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第14节

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

heart; delivered up her property; and was therefore practically

released as her daughter's guardian。 The future husband; under pain of

ignoring the laws of generous propriety and being false to love; ought

now to accept these conditions previously planned; and cleverly led up

to by Solonet and Madame Evangelista。 Like the hands of a clock turned

by mechanism; Paul came faithfully up to time。



〃Madame!〃 he exclaimed; 〃is it possible you can think of breaking off

the marriage?〃



〃Monsieur;〃 she replied; 〃to whom am I accountable? To my daughter。

When she is twenty…one years of age she will receive my guardianship

account and release me。 She will then possess a million; and can; if

she likes; choose her husband among the sons of the peers of France。

She is a daughter of the Casa…Reale。〃



〃Madame is right;〃 remarked Solonet。 〃Why should she be more hardly

pushed to…day than she will be fourteen months hence? You ought not to

deprive her of the benefits of her maternity。〃



〃Mathias;〃 cried Paul; in deep distress; 〃there are two sorts of ruin;

and you are bringing one upon me at this moment。〃



He made a step towards the old notary; no doubt intending to tell him

that the contract must be drawn at once。 But Mathias stopped that

disaster with a glance which said; distinctly; 〃Wait!〃 He saw the

tears in Paul's eyes;tears drawn from an honorable man by the shame

of this discussion as much as by the peremptory speech of Madame

Evangelista; threatening rupture;and the old man stanched them with

a gesture like that of Archimedes when he cried; 〃Eureka!〃 The words

〃peer of France〃 had been to him like a torch in a dark crypt。



Natalie appeared at this moment; dazzling as the dawn; saying; with

infantine look and manner; 〃Am I in the way?〃



〃Singularly so; my child;〃 answered her mother; in a bitter tone。



〃Come in; dear Natalie;〃 said Paul; taking her hand and leading her to

a chair near the fireplace。 〃All is settled。〃



He felt it impossible to endure the overthrow of their mutual hopes。



〃Yes; all can be settled;〃 said Mathias; hastily interposing。



Like a general who; in a moment; upsets the plans skilfully laid and

prepared by the enemy; the old notary; enlightened by that genius

which presides over notaries; saw an idea; capable of saving the

future of Paul and his children; unfolding itself in legal form before

his eyes。



Maitre Solonet; who perceived no other way out of these irreconcilable

difficulties than the resolution with which Paul's love inspired him;

and to which this conflict of feelings and thwarted interests had

brought him; was extremely surprised at the sudden exclamation of his

brother notary。 Curious to know the remedy that Mathias had found in a

state of things which had seemed to him beyond all other relief; he

said; addressing the old man:



〃What is it you propose?〃



〃Natalie; my dear child; leave us;〃 said Madame Evangelista。



〃Mademoiselle is not in the way;〃 replied Mathias; smiling。 〃I am

going to speak in her interests as well as in those of Monsieur le

comte。〃



Silence reigned for a moment; during which time everybody present;

oppressed with anxiety; awaited the allocution of the venerable notary

with unspeakable curiosity。



〃In these days;〃 continued Maitre Mathias; after a pause; 〃the

profession of notary has changed from what it was。 Political

revolutions now exert an influence over the prospects of families;

which never happened in former times。 In those days existences were

clearly defined; so were rank and position〃



〃We are not here for a lecture on political ceremony; but to draw up a

marriage contract;〃 said Solonet; interrupting the old man;

impatiently。



〃I beg you to allow me to speak in my turn as I see fit;〃 replied the

other。



Solonet turned away and sat down on the ottoman; saying; in a low

voice; to Madame Evangelista:



〃You will now hear what we call in the profession 'balderdash。'〃



〃Notaries are therefore compelled to follow the course of political

events; which are now intimately connected with private interests。

Here is an example: formerly noble families owned fortunes that were

never shaken; but which the laws; promulgated by the Revolution;

destroyed; and the present system tends to reconstruct;〃 resumed the

old notary; yielding to the loquacity of the 〃tabellionaris boa…

constrictor〃 (boa…notary)。 〃Monsieur le comte by his name; his

talents; and his fortune is called upon to sit some day in the

elective Chamber。 Perhaps his destiny will take him to the hereditary

Chamber; for we know that he has talent and means enough to fulfil

that expectation。 Do you not agree with me; madame?〃 he added; turning

to the widow。



〃You anticipate my dearest hope;〃 she replied。 〃Monsieur de Manerville

must be a peer of France; or I shall die of mortification。〃



〃Therefore all that leads to that end〃 continued Mathias with a

cordial gesture to the astute mother…in…law。



〃will promote my eager desire;〃 she replied。



〃Well; then;〃 said Mathias; 〃is not this marriage the proper occasion

on which to entail the estate and create the family? Such a course

would; undoubtedly; militate in the mind of the present government in

favor of the nomination of my client whenever a batch of appointments

is sent in。 Monsieur le comte can very well afford to devote the

estate of Lanstrac (which is worth a million) to this purpose。 I do

not ask that mademoiselle should contribute an equal sum; that would

not be just。 But we can surely apply eight hundred thousand of her

patrimony to this object。 There are two domains adjoining Lanstrac now

to be sold; which can be purchased for that sum; which will return in

rentals four and a half per cent。 The house in Paris should be

included in the entail。 The surplus of the two fortunes; if

judiciously managed; will amply suffice for the fortunes of the

younger children。 If the contracting parties will agree to this

arrangement; Monsieur ought certainly to accept your guardianship

account with its deficiency。 I consent to that。〃



〃Questa coda non e di questo gatto (That tail doesn't belong to that

cat);〃 murmured Madame Evangelista; appealing to Solonet。



〃There's a snake in the grass somewhere;〃 answered Solonet; in a low

voice; replying to the Italian proverb with a French one。



〃Why do you make this fuss?〃 asked Paul; leading Mathias into the

adjoining salon。



〃To save you from being ruined;〃 replied the old notary; in a whisper。

〃You are determined to marry a girl and her mother who have already

squandered two millions in seven years; you are pledging yourself to a

debt of eleven hundred thousand francs to your children; to whom you

will have to account for the fortune you are acknowledging to have

received with their mother。 You risk having your own fortune

squandered in five years; and to be left as naked as Saint…John

himself; besides being a debtor to your wife and children for enormous

sums。 If you are determined to put your life in that boat; Monsieur le

comte; of course you can do as you choose; but at least let me; your

old friend; try to save the house of Manerville。〃



〃How is this scheme going to save it?〃 asked Paul。



〃Monsieur le comte; you are in love〃



〃Yes。〃



〃A lover is about as discreet as a cannon…ball; therefore; I shall not

explain。 If you repeated what I should say; your marriage would

probably be broken off。 I protect your love by my silence。 Have you

confidence in my devotion?〃



〃A fine question!〃



〃Well; then; believe me when I tell you that Madame Evangelista; her

notary; and her daughter; are tricking us through thick and thin; they

are more than clever。 Tudieu! what a sly game!〃



〃Not Natalie;〃 cried Paul。



〃I sha'n't put my fingers between the bark and the tree;〃 said the old

man。 〃You want her; take her! But I wish you were well out of this

marriage; if it could be done without the least wrong…doing on your

part。〃



〃Why do you wish it?〃



〃Because that girl will spend the mines of Peru。 Besides; see how she

rides a horse;like the groom of a circus; she is half emancipated

already。 Such girls make bad wives。〃



Paul pressed the old man's hand; saying; with a confident air of self…

conceit:



〃Don't be uneasy as to that! But now; at this moment; what am I to

do?〃



〃Hold firm to my conditions。 They will consent; for no one's apparent

interest is injured。 Madame Evangelista is very anxious to marry her

daughter; I see that in her little gameBeware of her!〃



Paul returned to the salon; where he found his future mother…in…law

conversing in a low tone with Solonet。 Natalie; kept outside of these

mysterious conferences; was playing with a screen。 Embarrassed by her

position; she was thinking to herself: 〃How odd it is that they tell

me noth

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