cousin betty-第99章

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nodded　in　sign　of　assent。

〃My　faith　in　that　woman；〃　said　Montes；　and　he　shed　a　tear；　〃was　a
match　for　my　love。　Just　now；　I　was　ready　to　fight　everybody　at
table〃

〃So　I　saw；〃　said　Carabine。

〃And　if　I　am　cheated；　if　she　is　going　to　be　married；　if　she　is　at　this
moment　in　Steinbock's　arms；　she　deserves　a　thousand　deaths！　I　will
kill　her　as　I　would　smash　a　fly〃

〃And　how　about　the　gendarmes；　my　son？〃　said　Madame　Nourrisson；　with　a
smile　that　made　your　flesh　creep。

〃And　the　police　agents；　and　the　judges；　and　the　assizes；　and　all　the
set…out？〃　added　Carabine。

〃You　are　bragging；　my　dear　fellow；〃　said　the　old　woman；　who　wanted　to
know　all　the　Brazilian's　schemes　of　vengeance。

〃I　will　kill　her；〃　he　calmly　repeated。　〃You　called　me　a　savage。Do
you　imagine　that　I　am　fool　enough　to　go；　like　a　Frenchman；　and　buy
poison　at　the　chemist's　shop？During　the　time　while　we　were　driving
her；　I　thought　out　my　means　of　revenge；　if　you　should　prove　to　be
right　as　concerns　Valerie。　One　of　my　negroes　has　the　most　deadly　of
animal　poisons；　and　incurable　anywhere　but　in　Brazil。　I　will
administer　it　to　Cydalise；　who　will　give　it　to　me；　then　by　the　time
when　death　is　a　certainty　to　Crevel　and　his　wife；　I　shall　be　beyond
the　Azores　with　your　cousin；　who　will　be　cured；　and　I　will　marry　her。
We　have　our　own　little　tricks；　we　savages！Cydalise；〃　said　he；
looking　at　the　country　girl；　〃is　the　animal　I　need。How　much　does　she
owe？〃

〃A　hundred　thousand　francs；〃　said　Cydalise。

〃She　says　littlebut　to　the　purpose；〃　said　Carabine；　in　a　low　tone　to
Madame　Nourrisson。

〃I　am　going　mad！〃　cried　the　Brazilian；　in　a　husky　voice；　dropping　on
to　a　sofa。　〃I　shall　die　of　this！　But　I　must　see；　for　it　is　impossible！
A　lithographed　note！　What　is　to　assure　me　that　it　is　not　a　forgery？
Baron　Hulot　was　in　love　with　Valerie？〃　said　he；　recalling　Josepha's
harangue。　〃Nay；　the　proof　that　he　did　not　love　is　that　she　is　still
aliveI　will　not　leave　her　living　for　anybody　else；　if　she　is　not
wholly　mine。〃

Montes　was　terrible　to　behold。　He　bellowed；　he　stormed；　he　broke
everything　he　touched；　rosewood　was　as　brittle　as　glass。

〃How　he　destroys　things！〃　said　Carabine；　looking　at　the　old　woman。　〃My
good　boy；〃　said　she；　giving　the　Brazilian　a　little　slap；　〃Roland　the
Furious　is　very　fine　in　a　poem；　but　in　a　drawing…room　he　is　prosaic
and　expensive。〃

〃My　son；〃　said　old　Nourrisson；　rising　to　stand　in　front　of　the
crestfallen　Baron；　〃I　am　of　your　way　of　thinking。　When　you　love　in
that　way；　and　are　joined　'till　death　does　you　part；'　life　must　answer
for　love。　The　one　who　first　goes；　carries　everything　away；　it　is　a
general　wreck。　You　command　my　esteem；　my　admiration；　my　consent；
especially　for　your　inoculation；　which　will　make　me　a　Friend　of　the
Negro。But　you　love　her！　You　will　hark　back？〃

〃I？If　she　is　so　infamous；　I〃

〃Well；　come　now；　you　are　talking　too　much；　it　strikes　me。　A　man　who
means　to　be　avenged；　and　who　says　he　has　the　ways　and　means　of　a
savage；　doesn't　do　that。If　you　want　to　see　your　'object'　in　her
paradise；　you　must　take　Cydalise　and　walk　straight　in　with　her　on　your
arm；　as　if　the　servant　had　made　a　mistake。　But　no　scandal！　If　you　mean
to　be　revenged；　you　must　eat　the　leek；　seem　to　be　in　despair；　and
allow　her　to　bully　you。Do　you　see？〃　said　Madame　Nourrisson；　finding
the　Brazilian　quite　amazed　by　so　subtle　a　scheme。

〃All　right；　old　ostrich；〃　he　replied。　〃Come　along：　I　understand。〃

〃Good…bye；　little　one！〃　said　the　old　woman　to　Carabine。

She　signed　to　Cydalise　to　go　on　with　Montes；　and　remained　a　minute
with　Carabine。

〃Now；　child；　I　have　but　one　fear；　and　that　is　that　he　will　strangle
her！　I　should　be　in　a　very　tight　place；　we　must　do　everything　gently。
I　believe　you　have　won　your　picture　by　Raphael；　but　they　tell　me　it　is
only　a　Mignard。　Never　mind；　it　is　much　prettier；　all　the　Raphaels　are
gone　black；　I　am　told；　whereas　this　one　is　as　bright　as　a　Girodet。〃

