cousin betty-第103部分

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〃What！　old　Chardin？　As　if　he　lived　anywhere　at　all！He　is　drunk　by
six　in　the　morning；　he　makes　a　mattress　once　a　month；　he　hangs　about
the　wineshops　all　day；　he　plays　at　pools〃

〃He　plays　at　pools？〃　said　Josepha。

〃You　do　not　understand；　madame；　pools　of　billiards；　I　mean；　and　he
wins　three　or　four　a　day；　and　then　he　drinks。〃

〃Water　out　of　the　pools；　I　suppose？〃　said　Josepha。　〃But　if　Idamore
haunts　the　Boulevard；　by　inquiring　through　my　friend　Vraulard；　we
could　find　him。〃

〃I　don't　know；　madame；　all　this　was　six　months　ago。　Idamore　was　one　of
the　sort　who　are　bound　to　find　their　way　into　the　police　courts；　and
from　that　to　Melunand　thewho　knows？〃

〃To　the　prison　yard！〃　said　Josepha。

〃Well；　madame；　you　know　everything；〃　said　the　old　woman；　smiling。
〃Well；　if　my　girl　had　never　known　that　scamp；　she　would　now　beStill；
she　was　in　luck；　all　the　same；　you　will　say；　for　Monsieur　Grenouville
fell　so　much　in　love　with　her　that　he　married　her〃

〃And　what　brought　that　about？〃

〃Olympe　was　desperate；　madame。　When　she　found　herself　left　in　the
lurch　for　that　little　actressand　she　took　a　rod　out　of　pickle　for
her；　I　can　tell　you；　my　word；　but　she　gave　her　a　dressing！and　when
she　had　lost　poor　old　Thoul；　who　worshiped　her；　she　would　have　nothing
more　to　say　to　the　men。　'Wever；　Monsieur　Grenouville；　who　had　been
dealing　largely　with　usto　the　tune　of　two　hundred　embroidered　China…
crape　shawls　every　quarterhe　wanted　to　console　her；　but　whether　or
no；　she　would　not　listen　to　anything　without　the　mayor　and　the　priest。
'I　mean　to　be　respectable；'　said　she；　'or　perish！'　and　she　stuck　to
it。　Monsieur　Grenouville　consented　to　marry　her；　on　condition　of　her
giving　us　all　up；　and　we　agreed〃

〃For　a　handsome　consideration？〃　said　Josepha；　with　her　usual
perspicacity。

〃Yes；　madame；　ten　thousand　francs；　and　an　allowance　to　my　father；　who
is　past　work。〃

〃I　begged　your　daughter　to　make　old　Thoul　happy；　and　she　has　thrown　me
over。　That　is　not　fair。　I　will　take　no　interest　in　any　one　for　the
future！　That　is　what　comes　of　trying　to　do　good！　Benevolence　certainly
does　not　answer　as　a　speculation！Olympe　ought；　at　least；　to　have
given　me　notice　of　this　jobbing。　Now；　if　you　find　the　old　man　Thoul
within　a　fortnight；　I　will　give　you　a　thousand　francs。〃

〃It　will　be　a　hard　task；　my　good　lady；　still；　there　are　a　good　many
five…franc　pieces　in　a　thousand　francs；　and　I　will　try　to　earn　your
money。〃

〃Good…morning；　then；　Madame　Bijou。〃

On　going　into　the　boudoir；　the　singer　found　that　Madame　Hulot　had
fainted；　but　in　spite　of　having　lost　consciousness；　her　nervous
trembling　kept　her　still　perpetually　shaking；　as　the　pieces　of　a　snake
that　has　been　cut　up　still　wriggle　and　move。　Strong　salts；　cold　water；
and　all　the　ordinary　remedies　were　applied　to　recall　the　Baroness　to
her　senses；　or　rather；　to　the　apprehension　of　her　sorrows。

〃Ah！　mademoiselle；　how　far　has　he　fallen！〃　cried　she；　recognizing
Josepha；　and　finding　that　she　was　alone　with　her。

〃Take　heart；　madame；〃　replied　the　actress；　who　had　seated　herself　on　a
cushion　at　Adeline's　feet；　and　was　kissing　her　hands。　〃We　shall　find
him；　and　if　he　is　in　the　mire；　well；　he　must　wash　himself。　Believe　me；
with　people　of　good　breeding　it　is　a　matter　of　clothes。Allow　me　to
make　up　for　you　the　harm　I　have　done　you；　for　I　see　how　much　you　are
attached　to　your　husband；　in　spite　of　his　misconductor　you　should
not　have　come　here。Well；　you　see；　the　poor　man　is　so　fond　of　women。
If　you　had　had　a　little　of　our　dash；　you　would　have　kept　him　from
running　about　the　world；　for　you　would　have　been　what　we　can　never　be
all　the　women　man　wants。

