cousin betty-第92节

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ever？〃

〃Possibly；〃　said　the　judicious　physician。

〃I　know　your　/possibly/；〃　said　Valerie。　〃I　shall　look　like　a　woman　who
has　fallen　into　the　fire！　No；　leave　me　to　the　Church。　I　can　please　no
one　now　but　God。　I　will　try　to　be　reconciled　to　Him；　and　that　will　be
my　last　flirtation；　yes；　I　must　try　to　come　round　God！〃

〃That　is　my　poor　Valerie's　last　jest；　that　is　all　herself！〃　said
Lisbeth　in　tears。

Lisbeth　thought　it　her　duty　to　go　into　Crevel's　room；　where　she　found
Victorin　and　his　wife　sitting　about　a　yard　away　from　the　stricken
man's　bed。

〃Lisbeth；〃　said　he；　〃they　will　not　tell　me　what　state　my　wife　is　in；
you　have　just　seen　herhow　is　she？〃

〃She　is　better；　she　says　she　is　saved；〃　replied　Lisbeth；　allowing
herself　this　play　on　the　word　to　soothe　Crevel's　mind。

〃That　is　well；〃　said　the　Mayor。　〃I　feared　lest　I　had　been　the　cause　of
her　illness。　A　man　is　not　a　traveler　in　perfumery　for　nothing；　I　had
blamed　myself。If　I　should　lose　her；　what　would　become　of　me？　On　my
honor；　my　children；　I　worship　that　woman。〃

He　sat　up　in　bed　and　tried　to　assume　his　favorite　position。

〃Oh；　Papa！〃　cried　Celestine；　〃if　only　you　could　be　well　again；　I　would
make　friends　with　my　stepmotherI　make　a　vow！〃

〃Poor　little　Celestine！〃　said　Crevel；　〃come　and　kiss　me。〃

Victorin　held　back　his　wife；　who　was　rushing　forward。

〃You　do　not　know；　perhaps；〃　said　the　lawyer　gently；　〃that　your　disease
is　contagious；　monsieur。〃

〃To　be　sure；〃　replied　Crevel。　〃And　the　doctors　are　quite　proud　of
having　rediscovered　in　me　some　long　lost　plague　of　the　Middle　Ages；
which　the　Faculty　has　had　cried　like　lost　propertyit　is　very　funny！〃

〃Papa；〃　said　Celestine；　〃be　brave；　and　you　will　get　the　better　of　this
disease。〃

〃Be　quite　easy；　my　children；　Death　thinks　twice　of　it　before　carrying
off　a　Mayor　of　Paris；〃　said　he；　with　monstrous　composure。　〃And　if；
after　all；　my　district　is　so　unfortunate　as　to　lose　a　man　it　has　twice
honored　with　its　suffragesyou　see；　what　a　flow　of　words　I　have！
Well；　I　shall　know　how　to　pack　up　and　go。　I　have　been　a　commercial
traveler；　I　am　experienced　in　such　matters。　Ah！　my　children；　I　am　a
man　of　strong　mind。〃

〃Papa；　promise　me　to　admit　the　Church〃

〃Never；〃　replied　Crevel。　〃What　is　to　be　said？　I　drank　the　milk　of
Revolution；　I　have　not　Baron　Holbach's　wit；　but　I　have　his　strength　of
mind。　I　am　more　/Regence/　than　ever；　more　Musketeer；　Abbe　Dubois；　and
Marechal　de　Richelieu！　By　the　Holy　Poker！My　wife；　who　is　wandering
in　her　head；　has　just　sent　me　a　man　in　a　gownto　me！　the　admirer　of
Beranger；　the　friend　of　Lisette；　the　son　of　Voltaire　and　Rousseau。
The　doctor；　to　feel　my　pulse；　as　it　were；　and　see　if　sickness　had
subdued　me'You　saw　Monsieur　l'Abbe？'　said　he。Well；　I　imitated　the
great　Montesquieu。　Yes；　I　looked　at　the　doctorsee；　like　this；〃　and
he　turned　to　show　three…quarters　face；　like　his　portrait；　and　extended
his　hand　authoritatively〃and　I　said：

