cousin betty-第88章

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not　forget　that。〃

〃Hewhy；　he　could　not　bleed　a　chicken；　honorable　lady。〃

〃Here　are　the　three　hundred　francs；〃　said　Lisbeth；　taking　fifteen　gold
pieces　out　of　her　purse。　〃Now；　go；　and　never　come　here　again。〃

She　saw　the　father　of　the　Oran　storekeeper　off　the　premises；　and
pointed　out　the　drunken　old　creature　to　the　porter。

〃At　any　time　when　that　man　comes　here；　if　by　chance　he　should　come
again；　do　not　let　him　in。　If　he　should　ask　whether　Monsieur　Hulot
junior　or　Madame　la　Baronne　Hulot　lives　here；　tell　him　you　know　of　no
such　persons。〃

〃Very　good；　mademoiselle。〃

〃Your　place　depends　on　it　if　you　make　any　mistake；　even　without
intending　it；〃　said　Lisbeth；　in　the　woman's　ear。〃Cousin；〃　she　went
on　to　Victorin；　who　just　now　came　in；　〃a　great　misfortune　is　hanging
over　your　head。〃

〃What　is　that？〃　said　Victorin。

〃Within　a　few　days　Madame　Marneffe　will　be　your　wife's　stepmother。〃

〃That　remains　to　be　seen；〃　replied　Victorin。

For　six　months　past　Lisbeth　had　very　regularly　paid　a　little　allowance
to　Baron　Hulot；　her　former　protector；　whom　she　now　protected；　she　knew
the　secret　of　his　dwelling…place；　and　relished　Adeline's　tears；　saying
to　her；　as　we　have　seen；　when　she　saw　her　cheerful　and　hopeful；　〃You
may　expect　to　find　my　poor　cousin's　name　in　the　papers　some　day　under
the　heading　'Police　Report。'　〃

But　in　this；　as　on　a　former　occasion；　she　let　her　vengeance　carry　her
too　far。　She　had　aroused　the　prudent　suspicions　of　Victorin。　He　had
resolved　to　be　rid　of　this　Damocles'　sword　so　constantly　flourished
over　them　by　Lisbeth；　and　of　the　female　demon　to　whom　his　mother　and
the　family　owed　so　many　woes。　The　Prince　de　Wissembourg；　knowing　all
about　Madame　Marneffe's　conduct；　approved　of　the　young　lawyer's　secret
project；　he　had　promised　him；　as　a　President　of　the　Council　can
promise；　the　secret　assistance　of　the　police；　to　enlighten　Crevel　and
rescue　a　fine　fortune　from　the　clutches　of　the　diabolical　courtesan；
whom　he　could　not　forgive　either　for　causing　the　death　of　Marshal
Hulot　or　for　the　Baron's　utter　ruin。



The　words　spoken　by　Lisbeth；　〃He　begs　of　his　former　mistresses；〃
haunted　the　Baroness　all　night。　Like　sick　men　given　over　by　the
physicians；　who　have　recourse　to　quacks；　like　men　who　have　fallen　into
the　lowest　Dantesque　circle　of　despair；　or　drowning　creatures　who
mistake　a　floating　stick　for　a　hawser；　she　ended　by　believing　in　the
baseness　of　which　the　mere　idea　had　horrified　her；　and　it　occurred　to
her　that　she　might　apply　for　help　to　one　of　those　terrible　women。

Next　morning；　without　consulting　her　children　or　saying　a　word　to
anybody；　she　went　to　see　Mademoiselle　Josepha　Mirah；　prima　donna　of
the　Royal　Academy　of　Music；　to　find　or　to　lose　the　hope　that　had
gleamed　before　her　like　a　will…o'…the…wisp。　At　midday；　the　great
singer's　waiting…maid　brought　her　in　the　card　of　the　Baronne　Hulot；
saying　that　this　person　was　waiting　at　the　door；　having　asked　whether
Mademoiselle　could　receive　her。

〃Are　the　rooms　done？〃

〃Yes；　mademoiselle。〃

〃And　the　flowers　fresh？〃

〃Yes；　mademoiselle。〃

〃Just　tell　Jean　to　look　round　and　see　that　everything　is　as　it　should
be　before　showing　the　lady　in；　and　treat　her　with　the　greatest
respect。　Go；　and　come　back　to　dress　meI　must　look　my　very　best。〃

She　went　to　study　herself　in　the　long　glass。

〃Now；　to　put　our　best　foot　foremost！〃　said　she　to　herself。　〃Vice　under
arms　to　meet　virtue！Poor　woman；　what　can　she　want　of　me？　I　cannot
bear　to　see。

　　　　〃The　noble　victim　of　outrageous　fortune！〃

And　she　sang　through　the　famous　aria　as　the　maid　came　in　again。

〃Madame；〃　said　the　girl；　〃the　lady　has　a　nervous　trembling〃

〃Offer　her　some　orange…water；　some　rum；　some　broth〃

〃I　did；　mademoiselle；　but　she　declines　everything；　and　says　it　is　an
infirmity；　a　nervous　complaint〃

