the marriage contract-第12章

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proceeds　in　Paris；　where　interests　were　doubled。〃



〃Don't　talk　nonsense　to　me。　There　are　various　ways　of　verifying　the

property。　What　was　the　amount　of　your　legacy　tax？　Those　figures　will

enable　us　to　get　at　the　total。　Come　to　the　point。　Tell　us　frankly　what

you　received　from　the　father's　estate　and　how　much　remains　of　it。　If

we　are　very　much　in　love　we'll　see　then　what　we　can　do。〃



〃If　you　are　marrying　us　for　our　money　you　can　go　about　your　business。

We　have　claims　to　more　than　a　million；　but　all　that　remains　to　our

mother　is　this　house　and　furniture　and　four　hundred　odd　thousand

francs　invested　about　1817　in　the　Five…per…cents；　which　yield　about

forty…thousand　francs　a　year。〃



〃Then　why　do　you　live　in　a　style　that　requires　one　hundred　thousand　a

year　at　the　least？〃　cried　Mathias；　horror…stricken。



〃Our　daughter　has　cost　us　the　eyes　out　of　our　head；〃　replied　Solonet。

〃Besides；　we　like　to　spend　money。　Your　jeremiads；　let　me　tell　you；

won't　recover　two　farthings　of　the　money。〃



〃With　the　fifty　thousand　francs　a　year　which　belong　to　Mademoiselle

Natalie　you　could　have　brought　her　up　handsomely　without　coming　to

ruin。　But　if　you　have　squandered　everything　while　you　were　a　girl　what

will　it　be　when　you　are　a　married　woman？〃



〃Then　drop　us　altogether；〃　said　Solonet。　〃The　handsomest　girl　in

Bordeaux　has　a　right　to　spend　more　than　she　has；　if　she　likes。〃



〃I'll　talk　to　my　client　about　that；〃　said　the　old　notary。



〃Very　good；　old　father　Cassandra；　go　and　tell　your　client　that　we

haven't　a　penny；〃　thought　Solonet；　who；　in　the　solitude　of　his　study；

had　strategically　massed　his　forces；　drawn　up　his　propositions；　manned

the　drawbridge　of　discussion；　and　prepared　the　point　at　which　the

opposing　party；　thinking　the　affair　a　failure；　could　suddenly　be　led

into　a　compromise　which　would　end　in　the　triumph　of　his　client。



The　white　dress　with　its　rose…colored　ribbons；　the　Sevigne　curls；

Natalie's　tiny　foot；　her　winning　glance；　her　pretty　fingers　constantly

employed　in　adjusting　curls　that　needed　no　adjustment；　these　girlish

manoeuvres　like　those　of　a　peacock　spreading　his　tail；　had　brought

Paul　to　the　point　at　which　his　future　mother…in…law　desired　to　see

him。　He　was　intoxicated　with　love；　and　his　eyes；　the　sure　thermometer

of　the　soul；　indicated　the　degree　of　passion　at　which　a　man　commits　a

thousand　follies。



〃Natalie　is　so　beautiful；〃　he　whispered　to　the　mother；　〃that　I　can

conceive　the　frenzy　which　leads　a　man　to　pay　for　his　happiness　by

death。〃



Madame　Evangelista　replied　with　a　shake　of　her　head：



〃Lover's　talk；　my　dear　count。　My　husband　never　said　such　charming

things　to　me；　but　he　married　me　without　a　fortune　and　for　thirteen

years　he　never　caused　me　one　moment's　pain。〃



〃Is　that　a　lesson　you　are　giving　me？〃　said　Paul；　laughing。



〃You　know　how　I　love　you；　my　dear　son；〃　she　answered；　pressing　his

hand。　〃I　must　indeed　love　you　well　to　give　you　my　Natalie。〃



〃Give　me；　give　me？〃　said　the　young　girl；　waving　a　screen　of　Indian

feathers；　〃what　are　you　whispering　about　me？〃



〃I　was　telling　her；〃　replied　Paul；　〃how　much　I　love　you；　since

etiquette　forbids　me　to　tell　it　to　you。〃



〃Why？〃



〃I　fear　to　say　too　much。〃



〃Ah！　you　know　too　well　how　to　offer　the　jewels　of　flattery。　Shall　I

tell　you　my　private　opinion　about　you？　Well；　I　think　you　have　more

mind　than　a　lover　ought　to　have。　To　be　the　Pink　of　Fashion　and　a　wit

as　well；〃　she　added；　dropping　her　eyes；　〃is　to　have　too　many

advantages：　a　man　should　choose　between　them。　I　fear　too；　myself。〃



〃And　why？〃



〃We　must　not　talk　in　this　way。　Mamma；　do　you　not　think　that　this

conversation　is　dangerous　inasmuch　as　the　contract　is　not　yet　signed？〃



〃It　soon　will　be；〃　said　Paul。



〃I　should　like　to　know　what　Achilles　and　Nestor　are　saying　to　each

other　in　the　next　room；〃　said　Natalie；　nodding　toward　the　door　of　the

little　salon　with　a　childlike　expression　of　curiosity。



