cousin betty-第93章

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unrewarded。Come；　by　the　Poker！　welcome　your　stepmother　and　come　to
the　wedding。〃

〃But　you　have　not　told　us　the　lady's　name；　papa；〃　said　Celestine。

〃Why；　it　is　an　open　secret；〃　replied　Crevel。　〃Do　not　let　us　play　at
guess　who　can！　Lisbeth　must　have　told　you。〃

〃My　dear　Monsieur　Crevel；〃　replied　Lisbeth；　〃there　are　certain　names
we　never　utter　here〃

〃Well；　then；　it　is　Madame　Marneffe。〃

〃Monsieur　Crevel；〃　said　the　lawyer　very　sternly；　〃neither　my　wife　nor
I　can　be　present　at　that　marriage；　not　out　of　interest；　for　I　spoke　in
all　sincerity　just　now。　Yes；　I　am　most　happy　to　think　that　you　may
find　happiness　in　this　union；　but　I　act　on　considerations　of　honor　and
good　feeling　which　you　must　understand；　and　which　I　cannot　speak　of
here；　as　they　reopen　wounds　still　ready　to　bleed〃

The　Baroness　telegraphed　a　signal　to　Hortense；　who　tucked　her　little
one　under　her　arm；　saying；　〃Come　Wenceslas；　and　have　your　bath！Good…
bye；　Monsieur　Crevel。〃

The　Baroness　also　bowed　to　Crevel　without　a　word；　and　Crevel　could　not
help　smiling　at　the　child's　astonishment　when　threatened　with　this
impromptu　tubbing。

〃You；　monsieur；〃　said　Victorin；　when　he　found　himself　alone　with
Lisbeth；　his　wife；　and　his　father…in…law；　〃are　about　to　marry　a　woman
loaded　with　the　spoils　of　my　father；　it　was　she　who；　in　cold　blood；
brought　him　down　to　such　depths；　a　woman　who　is　the　son…in…law's
mistress　after　ruining　the　father…in…law；　who　is　the　cause　of　constant
grief　to　my　sister！And　you　fancy　that　I　shall　seem　to　sanction　your
madness　by　my　presence？　I　deeply　pity　you；　dear　Monsieur　Crevel；　you
have　no　family　feeling；　you　do　not　understand　the　unity　of　the　honor
which　binds　the　members　of　it　together。　There　is　no　arguing　with
passionas　I　have　too　much　reason　to　know。　The　slaves　of　their
passions　are　as　deaf　as　they　are　blind。　Your　daughter　Celestine　has
too　strong　a　sense　of　her　duty　to　proffer　a　word　of　reproach。〃

〃That　would；　indeed；　be　a　pretty　thing！〃　cried　Crevel；　trying　to　cut
short　this　harangue。

〃Celestine　would　not　be　my　wife　if　she　made　the　slightest
remonstrance；〃　the　lawyer　went　on。　〃But　I；　at　least；　may　try　to　stop
you　before　you　step　over　the　precipice；　especially　after　giving　you
ample　proof　of　my　disinterestedness。　It　is　not　your　fortune；　it　is　you
that　I　care　about。　Nay；　to　make　it　quite　plain　to　you；　I　may　add；　if
it　were　only　to　set　your　mind　at　ease　with　regard　to　your　marriage
contract；　that　I　am　now　in　a　position　which　leaves　me　with　nothing　to
wish　for〃

〃Thanks　to　me！〃　exclaimed　Crevel；　whose　face　was　purple。

〃Thanks　to　Celestine's　fortune；〃　replied　Victorin。　〃And　if　you　regret
having　given　to　your　daughter　as　a　present　from　yourself；　a　sum　which
is　not　half　what　her　mother　left　her；　I　can　only　say　that　we　are
prepared　to　give　it　back。〃

〃And　do　you　not　know；　my　respected　son…in…law；〃　said　Crevel；　striking
an　attitude；　〃that　under　the　shelter　of　my　name　Madame　Marneffe　is　not
called　upon　to　answer　for　her　conduct　excepting　as　my　wifeas　Madame
Crevel？〃

〃That　is；　no　doubt；　quite　the　correct　thing；〃　said　the　lawyer；　〃very
generous　so　far　as　the　affections　are　concerned　and　the　vagaries　of
passion；　but　I　know　of　no　name；　nor　law；　nor　title　that　can　shelter
the　theft　of　three　hundred　thousand　francs　so　meanly　wrung　from　my
father！I　tell　you　plainly；　my　dear　father…in…law；　your　future　wife
is　unworthy　of　you；　she　is　false　to　you；　and　is　madly　in　love　with　my
brother…in…law；　Steinbock；　whose　debts　she　had　paid。〃

〃It　is　I　who　paid　them！〃

〃Very　good；〃　said　Hulot；　〃I　am　glad　for　Count　Steinbock's　sake；　he　may
some　day　repay　the　money。　But　he　is　loved；　much　loved；　and　often〃

〃Loved！〃　cried　Crevel；　whose　face　showed　his　utter　bewilderment。　〃It
is　cowardly；　and　dirty；　and　mean；　and　cheap；　to　calumniate　a　woman！
When　a　man　says　such　things；　monsieur；　he　must　bring　proof。〃

〃I　will　bring　proof。〃

〃I　shall　expect　it。〃

〃By　the　day　after　to…morrow；　my　dear　Monsieur　Crevel；　I　shall　be　able
to　tell　you　the　day；　the　hour；　the　very　minute　when　I　can　expose　the
horrible　depravity　of　your　future　wife。〃

