cousin betty-第95章

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implicated。〃

The　Baroness　fell　gently　backward　on　the　sofa　she　was　sitting　on　in　a
fit　of　hysterical　sobbing。

〃Go　there；　go；　my　children！〃　she　cried。　〃Receive　the　woman！　Monsieur
Crevel　is　an　infamous　wretch。　He　deserves　the　worst　punishment
imaginable。Do　as　the　woman　desires　you！　She　is　a　monstershe　knows
all！〃

After　gasping　out　these　words　with　tears　and　sobs；　Madame　Hulot
collected　her　strength　to　go　to　her　room；　leaning　on　her　daughter　and
Celestine。

〃What　is　the　meaning　of　all　this？〃　cried　Lisbeth；　left　alone　with
Victorin。

The　lawyer　stood　rigid；　in　very　natural　dismay；　and　did　not　hear　her。

〃What　is　the　matter；　my　dear　Victorin？〃

〃I　am　horrified！〃　said　he；　and　his　face　scowled　darkly。　〃Woe　to
anybody　who　hurts　my　mother！　I　have　no　scruples　then。　I　would　crush
that　woman　like　a　viper　if　I　could！What；　does　she　attack　my　mother's
life；　my　mother's　honor？〃

〃She　said；　but　do　not　repeat　it；　my　dear　Victorinshe　said　you　should
all　fall　lower　even　than　your　father。　And　she　scolded　Crevel　roundly
for　not　having　shut　your　mouths　with　this　secret　that　seems　to　be　such
a　terror　to　Adeline。〃

A　doctor　was　sent　for；　for　the　Baroness　was　evidently　worse。　He　gave
her　a　draught　containing　a　large　dose　of　opium；　and　Adeline；　having
swallowed　it；　fell　into　a　deep　sleep；　but　the　whole　family　were
greatly　alarmed。

Early　next　morning　Victorin　went　out；　and　on　his　way　to　the　Courts
called　at　the　Prefecture　of　the　Police；　where　he　begged　Vautrin；　the
head　of　the　detective　department；　to　send　him　Madame　de　Saint…Esteve。

〃We　are　forbidden；　monsieur；　to　meddle　in　your　affairs；　but　Madame　de
Saint…Esteve　is　in　business；　and　will　attend　to　your　orders；〃　replied
this　famous　police　officer。

On　his　return　home；　the　unhappy　lawyer　was　told　that　his　mother's
reason　was　in　danger。　Doctor　Bianchon；　Doctor　Larabit；　and　Professor
Angard　had　met　in　consultation；　and　were　prepared　to　apply　heroic
remedies　to　hinder　the　rush　of　blood　to　the　head。　At　the　moment　when
Victorin　was　listening　to　Doctor　Bianchon；　who　was　giving　him；　at　some
length；　his　reasons　for　hoping　that　the　crisis　might　be　got　over；　the
man…servant　announced　that　a　client；　Madame　de　Saint…Esteve；　was
waiting　to　see　him。　Victorin　left　Bianchon　in　the　middle　of　a　sentence
and　flew　downstairs　like　a　madman。

〃Is　there　any　hereditary　lunacy　in　the　family？〃　said　Bianchon；
addressing　Larabit。

The　doctors　departed；　leaving　a　hospital　attendant；　instructed　by
them；　to　watch　Madame　Hulot。

〃A　whole　life　of　virtue！〃　was　the　only　sentence　the　sufferer　had
spoken　since　the　attack。

Lisbeth　never　left　Adeline's　bedside；　she　sat　up　all　night；　and　was
much　admired　by　the　two　younger　women。

〃Well；　my　dear　Madame　de　Saint…Esteve；〃　said　Victorin；　showing　the
dreadful　old　woman　into　his　study　and　carefully　shutting　the　doors；
〃how　are　we　getting　on？〃

〃Ah；　ha！　my　dear　friend；〃　said　she；　looking　at　Victorin　with　cold
irony。　〃So　you　have　thought　things　over？〃

〃Have　you　done　anything？〃

〃Will　you　pay　fifty　thousand　francs？〃

〃Yes；〃　replied　Victorin；　〃for　we　must　get　on。　Do　you　know　that　by　one
single　phrase　that　woman　has　endangered　my　mother's　life　and　reason？
So；　I　say；　get　on。〃

〃We　have　got　on！〃　replied　the　old　woman。

〃Well？〃　cried　Victorin；　with　a　gulp。

〃Well；　you　do　not　cry　off　the　expenses？〃

〃On　the　contrary。〃

〃They　run　up　to　twenty…three　thousand　francs　already。〃

Victorin　looked　helplessly　at　the　woman。

〃Well；　could　we　hoodwink　you；　you；　one　of　the　shining　lights　of　the
law？〃　said　she。　〃For　that　sum　we　have　secured　a　maid's　conscience　and
a　picture　by　Raphael。It　is　not　dear。〃

Hulot；　still　bewildered；　sat　with　wide　open　eyes。

〃Well；　then；〃　his　visitor　went　on；　〃we　have　purchased　the　honesty　of
Mademoiselle　Reine　Tousard；　a　damsel　from　whom　Madame　Marneffe　has　no
secrets〃

〃I　understand！〃

〃But　if　you　shy；　say　so。〃

〃I　will　play　blindfold；〃　he　replied。　〃My　mother　has　told　me　that　that
couple　deserve　the　worst　torments〃

