cousin betty-第30节

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trousseau　worth　twenty　thousand　francs；　her　mother　will　give　her　six
thousand　francs　worth　of　diamonds。

〃Monsieur；　you　overpower　me！〃　said　Steinbock；　quite　bewildered。

〃As　to　the　remaining　hundred　and　twenty　thousand　francs〃

〃Say　no　more；　monsieur；〃　said　Wenceslas。　〃I　ask　only　for　my　beloved
Hortense〃

〃Will　you　listen　to　me；　effervescent　youth！As　to　the　remaining
hundred　and　twenty　thousand　francs；　I　have　not　got　them；　but　you　will
have　them〃

〃Monsieur？〃

〃You　will　get　them　from　the　Government；　in　payment　for　commissions
which　I　will　secure　for　you；　I　pledge　you　my　word　of　honor。　You　are　to
have　a　studio；　you　see；　at　the　Government　depot。　Exhibit　a　few　fine
statues；　and　I　will　get　you　received　at　the　Institute。　The　highest
personages　have　a　regard　for　my　brother　and　for　me；　and　I　hope　to
succeed　in　securing　for　you　a　commission　for　sculpture　at　Versailles
up　to　a　quarter　of　the　whole　sum。　You　will　have　orders　from　the　City
of　Paris　and　from　the　Chamber　of　Peers；　in　short；　my　dear　fellow；　you
will　have　so　many　that　you　will　be　obliged　to　get　assistants。　In　that
way　I　shall　pay　off　my　debt　to　you。　You　must　say　whether　this　way　of
giving　a　portion　will　suit　you；　whether　you　are　equal　to　it。〃

〃I　am　equal　to　making　a　fortune　for　my　wife　single…handed　if　all　else
failed！〃　cried　the　artist…nobleman。

〃That　is　what　I　admire！〃　cried　the　Baron。　〃High…minded　youth　that
fears　nothing。　Come；〃　he　added；　clasping　hands　with　the　young　sculptor
to　conclude　the　bargain；　〃you　have　my　consent。　We　will　sign　the
contract　on　Sunday　next；　and　the　wedding　shall　be　on　the　following
Saturday；　my　wife's　fete…day。〃

〃It　is　alright；〃　said　the　Baroness　to　her　daughter；　who　stood　glued　to
the　window。　〃Your　suitor　and　your　father　are　embracing　each　other。〃

On　going　home　in　the　evening；　Wenceslas　found　the　solution　of　the
mystery　of　his　release。　The　porter　handed　him　a　thick　sealed　packet；
containing　the　schedule　of　his　debts；　with　a　signed　receipt　affixed　at
the　bottom　of　the　writ；　and　accompanied　by　this　letter：

　　〃MY　DEAR　WENCESLAS；I　went　to　fetch　you　at　ten　o'clock　this
　　morning　to　introduce　you　to　a　Royal　Highness　who　wishes　to　see
　　you。　There　I　learned　that　the　duns　had　had　you　conveyed　to　a
　　certain　little　domainchief　town；　/Clichy　Castle/。

　　〃So　off　I　went　to　Leon　de　Lora；　and　told　him；　for　a　joke；　that　you
　　could　not　leave　your　country　quarters　for　lack　of　four　thousand
　　francs；　and　that　you　would　spoil　your　future　prospects　if　you　did
　　not　make　your　bow　to　your　royal　patron。　Happily；　Bridau　was　there
　　a　man　of　genius；　who　has　known　what　it　is　to　be　poor；　and　has
　　heard　your　story。　My　boy；　between　them　they　have　found　the　money；
　　and　I　went　off　to　pay　the　Turk　who　committed　treason　against
　　genius　by　putting　you　in　quod。　As　I　had　to　be　at　the　Tuileries　at
　　noon；　I　could　not　wait　to　see　you　sniffing　the　outer　air。　I　know
　　you　to　be　a　gentleman；　and　I　answered　for　you　to　my　two　friends
　　but　look　them　up　to…morrow。

