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cousin betty-第101部分

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way to astonish a woman。This woman plays a part against mine; and
tell the ladyfor she is a real; great lady; my girl; nay; more; she
is what you will never be; a woman whose prayers can rescue souls from
your purgatorytell her I was in bed; as I was playing last night;
and that I am just getting up。〃

The Baroness; shown into Josepha's handsome drawing…room; did not note
how long she was kept waiting there; though it was a long half hour。
This room; entirely redecorated even since Josepha had had the house;
was hung with silk in purple and gold color。 The luxury which fine
gentlemen were wont to lavish on their /petites maisons/; the scenes
of their profligacy; of which the remains still bear witness to the
follies from which they were so aptly named; was displayed to
perfection; thanks to modern inventiveness; in the four rooms opening
into each other; where the warm temperature was maintained by a system
of hot…air pipes with invisible openings。

The Baroness; quite bewildered; examined each work of art with the
greatest amazement。 Here she found fortunes accounted for that melt in
the crucible under which pleasure and vanity feed the devouring
flames。 This woman; who for twenty…six years had lived among the dead
relics of imperial magnificence; whose eyes were accustomed to carpets
patterned with faded flowers; rubbed gilding; silks as forlorn as her
heart; half understood the powerful fascinations of vice as she
studied its results。 It was impossible not to wish to possess these
beautiful things; these admirable works of art; the creation of the
unknown talent which abounds in Paris in our day and produces
treasures for all Europe。 Each thing had the novel charm of unique
perfection。 The models being destroyed; every vase; every figure;
every piece of sculpture was the original。 This is the crowning grace
of modern luxury。 To own the thing which is not vulgarized by the two
thousand wealthy citizens whose notion of luxury is the lavish display
of the splendors that shops can supply; is the stamp of true luxury
the luxury of the fine gentlemen of the day; the shooting stars of the
Paris firmament。

As she examined the flower…stands; filled with the choicest exotic
plants; mounted in chased brass and inlaid in the style of Boulle; the
Baroness was scared by the idea of the wealth in this apartment。 And
this impression naturally shed a glamour over the person round whom
all this profusion was heaped。 Adeline imagined that Josepha Mirah
whose portrait by Joseph Bridau was the glory of the adjoining boudoir
must be a singer of genius; a Malibran; and she expected to see a
real star。 She was sorry she had come。 But she had been prompted by a
strong and so natural a feeling; by such purely disinterested
devotion; that she collected all her courage for the interview。
Besides; she was about to satisfy her urgent curiosity; to see for
herself what was the charm of this kind of women; that they could
extract so much gold from the miserly ore of Paris mud。

The Baroness looked at herself to see if she were not a blot on all
this splendor; but she was well dressed in her velvet gown; with a
little cape trimmed with beautiful lace; and her velvet bonnet of the
same shade was becoming。 Seeing herself still as imposing as any
queen; always a queen even in her fall; she reflected that the dignity
of sorrow was a match for the dignity of talent。

At last; after much opening and shutting of doors; she saw Josepha。
The singer bore a strong resemblance to Allori's /Judith/; which
dwells in the memory of all who have ever seen it in the Pitti palace;
near the door of one of the great rooms。 She had the same haughty
mien; the same fine features; black hair simply knotted; and a yellow
wrapper with little embroidered flowers; exactly like the brocade worn
by the immortal homicide conceived of by Bronzino's nephew。

〃Madame la Baronne; I am quite overwhelmed by the honor you do me in
coming here;〃 said the singer; resolved to play her part as a great
lady with a grace。

She pushed forward an easy…chair for the Baroness and seated herself
on a stool。 She discerned the faded beauty of the woman before her;
and was filled with pity as she saw her shaken by the nervous palsy
that; on the least excitement; became convulsive。 She could read at a
glance the saintly life described to her of old by Hulot and Crevel;
and she not only ceased to think of a contest with her; she humiliated
herself before a superiority she appreciated。 The great artist could
admire what the courtesan laughed to scorn。

〃Mademoiselle; despair brought me here。 It reduces us to any means〃

A look in Josepha's face made the Baroness feel that she had wounded
the woman from whom she hoped for so much; and she looked at her。 Her
beseeching eyes extinguished the flash in Josepha's; the singer
smiled。 It was a wordless dialogue of pathetic eloquence。

〃It is now two years and a half since Monsieur Hulot left his family;
and I do not know where to find him; though I know that he lives in
Paris;〃 said the Baroness with emotion。 〃A dream suggested to me the
ideaan absurd one perhapsthat you may have interested yourself in
Monsieur Hulot。 If you could enable me to see himoh! mademoiselle; I
would pray Heaven for you every day as long as I live in this world〃

Two large tears in the singer's eyes told what her reply would be。

〃Madame;〃 said she; 〃I have done you an injury without knowing you;
but; now that I have the happiness of seeing in you the most perfect
virtue on earth; believe me I am sensible of the extent of my fault; I
repent sincerely; and believe me; I will do all in my power to remedy
it!〃

She took Madame Hulot's hand and before the lady could do anything to
hinder her; she kissed it respectfully; even humbling herself to bend
one knee。 Then she rose; as proud as when she stood on the stage in
the part of /Mathilde/; and rang the bell。

〃Go on horseback;〃 said she to the man…servant; 〃and kill the horse if
you must; to find little Bijou; Rue Saint…Maur…du…Temple; and bring
her here。 Put her into a coach and pay the coachman to come at a
gallop。 Do not lose a momentor you lose your place。

〃Madame;〃 she went on; coming back to the Baroness; and speaking to
her in respectful tones; 〃you must forgive me。 As soon as the Duc
d'Herouville became my protector; I dismissed the Baron; having heard
that he was ruining his family for me。 What more could I do? In an
actress' career a protector is indispensable from the first day of her
appearance on the boards。 Our salaries do not pay half our expenses;
we must have a temporary husband。 I did not value Monsieur Hulot; who
took me away from a rich man; a conceited idiot。 Old Crevel would
undoubtedly have married me〃

〃So he told me;〃 said the Baroness; interrupting her。

〃Well; then; you see; madame; I might at this day have been an honest
woman; with only one legitimate husband!〃

〃You have many excuses; mademoiselle;〃 said Adeline; 〃and God will
take them into account。 But; for my part; far from reproaching you; I
came; on the contrary; to make myself your debtor in gratitude〃

〃Madame; for nearly three years I 
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