the marriage contract-第10节

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theatres；　buys　pictures　and　plays　at　ecarte；　he　has　coffers　in　which

gold　is　received　on　deposit　and　is　later　returned　in　bank…bills；a

notary　who　follows　his　epoch；　risks　capital　in　doubtful　investments；

speculates　with　all　he　can　lay　his　hands　on；　and　expects　to　retire

with　an　income　of　thirty　thousand　francs　after　ten　years'　practice；　in

short；　the　notary　whose　cleverness　comes　of　his　duplicity；　whom　many

men　fear　as　an　accomplice　possessing　their　secrets；　and　who　sees　in

his　practice　a　means　of　ultimately　marrying　some　blue…stockinged

heiress。



When　the　slender；　fair…haired　Solonet；　curled；　perfumed；　and　booted

like　the　leading　gentleman　at　the　Vaudeville；　and　dressed　like　a　dandy

whose　most　important　business　is　a　duel；　entered　Madame　Evangelista's

salon；　preceding　his　brother　notary；　whose　advance　was　delayed　by　a

twinge　of　the　gout；　the　two　men　presented　to　the　life　one　of　those

famous　caricatures　entitled　〃Former　Times　and　the　Present　Day；〃　which

had　such　eminent　success　under　the　Empire。　If　Madame　and　Mademoiselle

Evangelista　to　whom　the　〃good　Monsieur　Mathias；〃　was　personally

unknown；　felt；　on　first　seeing　him；　a　slight　inclination　to　laugh；

they　were　soon　touched　by　the　old…fashioned　grace　with　which　he

greeted　them。　The　words　he　used　were　full　of　that　amenity　which

amiable　old　men　convey　as　much　by　the　ideas　they　suggest　as　by　the

manner　in　which　they　express　them。　The　younger　notary；　with　his

flippant　tone；　seemed　on　a　lower　plane。　Mathias　showed　his　superior

knowledge　of　life　by　the　reserved　manner　with　which　he　accosted　Paul。

Without　compromising　his　white　hairs；　he　showed　that　he　respected　the

young　man's　nobility；　while　at　the　same　time　he　claimed　the　honor　due

to　old　age；　and　made　it　felt　that　social　rights　are　natural。　Solonet's

bow　and　greeting；　on　the　contrary；　expressed　a　sense　of　perfect

equality；　which　would　naturally　affront　the　pretensions　of　a　man　of

society　and　make　the　notary　ridiculous　in　the　eyes　of　a　real　noble。

Solonet　made　a　motion；　somewhat　too　familiar；　to　Madame　Evangelista；

inviting　her　to　a　private　conference　in　the　recess　of　a　window。　For

some　minutes　they　talked　to　each　other　in　a　low　voice；　giving　way　now

and　then　to　laughter；no　doubt　to　lessen　in　the　minds　of　others　the

importance　of　the　conversation；　in　which　Solonet　was　really

communicating　to　his　sovereign　lady　the　plan　of　battle。



〃But；〃　he　said；　as　he　ended；　〃will　you　have　the　courage　to　sell　your

house？〃



〃Undoubtedly；〃　she　replied。



Madame　Evangelista　did　not　choose　to　tell　her　notary　the　motive　of

this　heroism；　which　struck　him　greatly。　Solonet's　zeal　might　have

cooled　had　he　known　that　his　client　was　really　intending　to　leave

Bordeaux。　She　had　not　as　yet　said　anything　about　that　intention　to

Paul；　in　order　not　to　alarm　him　with　the　preliminary　steps　and

circumlocutions　which　must　be　taken　before　he　entered　on　the　political

life　she　planned　for　him。



After　dinner　the　two　plenipotentiaries　left　the　loving　pair　with　the

mother；　and　betook　themselves　to　an　adjoining　salon　where　their

conference　was　arranged　to　take　place。　A　dual　scene　then　followed　on

this　domestic　stage：　in　the　chimney…corner　of　the　great　salon　a　scene

of　love；　in　which　to　all　appearances　life　was　smiles　and　joy；　in　the

other　room；　a　scene　of　gravity　and　gloom；　where　selfish　interests；

baldly　proclaimed；　openly　took　the　part　they　play　in　life　under

flowery　disguises。



〃My　dear　master；〃　said　Solonet；　〃the　document　can　remain　under　your

lock　and　key；　I　know　very　well　what　I　owe　to　my　old　preceptor。〃

Mathias　bowed　gravely。　〃But；〃　continued　Solonet；　unfolding　the　rough

copy　of　a　deed　he　had　made　his　clerk　draw　up；　〃as　we　are　the　oppressed

party；　I　mean　the　daughter；　I　have　written　the　contractwhich　will

save　you　trouble。　We　marry　with　our　rights　under　the　rule　of　community

of　interests；　with　general　donation　of　our　property　to　each　other　in

case　of　death　without　heirs；　if　not；　donation　of　one…fourth　as　life

interest；　and　one…fourth　in　fee；　the　sum　placed　in　community　of

interests　to　be　one…fourth　of　the　respective　property　of　each　party；

the　survivor　to　possess　the　furniture　without　appraisal。　It's　all　as

simple　as　how　d'ye　do。〃



〃Ta；　ta；　ta；　ta；〃　said　Mathias；　〃I　don't　do　business　as　one　sings　a

tune。　What　are　your　claims？〃



〃What　are　yours？〃　said　Solonet。



〃Our　property；〃　replied　Mathias；　〃is：　the　estate　of　Lanstrac；　which

