the marriage contract-第23章

按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！





〃Yes；〃　said　Mathias；　〃these　jewels　will　meet　the　first　payment　on　the

purchase　of　the　new　estate。〃



〃And　the　costs　of　the　contract；〃　added　Solonet。



Hatred　feeds；　like　love；　on　little　things；　the　least　thing　strengthens

it；　as　one　beloved　can　do　no　evil；　so　the　person　hated　can　do　no　good。

Madame　Evangelista　assigned　to　hypocrisy　the　natural　embarrassment　of

Paul；　who　was　unwilling　to　take　the　jewels；　and　not　knowing　where　to

put　the　cases；　longed　to　fling　them　from　the　window。　Madame

Evangelista　spurred　him　with　a　glance　which　seemed　to　say；　〃Take　your

property　from　here。〃



〃Dear　Natalie；〃　said　Paul；　〃put　away　these　jewels；　they　are　yours；　I

give　them　to　you。〃



Natalie　locked　them　into　the　drawer　of　a　console。　At　this　instant　the

noise　of　the　carriages　in　the　court…yard　and　the　murmur　of　voices　in

the　receptions…rooms　became　so　loud　that　Natalie　and　her　mother　were

forced　to　appear。　The　salons　were　filled　in　a　few　moments；　and　the

fete　began。



〃Profit　by　the　honeymoon　to　sell　those　diamonds；〃　said　the　old　notary

to　Paul　as　he　went　away。



While　waiting　for　the　dancing　to　begin；　whispers　went　round　about　the

marriage；　and　doubts　were　expressed　as　to　the　future　of　the　promised

couple。



〃Is　it　finally　arranged？〃　said　one　of　the　leading　personages　of　the

town　to　Madame　Evangelista。



〃We　had　so　many　documents　to　read　and　sign　that　I　fear　we　are　rather

late；〃　she　replied；　〃but　perhaps　we　are　excusable。〃



〃As　for　me；　I　heard　nothing；〃　said　Natalie；　giving　her　hand　to　her

lover　to　open　the　ball。



〃Both　of　those　young　persons　are　extravagant；　and　the　mother　is　not　of

a　kind　to　check　them；〃　said　a　dowager。



〃But　they　have　founded　an　entail；　I　am　told；　worth　fifty　thousand

francs　a　year。〃



〃Pooh！〃



〃In　that　I　see　the　hand　of　our　worthy　Monsieur　Mathias；〃　said　a

magistrate。　〃If　it　is　really　true；　he　has　done　it　to　save　the　future

of　the　family。〃



〃Natalie　is　too　handsome　not　to　be　horribly　coquettish。　After　a　couple

of　years　of　marriage；〃　said　one　young　woman；　〃I　wouldn't　answer　for

Monsieur　de　Manerville's　happiness　in　his　home。〃



〃The　Pink　of　Fashion　will　then　need　staking；〃　said　Solonet；　laughing。



〃Don't　you　think　Madame　Evangelista　looks　annoyed？〃　asked　another。



〃But；　my　dear；　I　have　just　been　told　that　all　she　is　able　to　keep　is

twenty…five　thousand　francs　a　year；　and　what　is　that　to　her？〃



〃Penury！〃



〃Yes；　she　has　robbed　herself　for　Natalie。　Monsieur　de　Manerville　has

been　so　exacting〃



〃Extremely　exacting；〃　put　in　Maitre　Solonet。　〃But　before　long　he　will

be　peer　of　France。　The　Maulincours　and　the　Vidame　de　Pamiers　will　use

their　influence。　He　belongs　to　the　faubourg　Saint…Germain。〃



〃Oh！　he　is　received　there；　and　that　is　all；〃　said　a　lady；　who　had

tried　to　obtain　him　as　a　son…in…law。　〃Mademoiselle　Evangelista；　as　the

daughter　of　a　merchant；　will　certainly　not　open　the　doors　of　the

chapter…house　of　Cologne　to　him！〃



〃She　is　grand…niece　to　the　Duke　of　Casa…Reale。〃



〃Through　the　female　line！〃



The　topic　was　presently　exhausted。　The　card…players　went　to　the

tables；　the　young　people　danced；　the　supper　was　served；　and　the　ball

was　not　over　till　morning；　when　the　first　gleams　of　the　coming　day

whitened　the　windows。



Having　said　adieu　to　Paul；　who　was　the　last　to　go　away；　Madame

Evangelista　went　to　her　daughter's　room；　for　her　own　had　been　taken　by

the　architect　to　enlarge　the　scene　of　the　fete。　Though　Natalie　and　her

mother　were　overcome　with　sleep；　they　said　a　few　words　to　each　other

as　soon　as　they　were　alone。



〃Tell　me；　mother　dear；　what　was　the　matter　with　you？〃



〃My　darling；　I　learned　this　evening　to　what　lengths　a　mother's

tenderness　can　go。　You　know　nothing　of　business；　and　you　are　ignorant

of　the　suspicions　to　which　my　integrity　has　been　exposed。　I　have

trampled　my　pride　under　foot；　for　your　happiness　and　my　reputation

were　at　stake。〃



