cousin betty-第102部分

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came；　on　the　contrary；　to　make　myself　your　debtor　in　gratitude〃

〃Madame；　for　nearly　three　years　I　have　provided　for　Monsieur　le
Baron's　necessities〃

〃You？〃　interrupted　the　Baroness；　with　tears　in　her　eyes。　〃Oh；　what　can
I　do　for　you？　I　can　only　pray〃

〃I　and　Monsieur　le　Duc　d'Herouville；〃　the　singer　said；　〃a　noble　soul；
a　true　gentleman〃　and　Josepha　related　the　settling　and　/marriage/　of
Monsieur　Thoul。

〃And　so；　thanks　to　you；　mademoiselle；　the　Baron　has　wanted　nothing？〃

〃We　have　done　our　best　to　that　end；　madame。〃

〃And　where　is　he　now？〃

〃About　six　months　ago；　Monsieur　le　Duc　told　me　that　the　Baron；　known
to　the　notary　by　the　name　of　Thoul；　had　drawn　all　the　eight　thousand
francs　that　were　to　have　been　paid　to　him　in　fixed　sums　once　a
quarter；〃　replied　Josepha。　〃We　have　heard　no　more　of　the　Baron；
neither　I　nor　Monsieur　d'Herouville。　Our　lives　are　so　full；　we　artists
are　so　busy；　that　I　really　have　not　time　to　run　after　old　Thoul。　As　it
happens；　for　the　last　six　months；　Bijou；　who　works　for　mehiswhat
shall　I　say？〃

〃His　mistress；〃　said　Madame　Hulot。

〃His　mistress；〃　repeated　Josepha；　〃has　not　been　here。　Mademoiselle
Olympe　Bijou　is　perhaps　divorced。　Divorce　is　common　in　the　thirteenth
arrondissement。〃

Josepha　rose；　and　foraging　among　the　rare　plants　in　her　stands；　made　a
charming　bouquet　for　Madame　Hulot；　whose　expectations；　it　may　be　said；
were　by　no　means　fulfilled。　Like　those　worthy　fold；　who　take　men　of
genius　to　be　a　sort　of　monsters；　eating；　drinking；　walking；　and
speaking　unlike　other　people；　the　Baroness　had　hoped　to　see　Josepha
the　opera　singer；　the　witch；　the　amorous　and　amusing　courtesan；　she
saw　a　calm　and　well…mannered　woman；　with　the　dignity　of　talent；　the
simplicity　of　an　actress　who　knows　herself　to　be　at　night　a　queen；　and
also；　better　than　all；　a　woman　of　the　town　whose　eyes；　attitude；　and
demeanor　paid　full　and　ungrudging　homage　to　the　virtuous　wife；　the
/Mater　dolorosa/　of　the　sacred　hymn；　and　who　was　crowning　her　sorrows
with　flowers；　as　the　Madonna　is　crowned　in　Italy。

〃Madame；〃　said　the　man…servant；　reappearing　at　the　end　of　half　an
hour；　〃Madame　Bijou　is　on　her　way；　but　you　are　not　to　expect　little
Olympe。　Your　needle…woman；　madame；　is　settled　in　life；　she　is
married〃

〃More　or　less？〃　said　Josepha。

〃No；　madame；　really　married。　She　is　at　the　head　of　a　very　fine
business；　she　has　married　the　owner　of　a　large　and　fashionable　shop；
on　which　they　have　spent　millions　of　francs；　on　the　Boulevard　des
Italiens；　and　she　has　left　the　embroidery　business　to　her　sister　and
mother。　She　is　Madame　Grenouville。　The　fat　tradesman〃

〃A　Crevel？〃

〃Yes；　madame；〃　said　the　man。　〃Well；　he　has　settled　thirty　thousand
francs　a　year　on　Mademoiselle　Bijou　by　the　marriage　articles。　And　her
elder　sister；　they　say；　is　going　to　be　married　to　a　rich　butcher。〃

〃Your　business　looks　rather　hopeless；　I　am　afraid；〃　said　Josepha　to
the　Baroness。　〃Monsieur　le　Baron　is　no　longer　where　I　lodged　him。〃

Ten　minutes　later　Madame　Bijou　was　announced。　Josepha　very　prudently
placed　the　Baroness　in　the　boudoir；　and　drew　the　curtain　over　the
door。

〃You　would　scare　her；〃　said　she　to　Madame　Hulot。　〃She　would　let
nothing　out　if　she　suspected　that　you　were　interested　in　the
information。　Leave　me　to　catechise　her。　Hide　there；　and　you　will　hear
everything。　It　is　a　scene　that　is　played　quite　as　often　in　real　life
as　on　the　stage〃

〃Well；　Mother　Bijou；〃　she　said　to　an　old　woman　dressed　in　tartan
stuff；　and　who　looked　like　a　porter's　wife　in　her　Sunday　best；　〃so　you
are　all　very　happy？　Your　daughter　is　in　luck。〃

