cousin betty-第100部分

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Jenny　Cadine　or　Josepha。〃

The　Baroness　trembled　more　severely　than　ever；　every　nerve　quivered；
she　wiped　away　the　tears　that　rose　to　her　eyes　and　looked　mournfully
up　to　heaven。

〃I　cannot　think　that　a　Grand　Commander　of　the　Legion　of　Honor　will
have　fallen　so　low；〃　said　she。

〃For　his　pleasure　what　would　he　not　do？〃　said　Lisbeth。　〃He　robbed　the
State；　he　will　rob　private　persons；　commit　murderwho　knows？〃

〃Oh；　Lisbeth！〃　cried　the　Baroness；　〃keep　such　thoughts　to　yourself。〃

At　this　moment　Louise　came　up　to　the　family　group；　now　increased　by
the　arrival　of　the　two　Hulot　children　and　little　Wenceslas　to　see　if
their　grandmother's　pockets　did　not　contain　some　sweetmeats。

〃What　is　it；　Louise？〃　asked　one　and　another。

〃A　man　who　wants　to　see　Mademoiselle　Fischer。〃

〃Who　is　the　man？〃　asked　Lisbeth。

〃He　is　in　rags；　mademoiselle；　and　covered　with　flue　like　a　mattress…
picker；　his　nose　is　red；　and　he　smells　of　brandy。He　is　one　of　those
men　who　work　half　of　the　week　at　most。〃

This　uninviting　picture　had　the　effect　of　making　Lisbeth　hurry　into
the　courtyard　of　the　house　in　the　Rue　Louis…le…Grand；　where　she　found
a　man　smoking　a　pipe　colored　in　a　style　that　showed　him　an　artist　in
tobacco。

〃Why　have　you　come　here；　Pere　Chardin？〃　she　asked。　〃It　is　understood
that　you　go；　on　the　first　Saturday　in　every　month；　to　the　gate　of　the
Hotel　Marneffe；　Rue　Barbet…de…Jouy。　I　have　just　come　back　after
waiting　there　for　five　hours；　and　you　did　not　come。〃

〃I　did　go　there；　good　and　charitable　lady！〃　replied　the　mattress…
picker。　〃But　there　was　a　game　at　pool　going　on　at　the　Cafe　des
Savants；　Rue　du　Cerf…Volant；　and　every　man　has　his　fancy。　Now；　mine　is
billiards。　If　it　wasn't　for　billiards；　I　might　be　eating　off　silver
plate。　For；　I　tell　you　this；〃　and　he　fumbled　for　a　scrap　of　paper　in
his　ragged　trousers　pocket；　〃it　is　billiards　that　leads　on　to　a　dram
and　plum…brandy。It　is　ruinous；　like　all　fine　things；　in　the　things
it　leads　to。　I　know　your　orders；　but　the　old　'un　is　in　such　a　quandary
that　I　came　on　to　forbidden　grounds。If　the　hair　was　all　hair；　we
might　sleep　sound　on　it；　but　it　is　mixed。　God　is　not　for　all；　as　the
saying　goes。　He　has　His　favoriteswell；　He　has　the　right。　Now；　here
is　the　writing　of　your　estimable　relative　and　my　very　good　friendhis
political　opinion。〃

Chardin　attempted　to　trace　some　zigzag　lines　in　the　air　with　the
forefinger　of　his　right　hand。

Lisbeth；　not　listening　to　him；　read　these　few　words：

　　〃DEAR　COUSIN；Be　my　Providence；　give　me　three　hundred　francs　this
　　day。

〃HECTOR。〃


〃What　does　he　want　so　much　money　for？〃

〃The　lan'lord！〃　said　Chardin；　still　trying　to　sketch　arabesques。　〃And
then　my　son；　you　see；　has　come　back　from　Algiers　through　Spain　and
Bayonee；　and；　andhe　has　/found/　nothingagainst　his　rule；　for　a
sharp　cove　is　my　son；　saving　your　presence。　How　can　he　help　it；　he　is
in　want　of　food；　but　he　will　repay　all　we　lend　him；　for　he　is　going　to
get　up　a　company。　He　has　ideas；　he　has；　that　will　carry　him〃

〃To　the　police　court；〃　Lisbeth　put　in。　〃He　murdered　my　uncle；　I　shall
not　forget　that。〃

〃Hewhy；　he　could　not　bleed　a　chicken；　honorable　lady。〃

〃Here　are　the　three　hundred　francs；〃　said　Lisbeth；　taking　fifteen　gold
pieces　out　of　her　purse。　〃Now；　go；　and　never　come　here　again。〃

She　saw　the　father　of　the　Oran　storekeeper　off　the　premises；　and
pointed　out　the　drunken　old　creature　to　the　porter。

