at the sign of the cat and racket-第11节

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qualities；　then　he　put　them　in　the　scale；　weighed　them；　and　ended　by
showing　the　necessity　for　his　sister…in…law's　taking　violent　steps
which　could　not　satisfy　the　love　she　still　had　for　her　husband；　and；
indeed；　the　feeling　had　revived　in　all　its　strength　when　she　heard
Joseph　Lebas　speak　of　legal　proceedings。　Augustine　thanked　them；　and
returned　home　even　more　undecided　than　she　had　been　before　consulting
them。　She　now　ventured　to　go　to　the　house　in　the　Rue　du　Colombier；
intending　to　confide　her　troubles　to　her　father　and　mother；　for　she
was　like　a　sick　man　who；　in　his　desperate　plight；　tries　every
prescription；　and　even　puts　faith　in　old　wives'　remedies。

The　old　people　received　their　daughter　with　an　effusiveness　that
touched　her　deeply。　Her　visit　brought　them　some　little　change；　and
that　to　them　was　worth　a　fortune。　For　the　last　four　years　they　had
gone　their　way　like　navigators　without　a　goal　or　a　compass。　Sitting　by
the　chimney　corner；　they　would　talk　over　their　disasters　under　the　old
law　of　/maximum/；　of　their　great　investments　in　cloth；　of　the　way　they
had　weathered　bankruptcies；　and；　above　all；　the　famous　failure　of
Lecocq；　Monsieur　Guillaume's　battle　of　Marengo。　Then；　when　they　had
exhausted　the　tale　of　lawsuits；　they　recapitulated　the　sum　total　of
their　most　profitable　stock…takings；　and　told　each　other　old　stories
of　the　Saint…Denis　quarter。　At　two　o'clock　old　Guillaume　went　to　cast
an　eye　on　the　business　at　the　Cat　and　Racket；　on　his　way　back　he
called　at　all　the　shops；　formerly　the　rivals　of　his　own；　where　the
young　proprietors　hoped　to　inveigle　the　old　draper　into　some　risky
discount；　which；　as　was　his　wont；　he　never　refused　point…blank。　Two
good　Normandy　horses　were　dying　of　their　own　fat　in　the　stables　of　the
big　house；　Madame　Guillaume　never　used　them　but　to　drag　her　on　Sundays
to　high　Mass　at　the　parish　church。　Three　times　a　week　the　worthy
couple　kept　open　house。　By　the　influence　of　his　son…in…law
Sommervieux；　Monsieur　Guillaume　had　been　named　a　member　of　the
consulting　board　for　the　clothing　of　the　Army。　Since　her　husband　had
stood　so　high　in　office；　Madame　Guillaume　had　decided　that　she　must
receive；　her　rooms　were　so　crammed　with　gold　and　silver　ornaments；　and
furniture；　tasteless　but　of　undoubted　value；　that　the　simplest　room　in
the　house　looked　like　a　chapel。　Economy　and　expense　seemed　to　be
struggling　for　the　upper　hand　in　every　accessory。　It　was　as　though
Monsieur　Guillaume　had　looked　to　a　good　investment；　even　in　the
purchase　of　a　candlestick。　In　the　midst　of　this　bazaar；　where　splendor
revealed　the　owner's　want　of　occupation；　Sommervieux's　famous　picture
filled　the　place　of　honor；　and　in　it　Monsieur　and　Madame　Guillaume
found　their　chief　consolation；　turning　their　eyes；　harnessed　with　eye…
glasses；　twenty　times　a　day　on　this　presentment　of　their　past　life；　to
them　so　active　and　amusing。　The　appearance　of　this　mansion　and　these
rooms；　where　everything　had　an　aroma　of　staleness　and　mediocrity；　the
spectacle　offered　by　these　two　beings；　cast　away；　as　it　were；　on　a
rock　far　from　the　world　and　the　ideas　which　are　life；　startled
Augustine；　she　could　here　contemplate　the　sequel　of　the　scene　of　which
the　first　part　had　struck　her　at　the　house　of　Lebasa　life　of　stir
without　movement；　a　mechanical　and　instinctive　existence　like　that　of
the　beaver；　and　then　she　felt　an　indefinable　pride　in　her　troubles；　as
she　reflected　that　they　had　their　source　in　eighteen　months　of　such
happiness　as；　in　her　eyes；　was　worth　a　thousand　lives　like　this；　its
vacuity　seemed　to　her　horrible。　However；　she　concealed　this　not　very
charitable　feeling；　and　displayed　for　her　parents　her　newly…acquired
accomplishments　of　mind；　and　the　ingratiating　tenderness　that　love　had
revealed　to　her；　disposing　them　to　listen　to　her　matrimonial
grievances。　Old　people　have　a　weakness　for　this　kind　of　confidence。
Madame　Guillaume　wanted　to　know　the　most　trivial　details　of　that　alien
life；　which　to　her　seemed　almost　fabulous。　The　travels　of　Baron　da　la
Houtan；　which　she　began　again　and　again　and　never　finished；　told　her
nothing　more　unheard…of　concerning　the　Canadian　savages。

