the marriage contract-第21章

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her　black　hair　and　eyes；　glowed　with　the　beauty　of　a　woman　at　forty；

and　wore　her　pearl　necklace；　clasped　with　the　〃Discreto；〃　a　visible

contradiction　to　the　late　calumnies。



To　fully　explain　this　scene；　it　is　necessary　to　say　that　Paul　and

Natalie　sat　together　on　a　sofa　beside　the　fireplace　and　paid　no

attention　to　the　reading　of　the　documents。　Equally　childish　and

equally　happy；　regarding　life　as　a　cloudless　sky；　rich；　young；　and

loving；　they　chattered　to　each　other　in　a　low　voice；　sinking　into

whispers。　Arming　his　love　with　the　presence　of　legality；　Paul　took

delight　in　kissing　the　tips　of　Natalie's　fingers；　in　lightly　touching

her　snowy　shoulders　and　the　waving　curls　of　her　hair；　hiding　from　the

eyes　of　others　these　joys　of　illegal　emancipation。　Natalie　played　with

a　screen　of　peacock's　feathers　given　to　her　by　Paul；a　gift　which　is

to　love；　according　to　superstitious　belief　in　certain　countries；　as

dangerous　an　omen　as　the　gift　of　scissors　or　other　cutting

instruments；　which　recall；　no　doubt；　the　Parces　of　antiquity。



Seated　beside　the　two　notaries；　Madame　Evangelista　gave　her　closest

attention　to　the　reading　of　the　documents。　After　listening　to　the

guardianship　account；　most　ably　written　out　by　Solonet；　in　which

Natalie's　share　of　the　three　million　and　more　francs　left　by　Monsieur

Evangelista　was　shown　to　be　the　much…debated　eleven　hundred　and　fifty…

six　thousand；　Madame　Evangelista　said　to　the　heedless　young　couple：



〃Come；　listen；　listen；　my　children；　this　is　your　marriage　contract。〃



The　clerk　drank　a　glass　of　iced…water；　Solonet　and　Mathias　blew　their

noses；　Paul　and　Natalie　looked　at　the　four　personages　before　them；

listened　to　the　preamble；　and　returned　to　their　chatter。　The　statement

of　the　property　brought　by　each　party；　the　general　deed　of　gift　in　the

event　of　death　without　issue；　the　deed　of　gift　of　one…fourth　in　life…

interest　and　one…fourth　in　capital　without　interest；　allowed　by　the

Code；　whatever　be　the　number　of　the　children；　the　constitution　of　a

common　fund　for　husband　and　wife；　the　settlement　of　the　diamonds　on

the　wife；　the　library　and　horses　on　the　husband；　were　duly　read　and

passed　without　observations。　Then　followed　the　constitution　of　the

entail。　When　all　was　read　and　nothing　remained　but　to　sign　the

contract；　Madame　Evangelista　demanded　to　know　what　would　be　the

ultimate　effect　of　the　entail。



〃An　entail；　madam；〃　replied　Solonet；　〃means　an　inalienable　right　to

the　inheritance　of　certain　property　belonging　to　both　husband　and

wife；　which　is　settled　from　generation　to　generation　on　the　eldest　son

of　the　house；　without；　however；　depriving　him　of　his　right　to　share　in

the　division　of　the　rest　of　the　property。〃



〃What　will　be　the　effect　of　this　on　my　daughter's　rights？〃



Maitre　Mathias；　incapable　of　disguising　the　truth；　replied：



〃Madame；　an　entail　being　an　appanage；　or　portion　of　property　set　aside

for　this　purpose　from　the　fortunes　of　husband　and　wife；　it　follows

that　if　the　wife　dies　first；　leaving　several　children；　one　of　them　a

son；　Monsieur　de　Manerville　will　owe　those　children　three　hundred　and

sixty　thousand　francs　only；　from　which　he　will　deduct　his　fourth　in

life…interest　and　his　fourth　in　capital。　Thus　his　debt　to　those

children　will　be　reduced　to　one　hundred　and　sixty　thousand　francs；　or

thereabouts；　exclusive　of　his　savings　and　profits　from　the　common　fund

constituted　for　husband　and　wife。　If；　on　the　contrary；　he　dies　first；

leaving　a　male　heir；　Madame　de　Manerville　has　a　right　to　three　hundred

and　sixty　thousand　francs　only；　and　to　her　deeds　of　gift　of　such　of

her　husband's　property　as　is　not　included　in　the　entail；　to　the

diamonds　now　settled　upon　her；　and　to　her　profits　and　savings　from　the

common　fund。〃



The　effect　of　Maitre　Mathias's　astute　and　far…sighted　policy　were　now

plainly　seen。



〃My　daughter　is　ruined；〃　said　Madame　Evangelista　in　a　low　voice。



