cousin betty-第84节

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set　against　a　match；　my　dear；　decency　requires　that　the　wedding　shall
be　a　quiet　one；　especially　when　the　lady　is　a　widow。〃

〃On　the　contrary；　I　intend　to　make　a　display　of　magnificence　/a　la/
Louis　XIV。；〃　said　Crevel；　who　of　late　had　held　the　eighteenth　century
rather　cheap。　〃I　have　ordered　new　carriages；　there　is　one　for　monsieur
and　one　for　madame；　two　neat　coupes；　and　a　chaise；　a　handsome
traveling　carriage　with　a　splendid　hammercloth；　on　springs　that
tremble　like　Madame　Hulot。〃

〃Oh；　ho！　/You　intend？/Then　you　have　ceased　to　be　my　lamb？No；　no；
my　friend；　you　will　do　what　/I/　intend。　We　will　sign　the　contract
quietlyjust　ourselvesthis　afternoon。　Then；　on　Wednesday；　we　will
be　regularly　married；　really　married；　in　mufti；　as　my　poor　mother
would　have　said。　We　will　walk　to　church；　plainly　dressed；　and　have
only　a　low　mass。　Our　witnesses　are　Stidmann；　Steinbock；　Vignon；　and
Massol；　all　wide…awake　men；　who　will　be　at　the　mairie　by　chance；　and
who　will　so　far　sacrifice　themselves　as　to　attend　mass。

〃Your　colleague　will　perform　the　civil　marriage；　for　once　in　a　way；　as
early　as　half…past　nine。　Mass　is　at　ten；　we　shall　be　at　home　to
breakfast　by　half…past　eleven。

〃I　have　promised　our　guests　that　we　will　sit　at　table　till　the
evening。　There　will　be　Bixiou；　your　old　official　chum　du　Tillet；
Lousteau；　Vernisset；　Leon　de　Lora；　Vernou；　all　the　wittiest　men　in
Paris；　who　will　not　know　that　we　are　married。　We　will　play　them　a
little　trick；　we　will　get　just　a　little　tipsy；　and　Lisbeth　must　join
us。　I　want　her　to　study　matrimony；　Bixiou　shall　make　love　to　her；　and
and　enlighten　her　darkness。〃

For　two　hours　Madame　Marneffe　went　on　talking　nonsense；　and　Crevel
made　this　judicious　reflection：

〃How　can　so　light…hearted　a　creature　be　utterly　depraved？　Feather…
brained；　yes！　but　wicked？　Nonsense！〃

〃Well；　and　what　did　the　young　people　say　about　me？〃　said　Valerie　to
Crevel　at　a　moment　when　he　sat　down　by　her　on　the　sofa。　〃All　sorts　of
horrors？〃

〃They　will　have　it　that　you　have　a　criminal　passion　for　Wenceslas
you；　who　are　virtue　itself。〃

〃I　love　him！I　should　think　so；　my　little　Wenceslas！〃　cried　Valerie；
calling　the　artist　to　her；　taking　his　face　in　her　hands；　and　kissing
his　forehead。　〃A　poor　boy　with　no　fortune；　and　no　one　to　depend　on！
Cast　off　by　a　carrotty　giraffe！　What　do　you　expect；　Crevel？　Wenceslas
is　my　poet；　and　I　love　him　as　if　he　were　my　own　child；　and　make　no
secret　of　it。　Bah！　your　virtuous　women　see　evil　everywhere　and　in
everything。　Bless　me；　could　they　not　sit　by　a　man　without　doing　wrong？
I　am　a　spoilt　child　who　has　had　all　it　ever　wanted；　and　bonbons　no
longer　excite　me。Poor　things！　I　am　sorry　for　them！

〃And　who　slandered　me　so？〃

〃Victorin；〃　said　Crevel。

〃Then　why　did　you　not　stop　his　mouth；　the　odious　legal　macaw！　with　the
story　of　the　two　hundred　thousand　francs　and　his　mamma？〃

