at the sign of the cat and racket-第9章

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no　concern　with　business；　she　exclaimed：

〃Really；　monsieur；　you　are　so　weak　with　your　daughters！　However〃

The　sound　of　a　carriage；　which　stopped　at　the　door；　interrupted　the
rating　which　the　old　draper　already　quaked　at。　In　a　minute　Madame
Roguin　was　standing　in　the　middle　of　the　room；　and　looking　at　the
actors　in　this　domestic　scene：　〃I　know　all；　my　dear　cousin；〃　said　she；
with　a　patronizing　air。

Madame　Roguin　made　the　great　mistake　of　supposing　that　a　Paris
notary's　wife　could　play　the　part　of　a　favorite　of　fashion。

〃I　know　all；〃　she　repeated；　〃and　I　have　come　into　Noah's　Ark；　like　the
dove；　with　the　olive…branch。　I　read　that　allegory　in　the　/Genie　du
Christianisme/；〃　she　added；　turning　to　Madame　Guillaume；　〃the　allusion
ought　to　please　you；　cousin。　Do　you　know；〃　she　went　on；　smiling　at
Augustine；　〃that　Monsieur　de　Sommervieux　is　a　charming　man？　He　gave　me
my　portrait　this　morning；　painted　by　a　master's　hand。　It　is　worth　at
least　six　thousand　francs。〃　And　at　these　words　she　patted　Monsieur
Guillaume　on　the　arm。　The　old　draper　could　not　help　making　a　grimace
with　his　lips；　which　was　peculiar　to　him。

〃I　know　Monsieur　de　Sommervieux　very　well；〃　the　Dove　ran　on。　〃He　has
come　to　my　evenings　this　fortnight　past；　and　made　them　delightful。　He
has　told　me　all　his　woes；　and　commissioned　me　to　plead　for　him。　I　know
since　this　morning　that　he　adores　Augustine；　and　he　shall　have　her。
Ah；　cousin；　do　not　shake　your　head　in　refusal。　He　will　be　created
Baron；　I　can　tell　you；　and　has　just　been　made　Chevalier　of　the　Legion
of　Honor；　by　the　Emperor　himself；　at　the　Salon。　Roguin　is　now　his
lawyer；　and　knows　all　his　affairs。　Well！　Monsieur　de　Sommervieux　has
twelve　thousand　francs　a　year　in　good　landed　estate。　Do　you　know　that
the　father…in…law　of　such　a　man　may　get　a　rise　in　lifebe　mayor　of
his　/arrondissement/；　for　instance。　Have　we　not　seen　Monsieur　Dupont
become　a　Count　of　the　Empire；　and　a　senator；　all　because　he　went　as
mayor　to　congratulate　the　Emperor　on　his　entry　into　Vienna？　Oh；　this
marriage　must　take　place！　For　my　part；　I　adore　the　dear　young　man。　His
behavior　to　Augustine　is　only　met　with　in　romances。　Be　easy；　little
one；　you　shall　be　happy；　and　every　girl　will　wish　she　were　in　your
place。　Madame　la　Duchesse　de　Carigliano；　who　comes　to　my　'At　Homes；'
raves　about　Monsieur　de　Sommervieux。　Some　spiteful　people　say　she　only
comes　to　me　to　meet　him；　as　if　a　duchesse　of　yesterday　was　doing　too
much　honor　to　a　Chevrel；　whose　family　have　been　respected　citizens
these　hundred　years！

〃Augustine；〃　Madame　Roguin　went　on；　after　a　short　pause；　〃I　have　seen
the　portrait。　Heavens！　How　lovely　it　is！　Do　you　know　that　the　Emperor
wanted　to　have　it？　He　laughed；　and　said　to　the　Deputy　High　Constable
that　if　there　were　many　women　like　that　in　his　court　while　all　the
kings　visited　it；　he　should　have　no　difficulty　about　preserving　the
peace　of　Europe。　Is　not　that　a　compliment？〃

The　tempests　with　which　the　day　had　begun　were　to　resemble　those　of
nature；　by　ending　in　clear　and　serene　weather。　Madame　Roguin　displayed
so　much　address　in　her　harangue；　she　was　able　to　touch　so　many　strings
in　the　dry　hearts　of　Monsieur　and　Madame　Guillaume；　that　at　last　she
hit　on　one　which　she　could　work　upon。　At　this　strange　period　commerce
and　finance　were　more　than　ever　possessed　by　the　crazy　mania　for
seeking　alliance　with　rank；　and　the　generals　of　the　Empire　took　full
advantage　of　this　desire。　Monsieur　Guillaume；　as　a　singular　exception；
opposed　this　deplorable　craving。　His　favorite　axioms　were　that；　to
secure　happiness；　a　woman　must　marry　a　man　of　her　own　class；　that
every　one　was　punished　sooner　or　later　for　having　climbed　too　high；
that　love　could　so　little　endure　under　the　worries　of　a　household；
that　both　husband　and　wife　needed　sound　good　qualities　to　be　happy；
that　it　would　not　do　for　one　to　be　far　in　advance　of　the　other；
because；　above　everything；　they　must　understand　each　other；　if　a　man
spoke　Greek　and　his　wife　Latin；　they　might　come　to　die　of　hunger。　He
had　himself　invented　this　sort　of　adage。　And　he　compared　such
marriages　to　old…fashioned　materials　of　mixed　silk　and　wool。　Still；
there　is　so　much　vanity　at　the　bottom　of　man's　heart　that　the　prudence
of　the　pilot　who　steered　the　Cat　and　Racket　so　wisely　gave　way　before
Madame　Roguin's　aggressive　volubility。　Austere　Madame　Guillaume　was
the　first　to　see　in　her　daughter's　affection　a　reason　for　abdicating
her　principles　and　for　consenting　to　receive　Monsieur　de　Sommervieux；
whom　she　promised　herself　she　would　put　under　severe　inquisition。

