the marriage contract-第17章

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Evangelista　will　be　dead　and　buried。〃



Madame　Evangelista　contented　herself；　for　the　present；　with　these

explanations；　having　full　confidence　in　Solonet。　She　was　wholly

ignorant　of　law；　considering　her　daughter　as　good　as　married；　she

thought　she　had　gained　her　end；　and　was　filled　with　the　joy　of

success。　Thus；　as　Mathias　had　shrewdly　calculated；　neither　Solonet　nor

Madame　Evangelista　understood　as　yet；　to　its　full　extent；　this　scheme

which　he　had　based　on　reasons　that　were　undeniable。



〃Well；　Monsieur　Mathias；〃　said　the　widow；　〃all　is　for　the　best；　is　it

not？〃



〃Madame；　if　you　and　Monsieur　le　comte　consent　to　this　arrangement　you

ought　to　exchange　pledges。　It　is　fully　understood；　I　suppose；〃　he

continued；　looking　from　one　to　the　other；　〃that　the　marriage　will　only

take　place　on　condition　of　creating　an　entail　upon　the　estate　of

Lanstrac　and　the　house　in　the　rue　de　la　Pepiniere；　together　with　eight

hundred　thousand　francs　in　money　brought　by　the　future　wife；　the　said

sum　to　be　invested　in　landed　property？　Pardon　me　the　repetition；

madame；　but　a　positive　and　solemn　engagement　becomes　absolutely

necessary。　The　creation　of　an　entail　requires　formalities；　application

to　the　chancellor；　a　royal　ordinance；　and　we　ought　at　once　to　conclude

the　purchase　of　the　new　estate　in　order　that　the　property　be　included

in　the　royal　ordinance　by　virtue　of　which　it　becomes　inalienable。　In

many　families　this　would　be　reduced　to　writing；　but　on　this　occasion　I

think　a　simple　consent　would　suffice。　Do　you　consent？〃



〃Yes；〃　replied　Madame　Evangelista。



〃Yes；〃　said　Paul。



〃And　I？〃　asked　Natalie；　laughing。



〃You　are　a　minor；　mademoiselle；〃　replied　Solonet；　〃don't　complain　of

that。〃



It　was　then　agreed　that　Maitre　Mathias　should　draw　up　the　contract；

Maitre　Solonet　the　guardianship　account　and　release；　and　that　both

documents　should　be　signed；　as　the　law　requires　some　days　before　the

celebration　of　the　marriage。　After　a　few　polite　salutations　the

notaries　withdrew。



〃It　rains；　Mathias；　shall　I　take　you　home？〃　said　Solonet。　〃My

cabriolet　is　here。〃



〃My　carriage　is　here　too；〃　said　Paul；　manifesting　an　intention　to

accompany　the　old　man。



〃I　won't　rob　you　of　a　moment's　pleasure；〃　said　Mathias。　〃I　accept　my

friend　Solonet's　offer。〃



〃Well；〃　said　Achilles　to　Nestor；　as　the　cabriolet　rolled　away；　〃you

have　been　truly　patriarchal　to…night。　The　fact　is；　those　young　people

would　certainly　have　ruined　themselves。〃



〃I　felt　anxious　about　their　future；〃　replied　Mathias；　keeping　silent

as　to　the　real　motives　of　his　proposition。



At　this　moment　the　two　notaries　were　like　a　pair　of　actors　arm　in　arm

behind　the　stage　on　which　they　have　played　a　scene　of　hatred　and

provocation。



〃But；〃　said　Solonet；　thinking　of　his　rights　as　notary；　〃isn't　it　my

place　to　buy　that　land　you　mentioned？　The　money　is　part　of　our　dowry。〃



〃How　can　you　put　property　bought　in　the　name　of　Mademoiselle

Evangelista　into　the　creation　of　an　entail　by　the　Comte　de

Manerville？〃　replied　Mathias。



〃We　shall　have　to　ask　the　chancellor　about　that；〃　said　Solonet。



〃But　I　am　the　notary　of　the　seller　as　well　as　of　the　buyer　of　that

land；〃　said　Mathias。　〃Besides；　Monsieur　de　Manerville　can　buy　in　his

own　name。　At　the　time　of　payment　we　can　make　mention　of　the　fact　that

the　dowry　funds　are　put　into　it。〃



〃You've　an　answer　for　everything；　old　man；〃　said　Solonet；　laughing。

〃You　were　really　surpassing　to…night；　you　beat　us　squarely。〃



〃For　an　old　fellow　who　didn't　expect　your　batteries　of　grape…shot；　I

did　pretty　well；　didn't　I？〃



〃Ha！　ha！　ha！〃　laughed　Solonet。



The　odious　struggle　in　which　the　material　welfare　of　a　family　had　been

so　perilously　near　destruction　was　to　the　two　notaries　nothing　more

than　a　matter　of　professional　polemics。



〃I　haven't　been　forty　years　in　harness　for　nothing；〃　remarked　Mathias。

〃Look　here；　Solonet；〃　he　added；　〃I'm　a　good　fellow；　you　shall　help　in

