cousin betty-第62节

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four　persons　their　lives。　Oh！　such　passions　as　these　are　like　the
cholera！〃

〃What　had　you　to　say　to　me？〃　asked　the　Baron；　who　took　this　indirect
warning　very　ill。

〃Oh！　why　should　I　deprive　you　of　your　illusions？〃　replied　the　officer。
〃Men　rarely　have　any　left　at　your　age！〃

〃Rid　me　of　them！〃　cried　the　Councillor。

〃You　will　curse　the　physician　later；〃　replied　the　officer；　smiling。

〃I　beg　of　you；　monsieur。〃

〃Well；　then；　that　woman　was　in　collusion　with　her　husband。〃

〃Oh！〃

〃Yes；　sir；　and　so　it　is　in　two　cases　out　of　every　ten。　Oh！　we　know　it
well。〃

〃What　proof　have　you　of　such　a　conspiracy？〃

〃In　the　first　place；　the　husband！〃　said　the　other；　with　the　calm
acumen　of　a　surgeon　practised　in　unbinding　wounds。　〃Mean　speculation
is　stamped　in　every　line　of　that　villainous　face。　But　you；　no　doubt；
set　great　store　by　a　certain　letter　written　by　that　woman　with　regard
to　the　child？〃

〃So　much　so；　that　I　always　have　it　about　me；〃　replied　Hulot；　feeling
in　his　breast…pocket　for　the　little　pocketbook　which　he　always　kept
there。

〃Leave　your　pocketbook　where　it　is；〃　said　the　man；　as　crushing　as　a
thunder…clap。　〃Here　is　the　letter。I　now　know　all　I　want　to　know。
Madame　Marneffe；　of　course；　was　aware　of　what　that　pocketbook
contained？〃

〃She　alone　in　the　world。〃

〃So　I　supposed。Now　for　the　proof　you　asked　for　of　her　collusion　with
her　husband。〃

〃Let　us　hear！〃　said　the　Baron；　still　incredulous。

〃When　we　came　in　here；　Monsieur　le　Baron；　that　wretched　creature
Marneffe　led　the　way；　and　he　took　up　this　letter；　which　his　wife；　no
doubt；　had　placed　on　this　writing…table；〃　and　he　pointed　to　the
/bonheur…du…jour/。　〃That　evidently　was　the　spot　agreed　upon　by　the
couple；　in　case　she　should　succeed　in　stealing　the　letter　while　you
were　asleep；　for　this　letter；　as　written　to　you　by　the　lady；　is；
combined　with　those　you　wrote　to　her；　decisive　evidence　in　a　police…
court。〃

He　showed　Hulot　the　note　that　Reine　had　delivered　to　him　in　his
private　room　at　the　office。

〃It　is　one　of　the　documents　in　the　case；〃　said　the　police…agent；
〃return　it　to　me；　monsieur。〃

〃Well；　monsieur；〃　replied　Hulot　with　bitter　expression；　〃that　woman　is
profligacy　itself　in　fixed　ratios。　I　am　certain　at　this　moment　that
she　has　three　lovers。〃

〃That　is　perfectly　evident；〃　said　the　officer。　〃Oh；　they　are　not　all
on　the　streets！　When　a　woman　follows　that　trade　in　a　carriage　and　a
drawing…room；　and　her　own　house；　it　is　not　a　case　for　francs　and
centimes；　Monsieur　le　Baron。　Mademoiselle　Esther；　of　whom　you　spoke；
and　who　poisoned　herself；　made　away　with　millions。If　you　will　take
my　advice；　you　will　get　out　of　it；　monsieur。　This　last　little　game
will　have　cost　you　dear。　That　scoundrel　of　a　husband　has　the　law　on
his　side。　And　indeed；　but　for　me；　that　little　woman　would　have　caught
you　again！〃

〃Thank　you；　monsieur；〃　said　the　Baron；　trying　to　maintain　his　dignity。

〃Now　we　will　lock　up；　the　farce　is　played　out；　and　you　can　send　your
key　to　Monsieur　the　Mayor。〃

