cousin betty-第12部分

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jesting；　she　replied：

〃It　would　be　marrying　hunger　and　thirst；　he　is　a　workman；　I　am　a
workwoman。　If　we　had　children；　they　would　be　workmen。No；　no；　we　love
each　other　spiritually；　it　is　less　expensive。〃

〃Why　do　you　keep　him　in　hiding？〃　Hortense　asked。

〃He　wears　a　round　jacket；〃　replied　the　old　maid；　laughing。

〃You　truly　love　him？〃　the　Baroness　inquired。

〃I　believe　you！　I　love　him　for　his　own　sake；　the　dear　cherub。　For　four
years　his　home　has　been　in　my　heart。〃

〃Well；　then；　if　you　love　him　for　himself；〃　said　the　Baroness　gravely；
〃and　if　he　really　exists；　you　are　treating　him　criminally。　You　do　not
know　how　to　love　truly。〃

〃We　all　know　that　from　our　birth；〃　said　Lisbeth。

〃No；　there　are　women　who　love　and　yet　are　selfish；　and　that　is　your
case。〃

Cousin　Betty's　head　fell；　and　her　glance　would　have　made　any　one
shiver　who　had　seen　it；　but　her　eyes　were　on　her　reel　of　thread。

〃If　you　would　introduce　your　so…called　lover　to　us；　Hector　might　find
him　employment；　or　put　him　in　a　position　to　make　money。〃

〃That　is　out　of　the　question；〃　said　Cousin　Betty。

〃And　why？〃

〃He　is　a　sort　of　Polea　refugee〃

〃A　conspirator？〃　cried　Hortense。　〃What　luck　for　you！Has　he　had　any
adventures？〃

〃He　has　fought　for　Poland。　He　was　a　professor　in　the　school　where　the
students　began　the　rebellion；　and　as　he　had　been　placed　there　by　the
Grand　Duke　Constantine；　he　has　no　hope　of　mercy〃

〃A　professor　of　what？〃

〃Of　fine　arts。〃

〃And　he　came　to　Paris　when　the　rebellion　was　quelled？〃

〃In　1833。　He　came　through　Germany　on　foot。〃

〃Poor　young　man！　And　how　old　is　he？〃

〃He　was　just　four…and…twenty　when　the　insurrection　broke　outhe　is
twenty…nine　now。〃

〃Fifteen　years　your　junior；〃　said　the　Baroness。

〃And　what　does　he　live　on？〃　asked　Hortense。

〃His　talent。〃

〃Oh；　he　gives　lessons？〃

〃No；〃　said　Cousin　Betty；　〃he　gets　them；　and　hard　ones　too！〃

〃And　his　Christian　nameis　it　a　pretty　name？〃

〃Wenceslas。〃

〃What　a　wonderful　imagination　you　old　maids　have！〃　exclaimed　the
Baroness。　〃To　hear　you　talk；　Lisbeth；　one　might　really　believe　you。〃

〃You　see；　mamma；　he　is　a　Pole；　and　so　accustomed　to　the　knout　that
Lisbeth　reminds　him　of　the　joys　of　his　native　land。〃

They　all　three　laughed；　and　Hortense　sang　/Wenceslas！　idole　de　mon
ame！/　instead　of　/O　Mathilde/。

Then　for　a　few　minutes　there　was　a　truce。

〃These　children；〃　said　Cousin　Betty；　looking　at　Hortense　as　she　went
up　to　her；　〃fancy　that　no　one　but　themselves　can　have　lovers。〃

〃Listen；〃　Hortense　replied；　finding　herself　alone　with　her　cousin；　〃if
you　prove　to　me　that　Wenceslas　is　not　a　pure　invention；　I　will　give
you　my　yellow　cashmere　shawl。〃

〃He　is　a　Count。〃

〃Every　Pole　is　a　Count！〃

〃But　he　is　not　a　Pole；　he　comes　from　LivaLitha〃

〃Lithuania？〃

〃No。〃

〃Livonia？〃

〃Yes；　that's　it！〃

〃But　what　is　his　name？〃

〃I　wonder　if　you　are　capable　of　keeping　a　secret。〃

〃Cousin　Betty；　I　will　be　as　mute！〃

〃As　a　fish？〃

〃As　a　fish。〃

〃By　your　life　eternal？〃

〃By　my　life　eternal！〃

〃No；　by　your　happiness　in　this　world？〃

〃Yes。〃

〃Well；　then；　his　name　is　Wenceslas　Steinbock。〃

〃One　of　Charles　XII。's　Generals　was　named　Steinbock。〃

〃He　was　his　grand…uncle。　His　own　father　settled　in　Livonia　after　the
death　of　the　King　of　Sweden；　but　he　lost　all　his　fortune　during　the
campaign　of　1812；　and　died；　leaving　the　poor　boy　at　the　age　of　eight
without　a　penny。　The　Grand　Duke　Constantine；　for　the　honor　of　the　name
of　Steinbock；　took　him　under　his　protection　and　sent　him　to　school。〃

