cousin betty-第94章

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the　wedding；　places　me　in　difficulties　from　which　I　see　no　escape。〃

Could　Valerie　confess　to　this　man；　whom　she　adored；　that　since　the
discomfiture　of　Baron　Hulot；　this　Baron　Henri　Montes　had　inherited　the
privilege　of　calling　on　her　at　all　hours　of　the　day　or　night；　and
that；　notwithstanding　her　cleverness；　she　was　still　puzzled　to　find　a
cause　of　quarrel　in　which　the　Brazilian　might　seem　to　be　solely　in　the
wrong？　She　knew　the　Baron's　almost　savage　tempernot　unlike　Lisbeth's
too　well　not　to　quake　as　she　thought　of　this　Othello　of　Rio　de
Janeiro。

As　the　carriage　drove　up；　Steinbock　released　Valerie；　for　his　arm　was
round　her　waist；　and　took　up　a　newspaper；　in　which　he　was　found
absorbed。　Valerie　was　stitching　with　elaborate　care　at　the　slippers
she　was　working　for　Crevel。

〃How　they　slander　her！〃　whispered　Lisbeth　to　Crevel；　pointing　to　this
picture　as　they　opened　the　door。　〃Look　at　her　hairnot　in　the　least
tumbled。　To　hear　Victorin；　you　might　have　expected　to　find　two　turtle…
doves　in　a　nest。〃

〃My　dear　Lisbeth；〃　cried　Crevel；　in　his　favorite　position；　〃you　see
that　to　turn　Lucretia　into　Aspasia；　you　have　only　to　inspire　a
passion！〃

〃And　have　I　not　always　told　you；〃　said　Lisbeth；　〃that　women　like　a
burly　profligate　like　you？〃

〃And　she　would　be　most　ungrateful；　too；〃　said　Crevel；　〃for　as　to　the
money　I　have　spent　here；　Grindot　and　I　alone　can　tell！〃

And　he　waved　a　hand　at　the　staircase。

In　decorating　this　house；　which　Crevel　regarded　as　his　own；　Grindot
had　tried　to　compete　with　Cleretti；　in　whose　hands　the　Duc
d'Herouville　had　placed　Josepha's　villa。　But　Crevel；　incapable　of
understanding　art；　had；　like　all　sordid　souls；　wanted　to　spend　a
certain　sum　fixed　beforehand。　Grindot；　fettered　by　a　contract；　had
found　it　impossible　to　embody　his　architectural　dream。

The　difference　between　Josepha's　house　and　that　in　the　Rue　Barbet　was
just　that　between　the　individual　stamp　on　things　and　commonness。　The
objects　you　admired　at　Crevel's　were　to　be　bought　in　any　shop。　These
two　types　of　luxury　are　divided　by　the　river　Million。　A　mirror；　if
unique；　is　worth　six　thousand　francs；　a　mirror　designed　by　a
manufacturer　who　turns　them　out　by　the　dozen　costs　five　hundred。　A
genuine　lustre　by　Boulle　will　sell　at　a　public　auction　for　three
thousand　francs；　the　same　thing　reproduced　by　casting　may　be　made　for
a　thousand　or　twelve　hundred；　one　is　archaeologically　what　a　picture
by　Raphael　is　in　painting；　the　other　is　a　copy。　At　what　would　you
value　a　copy　of　a　Raphael？　Thus　Crevel's　mansion　was　a　splendid
example　of　the　luxury　of　idiots；　while　Josepha's　was　a　perfect　model
of　an　artist's　home。

〃War　is　declared；〃　said　Crevel；　going　up　to　Madame　Marneffe。

She　rang　the　bell。

〃Go　and　find　Monsieur　Berthier；〃　said　she　to　the　man…servant；　〃and　do
not　return　without　him。　If　you　had　succeeded；〃　said　she；　embracing
Crevel；　〃we　would　have　postponed　our　happiness；　my　dear　Daddy；　and
have　given　a　really　splendid　entertainment；　but　when　a　whole　family　is
set　against　a　match；　my　dear；　decency　requires　that　the　wedding　shall
be　a　quiet　one；　especially　when　the　lady　is　a　widow。〃

〃On　the　contrary；　I　intend　to　make　a　display　of　magnificence　/a　la/
Louis　XIV。；〃　said　Crevel；　who　of　late　had　held　the　eighteenth　century
rather　cheap。　〃I　have　ordered　new　carriages；　there　is　one　for　monsieur
and　one　for　madame；　two　neat　coupes；　and　a　chaise；　a　handsome
traveling　carriage　with　a　splendid　hammercloth；　on　springs　that
tremble　like　Madame　Hulot。〃

〃Oh；　ho！　/You　intend？/Then　you　have　ceased　to　be　my　lamb？No；　no；
my　friend；　you　will　do　what　/I/　intend。　We　will　sign　the　contract
quietlyjust　ourselvesthis　afternoon。　Then；　on　Wednesday；　we　will
be　regularly　married；　really　married；　in　mufti；　as　my　poor　mother
would　have　said。　We　will　walk　to　church；　plainly　dressed；　and　have
only　a　low　mass。　Our　witnesses　are　Stidmann；　Steinbock；　Vignon；　and
Massol；　all　wide…awake　men；　who　will　be　at　the　mairie　by　chance；　and
who　will　so　far　sacrifice　themselves　as　to　attend　mass。

