the marriage contract-第4节

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parties　on　the　estate　at　Lanstrac；　Paul　saw　very　plainly　that

provincial　life　would　never　do　without　marriage。　Too　young　to　employ

his　time　in　miserly　occupations；　or　in　trying　to　interest　himself　in

the　speculative　improvements　in　which　provincials　sooner　or　later

engage　（compelled　thereto　by　the　necessity　of　establishing　their

children）；　he　soon　felt　the　need　of　that　variety　of　distractions　a

habit　of　which　becomes　at　last　the　very　life　of　a　Parisian。　A　name　to

preserve；　property　to　transmit　to　heirs；　social　relations　to　be

created　by　a　household　where　the　principal　families　of　the

neighborhood　could　assemble；　and　a　weariness　of　all　irregular

connections；　were　not；　however；　the　determining　reasons　of　his

matrimonial　desires。　From　the　time　he　first　returned　to　the　provinces

he　had　been　secretly　in　love　with　the　queen　of　Bordeaux；　the　great

beauty；　Mademoiselle　Evangelista。



About　the　beginning　of　the　century；　a　rich　Spaniard；　named

Evangelista；　established　himself　in　Bordeaux；　where　his　letters　of

recommendation；　as　well　as　his　large　fortune；　gave　him　an　entrance　to

the　salons　of　the　nobility。　His　wife　contributed　greatly　to　maintain

him　in　the　good　graces　of　an　aristocracy　which　may　perhaps　have

adopted　him　in　the　first　instance　merely　to　pique　the　society　of　the

class　below　them。　Madame　Evangelista；　who　belonged　to　the　Casa…Reale；

an　illustrious　family　of　Spain；　was　a　Creole；　and；　like　all　women

served　by　slaves；　she　lived　as　a　great　lady；　knew　nothing　of　the　value

of　money；　repressed　no　whims；　even　the　most　expensive；　finding　them

ever　satisfied　by　an　adoring　husband　who　generously　concealed　from　her

knowledge　the　running…gear　of　the　financial　machine。　Happy　in　finding

her　pleased　with　Bordeaux；　where　his　interests　obliged　him　to　live；

the　Spaniard　bought　a　house；　set　up　a　household；　received　in　much

style；　and　gave　many　proofs　of　possessing　a　fine　taste　in　all　things。

Thus；　from　1800　to　1812；　Monsieur　and　Madame　Evangelista　were　objects

of　great　interest　to　the　community　of　Bordeaux。



The　Spaniard　died　in　1813；　leaving　his　wife　a　widow　at　thirty…two

years　of　age；　with　an　immense　fortune　and　the　prettiest　little　girl　in

the　world；　a　child　of　eleven；　who　promised　to　be；　and　did　actually

become；　a　most　accomplished　young　woman。　Clever　as　Madame　Evangelista

was；　the　Restoration　altered　her　position；　the　royalist　party　cleared

its　ranks　and　several　of　the　old　families　left　Bordeaux。　Though　the

head　and　hand　of　her　husband　were　lacking　in　the　direction　of　her

affairs；　for　which　she　had　hitherto　shown　the　indifference　of　a　Creole

and　the　inaptitude　of　a　lackadaisical　woman；　she　was　determined　to

make　no　change　in　her　manner　of　living。　At　the　period　when　Paul

resolved　to　return　to　his　native　town；　Mademoiselle　Natalie

Evangelista　was　a　remarkably　beautiful　young　girl；　and；　apparently；

the　richest　match　in　Bordeaux；　where　the　steady　diminution　of　her

mother's　capital　was　unknown。　In　order　to　prolong　her　reign；　Madame

Evangelista　had　squandered　enormous　sums。　Brilliant　fetes　and　the

continuation　of　an　almost　regal　style　of　living　kept　the　public　in　its

past　belief　as　to　the　wealth　of　the　Spanish　family。



Natalie　was　now　in　her　nineteenth　year；　but　no　proposal　of　marriage

had　as　yet　reached　her　mother's　ear。　Accustomed　to　gratify　her

fancies；　Mademoiselle　Evangelista　wore　cashmeres　and　jewels；　and　lived

in　a　style　of　luxury　which　alarmed　all　speculative　suitors　in　a　region

and　at　a　period　when　sons　were　as　calculating　as　their　parents。　The

fatal　remark；　〃None　but　a　prince　can　afford　to　marry　Mademoiselle

Evangelista；〃　circulated　among　the　salons　and　the　cliques。　Mothers　of

families；　dowagers　who　had　granddaughters　to　establish；　young　girls

jealous　of　Natalie；　whose　elegance　and　tyrannical　beauty　annoyed　them；

took　pains　to　envenom　this　opinion　with　treacherous　remarks。　When　they

heard　a　possible　suitor　say　with　ecstatic　admiration；　as　Natalie

entered　a　ball…room；　〃Heavens；　how　beautiful　she　is！〃　〃Yes；〃　the

mammas　would　answer；　〃but　expensive。〃　If　some　new…comer　thought

Mademoiselle　Evangelista　bewitching　and　said　to　a　marriageable　man

that　he　couldn't　do　it　better；　〃Who　would　be　bold　enough；〃　some　woman

would　reply；　〃to　marry　a　girl　whose　mother　gives　her　a　thousand　francs

a　month　for　her　toilet；a　girl　who　has　horses　and　a　maid　of　her　own；

and　wears　laces？　Yes；　her　'peignoirs'　are　trimmed　with　mechlin。　The

