cousin betty-第13节

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are　at。〃

As　he　got　into　the　/milord/；　he　looked　up；　and　the　lady　and　the
husband　hastily　vanished；　as　though　the　Baron's　face　had　affected　them
like　the　mythological　head　of　Medusa。

〃It　would　seem　that　they　know　me；〃　thought　the　Baron。　〃That　would
account　for　everything。〃

As　the　carriage　went　up　the　Rue　du　Musee；　he　leaned　forward　to　see　the
lady　again；　and　in　fact　she　was　again　at　the　window。　Ashamed　of　being
caught　gazing　at　the　hood　under　which　her　admirer　was　sitting；　the
unknown　started　back　at　once。

〃Nanny　shall　tell　me　who　it　is；〃　said　the　Baron　to　himself。

The　sight　of　the　Government　official　had；　as　will　be　seen；　made　a　deep
impression　on　this　couple。

〃Why；　it　is　Baron　Hulot；　the　chief　of　the　department　to　which　my
office　belongs！〃　exclaimed　the　husband　as　he　left　the　window。

〃Well；　Marneffe；　the　old　maid　on　the　third　floor　at　the　back　of　the
courtyard；　who　lives　with　that　young　man；　is　his　cousin。　Is　it　not　odd
that　we　should　never　have　known　that　till　to…day；　and　now　find　it　out
by　chance？〃

〃Mademoiselle　Fischer　living　with　a　young　man？〃　repeated　the　husband。
〃That　is　porter's　gossip；　do　not　speak　so　lightly　of　the　cousin　of　a
Councillor　of　State　who　can　blow　hot　and　cold　in　the　office　as　he
pleases。　Now；　come　to　dinner；　I　have　been　waiting　for　you　since　four
o'clock。〃

Prettyvery　prettyMadame　Marneffe；　the　natural　daughter　of　Comte
Montcornet；　one　of　Napoleon's　most　famous　officers；　had；　on　the
strength　of　a　marriage　portion　of　twenty　thousand　francs；　found　a
husband　in　an　inferior　official　at　the　War　Office。　Through　the
interest　of　the　famous　lieutenant…generalmade　marshal　of　France　six
months　before　his　deaththis　quill…driver　had　risen　to　unhoped…for
dignity　as　head…clerk　of　his　office；　but　just　as　he　was　to　be　promoted
to　be　deputy…chief；　the　marshal's　death　had　cut　off　Marneffe's
ambitions　and　his　wife's　at　the　root。　The　very　small　salary　enjoyed　by
Sieur　Marneffe　had　compelled　the　couple　to　economize　in　the　matter　of
rent；　for　in　his　hands　Mademoiselle　Valerie　Fortin's　fortune　had
already　melted　awaypartly　in　paying　his　debts；　and　partly　in　the
purchase　of　necessaries　for　furnishing　a　house；　but　chiefly　in
gratifying　the　requirements　of　a　pretty　young　wife；　accustomed　in　her
mother's　house　to　luxuries　she　did　not　choose　to　dispense　with。　The
situation　of　the　Rue　du　Doyenne；　within　easy　distance　of　the　War
Office；　and　the　gay　part　of　Paris；　smiled　on　Monsieur　and　Madame
Marneffe；　and　for　the　last　four　years　they　had　dwelt　under　the　same
roof　as　Lisbeth　Fischer。

Monsieur　Jean…Paul…Stanislas　Marneffe　was　one　of　the　class　of　employes
who　escape　sheer　brutishness　by　the　kind　of　power　that　comes　of
depravity。　The　small；　lean　creature；　with　thin　hair　and　a　starved
beard；　an　unwholesome　pasty　face；　worn　rather　than　wrinkled；　with　red…
lidded　eyes　harnessed　with　spectacles；　shuffling　in　his　gait；　and　yet
meaner　in　his　appearance；　realized　the　type　of　man　that　any　one　would
conceive　of　as　likely　to　be　placed　in　the　dock　for　an　offence　against
decency。