〃Your　colleague　will　perform　the　civil　marriage；　for　once　in　a　way；　as
early　as　half…past　nine。　Mass　is　at　ten；　we　shall　be　at　home　to
breakfast　by　half…past　eleven。

〃I　have　promised　our　guests　that　we　will　sit　at　table　till　the
evening。　There　will　be　Bixiou；　your　old　official　chum　du　Tillet；
Lousteau；　Vernisset；　Leon　de　Lora；　Vernou；　all　the　wittiest　men　in
Paris；　who　will　not　know　that　we　are　married。　We　will　play　them　a
little　trick；　we　will　get　just　a　little　tipsy；　and　Lisbeth　must　join
us。　I　want　her　to　study　matrimony；　Bixiou　shall　make　love　to　her；　and
and　enlighten　her　darkness。〃

For　two　hours　Madame　Marneffe　went　on　talking　nonsense；　and　Crevel
made　this　judicious　reflection：

〃How　can　so　light…hearted　a　creature　be　utterly　depraved？　Feather…
brained；　yes！　but　wicked？　Nonsense！〃

〃Well；　and　what　did　the　young　people　say　about　me？〃　said　Valerie　to
Crevel　at　a　moment　when　he　sat　down　by　her　on　the　sofa。　〃All　sorts　of
horrors？〃

〃They　will　have　it　that　you　have　a　criminal　passion　for　Wenceslas
you；　who　are　virtue　itself。〃

〃I　love　him！I　should　think　so；　my　little　Wenceslas！〃　cried　Valerie；
calling　the　artist　to　her；　taking　his　face　in　her　hands；　and　kissing
his　forehead。　〃A　poor　boy　with　no　fortune；　and　no　one　to　depend　on！
Cast　off　by　a　carrotty　giraffe！　What　do　you　expect；　Crevel？　Wenceslas
is　my　poet；　and　I　love　him　as　if　he　were　my　own　child；　and　make　no
secret　of　it。　Bah！　your　virtuous　women　see　evil　everywhere　and　in
everything。　Bless　me；　could　they　not　sit　by　a　man　without　doing　wrong？
I　am　a　spoilt　child　who　has　had　all　it　ever　wanted；　and　bonbons　no
longer　excite　me。Poor　things！　I　am　sorry　for　them！

〃And　who　slandered　me　so？〃

〃Victorin；〃　said　Crevel。

〃Then　why　did　you　not　stop　his　mouth；　the　odious　legal　macaw！　with　the
story　of　the　two　hundred　thousand　francs　and　his　mamma？〃

〃Oh；　the　Baroness　had　fled；〃　said　Lisbeth。

〃They　had　better　take　care；　Lisbeth；〃　said　Madame　Marneffe；　with　a
frown。　〃Either　they　will　receive　me　and　do　it　handsomely；　and　come　to
their　stepmother's　houseall　the　party！or　I　will　see　them　in　lower
depths　than　the　Baron　has　reached；　and　you　may　tell　them　I　said　so！
At　last　I　shall　turn　nasty。　On　my　honor；　I　believe　that　evil　is　the
scythe　with　which　to　cut　down　the　good。〃

At　three　o'clock　Monsieur　Berthier；　Cardot's　successor；　read　the
marriage…contract；　after　a　short　conference　with　Crevel；　for　some　of
the　articles　were　made　conditional　on　the　action　taken　by　Monsieur　and
Madame　Victorin　Hulot。

Crevel　settled　on　his　wife　a　fortune　consisting；　in　the　first　place；
of　forty　thousand　francs　in　dividends　on　specified　securities；
secondly；　of　the　house　and　all　its　contents；　and　thirdly；　of　three
million　francs　not　invested。　He　also　assigned　to　his　wife　every
benefit　allowed　by　law；　he　left　all　the　property　free　of　duty；　and　in
the　event　of　their　dying　without　issue；　each　devised　to　the　survivor
the　whole　of　their　property　and　real　estate。

By　this　arrangement　the　fortune　left　to　Celestine　and　her　husband　was
reduced　to　two　millions　of　francs　in　capital。　If　Crevel　and　his　second
wife　should　have　children；　Celestine's　share　was　limited　to　five
hundred　thousand　francs；　as　the　life…interest　in　the　rest　was　to
accrue　to　Valerie。　This　would　be　about　the　ninth　part　of　his　whole
real　and　personal　estate。



Lisbeth　returned　to　dine　in　the　Rue　Louis…le…Grand；　despair　written　on
her　face。　She　explained　and　bewailed　the　terms　of　the　marriage…
contract；　but　found　Celestine　and　her　husband　insensible　to　the
disastrous　news。

〃You　have　provoked　your　father；　my　children。　Madame　Marneffe　swears
that　you　shall　receive　Monsieur　Crevel's　wife　and　go　to　her　house；〃
said　she。

〃Never！〃　said　Victorin。

〃Never！〃　said　Celestine。

〃Never！〃　said　Hortense。

Lisbeth　was　possessed　by　the　wish　to　crush　the　haughty　attitude
assumed　by　all　the　Hulots。

〃She　seems　to　have　arms　that　she　can　turn　against　you；〃　she　replied。
〃I　do　not　know　all　about　it；　but　I　shall　find　out。　She　spoke　vaguely
of　some　history　of　two　hundred　thousand　francs　in　which　Adeline　is
implicated。〃

The　Baroness　fell　gently　backward　on　the　sofa　she　was　sitting　on　in　a
f