〃What；　child；　your　husband　shuts　himself　into　a　room　with　naked　women！
And　you　are　so　simple　as　to　believe　that　he　draws　them？〃

As　she　uttered　this　exclamation；　the　grandmother　laid　her　spectacles
on　a　little　work…table；　shook　her　skirts；　and　clasped　her　hands　on　her
knees；　raised　by　a　foot…warmer；　her　favorite　pedestal。

〃But；　mother；　all　artists　are　obliged　to　have　models。〃

〃He　took　good　care　not　to　tell　us　that　when　he　asked　leave　to　marry
you。　If　I　had　known　it；　I　would　never　had　given　my　daughter　to　a　man
who　followed　such　a　trade。　Religion　forbids　such　horrors；　they　are
immoral。　And　at　what　time　of　night　do　you　say　he　comes　home？〃

〃At　one　o'clocktwo〃

The　old　folks　looked　at　each　other　in　utter　amazement。

〃Then　he　gambles？〃　said　Monsieur　Guillaume。　〃In　my　day　only　gamblers
stayed　out　so　late。〃

Augustine　made　a　face　that　scorned　the　accusation。

〃He　must　keep　you　up　through　dreadful　nights　waiting　for　him；〃　said
Madame　Guillaume。　〃But　you　go　to　bed；　don't　you？　And　when　he　has　lost；
the　wretch　wakes　you。〃

〃No；　mamma；　on　the　contrary；　he　is　sometimes　in　very　good　spirits。　Not
unfrequently；　indeed；　when　it　is　fine；　he　suggests　that　I　should　get
up　and　go　into　the　woods。〃

〃The　woods！　At　that　hour？　Then　have　you　such　a　small　set　of　rooms　that
his　bedroom　and　his　sitting…room　are　not　enough；　and　that　he　must　run
about？　But　it　is　just　to　give　you　cold　that　the　wretch　proposes　such
expeditions。　He　wants　to　get　rid　of　you。　Did　one　ever　hear　of　a　man
settled　in　life；　a　well…behaved；　quiet　man　galloping　about　like　a
warlock？〃

〃But；　my　dear　mother；　you　do　not　understand　that　he　must　have
excitement　to　fire　his　genius。　He　is　fond　of　scenes　which〃

〃I　would　make　scenes　for　him；　fine　scenes！〃　cried　Madame　Guillaume；
interrupting　her　daughter。　〃How　can　you　show　any　consideration　to　such
a　man？　In　the　first　place；　I　don't　like　his　drinking　water　only；　it　is
not　wholesome。　Why　does　he　object　to　see　a　woman　eating？　What　queer
notion　is　that！　But　he　is　mad。　All　you　tell　us　about　him　is
impossible。　A　man　cannot　leave　his　home　without　a　word；　and　never　come
back　for　ten　days。　And　then　he　tells　you　he　has　been　to　Dieppe　to
paint　the　sea。　As　if　any　one　painted　the　sea！　He　crams　you　with　a　pack
of　tales　that　are　too　absurd。〃

