cousin betty-第87章

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〃The　Baroness　would　willingly　go　to　join　her　husband　in　his　disgrace；
to　comfort　him　and　hide　him　in　her　heart　from　every　eye；〃　Celestine
went　on。　〃Why；　she　has　a　room　made　ready　upstairs　for　Monsieur　Hulot；
as　if　she　expected　to　find　him　and　bring　him　home　from　one　day　to　the
next。〃

〃Oh　yes；　my　mother　is　sublime！〃　replied　Hortense。　〃She　has　been　so
every　minute　of　every　day　for　six…and…twenty　years；　but　I　am　not　like
her；　it　is　not　my　nature。How　can　I　help　it？　I　am　angry　with　myself
sometimes；　but　you　do　not　know；　Celestine；　what　it　would　be　to　make
terms　with　infamy。〃

〃There　is　my　father！〃　said　Celestine　placidly。　〃He　has　certainly
started　on　the　road　that　ruined　yours。　He　is　ten　years　younger　than
the　Baron；　to　be　sure；　and　was　only　a　tradesman；　but　how　can　it　end？
This　Madame　Marneffe　has　made　a　slave　of　my　father；　he　is　her　dog；　she
is　mistress　of　his　fortune　and　his　opinions；　and　nothing　can　open　his
eyes。　I　tremble　when　I　remember　that　their　banns　of　marriage　are
already　published！My　husband　means　to　make　a　last　attempt；　he　thinks
it　a　duty　to　try　to　avenge　society　and　the　family；　and　bring　that
woman　to　account　for　all　her　crimes。　Alas！　my　dear　Hortense；　such
lofty　souls　as　Victorin　and　hearts　like　ours　come　too　late　to　a
comprehension　of　the　world　and　its　ways！This　is　a　secret；　dear；　and
I　have　told　you　because　you　are　interested　in　it；　but　never　by　a　word
or　a　look　betray　it　to　Lisbeth；　or　your　mother；　or　anybody；　for〃

〃Here　is　Lisbeth！〃　said　Hortense。　〃Well；　cousin；　and　how　is　the
Inferno　of　the　Rue　Barbet　going　on？〃

〃Badly　for　you；　my　children。Your　husband；　my　dear　Hortense；　is　more
crazy　about　that　woman　than　ever；　and　she；　I　must　own；　is　madly　in
love　with　him。Your　father；　dear　Celestine；　is　gloriously　blind。
That；　to　be　sure；　is　nothing；　I　have　had　occasion　to　see　it　once　a
fortnight；　really；　I　am　lucky　never　to　have　had　anything　to　do　with
men；　they　are　besotted　creatures。Five　days　hence　you；　dear　child；
and　Victorin　will　have　lost　your　father's　fortune。〃

〃Then　the　banns　are　cried？〃　said　Celestine。

〃Yes；〃　said　Lisbeth；　〃and　I　have　just　been　arguing　your　case。　I
pointed　out　to　that　monster；　who　is　going　the　way　of　the　other；　that
if　he　would　only　get　you　out　of　the　difficulties　you　are　in　by　paying
off　the　mortgage　on　the　house；　you　would　show　your　gratitude　and
receive　your　stepmother〃

Hortense　started　in　horror。

〃Victorin　will　see　about　that；〃　said　Celestine　coldly。

〃But　do　you　know　what　Monsieur　le　Maire's　answer　was？〃　said　Lisbeth。
〃　'I　mean　to　leave　them　where　they　are。　Horses　can　only　be　broken　in
by　lack　of　food；　sleep；　and　sugar。'Why；　Baron　Hulot　was　not　so　bad
as　Monsieur　Crevel。

〃So；　my　poor　dears；　you　may　say　good…bye　to　the　money。　And　such　a　fine
fortune！　Your　father　paid　three　million　francs　for　the　Presles　estate；
and　he　has　thirty　thousand　francs　a　year　in　stocks！　Oh！he　has　no
secrets　from　me。　He　talks　of　buying　the　Hotel　de　Navarreins；　in　the
Rue　du　Bac。　Madame　Marneffe　herself　has　forty　thousand　francs　a　year。
Ah！here　is　our　guardian　angel；　here　comes　your　mother！〃　she
exclaimed；　hearing　the　rumble　of　wheels。

And　presently　the　Baroness　came　down　the　garden　steps　and　joined　the
party。　At　fifty…five；　though　crushed　by　so　many　troubles；　and
constantly　trembling　as　if　shivering　with　ague；　Adeline；　whose　face
was　indeed　pale　and　wrinkled；　still　had　a　fine　figure；　a　noble
outline；　and　natural　dignity。　Those　who　saw　her　said；　〃She　must　have
been　beautiful！〃　Worn　with　the　grief　of　not　knowing　her　husband's
fate；　of　being　unable　to　share　with　him　this　oasis　in　the　heart　of
Paris；　this　peace　and　seclusion　and　the　better　fortune　that　was
dawning　on　the　family；　her　beauty　was　the　beauty　of　a　ruin。　As　each
gleam　of　hope　died　out；　each　day　of　search　proved　vain；　Adeline　sank
into　fits　of　deep　melancholy　that　drove　her　children　to　despair。

