the marriage contract-第15章

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

generosity；　robs　herself　in　this　way　to　fulfil　her　obligations；　the

least　that　her　children　can　do　is　to　give　her　a　full　receipt。〃



〃Nothing　could　be　more　just　than　that；〃　said　Paul。　〃I　am　simply

overwhelmed　by　these　generous　proposals。〃



〃My　daughter　is　another　myself；〃　said　Madame　Evangelista；　softly。



Maitre　Mathias　detected　a　look　of　joy　on　her　face　when　she　saw　that

the　difficulties　were　being　removed：　that　joy；　and　the　previous

forgetfulness　of　the　diamonds；　which　were　now　brought　forward　like

fresh　troops；　confirmed　his　suspicions。



〃The　scene　has　been　prepared　between　them　as　gamblers　prepare　the

cards　to　ruin　a　pigeon；〃　thought　the　old　notary。　〃Is　this　poor　boy；

whom　I　saw　born；　doomed　to　be　plucked　alive　by　that　woman；　roasted　by

his　very　love；　and　devoured　by　his　wife？　I；　who　have　nursed　these　fine

estates　for　years　with　such　care；　am　I　to　see　them　ruined　in　a　single

night？　Three　million　and　a　half　to　be　hypothecated　for　eleven　hundred

thousand　francs　these　women　will　force　him　to　squander！〃



Discovering　thus　in　the　soul　of　the　elder　woman　intentions　which；

without　involving　crime；　theft；　swindling；　or　any　actually　evil　or

blameworthy　action；　nevertheless　belonged　to　all　those　criminalities

in　embryo；　Maitre　Mathias　felt　neither　sorrow　nor　generous

indignation。　He　was　not　the　Misanthrope；　he　was　an　old　notary；

accustomed　in　his　business　to　the　shrewd　calculations　of　worldly

people；　to　those　clever　bits　of　treachery　which　do　more　fatal　injury

than　open　murder　on　the　high…road　committed　by　some　poor　devil；　who　is

guillotined　in　consequence。　To　the　upper　classes　of　society　these

passages　in　life；　these　diplomatic　meetings　and　discussions　are　like

the　necessary　cesspools　where　the　filth　of　life　is　thrown。　Full　of

pity　for　his　client；　Mathias　cast　a　foreseeing　eye　into　the　future　and

saw　nothing　good。



〃We'll　take　the　field　with　the　same　weapons；〃　thought　he；　〃and　beat

them。〃



At　this　moment；　Paul；　Solonet　and　Madame　Evangelista；　becoming

embarrassed　by　the　old　man's　silence；　felt　that　the　approval　of　that

censor　was　necessary　to　carry　out　the　transaction；　and　all　three

turned　to　him　simultaneously。



〃Well；　my　dear　Monsieur　Mathias；　what　do　you　think　of　it？〃　said　Paul。



〃This　is　what　I　think；〃　said　the　conscientious　and　uncompromising

notary。　〃You　are　not　rich　enough　to　commit　such　regal　folly。　The

estate　of　Lanstrac；　if　estimated　at　three　per　cent　on　its　rentals；

represents；　with　its　furniture；　one　million。；　the　farms　of　Grassol　and

Guadet　and　your　vineyard　of　Belle…Rose　are　worth　another　million；　your

two　houses　in　Bordeaux　and　Paris；　with　their　furniture；　a　third

million。　Against　those　three　millions；　yielding　forty…seven　thousand

francs　a　year；　Mademoiselle　Natalie　brings　eight　hundred　thousand

francs　in　the　Five…per…cents；　the　diamonds　（supposing　them　to　be　worth

a　hundred　thousand　francs；　which　is　still　problematical）　and　fifty

thousand　francs　in　money；　in　all；　one　million　and　fifty　thousand

francs。　In　presence　of　such　facts　my　brother　notary　tells　you

boastfully　that　we　are　marrying　equal　fortunes！　He　expects　us　to

encumber　ourselves　with　a　debt　of　eleven　hundred　and　fifty…six

thousand　francs　to　our　children　by　acknowledging　the　receipt　of　our

wife's　patrimony；　when　we　have　actually　received　but　little　more　than

a　doubtful　million。　You　are　listening　to　such　stuff　with　the　rapture

of　a　lover；　and　you　think　that　old　Mathias；　who　is　not　in　love；　can

forget　arithmetic；　and　will　not　point　out　the　difference　between

landed　estate；　the　actual　value　of　which　is　enormous　and　constantly

increasing；　and　the　revenues　of　personal　property；　the　capital　of

which　is　subject　to　fluctuations　and　diminishment　of　income。　I　am　old

enough　to　have　learned　that　money　dwindles　and　land　augments。　You　have

called　me　in；　Monsieur　le　comte；　to　stipulate　for　your　interests；

