cousin betty-第122部分

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altered！　you　must　have　suffered　so　much！　What　a　surprise　for　Hortense
and　for　your　son！〃

Adeline　talked　as　lovers　talk　who　meet　after　a　long　absence；　of　a
hundred　things　at　once。

In　ten　minutes　the　Baron　and　his　wife　reached　the　Rue　Louis…le…Grand；
and　there　Adeline　found　this　note　awaiting　her：

　　〃MADAME　LA　BARONNE；

　　〃Monsieur　le　Baron　Hulot　d'Ervy　lived　for　one　month　in　the　Rue　de
　　Charonne　under　the　name　of　Thorec；　an　anagram　of　Hector。　He　is　now
　　in　the　Passage　du　Soleil　by　the　name　of　Vyder。　He　says　he　is　an
　　Alsatian；　and　does　writing；　and　he　lives　with　a　girl　named　Atala
　　Judici。　Be　very　cautious；　madame；　for　search　is　on　foot；　the　Baron
　　is　wanted；　on　what　score　I　know　not。

　　〃The　actress　has　kept　her　word；　and　remains；　as　ever；

〃Madame　la　Baronne；　your　humble　servant；
〃J。　M。〃


The　Baron's　return　was　hailed　with　such　joy　as　reconciled　him　to
domestic　life。　He　forgot　little　Atala　Judici；　for　excesses　of
profligacy　had　reduced　him　to　the　volatility　of　feeling　that　is
characteristic　of　childhood。　But　the　happiness　of　the　family　was
dashed　by　the　change　that　had　come　over　him。　He　had　been　still　hale
when　he　had　gone　away　from　his　home；　he　had　come　back　almost　a
hundred；　broken；　bent；　and　his　expression　even　debased。

A　splendid　dinner；　improvised　by　Celestine；　reminded　the　old　man　of
the　singer's　banquets；　he　was　dazzled　by　the　splendor　of　his　home。

〃A　feast　in　honor　of　the　return　of　the　prodigal　father？〃　said　he　in　a
murmur　to　Adeline。

〃Hush！〃　said　she；　〃all　is　forgotten。〃

〃And　Lisbeth？〃　he　asked；　not　seeing　the　old　maid。

〃I　am　sorry　to　say　that　she　is　in　bed；〃　replied　Hortense。　〃She　can
never　get　up；　and　we　shall　have　the　grief　of　losing　her　ere　long。　She
hopes　to　see　you　after　dinner。〃

At　daybreak　next　morning　Victorin　Hulot　was　informed　by　the　porter's
wife　that　soldiers　of　the　municipal　guard　were　posted　all　round　the
premises；　the　police　demanded　Baron　Hulot。　The　bailiff；　who　had
followed　the　woman；　laid　a　summons　in　due　form　before　the　lawyer；　and
asked　him　whether　he　meant　to　pay　his　father's　debts。　The　claim　was
for　ten　thousand　francs　at　the　suit　of　an　usurer　named　Samanon；　who
had　probably　lent　the　Baron　two　or　three　thousand　at　most。　Victorin
desired　the　bailiff　to　dismiss　his　men；　and　paid。

〃But　is　it　the　last？〃　he　anxiously　wondered。

Lisbeth；　miserable　already　at　seeing　the　family　so　prosperous；　could
not　survive　this　happy　event。　She　grew　so　rapidly　worse　that　Bianchon
gave　her　but　a　week　to　live；　conquered　at　last　in　the　long　struggle　in
which　she　had　scored　so　many　victories。

She　kept　the　secret　of　her　hatred　even　through　a　painful　death　from
pulmonary　consumption。　And；　indeed；　she　had　the　supreme　satisfaction
of　seeing　Adeline；　Hortense；　Hulot；　Victorin；　Steinbock；　Celestine；
and　their　children　standing　in　tears　round　her　bed　and　mourning　for
her　as　the　angel　of　the　family。

Baron　Hulot；　enjoying　a　course　of　solid　food　such　as　he　had　not　known
for　nearly　three　years；　recovered　flesh　and　strength；　and　was　almost
himself　again。　This　improvement　was　such　a　joy　to　Adeline　that　her
nervous　trembling　perceptibly　diminished。

〃She　will　be　happy　after　all；〃　said　Lisbeth　to　herself　on　the　day
before　she　died；　as　she　saw　the　veneration　with　which　the　Baron
regarded　his　wife；　of　whose　sufferings　he　had　heard　from　Hortense　and
Victorin。

And　vindictiveness　hastened　Cousin　Betty's　end。　The　family　followed
her；　weeping；　to　the　grave。

