cousin betty-第35节

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sometimes　on　the　wall　of　some　feudal　building　a　faint　trace　of
sculpture　remains　to　show　what　the　castle　was　in　the　days　of　its
glory。　This　discordant　detail　made　his　eyes；　still　bright　and
youthful；　all　the　more　remarkable　in　his　tanned　face；　because　it　had
so　long　been　ruddy　with　the　florid　hues　of　a　Rubens；　and　now　a　certain
discoloration　and　the　deep　tension　of　the　wrinkles　betrayed　the
efforts　of　a　passion　at　odds　with　natural　decay。　Hulot　was　now　one　of
those　stalwart　ruins　in　which　virile　force　asserts　itself　by　tufts　of
hair　in　the　ears　and　nostrils　and　on　the　fingers；　as　moss　grows　on　the
almost　eternal　monuments　of　the　Roman　Empire。

How　had　Valerie　contrived　to　keep　Crevel　and　Hulot　side　by　side；　each
tied　to　an　apron…string；　when　the　vindictive　Mayor　only　longed　to
triumph　openly　over　Hulot？　Without　immediately　giving　an　answer　to
this　question；　which　the　course　of　the　story　will　supply；　it　may　be
said　that　Lisbeth　and　Valerie　had　contrived　a　powerful　piece　of
machinery　which　tended　to　this　result。　Marneffe；　as　he　saw　his　wife
improved　in　beauty　by　the　setting　in　which　she　was　enthroned；　like　the
sun　at　the　centre　of　the　sidereal　system；　appeared；　in　the　eyes　of　the
world；　to　have　fallen　in　love　with　her　again　himself；　he　was　quite
crazy　about　her。　Now；　though　his　jealousy　made　him　somewhat　of　a
marplot；　it　gave　enhanced　value　to　Valerie's　favors。　Marneffe
meanwhile　showed　a　blind　confidence　in　his　chief；　which　degenerated
into　ridiculous　complaisance。　The　only　person　whom　he　really　would　not
stand　was　Crevel。

Marneffe；　wrecked　by　the　debauchery　of　great　cities；　described　by
Roman　authors；　though　modern　decency　has　no　name　for　it；　was　as
hideous　as　an　anatomical　figure　in　wax。　But　this　disease　on　feet；
clothed　in　good　broadcloth；　encased　his　lathlike　legs　in　elegant
trousers。　The　hollow　chest　was　scented　with　fine　linen；　and　musk
disguised　the　odors　of　rotten　humanity。　This　hideous　specimen　of
decaying　vice；　trotting　in　red　heelsfor　Valerie　dressed　the　man　as
beseemed　his　income；　his　cross；　and　his　appointmenthorrified　Crevel；
who　could　not　meet　the　colorless　eyes　of　the　Government　clerk。
Marneffe　was　an　incubus　to　the　Mayor。　And　the　mean　rascal；　aware　of
the　strange　power　conferred　on　him　by　Lisbeth　and　his　wife；　was　amused
by　it；　he　played　on　it　as　on　an　instrument；　and　cards　being　the　last
resource　of　a　mind　as　completely　played　out　as　the　body；　he　plucked
Crevel　again　and　again；　the　Mayor　thinking　himself　bound　to
subserviency　to　the　worthy　official　whom　/he　was　cheating/。

Seeing　Crevel　a　mere　child　in　the　hands　of　that　hideous　and　atrocious
mummy；　of　whose　utter　vileness　the　Mayor　knew　nothing；　and　seeing　him；
yet　more；　an　object　of　deep　contempt　to　Valerie；　who　made　game　of
Crevel　as　of　some　mountebank；　the　Baron　apparently　thought　him　so
impossible　as　a　rival　that　he　constantly　invited　him　to　dinner。

