at the sign of the cat and racket-第12章

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want　of　money　was　the　prime　cause　of　this　early　call；　tried　to　keep　up
a　tone　of　reserve　which　more　than　once　made　Augustine　smile。　The
painter's　wife　perceived　that；　apart　from　the　cap　and　lappets；　her
mother　had　found　in　Virginie　a　successor　who　could　uphold　the　ancient
honor　of　the　Cat　and　Racket。　At　breakfast　she　observed　certain　changes
in　the　management　of　the　house　which　did　honor　to　Lebas'　good　sense；
the　assistants　did　not　rise　before　dessert；　they　were　allowed　to　talk；
and　the　abundant　meal　spoke　of　ease　without　luxury。　The　fashionable
woman　found　some　tickets　for　a　box　at　the　Francais；　where　she
remembered　having　seen　her　sister　from　time　to　time。　Madame　Lebas　had
a　cashmere　shawl　over　her　shoulders；　of　which　the　value　bore　witness
to　her　husband's　generosity　to　her。　In　short；　the　couple　were　keeping
pace　with　the　times。　During　the　two…thirds　of　the　day　she　spent　there；
Augustine　was　touched　to　the　heart　by　the　equable　happiness；　devoid；
to　be　sure；　of　all　emotion；　but　equally　free　from　storms；　enjoyed　by
this　well…matched　couple。　They　had　accepted　life　as　a　commercial
enterprise；　in　which；　above　all；　they　must　do　credit　to　the　business。
Not　finding　any　great　love　in　her　husband；　Virginie　had　set　to　work　to
create　it。　Having　by　degrees　learned　to　esteem　and　care　for　his　wife；
the　time　that　his　happiness　had　taken　to　germinate　was　to　Joseph　Lebas
a　guarantee　of　its　durability。　Hence；　when　Augustine　plaintively　set
forth　her　painful　position；　she　had　to　face　the　deluge　of　commonplace
morality　which　the　traditions　of　the　Rue　Saint…Denis　furnished　to　her
sister。

〃The　mischief　is　done；　wife；〃　said　Joseph　Lebas；　〃we　must　try　to　give
our　sister　good　advice。〃　Then　the　clever　tradesman　ponderously
analyzed　the　resources　which　law　and　custom　might　offer　Augustine　as　a
means　of　escape　at　this　crisis；　he　ticketed　every　argument；　so　to
speak；　and　arranged　them　in　their　degrees　of　weight　under　various
categories；　as　though　they　were　articles　of　merchandise　of　different
qualities；　then　he　put　them　in　the　scale；　weighed　them；　and　ended　by
showing　the　necessity　for　his　sister…in…law's　taking　violent　steps
which　could　not　satisfy　the　love　she　still　had　for　her　husband；　and；
indeed；　the　feeling　had　revived　in　all　its　strength　when　she　heard
Joseph　Lebas　speak　of　legal　proceedings。　Augustine　thanked　them；　and
returned　home　even　more　undecided　than　she　had　been　before　consulting
them。　She　now　ventured　to　go　to　the　house　in　the　Rue　du　Colombier；
intending　to　confide　her　troubles　to　her　father　and　mother；　for　she
was　like　a　sick　man　who；　in　his　desperate　plight；　tries　every
prescription；　and　even　puts　faith　in　old　wives'　remedies。