Hulot　went　home　in　a　state　of　dejection　bordering　on　helplessness；　and
sunk　in　the　gloomiest　thoughts。　He　woke　his　noble　and　saintly　wife；
and　poured　into　her　heart　the　history　of　the　past　three　years；　sobbing
like　a　child　deprived　of　a　toy。　This　confession　from　an　old　man　young
in　feeling；　this　frightful　and　heart…rending　narrative；　while　it
filled　Adeline　with　pity；　also　gave　her　the　greatest　joy；　she　thanked
Heaven　for　this　last　catastrophe；　for　in　fancy　she　saw　the　husband
settled　at　last　in　the　bosom　of　his　family。

〃Lisbeth　was　right；〃　said　Madame　Hulot　gently　and　without　any　useless
recrimination；　〃she　told　us　how　it　would　be。〃

〃Yes。　If　only　I　had　listened　to　her；　instead　of　flying　into　a　rage；
that　day　when　I　wanted　poor　Hortense　to　go　home　rather　than　compromise
the　reputation　of　thatOh！　my　dear　Adeline；　we　must　save　Wenceslas。
He　is　up　to　his　chin　in　that　mire！〃

〃My　poor　old　man；　the　respectable　middle…classes　have　turned　out　no
better　than　the　actresses；〃　said　Adeline；　with　a　smile。

The　Baroness　was　alarmed　at　the　change　in　her　Hector；　when　she　saw　him
so　unhappy；　ailing；　crushed　under　his　weight　of　woes；　she　was　all
heart；　all　pity；　all　love；　she　would　have　shed　her　blood　to　make　Hulot
happy。

〃Stay　with　us；　my　dear　Hector。　Tell　me　what　is　it　that　such　women　do
to　attract　you　so　powerfully。　I　too　will　try。　Why　have　you　not　taught
me　to　be　what　you　want？　Am　I　deficient　in　intelligence？　Men　still
think　me　handsome　enough　to　court　my　favor。〃

Many　a　married　woman；　attached　to　her　duty　and　to　her　husband；　may
here　pause　to　ask　herself　why　strong　and　affectionate　men；　so　tender…
hearted　to　the　Madame　Marneffes；　do　not　take　their　wives　for　the
object　of　their　fancies　and　passions；　especially　wives　like　the
Baronne　Adeline　Hulot。

This　is；　indeed；　one　of　the　most　recondite　mysteries　of　human　nature。
Love；　which　is　debauch　of　reason；　the　strong　and　austere　joy　of　a
lofty　soul；　and　pleasure；　the　vulgar　counterfeit　sold　in　the　market…
place；　are　two　aspects　of　the　same　thing。　The　woman　who　can　satisfy
both　these　devouring　appetites　is　as　rare　in　her　sex　as　a　great
general；　a　great　writer；　a　great　artist；　a　great　inventor　in　a　nation。
A　man　of　superior　intellect　or　an　idiota　Hulot　or　a　Crevelequally
crave　for　the　ideal　and　for　enjoyment；　all　alike　go　in　search　of　the
mysterious　compound；　so　rare　that　at　last　it　is　usually　found　to　be　a
work　in　two　volumes。　This　craving　is　a　depraved　impulse　due　to
society。

Marriage；　no　doubt；　must　be　accepted　as　a　tie；　it　is　life；　with　its
duties　and　its　stern　sacrifices　on　both　parts　equally。　Libertines；　who
seek　for　hidden　treasure；　are　as　guilty　as　other　evil…doers　who　are
more　hardly　dealt　with　than　they。　These　reflections　are　not　a　mere
veneer　of　moralizing；　they　show　the　reason　of　many　unexplained
misfortunes。　But；　indeed；　this　drama　points　its　own　moralor　morals；
for　they　are　of　many　kinds。

The　Baron　presently　went　to　call　on　the　Marshal　Prince　de　Wissembourg；
whose　powerful　patronage　was　now　his　only　chance。　Having　dwelt　under
his　protection　for　five…and…thirty　years；　he　was　a　visitor　at　all
hours；　and　would　be　admitted　to　his　rooms　as　soon　as　he　was　up。