Valerie；　protected　by　two　lovers　on　guard；　and　by　a　jealous　husband；
attracted　every　eye；　and　excited　every　desire　in　the　circle　she　shone
upon。　And　thus；　while　keeping　up　appearances；　she　had；　in　the　course
of　three　years；　achieved　the　most　difficult　conditions　of　the　success
a　courtesan　most　cares　for　and　most　rarely　attains；　even　with　the　help
of　audacity　and　the　glitter　of　an　existence　in　the　light　of　the　sun。
Valerie's　beauty；　formerly　buried　in　the　mud　of　the　Rue　du　Doyenne；
now；　like　a　well…cut　diamond　exquisitely　set　by　Chanor；　was　worth　more
than　its　real　valueit　could　break　hearts。　Claude　Vignon　adored
Valerie　in　secret。



This　retrospective　explanation；　quite　necessary　after　the　lapse　of
three　years；　shows　Valerie's　balance…sheet。　Now　for　that　of　her
partner；　Lisbeth。

Lisbeth　Fischer　filled　the　place　in　the　Marneffe　household　of　a
relation　who　combines　the　functions　of　a　lady　companion　and　a
housekeeper；　but　she　suffered　from　none　of　the　humiliations　which；　for
the　most　part；　weigh　upon　the　women　who　are　so　unhappy　as　to　be
obliged　to　fill　these　ambiguous　situations。　Lisbeth　and　Valerie
offered　the　touching　spectacle　of　one　of　those　friendships　between
women；　so　cordial　and　so　improbable；　that　men；　always　too　keen…tongued
in　Paris；　forthwith　slander　them。　The　contrast　between　Lisbeth's　dry
masculine　nature　and　Valerie's　creole　prettiness　encouraged　calumny。
And　Madame　Marneffe　had　unconsciously　given　weight　to　the　scandal　by
the　care　she　took　of　her　friend；　with　matrimonial　views；　which　were；
as　will　be　seen；　to　complete　Lisbeth's　revenge。

An　immense　change　had　taken　place　in　Cousin　Betty；　and　Valerie；　who
wanted　to　smarten　her；　had　turned　it　to　the　best　account。　The　strange
woman　had　submitted　to　stays；　and　laced　tightly；　she　used　bandoline　to
keep　her　hair　smooth；　wore　her　gowns　as　the　dressmaker　sent　them　home；
neat　little　boots；　and　gray　silk　stockings；　all　of　which　were　included
in　Valerie's　bills；　and　paid　for　by　the　gentleman　in　possession。　Thus
furbished　up；　and　wearing　the　yellow　cashmere　shawl；　Lisbeth　would
have　been　unrecognizable　by　any　one　who　had　not　seen　her　for　three
years。

This　other　diamonda　black　diamond；　the　rarest　of　allcut　by　a
skilled　hand；　and　set　as　best　became　her；　was　appreciated　at　her　full
value　by　certain　ambitious　clerks。　Any　one　seeing　her　for　the　first
time　might　have　shuddered　involuntarily　at　the　look　of　poetic　wildness
which　the　clever　Valerie　had　succeeded　in　bringing　out　by　the　arts　of
dress　in　this　Bleeding　Nun；　framing　the　ascetic　olive　face　in　thick
bands　of　hair　as　black　as　the　fiery　eyes；　and　making　the　most　of　the
rigid；　slim　figure。　Lisbeth；　like　a　Virgin　by　Cranach　or　Van　Eyck；　or
a　Byzantine　Madonna　stepped　out　of　its　frame；　had　all　the　stiffness；
the　precision　of　those　mysterious　figures；　the　more　modern　cousins　of
Isis　and　her　sister　goddesses　sheathed　in　marble　folds　by　Egyptian
sculptors。　It　was　granite；　basalt；　porphyry；　with　life　and　movement。

Saved　from　want　for　the　rest　of　her　life；　Lisbeth　was　most　amiable；
wherever　she　dined　she　brought　merriment。　And　the　Baron　paid　the　rent
of　her　little　apartment；　furnished；　as　we　know；　with　the　leavings　of
her　friend　Valerie's　former　boudoir　and　bedroom。

