the marriage contract-第16章

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〃What　is　it　you　propose？〃



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



〃Mademoiselle　is　not　in　the　way；〃　replied　Mathias；　smiling。　〃I　am

going　to　speak　in　her　interests　as　well　as　in　those　of　Monsieur　le

comte。〃



Silence　reigned　for　a　moment；　during　which　time　everybody　present；

oppressed　with　anxiety；　awaited　the　allocution　of　the　venerable　notary

with　unspeakable　curiosity。



〃In　these　days；〃　continued　Maitre　Mathias；　after　a　pause；　〃the

profession　of　notary　has　changed　from　what　it　was。　Political

revolutions　now　exert　an　influence　over　the　prospects　of　families；

which　never　happened　in　former　times。　In　those　days　existences　were

clearly　defined；　so　were　rank　and　position〃



〃We　are　not　here　for　a　lecture　on　political　ceremony；　but　to　draw　up　a

marriage　contract；〃　said　Solonet；　interrupting　the　old　man；

impatiently。



〃I　beg　you　to　allow　me　to　speak　in　my　turn　as　I　see　fit；〃　replied　the

other。



Solonet　turned　away　and　sat　down　on　the　ottoman；　saying；　in　a　low

voice；　to　Madame　Evangelista：



〃You　will　now　hear　what　we　call　in　the　profession　'balderdash。'〃



〃Notaries　are　therefore　compelled　to　follow　the　course　of　political

events；　which　are　now　intimately　connected　with　private　interests。

Here　is　an　example：　formerly　noble　families　owned　fortunes　that　were

never　shaken；　but　which　the　laws；　promulgated　by　the　Revolution；

destroyed；　and　the　present　system　tends　to　reconstruct；〃　resumed　the

old　notary；　yielding　to　the　loquacity　of　the　〃tabellionaris　boa…

constrictor〃　（boa…notary）。　〃Monsieur　le　comte　by　his　name；　his

talents；　and　his　fortune　is　called　upon　to　sit　some　day　in　the

elective　Chamber。　Perhaps　his　destiny　will　take　him　to　the　hereditary

Chamber；　for　we　know　that　he　has　talent　and　means　enough　to　fulfil

that　expectation。　Do　you　not　agree　with　me；　madame？〃　he　added；　turning

to　the　widow。



〃You　anticipate　my　dearest　hope；〃　she　replied。　〃Monsieur　de　Manerville

must　be　a　peer　of　France；　or　I　shall　die　of　mortification。〃



〃Therefore　all　that　leads　to　that　end〃　continued　Mathias　with　a

cordial　gesture　to　the　astute　mother…in…law。



〃will　promote　my　eager　desire；〃　she　replied。



〃Well；　then；〃　said　Mathias；　〃is　not　this　marriage　the　proper　occasion

on　which　to　entail　the　estate　and　create　the　family？　Such　a　course

would；　undoubtedly；　militate　in　the　mind　of　the　present　government　in

favor　of　the　nomination　of　my　client　whenever　a　batch　of　appointments

is　sent　in。　Monsieur　le　comte　can　very　well　afford　to　devote　the

estate　of　Lanstrac　（which　is　worth　a　million）　to　this　purpose。　I　do

not　ask　that　mademoiselle　should　contribute　an　equal　sum；　that　would

not　be　just。　But　we　can　surely　apply　eight　hundred　thousand　of　her

patrimony　to　this　object。　There　are　two　domains　adjoining　Lanstrac　now

to　be　sold；　which　can　be　purchased　for　that　sum；　which　will　return　in

rentals　four　and　a　half　per　cent。　The　house　in　Paris　should　be

included　in　the　entail。　The　surplus　of　the　two　fortunes；　if

judiciously　managed；　will　amply　suffice　for　the　fortunes　of　the

younger　children。　If　the　contracting　parties　will　agree　to　this

arrangement；　Monsieur　ought　certainly　to　accept　your　guardianship

account　with　its　deficiency。　I　consent　to　that。〃



〃Questa　coda　non　e　di　questo　gatto　（That　tail　doesn't　belong　to　that

cat）；〃　murmured　Madame　Evangelista；　appealing　to　Solonet。



〃There's　a　snake　in　the　grass　somewhere；〃　answered　Solonet；　in　a　low

voice；　replying　to　the　Italian　proverb　with　a　French　one。



〃Why　do　you　make　this　fuss？〃　asked　Paul；　leading　Mathias　into　the

adjoining　salon。



〃To　save　you　from　being　ruined；〃　replied　the　old　notary；　in　a　whisper。

〃You　are　determined　to　marry　a　girl　and　her　mother　who　have　already

squandered　two　millions　in　seven　years；　you　are　pledging　yourself　to　a

debt　of　eleven　hundred　thousand　francs　to　your　children；　to　whom　you

will　have　to　account　for　the　fortune　you　are　acknowledging　to　have

