the marriage contract-第13节

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

Evangelista　has　only　this　one　daughter；　Monsieur　le　comte　is　without

relations；　it　will　be　many　years　before　your　heirs　attain　their

majority；　no　conflict　of　interests　is；　therefore；　to　be　feared。　A

mother…in…law　and　a　son…in…law　placed　in　such　relations　will　form　a

household　of　united　interests。　Madame　Evangelista　can　make　up　for　the

remaining　deficit　by　paying　a　certain　sum　for　her　support　from　her

annuity；　which　will　ease　your　way。　We　know　that　madame　is　too　generous

and　too　large…minded　to　be　willing　to　be　a　burden　on　her　children。　In

this　way　you　can　make　one　household；　united　and　happy；　and　be　able　to

spend；　in　your　own　right；　one　hundred　thousand　francs　a　year。　Is　not

that　sum　sufficient；　Monsieur　le　comte；　to　enjoy；　in　all　countries；

the　luxuries　of　life；　and　to　satisfy　all　your　wants　and　caprices？

Believe　me；　a　young　couple　often　feel　the　need　of　a　third　member　of

the　household；　and；　I　ask　you；　what　third　member　could　be　so　desirable

as　a　good　mother？〃



〃A　little　paradise！〃　exclaimed　the　old　notary。



Shocked　to　see　his　client's　joy　at　this　proposal；　Mathias　sat　down　on

an　ottoman；　his　head　in　his　hands；　plunged　in　reflections　that　were

evidently　painful。　He　knew　well　the　involved　phraseology　in　which

notaries　and　lawyers　wrap　up；　intentionally；　malicious　schemes；　and　he

was　not　the　man　to　be　taken　in　by　it。　He　now　began；　furtively；　to

watch　his　brother　notary　and　Madame　Evangelista　as　they　conversed　with

Paul；　endeavoring　to　detect　some　clew　to　the　deep…laid　plot　which　was

beginning　to　appear　upon　the　surface。



〃Monsieur；〃　said　Paul　to　Solonet；　〃I　thank　you　for　the　pains　you　take

to　conciliate　our　interests。　This　arrangement　will　solve　all

difficulties　far　more　happily　than　I　expectedif；〃　he　added；　turning

to　Madame　Evangelista；　〃it　is　agreeable　to　you；　madame；　for　I　could

not　desire　anything　that　did　not　equally　please　you。〃



〃I？〃　she　said；　〃all　that　makes　the　happiness　of　my　children　is　joy　to

me。　Do　not　consider　me　in　any　way。〃



〃That　would　not　be　right；〃　said　Paul；　eagerly。　〃If　your　future　is　not

honorably　provided　for；　Natalie　and　I　would　suffer　more　than　you　would

suffer　for　yourself。〃



〃Don't　be　uneasy；　Monsieur　le　comte；〃　interposed　Solonet。



〃Ah！〃　thought　old　Mathias；　〃they'll　make　him　kiss　the　rod　before　they

scourge　him。〃



〃You　may　feel　quite　satisfied；〃　continued　Solonet。　〃There　are　so　many

enterprises　going　on　in　Bordeaux　at　this　moment　that　investments　for

annuities　can　be　negotiated　on　very　advantageous　terms。　After

deducting　from　the　proceeds　of　the　house　and　furniture　the　hundred　and

fifty　thousand　francs　we　owe　you；　I　think　I　can　guarantee　to　madame

that　two　hundred　and　fifty　thousand　will　remain　to　her。　I　take　upon

myself　to　invest　that　sum　in　a　first　mortgage　on　property　worth　a

million；　and　to　obtain　ten　per　cent　for　it；twenty…five　thousand

francs　a　year。　Consequently；　we　are　marrying　on　nearly　equal　fortunes。

In　fact；　against　your　forty…six　thousand　francs　a　year；　Mademoiselle

Natalie　brings　you　forty　thousand　a　year　in　the　Five…per…cents；　and

one　hundred　and　fifty　thousand　in　a　round　sum；　which　gives；　in　all；

forty…seven　thousand　francs　a　year。〃



〃That　is　evident；〃　said　Paul。



As　he　ended　his　speech；　Solonet　had　cast　a　sidelong　glance　at　his

client；　intercepted　by　Mathias；　which　meant：　〃Bring　up　your　reserves。〃



〃But；〃　exclaimed　Madame　Evangelista；　in　tones　of　joy　that　did　not　seem

to　be　feigned；　〃I　can　give　Natalie　my　diamonds；　they　are　worth；　at

least；　a　hundred　thousand　francs。〃



〃We　can　have　them　appraised；〃　said　the　notary。　〃This　will　change　the

whole　face　of　things。　Madame　can　then　keep　the　proceeds　of　her　house；

all　but　fifty　thousand　francs。　Nothing　will　prevent　Monsieur　le　comte

from　giving　us　a　receipt　in　due　form；　as　having　received；　in　full；

Mademoiselle　Natalie's　inheritance　from　her　father；　this　will　close；

of　course；　the　guardianship　account。　If　madame；　with　Spanish

generosity；　robs　herself　in　this　way　to　fulfil　her　obligations；　the

least　that　her　children　can　do　is　to　give　her　a　full　receipt。〃



〃Nothing　could　be　more　just　than　that；〃　said　Paul。　〃I　am　simply

overwhelmed　by　these　generous　proposals。〃



〃My　daughter　is　another　myself；〃　said　Madame　Evangelista；　softly。



Maitre　Mathias　detected　a　look　of　joy　on　her　face　when　she　saw　that

the　difficulties　were　being　removed：　that　joy；　and　the　previous

