the marriage contract-第13章

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fact　that　his　notary　had　just　told　to　him。　He　pressed　the　young　girl's

hand　and　kissed　it　like　a　man　to　whom　love　is　more　precious　than

wealth。　Natalie　left　the　room。



〃Sac…a…papier！　Monsieur　le　comte；　you　are　committing　a　great　folly；〃

said　the　old　notary；　rejoining　his　client。



Paul　grew　thoughtful。　He　had　expected　to　unite　Natalie's　fortune　with

his　own　and　thus　obtain　for　his　married　life　an　income　of　one　hundred

thousand　francs　a　year；　and　however　much　a　man　may　be　in　love　he

cannot　pass　without　emotion　and　anxiety　from　the　prospect　of　a　hundred

thousand　to　the　certainty　of　forty…six　thousand　a　year　and　the　duty　of

providing　for　a　woman　accustomed　to　every　luxury。



〃My　daughter　is　no　longer　here；〃　said　Madame　Evangelista；　advancing

almost　regally　toward　her　son…in…law　and　his　notary。　〃May　I　be　told

what　is　happening？〃



〃Madame；〃　replied　Mathias；　alarmed　at　Paul's　silence；　〃an　obstacle

which　I　fear　will　delay　us　has　arisen〃



At　these　words；　Maitre　Solonet　issued　from　the　little　salon　and　cut

short　the　old　man's　speech　by　a　remark　which　restored　Paul's

composure。　Overcome　by　the　remembrance　of　his　gallant　speeches　and　his

lover…like　behavior；　he　felt　unable　to　disown　them　or　to　change　his

course。　He　longed；　for　the　moment；　to　fling　himself　into　a　gulf；

Solonet's　words　relieved　him。



〃There　is　a　way；〃　said　the　younger　notary；　with　an　easy　air；　〃by　which

madame　can　meet　the　payment　which　is　due　to　her　daughter。　Madame

Evangelista　possesses　forty　thousand　francs　a　year　from　an　investment

in　the　Five…per…cents；　the　capital　of　which　will　soon　be　at　par；　if

not　above　it。　We　may　therefore　reckon　it　at　eight　hundred　thousand

francs。　This　house　and　garden　are　fully　worth　two　hundred　thousand。　On

that　estimate；　Madame　can　convey　by　the　marriage　contract　the　titles

of　that　property　to　her　daughter；　reserving　only　a　life　interest　in　it

for　I　conclude　that　Monsieur　le　comte　could　hardly　wish　to　leave　his

mother…in…law　without　means？　Though　Madame　has　certainly　run　through

her　fortune；　she　is　still　able　to　make　good　that　of　her　daughter；　or

very　nearly　so。〃



〃Women　are　most　unfortunate　in　having　no　knowledge　of　business；〃　said

Madame　Evangelista。　〃Have　I　titles　to　property？　and　what　are　life…

interests？〃



Paul　was　in　a　sort　of　ecstasy　as　he　listened　to　this　proposed

arrangement。　The　old　notary；　seeing　the　trap；　and　his　client　with　one

foot　caught　in　it；　was　petrified　for　a　moment；　as　he　said　to

himself：



〃I　am　certain　they　are　tricking　us。〃



〃If　madame　will　follow　my　advice；〃　said　Solonet；　〃she　will　secure　her

own　tranquillity。　By　sacrificing　herself　in　this　way　she　may　be　sure

that　no　minors　will　ultimately　harass　herfor　we　never　know　who　may

live　and　who　may　die！　Monsieur　le　comte　will　then　give　due

acknowledgment　in　the　marriage　contract　of　having　received　the　sum

total　of　Mademoiselle　Evangelista's　patrimonial　inheritance。〃



Mathias　could　not　restrain　the　indignation　which　shone　in　his　eyes　and

flushed　his　face。



〃And　that　sum；〃　he　said；　shaking；　〃is〃



〃One　million；　one　hundred　and　fifty…six　thousand　francs　according　to

the　document〃



〃Why　don't　you　ask　Monsieur　le　comte　to　make　over　'hic　et　nunc'　his

whole　fortune　to　his　future　wife？〃　said　Mathias。　〃It　would　be　more

honest　than　what　you　now　propose。　I　will　not　allow　the　ruin　of　the

Comte　de　Manerville　to　take　place　under　my　very　eyes〃



He　made　a　step　as　if　to　address　his　client；　who　was　silent　throughout

this　scene　as　if　dazed　by　it；　but　he　turned　and　said；　addressing

Madame　Evangelista：



〃Do　not　suppose；　madame；　that　I　think　you　a　party　to　these　ideas　of　my

brother　notary。　I　consider　you　an　honest　woman　and　a　lady　who　knows

nothing　of　business。〃



〃Thank　you；　brother　notary；〃　said　Solonet。



〃You　know　that　there　can　be　no　offence　between　you　and　me；〃　replied

Mathias。　〃Madame；〃　he　added；　〃you　ought　to　know　the　result　of　this

