cousin betty-第91章

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old　woman。　Though　handsomely　dressed；　she　was　terrible　to　look　upon；
for　her　flat；　colorless；　strongly…marked　face；　furrowed　with　wrinkles；
expressed　a　sort　of　cold　malignity。　Marat；　as　a　woman　of　that　age；
might　have　been　like　this　creature；　a　living　embodiment　of　the　Reign
of　Terror。

This　sinister　old　woman's　small；　pale　eyes　twinkled　with　a　tiger's
bloodthirsty　greed。　Her　broad；　flat　nose；　with　nostrils　expanded　into
oval　cavities；　breathed　the　fires　of　hell；　and　resembled　the　beak　of
some　evil　bird　of　prey。　The　spirit　of　intrigue　lurked　behind　her　low；
cruel　brow。　Long　hairs　had　grown　from　her　wrinkled　chin；　betraying　the
masculine　character　of　her　schemes。　Any　one　seeing　that　woman's　face
would　have　said　that　artists　had　failed　in　their　conceptions　of
Mephistopheles。

〃My　dear　sir；〃　she　began；　with　a　patronizing　air；　〃I　have　long　since
given　up　active　business　of　any　kind。　What　I　have　come　to　you　to　do；　I
have　undertaken；　for　the　sake　of　my　dear　nephew；　whom　I　love　more　than
I　could　love　a　son　of　my　own。Now；　the　Head　of　the　Policeto　whom
the　President　of　the　Council　said　a　few　words　in　his　ear　as　regards
yourself；　in　talking　to　Monsieur　Chapuzotthinks　as　the　police　ought
not　to　appear　in　a　matter　of　this　description；　you　understand。　They
gave　my　nephew　a　free　hand；　but　my　nephew　will　have　nothing　to　say　to
it；　except　as　before　the　Council；　he　will　not　be　seen　in　it。〃

〃Then　your　nephew　is〃

〃You　have　hit　it；　and　I　am　rather　proud　of　him；〃　said　she；
interrupting　the　lawyer；　〃for　he　is　my　pupil；　and　he　soon　could　teach
his　teacher。We　have　considered　this　case；　and　have　come　to　our　own
conclusions。　Will　you　hand　over　thirty　thousand　francs　to　have　the
whole　thing　taken　off　your　hands？　I　will　make　a　clean　sweep　of　all；
and　you　need　not　pay　till　the　job　is　done。〃

〃Do　you　know　the　persons　concerned？〃

〃No；　my　dear　sir；　I　look　for　information　from　you。　What　we　are　told
is；　that　a　certain　old　idiot　has　fallen　into　the　clutches　of　a　widow。
This　widow；　of　nine…and…twenty；　has　played　her　cards　so　well；　that　she
has　forty　thousand　francs　a　year；　of　which　she　has　robbed　two　fathers
of　families。　She　is　now　about　to　swallow　down　eighty　thousand　francs　a
year　by　marrying　an　old　boy　of　sixty…one。　She　will　thus　ruin　a
respectable　family；　and　hand　over　this　vast　fortune　to　the　child　of
some　lover　by　getting　rid　at　once　of　the　old　husband。That　is　the
case　as　stated。〃

〃Quite　correct；〃　said　Victorin。　〃My　father…in…law；　Monsieur　Crevel〃

〃Formerly　a　perfumer；　a　mayoryes；　I　live　in　his　district　under　the
name　of　Ma'ame　Nourrisson；〃　said　the　woman。

〃The　other　person　is　Madame　Marneffe。〃

〃I　do　not　know；〃　said　Madame　de　Saint…Esteve。　〃But　within　three　days　I
will　be　in　a　position　to　count　her　shifts。〃

〃Can　you　hinder　the　marriage？〃　asked　Victorin。

〃How　far　have　they　got？〃

〃To　the　second　time　of　asking。〃

〃We　must　carry　off　the　woman。To…day　is　Sundaythere　are　but　three
days；　for　they　will　be　married　on　Wednesday；　no　doubt；　it　is　
impossible。But　she　may　be　killed〃

Victorin　Hulot　started　with　an　honest　man's　horror　at　hearing　these
five　words　uttered　in　cold　blood。

〃Murder？〃　said　he。　〃And　how　could　you　do　it？〃

〃For　forty　years；　now；　monsieur；　we　have　played　the　part　of　fate；〃
replied　she；　with　terrible　pride；　〃and　do　just　what　we　will　in　Paris。
More　than　one　familyeven　in　the　Faubourg　Saint…Germainhas　told　me
all　its　secrets；　I　can　tell　you。　I　have　made　and　spoiled　many　a　match；
I　have　destroyed　many　a　will　and　saved　many　a　man's　honor。　I　have　in
there；〃　and　she　tapped　her　forehead；　〃a　store　of　secrets　which　are
worth　thirty…six　thousand　francs　a　year　to　me；　and　youyou　will　be
one　of　my　lambs；　hoh！　Could　such　a　woman　as　I　am　be　what　I　am　if　she
revealed　her　ways　and　means？　I　act。

〃Whatever　I　may　do；　sir；　will　be　the　result　of　an　accident；　you　need
feel　no　remorse。　You　will　be　like　a　man　cured　by　a　clairvoyant；　by　the
end　of　a　month；　it　seems　all　the　work　of　Nature。〃

