the marriage contract-第12节

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Mathias　could　not　restrain　the　indignation　which　shone　in　his　eyes　and

flushed　his　face。



〃And　that　sum；〃　he　said；　shaking；　〃is〃



〃One　million；　one　hundred　and　fifty…six　thousand　francs　according　to

the　document〃



〃Why　don't　you　ask　Monsieur　le　comte　to　make　over　'hic　et　nunc'　his

whole　fortune　to　his　future　wife？〃　said　Mathias。　〃It　would　be　more

honest　than　what　you　now　propose。　I　will　not　allow　the　ruin　of　the

Comte　de　Manerville　to　take　place　under　my　very　eyes〃



He　made　a　step　as　if　to　address　his　client；　who　was　silent　throughout

this　scene　as　if　dazed　by　it；　but　he　turned　and　said；　addressing

Madame　Evangelista：



〃Do　not　suppose；　madame；　that　I　think　you　a　party　to　these　ideas　of　my

brother　notary。　I　consider　you　an　honest　woman　and　a　lady　who　knows

nothing　of　business。〃



〃Thank　you；　brother　notary；〃　said　Solonet。



〃You　know　that　there　can　be　no　offence　between　you　and　me；〃　replied

Mathias。　〃Madame；〃　he　added；　〃you　ought　to　know　the　result　of　this

proposed　arrangement。　You　are　still　young　and　beautiful　enough　to

marry　againAh！　madame；〃　said　the　old　man；　noting　her　gesture；　〃who

can　answer　for　themselves　on　that　point？〃



〃I　did　not　suppose；　monsieur；〃　said　Madame　Evangelista；　〃that；　after

remaining　a　widow　for　the　seven　best　years　of　my　life；　and　refusing

the　most　brilliant　offers　for　my　daughter's　sake；　I　should　be

suspected　of　such　a　piece　of　folly　as　marrying　again　at　thirty…nine

years　of　age。　If　we　were　not　talking　business　I　should　regard　your

suggestion　as　an　impertinence。〃



〃Would　it　not　be　more　impertinent　if　I　suggested　that　you　could　not

marry　again？〃



〃Can　and　will　are　separate　terms；〃　remarked　Solonet；　gallantly。



〃Well；〃　resumed　Maitre　Mathias；　〃we　will　say　nothing　of　your　marriage。

You　may；　and　we　all　desire　it；　live　for　forty…five　years　to　come。　Now；

if　you　keep　for　yourself　the　life…interest　in　your　daughter's

patrimony；　your　children　are　laid　on　the　shelf　for　the　best　years　of

their　lives。〃



〃What　does　that　mean？〃　said　the　widow。　〃I　don't　understand　being　laid

on　a　shelf。〃



Solonet；　the　man　of　elegance　and　good　taste；　began　to　laugh。



〃I'll　translate　it　for　you；〃　said　Mathias。　〃If　your　children　are　wise

they　will　think　of　the　future。　To　think　of　the　future　means　laying　by

half　our　income；　provided　we　have　only　two　children；　to　whom　we　are

bound　to　give　a　fine　education　and　a　handsome　dowry。　Your　daughter　and

son…in…law　will；　therefore；　be　reduced　to　live　on　twenty　thousand

francs　a　year；　though　each　has　spent　fifty　thousand　while　still

unmarried。　But　that　is　nothing。　The　law　obliges　my　client　to　account；

hereafter；　to　his　children　for　the　eleven　hundred　and　fifty…six

thousand　francs　of　their　mother's　patrimony；　yet　he　may　not　have

received　them　if　his　wife　should　die　and　madame　should　survive　her；

which　may　very　well　happen。　To　sign　such　a　contract　is　to　fling　one's

self　into　the　river；　bound　hand　and　foot。　You　wish　to　make　your

daughter　happy；　do　you　not？　If　she　loves　her　husband；　a　fact　which

notaries　never　doubt；　she　will　share　his　troubles。　Madame；　I　see

enough　in　this　scheme　to　make　her　die　of　grief　and　anxiety；　you　are

consigning　her　to　poverty。　Yes；　madame；　poverty；　to　persons　accustomed

to　the　use　of　one　hundred　thousand　francs　a　year；　twenty　thousand　is

poverty。　Moreover；　if　Monsieur　le　comte；　out　of　love　for　his　wife；

were　guilty　of　extravagance；　she　could　ruin　him　by　exercising　her

rights　when　misfortunes　overtook　him。　I　plead　now　for　you；　for　them；

for　their　children；　for　every　one。〃



〃The　old　fellow　makes　a　lot　of　smoke　with　his　cannon；〃　thought　Maitre

Solonet；　giving　his　client　a　look；　which　meant；　〃Keep　on！〃



〃There　is　one　way　of　combining　all　interests；〃　replied　Madame

Evangelista；　calmly。　〃I　can　reserve　to　myself　only　the　necessary　cost

of　living　in　a　convent；　and　my　children　can　have　my　property　at　once。

I　can　renounce　the　world；　if　such　anticipated　death　conduces　to　the

welfare　of　my　daughter。〃



〃Madame；〃　said　the　old　notary；　〃let　us　take　time　to　consider　and

weigh；　deliberately；　the　course　we　had　best　pursue　to　conciliate　all

interests。〃



〃Good　heavens！　monsieur；〃　cried　Madame　Evangelista；　who　saw　defeat　in

delay；　〃everything　has　already　been　considered　and　weighed。　I　was

ignorant　of　what　the　process　of　marriage　is　in　France；　I　am　a　Spaniard

and　a　Creole。　I　did　not　know　that　in　order　to　marry　my　daughter　it　was