The　old　people　received　their　daughter　with　an　effusiveness　that
touched　her　deeply。　Her　visit　brought　them　some　little　change；　and
that　to　them　was　worth　a　fortune。　For　the　last　four　years　they　had
gone　their　way　like　navigators　without　a　goal　or　a　compass。　Sitting　by
the　chimney　corner；　they　would　talk　over　their　disasters　under　the　old
law　of　/maximum/；　of　their　great　investments　in　cloth；　of　the　way　they
had　weathered　bankruptcies；　and；　above　all；　the　famous　failure　of
Lecocq；　Monsieur　Guillaume's　battle　of　Marengo。　Then；　when　they　had
exhausted　the　tale　of　lawsuits；　they　recapitulated　the　sum　total　of
their　most　profitable　stock…takings；　and　told　each　other　old　stories
of　the　Saint…Denis　quarter。　At　two　o'clock　old　Guillaume　went　to　cast
an　eye　on　the　business　at　the　Cat　and　Racket；　on　his　way　back　he
called　at　all　the　shops；　formerly　the　rivals　of　his　own；　where　the
young　proprietors　hoped　to　inveigle　the　old　draper　into　some　risky
discount；　which；　as　was　his　wont；　he　never　refused　point…blank。　Two
good　Normandy　horses　were　dying　of　their　own　fat　in　the　stables　of　the
big　house；　Madame　Guillaume　never　used　them　but　to　drag　her　on　Sundays
to　high　Mass　at　the　parish　church。　Three　times　a　week　the　worthy
couple　kept　open　house。　By　the　influence　of　his　son…in…law
Sommervieux；　Monsieur　Guillaume　had　been　named　a　member　of　the
consulting　board　for　the　clothing　of　the　Army。　Since　her　husband　had
stood　so　high　in　office；　Madame　Guillaume　had　decided　that　she　must
receive；　her　rooms　were　so　crammed　with　gold　and　silver　ornaments；　and
furniture；　tasteless　but　of　undoubted　value；　that　the　simplest　room　in
the　house　looked　like　a　chapel。　Economy　and　expense　seemed　to　be
struggling　for　the　upper　hand　in　every　accessory。　It　was　as　though
Monsieur　Guillaume　had　looked　to　a　good　investment；　even　in　the
purchase　of　a　candlestick。　In　the　midst　of　this　bazaar；　where　splendor
revealed　the　owner's　want　of　occupation；　Sommervieux's　famous　picture
filled　the　place　of　honor；　and　in　it　Monsieur　and　Madame　Guillaume
found　their　chief　consolation；　turning　their　eyes；　harnessed　with　eye…
glasses；　twenty　times　a　day　on　this　presentment　of　their　past　life；　to
them　so　active　and　amusing。　The　appearance　of　this　mansion　and　these
rooms；　where　everything　had　an　aroma　of　staleness　and　mediocrity；　the
spectacle　offered　by　these　two　beings；　cast　away；　as　it　were；　on　a
rock　far　from　the　world　and　the　ideas　which　are　life；　startled
Augustine；　she　could　here　contemplate　the　sequel　of　the　scene　of　which
the　first　part　had　struck　her　at　the　house　of　Lebasa　life　of　stir
without　movement；　a　mechanical　and　instinctive　existence　like　that　of
the　beaver；　and　then　she　felt　an　indefinable　pride　in　her　troubles；　as
she　reflected　that　they　had　their　source　in　eighteen　months　of　such
happiness　as；　in　her　eyes；　was　worth　a　thousand　lives　like　this；　its
vacuity　seemed　to　her　horrible。　However；　she　concealed　this　not　very
charitable　feeling；　and　displayed　for　her　parents　her　newly…acquired
accomplishments　of　mind；　and　the　ingratiating　tenderness　that　love　had
revealed　to　her；　disposing　them　to　listen　to　her　matrimonial
grievances。　Old　people　have　a　weakness　for　this　kind　of　confidence。
Madame　Guillaume　wanted　to　know　the　most　trivial　details　of　that　alien
life；　which　to　her　seemed　almost　fabulous。　The　travels　of　Baron　da　la
Houtan；　which　she　began　again　and　again　and　never　finished；　told　her
nothing　more　unheard…of　concerning　the　Canadian　savages。

〃What；　child；　your　husband　shuts　himself　into　a　room　with　naked　women！
And　you　are　so　simple　as　to　believe　that　he　draws　them？〃

As　she　uttered　this　exclamation；　the　grandmother　laid　her　spectacles
on　a　little　work…table；　shook　her　skirts；　and　clasped　her　hands　on　her
knees；　raised　by　a　foot…warmer；　her　favorite　pedestal。

〃But；　mother；　all　artists　are　obliged　to　have　models。〃

〃He　took　good　care　not　to　tell　us　that　when　he　asked　leave　to　marry
you。　If　I　had　known　it；　I　would　never　had　given　my　daughter　to　a　man
who　followed　such　a　trade。　Religion　forbids　such　horrors；　they　are
immoral。　And　at　what　time　of　night　do　you　say　he　comes　home？〃

〃At　one　o'clocktwo〃

The　old　folks　looked　at　each　other　in　utter　amazement。

〃Then　he　gambles？〃　said　Monsieur　Guillaume。　〃In　my　day　only　gamblers
stayed　out　so　late。〃

Augustine　made　a　face　that　scorned　the　accusation。

〃He　must　keep　you　up　through　dreadful　nights　waiting　for　him；〃　said
Madame　Guillaume。　〃But　you　go　to　bed；　don't　you？　And　when　he　has　lost；
the　wretch　wakes　you。〃

〃No；　mamma；　on　the　contrary；　he　is　sometimes　in　very　good　spirits。　Not
unfrequently；　indeed；　when　it　is　fine；　he　suggests　that　I　should　get
up　and　go　into　the　woods。〃

〃The　woods！　At　that　hour？　Then　have　you　such　a　small　set　of　rooms　that
his　bedroom　and　his　sitting…room　are　not　enough；　and　that　he　must　run
about？　But　it　is　just　to　give　you　cold　that　the　wretch　proposes　such
expeditions。　He　wants　to　get　rid　of　you。　Did　one　ever　hear　of　a　man
settled　in　life；　a　well…behaved；　quiet　man　galloping　about　like　a
warlock？〃

〃But；　my　dear　mother；　you　do　not　understand　that　he　must　have
excitement　to　fire　his　genius。　He　is　fond　of　scenes　which〃

〃I　would　make　scenes　for　him；　fine　scenes！〃　cried　Madame　Guillaume；
interrupting　her　daughter。　〃How　can　you　show　any　consideration　to　such
a　man？　In　the　first　place；　I　don't　like　his　drinking　water　only；　it　is
not　wholesome。　Why　does　he　object　to　see　a　woman　eating？　What　queer
notion　is　that！　But　he　is　mad。　All　you　tell　us　about　him　is
impos