drawing　the　deeds　for　the　sale　of　those　lands。〃



〃Thanks；　my　dear　Mathias。　I'll　serve　you　in　return　on　the　very　first

occasion。〃



While　the　two　notaries　were　peacefully　returning　homeward；　with　no

other　sensations　than　a　little　throaty　warmth；　Paul　and　Madame

Evangelista　were　left　a　prey　to　the　nervous　trepidation；　the　quivering

of　the　flesh　and　brain　which　excitable　natures　pass　through　after　a

scene　in　which　their　interests　and　their　feelings　have　been　violently

shaken。　In　Madame　Evangelista　these　last　mutterings　of　the　storm　were

overshadowed　by　a　terrible　reflection；　a　lurid　gleam　which　she　wanted；

at　any　cost；　to　dispel。



〃Has　Maitre　Mathias　destroyed　in　a　few　minutes　the　work　I　have　been

doing　for　six　months？〃　she　asked　herself。　〃Was　he　withdrawing　Paul

from　my　influence　by　filling　his　mind　with　suspicion　during　their

secret　conference　in　the　next　room？〃



She　was　standing　absorbed　in　these　thoughts　before　the　fireplace；　her

elbow　resting　on　the　marble　mantel…shelf。　When　the　porte…cochere

closed　behind　the　carriage　of　the　two　notaries；　she　turned　to　her

future　son…in…law；　impatient　to　solve　her　doubts。



〃This　has　been　the　most　terrible　day　of　my　life；〃　cried　Paul；

overjoyed　to　see　all　difficulties　vanish。　〃I　know　no　one　so　downright

in　speech　as　that　old　Mathias。　May　God　hear　him；　and　make　me　peer　of

France！　Dear　Natalie；　I　desire　this　for　your　sake　more　than　for　my

own。　You　are　my　ambition；　I　live　only　in　you。〃



Hearing　this　speech　uttered　in　the　accents　of　the　heart；　and　noting；

more　especially；　the　limpid　azure　of　Paul's　eyes；　whose　glance

betrayed　no　thought　of　double　meaning；　Madame　Evangelista's

satisfaction　was　complete。　She　regretted　the　sharp　language　with　which

she　had　spurred　him；　and　in　the　joy　of　success　she　resolved　to

reassure　him　as　to　the　future。　Calming　her　countenance；　and　giving　to

her　eyes　that　expression　of　tender　friendship　which　made　her　so

attractive；　she　smiled　and　answered：



〃I　can　say　as　much　to　you。　Perhaps；　dear　Paul；　my　Spanish　nature　has

led　me　farther　than　my　heart　desired。　Be　what　you　are；kind　as　God

himself；and　do　not　be　angry　with　me　for　a　few　hasty　words。　Shake

hands。〃



Paul　was　abashed；　he　fancied　himself　to　blame；　and　he　kissed　Madame

Evangelista。



〃Dear　Paul；〃　she　said　with　much　emotion；　〃why　could　not　those　two

sharks　have　settled　this　matter　without　dragging　us　into　it；　since　it

was　so　easy　to　settle？〃



〃In　that　case　I　should　not　have　known　how　grand　and　generous　you　can

be；〃　replied　Paul。



〃Indeed　she　is；　Paul；〃　cried　Natalie；　pressing　his　hand。



〃We　have　still　a　few　little　matters　to　settle；　my　dear　son；〃　said

Madame　Evangelista。　〃My　daughter　and　I　are　above　the　foolish　vanities

to　which　so　many　persons　cling。　Natalie　does　not　need　my　diamonds；　but

I　am　glad　to　give　them　to　her。〃



〃Ah！　my　dear　mother；　do　you　suppose　that　I　will　accept　them？〃



〃Yes；　my　child；　they　are　one　of　the　conditions　of　the　contract。〃



〃I　will　not　allow　it；　I　will　not　marry　at　all；〃　cried　Natalie；

vehemently。　〃Keep　those　jewels　which　my　father　took　such　pride　in

collecting　for　you。　How　could　Monsieur　Paul　exact〃



〃Hush；　my　dear；〃　said　her　mother；　whose　eyes　now　filled　with　tears。

〃My　ignorance　of　business　compels　me　to　a　greater　sacrifice　than

that。〃



〃What　sacrifice？〃



〃I　must　sell　my　house　in　order　to　pay　the　money　that　I　owe　to　you。〃



〃What　money　can　you　possibly　owe　to　me？〃　she　said；　〃to　me；　who　owe　you

life！　If　my　marriage　costs　you　the　slightest　sacrifice；　I　will　not

marry。〃



〃Child！〃



〃Dear　Natalie；　try　to　understand　that　neither　I；　nor　your　mother；　nor

you　yourself；　require　these　sacrifices；　but　our　children。〃



〃Suppose　I　do　not　marry　at　all？〃



〃Do　you　not　love　me？〃　said　Paul；　tenderly。



〃Come；　come；　my　silly　child；　do　you　imagine　that　a　contract　is　like　a

house　of　cards　which　you　can　blow　down　at　will？　Dear　little　ignoramus；

you　don't　know　what　trouble　we　have　had　to　found　an　ent