The　rooms　inhabited　by　this　couple　had　the　illusory　appearance　of　sham
luxury　seen　in　many　Paris　homes；　and　typical　of　a　certain　class　of
household。　In　the　drawing…room；　the　furniture　covered　with　shabby
cotton　velvet；　the　plaster　statuettes　pretending　to　be　Florentine
bronze；　the　clumsy　cast　chandelier　merely　lacquered；　with　cheap　glass
saucers；　the　carpet；　whose　small　cost　was　accounted　for　in　advancing
life　by　the　quality　of　cotton　used　in　the　manufacture；　now　visible　to
the　naked　eye；everything；　down　to　the　curtains；　which　plainly　showed
that　worsted　damask　has　not　three　years　of　prime；　proclaimed　poverty
as　loudly　as　a　beggar　in　rags　at　a　church　door。

The　dining…room；　badly　kept　by　a　single　servant；　had　the　sickening
aspect　of　a　country　inn；　everything　looked　greasy　and　unclean。

Monsieur's　room；　very　like　a　schoolboy's；　furnished　with　the　bed　and
fittings　remaining　from　his　bachelor　days；　as　shabby　and　worn　as　he
was；　dusted　perhaps　once　a　weekthat　horrible　room　where　everything
was　in　a　litter；　with　old　socks　hanging　over　the　horsehair…seated
chairs；　the　pattern　outlined　in　dust；　was　that　of　a　man　to　whom　home
is　a　matter　of　indifference；　who　lives　out　of　doors；　gambling　in　cafes
or　elsewhere。

Madame's　room　was　an　exception　to　the　squalid　slovenliness　that
disgraced　the　living　rooms；　where　the　curtains　were　yellow　with　smoke
and　dust；　and　where　the　child；　evidently　left　to　himself；　littered
every　spot　with　his　toys。　Valerie's　room　and　dressing…room　were
situated　in　the　part　of　the　house　which；　on　one　side　of　the　courtyard；
joined　the　front　half；　looking　out　on　the　street；　to　the　wing　forming
the　inner　side　of　the　court　backing　against　the　adjoining　property。
Handsomely　hung　with　chintz；　furnished　with　rosewood；　and　thickly
carpeted；　they　proclaimed　themselves　as　belonging　to　a　pretty　woman
and　indeed　suggested　the　kept　mistress。　A　clock　in　the　fashionable
style　stood　on　the　velvet…covered　mantelpiece。　There　was　a　nicely
fitted　cabinet；　and　the　Chinese　flower…stands　were　handsomely　filled。
The　bed；　the　toilet…table；　the　wardrobe　with　its　mirror；　the　little
sofa；　and　all　the　lady's　frippery　bore　the　stamp　of　fashion　or
caprice。　Though　everything　was　quite　third…rate　as　to　elegance　or
quality；　and　nothing　was　absolutely　newer　than　three　years　old；　a
dandy　would　have　had　no　fault　to　find　but　that　the　taste　of　all　this
luxury　was　commonplace。　Art；　and　the　distinction　that　comes　of　the
choice　of　things　that　taste　assimilates；　was　entirely　wanting。　A
doctor　of　social　science　would　have　detected　a　lover　in　two　or　three
specimens　of　costly　trumpery；　which　could　only　have　come　there　through
that　demi…godalways　absent；　but　always　present　if　the　lady　is
married。