The　Baron　and　Baroness；　having　reached　the　age　which　looks　for　perfect
rest；　gave　up　the　handsome　rooms　on　the　first　floor　to　the　Count　and
Countess　Steinbock；　and　took　those　above。　The　Baron　by　his　son's
exertions　found　an　official　position　in　the　management　of　a　railroad；
in　1845；　with　a　salary　of　six　thousand　francs；　which；　added　to　the　six
thousand　of　his　pension　and　the　money　left　to　him　by　Madame　Crevel；
secured　him　an　income　of　twenty…four　thousand　francs。　Hortense　having
enjoyed　her　independent　income　during　the　three　years　of　separation
from　Wenceslas；　Victorin　now　invested　the　two　hundred　thousand　francs
he　had　in　trust；　in　his　sister's　name　and　he　allowed　her　twelve
thousand　francs。

Wenceslas；　as　the　husband　of　a　rich　woman；　was　not　unfaithful；　but　he
was　an　idler；　he　could　not　make　up　his　mind　to　begin　any　work；　however
trifling。　Once　more　he　became　the　artist　/in　partibus/；　he　was　popular
in　society；　and　consulted　by　amateurs；　in　short；　he　became　a　critic；
like　all　the　feeble　folk　who　fall　below　their　promise。

Thus　each　household；　though　living　as　one　family；　had　its　own　fortune。
The　Baroness；　taught　by　bitter　experience；　left　the　management　of
matters　to　her　son；　and　the　Baron　was　thus　reduced　to　his　salary；　in
hope　that　the　smallness　of　his　income　would　prevent　his　relapsing　into
mischief。　And　by　some　singular　good　fortune；　on　which　neither　the
mother　nor　the　son　had　reckoned；　Hulot　seemed　to　have　foresworn　the
fair　sex。　His　subdued　behaviour；　ascribed　to　the　course　of　nature；　so
completely　reassured　the　family；　that　they　enjoyed　to　the　full　his
recovered　amiability　and　delightful　qualities。　He　was　unfailingly
attentive　to　his　wife　and　children；　escorted　them　to　the　play；
reappeared　in　society；　and　did　the　honors　to　his　son's　house　with
exquisite　grace。　In　short；　this　reclaimed　prodigal　was　the　joy　of　his
family。

He　was　a　most　agreeable　old　man；　a　ruin；　but　full　of　wit；　having
retained　no　more　of　his　vice　than　made　it　an　added　social　grace。

Of　course；　everybody　was　quite　satisfied　and　easy。　The　young　people
and　the　Baroness　lauded　the　model　father　to　the　skies；　forgetting　the
death　of　the　two　uncles。　Life　cannot　go　on　without　much　forgetting！

Madame　Victorin；　who　managed　this　enormous　household　with　great　skill；
due；　no　doubt；　to　Lisbeth's　training；　had　found　it　necessary　to　have　a
man…cook。　This　again　necessitated　a　kitchen…maid。　Kitchen…maids　are　in
these　days　ambitious　creatures；　eager　to　detect　the　/chef's/　secrets；
and　to　become　cooks　as　soon　as　they　have　learnt　to　stir　a　sauce。
Consequently；　the　kitchen…maid　is　liable　to　frequent　change。

At　the　beginning　of　1845　Celestine　engaged　as　kitchen…maid　a　sturdy
Normandy　peasant　come　from　Isignyshort…waisted；　with　strong　red
arms；　a　common　face；　as　dull　as　an　〃occasional　piece〃　at　the　play；　and
hardly　to　be　persuaded　out　of　wearing　the　classical　linen　cap　peculiar
to　the　women　of　Lower　Normandy。　This　girl；　as　buxom　as　a　wet…nurse；
looked　as　if　she　would　burst　the　blue　cotton　check　in　which　she
clothed　her　person。　Her　florid　face　might　have　been　hewn　out　of　stone；
so　hard　were　its　tawny　outlines。

Of　course　no　attention　was　paid　to　the　advent　in　the　house　of　this
girl；　whose　name　was　Agathean　ordinary；　wide…awake　specimen；　such　as
is　daily　imported　from　the　provinces。　Agathe　had　no　attractions　for
the　cook；　her　tongue　was　too　rough；　for　she　had　served　in　a　suburban
inn；　waiting　on　carters；　and　instead　of　making　a　conquest　of　her　chief
and　winning　from　him　the　secrets　of　the　high　art　of　the　kitchen；　she
was　the　object　of　his　great　contempt。　The　/chef's/　attentions　were；　in
fact；　devoted　to　Louise；　the　Countess　Steinbock's　maid。　The　country
girl；　thinking　herself　i