necessary　to　reckon　up　the　days　which　God　may　still　grant　me；　that　my

child　would　suffer　because　I　live；　that　I　do　harm　by　living；　and　by

having　lived！　When　my　husband　married　me　I　had　nothing　but　my　name　and

my　person。　My　name　alone　was　a　fortune　to　him；　which　dwarfed　his　own。

What　wealth　can　equal　that　of　a　great　name？　My　dowry　was　beauty；

virtue；　happiness；　birth；　education。　Can　money　give　those　treasures？

If　Natalie's　father　could　overhear　this　conversation；　his　generous

soul　would　be　wounded　forever；　and　his　happiness　in　paradise

destroyed。　I　dissipated；　foolishly；　perhaps；　a　few　of　his　millions

without　a　quiver　ever　coming　to　his　eyelids。　Since　his　death；　I　have

grown　economical　and　orderly　in　comparison　with　the　life　he　encouraged

me　to　leadCome；　let　us　break　this　thing　off！　Monsieur　de　Manerville

is　so　disappointed　that　I〃



No　descriptive　language　can　express　the　confusion　and　shock　which　the

words；　〃break　off；〃　introduced　into　the　conversation。　It　is　enough　to

say　that　these　four　apparently　well…bred　persons　all　talked　at　once。



〃In　Spain　people　marry　in　the　Spanish　fashion；　or　as　they　please；　but

in　France　they　marry　according　to　French　law；　sensibly；　and　as　best

they　can；〃　said　Mathias。



〃Ah；　madame；〃　cried　Paul；　coming　out　of　his　stupefaction；　〃you　mistake

my　feelings。〃



〃This　is　not　a　matter　of　feeling；〃　said　the　old　notary；　trying　to　stop

his　client　from　concessions。　〃We　are　concerned　now　with　the　interests

and　welfare　of　three　generations。　Have　WE　wasted　the　missing　millions？

We　are　simply　endeavoring　to　solve　difficulties　of　which　we　are　wholly

guiltless。〃



〃Marry　us；　and　don't　haggle；〃　said　Solonet。



〃Haggle！　do　you　call　it　haggling　to　defend　the　interests　of　father　and

mother　and　children？〃　said　Mathias。



〃Yes；〃　said　Paul；　continuing　his　remarks　to　Madame　Evangelista；　〃I

deplore　the　extravagance　of　my　youth；　which　does　not　permit　me　to　stop

this　discussion；　as　you　deplore　your　ignorance　of　business　and　your

involuntary　wastefulness。　God　is　my　witness　that　I　am　not　thinking；　at

this　moment；　of　myself。　A　simple　life　at　Lanstrac　does　not　alarm　me；

but　how　can　I　ask　Mademoiselle　Natalie　to　renounce　her　tastes；　her

habits？　Her　very　existence　would　be　changed。〃



〃Where　did　Evangelista　get　his　millions？〃　said　the　widow。



〃Monsieur　Evangelista　was　in　business；〃　replied　the　old　notary；　〃he

played　in　the　great　game　of　commerce；　he　despatched　ships　and　made

enormous　sums；　we　are　simply　a　landowner；　whose　capital　is　invested；

whose　income　is　fixed。〃



〃There　is　still　a　way　to　harmonize　all　interests；〃　said　Solonet；

uttering　this　sentence　in　a　high　falsetto　tone；　which　silenced　the

other　three　and　drew　their　eyes　and　their　attention　upon　himself。



This　young　man　was　not　unlike　a　skilful　coachman　who　holds　the　reins

of　four　horses；　and　amuses　himself　by　first　exciting　his　animals　and

then　subduing　them。　He　had　let　loose　these　passions；　and　then；　in

turn；　he　calmed　them；　making　Paul；　whose　life　and　happiness　were　in

the　balance；　sweat　in　his　harness；　as　well　as　his　own　client；　who

could　not　clearly　see　her　way　through　this　involved　discussion。



〃Madame　Evangelista；〃　he　continued；　after　a　slight　pause；　〃can　resign

her　investment　in　the　Five…per…cents　at　once；　and　she　can　sell　this

house。　I　can　get　three　hundred　thousand　francs　for　it　by　cutting　the

land　into　small　lots。　Out　of　that　sum　she　can　give　you　one　hundred　and

fifty　thousand　francs。　In　this　way　she　pays　down　nine　hundred　thousand

of　her　daughter's　patrimony；　immediately。　That；　to　be　sure；　is　not　all

that　she　owes　her　daughter；　but　where　will　you　find；　in　France；　a

better　dowry？〃



〃Very　good；〃　said　Maitre　Mathias；　〃but　what；　then；　becomes　of　madame？〃



At　this　question；　which　appeared　to　imply　consent；　Solonet　said；

softly；　to　himself；　〃Well　done；　old　fox！　I've　caught　you！〃



〃Madame；〃　he　replied；　aloud；　〃will　keep　the　hundred　and　fifty　thousand

francs　remaining　from　the　sale　of　the　house。　This　sum；　added　to　the

value　of　her　furniture；　can　be　invested　in　an　annuity　which　will　give

her　twenty　thousand　francs　a　year。　Monsieur　le　comte　can　arrange　to

provide　a　residence　for　her　under　his　roof。　Lanstrac　is　a　large　house。

You　have　also　a　house　in　Paris；〃　he　went　on；　addressing　himself　to

Paul。　〃Madame　can；　therefore；　live　with　you　wherever　you　are。　A　widow

with　twenty　thousand　francs　a　year；　and　no　household　to　maintain；　is

richer　than　madame　was　when　she　possessed　her　whole　fortune。　Madame

Evangelista　has　only　this