the marriage contract-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