〃The　rack　is　out　of　date；〃　said　the　old　woman。

〃You　answer　for　the　result？〃

〃Leave　it　all　to　me；〃　said　the　woman；　〃your　vengeance　is　simmering。〃

She　looked　at　the　clock；　it　was　six。

〃Your　avenger　is　dressing；　the　fires　are　lighted　at　the　/Rocher　de
Cancale/；　the　horses　are　pawing　the　ground；　my　irons　are　getting　hot。
Oh；　I　know　your　Madame　Marneffe　by　heart！　Everything　is　ready。　And
there　are　some　boluses　in　the　rat…trap；　I　will　tell　you　to…morrow
morning　if　the　mouse　is　poisoned。　I　believe　she　will　be；　good　evening；
my　son。〃

〃Good…bye；　madame。〃

〃Do　you　know　English？〃

〃Yes。〃

〃Well；　my　son；　thou　shalt　be　King。　That　is　to　say；　you　shall　come　into
your　inheritance；〃　said　the　dreadful　old　witch；　foreseen　by
Shakespeare；　and　who　seemed　to　know　her　Shakespeare。

She　left　Hulot　amazed　at　the　door　of　his　study。

〃The　consultation　is　for　to…morrow！〃　said　she；　with　the　gracious　air
of　a　regular　client。

She　saw　two　persons　coming；　and　wished　to　pass　in　their　eyes　a
pinchbeck　countess。

〃What　impudence！〃　thought　Hulot；　bowing　to　his　pretended　client。



Baron　Montes　de　Montejanos　was　a　/lion/；　but　a　lion　not　accounted　for。
Fashionable　Paris；　Paris　of　the　turf　and　of　the　town；　admired　the
ineffable　waistcoats　of　this　foreign　gentleman；　his　spotless　patent…
leather　boots；　his　incomparable　sticks；　his　much…coveted　horses；　and
the　negro　servants　who　rode　the　horses　and　who　were　entirely　slaves
and　most　consumedly　thrashed。

His　fortune　was　well　known；　he　had　a　credit　account　up　to　seven
hundred　thousand　francs　in　the　great　banking　house　of　du　Tillet；　but
he　was　always　seen　alone。　When　he　went　to　〃first　nights；〃　he　was　in　a
stall。　He　frequented　no　drawing…rooms。　He　had　never　given　his　arm　to　a
girl　on　the　streets。　His　name　would　not　be　coupled　with　that　of　any
pretty　woman　of　the　world。　To　pass　his　time　he　played　whist　at　the
Jockey…Club。　The　world　was　reduced　to　calumny；　or；　which　it　thought
funnier；　to　laughing　at　his　peculiarities；　he　went　by　the　name　of
Combabus。

Bixiou；　Leon　de　Lora；　Lousteau；　Florine；　Mademoiselle　Heloise
Brisetout；　and　Nathan；　supping　one　evening　with　the　notorious
Carabine；　with　a　large　party　of　/lions/　and　/lionesses/；　had　invented
this　name　with　an　excessively　burlesque　explanation。　Massol；　as　being
on　the　Council　of　State；　and　Claude　Vignon；　erewhile　Professor　of
Greek；　had　related　to　the　ignorant　damsels　the　famous　anecdote；
preserved　in　Rollin's　/Ancient　History/；　concerning　Combabus；　that
voluntary　Abelard　who　was　placed　in　charge　of　the　wife　of　a　King　of
Assyria；　Persia；　Bactria；　Mesopotamia；　and　other　geographical
divisions　peculiar　to　old　Professor　du　Bocage；　who　continued　the　work
of　d'Anville；　the　creator　of　the　East　of　antiquity。　This　nickname；
which　gave　Carabine's　guests　laughter　for　a　quarter　of　an　hour；　gave
rise　to　a　series　of　over…free　jests；　to　which　the　Academy　could　not
award　the　Montyon　prize；　but　among　which　the　name　was　taken　up；　to
rest　thenceforth　on　the　curly　mane　of　the　handsome　Baron；　called　by
Josepha　the　splendid　Brazilianas　one　might　say　a　splendid
/Catoxantha/。

Carabine；　the　loveliest　of　her　tribe；　whose　delicate　beauty　and
amusing　wit　had　snatched　the　sceptre　of　the　Thirteenth　Arrondissement
from　the　hands　of　Mademoiselle　Turquet；　better　known　by　the　name　of
MalagaMademoiselle　Seraphine　Sinet　（this　was　her　real　name）　was　to
du　Tillet　the　banker　what　Josepha　Mirah　was　to　the　Duc　d'Herouville。

Now；　on　the　morning　of　the　very　day　when　Madame　de　Saint…Esteve　had
prophesied　success　to　Victorin；　Carabine　had　said　to　du　Tillet　at
about　seven　o'clock：

〃If　you　want　to　be　very　nice；　you　will　give　me　a　dinner　at　the　/Rocher
de　Cancale/　and　bring　Combabus。　We　want　to　know；　once　for　all；　whether
he　has　a　mistress。I　bet　that　he　has；　and　I　should　like　to　win。〃

〃He　is　still　at　the　Hotel　des　Princes；　I　will　call；〃　replied　du
Tillet。　〃We　will　have　some　fun。　Ask　all　the　youngstersthe　youngster
Bixiou；　the　youngster　Lora；　in　short；　all　the　clan。〃

At　half…past　seven　that　evening；　in　the　handsomest　room　of　the
restaurant　where　all　Europe　has　dined；　a　splendid　silver　service　was
spread；　made　on　purpose　for　entertainments　where　vanity　pays　the　bill