〃All　I　want　is　to　crow　over　Josepha；　and　it　is　all　the　same　to　me
whether　I　have　a　Mignard　or　a　Raphael！That　thief　had　on　such　pearls
this　evening！you　would　sell　your　soul　for　them。〃

Cydalise；　Montes；　and　Madame　Nourrisson　got　into　a　hackney　coach　that
was　waiting　at　the　door。　Madame　Nourrisson　whispered　to　the　driver　the
address　of　a　house　in　the　same　block　as　the　Italian　Opera　House；　which
they　could　have　reached　in　five　or　six　minutes　from　the　Rue　Saint…
Georges；　but　Madame　Nourrisson　desired　the　man　to　drive　along　the　Rue
le　Peletier；　and　to　go　very　slowly；　so　as　to　be　able　to　examine　the
carriages　in　waiting。

〃Brazilian；〃　said　the　old　woman；　〃look　out　for　your　angel's　carriage
and　servants。〃

The　Baron　pointed　out　Valerie's　carriage　as　they　passed　it。

〃She　has　told　them　to　come　for　her　at　ten　o'clock；　and　she　is　gone　in
a　cab　to　the　house　where　she　visits　Count　Steinbock。　She　has　dined
there；　and　will　come　to　the　Opera　in　half　an　hour。It　is　well
contrived！〃　said　Madame　Nourrisson。　〃Thus　you　see　how　she　has　kept　you
so　long　in　the　dark。〃

The　Brazilian　made　no　reply。　He　had　become　the　tiger；　and　had
recovered　the　imperturbable　cool　ferocity　that　had　been　so　striking　at
dinner。　He　was　as　calm　as　a　bankrupt　the　day　after　he　has　stopped
payment。

At　the　door　of　the　house　stood　a　hackney　coach　with　two　horses；　of　the
kind　known　as　a　/Compagnie　Generale/；　from　the　Company　that　runs　them。

〃Stay　here　in　the　box；〃　said　the　old　woman　to　Montes。　〃This　is　not　an
open　house　like　a　tavern。　I　will　send　for　you。〃

The　paradise　of　Madame　Marneffe　and　Wenceslas　was　not　at　all　like　that
of　Crevelwho；　finding　it　useless　now；　had　just　sold　his　to　the　Comte
Maxime　de　Trailles。　This　paradise；　the　paradise　of　all　comers；
consisted　of　a　room　on　the　fourth　floor　opening　to　the　landing；　in　a
house　close　to　the　Italian　Opera。　On　each　floor　of　this　house　there
was　a　room　which　had　originally　served　as　the　kitchen　to　the
apartments　on　that　floor。　But　the　house　having　become　a　sort　of　inn；
let　out　for　clandestine　love　affairs　at　an　exorbitant　price；　the
owner；　the　real　Madame　Nourrisson；　an　old…clothes　buyer　in　the　Rue
Nueve　Saint…Marc；　had　wisely　appreciated　the　great　value　of　these
kitchens；　and　had　turned　them　into　a　sort　of　dining…rooms。　Each　of
these　rooms；　built　between　thick　party…walls　and　with　windows　to　the
street；　was　entirely　shut　in　by　very　thick　double　doors　on　the
landing。　Thus　the　most　important　secrets　could　be　discussed　over　a
dinner；　with　no　risk　of　being　overheard。　For　greater　security；　the
windows　had　shutters　inside　and　out。　These　rooms；　in　consequence　of
this　peculiarity；　were　let　for　twelve　hundred　francs　a　month。　The
whole　house；　full　of　such　paradises　and　mysteries　was　rented　by　Madame
Nourrisson　the　First　for　twenty…eight　thousand　francs　of　clear　profit；
after　paying　her　housekeeper；　Madame　Nourrisson　the　Second；　for　she
did　not　manage　it　herself。

The　paradise　let　to　Count　Steinbock　had　been　hung　with　chintz；　the
cold；　hard　floor；　of　common　tiles　reddened　with　encaustic；　was　not
felt　through　a　soft　thick　carpet。　The　furniture　consisted　of　two
pretty　chairs　and　a　bed　in　an　alcove；　just　now　half　hidden　by　a　table
loaded　with　the　remains　of　an　elegant　dinner；　while　two　bottles　with
long　necks　and　an　empty　champagne…bottle　in　ice　strewed　the　field　of
bacchus　cultivated　by　Venus。

There　were　alsothe　property；　no　doubt；　of　Valeriea　low　easy…chair
and　a　man's　smoking…chair；　and　a　pretty　toilet　chest　of　drawers　in
rosewood；　the　mirror　handsomely　framed　/a　la/　Pompadour。　A　lamp
hanging　from　the　ceiling　gave　a　subdued　light；　increased　by　wax
candles　on　the　table　and　on　the　chimney…shelf。

This　sketch　will　suffice　to　give　an　idea；　/urbi　et　orbi/；　of
clandestine　passion　in　the　squalid　style　stamped　on　it　in　Paris　in
1840。　How　far；　alas！　from　the　adulterous　love；　symbolized　by　Vulcan's
nets；　three　thousand　years　ago。

When　Montes　and　Cydalise　came　upstairs；　Valerie；　standing　before　the
fire；　where　a　log　was　blazing；　was　allowing　Wenceslas　to　lace　her
stays。

This　is　a　moment　when　a　woman　who　is　neither　too　fat　nor　too　thin；　but
like　Valerie；　elegant　and　slender；　displays　divine　beauty。　The　rosy
skin；　mostly　soft；　invites　the　sleepiest　eye。　The　lines　of　her　figure；
so　l