cousin betty-第109部分

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〃You　answer　for　the　result？〃

〃Leave　it　all　to　me；〃　said　the　woman；　〃your　vengeance　is　simmering。〃

She　looked　at　the　clock；　it　was　six。

〃Your　avenger　is　dressing；　the　fires　are　lighted　at　the　/Rocher　de
Cancale/；　the　horses　are　pawing　the　ground；　my　irons　are　getting　hot。
Oh；　I　know　your　Madame　Marneffe　by　heart！　Everything　is　ready。　And
there　are　some　boluses　in　the　rat…trap；　I　will　tell　you　to…morrow
morning　if　the　mouse　is　poisoned。　I　believe　she　will　be；　good　evening；
my　son。〃

〃Good…bye；　madame。〃

〃Do　you　know　English？〃

〃Yes。〃

〃Well；　my　son；　thou　shalt　be　King。　That　is　to　say；　you　shall　come　into
your　inheritance；〃　said　the　dreadful　old　witch；　foreseen　by
Shakespeare；　and　who　seemed　to　know　her　Shakespeare。

She　left　Hulot　amazed　at　the　door　of　his　study。

〃The　consultation　is　for　to…morrow！〃　said　she；　with　the　gracious　air
of　a　regular　client。

She　saw　two　persons　coming；　and　wished　to　pass　in　their　eyes　a
pinchbeck　countess。

〃What　impudence！〃　thought　Hulot；　bowing　to　his　pretended　client。



Baron　Montes　de　Montejanos　was　a　/lion/；　but　a　lion　not　accounted　for。
Fashionable　Paris；　Paris　of　the　turf　and　of　the　town；　admired　the
ineffable　waistcoats　of　this　foreign　gentleman；　his　spotless　patent…
leather　boots；　his　incomparable　sticks；　his　much…coveted　horses；　and
the　negro　servants　who　rode　the　horses　and　who　were　entirely　slaves
and　most　consumedly　thrashed。

His　fortune　was　well　known；　he　had　a　credit　account　up　to　seven
hundred　thousand　francs　in　the　great　banking　house　of　du　Tillet；　but
he　was　always　seen　alone。　When　he　went　to　〃first　nights；〃　he　was　in　a
stall。　He　frequented　no　drawing…rooms。　He　had　never　given　his　arm　to　a
girl　on　the　streets。　His　name　would　not　be　coupled　with　that　of　any
pretty　woman　of　the　world。　To　pass　his　time　he　played　whist　at　the
Jockey…Club。　The　world　was　reduced　to　calumny；　or；　which　it　thought
funnier；　to　laughing　at　his　peculiarities；　he　went　by　the　name　of
Combabus。

Bixiou；　Leon　de　Lora；　Lousteau；　Florine；　Mademoiselle　Heloise
Brisetout；　and　Nathan；　supping　one　evening　with　the　notorious
Carabine；　with　a　large　party　of　/lions/　and　/lionesses/；　had　invented
this　name　with　an　excessively　burlesque　explanation。　Massol；　as　being
on　the　Council　of　State；　and　Claude　Vignon；　erewhile　Professor　of
Greek；　had　related　to　the　ignorant　damsels　the　famous　anecdote；
preserved　in　Rollin's　/Ancient　History/；　concerning　Combabus；　that
voluntary　Abelard　who　was　placed　in　charge　of　the　wife　of　a　King　of
Assyria；　Persia；　Bactria；　Mesopotamia；　and　other　geographical
divisions　peculiar　to　old　Professor　du　Bocage；　who　continued　the　work
of　d'Anville；　the　creator　of　the　East　of　antiquity。　This　nickname；
which　gave　Carabine's　guests　laughter　for　a　quarter　of　an　hour；　gave
rise　to　a　series　of　over…free　jests；　to　which　the　Academy　could　not
award　the　Montyon　prize；　but　among　which　the　name　was　taken　up；　to
rest　thenceforth　on　the　curly　mane　of　the　handsome　Baron；　called　by
Josepha　the　splendid　Brazilianas　one　might　say　a　splendid
/Catoxantha/。

Carabine；　the　loveliest　of　her　tribe；　whose　delicate　beauty　and
amusing　wit　had　snatched　the　sceptre　of　the　Thirteenth　Arrondissement
from　the　hands　of　Mademoiselle　Turquet；　better　known　by　the　name　of
MalagaMademoiselle　Seraphine　Sinet　（this　was　her　real　name）　was　to
du　Tillet　the　banker　what　Josepha　Mirah　was　to　the　Duc　d'Herouville。

Now；　on　the　morning　of　the　very　day　when　Madame　de　Saint…Esteve　had
prophesied　success　to　Victorin；　Carabine　had　said　to　du　Tillet　at
about　seven　o'clock：

