cousin betty-第116部分

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we　have　not　yet　found　him。　Where　does　Madame　Nourrissonyes；　that　was
her　namepick　up　such　actors？〃

On　the　following　day；　Doctor　Bianchon　allowed　the　Baroness　to　go　down
into　the　garden；　after　examining　Lisbeth；　who　had　been　obliged　to　keep
to　her　room　for　a　month　by　a　slight　bronchial　attack。　The　learned
doctor；　who　dared　not　pronounce　a　definite　opinion　on　Lisbeth's　case
till　he　had　seen　some　decisive　symptoms；　went　into　the　garden　with
Adeline　to　observe　the　effect　of　the　fresh　air　on　her　nervous
trembling　after　two　months　of　seclusion。　He　was　interested　and　allured
by　the　hope　of　curing　this　nervous　complaint。　On　seeing　the　great
physician　sitting　with　them　and　sparing　them　a　few　minutes；　the
Baroness　and　her　family　conversed　with　him　on　general　subjects。

〃You　life　is　a　very　full　and　a　very　sad　one；〃　said　Madame　Hulot。　〃I
know　what　it　is　to　spend　one's　days　in　seeing　poverty　and　physical
suffering。〃

〃I　know；　madame；〃　replied　the　doctor；　〃all　the　scenes　of　which　charity
compels　you　to　be　a　spectator；　but　you　will　get　used　to　it　in　time；　as
we　all　do。　It　is　the　law　of　existence。　The　confessor；　the　magistrate；
the　lawyer　would　find　life　unendurable　if　the　spirit　of　the　State　did
not　assert　itself　above　the　feelings　of　the　individual。　Could　we　live
at　all　but　for　that？　Is　not　the　soldier　in　time　of　war　brought　face　to
face　with　spectacles　even　more　dreadful　than　those　we　see？　And　every
soldier　that　has　been　under　fire　is　kind…hearted。　We　medical　men　have
the　pleasure　now　and　again　of　a　successful　cure；　as　you　have　that　of
saving　a　family　from　the　horrors　of　hunger；　depravity；　or　misery；　and
of　restoring　it　to　social　respectability。　But　what　comfort　can　the
magistrate　find；　the　police　agent；　or　the　attorney；　who　spend　their
lives　in　investigating　the　basest　schemes　of　self…interest；　the　social
monster　whose　only　regret　is　when　it　fails；　but　on　whom　repentance
never　dawns？

〃One…half　of　society　spends　its　life　in　watching　the　other　half。　A
very　old　friend　of　mine　is　an　attorney；　now　retired；　who　told　me　that
for　fifteen　years　past　notaries　and　lawyers　have　distrusted　their
clients　quite　as　much　as　their　adversaries。　Your　son　is　a　pleader；　has
he　never　found　himself　compromised　by　the　client　for　whom　he　held　a
brief？〃

〃Very　often；〃　said　Victorin；　with　a　smile。

〃And　what　is　the　cause　of　this　deep…seated　evil？〃　asked　the　Baroness。

〃The　decay　of　religion；〃　said　Bianchon；　〃and　the　pre…eminence　of
finance；　which　is　simply　solidified　selfishness。　Money　used　not　to　be
everything；　there　were　some　kinds　of　superiority　that　ranked　above　it
nobility；　genius；　service　done　to　the　State。　But　nowadays　the　law
takes　wealth　as　the　universal　standard；　and　regards　it　as　the　measure
of　public　capacity。　Certain　magistrates　are　ineligible　to　the　Chamber；
Jean…Jacques　Rousseau　would　be　ineligible！　The　perpetual　subdivision
of　estate　compels　every　man　to　take　care　of　himself　from　the　age　of
twenty。

〃Well；　then；　between　the　necessity　for　making　a　fortune　and　the
depravity　of　speculation　there　is　no　check　or　hindrance；　for　the
religious　sense　is　wholly　lacking　in　France；　in　spite　of　the　laudable
endeavors　of　those　who　are　working　for　a　Catholic　revival。　And　this　is
the　opinion　of　every　man　who；　like　me；　studies　society　at　the　core。〃

〃And　you　have　few　pleasures？〃　said　Hortense。

〃The　true　physician；　madame；　is　in　love　with　his　science；〃　replied　the
doctor。　〃He　is　sustained　by　that　passion　as　much　as　by　the　sense　of
his　usefulness　to　society。