〃I　will　not　break　my　word；〃　Hortense　replied；　〃prove　his　existence；
and　you　shall　have　the　yellow　shawl。　The　color　is　most　becoming　to
dark　skins。〃

〃And　you　will　keep　my　secret？〃

〃And　tell　you　mine。〃

〃Well；　then；　the　next　time　I　come　you　shall　have　the　proof。〃

〃But　the　proof　will　be　the　lover；〃　said　Hortense。

Cousin　Betty；　who；　since　her　first　arrival　in　Paris；　had　been　bitten
by　a　mania　for　shawls；　was　bewitched　by　the　idea　of　owning　the　yellow
cashmere　given　to　his　wife　by　the　Baron　in　1808；　and　handed　down　from
mother　to　daughter　after　the　manner　of　some　families　in　1830。　The
shawl　had　been　a　good　deal　worn　ten　years　ago；　but　the　costly　object；
now　always　kept　in　its　sandal…wood　box；　seemed　to　the　old　maid　ever
new；　like　the　drawing…room　furniture。　So　she　brought　in　her　handbag　a
present　for　the　Baroness'　birthday；　by　which　she　proposed　to　prove　the
existence　of　her　romantic　lover。

This　present　was　a　silver　seal　formed　of　three　little　figures　back　to
back；　wreathed　with　foliage；　and　supporting　the　Globe。　They
represented　Faith；　Hope；　and　Charity；　their　feet　rested　on　monsters
rending　each　other；　among　them　the　symbolical　serpent。　In　1846；　now
that　such　immense　strides　have　been　made　in　the　art　of　which　Benvenuto
Cellini　was　the　master；　by　Mademoiselle　de　Fauveau；　Wagner；　Jeanest；
Froment…Meurice；　and　wood…carvers　like　Lienard；　this　little
masterpiece　would　amaze　nobody；　but　at　that　time　a　girl　who　understood
the　silversmith's　art　stood　astonished　as　she　held　the　seal　which
Lisbeth　put　into　her　hands；　saying：

〃There！　what　do　you　think　of　that？〃

In　design；　attitude；　and　drapery　the　figures　were　of　the　school　of
Raphael；　but　the　execution　was　in　the　style　of　the　Florentine　metal
workersthe　school　created　by　Donatello；　Brunelleschi；　Ghiberti；
Benvenuto　Cellini；　John　of　Bologna；　and　others。　The　French　masters　of
the　Renaissance　had　never　invented　more　strangely　twining　monsters
than　these　that　symbolized　the　evil　passions。　The　palms；　ferns；　reeds；
and　foliage　that　wreathed　the　Virtues　showed　a　style；　a　taste；　a
handling　that　might　have　driven　a　practised　craftsman　to　despair；　a
scroll　floated　above　the　three　figures；　and　on　its　surface；　between
the　heads；　were　a　W；　a　chamois；　and　the　word　/fecit/。

〃Who　carved　this？〃　asked　Hortense。

〃Well；　just　my　lover；〃　replied　Lisbeth。　〃There　are　ten　months'　work　in
it；　I　could　earn　more　at　making　sword…knots。He　told　me　that
Steinbock　means　a　rock　goat；　a　chamois；　in　German。　And　he　intends　to
mark　all　his　work　in　that　way。Ah；　ha！　I　shall　have　the　shawl。〃

〃What　for？〃

〃Do　you　suppose　I　could　buy　such　a　thing；　or　order　it？　Impossible！
Well；　then；　it　must　have　been　given　to　me。　And　who　would　make　me　such
a　present？　A　lover！〃

Hortense；　with　an　artfulness　that　would　have　frightened　Lisbeth
Fischer　if　she　had　detected　it；　took　care　not　to　express　all　her
admiration；　though　she　was　full　of　the　delight　which　every　soul　that
is　open　to　a　sense　of　beauty　must　feel　on　seeing　a　faultless　piece　of
workperfect　and　unexpected。

〃On　my　word；〃　said　she；　〃it　is　very　pretty。〃

〃Yes；　it　is　pretty；〃　said　her　cousin；　〃but　I　like　an　orange…colored
shawl　better。Well；　child；　my　lover　spends　his　time　in　doing　such
work　as　that。　Since　he　came　to　Paris　he　has　turned　out　three　or　four
little　trifles　in　that　style；　and　that　is　the　fruit　of　four　years'
study　and　toil。　He　has　served　as　apprentice　to　founders；　metal…
casters；　and　goldsmiths。There　he　has　paid　away　thousands　and
hundreds　of　francs。　And　my　gentleman　tells　me　that　in　a　few　months　now
he　will　be　famous　and　rich〃

〃Then　you　often　see　him？〃

〃Bless　me；　do　you　think　it　is　all　a　fa