either　let　me　defend　those　interests；　or　dismiss　me。〃



〃If　monsieur　is　seeking　a　fortune　equal　in　capital　to　his　own；〃　said

Solonet；　〃we　certainly　cannot　give　it　to　him。　We　do　not　possess　three

millions　and　a　half；　nothing　can　be　more　evident。　While　you　can　boast

of　your　three　overwhelming　millions；　we　can　only　produce　our　poor　one

million；a　mere　nothing　in　your　eyes；　though　three　times　the　dowry　of

an　archduchess　of　Austria。　Bonaparte　received　only　two　hundred　and

fifty　thousand　francs　with　Maria…Louisa。〃



〃Maria…Louisa　was　the　ruin　of　Bonaparte；〃　muttered　Mathias。



Natalie's　mother　caught　the　words。



〃If　my　sacrifices　are　worth　nothing；〃　she　cried；　〃I　do　not　choose　to

continue　such　a　discussion；　I　trust　to　the　discretion　of　Monsieur　le

comte；　and　I　renounce　the　honor　of　his　hand　for　my　daughter。〃



According　to　the　strategy　marked　out　by　the　younger　notary；　this

battle　of　contending　interests　had　now　reached　the　point　where　victory

was　certain　for　Madame　Evangelista。　The　mother…in…law　had　opened　her

heart；　delivered　up　her　property；　and　was　therefore　practically

released　as　her　daughter's　guardian。　The　future　husband；　under　pain　of

ignoring　the　laws　of　generous　propriety　and　being　false　to　love；　ought

now　to　accept　these　conditions　previously　planned；　and　cleverly　led　up

to　by　Solonet　and　Madame　Evangelista。　Like　the　hands　of　a　clock　turned

by　mechanism；　Paul　came　faithfully　up　to　time。



〃Madame！〃　he　exclaimed；　〃is　it　possible　you　can　think　of　breaking　off

the　marriage？〃



〃Monsieur；〃　she　replied；　〃to　whom　am　I　accountable？　To　my　daughter。

When　she　is　twenty…one　years　of　age　she　will　receive　my　guardianship

account　and　release　me。　She　will　then　possess　a　million；　and　can；　if

she　likes；　choose　her　husband　among　the　sons　of　the　peers　of　France。

She　is　a　daughter　of　the　Casa…Reale。〃



〃Madame　is　right；〃　remarked　Solonet。　〃Why　should　she　be　more　hardly

pushed　to…day　than　she　will　be　fourteen　months　hence？　You　ought　not　to

deprive　her　of　the　benefits　of　her　maternity。〃



〃Mathias；〃　cried　Paul；　in　deep　distress；　〃there　are　two　sorts　of　ruin；

and　you　are　bringing　one　upon　me　at　this　moment。〃



He　made　a　step　towards　the　old　notary；　no　doubt　intending　to　tell　him

that　the　contract　must　be　drawn　at　once。　But　Mathias　stopped　that

disaster　with　a　glance　which　said；　distinctly；　〃Wait！〃　He　saw　the

tears　in　Paul's　eyes；tears　drawn　from　an　honorable　man　by　the　shame

of　this　discussion　as　much　as　by　the　peremptory　speech　of　Madame

Evangelista；　threatening　rupture；and　the　old　man　stanched　them　with

a　gesture　like　that　of　Archimedes　when　he　cried；　〃Eureka！〃　The　words

〃peer　of　France〃　had　been　to　him　like　a　torch　in　a　dark　crypt。



Natalie　appeared　at　this　moment；　dazzling　as　the　dawn；　saying；　with

infantine　look　and　manner；　〃Am　I　in　the　way？〃



〃Singularly　so；　my　child；〃　answered　her　mother；　in　a　bitter　tone。



〃Come　in；　dear　Natalie；〃　said　Paul；　taking　her　hand　and　leading　her　to

a　chair　near　the　fireplace。　〃All　is　settled。〃



He　felt　it　impossible　to　endure　the　overthrow　of　their　mutual　hopes。



〃Yes；　all　can　be　settled；〃　said　Mathias；　hastily　interposing。



Like　a　general　who；　in　a　moment；　upsets　the　plans　skilfully　laid　and

prepared　by　the　enemy；　the　old　notary；　enlightened　by　that　genius

which　presides　over　notaries；　saw　an　idea；　capable　of　saving　the

future　of　Paul　and　his　children；　unfolding　itself　in　legal　form　before

his　eyes。



Maitre　Solonet；　who　perceived　no　other　way　out　of　these　irreconcilable

difficulties　than　the　resolution　with　which　Paul's　love　inspired　him；

and　to　which　this　conflict　of　feelings　and　thwarted　interests　had

brought　him；　was　extremely　surprised　at　the　sudden　exclamation　of　his

brother　notary。　Curious　to　know　the　remedy　that　Mathias　had　found　in　a

state　of　things　which　had　seemed　to　him　beyond　all　other　relief；　he

said；　addressing　the　old　man：



〃What　is　it　you　propose？〃



〃Natalie；　my　dear　child；　leave　us；〃　said　Madame　Evangelista。



〃Mademoiselle　is　not　in　the　way；〃