〃If　you　want　to　be　very　nice；　you　will　give　me　a　dinner　at　the　/Rocher
de　Cancale/　and　bring　Combabus。　We　want　to　know；　once　for　all；　whether
he　has　a　mistress。I　bet　that　he　has；　and　I　should　like　to　win。〃

〃He　is　still　at　the　Hotel　des　Princes；　I　will　call；〃　replied　du
Tillet。　〃We　will　have　some　fun。　Ask　all　the　youngstersthe　youngster
Bixiou；　the　youngster　Lora；　in　short；　all　the　clan。〃

At　half…past　seven　that　evening；　in　the　handsomest　room　of　the
restaurant　where　all　Europe　has　dined；　a　splendid　silver　service　was
spread；　made　on　purpose　for　entertainments　where　vanity　pays　the　bill
in　bank…notes。　A　flood　of　light　fell　in　ripples　on　the　chased　rims；
waiters；　whom　a　provincial　might　have　taken　for　diplomatists　but　for
their　age；　stood　solemnly；　as　knowing　themselves　to　be　overpaid。

Five　guests　had　arrived；　and　were　waiting　for　nine　more。　These　were
first　and　foremost　Bixiou；　still　flourishing　in　1843；　the　salt　of
every　intellectual　dish；　always　supplied　with　fresh　wita　phenomenon
as　rare　in　Paris　as　virtue　is；　Leon　de　Lora；　the　greatest　living
painter　of　landscape　and　the　sea　who　has　this　great　advantage　over　all
his　rivals；　that　he　has　never　fallen　below　his　first　successes。　The
courtesans　could　never　dispense　with　these　two　kings　of　ready　wit。　No
supper；　no　dinner；　was　possible　without　them。

Seraphine　Sinet；　/dite/　Carabine；　as　the　mistress　/en　titre/　of　the
Amphitryon；　was　one　of　the　first　to　arrive；　and　the　brilliant　lighting
showed　off　her　shoulders；　unrivaled　in　Paris；　her　throat；　as　round　as
if　turned　in　a　lathe；　without　a　crease；　her　saucy　face；　and　dress　of
satin　brocade　in　two　shades　of　blue；　trimmed　with　Honiton　lace　enough
to　have　fed　a　whole　village　for　a　month。

Pretty　Jenny　Cadine；　not　acting　that　evening；　came　in　a　dress　of
incredible　splendor；　her　portrait　is　too　well　known　to　need　any
description。　A　party　is　always　a　Longchamps　of　evening　dress　for　these
ladies；　each　anxious　to　win　the　prize　for　her　millionaire　by　thus
announcing　to　her　rivals：

〃This　is　the　price　I　am　worth！〃

A　third　woman；　evidently　at　the　initial　stage　of　her　career；　gazed；
almost　shamefaced；　at　the　luxury　of　her　two　established　and　wealthy
companions。　Simply　dressed　in　white　cashmere　trimmed　with　blue；　her
head　had　been　dressed　with　real　flowers　by　a　coiffeur　of　the　old…
fashioned　school；　whose　awkward　hands　had　unconsciously　given　the
charm　of　ineptitude　to　her　fair　hair。　Still　unaccustomed　to　any
finery；　she　showed　the　timidityto　use　a　hackneyed　phrase
inseparable　from　a　first　appearance。　She　had　come　from　Valognes　to
find　in　Paris　some　use　for　her　distracting　youthfulness；　her　innocence
that　might　have　stirred　the　senses　of　a　dying　man；　and　her　beauty；
worthy　to　hold　its　own　with　any　that　Normandy　has　ever　supplied　to　the
theatres　of　the　capital。　The　lines　of　that　unblemished　face　were　the
ideal　of　angelic　purity。　Her　milk…white　skin　reflected　the　light　like
a　mirror。　The　delicate　pink　in　her　cheeks　might　have　been　laid　on　with
a　brush。　She　was　called　Cydalise；　and；　as　will　be　seen；　she　was　an
important　pawn　in　the　game　played　by　Ma'ame　Nourrisson　to　defeat
Madame　Marneffe。

〃Your　arm　is　not　a　match　for　your　name；　my　child；〃　said　Jenny　Cadine；
to　whom　Carabine　had　introduced　this　masterpiece　of　sixteen；　having
brought　her　with　her。

And；　in　fact；　Cydalise　displayed　to　public　admiration　a　fine　pair　of
arms；　smooth　and　satiny；　but　red　with　healthy　young　blood。

〃What　do　you　want　for　her？〃　said　Jenny　Cadine；　in　an　undertone　to
Carabine。

〃A　fortune。〃

〃What　are　you　going　to　do　with　her？〃

〃WellMadame　Combabus！〃

〃And　what　are　you　to　get