cousin betty-第9章

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capital　of　ten　thousand　francs　with　which　to　start　a　small　business　as
forage…dealer　at　Versailles；　under　the　patronage　of　the　War　Office；
through　the　influence　of　the　friends　still　in　office；　of　the　late
Commissary…General。

These　family　catastrophes；　Baron　Hulot's　dismissal；　and　the　knowledge
that　he　was　a　mere　cipher　in　that　immense　stir　of　men　and　interests
and　things　which　makes　Paris　at　once　a　paradise　and　a　hell；　quite
quelled　Lisbeth　Fischer。　She　gave　up　all　idea　of　rivalry　and
comparison　with　her　cousin　after　feeling　her　great　superiority；　but
envy　still　lurked　in　her　heart；　like　a　plague…germ　that　may　hatch　and
devastate　a　city　if　the　fatal　bale　of　wool　is　opened　in　which　it　is
concealed。

Now　and　again；　indeed；　she　said　to　herself：

〃Adeline　and　I　are　the　same　flesh　and　blood；　our　fathers　were　brothers
and　she　is　in　a　mansion；　while　I　am　in　a　garret。〃

But　every　New　Year　Lisbeth　had　presents　from　the　Baron　and　Baroness；
the　Baron；　who　was　always　good　to　her；　paid　for　her　firewood　in　the
winter；　old　General　Hulot　had　her　to　dinner　once　a　week；　and　there　was
always　a　cover　laid　for　her　at　her　cousin's　table。　They　laughed　at　her
no　doubt；　but　they　never　were　ashamed　to　own　her。　In　short；　they　had
made　her　independent　in　Paris；　where　she　lived　as　she　pleased。

The　old　maid　had；　in　fact；　a　terror　of　any　kind　of　tie。　Her　cousin　had
offered　her　a　room　in　her　own　houseLisbeth　suspected　the　halter　of
domestic　servitude；　several　times　the　Baron　had　found　a　solution　of
the　difficult　problem　of　her　marriage；　but　though　tempted　in　the　first
instance；　she　would　presently　decline；　fearing　lest　she　should　be
scorned　for　her　want　of　education；　her　general　ignorance；　and　her
poverty；　finally；　when　the　Baroness　suggested　that　she　should　live
with　their　uncle　Johann；　and　keep　house　for　him；　instead　of　the　upper
servant；　who　must　cost　him　dear；　Lisbeth　replied　that　that　was　the
very　last　way　she　should　think　of　marrying。

Lisbeth　Fischer　had　the　sort　of　strangeness　in　her　ideas　which　is
often　noticeable　in　characters　that　have　developed　late；　in　savages；
who　think　much　and　speak　little。　Her　peasant's　wit　had　acquired　a　good
deal　of　Parisian　asperity　from　hearing　the　talk　of　workshops　and
mixing　with　workmen　and　workwomen。　She；　whose　character　had　a　marked
resemblance　to　that　of　the　Corsicans；　worked　upon　without　fruition　by
the　instincts　of　a　strong　nature；　would　have　liked　to　be　the
protectress　of　a　weak　man；　but；　as　a　result　of　living　in　the　capital；
the　capital　had　altered　her　superficially。　Parisian　polish　became　rust
on　this　coarsely　tempered　soul。　Gifted　with　a　cunning　which　had　become
unfathomable；　as　it　always　does　in　those　whose　celibacy　is　genuine；
with　the　originality　and　sharpness　with　which　she　clothed　her　ideas；
in　any　other　position　she　would　have　been　formidable。　Full　of　spite；
she　was　capable　of　bringing　discord　into　the　most　united　family。

In　early　days；　when　she　indulged　in　certain　secret　hopes　which　she
confided　to　none；　she　took　to　wearing　stays；　and　dressing　in　the
fashion；　and　so　shone　in　splendor　for　a　short　time；　that　the　Baron
thought　her　marriageable。　Lisbeth　at　that　stage　was　the　piquante
brunette　of　old…fashioned　novels。　Her　piercing　glance；　her　olive　skin；
her　reed…like　figure；　might　invite　a　half…pay　major；　but　she　was
satisfied；　she　would　say　laughing；　with　her　own　admiration。

And；　indeed；　she　found　her　life　pleasant　enough　when　she　had　freed　it
from　practical　anxieties；　for　she　dined　out　every　evening　after
working　hard　from　sunrise。　Thus　she　had　only　her　rent　and　her　midday
meal　to　provide　for；　she　had　most　of　her　clothes　given　her；　and　a
variety　of　very　acceptable　stores；　such　as　coffee；　sugar；　wine；　and　so
forth。

In　1837；　after　living　for　twenty…seven　years；　half　maintained　by　the
Hulots　and　her　Uncle　Fischer；　Cousin　Betty；　resigned　to　being　nobody；
allowed　herself　to　be　treated　so。　She　herself　refused　to　appear　at　any
grand　dinners；　preferring　the　family　party；　where　she　held　her　own　and
was　spared　all　slights　to　her　pride。