The　old　draper　went　to　look　for　Joseph　Lebas；　and　inform　him　of　the
state　of　affairs。　At　half…past　six；　the　dining…room　immortalized　by
the　artist　saw；　united　under　its　skylight；　Monsieur　and　Madame　Roguin；
the　young　painter　and　his　charming　Augustine；　Joseph　Lebas；　who　found
his　happiness　in　patience；　and　Mademoiselle　Virginie；　convalescent
from　her　headache。　Monsieur　and　Madame　Guillaume　saw　in　perspective
both　their　children　married；　and　the　fortunes　of　the　Cat　and　Racket
once　more　in　skilful　hands。　Their　satisfaction　was　at　its　height　when；
at　dessert；　Theodore　made　them　a　present　of　the　wonderful　picture
which　they　had　failed　to　see；　representing　the　interior　of　the　old
shop；　and　to　which　they　all　owed　so　much　happiness。

〃Isn't　it　pretty！〃　cried　Guillaume。　〃And　to　think　that　any　one　would
pay　thirty　thousand　francs　for　that！〃

〃Because　you　can　see　my　lappets　in　it；〃　said　Madame　Guillaume。

〃And　the　cloth　unrolled！〃　added　Lebas；　〃you　might　take　it　up　in　your
hand。〃

〃Drapery　always　comes　out　well；〃　replied　the　painter。　〃We　should　be
only　too　happy；　we　modern　artists；　if　we　could　touch　the　perfection　of
antique　drapery。〃

〃So　you　like　drapery！〃　cried　old　Guillaume。　〃Well；　then；　by　Gad！　shake
hands　on　that；　my　young　friend。　Since　you　can　respect　trade；　we　shall
understand　each　other。　And　why　should　it　be　despised？　The　world　began
with　trade；　since　Adam　sold　Paradise　for　an　apple。　He　did　not　strike　a
good　bargain　though！〃　And　the　old　man　roared　with　honest　laughter；
encouraged　by　the　champagne；　which　he　sent　round　with　a　liberal　hand。
The　band　that　covered　the　young　artist's　eyes　was　so　thick　that　he
thought　his　future　parents　amiable。　He　was　not　above　enlivening　them
by　a　few　jests　in　the　best　taste。　So　he　too　pleased　every　one。　In　the
evening；　when　the　drawing…room；　furnished　with　what　Madame　Guillaume
called　〃everything　handsome；〃　was　deserted；　and　while　she　flitted　from
the　table　to　the　chimney…piece；　from　the　candelabra　to　the　tall
candlesticks；　hastily　blowing　out　the　wax…lights；　the　worthy　draper；
who　was　always　clear…sighted　when　money　was　in　question；　called
Augustine　to　him；　and　seating　her　on　his　knee；　spoke　as　follows：

〃My　dear　child；　you　shall　marry　your　Sommervieux　since　you　insist；　you
may；　if　you　like；　risk　your　capital　in　happiness。　But　I　am　not　going
to　be　hoodwinked　by　the　thirty　thousand　francs　to　be　made　by　spoiling
good　canvas。　Money　that　is　lightly　earned　is　lightly　spent。　Did　I　not
hear　that　hare…brained　youngster　declare　this　evening　that　money　was
made　round　that　it　might　roll。　If　it　is　round　for　spendthrifts；　it　is
flat　for　saving　folks　who　pile　it　up。　Now；　my　child；　that　fine
gentleman　talks　of　giving　you　carriages　and　diamonds！　He　has　money；
let　him　spend　it　on　you；　so　be　it。　It　is　no　concern　of　mine。　But　as　to
what　I　can　give　you；　I　will　not　have　the　crown…pieces　I　have　picked　up
with　so　much　toil　wasted　in　carriages　and　frippery。　Those　who　spend
too　fast　never　grow　rich。　A　hundred　thousand　crowns；　which　is　your
fortune；　will　not　buy　up　Paris。　It　is　all　very　well　to　look　forward　to
a　few　hundred　thousand　francs　to　be　yours　some　day；　I　shall　keep　you
waiting　for　them　as　long　as　possible；　by　Gad！　So　I　took　your　lover
aside；　and　a　man　who　managed　the　Lecocq　bankruptcy　had　not　much
difficulty　in　persuading　the　artist　to　marry　under　a　settlement　of　his
wife's　money　on　herself。　I　will　keep　an　eye　on　the　marriage　contract
to　see　that　what　he　is　to　settle　on　you　is　safely　tied　up。　So　now；　my
child；　I　hope　to　be　a　grandfather；　by　Gad！　I　will　begin　at　once　to　lay
up　for　my　grandchildren；　but　swear　to　me；　here　and　now；　neve