a daughter of eve-第24节

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what　his　mother　orders　without　question；　so　sure　is　he　that　all　is

right。　He　was　thinking　much　more　of　presenting　the　cat　to　the　countess

than　of　the　papers　by　which　his　liberty　might　be；　according　to　the

laws　relating　to　foreigners；　forever　sacrificed。



〃You　assure　me　that　these　little　papers　with　the　stamps　on　them〃



〃Don't　be　in　the　least　uneasy；〃　said　the　countess。



〃I　am　not　uneasy；〃　he　said；　hastily。　〃I　only　meant　to　ask　if　these

little　papers　will　give　pleasure　to　Madame　du　Tillet。〃



〃Oh；　yes；〃　she　said；　〃you　are　doing　her　a　service；　as　if　you　were　her

father。〃



〃I　am　happy；　indeed；　to　be　of　any　good　to　her　Come　and　listen　to　my

music！〃　and　leaving　the　papers　on　the　table；　he　jumped　to　his　piano。



The　hands　of　this　angel　ran　along　the　yellowing　keys；　his　glance　was

rising　to　heaven；　regardless　of　the　roof；　already　the　air　of　some

blessed　climate　permeated　the　room　and　the　soul　of　the　old　musician；

but　the　countess　did　not　allow　the　artless　interpreter　of　things

celestial　to　make　the　strings　and　the　worn　wood　speak；　like

Raffaelle's　Saint　Cecilia；　to　the　listening　angels。　She　quickly

slipped　the　notes　into　her　muff　and　recalled　her　radiant　master　from

the　ethereal　spheres　to　which　he　soared；　by　laying　her　hand　upon　his

shoulder。



〃My　good　Schmucke〃　she　said。



〃Going　already？〃　he　cried。　〃Ah！　why　did　you　come？〃



He　did　not　murmur；　but　he　sat　up　like　a　faithful　dog　who　listens　to

his　mistress。



〃My　good　Schmucke；〃　she　repeated；　〃this　is　a　matter　of　life　and　death；

minutes　can　save　tears；　perhaps　blood。〃



〃Always　the　same！〃　he　said。　〃Go；　angel！　dry　the　tears　of　others。　Your

poor　Schmucke　thinks　more　of　your　visit　than　of　your　gifts。〃



〃But　we　must　see　each　other　often；〃　she　said。　〃You　must　come　and　dine

and　play　to　me　every　Sunday；　or　we　shall　quarrel。　Remember；　I　shall

expect　you　next　Sunday。〃



〃Really　and　truly？〃



〃Yes；　I　entreat　you；　and　my　sister　will　want　you；　too；　for　another

day。〃



〃Then　my　happiness　will　be　complete；〃　he　said；　〃for　I　only　see　you　now

in　the　Champs　Elysees　as　you　pass　in　your　carriage；　and　that　is　very

seldom。〃



This　thought　dried　the　tears　in　his　eyes　as　he　gave　his　arm　to　his

beautiful　pupil；　who　felt　the　old　man's　heart　beat　violently。



〃You　think　of　us？〃　she　said。



〃Always　as　I　eat　my　food；〃　he　answered；〃as　my　benefactresses；　but

chiefly　as　the　first　young　girls　worthy　of　love　whom　I　ever　knew。〃



So　respectful；　faithful；　and　religious　a　solemnity　was　in　this　speech

that　the　countess　dared　say　no　more。　That　smoky　chamber；　full　of　dirt

and　rubbish；　was　the　temple　of　the　two　divinities。



〃There　we　are　lovedand　truly　loved；〃　she　thought。



The　emotion　with　which　old　Schmucke　saw　the　countess　get　into　her

carriage　and　leave　him　she　fully　shared；　and　she　sent　him　from　the

tips　of　her　fingers　one　of　those　pretty　kisses　which　women　give　each