　　　　　　　　　　　　　〃The　slave　was　here；
　　He　showed　his　order；　but　he　nothing　gained。

〃/His　order/　is　a　pretty　jest；　showing　that　even　in　death　Monsieur　le
President　de　Montesquieu　preserved　his　elegant　wit；　for　they　had　sent
him　a　Jesuit。　I　admire　that　passageI　cannot　say　of　his　life；　but　of
his　deaththe　passageanother　joke！The　passage　from　life　to　death
the　Passage　Montesquieu！〃

Victorin　gazed　sadly　at　his　father…in…law；　wondering　whether　folly　and
vanity　were　not　forces　on　a　par　with　true　greatness　of　soul。　The
causes　that　act　on　the　springs　of　the　soul　seem　to　be　quite
independent　of　the　results。　Can　it　be　that　the　fortitude　which　upholds
a　great　criminal　is　the　same　as　that　which　a　Champcenetz　so　proudly
walks　to　the　scaffold？

By　the　end　of　the　week　Madame　Crevel　was　buried；　after　dreadful
sufferings；　and　Crevel　followed　her　within　two　days。　Thus　the
marriage…contract　was　annulled。　Crevel　was　heir　to　Valerie。

On　the　very　day　after　the　funeral；　the　friar　called　again　on　the
lawyer；　who　received　him　in　perfect　silence。　The　monk　held　out　his
hand　without　a　word；　and　without　a　word　Victorin　Hulot　gave　him　eighty
thousand…franc　notes；　taken　from　a　sum　of　money　found　in　Crevel's
desk。

Young　Madame　Hulot　inherited　the　estate　of　Presles　and　thirty　thousand
francs　a　year。

Madame　Crevel　had　bequeathed　a　sum　of　three　hundred　thousand　francs　to
Baron　Hulot。　Her　scrofulous　boy　Stanislas　was　to　inherit；　at　his
majority；　the　Hotel　Crevel　and　eighty　thousand　francs　a　year。



Among　the　many　noble　associations　founded　in　Paris　by　Catholic
charity；　there　is　one；　originated　by　Madame　de　la　Chanterie；　for
promoting　civil　and　religious　marriages　between　persons　who　have
formed　a　voluntary　but　illicit　union。　Legislators；　who　draw　large
revenues　from　the　registration　fees；　and　the　Bourgeois　dynasty；　which
benefits　by　the　notary's　profits；　affect　to　overlook　the　fact　that
three…fourths　of　the　poorer　class　cannot　afford　fifteen　francs　for　the
marriage…contract。　The　pleaders；　a　sufficiently　vilified　body；
gratuitously　defend　the　cases　of　the　indigent；　while　the　notaries　have
not　as　yet　agreed　to　charge　nothing　for　the　marriage…contract　of　the
poor。　As　to　the　revenue　collectors；　the　whole　machinery　of　Government
would　have　to　be　dislocated　to　induce　the　authorities　to　relax　their
demands。　The　registrar's　office　is　deaf　and　dumb。

Then　the　Church；　too；　receives　a　duty　on　marriages。　In　France　the
Church　depends　largely　on　such　revenues；　even　in　the　House　of　God　it
traffics　in　chairs　and　kneeling　stools　in　a　way　that　offends
foreigners；　though　it　cannot　have　forgotten　the　anger　of　the　Saviour
who　drove　the　money…changers　out　of　the　Temple。　If　the　Church　is　so
loath　to　relinquish　its　dues；　it　must　be　supposed　that　these　dues；
known　as　Vestry　dues；　are　one　of　its　sources　of　maintenance；　and　then
the　fault　of　the　Church　is　the　fault　of　the　State。