〃At　any　time　when　that　man　comes　here；　if　by　chance　he　should　come
again；　do　not　let　him　in。　If　he　should　ask　whether　Monsieur　Hulot
junior　or　Madame　la　Baronne　Hulot　lives　here；　tell　him　you　know　of　no
such　persons。〃

〃Very　good；　mademoiselle。〃

〃Your　place　depends　on　it　if　you　make　any　mistake；　even　without
intending　it；〃　said　Lisbeth；　in　the　woman's　ear。〃Cousin；〃　she　went
on　to　Victorin；　who　just　now　came　in；　〃a　great　misfortune　is　hanging
over　your　head。〃

〃What　is　that？〃　said　Victorin。

〃Within　a　few　days　Madame　Marneffe　will　be　your　wife's　stepmother。〃

〃That　remains　to　be　seen；〃　replied　Victorin。

For　six　months　past　Lisbeth　had　very　regularly　paid　a　little　allowance
to　Baron　Hulot；　her　former　protector；　whom　she　now　protected；　she　knew
the　secret　of　his　dwelling…place；　and　relished　Adeline's　tears；　saying
to　her；　as　we　have　seen；　when　she　saw　her　cheerful　and　hopeful；　〃You
may　expect　to　find　my　poor　cousin's　name　in　the　papers　some　day　under
the　heading　'Police　Report。'　〃

But　in　this；　as　on　a　former　occasion；　she　let　her　vengeance　carry　her
too　far。　She　had　aroused　the　prudent　suspicions　of　Victorin。　He　had
resolved　to　be　rid　of　this　Damocles'　sword　so　constantly　flourished
over　them　by　Lisbeth；　and　of　the　female　demon　to　whom　his　mother　and
the　family　owed　so　many　woes。　The　Prince　de　Wissembourg；　knowing　all
about　Madame　Marneffe's　conduct；　approved　of　the　young　lawyer's　secret
project；　he　had　promised　him；　as　a　President　of　the　Council　can
promise；　the　secret　assistance　of　the　police；　to　enlighten　Crevel　and
rescue　a　fine　fortune　from　the　clutches　of　the　diabolical　courtesan；
whom　he　could　not　forgive　either　for　causing　the　death　of　Marshal
Hulot　or　for　the　Baron's　utter　ruin。



The　words　spoken　by　Lisbeth；　〃He　begs　of　his　former　mistresses；〃
haunted　the　Baroness　all　night。　Like　sick　men　given　over　by　the
physicians；　who　have　recourse　to　quacks；　like　men　who　have　fallen　into
the　lowest　Dantesque　circle　of　despair；　or　drowning　creatures　who
mistake　a　floating　stick　for　a　hawser；　she　ended　by　believing　in　the
baseness　of　which　the　mere　idea　had　horrified　her；　and　it　occurred　to
her　that　she　might　apply　for　help　to　one　of　those　terrible　women。

Next　morning；　without　consulting　her　children　or　saying　a　word　to
anybody；　she　went　to　see　Mademoiselle　Josepha　Mirah；　prima　donna　of
the　Royal　Academy　of　Music；　to　find　or　to　lose　the　hope　that　had
gleamed　before　her　like　a　will…o'…the…wisp。　At　midday；　the　great
singer's　waiting…maid　brought　her　in　the　card　of　the　Baronne　Hulot；
saying　that　this　person　was　waiting　at　the　door；　having　asked　whether
Mademoiselle　could　receive　her。

〃Are　the　rooms　done？〃

〃Yes；　mademoiselle。〃

〃And　the　flowers　fresh？〃

〃Yes；　mademoiselle。〃

〃Just　tell　Jean　to　look　round　and　see　that　everything　is　as　it　should
be　before　showing　the　lady　in；　and　treat　her　with　the　greatest
respect。　Go；　and　come　back　to　dress　meI　must　look　my　very　best。〃

She　went　to　study　herself　in　the　long　glass。

〃Now；　to　put　our　best　foot　foremost！〃　said　she　to　herself。　〃Vice　under
arms　to　meet　virtue！Poor　woman；　what　can　she　want　of　me？　I　cannot
bear　to　see。

　　　　〃The　noble　victim　of　outrageous　fortune！〃

And　she　sang　through　the　famous　aria　as　the　maid　came　in　again。

〃Madame；〃　said　the　girl；　〃the　lady　has　a　nervous　trembling〃

〃Offer　her　some　orange…water；　some　rum；　some　broth〃

〃I　did；　mademoiselle；　but　she　declines　everything；　and　says　it　is　an
infirmity；　a　nervous　complaint〃

〃Where　is　she？〃

〃In　the　big　drawing…room。〃

〃Well；　make　haste；　child。　Give　me　my　smartest　slippers；　the　dressing…
gown　embroidered　by　Bijou；　and　no　end　of　lace　frills。　Do　my　hair　in　a
way　to　astonish　a　woman。This　woman　plays　a　part　against　mine；　and
tell　the　ladyfor　she　is　a