other　from　afar。　Receiving　it；　the　old　man　stood　planted　on　his　feet

for　a　long　time　after　the　carriage　had　disappeared。



A　few　moments　later　the　countess　entered　the　court…yard　of　the　hotel

de　Nucingen。　Madame　de　Nucingen　was　not　yet　up；　but　anxious　not　to

keep　a　woman　of　the　countess's　position　waiting；　she　hastily　threw　on

a　shawl　and　wrapper。



〃My　visit　concerns　a　charitable　action；　madame；〃　said　the　countess；

〃or　I　would　not　disturb　you　at　so　early　an　hour。〃



〃But　I　am　only　too　happy　to　be　disturbed；〃　said　the　banker's　wife；

taking　the　notes　and　the　countess's　guarantee。　She　rang　for　her　maid。



〃Therese；〃　she　said；　〃tell　the　cashier　to　bring　me　up　himself；

immediately；　forty　thousand　francs。〃



Then　she　locked　into　a　table　drawer　the　guarantee　given　by　Madame　de

Vandenesse；　after　sealing　it　up。



〃You　have　a　delightful　room；〃　said　the　countess。



〃Yes；　but　Monsieur　de　Nucingen　is　going　to　take　it　from　me。　He　is

building　a　new　house。〃



〃You　will　doubtless　give　this　one　to　your　daughter；　who；　I　am　told；　is

to　marry　Monsieur　de　Rastignac。〃



The　cashier　appeared　at　this　moment　with　the　money。　Madame　de　Nucingen

took　the　bank…bills　and　gave　him　the　notes　of　hand。



〃That　balances；〃　she　said。



〃Except　the　discount；〃　replied　the　cashier。　〃Ha；　Schmucke；　that's　the

musician　of　Anspach；〃　he　added；　examining　the　signatures　in　a

suspicious　manner　that　made　the　countess　tremble。



〃Who　is　doing　this　business？〃　said　Madame　de　Nucingen；　with　a　haughty

glance　at　the　cashier。　〃This　is　my　affair。〃



The　cashier　looked　alternately　at　the　two　ladies；　but　he　could

discover　nothing　on　their　impenetrable　faces。



〃Go；　leave　us　Have　the　kindness　to　wait　a　few　moments　that　the

people　in　the　bank　may　not　connect　you　with　this　negotiation；〃　said

Madame　de　Nucingen　to　the　countess。



〃I　must　ask　you　to　add　to　all　your　other　kindness　that　of　keeping　this

matter　secret；〃　said　Madame　de　Vandenesse。



〃Most　assuredly；　since　it　is　for　charity；〃　replied　the　baroness；

smiling。　〃I　will　send　your　carriage　round　to　the　garden　gate；　so　that

no　one　will　see　you　leave　the　house。〃



〃You　have　the　thoughtful　grace　of　a　person　who　has　suffered；〃　said　the

countess。



〃I　do　not　know　if　I　have　grace；〃　said　the　baroness；　〃but　I　have

suffered　much。　I　hope　that　your　anxieties　cost　less　than　mine。〃



When　a　man　has　laid　a　plot　like　that　du　Tillet　was　scheming　against

Nathan；　he　confides　it　to　no　man。　Nucingen　knew　something　of　it；　but

his　wife　knew　nothing。　The　baroness；　however；　aware　that　Raoul　was

embarrassed；　was　not　the　dupe　of　the　two　sisters；　she　guessed　into

whose　hands　that　money　was　to　go；　and　she　was　delighted　to　oblige　the

countess；　moreover；　she　felt　a　deep　compassion　for　all　such

embarrassments。　Rastignac；　so　placed　that　he　was　able　to　fathom　the

manoeuvres　of　the　two　bankers；　came　to　breakfast　that　morning　with

Madame　de　Nucingen。



Delphine　and　Rastignac　had　no　secrets　from　each　other；　and　the