〃At　this　very　time　you　see　in　me　a　sort　of　scientific　rapture；　and
many　superficial　judges　would　regard　me　as　a　man　devoid　of　feeling。　I
have　to　announce　a　discovery　to…morrow　to　the　College　of　Medicine；　for
I　am　studying　a　disease　that　had　disappeareda　mortal　disease　for
which　no　cure　is　known　in　temperate　climates；　though　it　is　curable　in
the　West　Indiesa　malady　known　here　in　the　Middle　Ages。　A　noble　fight
is　that　of　the　physician　against　such　a　disease。　For　the　last　ten　days
I　have　thought　of　nothing　but　these　casesfor　there　are　two；　a
husband　and　wife。Are　they　not　connections　of　yours？　For　you；　madame；
are　surely　Monsieur　Crevel's　daughter？〃　said　he；　addressing　Celestine。

〃What；　is　my　father　your　patient？〃　asked　Celestine。　〃Living　in　the　Rue
Barbet…de…Jouy？〃

〃Precisely　so；〃　said　Bianchon。

〃And　the　disease　is　inevitably　fatal？〃　said　Victorin　in　dismay。

〃I　will　go　to　see　him；〃　said　Celestine；　rising。

〃I　positively　forbid　it；　madame；〃　Bianchon　quietly　said。　〃The　disease
is　contagious。〃

〃But　you　go　there；　monsieur；〃　replied　the　young　woman。　〃Do　you　think
that　a　daughter's　duty　is　less　binding　than　a　doctor's？〃

〃Madame；　a　physician　knows　how　to　protect　himself　against　infection；
and　the　rashness　of　your　devotion　proves　to　me　that　you　would　probably
be　less　prudent　than　I。〃

Celestine；　however；　got　up　and　went　to　her　room；　where　she　dressed　to
go　out。

〃Monsieur；〃　said　Victorin　to　Bianchon；　〃have　you　any　hope　of　saving
Monsieur　and　Madame　Crevel？〃

〃I　hope；　but　I　do　not　believe　that　I　may；〃　said　Bianchon。　〃The　case　is
to　me　quite　inexplicable。　The　disease　is　peculiar　to　negroes　and　the
American　tribes；　whose　skin　is　differently　constituted　to　that　of　the
white　races。　Now　I　can　trace　no　connection　with　the　copper…colored
tribes；　with　negroes　or　half…castes；　in　Monsieur　or　Madame　Crevel。

〃And　though　it　is　a　very　interesting　disease　to　us；　it　is　a　terrible
thing　for　the　sufferers。　The　poor　woman；　who　is　said　to　have　been　very
pretty；　is　punished　for　her　sins；　for　she　is　now　squalidly　hideous　if
she　is　still　anything　at　all。　She　is　losing　her　hair　and　teeth；　her
skin　is　like　a　leper's；　she　is　a　horror　to　herself；　her　hands　are
horrible；　covered　with　greenish　pustules；　her　nails　are　loose；　and　the
flesh　is　eaten　away　by　the　poisoned　humors。〃

〃And　the　cause　of　such　a　disease？〃　asked　the　lawyer。

〃Oh！〃　said　the　doctor；　〃the　cause　lies　in　a　form　of　rapid　blood…
poisoning；　it　degenerates　with　terrific　rapidity。　I　hope　to　act　on　the
blood；　I　am　having　it　analyzed；　and　I　am　now　going　home　to　ascertain
the　result　of　the　labors　of　my　friend　Professor　Duval；　the　famous
chemist；　with　a　view　to　trying　one　of　those　desperate　measures　by
which　we　sometimes　attempt　to　defeat　death。〃

〃The　hand　of　God　is　there！〃　said　Adeline；　in　a　voice　husky　with
emotion。　〃Though　that　woman　has　brought　sorrows　on　me　which　have　led
me　in　moments　of　madness　to　invoke　the　vengeance　of　Heaven；　I　hope
God　knows　I　hopeyou　may　succeed；　doctor。〃

Victorin　felt　dizzy。　He　looked　at　his　mother；　his　sister；　and　the
physician　by　turns；　quaking　lest　they　should　read　his　thoughts。　He
felt　himself　a　murderer。

Hortense；　for　her　part；　thought　God　was　just。

Celestine　came　back　to　beg　her　husband　to　accompany　her。

〃If　you　insist　on　going；　madame；　and　you　too；　monsieur；　keep　at　least
a　foot　between　you　and　the　bed　of　the　sufferer；　that　is　the　chief
precaution。　Neither　you　nor　your　wife　must　dream　of　kissing　the　dying
man。　And；　indeed；　you　ought　to　go　with　your　wife；　Monsieur　Hulot；　to
hinder　her　from　disobeying　my　injunctions。〃

Adeline　and　Hortense；　when　they　were　left　alone；　went　to　sit　with
Lisbeth。　Hortense　had　su