〃Ah！　How　are　you；　my　dear　Hector？〃　said　the　great　and　worthy　leader。
〃What　is　the　matter？　You　look　anxious。　And　yet　the　session　is　ended。
One　more　over！　I　speak　of　that　now　as　I　used　to　speak　of　a　campaign。
And　indeed　I　believe　the　newspapers　nowadays　speak　of　the　sessions　as
parliamentary　campaigns。〃

〃We　have　been　in　difficulties；　I　must　confess；　Marshal；　but　the　times
are　hard！〃　said　Hulot。　〃It　cannot　be　helped；　the　world　was　made　so。
Every　phase　has　its　own　drawbacks。　The　worst　misfortunes　in　the　year
1841　is　that　neither　the　King　nor　the　ministers　are　free　to　act　as
Napoleon　was。〃

The　Marshal　gave　Hulot　one　of　those　eagle　flashes　which　in　its　pride；
clearness；　and　perspicacity　showed　that；　in　spite　of　years；　that　lofty
soul　was　still　upright　and　vigorous。

〃You　want　me　to　so　something　for　you？〃　said　he；　in　a　hearty　tone。

〃I　find　myself　under　the　necessity　of　applying　to　you　for　the
promotion　of　one　of　my　second　clerks　to　the　head　of　a　roomas　a
personal　favor　to　myselfand　his　advancement　to　be　officer　of　the
Legion　of　Honor。〃

〃What　is　his　name？〃　said　the　Marshal；　with　a　look　like　a　lightning
flash。

〃Marneffe。〃

〃He　has　a　pretty　wife；　I　saw　her　on　the　occasion　of　your　daughter's
marriage。If　Rogerbut　Roger　is　away！Hector；　my　boy；　this　is
concerned　with　your　pleasures。　What；　you　still　indulge？　Well；　you
are　a　credit　to　the　old　Guard。　That　is　what　comes　of　having　been　in
the　Commissariat；　you　have　reserves！But　have　nothing　to　do　with　this
little　job；　my　dear　boy；　it　is　too　strong　of　the　petticoat　to　be　good
business。〃

〃No；　Marshal；　it　is　bad　business；　for　the　police　courts　have　a　finger
in　it。　Would　you　like　to　see　me　go　there？〃

〃The　devil！〃　said　the　Prince　uneasily。　〃Go　on！〃

〃Well；　I　am　in　the　predicament　of　a　trapped　fox。　You　have　always　been
so　kind　to　me；　that　you　will；　I　am　sure；　condescend　to　help　me　out　of
the　shameful　position　in　which　I　am　placed。〃

Hulot　related　his　misadventures；　as　wittily　and　as　lightly　as　he
could。

〃And　you；　Prince；　will　you　allow　my　brother　to　die　of　grief；　a　man　you
love　so　well；　or　leave　one　of　your　staff　in　the　War　Office；　a
Councillor　of　State；　to　live　in　disgrace。　This　Marneffe　is　a　wretched
creature；　he　can　be　shelved　in　two　or　three　years。〃

〃How　you　talk　of　two　or　three　years；　my　dear　fellow！〃　said　the
Marshal。

〃But；　Prince；　the　Imperial　Guard　is　immortal。〃

〃I　am　the　last　of　the　first　batch　of　Marshals；〃　said　the　Prince。
〃Listen；　Hector。　You　do　not　know　the　extent　of　my　attachment　to　you；
you　shall　see。　On　the　day　when　I　retire　from　office；　we　will　go
together。　But　you　are　not　a　Deputy；　my　friend。　Many　men　want　your
place；　but　for　me；　you　would　be　out　of　it　by　this　time。　Yes；　I　have
fought　many　a　pitched　battle　to　keep　you　in　it。Well；　I　grant　you
your　two　requests；　it　would　be　too　bad　to　see　you　riding　the　bar　at
your　age　and　in　the　position　you　hold。　But　you　stretch　your　credit　a
little　too　far。　If　this　appointment　gives　rise　to　discussion；　we　shall
not　be　held　blameless。　I　can　laug