cousin betty-第115部分

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will　call　on　them。　Simply　hearing　the　words　/two　hundred　thousand
francs/　has　brought　the　Baroness　to　death's　door。　Oh；　you　have　them
all　hard　and　fast　by　that　tale！But　you　must　tell　it　to　me。〃

Within　a　month　of　her　marriage；　Valerie　was　at　her　tenth　quarrel　with
Steinbock；　he　insisted　on　explanations　as　to　Henri　Montes；　reminding
her　of　the　words　spoken　in　their　paradise；　and；　not　content　with
speaking　to　her　in　terms　of　scorn；　he　watched　her　so　closely　that　she
never　had　a　moment　of　liberty；　so　much　was　she　fettered　by　his
jealousy　on　one　side　and　Crevel's　devotion　on　the　other。

Bereft　now　of　Lisbeth；　whose　advice　had　always　been　so　valuable　she
flew　into　such　a　rage　as　to　reproach　Wenceslas　for　the　money　she　had
lent　him。　This　so　effectually　roused　Steinbock's　pride；　that　he　came
no　more　to　the　Crevels'　house。　So　Valerie　had　gained　her　point；　which
was　to　be　rid　of　him　for　a　time；　and　enjoy　some　freedom。　She　waited
till　Crevel　should　make　a　little　journey　into　the　country　to　see　Comte
Popinot；　with　a　view　to　arranging　for　her　introduction　to　the
Countess；　and　was　then　able　to　make　an　appointment　to　meet　the　Baron；
whom　she　wanted　to　have　at　her　command　for　a　whole　day　to　give　him
those　〃reasons〃　which　were　to　make　him　love　her　more　than　ever。

On　the　morning　of　that　day；　Reine；　who　estimated　the　magnitude　of　her
crime　by　that　of　the　bribe　she　received；　tried　to　warn　her　mistress；
in　whom　she　naturally　took　more　interest　than　in　strangers。　Still；　as
she　had　been　threatened　with　madness；　and　ending　her　days　in　the
Salpetriere　in　case　of　indiscretion；　she　was　cautious。

〃Madame；　you　are　so　well　off　now；〃　said　she。　〃Why　take　on　again　with
that　Brazilian？I　do　not　trust　him　at　all。〃

〃You　are　very　right；　Reine；　and　I　mean　to　be　rid　of　him。〃

〃Oh；　madame；　I　am　glad　to　hear　it；　he　frightens　me；　does　that　big
Moor！　I　believe　him　to　be　capable　of　anything。〃

〃Silly　child！　you　have　more　reason　to　be　afraid　for　him　when　he　is
with　me。〃

At　this　moment　Lisbeth　came　in。

〃My　dear　little　pet　Nanny；　what　an　age　since　we　met！〃　cried　Valerie。
〃I　am　so　unhappy！　Crevel　bores　me　to　death；　and　Wenceslas　is　gonewe
quarreled。〃

〃I　know；〃　said　Lisbeth；　〃and　that　is　what　brings　me　here。　Victorin　met
him　at　about　five　in　the　afternoon　going　into　an　eating…house　at　five…
and…twenty　sous；　and　he　brought　him　home；　hungry；　by　working　on　his
feelings；　to　the　Rue　Louis…le…Grand。Hortense；　seeing　Wenceslas　lean
and　ill　and　badly　dressed；　held　out　her　hand。　This　is　how　you　throw　me
over〃

〃Monsieur　Henri；　madame；〃　the　man…servant　announced　in　a　low　voice　to
Valerie。

〃Leave　me　now；　Lisbeth；　I　will　explain　it　all　to…morrow。〃　But；　as　will
be　seen；　Valerie　was　ere　long　not　in　a　state　to　explain　anything　to
anybody。



Towards　the　end　of　May；　Baron　Hulot's　pension　was　released　by
Victorin's　regular　payment　to　Baron　Nucingen。　As　everybody　knows；
pensions　are　paid　half…yearly；　and　only　on　the　presentation　of　a
certificate　that　the　recipient　is　alive：　and　as　Hulot's　residence　was
unknown；　the　arrears　unpaid　on　Vauvinet's　demand　remained　to　his
credit　in　the　Treasury。　Vauvinet　now　signed　his　renunciation　of　any
further　claims；　and　it　was　still　indispensable　to　find　the　pensioner
before　the　arrears　could　be　drawn。

Thanks　to　Bianchon's　care；　the　Baroness　had　recovered　her　health；　and
to　this　Josepha's　good　heart　had　contributed　by　a　letter；　of　which　the
orthography　betrayed　the　collaboration　of　the　Duc　d'Herouville。　This
was　what　the　singer　wrote　to　the　Baroness；　after　twenty　days　of
anxious　search：