baroness　related　to　him　her　scene　with　the　countess。　Eugene；　who　had

never　supposed　that　Delphine　could　be　mixed　up　in　the　affair；　which

was　only　accessory　to　his　eyes；one　means　among　many　others；opened

her　eyes　to　the　truth。　She　had　probably；　he　told　her；　destroyed　du

Tillet's　chances　of　selection；　and　rendered　useless　the　intrigues　and

deceptions　of　the　past　year。　In　short；　he　put　her　in　the　secret　of　the

whole　affair；　advising　her　to　keep　absolute　silence　as　to　the　mistake

she　had　just　committed。



〃Provided　the　cashier　does　not　tell　Nucingen；〃　she　said。



A　few　moments　after　mid…day；　while　du　Tillet　was　breakfasting；

Monsieur　Gigonnet　was　announced。



〃Let　him　come　in；〃　said　the　banker；　though　his　wife　was　at　table。

〃Well；　my　old　Shylock；　is　our　man　locked　up？〃



〃No。〃



〃Why　not？　Didn't　I　give　you　the　address；　rue　du　Mail；　hotel〃



〃He　has　paid　up；〃　said　Gigonnet；　drawing　from　his　wallet　a　pile　of

bank…bills。　Du　Tillet　looked　furious。　〃You　should　never　frown　at

money；〃　said　his　impassible　associate；　〃it　brings　ill…luck。〃



〃Where　did　you　get　that　money；　madame？〃　said　du　Tillet；　suddenly

turning　upon　his　wife　with　a　look　which　made　her　color　to　the　roots　of

her　hair。



〃I　don't　know　what　your　question　means；〃　she　said。



〃I　will　fathom　this　mystery；〃　he　cried；　springing　furiously　up。　〃You

have　upset　my　most　cherished　plans。〃



〃You　are　upsetting　your　breakfast；〃　said　Gigonnet；　arresting　the

table…clock；　which　was　dragged　by　the　skirt　of　du　Tillet's　dressing…

gown。



Madame　du　Tillet　rose　to　leave　the　room；　for　her　husband's　words

alarmed　her。　She　rang　the　bell；　and　a　footman　entered。



〃The　carriage；〃　she　said。　〃And　call　Virginie；　I　wish　to　dress。〃



〃Where　are　you　going？〃　exclaimed　du　Tillet。



〃Well…bred　husbands　do　not　question　their　wives；〃　she　answered。　〃I

believe　that　you　lay　claim　to　be　a　gentleman。〃



〃I　don't　recognize　you　ever　since　you　have　seen　more　of　your

impertinent　sister。〃



〃You　ordered　me　to　be　impertinent；　and　I　am　practising　on　you；〃　she

replied。



〃Your　servant；　madame；〃　said　Gigonnet；　taking　leave；　not　anxious　to

witness　this　family　scene。



Du　Tillet　looked　fixedly　at　his　wife；　who　returned　the　look　without

lowering　her　eyes。



〃What　does　all　this　mean？〃　he　said。



〃It　means　that　I　am　no　longer　a　little　girl　whom　you　can　frighten；〃

she　replied。　〃I　am；　and　shall　be；　all　my　life；　a　good　and　loyal　wife

to　you；　you　may　be　my　master　if　you　choose；　my　tyrant；　never！〃



Du　Tillet　left　the　room。　After　this　effort　Marie…Eugenie　broke　down。



〃If　it　were　not　for　my　sister's　danger；〃　she　said　to　herself；　〃I

should　never　have　dared　to　brave　him　thus；　but；　as　the　proverb　says；

'There's　some　good　in　every　evil。'〃







CHAPTER　IX



THE　HUSBAND'S　TRIUMPH



During　the　preceding　night　Madame　du　Tillet　had　gone　over　in　her　mind

her　sister's　revelations。　Sure；　now；　of　Nathan's　safety；　she　was　no

longer　influenced　by　the　thought　of　an　imminent　danger　in　that

direction。　But　she　remembered　the　ve