received　with　their　mother。　You　risk　having　your　own　fortune

squandered　in　five　years；　and　to　be　left　as　naked　as　Saint…John

himself；　besides　being　a　debtor　to　your　wife　and　children　for　enormous

sums。　If　you　are　determined　to　put　your　life　in　that　boat；　Monsieur　le

comte；　of　course　you　can　do　as　you　choose；　but　at　least　let　me；　your

old　friend；　try　to　save　the　house　of　Manerville。〃



〃How　is　this　scheme　going　to　save　it？〃　asked　Paul。



〃Monsieur　le　comte；　you　are　in　love〃



〃Yes。〃



〃A　lover　is　about　as　discreet　as　a　cannon…ball；　therefore；　I　shall　not

explain。　If　you　repeated　what　I　should　say；　your　marriage　would

probably　be　broken　off。　I　protect　your　love　by　my　silence。　Have　you

confidence　in　my　devotion？〃



〃A　fine　question！〃



〃Well；　then；　believe　me　when　I　tell　you　that　Madame　Evangelista；　her

notary；　and　her　daughter；　are　tricking　us　through　thick　and　thin；　they

are　more　than　clever。　Tudieu！　what　a　sly　game！〃



〃Not　Natalie；〃　cried　Paul。



〃I　sha'n't　put　my　fingers　between　the　bark　and　the　tree；〃　said　the　old

man。　〃You　want　her；　take　her！　But　I　wish　you　were　well　out　of　this

marriage；　if　it　could　be　done　without　the　least　wrong…doing　on　your

part。〃



〃Why　do　you　wish　it？〃



〃Because　that　girl　will　spend　the　mines　of　Peru。　Besides；　see　how　she

rides　a　horse；like　the　groom　of　a　circus；　she　is　half　emancipated

already。　Such　girls　make　bad　wives。〃



Paul　pressed　the　old　man's　hand；　saying；　with　a　confident　air　of　self…

conceit：



〃Don't　be　uneasy　as　to　that！　But　now；　at　this　moment；　what　am　I　to

do？〃



〃Hold　firm　to　my　conditions。　They　will　consent；　for　no　one's　apparent

interest　is　injured。　Madame　Evangelista　is　very　anxious　to　marry　her

daughter；　I　see　that　in　her　little　gameBeware　of　her！〃



Paul　returned　to　the　salon；　where　he　found　his　future　mother…in…law

conversing　in　a　low　tone　with　Solonet。　Natalie；　kept　outside　of　these

mysterious　conferences；　was　playing　with　a　screen。　Embarrassed　by　her

position；　she　was　thinking　to　herself：　〃How　odd　it　is　that　they　tell

me　nothing　of　my　own　affairs。〃



The　younger　notary　had　seized；　in　the　main；　the　future　effect　of　the

new　proposal；　based；　as　it　was；　on　the　self…love　of　both　parties；　into

which　his　client　had　fallen　headlong。　Now；　while　Mathias　was　more　than

a　mere　notary；　Solonet　was　still　a　young　man；　and　brought　into　his

business　the　vanity　of　youth。　It　often　happens　that　personal　conceit

makes　a　man　forgetful　of　the　interests　of　his　client。　In　this　case；

Maitre　Solonet；　who　would　not　suffer　the　widow　to　think　that　Nestor

had　vanquished　Achilles；　advised　her　to　conclude　the　marriage　on　the

terms　proposed。　Little　he　cared　for　the　future　working　of　the　marriage

contract；　to　him；　the　conditions　of　victory　were：　Madame　Evangelista

released　from　her　obligations　as　guardian；　her　future　secured；　and

Natalie　married。



〃Bordeaux　shall　know　that　you　have　ceded　eleven　hundred　thousand

francs　to　your　daughter；　and　that　you　still　have　twenty…five　thousand

francs　a　year　left；〃　whispered　Solonet　to　his　client。　〃For　my　part；　I

did　not　expect　to　obtain　such　a　fine　result。〃



〃But；〃　she　said；　〃explain　to　me　why　the　creation　of　this　entail　should

have　calmed　the　storm　at　once。〃



〃It　relieves　their　distrust　of　you　and　your　daughter。　An　entail　is

unchangeable；　neither　husband　nor　wife　can　touch　that　capital。〃



〃Then　this　arrangement　is　positively　insulting！〃



〃No；　we　call　it　simply　precaution。　The　old　fellow　has　caught　you　in　a

net。　If　you　refuse　to　consent　to　the　entail；　he　can　reply：　'Then　your

object　is　to　squander　the　fortune　of　my　client；　who；　by　the　creation

of　this　entail；　is　protected　from　all　such　injury　as　securely　as　if

the　marriage　took　place　under　the　〃regime　dotal。〃'〃



Solonet　quieted　his　own　scruples　by　reflecting：　〃After　all；　these

stipulations　will　take　effect　only　in　the　future；　by　which　time　Madame

Evangelista　will　be　dead　and　buried。〃



Madame　Evangelista　contented　herself；　for　the　present；　with　t