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第74节

cousin betty-第74节

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prompted by curiosity; for her man…servant had told her that a
helpless old gentleman; unable to get out of his carriage; begged her
to come to him for a moment。

〃Josepha!it is I〃

The singer recognized her Hulot only by his voice。

〃What? you; poor old man?On my honor; you look like a twenty…franc
piece that the Jews have sweated and the money…changers refuse。〃

〃Alas; yes;〃 replied Hulot; 〃I am snatched from the jaws of death! But
you are as lovely as ever。 Will you be kind?〃

〃That depends;〃 said she; 〃everything is relative。〃

〃Listen;〃 said Hulot; 〃can you put me up for a few days in a servant's
room under the roof? I have nothingnot a farthing; not a hope; no
food; no pension; no wife; no children; no roof over my head; without
honor; without courage; without a friend; and worse than all that;
liable to imprisonment for not meeting a bill。〃

〃Poor old fellow! you are without most things。Are you also /sans
culotte/?〃

〃You laugh at me! I am done for;〃 cried the Baron。 〃And I counted on
you as Gourville did on Ninon。〃

〃And it was a 'real lady;' I am told who brought you to this;〃 said
Josepha。 〃Those precious sluts know how to pluck a goose even better
than we do!Why; you are like a corpse that the crows have done with
I can see daylight through!〃

〃Time is short; Josepha!〃

〃Come in; old boy; I am alone; as it happens; and my people don't know
you。 Send away your trap。 Is it paid for?〃

〃Yes;〃 said the Baron; getting out with the help of Josepha's arm。

〃You may call yourself my father if you like;〃 said the singer; moved
to pity。

She made Hulot sit down in the splendid drawing…room where he had last
seen her。

〃And is it the fact; old man;〃 she went on; 〃that you have killed your
brother and your uncle; ruined your family; mortgaged your children's
house over and over again; and robbed the Government till in Africa;
all for your princess?〃

Hulot sadly bent his head。

〃Well; I admire that!〃 cried Josepha; starting up in her enthusiasm。
〃It is a general flare…up! It is Sardanapalus! Splendid; thoroughly
complete! I may be a hussy; but I have a soul! I tell you; I like a
spendthrift; like you; crazy over a woman; a thousand times better
than those torpid; heartless bankers; who are supposed to be so good;
and who ruin no end of families with their railsgold for them; and
iron for their gulls! You have only ruined those who belong to you;
you have sold no one but yourself; and then you have excuses; physical
and moral。〃

She struck a tragic attitude; and spouted:

  〃 'Tis Venus whose grasp never parts from her prey。

And there you are!〃 and she pirouetted on her toe。

Vice; Hulot found; could forgive him; vice smiled on him from the
midst of unbridled luxury。 Here; as before a jury; the magnitude of a
crime was an extenuating circumstance。 〃And is your lady pretty at any
rate?〃 asked Josepha; trying as a preliminary act of charity; to
divert Hulot's thoughts; for his depression grieved her。

〃On my word; almost as pretty as you are;〃 said the Baron artfully。

〃And monstrously droll? So I have been told。 What does she do; I say?
Is she better fun than I am?〃

〃I don't want to talk about her;〃 said Hulot。

〃And I hear she has come round my Crevel; and little Steinbock; and a
gorgeous Brazilian?〃

〃Very likely。〃

〃And that she has got a house as good as this; that Crevel has given
her。 The baggage! She is my provost…marshal; and finishes off those I
have spoiled。 I tell you why I am so curious to know what she is like;
old boy; I just caught sight of her in the Bois; in an open carriage
but a long way off。 She is a most accomplished harpy; Carabine says。
She is trying to eat up Crevel; but he only lets her nibble。 Crevel is
a knowing hand; good…natured but hard…headed; who will always say Yes;
and then go his own way。 He is vain and passionate; but his cash is
cold。 You can never get anything out of such fellows beyond a thousand
to three thousand francs a month; they jib at any serious outlay; as a
donkey does at a running stream。

〃Not like you; old boy。 You are a man of passions; you would sell your
country for a woman。 And; look here; I am ready to do anything for
you! You are my father; you started me in life; it is a sacred duty。
What do you want? Do you want a hundred thousand francs? I will wear
myself to a rag to gain them。 As to giving you bed and boardthat is
nothing。 A place will be laid for you here every day; you can have a
good room on the second floor; and a hundred crowns a month for
pocket…money。〃