　　〃Leon　and　Bridau　do　not　want　your　cash；　they　will　ask　you　to　do
　　them　each　a　groupand　they　are　right。　At　least；　so　thinks　the　man
　　who　wishes　he　could　sign　himself　your　rival；　but　is　only　your
　　faithful　ally；

〃STIDMANN。

　　〃P。　S。I　told　the　Prince　you　were　away；　and　would　not　return　till
　　to…morrow；　so　he　said；　'Very　goodto…morrow。'　〃


Count　Wenceslas　went　to　bed　in　sheets　of　purple；　without　a　rose…leaf
to　wrinkle　them；　that　Favor　can　make　for　usFavor；　the　halting
divinity　who　moves　more　slowly　for　men　of　genius　than　either　Justice
or　Fortune；　because　Jove　has　not　chosen　to　bandage　her　eyes。　Hence；
lightly　deceived　by　the　display　of　impostors；　and　attracted　by　their
frippery　and　trumpets；　she　spends　the　time　in　seeing　them　and　the
money　in　paying　them　which　she　ought　to　devote　to　seeking　out　men　of
merit　in　the　nooks　where　they　hide。

It　will　now　be　necessary　to　explain　how　Monsieur　le　Baron　Hulot　had
contrived　to　count　up　his　expenditure　on　Hortense's　wedding　portion；
and　at　the　same　time　to　defray　the　frightful　cost　of　the　charming
rooms　where　Madame　Marneffe　was　to　make　her　home。　His　financial　scheme
bore　that　stamp　of　talent　which　leads　prodigals　and　men　in　love　into
the　quagmires　where　so　many　disasters　await　them。　Nothing　can
demonstrate　more　completely　the　strange　capacity　communicated　by　vice；
to　which　we　owe　the　strokes　of　skill　which　ambitious　or　voluptuous　men
can　occasionally　achieveor；　in　short；　any　of　the　Devil's　pupils。

On　the　day　before；　old　Johann　Fischer；　unable　to　pay　thirty　thousand
francs　drawn　for　on　him　by　his　nephew；　had　found　himself　under　the
necessity　of　stopping　payment　unless　the　Baron　could　remit　the　sum。

This　ancient　worthy；　with　the　white　hairs　of　seventy　years；　had　such
blind　confidence　in　Hulotwho；　to　the　old　Bonapartist；　was　an
emanation　from　the　Napoleonic　sunthat　he　was　calmly　pacing　his
anteroom　with　the　bank　clerk；　in　the　little　ground…floor　apartment
that　he　rented　for　eight　hundred　francs　a　year　as　the　headquarters　of
his　extensive　dealings　in　corn　and　forage。

〃Marguerite　is　gone　to　fetch　the　money　from　close　by；〃　said　he。

The　official；　in　his　gray　uniform　braided　with　silver；　was　so
convinced　of　the　old　Alsatian's　honesty；　that　he　was　prepared　to　leave
the　thirty　thousand　francs'　worth　of　bills　in　his　hands；　but　the　old
man　would　not　let　him　go；　observing　that　the　clock　had　not　yet　struck
eight。　A　cab　drew　up；　the　old　man　rushed　into　the　street；　and　held　out
his　hand　to　the　Baron　with　sublime　confidenceHulot　handed　him　out
thirty　thousand…franc　notes。

〃Go　on　three　doors　further；　and　I　will　tell　you　why；〃　said　Fischer。

〃Here；　young　man；〃　he　said；　returning　to　count　out　the　money　to　the
bank　emissary；　whom　he　then　saw　to　the　door。

When　the　clerk　was　out　of　sight；　Fischer　called　back　the　cab
containing　his　august　nephew；　Napoleon's　right　hand；　and　said；　as　he
led　him　into　the　house：

〃You　do　not　want　them　to　know　at　the　Bank　of　France　that　you　paid　me
the　thirty　thousand　francs；　after　endorsing　the　bills？It　was　bad
enough　to　see　them　signed　by　such　a　man　as　you！〃

