the marriage contract-第14章

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soul　would　be　wounded　forever；　and　his　happiness　in　paradise

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

without　a　quiver　ever　coming　to　his　eyelids。　Since　his　death；　I　have

grown　economical　and　orderly　in　comparison　with　the　life　he　encouraged

me　to　leadCome；　let　us　break　this　thing　off！　Monsieur　de　Manerville

is　so　disappointed　that　I〃



No　descriptive　language　can　express　the　confusion　and　shock　which　the

words；　〃break　off；〃　introduced　into　the　conversation。　It　is　enough　to

say　that　these　four　apparently　well…bred　persons　all　talked　at　once。



〃In　Spain　people　marry　in　the　Spanish　fashion；　or　as　they　please；　but

in　France　they　marry　according　to　French　law；　sensibly；　and　as　best

they　can；〃　said　Mathias。



〃Ah；　madame；〃　cried　Paul；　coming　out　of　his　stupefaction；　〃you　mistake

my　feelings。〃



〃This　is　not　a　matter　of　feeling；〃　said　the　old　notary；　trying　to　stop

his　client　from　concessions。　〃We　are　concerned　now　with　the　interests

and　welfare　of　three　generations。　Have　WE　wasted　the　missing　millions？

We　are　simply　endeavoring　to　solve　difficulties　of　which　we　are　wholly

guiltless。〃



〃Marry　us；　and　don't　haggle；〃　said　Solonet。



〃Haggle！　do　you　call　it　haggling　to　defend　the　interests　of　father　and

mother　and　children？〃　said　Mathias。



〃Yes；〃　said　Paul；　continuing　his　remarks　to　Madame　Evangelista；　〃I

deplore　the　extravagance　of　my　youth；　which　does　not　permit　me　to　stop

this　discussion；　as　you　deplore　your　ignorance　of　business　and　your

involuntary　wastefulness。　God　is　my　witness　that　I　am　not　thinking；　at

this　moment；　of　myself。　A　simple　life　at　Lanstrac　does　not　alarm　me；

but　how　can　I　ask　Mademoiselle　Natalie　to　renounce　her　tastes；　her

habits？　Her　very　existence　would　be　changed。〃



〃Where　did　Evangelista　get　his　millions？〃　said　the　widow。



〃Monsieur　Evangelista　was　in　business；〃　replied　the　old　notary；　〃he

played　in　the　great　game　of　commerce；　he　despatched　ships　and　made

enormous　sums；　we　are　simply　a　landowner；　whose　capital　is　invested；

whose　income　is　fixed。〃



〃There　is　still　a　way　to　harmonize　all　interests；〃　said　Solonet；

uttering　this　sentence　in　a　high　falsetto　tone；　which　silenced　the

other　three　and　drew　their　eyes　and　their　attention　upon　himself。



This　young　man　was　not　unlike　a　skilful　coachman　who　holds　the　reins

of　four　horses；　and　amuses　himself　by　first　exciting　his　animals　and

then　subduing　them。　He　had　let　loose　these　passions；　and　then；　in

turn；　he　calmed　them；　making　Paul；　whose　life　and　happiness　were　in

the　balance；　sweat　in　his　harness；　as　well　as　his　own　client；　who

could　not　clearly　see　her　way　through　this　involved　discussion。



〃Madame　Evangelista；〃　he　continued；　after　a　slight　pause；　〃can　resign

her　investment　in　the　Five…per…cents　at　once；　and　she　can　sell　this

house。　I　can　get　three　hundred　thousand　francs　for　it　by　cutting　the

land　into　small　lots。　Out　of　that　sum　she　can　give　you　one　hundred　and

fifty　thousand　francs。　In　this　way　she　pays　down　nine　hundred　thousand

of　her　daughter's　patrimony；　immediately。　That；　to　be　sure；　is　not　all

that　she　owes　her　daughter；　but　where　will　you　find；　in　France；　a

better　dowry？〃



〃Very　good；〃　said　Maitre　Mathias；　〃but　what；　then；　becomes　of　madame？〃



At　this　question；　which　appeared　to　imply　consent；　Solonet　said；

softly；　to　himself；　〃Well　done；　old　fox！　I've　caught　you！〃



〃Madame；〃　he　replied；　aloud；　〃will　keep　the　hundred　and　fifty　thousand

francs　remaining　from　the　sale　of　the　house。　This　sum；　added　to　the

value　of　her　furniture；　can　be　invested　in　an　annuity　which　will　give

her　twenty　thousand　francs　a　year。　Monsieur　le　comte　can　arrange　to

provide　a　residence　for　her　under　his　roof。　Lanstrac　is　a　large　house。

You　have　also　a　house　in　Paris；〃　he　went　on；　addressing　himself　to

Paul。　〃Madame　can；　therefore；　live　with　you　wherever　you　are。　A　widow

with　twenty　thousand　francs　a　year；　and　no　household　to　maintain；　is