price　of　her　washing　would　support　the　household　of　a　clerk。　She　wears

pelerines　in　the　morning　which　actually　cost　six　francs　to　get　up。〃



These；　and　other　speeches　said　occasionally　in　the　form　of　praise

extinguished　the　desires　that　some　men　might　have　had　to　marry　the

beautiful　Spanish　girl。　Queen　of　every　ball；　accustomed　to　flattery；

〃blasee〃　with　the　smiles　and　the　admiration　which　followed　her　every

step；　Natalie；　nevertheless；　knew　nothing　of　life。　She　lived　as　the

bird　which　flies；　as　the　flower　that　blooms；　finding　every　one　about

her　eager　to　do　her　will。　She　was　ignorant　of　the　price　of　things；　she

knew　neither　the　value　of　money；　nor　whence　it　came；　how　it　should　be

managed；　and　how　spent。　Possibly　she　thought　that　every　household　had

cooks　and　coachmen；　lady's…maids　and　footmen；　as　the　fields　have　hay

and　the　trees　their　fruits。　To　her；　beggars　and　paupers；　fallen　trees

and　waste　lands　seemed　in　the　same　category。　Pampered　and　petted　as

her　mother's　hope；　no　fatigue　was　allowed　to　spoil　her　pleasure。　Thus

she　bounded　through　life　as　a　courser　on　his　steppe；　unbridled　and

unshod。



Six　month's　after　Paul's　arrival　the　Pink　of　Fashion　and　the　Queen　of

Balls　met　in　presence　of　the　highest　society　of　the　town　of　Bordeaux。

The　two　flowers　looked　at　each　other　with　apparent　coldness；　and

mutually　thought　each　other　charming。　Interested　in　watching　the

effects　of　the　meeting；　Madame　Evangelista　divined　in　the　expression

of　Paul's　eyes　the　feelings　within　him；　and　she　muttered　to　herself；

〃He　will　be　my　son…in…law。〃　Paul；　on　the　other　hand；　said　to　himself；

as　he　looked　at　Natalie；　〃She　will　be　my　wife。〃



The　wealth　of　the　Evangelistas；　proverbial　in　Bordeaux；　had　remained

in　Paul's　mind　as　a　memory　of　his　childhood。　Thus　the　pecuniary

conditions　were　known　to　him　from　the　start；　without　necessitating

those　discussions　and　inquiries　which　are　as　repugnant　to　a　timid　mind

as　to　a　proud　one。　When　some　persons　attempting　to　say　to　Paul　a　few

flattering　phrases　as　to　Natalie's　manner；　language；　and　beauty；

ending　by　remarks；　cruelly　calculated　to　deter　him；　on　the　lavish

extravagance　of　the　Evangelistas；　the　Pink　of　Fashion　replied　with　a

disdain　that　was　well…deserved　by　such　provincial　pettiness。　This

method　of　receiving　such　speeches　soon　silenced　them；　for　he　now　set

the　tone　to　the　ideas　and　language　as　well　as　to　the　manners　of　those

about　him。　He　had　imported　from　his　travels　a　certain　development　of

the　Britannic　personality　with　its　icy　barriers；　also　a　tone　of

Byronic　pessimism　as　to　life；　together　with　English　plate；　boot…

polish；　ponies；　yellow　gloves；　cigars；　and　the　habit　of　galloping。



It　thus　happened　that　Paul　escaped　the　discouragements　hitherto

presented　to　marriageable　men　by　dowagers　and　young　girls。　Madame

Evangelista　began　by　asking　him　to　formal　dinners　on　various

occasions。　The　Pink　of　Fashion　would　not；　of　course；　miss　festivities

to　which　none　but　the　most　distinguished　young　men　of　the　town　were

bidden。　In　spite　of　the　coldness　that　Paul　assumed；　which　deceived

neither　mother　nor　daughter；　he　was　drawn；　step　by　step；　into　the　path

of　marriage。　Sometimes　as　he　passed　in　his　tilbury；　or　rode　by　on　his

fine　English　horse；　he　heard　the　young　men　of　his　acquaintance　say　to

one　another：



〃There's　a　lucky　man。　He　is　rich　and　handsome；　and　is　to　marry；　so

they　say；　Mademoiselle　Evangelista。　There　are　some　men　for　whom　the

world　seems　made。〃



When　he　met　the　Evangelistas　he　felt　proud　of　the　particular

distinction　which　mother　and　daughter　imparted　to　their　bows。　If　Paul

had　not　secretly；　within　his　heart；　fallen　in　love　with　Mademoiselle

Natalie；　society　would　certainly　have　married　him　to　her　in　spite　of

himself。　Society；　which　never　causes　good；　is　the　accomplice　of　much

evil；　then　when　it　beholds　the　evil　it　has　hatched　maternally；　it

rejects　and　revenges　it。　Society　in　Bordeaux；　attributing　a　〃dot〃　of　a

million　to　Mademoiselle　Evangelista；　bestowed　it　upon　Paul　without

awaiting　the　consent　of　either　party。　Their　fortunes；　so　it　was　said；

agreed　as　well　as　their　persons。　Paul　had　the　same　habits　of　luxury

and　elegance　in　the　midst　of　which　Natalie　had　been　brought　up。　He　had

just　arranged　for　himself　a　house　such　as　no　other　man　in　Bordeaux

could　have　offered　her。　Accustomed　to　Parisian　expenses　and　the

caprices　of　Parisian　women；　he　alone　was　fitted　to　meet　the　pecuniary

difficulties　which　were　likely　to　follow　this　marriage　with　a　girl　who

was　as　much　of　a　Creole　and　a　great　lady　as　her　mother