The　co…operation　of　these　conditions；　at　a　time　when　charity　is　too
greatly　concerned　with　the　negroes　and　the　petty　offenders　discharged
from　prison　to　trouble　itself　about　honest　folks　in　difficulties；
results　in　the　existence　of　a　number　of　decent　couples　who　have　never
been　legally　married　for　lack　of　thirty　francs；　the　lowest　figure　for
which　the　Notary；　the　Registrar；　the　Mayor　and　the　Church　will　unite
two　citizens　of　Paris。　Madame　de　la　Chanterie's　fund；　founded　to
restore　poor　households　to　their　religious　and　legal　status；　hunts　up
such　couples；　and　with　all　the　more　success　because　it　helps　them　in
their　poverty　before　attacking　their　unlawful　union。

As　soon　as　Madame　Hulot　had　recovered；　she　returned　to　her
occupations。　And　then　it　was　that　the　admirable　Madame　de　la　Chanterie
came　to　beg　that　Adeline　would　add　the　legalization　of　these　voluntary
unions　to　the　other　good　works　of　which　she　was　the　instrument。

One　of　the　Baroness'　first　efforts　in　this　cause　was　made　in　the
ominous…looking　district；　formerly　known　as　la　Petite　PologneLittle
Polandbounded　by　the　Rue　du　Rocher；　Rue　de　la　Pepiniere；　and　Rue　de
Miromenil。　There　exists　there　a　sort　of　offshoot　of　the　Faubourg
Saint…Marceau。　To　give　an　idea　of　this　part　of　the　town；　it　is　enough
to　say　that　the　landlords　of　some　of　the　houses　tenanted　by　working
men　without　work；　by　dangerous　characters；　and　by　the　very　poor
employed　in　unhealthy　toil；　dare　not　demand　their　rents；　and　can　find
no　bailiffs　bold　enough　to　evict　insolvent　lodgers。　At　the　present
time　speculating　builders；　who　are　fast　changing　the　aspect　of　this
corner　of　Paris；　and　covering　the　waste　ground　lying　between　the　Rue
d'Amsterdam　and　the　Rue　Faubourg…du…Roule；　will　no　doubt　alter　the
character　of　the　inhabitants；　for　the　trowel　is　a　more　civilizing
agent　than　is　generally　supposed。　By　erecting　substantial　and　handsome
houses；　with　porters　at　the　doors；　by　bordering　the　streets　with
footwalks　and　shops；　speculation；　while　raising　the　rents；　disperses
the　squalid　class；　families　bereft　of　furniture；　and　lodgers　that
cannot　pay。　And　so　these　districts　are　cleared　of　such　objectionable
residents；　and　the　dens　vanish　into　which　the　police　never　venture　but
under　the　sanction　of　the　law。

In　June　1844；　the　purlieus　of　the　Place　de　Laborde　were　still　far　from
inviting。　The　genteel　pedestrian；　who　by　chance　should　turn　out　of　the
Rue　de　la　Pepiniere　into　one　of　those　dreadful　side…streets；　would
have　been　dismayed　to　see　how　vile　a　bohemia　dwelt　cheek　by　jowl　with
the　aristocracy。　In　such　places　as　these；　haunted　by　ignorant　poverty
and　misery　driven　to　bay；　flourish　the　last　public　letter…writers　who
are　to　be　found　in　Paris。　Wherever　you　see　the　two　words　〃Ecrivain
Public〃　written　in　a　fine　copy　hand　on　a　sheet　of　letter…paper　stuck
to　the　window　pane　of　some　low　entresol　or　mud…splashed　ground…floor
room；　you　may　safely　conclude　that　the　neighborhood　is　the　lurking
place　of　many　unlettered　folks；　and　of　much　vice　and　crime；　the
outcome　of　misery；　for　ignorance　is　the　mother　of　all　sorts　of　crime。
A　crime　is；　in　the　first　instance；　a　defect　of　reasoning　powers。

While　the　Baroness　had　been　ill；　this　quarter；　to　which　she　was　a
minor　Providence；　had　seen　the　advent　of　a　public　writer　who　settled
in　the　Passage　du　SoleilSun　Alleya　spot　of　which　the　name　is　one
of　the　antitheses　dear　to　t