Augustine　opened　her　lips　to　defend　her　husband；　but　Madame　Guillaume
enjoined　silence　with　a　wave　of　her　hand；　which　she　obeyed　by　a
survival　of　habit；　and　her　mother　went　on　in　harsh　tones：　〃Don't　talk
to　me　about　the　man！　He　never　set　foot　in　church　excepting　to　see　you
and　to　be　married。　People　without　religion　are　capable　of　anything。
Did　Guillaume　ever　dream　of　hiding　anything　from　me；　of　spending　three
days　without　saying　a　word　to　me；　and　of　chattering　afterwards　like　a
blind　magpie？〃

〃My　dear　mother；　you　judge　superior　people　too　severely。　If　their
ideas　were　the　same　as　other　folks'；　they　would　not　be　men　of　genius。〃

〃Very　well；　then　let　men　of　genius　stop　at　home　and　not　get　married。
What！　A　man　of　genius　is　to　make　his　wife　miserable？　And　because　he　is
a　genius　it　is　all　right！　Genius；　genius！　It　is　not　so　very　clever　to
say　black　one　minute　and　white　the　next；　as　he　does；　to　interrupt
other　people；　to　dance　such　rigs　at　home；　never　to　let　you　know　which
foot　you　are　to　stand　on；　to　compel　his　wife　never　to　be　amused　unless
my　lord　is　in　gay　spirits；　and　to　be　dull　when　he　is　dull。〃

〃But；　mother；　the　very　nature　of　such　imaginations〃

〃What　are　such　'imaginations'？〃　Madame　Guillaume　went　on；　interrupting
her　daughter　again。　〃Fine　ones　his　are；　my　word！　What　possesses　a　man
that　all　on　a　sudden；　without　consulting　a　doctor；　he　takes　it　into
his　head　to　eat　nothing　but　vegetables？　If　indeed　it　were　from
religious　motives；　it　might　do　him　some　goodbut　he　has　no　more
religion　than　a　Huguenot。　Was　there　ever　a　man　known　who；　like　him；
loved　horses　better　than　his　fellow…creatures；　had　his　hair　curled
like　a　heathen；　laid　statues　under　muslin　coverlets；　shut　his　shutters
in　broad　day　to　work　by　lamp…light？　There；　get　along；　if　he　were　not
so　grossly　immoral；　he　would　be　fit　to　shut　up　in　a　lunatic　asylum。
Consult　Monsieur　Loraux；　the　priest　at　Saint　Sulpice；　ask　his　opinion
about　it　all；　and　he　will　tell　you　that　your　husband；　does　not　behave
like　a　Christian。〃

〃Oh；　mother；　can　you　believe？〃

〃Yes；　I　do　believe。　You　loved　him；　and　you　can　see　none　of　these
things。　But　I　can　remember　in　the　early　days　after　your　marriage。　I
met　him　in　the　Champs…Elysees。　He　was　on　horseback。　Well；　at　one
minute　he　was　galloping　as　hard　as　he　could　tear；　and　then　pulled　up
to　a　walk。　I　said　to　myself　at　that　moment；　'There　is　a　man　devoid　of
judgement。'　〃

〃Ah；　ha！〃　cried　Monsieur　Guillaume；　〃how　wise　I　was　to　have　your　money
settled　on　yourself　with　such　a　queer　fellow　for　a　husband！〃

When　Augustine　was　so　imprudent　as　to　set　forth　her　serious　grievances
against　her　husband；　the　two　old　people　were　speechless　with
indignation。　But　the　word　〃divorce〃　was　ere　long　spoken　by　Madame
Guillaume。　At　the　sound　of　the　word　divorce　t