forgetfulness　of　the　diamonds；　which　were　now　brought　forward　like

fresh　troops；　confirmed　his　suspicions。



〃The　scene　has　been　prepared　between　them　as　gamblers　prepare　the

cards　to　ruin　a　pigeon；〃　thought　the　old　notary。　〃Is　this　poor　boy；

whom　I　saw　born；　doomed　to　be　plucked　alive　by　that　woman；　roasted　by

his　very　love；　and　devoured　by　his　wife？　I；　who　have　nursed　these　fine

estates　for　years　with　such　care；　am　I　to　see　them　ruined　in　a　single

night？　Three　million　and　a　half　to　be　hypothecated　for　eleven　hundred

thousand　francs　these　women　will　force　him　to　squander！〃



Discovering　thus　in　the　soul　of　the　elder　woman　intentions　which；

without　involving　crime；　theft；　swindling；　or　any　actually　evil　or

blameworthy　action；　nevertheless　belonged　to　all　those　criminalities

in　embryo；　Maitre　Mathias　felt　neither　sorrow　nor　generous

indignation。　He　was　not　the　Misanthrope；　he　was　an　old　notary；

accustomed　in　his　business　to　the　shrewd　calculations　of　worldly

people；　to　those　clever　bits　of　treachery　which　do　more　fatal　injury

than　open　murder　on　the　high…road　committed　by　some　poor　devil；　who　is

guillotined　in　consequence。　To　the　upper　classes　of　society　these

passages　in　life；　these　diplomatic　meetings　and　discussions　are　like

the　necessary　cesspools　where　the　filth　of　life　is　thrown。　Full　of

pity　for　his　client；　Mathias　cast　a　foreseeing　eye　into　the　future　and

saw　nothing　good。



〃We'll　take　the　field　with　the　same　weapons；〃　thought　he；　〃and　beat

them。〃



At　this　moment；　Paul；　Solonet　and　Madame　Evangelista；　becoming

embarrassed　by　the　old　man's　silence；　felt　that　the　approval　of　that

censor　was　necessary　to　carry　out　the　transaction；　and　all　three

turned　to　him　simultaneously。



〃Well；　my　dear　Monsieur　Mathias；　what　do　you　think　of　it？〃　said　Paul。



〃This　is　what　I　think；〃　said　the　conscientious　and　uncompromising

notary。　〃You　are　not　rich　enough　to　commit　such　regal　folly。　The

estate　of　Lanstrac；　if　estimated　at　three　per　cent　on　its　rentals；

represents；　with　its　furniture；　one　million。；　the　farms　of　Grassol　and

Guadet　and　your　vineyard　of　Belle…Rose　are　worth　another　million；　your

two　houses　in　Bordeaux　and　Paris；　with　their　furniture；　a　third

million。　Against　those　three　millions；　yielding　forty…seven　thousand

francs　a　year；　Mademoiselle　Natalie　brings　eight　hundred　thousand

francs　in　the　Five…per…cents；　the　diamonds　（supposing　them　to　be　worth

a　hundred　thousand　francs；　which　is　still　problematical）　and　fifty

thousand　francs　in　money；　in　all；　one　million　and　fifty　thousand

francs。　In　presence　of　such　facts　my　brother　notary　tells　you

boastfully　that　we　are　marrying　equal　fortunes！　He　expects　us　to

encumber　ourselves　with　a　debt　of　eleven　hundred　and　fifty…six

thousand　francs　to　our　children　by　acknowledging　the　receipt　of　our

wife's　patrimony；　when　we　have　actually　received　but　little　more　than

a　doubtful　million。　You　are　listening　to　such　stuff　with　the　rapture

of　a　lover；　and　you　think　that　old　Mathias；　who　is　not　in　love；　can

forget　arithmetic；　and　will　not　point　out　the　difference　between

landed　estate；　the　actual　value　of　which　is　enormous　and　constantly

increasing；　and　the　revenues　of　personal　property；　the　capital　of

which　is　subject　to　fluctuations　and　diminishment　of　income。　I　am　old

enough　to　have　learned　that　money　dwindles　and　land　augments。　You　have

called　me　in；　Monsieur　le　comte；　to　stipulate　for　your　interests；

either　let　me　defend　those　interests；　or　dismiss　me。〃



〃If　monsieur　is　seeking　a　fortune　equal　in　capital　to　his　own；〃　said

Solonet；　〃we　certainly　cannot　give　it　to　him。　We　do　not　possess　three

millions　and　a　half；　nothing　can　be　more　evident。　While　you　can　boast

of　your　three　overwhelming　millions；　we　can　only　produce　our　poor　one

million；a　mere　nothing　in　your　eyes；　though　three　times　the　dowry　of

an　archduchess　of　Austria。　Bonaparte　received　only　two　hundred　and

fifty　thousand　francs　with　Maria…Louisa。〃



〃Maria…Louisa　was　the　ruin　of　Bonaparte；〃　muttered　Mathias。



Natalie's　mother　caught　the　words。



〃If　my　sacrifices　are　worth　nothing；〃　she　cried；　〃I　do　not　choose　to

continue　such　a　discussion；　I　trust　to　the　discretion　of　Monsieur　le

comte；　and　I　renounce　the　honor　of　his　hand　for　my　daughter。〃



According　to　the　strategy　marked　out　by　the　younger　notary；　this

battle　of　contending　interests　had　now　reached　the　point　where　victory

was　certain　for　Madame　Evangelista。　The　mother…in…law　had　opened　her

heart；　delivered　up　her