〃Oh；　the　Baroness　had　fled；〃　said　Lisbeth。

〃They　had　better　take　care；　Lisbeth；〃　said　Madame　Marneffe；　with　a
frown。　〃Either　they　will　receive　me　and　do　it　handsomely；　and　come　to
their　stepmother's　houseall　the　party！or　I　will　see　them　in　lower
depths　than　the　Baron　has　reached；　and　you　may　tell　them　I　said　so！
At　last　I　shall　turn　nasty。　On　my　honor；　I　believe　that　evil　is　the
scythe　with　which　to　cut　down　the　good。〃

At　three　o'clock　Monsieur　Berthier；　Cardot's　successor；　read　the
marriage…contract；　after　a　short　conference　with　Crevel；　for　some　of
the　articles　were　made　conditional　on　the　action　taken　by　Monsieur　and
Madame　Victorin　Hulot。

Crevel　settled　on　his　wife　a　fortune　consisting；　in　the　first　place；
of　forty　thousand　francs　in　dividends　on　specified　securities；
secondly；　of　the　house　and　all　its　contents；　and　thirdly；　of　three
million　francs　not　invested。　He　also　assigned　to　his　wife　every
benefit　allowed　by　law；　he　left　all　the　property　free　of　duty；　and　in
the　event　of　their　dying　without　issue；　each　devised　to　the　survivor
the　whole　of　their　property　and　real　estate。

By　this　arrangement　the　fortune　left　to　Celestine　and　her　husband　was
reduced　to　two　millions　of　francs　in　capital。　If　Crevel　and　his　second
wife　should　have　children；　Celestine's　share　was　limited　to　five
hundred　thousand　francs；　as　the　life…interest　in　the　rest　was　to
accrue　to　Valerie。　This　would　be　about　the　ninth　part　of　his　whole
real　and　personal　estate。



Lisbeth　returned　to　dine　in　the　Rue　Louis…le…Grand；　despair　written　on
her　face。　She　explained　and　bewailed　the　terms　of　the　marriage…
contract；　but　found　Celestine　and　her　husband　insensible　to　the
disastrous　news。

〃You　have　provoked　your　father；　my　children。　Madame　Marneffe　swears
that　you　shall　receive　Monsieur　Crevel's　wife　and　go　to　her　house；〃
said　she。

〃Never！〃　said　Victorin。

〃Never！〃　said　Celestine。

〃Never！〃　said　Hortense。

Lisbeth　was　possessed　by　the　wish　to　crush　the　haughty　attitude
assumed　by　all　the　Hulots。

〃She　seems　to　have　arms　that　she　can　turn　against　you；〃　she　replied。
〃I　do　not　know　all　about　it；　but　I　shall　find　out。　She　spoke　vaguely
of　some　history　of　two　hundred　thousand　francs　in　which　Adeline　is
implicated。〃

The　Baroness　fell　gently　backward　on　the　sofa　she　was　sitting　on　in　a
fit　of　hysterical　sobbing。

〃Go　there；　go；　my　children！〃　she　cried。　〃Receive　the　woman！　Monsieur
Crevel　is　an　infamous　wretch。　He　deserves　the　worst　punishment
imaginable。Do　as　the　woman　desires　you！　She　is　a　monstershe　knows
all！〃

After　gasping　out　these　words　with　tears　and　sobs；　Madame　Hulot
collected　her　strength　to　go　to　her　room；　leaning　on　her　daughter　and
Celestine。

〃What　is　the　meaning　of　all　this？〃　cried　Lisbeth；　left　alone　with
Victorin。

The　lawyer　stood　rigid；　in　very　natural　dismay；　and　did　not　hear　her。

〃What　is　the　matter；　my　dear　Victorin？〃

〃I　am　horrified！〃　said　he；　and　his　face　scowled　darkly。　〃Woe　to
anybody　who　hurts　my　mother！　I　have　no　scruples　then。　I　would　crush
that　woman　like　a　viper　if　I　could！What；　does　she　attack　my　mother's
life；　my　mother's　honor？〃

〃She　said；　but　do　not　repeat　it；　my　dear　Victorinshe　said　you　should
all　fall　lower　even　than　your　father。　And　she　scolded　Crevel　roundly
for　not　having　shut　your　mouths　with　this　secret　that　seems　to　be　such
a　terror　to　Adeline。〃