The　old　and　the　young　notary　both　overheard　the　words。



〃Is　it　ruin；〃　replied　Mathias；　speaking　gently；　〃to　constitute　for　her

family　an　indestructible　fortune？〃



The　younger　notary；　seeing　the　expression　of　his　client's　face；

thought　it　judicious　in　him　to　state　the　disaster　in　plain　terms。



〃We　tried　to　trick　them　out　of　three　hundred　thousand　francs；〃　he

whispered　to　the　angry　woman。　〃They　have　actually　laid　hold　of　eight

hundred　thousand；　it　is　a　loss　of　four　hundred　thousand　from　our

interests　for　the　benefit　of　the　children。　You　must　now　either　break

the　marriage　off　at　once；　or　carry　it　through；〃　concluded　Solonet。



It　is　impossible　to　describe　the　moment　of　silence　that　followed。

Maitre　Mathias　waited　in　triumph　the　signature　of　the　two　persons　who

had　expected　to　rob　his　client。　Natalie；　not　competent　to　understand

that　she　had　lost　half　her　fortune；　and　Paul；　ignorant　that　the　house

of　Manerville　had　gained　it；　were　laughing　and　chattering　still。

Solonet　and　Madame　Evangelista　gazed　at　each　other；　the　one

endeavoring　to　conceal　his　indifference；　the　other　repressing　the　rush

of　a　crowd　of　bitter　feelings。



After　suffering　in　her　own　mind　the　struggles　of　remorse；　after

blaming　Paul　as　the　cause　of　her　dishonesty；　Madame　Evangelista　had

decided　to　employ　those　shameful　manoeuvres　to　cast　on　him　the　burden

of　her　own　unfaithful　guardianship；　considering　him　her　victim。　But

now；　in　a　moment；　she　perceived　that　where　she　thought　she　triumphed

she　was　about　to　perish；　and　her　victim　was　her　own　daughter。　Guilty

without　profit；　she　saw　herself　the　dupe　of　an　honorable　old　man；

whose　respect　she　had　doubtless　lost。　Her　secret　conduct　must　have

inspired　the　stipulation　of　old　Mathias；　and　Mathias　must　have

enlightened　Paul。　Horrible　reflection！　Even　if　he　had　not　yet　done　so；

as　soon　as　that　contract　was　signed　the　old　wolf　would　surely　warn　his

client　of　the　dangers　he　had　run　and　had　now　escaped；　were　it　only　to

receive　the　praise　of　his　sagacity。　He　would　put　him　on　his　guard

against　the　wily　woman　who　had　lowered　herself　to　this　conspiracy；　he

would　destroy　the　empire　she　had　conquered　over　her　son…in…law！　Feeble

natures；　once　warned；　turn　obstinate；　and　are　never　won　again。　At　the

first　discussion　of　the　contract　she　had　reckoned　on　Paul's　weakness；

and　on　the　impossibility　he　would　feel　of　breaking　off　a　marriage　so

far　advanced。　But　now；　she　herself　was　far　more　tightly　bound。　Three

months　earlier　Paul　had　no　real　obstacles　to　prevent　the　rupture；　now；

all　Bordeaux　knew　that　the　notaries　had　smoothed　the　difficulties；　the

banns　were　published；　the　wedding　was　to　take　place　immediately；　the

friends　of　both　families　were　at　that　moment　arriving　for　the　fete；

and　to　witness　the　contract。　How　could　she　postpone　the　marriage　at

this　late　hour？　The　cause　of　the　rupture　would　surely　be　made　known；

Maitre　Mathias's　stern　honor　was　too　well　known　in　Bordeaux；　his　word

would　be　believed　in　preference　to　hers。　The　scoffers　would　turn

against　her　and　against　her　daughter。　No；　she　could　not　break　it　off；

she　must　yield！



These　reflections；　so　cruelly　sound；　fell　upon　Madame　Evangelista's

brain　like　a　water…spout　and　split　it。　Though　she　still　maintained　the

dignity　and　reserve　of　a　diplomatist；　her　chin　was　shaken　by　that

apoplectic　movement　which　showed　the　anger　of　Catherine　the　Second　on

the　famous　day　when；　seated　on　her　throne　and　in　presence　of　her　court

（very　much　in　the　present　circumstances　of　Madame　Evangelista）；　she

was　braved　by　the　King　of　Sweden。　Solonet　observed　that　play　of　the

muscles；　which　revealed　the　birth　of　a　mortal　hatred；　a　lurid　storm　to

which　there　was　no　lightning。　At　this　moment　Madame　Evangelista　vowed

to　her　son…in…law　one　of　those　unquenchable　hatreds　the　seeds　of　which

were　left　by　the　Moors　in　the　atmosphere　of　Spain。



〃Monsieur；〃　she　said；　bending　to　the　ear　of　her　notary；　〃you　called

that　stipulation　balderdash；　it　seems　to　me　that　nothing　could　have

been　more　clear。〃



〃Madame；　allow　me〃



〃Mons