cousin betty-第107部分

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a　prey　to　the　absorbing　love　which；　once　in　her　life；　masters　a
woman's　heart。　Wenceslas　was　its　object；　and；　a　failure　as　an　artist；
he　became　in　Madame　Marneffe's　hands　a　lover　so　perfect　that　he　was　to
her　what　she　had　been　to　Baron　Hulot。

Valerie　was　holding　a　slipper　in　one　hand；　and　Steinbock　clasped　the
other；　while　her　head　rested　on　his　shoulder。　The　rambling
conversation　in　which　they　had　been　engaged　ever　since　Crevel　went　out
may　be　ticketed；　like　certain　lengthy　literary　efforts　of　our　day；
〃/All　rights　reserved/；〃　for　it　cannot　be　reproduced。　This　masterpiece
of　personal　poetry　naturally　brought　a　regret　to　the　artist's　lips；
and　he　said；　not　without　some　bitterness：

〃What　a　pity　it　is　that　I　married；　for　if　I　had　but　waited；　as　Lisbeth
told　me；　I　might　now　have　married　you。〃

〃Who　but　a　Pole　would　wish　to　make　a　wife　of　a　devoted　mistress？〃
cried　Valerie。　〃To　change　love　into　duty；　and　pleasure　into　a　bore。〃

〃I　know　you　to　be　so　fickle；〃　replied　Steinbock。　〃Did　I　not　hear　you
talking　to　Lisbeth　of　that　Brazilian；　Baron　Montes？〃

〃Do　you　want　to　rid　me　of　him？〃

〃It　would　be　the　only　way　to　hinder　his　seeing　you；〃　said　the　ex…
sculptor。

〃Let　me　tell　you；　my　darlingfor　I　tell　you　everything；〃　said　Valerie
〃I　was　saving　him　up　for　a　husband。The　promises　I　have　made　to
that　man！Oh；　long　before　I　knew　you；〃　said　she；　in　reply　to　a
movement　from　Wenceslas。　〃And　those　promises；　of　which　he　avails
himself　to　plague　me；　oblige　me　to　get　married　almost　secretly；　for　if
he　should　hear　that　I　am　marrying　Crevel；　he　is　the　sort　of　man　that
that　would　kill　me。〃

〃Oh；　as　to　that！〃　said　Steinbock；　with　a　scornful　expression；　which
conveyed　that　such　a　danger　was　small　indeed　for　a　woman　beloved　by　a
Pole。

And　in　the　matter　of　valor　there　is　no　brag　or　bravado　in　a　Pole；　so
thoroughly　and　seriously　brave　are　they　all。

〃And　that　idiot　Crevel；〃　she　went　on；　〃who　wants　to　make　a　great
display　and　indulge　his　taste　for　inexpensive　magnificence　in　honor　of
the　wedding；　places　me　in　difficulties　from　which　I　see　no　escape。〃

Could　Valerie　confess　to　this　man；　whom　she　adored；　that　since　the
discomfiture　of　Baron　Hulot；　this　Baron　Henri　Montes　had　inherited　the
privilege　of　calling　on　her　at　all　hours　of　the　day　or　night；　and
that；　notwithstanding　her　cleverness；　she　was　still　puzzled　to　find　a
cause　of　quarrel　in　which　the　Brazilian　might　seem　to　be　solely　in　the
wrong？　She　knew　the　Baron's　almost　savage　tempernot　unlike　Lisbeth's
too　well　not　to　quake　as　she　thought　of　this　Othello　of　Rio　de
Janeiro。

As　the　carriage　drove　up；　Steinbock　released　Valerie；　for　his　arm　was
round　her　waist；　and　took　up　a　newspaper；　in　which　he　was　found
absorbed。　Valerie　was　stitching　with　elaborate　care　at　the　slippers
she　was　working　for　Crevel。

〃How　they　slander　her！〃　whispered　Lisbeth　to　Crevel；　pointing　to　this
picture　as　they　opened　the　door。　〃Look　at　her　hairnot　in　the　least
tumbled。　To　hear　Victorin；　you　might　have　expected　to　find　two　turtle…
doves　in　a　nest。〃

〃My　dear　Lisbeth；〃　cried　Crevel；　in　his　favorite　position；　〃you　see
that　to　turn　Lucretia　into　Aspasia；　you　have　only　to　inspire　a
passion！〃

〃And　have　I　not　always　told　you；〃　said　Lisbeth；　〃that　women　like　a
burly　profligate　like　you？〃

〃And　she　would　be　most　ungrateful；　too；〃　said　Crevel；　〃for　as　to　the
money　I　have　spent　here；　Grindot　and　I　alone　can　tell！〃