〃They　are　talking　of　our　children　and　our　death　and　a　lot　of　other

such　trifles；　they　are　counting　our　gold　to　see　if　we　can　keep　five

horses　in　the　stables。　They　are　talking　also　of　deeds　of　gift；　but

there；　I　have　forestalled　them。〃



〃How　so？〃



〃Have　I　not　given　myself　wholly　to　you？〃　he　said；　looking　straight　at

the　girl；　whose　beauty　was　enhanced　by　the　blush　which　the　pleasure　of

this　answer　brought　to　her　face。



〃Mamma；　how　can　I　acknowledge　so　much　generosity。〃



〃My　dear　child；　you　have　a　lifetime　before　you　in　which　to　return　it。

To　make　the　daily　happiness　of　a　home；　is　to　bring　a　treasure　into　it。

I　had　no　other　fortune　when　I　married。〃



〃Do　you　like　Lanstrac？〃　asked　Paul；　addressing　Natalie。



〃How　could　I　fail　to　like　the　place　where　you　were　born？〃　she

answered。　〃I　wish　I　could　see　your　house。〃



〃OUR　house；〃　said　Paul。　〃Do　you　not　want　to　know　if　I　shall　understand

your　tastes　and　arrange　the　house　to　suit　you？　Your　mother　had　made　a

husband's　task　most　difficult；　you　have　always　been　so　happy！　But

where　love　is　infinite；　nothing　is　impossible。〃



〃My　dear　children；〃　said　Madame　Evangelista；　〃do　you　feel　willing　to

stay　in　Bordeaux　after　your　marriage？　If　you　have　the　courage　to　face

the　people　here　who　know　you　and　will　watch　and　hamper　you；　so　be　it！

But　if　you　feel　that　desire　for　a　solitude　together　which　can　hardly

be　expressed；　let　us　go　to　Paris　were　the　life　of　a　young　couple　can

pass　unnoticed　in　the　stream。　There　alone　you　can　behave　as　lovers

without　fearing　to　seem　ridiculous。〃



〃You　are　quite　right；〃　said　Paul；　〃but　I　shall　hardly　have　time　to　get

my　house　ready。　However；　I　will　write　to…night　to　de　Marsay；　the

friend　on　whom　I　can　always　count　to　get　things　done　for　me。〃



At　the　moment　when　Paul；　like　all　young　men　accustomed　to　satisfy

their　desires　without　previous　calculation；　was　inconsiderately

binding　himself　to　the　expenses　of　a　stay　in　Paris；　Maitre　Mathias

entered　the　salon　and　made　a　sign　to　his　client　that　he　wished　to

speak　to　him。



〃What　is　it；　my　friend？〃　asked　Paul；　following　the　old　man　to　the

recess　of　a　window。



〃Monsieur　le　comte；〃　said　the　honest　lawyer；　〃there　is　not　a　penny　of

dowry。　My　advice　is：　put　off　the　conference　to　another　day；　so　that

you　may　gain　time　to　consider　your　proper　course。〃




〃Monsieur　Paul；〃　said　Natalie；　〃I　have　a　word　to　say　in　private　to

you。〃



Though　Madame　Evangelista's　face　was　calm；　no　Jew　of　the　middle　ages

ever　suffered　greater　torture　in　his　caldron　of　boiling　oil　than　she

was　enduring　in　her　violet　velvet　gown。　Solonet　had　pledged　the

marriage　to　her；　but　she　was　ignorant　of　the　means　and　conditions　of

success。　The　anguish　of　this　uncertainty　was　intolerable。　Possibly　she

owed　her　safety　to　her　daughter's　disobedience。　Natalie　had　considered

the　advice　of　her　mother　and　noted　her　anxiety。　When　she　saw　the

success　of　her　own　coquetry　she　was　struck　to　the　heart　with　a　variety

of　contradictory　thoughts。　Without　blaming　her　mother；　she　was　half…

ashamed　of　manoeuvres　the　object　of　which　was；　undoubtedly；　some

personal　game。　She　was　also　seized　with　a　jealous　curiosity　which　is

easily　conceived。　She　wanted　to　find　out　if　Paul　loved　her　well　enough

to　rise　above　the　obstacles　that　her　mother　foresaw　and　which　she　now

saw　clouding　the　face　of　the　old　lawyer。　These　ideas　and　sentiments

prompted　her　to　an　action　of　loyalty　which　became　her　well。　But；　for

all　that；　the　blackest　perfidy　could　not　have　been　as　dangerous　as　her

present　innocence。



〃Paul；〃　she　said　in　a　low　voice；　and　she　so　called　him　for　the　first

time；　〃if　any　difficulties　as　to　property　arise　to　separate　us；

remember　that　I　free　you　from　all　engagements；　and　will　allow　you　to

let　the　blame　of　such　a　rupture　rest　on　me。〃



She　put　such　dignity　into　this　expression　of　her　generosity　that　Paul

believed　in　her　disinterestedness　and　in　her　ignorance　of　the　strange

fact　that　his　notary　had　just　told　to　him。　He　pressed　the