richer　than　madame　was　when　she　possessed　her　whole　fortune。　Madame

Evangelista　has　only　this　one　daughter；　Monsieur　le　comte　is　without

relations；　it　will　be　many　years　before　your　heirs　attain　their

majority；　no　conflict　of　interests　is；　therefore；　to　be　feared。　A

mother…in…law　and　a　son…in…law　placed　in　such　relations　will　form　a

household　of　united　interests。　Madame　Evangelista　can　make　up　for　the

remaining　deficit　by　paying　a　certain　sum　for　her　support　from　her

annuity；　which　will　ease　your　way。　We　know　that　madame　is　too　generous

and　too　large…minded　to　be　willing　to　be　a　burden　on　her　children。　In

this　way　you　can　make　one　household；　united　and　happy；　and　be　able　to

spend；　in　your　own　right；　one　hundred　thousand　francs　a　year。　Is　not

that　sum　sufficient；　Monsieur　le　comte；　to　enjoy；　in　all　countries；

the　luxuries　of　life；　and　to　satisfy　all　your　wants　and　caprices？

Believe　me；　a　young　couple　often　feel　the　need　of　a　third　member　of

the　household；　and；　I　ask　you；　what　third　member　could　be　so　desirable

as　a　good　mother？〃



〃A　little　paradise！〃　exclaimed　the　old　notary。



Shocked　to　see　his　client's　joy　at　this　proposal；　Mathias　sat　down　on

an　ottoman；　his　head　in　his　hands；　plunged　in　reflections　that　were

evidently　painful。　He　knew　well　the　involved　phraseology　in　which

notaries　and　lawyers　wrap　up；　intentionally；　malicious　schemes；　and　he

was　not　the　man　to　be　taken　in　by　it。　He　now　began；　furtively；　to

watch　his　brother　notary　and　Madame　Evangelista　as　they　conversed　with

Paul；　endeavoring　to　detect　some　clew　to　the　deep…laid　plot　which　was

beginning　to　appear　upon　the　surface。



〃Monsieur；〃　said　Paul　to　Solonet；　〃I　thank　you　for　the　pains　you　take

to　conciliate　our　interests。　This　arrangement　will　solve　all

difficulties　far　more　happily　than　I　expectedif；〃　he　added；　turning

to　Madame　Evangelista；　〃it　is　agreeable　to　you；　madame；　for　I　could

not　desire　anything　that　did　not　equally　please　you。〃



〃I？〃　she　said；　〃all　that　makes　the　happiness　of　my　children　is　joy　to

me。　Do　not　consider　me　in　any　way。〃



〃That　would　not　be　right；〃　said　Paul；　eagerly。　〃If　your　future　is　not

honorably　provided　for；　Natalie　and　I　would　suffer　more　than　you　would

suffer　for　yourself。〃



〃Don't　be　uneasy；　Monsieur　le　comte；〃　interposed　Solonet。



〃Ah！〃　thought　old　Mathias；　〃they'll　make　him　kiss　the　rod　before　they

scourge　him。〃



〃You　may　feel　quite　satisfied；〃　continued　Solonet。　〃There　are　so　many

enterprises　going　on　in　Bordeaux　at　this　moment　that　investments　for

annuities　can　be　negotiated　on　very　advantageous　terms。　After

deducting　from　the　proceeds　of　the　house　and　furniture　the　hundred　and

fifty　thousand　francs　we　owe　you；　I　think　I　can　guarantee　to　madame

that　two　hundred　and　fifty　thousand　will　remain　to　her。　I　take　upon

myself　to　invest　that　sum　in　a　first　mortgage　on　property　worth　a

million；　and　to　obtain　ten　per　cent　for　it；twenty…five　thousand

francs　a　year。　Consequently；　we　are　marrying　on　nearly　equal　fortunes。

In　fact；　against　your　forty…six　thousand　francs　a　year；　Mademoiselle

Natalie　brings　you　forty　thousand　a　year　in　the　Five…per…cents；　and

one　hundred　and　fifty　thousand　in　a　round　sum；　which　gives；　in　all；

forty…seven　thousand　francs　a　year。〃



〃That　is　evident；〃　said　Paul。



As　he　ended　his　speech；　Solonet　had　cast　a　sidelong　glance　at　his

client；　intercepted　by　Mathias；　which　meant：　〃Bring　up　your　reserves。〃



〃But；〃　exclaimed　Madame　Evangelista；　in　tones　of　joy　that　did　not　seem

to　be　feigned；　〃I　can　give　Natalie　my　diamonds；　they　are　worth；　at

least；　a　hundred　thousand　francs。〃



〃We　can　have　them　appraised；〃　said　the　notary。　〃This　will　change　the

whole　face　of　things。　Madame　can　then　keep　the　proceeds　of　her　house；

all　but　fifty　thousand　francs。　Nothing　will　prevent　Monsieur　le　comte

from　giving　us　a　receipt　in　due　form；　as　having　received；　in　full；

Mademoiselle　Natalie's　inheritance　from　her　father；　this　will　close；

of　course；　the　guardianship　account。　If　madame；　with　Spanish

genero