〃I　began；〃　she　would　say；　〃as　a　hungry　nanny　goat；　and　I　am　ending　as
a　/lionne/。〃

She　still　worked　for　Monsieur　Rivet　at　the　more　elaborate　kinds　of
gold…trimming；　merely；　as　she　said；　not　to　lose　her　time。　At　the　same
time；　she　was；　as　we　shall　see；　very　full　of　business；　but　it　is
inherent　in　the　nature　of　country…folks　never　to　give　up　bread…
winning；　in　this　they　are　like　the　Jews。

Every　morning；　very　early；　Cousin　Betty　went　off　to　market　with　the
cook。　It　was　part　of　Lisbeth's　scheme　that　the　house…book；　which　was
ruining　Baron　Hulot；　was　to　enrich　her　dear　Valerieas　it　did　indeed。

Is　there　a　housewife　who；　since　1838；　has　not　suffered　from　the　evil
effects　of　Socialist　doctrines　diffused　among　the　lower　classes　by
incendiary　writers？　In　every　household　the　plague　of　servants　is
nowadays　the　worst　of　financial　afflictions。　With　very　few　exceptions；
who　ought　to　be　rewarded　with　the　Montyon　prize；　the　cook；　male　or
female；　is　a　domestic　robber；　a　thief　taking　wages；　and　perfectly
barefaced；　with　the　Government　for　a　fence；　developing　the　tendency　to
dishonesty；　which　is　almost　authorized　in　the　cook　by　the　time…honored
jest　as　to　the　〃handle　of　the　basket。〃　The　women　who　formerly　picked
up　their　forty　sous　to　buy　a　lottery　ticket　now　take　fifty　francs　to
put　into　the　savings　bank。　And　the　smug　Puritans　who　amuse　themselves
in　France　with　philanthropic　experiments　fancy　that　they　are　making
the　common　people　moral！

Between　the　market　and　the　master's　table　the　servants　have　their
secret　toll；　and　the　municipality　of　Paris　is　less　sharp　in　collecting
the　city…dues　than　the　servants　are　in　taking　theirs　on　every　single
thing。　To　say　nothing　of　fifty　per　cent　charged　on　every　form　of　food；
they　demand　large　New　Year's　premiums　from　the　tradesmen。　The　best
class　of　dealers　tremble　before　this　occult　power；　and　subsidize　it
without　a　wordcoachmakers；　jewelers；　tailors；　and　all。　If　any
attempt　is　made　to　interfere　with　them；　the　servants　reply　with
impudent　retorts；　or　revenge　themselves　by　the　costly　blunders　of
assumed　clumsiness；　and　in　these　days　they　inquire　into　their　master's
character　as；　formerly；　the　master　inquired　into　theirs。　This　mischief
is　now　really　at　its　height；　and　the　law…courts　are　beginning　to　take
cognizance　of　it；　but　in　vain；　for　it　cannot　be　remedied　but　by　a　law
which　shall　compel　domestic　servants；　like　laborers；　to　have　a　pass…
book　as　a　guarantee　of　conduct。　Then　the　evil　will　vanish　as　if　by
magic。　If　every　servant　were　obliged　to　show　his　pass…book；　and　if
masters　were　required　to　state　in　it　the　cause　of　his　dismissal；　this
would　certainly　prove　a　powerful　check　to　the　evil。

The　men　who　are　giving　their　attentions　to　the　politics　of　the　day
know　not　to　what　lengths　the　depravity　of　the　lower　classes　has　gone。
Statistics　are　silent　as　to　the　startling　number　of　working　men　of
twenty　who　marry　cooks　of　between　forty　and　fifty　enriched　by　robbery。
We　shudder　to　think　of　the　result　of　such　unions　from　the　three　points
of　view　of　increasing　crime；　degeneracy　of　the　race；　and