proposed　arrangement。　You　are　still　young　and　beautiful　enough　to

marry　againAh！　madame；〃　said　the　old　man；　noting　her　gesture；　〃who

can　answer　for　themselves　on　that　point？〃



〃I　did　not　suppose；　monsieur；〃　said　Madame　Evangelista；　〃that；　after

remaining　a　widow　for　the　seven　best　years　of　my　life；　and　refusing

the　most　brilliant　offers　for　my　daughter's　sake；　I　should　be

suspected　of　such　a　piece　of　folly　as　marrying　again　at　thirty…nine

years　of　age。　If　we　were　not　talking　business　I　should　regard　your

suggestion　as　an　impertinence。〃



〃Would　it　not　be　more　impertinent　if　I　suggested　that　you　could　not

marry　again？〃



〃Can　and　will　are　separate　terms；〃　remarked　Solonet；　gallantly。



〃Well；〃　resumed　Maitre　Mathias；　〃we　will　say　nothing　of　your　marriage。

You　may；　and　we　all　desire　it；　live　for　forty…five　years　to　come。　Now；

if　you　keep　for　yourself　the　life…interest　in　your　daughter's

patrimony；　your　children　are　laid　on　the　shelf　for　the　best　years　of

their　lives。〃



〃What　does　that　mean？〃　said　the　widow。　〃I　don't　understand　being　laid

on　a　shelf。〃



Solonet；　the　man　of　elegance　and　good　taste；　began　to　laugh。



〃I'll　translate　it　for　you；〃　said　Mathias。　〃If　your　children　are　wise

they　will　think　of　the　future。　To　think　of　the　future　means　laying　by

half　our　income；　provided　we　have　only　two　children；　to　whom　we　are

bound　to　give　a　fine　education　and　a　handsome　dowry。　Your　daughter　and

son…in…law　will；　therefore；　be　reduced　to　live　on　twenty　thousand

francs　a　year；　though　each　has　spent　fifty　thousand　while　still

unmarried。　But　that　is　nothing。　The　law　obliges　my　client　to　account；

hereafter；　to　his　children　for　the　eleven　hundred　and　fifty…six

thousand　francs　of　their　mother's　patrimony；　yet　he　may　not　have

received　them　if　his　wife　should　die　and　madame　should　survive　her；

which　may　very　well　happen。　To　sign　such　a　contract　is　to　fling　one's

self　into　the　river；　bound　hand　and　foot。　You　wish　to　make　your

daughter　happy；　do　you　not？　If　she　loves　her　husband；　a　fact　which

notaries　never　doubt；　she　will　share　his　troubles。　Madame；　I　see

enough　in　this　scheme　to　make　her　die　of　grief　and　anxiety；　you　are

consigning　her　to　poverty。　Yes；　madame；　poverty；　to　persons　accustomed

to　the　use　of　one　hundred　thousand　francs　a　year；　twenty　thousand　is

poverty。　Moreover；　if　Monsieur　le　comte；　out　of　love　for　his　wife；

were　guilty　of　extravagance；　she　could　ruin　him　by　exercising　her

rights　when　misfortunes　overtook　him。　I　plead　now　for　you；　for　them；

for　their　children；　for　every　one。〃



〃The　old　fellow　makes　a　lot　of　smoke　with　his　cannon；〃　thought　Maitre

Solonet；　giving　his　client　a　look；　which　meant；　〃Keep　on！〃



〃There　is　one　way　of　combining　all　interests；〃　replied　Madame

Evangelista；　calmly。　〃I　can　reserve　to　myself　only　the　necessary　cost

of　living　in　a　convent；　and　my　children　can　have　my　property　at　once。

I　can　renounce　the　world；　if　such　anticipated　death　conduces　to　the

welfare　of　my　daughter。〃



〃Madame；〃　said　the　old　notary；　〃let　us　take　time　to　consider　and

weigh；　deliberately；　the　course　we　had　best　pursue　to　conciliate　all

interests。〃



〃Good　heavens！　monsieur；〃　cried　Madame　Evangelista；　who　saw　defeat　in

delay；　〃everything　has　already　been　considered　and　weighed。　I　was

ignorant　of　what　the　process　of　marriage　is　in　France；　I　am　a　Spaniard

and　a　Creole。　I　did　not　know　that　in　order　to　marry　my　daughter　it　was

necessary　to　reckon　up　the　days　which　God　may　still　grant　me；　that　my

child　would　suffer　because　I　live；　that　I　do　harm　by　living；　and　by

having　lived！　When　my　husband　married　me　I　had　nothing　but　my　name　and

my　person。　My　name　alone　was　a　fortune　to　him；　which　dwarfed　his　own。

What　wealth　can　equal　that　of　a　great　name？　My　dowry　was　beauty；

virtue；　happiness；　birth；　education。　Can　money　give　those　treasures？

If　Natalie's　father　could　overhear　this　conversation；　his　generous

soul　would　be　wounded　forever；　and　his　happiness　in　paradise

destroyed。　I　dissipated；　foolishly；　perhaps；　a　few　of　his　millions

wi