wenceslas！
What　does　he　live　on？　He　has　not　done　a　thing　these　two　years。〃

〃Victorin　saw　him；　he　told　me；　with　that　horrible　woman　not　long　ago；
and　he　fancied　that　she　maintains　him　in　idleness。If　you　only　would；
dear　soul；　you　might　bring　your　husband　back　to　you　yet。〃

Hortense　shook　her　head。

〃Believe　me；〃　Celestine　went　on；　〃the　position　will　ere　long　be
intolerable。　In　the　first　instance；　rage；　despair；　indignation；　gave
you　strength。　The　awful　disasters　that　have　come　upon　us　sincetwo
deaths；　ruin；　and　the　disappearance　of　Baron　Hulothave　occupied　your
mind　and　heart；　but　now　you　live　in　peace　and　silence；　you　will　find
it　hard　to　bear　the　void　in　your　life；　and　as　you　cannot；　and　will
never　leave　the　path　of　virtue；　you　will　have　to　be　reconciled　to
Wenceslas。　Victorin；　who　loves　you　so　much；　is　of　that　opinion。　There
is　something　stronger　than　one's　feelings　even；　and　that　is　Nature！〃

〃But　such　a　mean　creature！〃　cried　the　proud　Hortense。　〃He　cares　for
that　woman　because　she　feeds　him。And　has　she　paid　his　debts；　do　you
suppose？Good　Heaven！　I　think　of　that　man's　position　day　and　night！
He　is　the　father　of　my　child；　and　he　is　degrading　himself。〃

〃But　look　at　your　mother；　my　dear；〃　said　Celestine。

Celestine　was　one　of　those　women　who；　when　you　have　given　them　reasons
enough　to　convince　a　Breton　peasant；　still　go　back　for　the　hundredth
time　to　their　original　argument。　The　character　of　her　face；　somewhat
flat；　dull；　and　common；　her　light…brown　hair　in　stiff；　neat　bands；　her
very　complexion　spoke　of　a　sensible　woman；　devoid　of　charm；　but　also
devoid　of　weakness。

〃The　Baroness　would　willingly　go　to　join　her　husband　in　his　disgrace；
to　comfort