The　dinner；　four　hours　behind　time；　to　which　the　husband；　wife；　and
child　sat　down；　betrayed　the　financial　straits　in　which　the　household
found　itself；　for　the　table　is　the　surest　thermometer　for　gauging　the
income　of　a　Parisian　family。　Vegetable　soup　made　with　the　water
haricot　beans　had　been　boiled　in；　a　piece　of　stewed　veal　and　potatoes
sodden　with　water　by　way　of　gravy；　a　dish　of　haricot　beans；　and　cheap
cherries；　served　and　eaten　in　cracked　plates　and　dishes；　with　the
dull…looking　and　dull…sounding　forks　of　German　silverwas　this　a
banquet　worthy　of　this　pretty　young　woman？　The　Baron　would　have　wept
could　he　have　seen　it。　The　dingy　decanters　could　not　disguise　the　vile
hue　of　wine　bought　by　the　pint　at　the　nearest　wineshop。　The　table…
napkins　had　seen　a　week's　use。　In　short；　everything　betrayed
undignified　penury；　and　the　equal　indifference　of　the　husband　and　wife
to　the　decencies　of　home。　The　most　superficial　observer　on　seeing　them
would　have　said　that　these　two　beings　had　come　to　the　stage　when　the
necessity　of　living　had　prepared　them　for　any　kind　of　dishonor　that
might　bring　luck　to　them。　Valerie's　first　words　to　her　husband　will
explain　the　delay　that　had　postponed　the　dinner　by　the　not
disinterested　devotion　of　the　cook。

〃Samanon　will　only　take　your　bills　at　fifty　per　cent；　and　insists　on　a
lien　on　your　salary　as　security。〃

So　poverty；　still　unconfessed　in　the　house　of　the　superior　official；
and　hidden　under　a　stipend　of　twenty…four　thousand　francs；
irrespective　of　presents；　had　reached　its　lowest　stage　in　that　of　the
clerk。

〃You　have　caught　on　with　the　chief；〃　said　the　man；　looking　at　his
wife。

〃I　rather　think　so；〃　replied　she；　understanding　the　full　meaning　of
his　slang　expression。

〃What　is　to　become　of　us？〃　Marneffe　went　on。　〃The　landlord　will　be
down　on　us　to…morrow。　And　to　think　of　your　father　dying　without　making
a　will！　On　my　honor；　those　men　of　the　Empire　all　think　themselves　as
immortal　as　their　Emperor。〃

〃Poor　father！〃　said　she。　〃I　was　his　only　child；　and　he　was　very　fond
of　me。　The　Countess　probably　burned　the　will。　How　could　he　forget　me
when　he　used　to　give　us　as　much　as　three　or　four　thousand…franc　notes
at　once；　from　time　to　time？〃

〃We　owe　four　quarters'　rent；　fifteen　hundred　francs。　Is　the　furniture
worth　so　much？　/That　is　the　question/；　as　Shakespeare　says。〃

〃Now；　good…bye；　ducky！〃　said　Valerie；　who　had　only　eaten　a　few
mouthfuls　of　the　veal；　from　which　the　maid　had　extracted　all　the　gravy
for　a　brave　soldier　just　home　from　Algiers。　〃Great　evils　demand　heroic
remedies。〃

〃Valerie；　where　are　you　off　to？〃　cried　Marneffe；　standing　between　his
wife　and　the　door。

〃I　am　going　to　see　the　landlord；〃　she　replied；　arranging　her　ringlets
under　her　smart　bonnet。　〃You　had　better　try　to　make　friends　with　that
old　maid；　if　she　really　is　your　chief's　cousin。〃



The　ignorance　in　which　the　dwellers　under　one　roof　can　exist　as　to　the
social　position　of　their　fellow…lodgers　is　a　permanent　fact　which；　as
much　as　any　other；　shows　what　the　rush　of　Paris　life　is。　Still；　it　is
easily　conceivable　that　a　clerk　who　goes　early　every　morning　to　his
office；　comes　home　only　to　dinner；　and　spends　every　evening　out；　and　a
woman　swallowed　up　in　a　round　of　pleasures；　should　know　nothing　of　an
old　maid　living　on　the　third　floor　beyond　the　courtyard　of　the　house
they　dwell　in；　especially　when　she　lives　as　Mademoiselle　Fischer　did。

Up　in　the　mo