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cousin betty-第106部分

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you know。〃

〃To make up for those who have none;〃 said Lisbeth。

〃That sarcasm; my dear Lisbeth; has lost its sting。 I am going; my
dear children; to put an end to the false position in which I have so
long been placed; I have come; like a good father; to announce my
approaching marriage without any circumlocution。〃

〃You have a perfect right to marry;〃 said Victorin。 〃And for my part;
I give you back the promise you made me when you gave me the hand of
my dear Celestine〃

〃What promise?〃 said Crevel。

〃Not to marry;〃 replied the lawyer。 〃You will do me the justice to
allow that I did not ask you to pledge yourself; that you gave your
word quite voluntarily and in spite of my desire; for I pointed out to
you at the time that you were unwise to bind yourself。〃

〃Yes; I do remember; my dear fellow;〃 said Crevel; ashamed of himself。
〃But; on my honor; if you will but live with Madame Crevel; my
children; you will find no reason to repent。Your good feeling
touches me; Victorin; and you will find that generosity to me is not
unrewarded。Come; by the Poker! welcome your stepmother and come to
the wedding。〃

〃But you have not told us the lady's name; papa;〃 said Celestine。

〃Why; it is an open secret;〃 replied Crevel。 〃Do not let us play at
guess who can! Lisbeth must have told you。〃

〃My dear Monsieur Crevel;〃 replied Lisbeth; 〃there are certain names
we never utter here〃

〃Well; then; it is Madame Marneffe。〃

〃Monsieur Crevel;〃 said the lawyer very sternly; 〃neither my wife nor
I can be present at that marriage; not out of interest; for I spoke in
all sincerity just now。 Yes; I am most happy to think that you may
find happiness in this union; but I act on considerations of honor and
good feeling which you must understand; and which I cannot speak of
here; as they reopen wounds still ready to bleed〃

The Baroness telegraphed a signal to Hortense; who tucked her little
one under her arm; saying; 〃Come Wenceslas; and have your bath!Good…
bye; Monsieur Crevel。〃

The Baroness also bowed to Crevel without a word; and Crevel could not
help smiling at the child's astonishment when threatened with this
impromptu tubbing。

〃You; monsieur;〃 said Victorin; when he found himself alone with
Lisbeth; his wife; and his father…in…law; 〃are about to marry a woman
loaded with the spoils of my father; it was she who; in cold blood;
brought him down to such depths; a woman who is the son…in…law's
mistress after ruining the father…in…law; who is the cause of constant
grief to my sister!And you fancy that I shall seem to sanction your
madness by my presence? I deeply pity you; dear Monsieur Crevel; you
have no family feeling; you do not understand the unity of the honor
which binds the members of it together。 There is no arguing with
passionas I have too much reason to know。 The slaves of their
passions are as deaf as they are blind。 Your daughter Celestine has
too strong a sense of her duty to proffer a word of reproach。〃

〃That would; indeed; be a pretty thing!〃 cried Crevel; trying to cut
short this harangue。

〃Celestine would not be my wife if she made the slightest
remonstrance;〃 the lawyer went on。 〃But I; at least; may try to stop
you before you step over the precipice; especially after giving you
ample proof of my disinterestedness。 It is not your fortune; it is you
that I care about。 Nay; to make it quite plain to you; I may add; if
it were only to set your mind at ease with regard to your marriage
contract; that I am now in a position which leaves me with nothing to
wish for〃

〃Thanks to me!〃 exclaimed Crevel; whose face was purple。

〃Thanks to Celestine's fortune;〃 replied Victorin。 〃And if you regret
having given to your daughter as a present from yourself; a sum which
is not half what her mother left her; I can only say that we are
prepared to give it back。〃

〃And do you not know; my respected son…in…law;〃 said Crevel; striking
an attitude; 〃that under the shelter of my name Madame Marneffe is not
called upon to answer for her conduct excepting as my wifeas Madame
Crevel?〃

〃That is; no doubt; quite the correct thing;〃 said the lawyer; 〃very
generous so far as the affections are concerned and the vagaries of
passion; but I know of no name; nor law; nor title that can shelter
the theft of three hundred thousand francs so meanly wrung from my
father!I tell you plainly; my dear father…in…law; your future wife
is unworthy of you; she is false to you; and is madly in love with my
brother…in…law; Steinbock; whose debts she had paid。〃

〃It is I who paid them!〃

〃Very good;〃 said Hulot; 〃I am glad for Count Steinbock's sake; he may
some day repay the money。 But he is loved; much loved; and often〃

〃Loved!〃 cried Crevel; whose face showed his utter bewilderment。 〃It
is cowardly; and dirty; and mean; and cheap; to calumniate a woman!
When a man says such things; monsieur; he must bring proof。〃

〃I will bring proof。〃

〃I shall expect it。〃

〃By the day after to…morrow; my dear Monsieur Crevel; I shall be able
to tell you the day; the hour; the very minute when I can expose the
horrible depravity of your future wife。〃

〃Very well; I shall be delighted;〃 said Crevel; who had recovered
himself。

〃Good…bye; my children; for the present; good…bye; Lisbeth。〃

〃See him out; Lisbeth;〃 said Celestine in an undertone。

〃And is this the way you take yourself off?〃 cried Lisbeth to Crevel。

〃Ah; ha!〃 said Crevel; 〃my son…in…law is too clever by half; he is
getting on。 The Courts and the Chamber; judicial trickery and
political dodges; are making a man of him with a vengeance!So he
knows I am to be married on Wednesday; and on a Sunday my gentleman
proposes to fix the hour; within three days; when he can prove that my
wife is unworthy of me。 That is a good story!Well; I am going back
to sign the contract。 Come with me; Lisbethyes; come。 They will
never know。 I meant to have left Celestine forty thousand francs a
year; but Hulot has just behaved in a way to alienate my affection for
ever。〃

〃Give me ten minutes; Pere Crevel; wait for me in your carriage at the
gate。 I will make some excuse for going out。〃

〃Very wellall right。〃

〃My dears;〃 said Lisbeth; who found all the family reassembled in the
drawing…room; 〃I am going with Crevel: the marriage contract is to be
signed this afternoon; and I shall hear what he has settled。 It will
probably be my last visit to that woman。 Your father is furious; he
will disinherit you〃

〃His vanity will prevent that;〃 said the son…in…law。 〃He was bent on
owning the estate of Presles; and he will keep it; I know him。 Even if
he were to have children; Celestine would still have half of what he
might leave; the law forbids his giving away all his fortune。Still;
these questions are nothing to me; I am only thinking of our honor。
Go then; cousin;〃 and he pressed Lisbeth's hand; 〃and listen carefully
to the contract。〃



Twenty minutes after; Lisbeth and Crevel reached the house in the Rue
Barbet; where Madame Marneffe was awaiting; in mild impatience; the
result of a step taken by her commands。 Valerie had in the end fallen
a prey to the absorbing love which; once in her life; masters a
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