　　〃MADAME　LA　BARONNE；Monsieur　Hulot　was　living；　two　months　since；
　　in　the　Rue　des　Bernardins；　with　Elodie　Chardin；　a　lace…mender；　for
　　whom　he　had　left　Mademoiselle　Bijou；　but　he　went　away　without　a
　　word；　leaving　everything　behind　him；　and　no　one　knows　where　he
　　went。　I　am　not　without　hope；　however；　and　I　have　put　a　man　on　this
　　track　who　believes　he　has　already　seen　him　in　the　Boulevard
　　Bourdon。

　　〃The　poor　Jewess　means　to　keep　the　promise　she　made　to　the
　　Christian。　Will　the　angel　pray　for　the　devil？　That　must　sometimes
　　happen　in　heaven。I　remain；　with　the　deepest　respect；　always　your
　　humble　servant；


〃JOSEPHA　MIRAH。〃

The　lawyer；　Maitre　Hulot　d'Ervy；　hearing　no　more　of　the　dreadful
Madame　Nourrisson；　seeing　his　father…in…law　married；　having　brought
back　his　brother…in…law　to　the　family　fold；　suffering　from　no
importunity　on　the　part　of　his　new　stepmother；　and　seeing　his　mother's
health　improve　daily；　gave　himself　up　to　his　political　and　judicial
duties；　swept　along　by　the　tide　of　Paris　life；　in　which　the　hours
count　for　days。

One　night；　towards　the　end　of　the　session；　having　occasion　to　write　up
a　report　to　the　Chamber　of　Deputies；　he　was　obliged　to　sit　at　work
till　late　at　night。　He　had　gone　into　his　study　at　nine　o'clock；　and；
while　waiting　till　the　man…servant　should　bring　in　the　candles　with
green　shades；　his　thoughts　turned　to　his　father。　He　was　blaming
himself　for　leaving　the　inquiry　so　much　to　the　singer；　and　had
resolved　to　see　Monsieur　Chapuzot　himself　on　the　morrow；　when　he　saw
in　the　twilight；　outside　the　window；　a　handsome　old　head；　bald　and
yellow；　with　a　fringe　of　white　hair。

〃Would　you　please　to　give　orders；　sir；　that　a　poor　hermit　is　to　be
admitted；　just　come　from　the　Desert；　and　who　is　instructed　to　beg　for
contributions　towards　rebuilding　a　holy　house。〃

This　apparition；　which　suddenly　reminded　the　lawyer　of　a　prophecy
uttered　by　the　terrible　Nourrisson；　gave　him　a　shock。

〃Let　in　that　old　man；〃　said　he　to　the　servant。

〃He　will　poison　the　place；　sir；〃　replied　the　man。　〃He　has　on　a　brown
gown　which　he　has　never　changed　since　he　left　Syria；　and　he　has　no
shirt〃

〃Show　him　in；〃　repeated　the　master。

The　old　man　came　in。　Victorin's　keen　eye　examined　this　so…called
pilgrim　hermit；　and　he　saw　a　fine　specimen　of　the　Neapolitan　friars；
whose　frocks　are　akin　to　the　rags　of　the　/lazzaroni/；　whose　sandals
are　tatters　of　leather；　as　the　friars　are　tatters　of　humanity。　The
get…up　was　so　perfect　that　the　lawyer；　though　still　on　his　guard；　was
vexed　with　himself　for　having　believed　it　to　be　one　of　Madame
Nourrisson's　tricks。

〃How　much　to　you　want　of　me？〃

〃Whatever　you　feel　that　you　ought　to　give　me。〃

Victorin　took　a　five…franc　piece　from　a　little　pile　on　his　table；　and
handed　it　to　the　stranger。

〃That　is　not　much　on　account　of　fifty　thousand　francs；〃　said　the
pilgrim　of　the　desert。

This　speech　removed　all　Victorin's　doubts。

〃And　has　Heaven　kept　its　word？〃　he　said；　with　a　frown。

〃The　question　is　an　offence；　my　son；〃　said　the　hermit。　〃If　you　do　not
choose　to　pay　till　after　the　funeral；　you　are　in　your　rights。　I　will
return　in　a　week's　time。〃

〃The　funeral！〃　cried　the　lawyer；　starting　up。

〃The　world　moves　on；〃　said　the　old　man；　as　he　withdrew；　〃and　the　dead
move　quickly　in　Paris！〃

When　Hulot；　who　stood　looking　down；　was　about　to　reply；　the　stalwart
old　man　had　vanished。

〃I　don't　understand　one　word　of　all　this；〃　said　Victorin　to　himself。
〃But　at　the　end　of　the　week　I　will　ask　him　again　about　my　father；　if
we　have　not　yet　found　him。　Where　does　Madame　Nourrissonyes；　that　was
her　namepick