Wherever　she　wentat　General　Hulot's；　at　Crevel's；　at　the　house　of
the　young　Hulots；　or　at　Rivet's　（Pons'　successor；　with　whom　she　made
up　her　quarrel；　and　who　made　much　of　her）；　and　at　the　Baroness'　table
she　was　treated　as　one　of　the　family；　in　fact；　she　managed　to　make
friends　of　the　servants　by　making　them　an　occasional　small　present；
and　always　gossiping　with　them　for　a　few　minutes　before　going　into　the
drawing…room。　This　familiarity；　by　which　she　uncompromisingly　put
herself　on　their　level；　conciliated　their　servile　good…nature；　which
is　indispensable　to　a　parasite。　〃She　is　a　good；　steady　woman；〃　was
everybody's　verdict。

Her　willingness　to　oblige；　which　knew　no　bounds　when　it　was　not
demanded　of　her；　was　indeed；　like　her　assumed　bluntness；　a　necessity
of　her　position。　She　had　at　length　understood　what　her　life　must　be；
seeing　that　she　was　at　everybody's　mercy；　and　needing　to　please
everybody；　she　would　laugh　with　young　people；　who　liked　her　for　a　sort
of　wheedling　flattery　which　always　wins　them；　guessing　and　taking　part
with　their　fancies；　she　would　make　herself　their　spokeswoman；　and　they
thought　her　a　delightful　/confidante/；　since　she　had　no　right　to　find
fault　with　them。

Her　absolute　secrecy　also　won　her　the　confidence　of　their　seniors；
for；　like　Ninon；　she　had　certain　manly　qualities。　As　a　rule；　our
confidence　is　given　to　those　below　rather　than　above　us。　We　employ　our
inferiors　rather　than　our　betters　in　secret　transactions；　and　they
thus　become　the　recipients　of　our　inmost　thoughts；　and　look　on　at　our
meditations；　Richelieu　thought　he　had　achieved　success　when　he　was
admitted　to　the　Council。　This　penniless　woman　was　supposed　to　be　so
dependent　on　every　one　about　her；　that　she　seemed　doomed　to　perfect
silence。　She　herself　called　herself　the　Family　Confessional。

The　Baroness　only；　remembering　her　ill…usage　in　childhood　by　the
cousin　who；　though　younger；　was　stronger　than　herself；　never　wholly
trusted　her。　Besides；　out　of　sheer　modesty；　she　would　never　have　told
her　domestic　sorrows　to　any　one　but　God。

It　may　here　be　well　to　add　that　the　Baron's　house　preserved　all　its
magnificence　in　the　eyes　of　Lisbeth　Fischer；　who　was　not　struck；　as
the　parvenu　perfumer　had　been；　with　the　penury　stamped　on　the　shabby
chairs；　the　dirty　hangings；　and　the　ripped　silk。　The　furniture　we　live
with　is　in　some　sort　like　our　own　person；　seeing　ourselves　every　day；
we　end；　like　the　Baron；　by　thinking　ourselves　but　little　altered；　and
still　youthful；　when　others　see　that　our　head　is　covered　with
chinchilla；　our　forehead　scarred　with　circumflex　accents；　our　stomach
assuming　the　rotundity　of　a　pumpkin。　So　these　rooms；　always　blazing　in
Betty's　eyes　with　the　Bengal　fire　of　Imperial　victory；　were　to　her
perennially　splendid。

As　time　went　on；　Lisbeth　had　contracted　some　rather　strange　old…
maidish　habits。　For　instance；　instead　of　following　the　fashions；　she
expected　the　fashion　to　accept　her　ways　and　yield　to　her　always　out…
of…date　notions。　When　the　Baroness　gave　her　a　pretty　new　bonnet；　or　a
gown　in　the　fashion　of　the　day；　Betty　remade　it　completely　at　home；
and　spoilt　it　by　producing　a　dress　of　the　style　of　the　Empire　or　of
her　old　Lorraine　costume。　A　thirty…franc　bonnet　came　out　a　rag；　and
the　gown　a　disgrace。　On　this　point；　Lisbeth　was　as　obstinate　as　a
mule；　she　would　please　no　one　but　herself　and　believed　herself
charming；　whereas　this　assimilative　processharmonious；　no　doubt；　in
so　far　as　that　it　stamped　her　for　an　old　maid　from　head　to　footmade
her　so　ridiculous；　that；　with　the　best　will　in　the　world；　no　one　could
admit　her　on　any　smart　occasion。

This　refractory；　capricious；　and　independent　spirit；　and　the
inexplicable　wild　shyness　of　the　woman　for　whom　the　Baron　had　four
times　found　a　matchan　employe　in　his　office；　a　retired　major；　an
army　contractor；　and　a　half…pay　captainwhile　she　had　refused　an　army
lacemaker；　who　had　since　made　his　fortune；　had　won　her　the　name　of　the
Nanny　Goat；　which　the　Baron　gave　her　in　jest。　But　this　nickname　only
met　the　peculiarities　that　lay　on　the　surface；　the　eccentricities
which　each　of　us　displays　to　his　neighbors　in