The　Baroness　had　gone　out　that　morning　with　fresh　hopes；　and　was
anxiously　expected。　An　official；　who　was　under　obligations　to　Hulot；
to　whom　he　owed　his　position　and　advancement；　declared　that　he　had
seen　the　Baron　in　a　box　at　the　Ambigu…Comique　theatre　with　a　woman　of
extraordinary　beauty。　So　Adeline　had　gone　to　call　on　the　Baron
Verneuil。　This　important　personage；　while　asserting　that　he　had
positively　seen　his　old　patron；　and　that　his　behaviour　to　the　woman
indicated　an　illicit　establishment；　told　Madame　Hulot　that　to　avoid
meeting　him　the　Baron　had　left　long　before　the　end　of　the　play。

〃He　looked　like　a　man　at　home　with　the　damsel；　but　his　dress　betrayed
some　lack　of　means；〃　said　he　in　conclusion。

〃Well？〃　said　the　three　women　as　the　Baroness　came　towards　them。

〃Well；　Monsieur　Hulot　is　in　Paris；　and　to　me；〃　said　Adeline；　〃it　is　a
gleam　of　happiness　only　to　know　that　he　is　within　reach　of　us。〃

〃But　he　does　not　seem　to　have　mended　his　ways；〃　Lisbeth　remarked　when
Adeline　had　finished　her　report　of　her　visit　to　Baron　Verneuil。　〃He
has　taken　up　some　little　work…girl。　But　where　can　he　get　the　money
from？　I　could　bet　that　he　begs　of　his　former　mistressesMademoiselle
Jenny　Cadine　or　Josepha。〃

The　Baroness　trembled　more　severely　than　ever；　every　nerve　quivered；
she　wiped　away　the　tears　that　rose　to　her　eyes　and　looked　mournfully
up　to　heaven。

〃I　cannot　think　that　a　Grand　Commander　of　the　Legion　of　Honor　will
have　fallen　so　low；〃　said　she。

〃For　his　pleasure　what　would　he　not　do？〃　said　Lisbeth。　〃He　robbed　the
State；　he　will　rob　private　persons；　commit　murderwho　knows？〃

〃Oh；　Lisbeth！〃　cried　the　Baroness；　〃keep　such　thoughts　to　yourself。〃

At　this　moment　Louise　came　up　to　the　family　group；　now　increased　by
the　arrival　of　the　two　Hulot　children　and　little　Wenceslas　to　see　if
their　grandmother's　pockets　did　not　contain　some　sweetmeats。

〃What　is　it；　Louise？〃　asked　one　and　another。

〃A　man　who　wants　to　see　Mademoiselle　Fischer。〃

〃Who　is　the　man？〃　asked　Lisbeth。

〃He　is　in　rags；　mademoiselle；　and　covered　with　flue　like　a　mattress…
picker；　his　nose　is　red；　and　he　smells　of　brandy。He　is　one　of　those
men　who　work　half　of　the　week　at　most。〃

This　uninviting　picture　had　the　effect　of　making　Lisbeth　hurry　into
the　courtyard　of　the　house　in　the　Rue　Louis…le…Grand；　where　she　found
a　man　smoking　a　pipe　colored　in　a　style　that　showed　him　an　artist　in
tobacco。

〃Why　have　you　come　here；　Pere　Chardin？〃　she　asked。　〃It　is　understood
that　you　go；　on　the　first　Saturday　in　every　month；　to　the　gate　of　the
Hotel　Marneffe；　Rue　Barbet…de…Jouy。　I　have　just　come　back　after
waiting　there　for　five　hours；　and　you　did　not　come。〃

〃I　did　go　there；　good　and　charitable　lady！〃　replied　the　mattress…
picker。　〃But　there　was　a　game　at　pool　going　on　at　the　Cafe　des
Savants；　Rue　du　Cerf…Volant；　and　every　man　has　his　fancy。　Now；　mine　is
billiards。　If　it　wasn't　for　billiards；　I　might　be　eating　off　silver
plate。　For；　I　tell　you　this；〃　and　he　fumbled　for　a　scrap　of　paper　in
his　ragged　trousers　pocket；　〃it　is　billiards　that　leads　on　to　a　dram
and　plum…brandy。It　is　ruinous；　like　all　fine　things；　in　the　things
it　leads　to。　I　know　your　orders；　but　the　old　'un　is　in　such　a　quandary
that　I　came　on　to　forbidden　grounds。If　the　hair　was　all　hair；　we
might　sleep　sound　on　it；　but　it　is　mixed。　God　is　not　for　all；　as　the
saying　goes。　He　has　His　favoriteswell；　He　has　the　right。　Now；　here
is　the　writing　of　your　estimable　relative　and　my　very　good　friendhis
political　opinion。〃

Chardin　attempted　to　trace　some　zigzag　lines　in　the　air　with　the
forefinger　of　his　right　hand。

Lisbeth；　not　listening　to　him；　read　these　few　words：

　　〃DEAR　COUSIN；Be　my　Providence；　give　me　three　hundred　francs　this
　　day。

〃HECTOR。〃


〃What　does　he　want　so　much　money　for？〃

〃The　lan'lord！〃　said　Chardin；　still　trying　to　sketch　arabesques。　〃And
then　my　son；　you　see；　has　come　back　from　Algiers　through　Spain　and
Bayonee；　and；　andhe　has　/found/　nothingagainst　his　rule；　for　a
sharp　cove　is　my　son；　saving　your　presence。　How　can　he　help　it；　he　is
in　want　of　food；　but　he　will　repay　all　we　lend　him；　for　he　is　going　to
get　up　a　company。　He　has　ideas；　he　has；　that　will　carry　him〃

〃To　the　police　court；〃　Lisbeth　put　in。　〃He　murdered　my　uncle；　I　shall
not　forget　that。〃

〃Hewhy；　he　could　not　bleed　a