The Baron; deeply touched by such a welcome; had a last qualm of
honor。

〃No; my dear child; no; I did not come here for you to keep me;〃 said
he。

〃At your age it is something to be proud of;〃 said she。

〃This is what I wish; my child。 Your Duc d'Herouville has immense
estates in Normandy; and I want to be his steward; under the name of
Thoul。 I have the capacity; and I am honest。 A man may borrow of the
Government; and yet not steal from a cash…box〃

〃H'm; h'm;〃 said Josepha。 〃Once drunk; drinks again。〃

〃In short; I only want to live out of sight for three years〃

〃Well; it is soon done;〃 said Josepha。 〃This evening; after dinner; I
have only to speak。 The Duke would marry me if I wished it; but I have
his fortune; and I want something betterhis esteem。 He is a Duke of
the first water。 He is high…minded; as noble and great as Louis XIV。
and Napoleon rolled into one; though he is a dwarf。 Besides; I have
done for him what la Schontz did for Rochefide; by taking my advice he
has made two millions。

〃Now; listen to me; old popgun。 I know you; you are always after the
women; and you would be dancing attendance on the Normandy girls; who
are splendid creatures; and getting your ribs cracked by their lovers
and fathers; and the Duke would have to get you out of the scrape。
Why; can't I see by the way you look at me that the /young/ man is not
dead in youas Fenelon put it。No; this stewardship is not the thing
for you。 A man cannot be off with his Paris and with us; old boy; for
the saying! You would die of weariness at Herouville。〃

〃What is to become of me?〃 said the Baron; 〃for I will only stay here
till I see my way。〃

〃Well; shall I find a pigeon…hole for you? Listen; you old pirate。
Women are what you want。 They are consolation in all circumstances。
Attend now。At the end of the Alley; Rue Saint…Maur…du…Temple; there
is a poor family I know of where there is a jewel of a little girl;
prettier than I was at sixteen。Ah! there is a twinkle in your eye
already!The child works sixteen hours a day at embroidering costly
pieces for the silk merchants; and earns sixteen sous a dayone sou
an hour!and feeds like the Irish; on potatoes fried in rats'
dripping; with bread five times a weekand drinks canal water out of
the town pipes; because the Seine water costs too much; and she cannot
set up on her own account for lack of six or seven thousand francs。
Your wife and children bore you to death; don't they?Besides; one
cannot submit to be nobody where one has been a little Almighty。 A
father who has neither money nor honor can only be stuffed and kept in
a glass case。〃

The Baron could not help smiling at these abominable jests。

〃Well; now; Bijou is to come to…morrow morning to bring me an
embroidered wrapper; a gem! It has taken six months to make; no one
else will have any stuff like it! Bijou is very fond of me; I give her
tidbits and my old gowns。 And I send orders for bread and meat and
wood to the family; who would break the shin…bones of the first comer
if I bid them。I try to do a little good。 Ah! I know what I endured
from hunger myself!Bijou has confided to me all her little sorrows。
There is the making of a super at the Ambigu…Comique in that child。
Her dream is to wear fine dresses like mine; above all; to ride in a
carriage。 I shall say to her; 'Look here; little one; would you like
to have a friend of' How old are you?〃 she asked; interrupting
herself。 〃Seventy…two?〃

〃I have given up counting。〃

〃 'Would you like an old gentleman of seventy…two?' I shall say。 'Very
clean and neat; and who does not take snuff; who is as sound as a
bell; and as good as a young man? He will marry you (in the Thirteenth
Arrondissement) and be very kind to you; he will place seven thousand
francs in your account; and furnish you a room all in mahogany; and if
you are good; he will sometimes take you to the play。 He will give you
a hundred francs a month for pocket…money; and fifty francs for
housekeeping。'I know Bijou; she is myself at fourteen。 I jumped for
joy when that horrible Crevel made me his atrocious offers。 Well; and
you; old man; will be disposed of for three years。 She is a good
child; well behaved; for three or four years she will have her
illusionsnot for longer。〃

Hulot did not hesitate; he had made up his mind to refuse; but to seem
grateful to the kind…hearted singer; who was benevolent after her
lights; he affected to hesitate between vice and virtue。

〃Why; you are as cold as a paving…stone in winter!〃 she exclaimed in
amazement。 〃Come; now。 You will make a whole family happya
grandfather who runs all the errands; a mother who is

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