Victorin　broke　out　in　a　cold　sweat。　The　sight　of　an　executioner　would
have　shocked　him　less　than　this　prolix　and　pretentious　Sister　of　the
Hulks。　As　he　looked　at　her　purple…red　gown；　she　seemed　to　him　dyed　in
blood。

〃Madame；　I　do　not　accept　the　help　of　your　experience　and　skill　if
success　is　to　cost　anybody's　life；　or　the　least　criminal　act　is　to
come　of　it。〃

〃You　are　a　great　baby；　monsieur；〃　replied　the　woman；　〃you　wish　to
remain　blameless　in　your　own　eyes；　while　you　want　your　enemy　to　be
overthrown。〃

Victorin　shook　his　head　in　denial。

〃Yes；〃　she　went　on；　〃you　want　this　Madame　Marneffe　to　drop　the　prey
she　has　between　her　teeth。　But　how　do　you　expect　to　make　a　tiger　drop
his　piece　of　beef？　Can　you　do　it　by　patting　his　back　and　saying；　'Poor
Puss'？　You　are　illogical。　You　want　a　battle　fought；　but　you　object　to
blows。Well；　I　grant　you　the　innocence　you　are　so　careful　over。　I
have　always　found　that　there　was　material　for　hypocrisy　in　honesty！
One　day；　three　months　hence；　a　poor　priest　will　come　to　beg　of　you
forty　thousand　francs　for　a　pious　worka　convent　to　be　rebuilt　in　the
Levantin　the　desert。If　you　are　satisfied　with　your　lot；　give　the
good　man　the　money。　You　will　pay　more　than　that　into　the　treasury。　It
will　be　a　mere　trifle　in　comparison　with　what　you　will　get；　I　can　tell
you。〃

She　rose；　standing　on　the　broad　feet　that　seemed　to　overflow　her　satin
shoes；　she　smiled；　bowed；　and　vanished。

〃The　Devil　has　a　sister；〃　said　Victorin；　rising。

He　saw　the　hideous　stranger　to　the　door；　a　creature　called　up　from　the
dens　of　the　police；　as　on　the　stage　a　monster　comes　up　from　the　third
cellar　at　the　touch　of　a　fairy's　wand　in　a　ballet…extravaganza。

After　finishing　what　he　had　to　do　at　the　Courts；　Victorin　went　to　call
on　Monsieur　Chapuzot；　the　head　of　one　of　the　most　important　branches
of　the　Central　Police；　to　make　some　inquiries　about　the　stranger。
Finding　Monsieur　Chapuzot　alone　in　his　office；　Victorin　thanked　him
for　his　help。

〃You　sent　me　an　old　woman　who　might　stand　for　the　incarnation　of　the
criminal　side　of　Paris。〃

Monsieur　Chapuzot　laid　his　spectacles　on　his　papers　and　looked　at　the
lawyer　with　astonishment。

〃I　should　not　have　taken　the　liberty　of　sending　anybody　to　see　you
without　giving　you　notice　beforehand；　or　a　line　of　introduction；〃　said
he。

〃Then　it　was　Monsieur　le　Prefet？〃

〃I　think　not；〃　said　Chapuzot。　〃The　last　time　that　the　Prince　de
Wissembourg　dined　with　the　Minister　of　the　Interior；　he　spoke　to　the
Prefet　of　the　position　in　which　you　find　yourselfa　deplorable
positionand　asked　him　if　you　could　be　helped　in　any　friendly　way。
The　Prefet；　who　was　interested　by　the　regrets　his　Excellency　expressed
as　to　this　family　affair；　did　me　the　honor　to　consult　me　about　it。

〃Ever　since　the　present　Prefet　has　held　the　reins　of　this　department
so　useful　and　so　vilifiedhe　has　made　it　a　rule　that　family　matters
are　never　to　be　interfered　in。　He　is　right　in　principle　and　in
morality；　but　in　practice　he　is　wrong。　In　the　forty…five　years　that　I
have　served　in　the　police；　it　did；　from　1799　till　1815；　great　services
in　family　concerns。　Since　1820　a　constitutional　government　and　the
press　have　completely　altered　the　conditions　of　existence。　So　my
advice；　indeed；　was　not　to　intervene　in　such　a　case；　and　the　Prefet
did　me　the　honor　to　agree　with　my　remarks。　The　Head　of　the　detective
branch　has　orders；　in　my　presence；　to　take　no　steps；　so　if　you　have
had　any　one　sent　to　you　by　him；　he　will　be　reprimanded。　It　might　cost
him　his　place。　'The　Police　will　do　this　or　that；'　is　easily　said；　the
Police；　the　Police！　But；　my　dear　sir；　the　Marshal　and　the　Ministerial
Council　do　not　know　what　the　Police　is。　The　Police　alone　knows　the
Police；　but　as　for　ours；　only　Fouche；　Monsieur　Lenoir；　and　Monsieur　de
Sartines　have　had　any　notion　of　it。Everything　is　changed　now；　we　are
reduced　and　disarmed！　I　have　seen　many　private　disasters　develop；
which　I　could　have　checked　with　five　grains　of　despotic　power。We
shall　be　regretted　by　the　very　men　who　have　crippled　us　when　they；
like　you；　stand　face　to　face　with　some　moral　monstrosities；　which
ought　to　be　swept　away　as　we　sweep　away　mud！　In　public　affairs　the
Police　is　expected　to　foresee　everyth