A　doctor　was　sent　for；　for　the　Baroness　was　evidently　worse。　He　gave
her　a　draught　containing　a　large　dose　of　opium；　and　Adeline；　having
swallowed　it；　fell　into　a　deep　sleep；　but　the　whole　family　were
greatly　alarmed。

Early　next　morning　Victorin　went　out；　and　on　his　way　to　the　Courts
called　at　the　Prefecture　of　the　Police；　where　he　begged　Vautrin；　the
head　of　the　detective　department；　to　send　him　Madame　de　Saint…Esteve。

〃We　are　forbidden；　monsieur；　to　meddle　in　your　affairs；　but　Madame　de
Saint…Esteve　is　in　business；　and　will　attend　to　your　orders；〃　replied
this　famous　police　officer。

On　his　return　home；　the　unhappy　lawyer　was　told　that　his　mother's
reason　was　in　danger。　Doctor　Bianchon；　Doctor　Larabit；　and　Professor
Angard　had　met　in　consultation；　and　were　prepared　to　apply　heroic
remedies　to　hinder　the　rush　of　blood　to　the　head。　At　the　moment　when
Victorin　was　listening　to　Doctor　Bianchon；　who　was　giving　him；　at　some
length；　his　reasons　for　hoping　that　the　crisis　might　be　got　over；　the
man…servant　announced　that　a　client；　Madame　de　Saint…Esteve；　was
waiting　to　see　him。　Victorin　left　Bianchon　in　the　middle　of　a　sentence
and　flew　downstairs　like　a　madman。

〃Is　there　any　hereditary　lunacy　in　the　family？〃　said　Bianchon；
addressing　Larabit。

The　doctors　departed；　leaving　a　hospital　attendant；　instructed　by
them；　to　watch　Madame　Hulot。

〃A　whole　life　of　virtue！〃　was　the　only　sentence　the　sufferer　had
spoken　since　the　attack。

Lisbeth　never　left　Adeline's　bedside；　she　sat　up　all　night；　and　was
much　admired　by　the　two　younger　women。

〃Well；　my　dear　Madame　de　Saint…Esteve；〃　said　Victorin；　showing　the
dreadful　old　woman　into　his　study　and　carefully　shutting　the　doors；
〃how　are　we　getting　on？〃

〃Ah；　ha！　my　dear　friend；〃　said　she；　looking　at　Victorin　with　cold
irony。　〃So　you　have　thought　things　over？〃

〃Have　you　done　anything？〃

〃Will　you　pay　fifty　thousand　francs？〃

〃Yes；〃　replied　Victorin；　〃for　we　must　get　on。　Do　you　know　that　by　one
single　phrase　that　woman　has　endangered　my　mother's　life　and　reason？
So；　I　say；　get　on。〃

〃We　have　got　on！〃　replied　the　old　woman。

〃Well？〃　cried　Victorin；　with　a　gulp。

〃Well；　you　do　not　cry　off　the　expenses？〃

〃On　the　contrary。〃

〃They　run　up　to　twenty…three　thousand　francs　already。〃

Victorin　looked　helplessly　at　the　woman。

〃Well；　could　we　hoodwink　you；　you；　one　of　the　shining　lights　of　the
law？〃　said　she。　〃For　that　sum　we　have　secured　a　maid's　conscience　and
a　picture　by　Raphael。It　is　not　dear。〃

Hulot；　still　bewildered；　sat　with　wide　open　eyes。

〃Well；　then；〃　his　visitor　went　on；　〃we　have　purchased　the　honesty　of
Mademoiselle　Reine　Tousard；　a　damsel　from　whom　Madame　Marneffe　has　no
secrets〃

〃I　understand！〃

〃But　if　you　shy；　say　so。〃

〃I　will　play　blindfold；〃　he　replied。　〃My　mother　has　told　me　that　that
couple　deserve　the　worst　torments〃

〃The　rack　is　out　of　date；〃　said　the　old　woman。

〃You　answer　for　the　result？〃

〃Leave　it　all　to　me；〃　said　the　wo