brings　in　a　rental　of　twenty…three　thousand　francs　a　year；　not

counting　the　natural　products。　Item：　the　farms　of　Grassol　and　Guadet；

each　worth　three　thousand　six　hundred　francs　a　year。　Item：　the

vineyard　of　Belle…Rose；　yielding　in　ordinary　years　sixteen　thousand

francs；　total；　forty…six　thousand　two　hundred　francs　a　year。　Item：　the

patrimonial　mansion　at　Bordeaux　taxed　for　nine　hundred　francs。　Item：　a

handsome　house；　between　court　and　garden　in　Paris；　rue　de　la

Pepiniere；　taxed　for　fifteen　hundred　francs。　These　pieces　of　property；

the　title…deeds　of　which　I　hold；　are　derived　from　our　father　and

mother；　except　the　house　in　Paris；　which　we　bought　ourselves。　We　must

also　reckon　in　the　furniture　of　the　two　houses；　and　that　of　the

chateau　of　Lanstrac；　estimated　at　four　hundred　and　fifty　thousand

francs。　There's　the　table；　the　cloth；　and　the　first　course。　What　do

you　bring　for　the　second　course　and　the　dessert？〃



〃Our　rights；〃　replied　Solonet。



〃Specify　them；　my　friend；〃　said　Mathias。　〃What　do　you　bring　us？　Where

is　the　inventory　of　the　property　left　by　Monsieur　Evangelista？　Show　me

the　liquidation；　the　investment　of　the　amount。　Where　is　your　capital？

if　there　is　any　capital。　Where　is　your　landed　property？if　you　have

any。　In　short；　let　us　see　your　guardianship　account；　and　tell　us　what

you　bring　and　what　your　mother　will　secure　to　us。〃



〃Does　Monsieur　le　Comte　de　Manerville　love　Mademoiselle　Evangelista？〃



〃He　wishes　to　make　her　his　wife　if　the　marriage　can　be　suitably

arranged；〃　said　the　old　notary。　〃I　am　not　a　child；　this　matter

concerns　our　business；　and　not　our　feelings。〃



〃The　marriage　will　be　off　unless　you　show　generous　feeling；　and　for

this　reason；〃　continued　Solonet。　〃No　inventory　was　made　at　the　death

of　our　husband；　we　are　Spaniards；　Creoles；　and　know　nothing　of　French

laws。　Besides；　we　were　too　deeply　grieved　at　our　loss　to　think　at　such

a　time　of　the　miserable　formalities　which　occupy　cold　hearts。　It　is

publicly　well　known　that　our　late　husband　adored　us；　and　that　we

mourned　for　him　sincerely。　If　we　did　have　a　settlement　of　accounts

with　a　short　inventory　attached；　made；　as　one　may　say；　by　common

report；　you　can　thank　our　surrogate　guardian；　who　obliged　us　to

establish　a　status　and　assign　to　our　daughter　a　fortune；　such　as　it

is；　at　a　time　when　we　were　forced　to　withdraw　from　London　our　English

securities；　the　capital　of　which　was　immense；　and　re…invest　the

proceeds　in　Paris；　where　interests　were　doubled。〃



〃Don't　talk　nonsense　to　me。　There　are　various　ways　of　verifying　the

property。　What　was　the　amount　of　your　legacy　tax？　Those　figures　will

enable　us　to　get　at　the　total。　Come　to　the　point。　Tell　us　frankly　what

you　received　from　the　father's　estate　and　how　much　remains　of　it。　If

we　are　very　much　in　love　we'll　see　then　what　we　can　do。〃



〃If　you　are　marrying　us　for　our　money　you　can　go　about　your　business。

We　have　claims　to　more　than　a　million；　but　all　that　remains　to　our

mother　is　this　house　and　furniture　and　four　hundred　odd　thousand

francs　invested　about　1817　in　the　Five…per…cents；　which　yield　about

forty…thousand　francs　a　year。〃



〃Then　why　do　you　live　in　a　style　that　requires　one　hundred　thousand　a

year　at　the　least？〃　cried　Mathias；　horror…stricken。



〃Our　daughter　has　cost　us　the　eyes　out　of　our　head；〃　replied　Solonet。

〃Besides；　we　like　to　spend　money。　Your　jeremiads；　let　me　tell　you；

won't　recover　two　farthings　of　the　money。〃



〃With　the　fifty　thousand　francs　a　year　which　belong　to　Mademoiselle

Natalie　you　could　have　brought　her　up　handsomely　without　coming　to

ruin。　But　if　you　have　squandered　everything　while　you　were　a　girl　what

will　it　be　when　you　are　a　married　woman？〃



〃Then　drop　us　altogether；〃　said　Solonet。　〃The　handsomest　girl　in

Bordeaux　has　a　right　to　spend　more　than　she　has；　if　she　likes。〃



〃I'll　talk　to　my　client　about　that；〃　said　the　old　notary。



〃Very　good；　old　father　Cassandra；　go　and　tell　your　client　that　we

haven't　a　penny；〃　thought　Solonet；　who；　in　the　solitude　of　his　study；

had　strategically　massed　his　forces；　drawn　up　his　propositions；　manned

the　drawbridge　of　discussion；　and　prepared　the　point　at　which　the

opposing　party；　thinking　the　affair　a　failure；　could　suddenly　be　led

into　a　compromise　which　would　end　in　the　triumph　of　his　client。



The　white　dress　with　its　rose…colored　ribbons；　the　Sevigne　curls；

Natalie's　tiny　foot；　her　winning　glance；　her　pretty　fingers　constantly

employed　in　adjusting　curls　that　needed　no　adjustment；　these　girlish

manoeuvres