〃Oh；　happy？　As　for　that！My　daughter　gives　us　a　hundred　francs　a
month；　while　she　rides　in　a　carriage　and　eats　off　silver　plateshe　is
a　millionary；　is　my　daughter！　Olympe　might　have　lifted　me　above　labor。
To　have　to　work　at　my　age？　Is　that　being　good　to　me？〃

〃She　ought　not　to　be　ungrateful；　for　she　owes　her　beauty　to　you；〃
replied　Josepha；　〃but　why　did　she　not　come　to　see　me？　It　was　I　who
placed　her　in　ease　by　settling　her　with　my　uncle。〃

〃Yes；　madame；　with　old　Monsieur　Thoul；　but　he　is　very　old　and
broken〃

〃But　what　have　you　done　with　him？　Is　he　with　you？　She　was　very　foolish
to　leave　him；　he　is　worth　millions　now。〃

〃Heaven　above　us！〃　cried　the　mother。　〃What　did　I　tell　her　when　she
behaved　so　badly　to　him；　and　he　as　mild　as　milk；　poor　old　fellow？　Oh！
didn't　she　just　give　it　him　hot？Olympe　was　perverted；　madame？〃

〃But　how？〃

〃She　got　to　know　a　/claqueur/；　madame；　saving　your　presence；　a　man
paid　to　clap；　you　know；　the　grand　nephew　of　an　old　mattress…picker　of
the　Faubourg　Saint…Marceau。　This　good…for…naught；　as　all　your　good…
looking　fellows　are；　paid　to　make　a　piece　go；　is　the　cock　of　the　walk
out　on　the　Boulevard　du　Temple；　where　he　works　up　the　new　plays；　and
takes　care　that　the　actresses　get　a　reception；　as　he　calls　it。　First；
he　has　a　good　breakfast　in　the　morning；　then；　before　the　play；　he
dines；　to　be　'up　to　the　mark；'　as　he　says；　in　short；　he　is　a　born
lover　of　billiards　and　drams。　'But　that　is　not　following　a　trade；'　as
I　said　to　Olympe。〃

〃It　is　a　trade　men　follow；　unfortunately；〃　said　Josepha。

〃Well；　the　rascal　turned　Olympe's　head；　and　he；　madame；　did　not　keep
good　companywhen　I　tell　you　he　was　very　near　being　nabbed　by　the
police　in　a　tavern　where　thieves　meet。　'Wever；　Monsieur　Braulard；　the
leader　of　the　claque；　got　him　out　of　that。　He　wears　gold　earrings；　and
he　lives　by　doing　nothing；　hanging　on　to　women；　who　are　fools　about
these　good…looking　scamps。　He　spent　all　the　money　Monsieur　Thoul　used
to　give　the　child。

〃Then　the　business　was　going　to　grief；　what　embroidery　brought　in　went
out　across　the　billiard　table。　'Wever；　the　young　fellow　had　a　pretty
sister；　madame；　who；　like　her　brother；　lived　by　hook　and　by　crook；　and
no　better　than　she　should　be　neither；　over　in　the　students'　quarter。〃

〃One　of　the　sluts　at　the　Chaumiere；〃　said　Josepha。

〃So；　madame；〃　said　the　old　woman。　〃So　Idamore；　his　name　is　Idamore；
leastways　that　is　what　he　calls　himself；　for　his　real　name　is　Chardin
Idamore　fancied　that　your　uncle　had　a　deal　more　money　than　he　owned
to；　and　he　managed　to　send　his　sister　Elodieand　that　was　a　stage
name　he　gave　herto　send　her　to　be　a　workwoman　at　our　place；　without
my　daughter's　knowing　who　she　was；　and；　gracious　goodness！　but　that
girl　turned　the　whole　place　topsy…turvy；　she　got　all　those　poor　girls
into　mischiefimpossible　to　whitewash　them；　saving　your　presence

〃And　she　was　so　sharp；　she　won　over　poor　old　Thoul；　and　took　him　away；
and　we　don't　know　where；　and　left　us　in　a　pretty　fix；　with　a　lot　of
bills　coming　in。　To　this　day　as　ever　is　we　have　not　been　able　to
settle　up；　but　my　daughter；　who　knows　all　about　such　things；　keeps　an
eye　on　them　as　they　fall　due。Then；　when　Idamore　saw　he　had　got　hold
of　the　old　man；　through　his　sister；　you　understand；　he　threw　over　my
daughter；　and　now　he　has　got　hold　of　a　little　actress　at　the
/Funambules/。And　that　was　how　my　daughter　came　to　get　married；　as
you　will　see〃

〃But　you　must　know　where　the　mattress…picker　lives？〃　said　Josepha。

〃What！　old　Chardin？　As　if　he　lived　anywhere　at　all！He　is　drunk　by
six　in　the　morning；　he　makes