〃Are　you　talking　of　the　diamonds？　Poor　boy；　he　wept；　he　did　not　want

them；　I　have　them。〃



〃Sleep　now；　my　child。　We　will　talk　business　when　we　wakefor；〃　she

added；　sighing；　〃you　and　I　have　business　now；　another　person　has　come

between　us。〃



〃Ah！　my　dear　mother；　Paul　will　never　be　an　obstacle　to　our　happiness；

yours　and　mine；〃　murmured　Natalie；　as　she　went　to　sleep。



〃Poor　darling！　she　little　knows　that　the　man　has　ruined　her。〃



Madame　Evangelista's　soul　was　seized　at　that　moment　with　the　first

idea　of　avarice；　a　vice　to　which　many　become　a　prey　as　they　grow　aged。

It　came　into　her　mind　to　recover　in　her　daughter's　interest　the　whole

of　the　property　left　by　her　husband。　She　told　herself　that　her　honor

demanded　it。　Her　devotion　to　Natalie　made　her；　in　a　moment；　as　shrewd

and　calculating　as　she　had　hitherto　been　careless　and　wasteful。　She

resolved　to　turn　her　capital　to　account；　after　investing　a　part　of　it

in　the　Funds；　which　were　then　selling　at　eighty　francs。　A　passion

often　changes　the　whole　character　in　a　moment；　an　indiscreet　person

becomes　a　diplomatist；　a　coward　is　suddenly　brave。　Hate　made　this

prodigal　woman　a　miser。　Chance　and　luck　might　serve　the　project　of

vengeance；　still　undefined　and　confused；　which　she　would　now　mature　in

her　mind。　She　fell　asleep；　muttering　to　herself；　〃To…morrow！〃　By　an

unexplained　phenomenon；　the　effects　of　which　are　familiar　to　all

thinkers；　her　mind；　during　sleep；　marshalled　its　ideas；　enlightened

them；　classed　them；　prepared　a　means　by　which　she　was　to　rule　Paul's

life；　and　showed　her　a　plan　which　she　began　to　carry　out　on　that　very

to…morrow。







CHAPTER　V



THE　MARRIAGE　CONTRACTTHIRD　DAY



Though　the　excitement　of　the　fete　had　driven　from　Paul's　mind　the

anxious　thoughts　that　now　and　then　assailed　it；　when　he　was　alone　with

himself　and　in　his　bed　they　returned　to　torment　him。



〃It　seems　to　me；〃　he　said　to　himself；　〃that　without　that　good　Mathias

my　mother…in…law　would　have　tricked　me。　And　yet；　is　that　believable？

What　interest　could　lead　her　to　deceive　me？　Are　we　not　to　join

fortunes　and　live　together？　Well；　well；　why　should　I　worry　about　it？

In　two　days　Natalie　will　be　my　wife；　our　money　relations　are　plainly

defined；　nothing　can　come　between　us。　Vogue　la　galereNevertheless；

I'll　be　upon　my　guard。　Suppose　Mathias　was　right？　Well；　if　he　was；　I'm

not　obliged　to　marry　my　mother…in…law。〃



In　this　second　battle　of　the　contract　Paul's　future　had　completely

changed　in　aspect；　though　he　was　not　aware　of　it。　Of　the　two　persons

whom　he　was　marrying；　one；　the　cleverest；　was　now　his　mortal　enemy；

and　meditated　already　withdrawing　her　interests　from　the　common　fund。

Incapable　of　observing　the　difference　that　a　Creole　nature　placed

between　his　mother…in…law　and　other　women；　Paul　was　far　from

suspecting　her　craftiness。　The　Creole　nature　is　apart　from　all　others；

it　derives　from　Europe　by　its　intellect；　from　the　tropics　by　the

illogical　violence　of　its　passions；　from　the　East　by　the　apathetic

indifference　with　which　it　does；　or　suffers；　either　good　or　evil；

equally；a　graceful　nature　withal；　but　dangerous；　as　a　child　is

dangerous　if　not　watched。　Like　a　child；　the　Creole　woman　must　have　her

way　immediately；　like　a　child；　she　would　burn　a　house　to　boil　an　egg。

In　her　soft　and　easy　life　she　takes　no　care　upon　her　mind；　but　when

impassioned；　she　thinks　of　all　things。　She　has　something　of　the

perfidy　of　the　Negroes　by　whom　she　has　been　surrounded　from　her

cradle；　but　she　is　also　as　naive　and　even；　at　times；　as　artless　as

they。　Like　them　and　like　the　children；　she　wishes　doggedly　for　one

thing　with　a　growing　intensity　of　desire；　and　will　brood　upon　that

idea　until　she　hatches　it。　A　strange　assemblage　of　virtues　and

defects！　which　her　Spanish　nature　had　strengthened　in　Madame

Evangelista；　and　over　which　her　French　experience　had　cast　the　glaze

of　its　politeness。



This　character；　slumbering　in　married　happiness　for　sixteen　years；

occupied　since　then　with　the　trivialities　of　social