〃The　State　ought　to　subsidize　a　school　of　manners　for　honest　women！
But　governments　are　so　prudish！　Still；　they　are　guided　by　men；　whom　we
privately　guide。　My　word；　I　pity　nations！

〃But　the　matter　in　question　is　how　you　can　be　helped；　and　not　to　laugh
at　the　world。Well；　madame；　be　easy；　go　home　again；　and　do　not　worry。
I　will　bring　your　Hector　back　to　you　as　he　was　as　a　man　of　thirty。〃

〃Ah；　mademoiselle；　let　us　go　to　see　that　Madame　Grenouville；〃　said　the
Baroness。　〃She　surely　knows　something！　Perhaps　I　may　see　the　Baron
this　very　day；　and　be　able　to　snatch　him　at　once　from　poverty　and
disgrace。〃

〃Madame；　I　will　show　you　the　deep　gratitude　I　feel　towards　you　by　not
displaying　the　stage…singer　Josepha；　the　Duc　d'Herouville's　mistress；
in　the　company　of　the　noblest；　saintliest　image　of　virtue。　I　respect
you　too　much　to　be　seen　by　your　side。　This　is　not　acted　humility；　it
is　sincere　homage。　You　make　me　sorry；　madame；　that　I　cannot　tread　in
your　footsteps；　in　spite　of　the　thorns　that　tear　your　feet　and　hands。
But　it　cannot　be　helped！　I　am　one　with　art；　as　you　are　one　with
virtue。〃

〃Poor　child！〃　said　the　Baroness；　moved　amid　her　own　sorrows　by　a
strange　sense　of　compassionate　sympathy；　〃I　will　pray　to　God　for　you；
for　you　are　the　victim　of　society；　which　must　have　theatres。　When　you
are　old；　repentyou　will　be　heard　if　God　vouchsafes　to　hear　the
prayers　of　a〃

〃Of　a　martyr；　madame；〃　Josepha　put　in；　and　she　respectfully　kissed　the
Baroness'　skirt。

But　Adeline　took　the　actress'　hand；　and　drawing　her　towards　her；
kissed　her　on　the　forehead。　Coloring　with　pleasure　Josepha　saw　the
Baroness　into　the　hackney　coach　with　the　humblest　politeness。

〃It　must　be　some　visiting　Lady　of　Charity；〃　said　the　man…servant　to
the　maid；　〃for　she　does　not　do　so　much　for　any　one；　not　even　for　her
dear　friend　Madame　Jenny　Cadine。〃

〃Wait　a　few　days；〃　said　she；　〃and　you　will　see　him；　madame；　or　I
renounce　the　God　of　my　fathersand　that　from　a　Jewess；　you　know；　is　a
promise　of　success。〃



At　the　very　time　when　Madame　Hulot　was　calling　on　Josepha；　Victorin；
in　his　study；　was　receiving　an　old　woman　of　about　seventy…five；　who；
to　gain　admission　to　the　lawyer；　had　used　the　terrible　name　of　the
head　of　the　detective　force。　The　man　in　waiting　announced：

〃Madame　de　Saint…Esteve。〃

〃I　have　assumed　one　of　my　business　names；〃　said　she；　taking　a　seat。

Victorin　felt　a　sort　of　internal　chill　at　the　sight　of　this　dreadful
old　woman。　Though　handsomely　dressed；　she　was　terrible　to　look　upon；
for　her　flat；　colorless；　strongly…marked　face；　furrowed　with　wrinkles；
expressed　a　sort　of　cold　malignity。　Marat；　as　a　woman　of　that　age；
might　have　been　like　this　creature；　a　living　embodiment　of　the　Reign
of　Terror。

This　sinister　old　woman's　small；　pale　eyes　twinkled　with　a　tiger's
bloodthirsty　greed。　Her　broad；　flat　nose；　with　nostrils　expanded　into
oval　cavities；　breathed　the　fires　of　hell；　and　resembled　the　beak　of
some　evil　bird　of　prey。　The　spirit　of　intrigue　lurked　behind　her　low；
cruel　brow。　Long　hairs　had　grown　from　her　wrinkled　chin；　betraying　the
masculine　character　of　her　schemes。　Any　one　seeing　that　woman's　face
would　have　said　that　artists　had　failed　in　their　conceptions　of
Mephistopheles。

〃My　dear　sir；〃　she　began；　with　a　patronizing　air；　〃I　have　long　since
given　up　active　business　of　any　kind。　What　I　have　come　to　you　to　do；　I
have　undertaken；　for　the　sake　of　my　dear　nephew；　whom　I　love　more　than
I　could　love　a　son　of　my　own。Now；　the　Head　of　the　Policeto　whom
the　President　of　the　Counc