And　he　waved　a　hand　at　the　staircase。

In　decorating　this　house；　which　Crevel　regarded　as　his　own；　Grindot
had　tried　to　compete　with　Cleretti；　in　whose　hands　the　Duc
d'Herouville　had　placed　Josepha's　villa。　But　Crevel；　incapable　of
understanding　art；　had；　like　all　sordid　souls；　wanted　to　spend　a
certain　sum　fixed　beforehand。　Grindot；　fettered　by　a　contract；　had
found　it　impossible　to　embody　his　architectural　dream。

The　difference　between　Josepha's　house　and　that　in　the　Rue　Barbet　was
just　that　between　the　individual　stamp　on　things　and　commonness。　The
objects　you　admired　at　Crevel's　were　to　be　bought　in　any　shop。　These
two　types　of　luxury　are　divided　by　the　river　Million。　A　mirror；　if
unique；　is　worth　six　thousand　francs；　a　mirror　designed　by　a
manufacturer　who　turns　them　out　by　the　dozen　costs　five　hundred。　A
genuine　lustre　by　Boulle　will　sell　at　a　public　auction　for　three
thousand　francs；　the　same　thing　reproduced　by　casting　may　be　made　for
a　thousand　or　twelve　hundred；　one　is　archaeologically　what　a　picture
by　Raphael　is　in　painting；　the　other　is　a　copy。　At　what　would　you
value　a　copy　of　a　Raphael？　Thus　Crevel's　mansion　was　a　splendid
example　of　the　luxury　of　idiots；　while　Josepha's　was　a　perfect　model
of　an　artist's　home。

〃War　is　declared；〃　said　Crevel；　going　up　to　Madame　Marneffe。

She　rang　the　bell。

〃Go　and　find　Monsieur　Berthier；〃　said　she　to　the　man…servant；　〃and　do
not　return　without　him。　If　you　had　succeeded；〃　said　she；　embracing
Crevel；　〃we　would　have　postponed　our　happiness；　my　dear　Daddy；　and
have　given　a　really　splendid　entertainment；　but　when　a　whole　family　is
set　against　a　match；　my　dear；　decency　requires　that　the　wedding　shall
be　a　quiet　one；　especially　when　the　lady　is　a　widow。〃

〃On　the　contrary；　I　intend　to　make　a　display　of　magnificence　/a　la/
Louis　XIV。；〃　said　Crevel；　who　of　late　had　held　the　eighteenth　century
rather　cheap。　〃I　have　ordered　new　carriages；　there　is　one　for　monsieur
and　one　for　madame；　two　neat　coupes；　and　a　chaise；　a　handsome
traveling　carriage　with　a　splendid　hammercloth；　on　springs　that
tremble　like　Madame　Hulot。〃

〃Oh；　ho！　/You　intend？/Then　you　have　ceased　to　be　my　lamb？No；　no；
my　friend；　you　will　do　what　/I/　intend。　We　will　sign　the　contract
quietlyjust　ourselvesthis　afternoon。　Then；　on　Wednesday；　we　will
be　regularly　married；　really　married；　in　mufti；　as　my　poor　mother
would　have　said。　We　will　walk　to　church；　plainly　dressed；　and　have
only　a　low　mass。　Our　witnesses　are　Stidmann；　Steinbock；　Vignon；　and
Massol；　all　wide…awake　men；　who　will　be　at　the　mairie　by　chance；　and
who　will　so　far　sacrifice　themselves　as　to　attend　mass。

〃Your　colleague　will　perform　the　civil　marriage；　for　once　in　a　way；　as
early　as　half…past　nine。　Mass　is　at　ten；　we　shall　be　at　home　to
breakfast　by　half…past　eleven。

〃I　have　promised　our　guests　that　we　will　sit　at　table　till　the
evening。　There　will　be　Bixiou；　your　old　official　chum　du　Tillet；
Lousteau；　Vernisset；　Leon　de　Lora；　Vernou；　all　the　wittiest　men　in
Paris；　who　will　not　know　that　we　are　married。　We　will　play　them　a
little　trick；　we　will　get　just　a　little　tipsy；　and　Lisbeth　must　join
us。　I　want　her　to　study　matrimony；　Bixiou　shall　make　love　to　her；　and
and　enlighten　her　darkness。〃

For　two　hours　Madame　Marneffe　went　on　talking　nonsense；　and　Crevel
made　this　judicious　reflection：

〃How　can　so　light…hearted　a　creature　be　utterly　depraved？　Feather…
brained；　yes！　but　wicked？　Nonsense！〃

〃Well；　and　what　did　the　young　people　say　about　me？〃　said　Valerie　to
Crevel　at　a　moment　when　he　sat　down　by　her　on　the　sofa。　〃All　sorts　of
horrors？〃

〃They　will　have　it　that　you　have　a　criminal　passion　for　Wenceslas
you；　who　are　virtue　itself。〃

〃I　love　him！I　should　think　so；　my　little　Wenceslas！〃　cried　Valerie；
calling　the　artis