〃Very　well；　I　shall　be　delighted；〃　said　Crevel；　who　had　recovered
himself。

〃Good…bye；　my　children；　for　the　present；　good…bye；　Lisbeth。〃

〃See　him　out；　Lisbeth；〃　said　Celestine　in　an　undertone。

〃And　is　this　the　way　you　take　yourself　off？〃　cried　Lisbeth　to　Crevel。

〃Ah；　ha！〃　said　Crevel；　〃my　son…in…law　is　too　clever　by　half；　he　is
getting　on。　The　Courts　and　the　Chamber；　judicial　trickery　and
political　dodges；　are　making　a　man　of　him　with　a　vengeance！So　he
knows　I　am　to　be　married　on　Wednesday；　and　on　a　Sunday　my　gentleman
proposes　to　fix　the　hour；　within　three　days；　when　he　can　prove　that　my
wife　is　unworthy　of　me。　That　is　a　good　story！Well；　I　am　going　back
to　sign　the　contract。　Come　with　me；　Lisbethyes；　come。　They　will
never　know。　I　meant　to　have　left　Celestine　forty　thousand　francs　a
year；　but　Hulot　has　just　behaved　in　a　way　to　alienate　my　affection　for
ever。〃

〃Give　me　ten　minutes；　Pere　Crevel；　wait　for　me　in　your　carriage　at　the
gate。　I　will　make　some　excuse　for　going　out。〃

〃Very　wellall　right。〃

〃My　dears；〃　said　Lisbeth；　who　found　all　the　family　reassembled　in　the
drawing…room；　〃I　am　going　with　Crevel：　the　marriage　contract　is　to　be
signed　this　afternoon；　and　I　shall　hear　what　he　has　settled。　It　will
probably　be　my　last　visit　to　that　woman。　Your　father　is　furious；　he
will　disinherit　you〃

〃His　vanity　will　prevent　that；〃　said　the　son…in…law。　〃He　was　bent　on
owning　the　estate　of　Presles；　and　he　will　keep　it；　I　know　him。　Even　if
he　were　to　have　children；　Celestine　would　still　have　half　of　what　he
might　leave；　the　law　forbids　his　giving　away　all　his　fortune。Still；
these　questions　are　nothing　to　me；　I　am　only　thinking　of　our　honor。
Go　then；　cousin；〃　and　he　pressed　Lisbeth's　hand；　〃and　listen　carefully
to　the　contract。〃



Twenty　minutes　after；　Lisbeth　and　Crevel　reached　the　house　in　the　Rue
Barbet；　where　Madame　Marneffe　was　awaiting；　in　mild　impatience；　the
result　of　a　step　taken　by　her　commands。　Valerie　had　in　the　end　fallen
a　prey　to　the　absorbing　love　which；　once　in　her　life；　masters　a
woman's　heart。　Wenceslas　was　its　object；　and；　a　failure　as　an　artist；
he　became　in　Madame　Marneffe's　hands　a　lover　so　perfect　that　he　was　to
her　what　she　had　been　to　Baron　Hulot。

Valerie　was　holding　a　slipper　in　one　hand；　and　Steinbock　clasped　the
other；　while　her　head　rested　on　his　shoulder。　The　rambling
conversation　in　which　they　had　been　engaged　ever　since　Crevel　went　out
may　be　ticketed；　like　certain　lengthy　literary　efforts　of　our　day；
〃/All　rights　reserved/；〃　for　it　cannot　be　reproduced。　This　masterpiece
of　personal　poetry　naturally　brought　a　regret　to　the　artist's　lips；
and　he　said；　not　without　some　bitterness：

〃What　a　pity　it　is　that　I　married；　for　if　I　had　but　waited；　as　Lisbeth
told　me；　I　might　now　have　married　you。〃

〃Who　but　a　Pole　would　wish　to　make　a　wife　of　a　devoted　mistress？〃
cried　Valerie。　〃To　change　love　into　duty；　and　pleasure　into　a　bore。〃

〃I　know　you　to　be　so　fickle；〃　replied　Steinbock。　〃Did　I　not　hear　you
talking　to　Lisbeth　of　that　Brazilian；　Baron　Montes？〃

〃Do　you　want　to　rid　me　of　him？〃

〃It　would　be　the　only　way　to　hinder　his　seeing　you；〃　said　the　ex…
sculptor。

〃Let　me　tell　you；　my　darlingfor　I　tell　you　everything；〃　said　Valerie
〃I　was　saving　him　up　for　a　husband。The　promises　I　have　made　to
that　man！Oh；　long　before　I　knew　you；〃　said　she；　in　reply　to　a
movement　from　Wenceslas。　〃And　those　promises；　of　which　he　avails
himself　to　plague　me；　oblige　me　to　get　married　almost　secretly；　for　if
he　should　hear　that　I　am　marrying　Crevel；　he　is　the　sort　of　man　that
that　would　kill　me。〃

〃Oh；　as　to　that！〃　said　Steinbock；　with　a　scornful　expression；　which
conveyed　that　such　a　danger　was　small　indeed　for　a　woman　beloved　by　a
Pole。

And　in　the　matter　of　valor　there　is　no　brag　or　bravado　in　a　Pole；　so
thoroughly　and　seriously　brave　are　they　all。

〃And　that　idiot　Crevel；〃　she　went　on；　〃who　wants　to　make　a　great
display　and　indulge　his　taste　for　inexpensive　magnificence　in　honor　of
the　wedding；　places　me　in　difficulties　from　which　I　see　no　escape。〃

Could　Valerie　confess　to　this　man；　whom　sh