〃Come　to　the　bottom　of　your　little　garden；　Father　Fischer；〃　said　the
important　man。　〃You　are　hearty？〃　he　went　on；　sitting　down　under　a　vine
arbor　and　scanning　the　old　man　from　head　to　foot；　as　a　dealer　in　human
flesh　scans　a　substitute　for　the　conscription。

〃Ay；　hearty　enough　for　a　tontine；〃　said　the　lean　little　old　man；　his
sinews　were　wiry；　and　his　eye　bright。

〃Does　heat　disagree　with　you？〃

〃Quite　the　contrary。〃

〃What　do　you　say　to　Africa？〃

〃A　very　nice　country！The　French　went　there　with　the　little　Corporal〃
（Napoleon）。

〃To　get　us　all　out　of　the　present　scrape；　you　must　go　to　Algiers；〃
said　the　Baron。

〃And　how　about　my　business？〃

〃An　official　in　the　War　Office；　who　has　to　retire；　and　has　not　enough
to　live　on　with　his　pension；　will　buy　your　business。〃

〃And　what　am　I　to　do　in　Algiers？〃

〃Supply　the　Commissariat　with　victuals；　corn；　and　forage；　I　have　your
commission　ready　filled　in　and　signed。　You　can　collect　supplies　in　the
country　at　seventy　per　cent　below　the　prices　at　which　you　can　credit
us。〃

〃How　shall　we　get　them？〃

〃Oh；　by　raids；　by　taxes　in　kind；　and　the　Khaliphat。The　country　is
little　known；　though　we　settled　there　eight　years　ago；　Algeria
produces　vast　quantities　of　corn　and　forage。　When　this　produce　belongs
to　Arabs；　we　take　it　from　them　under　various　pretences；　when　it
belongs　to　us；　the　Arabs　try　to　get　it　back　again。　There　is　a　great
deal　of　fighting　over　the　corn；　and　no　one　ever　knows　exactly　how　much
each　party　has　stolen　from　the　other。　There　is　not　time　in　the　open
field　to　measure　the　corn　as　we　do　in　the　Paris　market；　or　the　hay　as
it　is　sold　in　the　Rue　d'Enfer。　The　Arab　chiefs；　like　our　Spahis；
prefer　hard　cash；　and　sell　the　plunder　at　a　very　low　price。　The
Commissariat　needs　a　fixed　quantity　and　must　have　it。　It　winks　at
exorbitant　prices　calculated　on　the　difficulty　of　procuring　food；　and
the　dangers　to　which　every　form　of　transport　is　exposed。　That　is
Algiers　from　the　army　contractor's　point　of　view。

〃It　is　a　muddle　tempered　by　the　ink…bottle；　like　every　incipient
government。　We　shall　not　see　our　way　through　it　for　another　ten　years
we　who　have　to　do　the　governing；　but　private　enterprise　has　sharp
eyes。So　I　am　sending　you　there　to　make　a　fortune；　I　give　you　the
job；　as　Napoleon　put　an　impoverished　Marshal　at　the　head　of　a　kingdom
where　smuggling　might　be　secretly　encouraged。

〃I　am　ruined；　my　dear　Fischer；　I　must　have　a　hundred　thousand　francs
within　a　year。〃

〃I　see　no　harm　in　getting　it　out　of　the　Bedouins；〃　said　the　Alsatian
calmly。　〃It　was　always　done　under　the　Empire〃

〃The　man　who　wants　to　buy　your　business　will　be　here　this　morning；　and
pay　you　ten　thousand　francs　down；〃　the　Baron　went　on。　〃That　will　be
enough；　I　suppose；　to　take　you　to　Africa？〃

The　old　man　nodded　assent。

〃As　to　capital　out　there；　be　quite　easy。　I　will　draw　the　remainder　of
the　money　due　if　I　find　it　necessary。〃

〃All　I　have　is　yoursmy　very　blood；〃　said　old　Fischer。

〃Oh；　do　not　be　uneasy；〃　said　Hulot；　fancying　that　his　uncle　saw　more
clearly　than　was　the　fact。　〃As　to　our　excise　dealings；　your　character
will　no