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cousin betty-第112部分

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I tell you what; my dear sir; you may bless your stars instead of
cursing them。 She is a good…for…nothing baggage; is that little woman。
I know her tricks!〃

〃Get along;〃 said Carabine; into whose hand Madame Nourrisson had
slipped a note while embracing her; 〃you do not know your Brazilians。
They are wrong…headed creatures that insist on being impaled through
the heart。 The more jealous they are; the more jealous they want to
be。 Monsieur talks of dealing death all round; but he will kill nobody
because he is in love。However; I have brought him here to give him
the proofs of his discomfiture; which I have got from that little
Steinbock。〃

Montes was drunk; he listened as if the women were talking about
somebody else。

Carabine went to take off her velvet wrap; and read a facsimile of a
note; as follows:

  〃DEAR PUSS。He dines with Popinot this evening; and will come to
  fetch me from the Opera at eleven。 I shall go out at about half…
  past five and count on finding you at our paradise。 Order dinner
  to be sent in from the /Maison d'or/。 Dress; so as to be able to
  take me to the Opera。 We shall have four hours to ourselves。
  Return this note to me; not that your Valerie doubts youI would
  give you my life; my fortune; and my honor; but I am afraid of the
  tricks of chance。〃

〃Here; Baron; this is the note sent to Count Steinbock this morning;
read the address。 The original document is burnt。〃

Montes turned the note over and over; recognized the writing; and was
struck by a rational idea; which is sufficient evidence of the
disorder of his brain。

〃And; pray;〃 said he; looking at Carabine; 〃what object have you in
torturing my heart; for you must have paid very dear for the privilege
of having the note in your possession long enough to get it
lithographed?〃

〃Foolish man!〃 said Carabine; at a nod from Madame Nourrisson; 〃don't
you see that poor child Cydalisea girl of sixteen; who has been
pining for you these three months; till she has lost her appetite for
food or drink; and who is heart…broken because you have never even
glanced at her?〃

Cydalise put her handkerchief to her eyes with an appearance of
emotion〃She is furious;〃 Carabine went on; 〃though she looks as if
butter would not melt in her mouth; furious to see the man she adores
duped by a villainous hussy; she would kill Valerie〃

〃Oh; as for that;〃 said the Brazilian; 〃that is my business!〃

〃What; killing?〃 said old Nourrisson。 〃No; my son; we don't do that
here nowadays。〃

〃Oh!〃 said Montes; 〃I am not a native of this country。 I live in a
parish where I can laugh at your laws; and if you give me proof〃

〃Well; that note。 Is that nothing?〃

〃No;〃 said the Brazilian。 〃I do not believe in the writing。 I must see
for myself。〃

〃See!〃 cried Carabine; taking the hint at once from a gesture of her
supposed aunt。 〃You shall see; my dear Tiger; all you wish to seeon
one condition。〃

〃And that is?〃

〃Look at Cydalise。〃

At a wink from Madame Nourrisson; Cydalise cast a tender look at the
Baron。

〃Will you be good to her? Will you make her a home?〃 asked Carabine。
〃A girl of such beauty is well worth a house and a carriage! It would
be a monstrous shame to leave her to walk the streets。 And besides
she is in debt。How much do you owe?〃 asked Carabine; nipping
Cydalise's arm。

〃She is worth all she can get;〃 said the old woman。 〃The point is that
she can find a buyer。〃

〃Listen!〃 cried Montes; fully aware at last of this masterpiece of
womankind 〃you will show me Valerie〃

〃And Count Steinbock。Certainly!〃 said Madame Nourrisson。

For the past ten minutes the old woman had been watching the
Brazilian; she saw that he was an instrument tuned up to the murderous
pitch she needed; and; above all; so effectually blinded; that he
would never heed who had led him on to it; and she spoke:

〃Cydalise; my Brazilian jewel; is my niece; so her concerns are partly
mine。 All this catastrophe will be the work of a few minutes; for a
friend of mine lets the furnished room to Count Steinbock where
Valerie is at this moment taking coffeea queer sort of coffee; but
she calls it her coffee。 So let us understand each other; Brazil!I
like Brazil; it is a hot country。What is to become of my niece?〃

〃You old ostrich;〃 said Montes; the plumes in the woman's bonnet
catching his eye; 〃you interrupted me。If you show meif I see
Valerie and that artist together〃

〃As you would wish to be〃 said Carabine; 〃that is understood。〃

〃Then I will take this girl and carry her away〃

〃Where?〃 asked Carabine。

〃To Brazil;〃 replied the Baron。 〃I will make her my wife。 My uncle
left me ten leagues square of entailed estate; that is how I still
have that house and home。 I have a hundred negroesnothing but
negroes and negresses and negro brats; all bought by my uncle〃

〃Nephew to a nigger…driver;〃 said Carabine; with a grimace。 〃That
needs some consideration。Cydalise; child; are you fond of the
blacks?〃

〃Pooh! Carabine; no nonsense;〃 said the old woman。 〃The deuce is in
it! Monsieur and I are doing business。〃

〃If I take up another Frenchwoman; I mean to have her to myself;〃 the
Brazilian went on。 〃I warn you; mademoiselle; I am king there; and not
a constitutional king。 I am Czar; my subjects are mine by purchase;
and no one can escape from my kingdom; which is a hundred leagues from
any human settlement; hemmed in by savages on the interior; and
divided from the sea by a wilderness as wide as France。〃

〃I should prefer a garret here。〃

〃So thought I;〃 said Montes; 〃since I sold all my land and possessions
at Rio to come back to Madame Marneffe。〃

〃A man does not make such a voyage for nothing;〃 remarked Madame
Nourrisson。 〃You have a right to look for love for your own sake;
particularly being so good…looking。Oh; he is very handsome!〃 said
she to Carabine。

〃Very handsome; handsomer than the /Postillon de Longjumeau/;〃 replied
the courtesan。

Cydalise took the Brazilian's hand; but he released it as politely as
he could。

〃I came back for Madame Marneffe;〃 the man went on where he had left
off; 〃but you do not know why I was three years thinking about it。〃

〃No; savage!〃 said Carabine。

〃Well; she had so repeatedly told me that she longed to live with me
alone in a desert〃

〃Oh; ho! he is not a savage after all;〃 cried Carabine; with a shout
of laughter。 〃He is of the highly…civilized tribe of Flats!〃

〃She had told me this so often;〃 Montes went on; regardless of the
courtesan's mockery; 〃that I had a lovely house fitted up in the heart
of that vast estate。 I came back to France to fetch Valerie; and the
first evening I saw her〃

〃Saw her is very proper!〃 said Carabine。 〃I will remember it。〃

〃She told me to wait till that wretched Marneffe was dead; and I
agreed; and forgave her for having admitted the attentions of Hulot。
Whether the devil had her in hand I don't know; but from that instant
that woman has humored my every whim; complied with all my demands
never for one moment has she given me cause to suspect her!〃

〃That is supremely clever!〃 said Carabine to Madame Nourrisson; who
nodded in sign of assent。

〃My faith in that woman;〃 sai
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