〃Where　is　she？〃

〃In　the　big　drawing…room。〃

〃Well；　make　haste；　child。　Give　me　my　smartest　slippers；　the　dressing…
gown　embroidered　by　Bijou；　and　no　end　of　lace　frills。　Do　my　hair　in　a
way　to　astonish　a　woman。This　woman　plays　a　part　against　mine；　and
tell　the　ladyfor　she　is　a　real；　great　lady；　my　girl；　nay；　more；　she
is　what　you　will　never　be；　a　woman　whose　prayers　can　rescue　souls　from
your　purgatorytell　her　I　was　in　bed；　as　I　was　playing　last　night；
and　that　I　am　just　getting　up。〃

The　Baroness；　shown　into　Josepha's　handsome　drawing…room；　did　not　note
how　long　she　was　kept　waiting　there；　though　it　was　a　long　half　hour。
This　room；　entirely　redecorated　even　since　Josepha　had　had　the　house；
was　hung　with　silk　in　purple　and　gold　color。　The　luxury　which　fine
gentlemen　were　wont　to　lavish　on　their　/petites　maisons/；　the　scenes
of　their　profligacy；　of　which　the　remains　still　bear　witness　to　the
follies　from　which　they　were　so　aptly　named；　was　displayed　to
perfection；　thanks　to　modern　inventiveness；　in　the　four　rooms　opening
into　each　other；　where　the　warm　temperature　was　maintained　by　a　system
of　hot…air　pipes　with　invisible　openings。

The　Baroness；　quite　bewildered；　examined　each　work　of　art　with　the
greatest　amazement。　Here　she　found　fortunes　accounted　for　that　melt　in
the　crucible　under　which　pleasure　and　vanity　feed　the　devouring
flames。　This　woman；　who　for　twenty…six　years　had　lived　among　the　dead
relics　of　imperial　magnificence；　whose　eyes　were　accustomed　to　carpets
patterned　with　faded　flowers；　rubbed　gilding；　silks　as　forlorn　as　her
heart；　half　understood　the　powerful　fascinations　of　vice　as　she
studied　its　results。　It　was　impossible　not　to　wish　to　possess　these
beautiful　things；　these　admirable　works　of　art；　the　creation　of　the
unknown　talent　which　abounds　in　Paris　in　our　day　and　produces
treasures　for　all　Europe。　Each　thing　had　the　novel　charm　of　unique
perfection。　The　models　being　destroyed；　every　vase；　every　figure；
every　piece　of　sculpture　was　the　original。　This　is　the　crowning　grace
of　modern　luxury。　To　own　the　thing　which　is　not　vulgarized　by　the　two
thousand　wealthy　citizens　whose　notion　of　luxury　is　the　lavish　display
of　the　splendors　that　shops　can　supply；　is　the　stamp　of　true　luxury
the　luxury　of　the　fine　gentlemen　of　the　day；　the　shooting　stars　of　the
Paris　firmament。

As　she　examined　the　flower…stands；　filled　with　the　choicest　exotic
plants；　mounted　in　chased　brass　and　inlaid　in　the　style　of　Boulle；　the
Baroness　was　scared　by　the　idea　of　the　wealth　in　this　apartment。　And
this　impression　naturally　shed　a　glamour　over　the　person　round　whom
all　this　profusion　was　heaped。　Adeline　imagined　that　Josepha　Mirah
whose　portrait　by　Joseph　Bridau　was　the　glory　of　the　adjoining　boudoir
must　be　a　singer　of　genius；　a　Malibran；　and　she　expected　to　see　a
real　star。　She　was　sorry　she　had　come。　But　she　had　been　prompted　by　a
strong　and　so　natural　a　feeling；　by　such　purely　disinterested
devotion；　that　she　collected　all　her　courage　for　the　interview。
Besides；　she　was　about　to　satisfy　her　urgent　curiosity；　to　see　for
herself　what　was　the　charm　of　this　kind　of　women；　that　they　could
extract　so　much　gold　from　the　miserly　ore　of　Paris　mud。

The　Baroness　looked　at　herself　to　see　if　she　were　not　a　blot　on　all
this　splendor；　but　she　was　well　dressed　in　her　velvet　gown；　with　a
little　cape　trimmed　with　beautiful　lace；　and　her　velvet　bonnet　of　the
same　shade　was　becoming。　Seeing　herself　still　as　imposing　as　any
queen；　always　a　queen　even　in　her　fall；　she　reflected　that　the　dignity
of　sorrow　was　a　match　for　the　dignity　of　talent。

At　last；　after　much　opening　and　shutting　of　doors；　she　saw　Josepha。
The　singer　bore　a　strong　resemblance　to　Allori's　/Judith/；　which
dwells　in　the　memory　of　all　who　have　ever　seen　it　in　the　Pitti　palace；
near　the　door　of　one　of　the　great　rooms。　She　had　the　same　haughty
mien；　the　same　fine　features；　black　hair　simply　knotted；　and　a　yellow
wrapper　with　little　embroidered　flowers；　exactly　like　the　brocade　worn
by　the　immortal　homicide　conceived　of　by　Bronzino's　nephew。

〃Madame　la　Baronne；　I　am　quite　overwhelmed　by　the　honor　you　do　me　in
coming　here；〃　said　the　singer；　resolved　to　play　her　part　as　a　great
lady　with　a　grace。

She　pushed　forward　an　easy…chair　for　the　Baroness　and　seated　herself
on　a　stool。　She　discerned　the　faded　beauty　of　the　woman　before　her；
an