cousin betty-第20部分

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who　for　fifteen　years　had　been　his　clever　head…worker's　friend　and
counselor。　On　hearing　her　story；　Monsieur　and　Madame　Rivet　scolded
Lisbeth；　told　her　she　was　crazy；　abused　all　refugees　whose　plots　for
reconstructing　their　nation　compromised　the　prosperity　of　the　country
and　the　maintenance　of　peace；　and　they　urged　Lisbeth　to　find　what　in
trade　is　called　security。

〃The　only　hold　you　have　over　this　fellow　is　on　his　liberty；〃　observed
Monsieur　Rivet。

Monsieur　Achille　Rivet　was　assessor　at　the　Tribunal　of　Commerce。

〃Imprisonment　is　no　joke　for　a　foreigner；〃　said　he。　〃A　Frenchman
remains　five　years　in　prison　and　comes　out；　free　of　his　debts　to　be
sure；　for　he　is　thenceforth　bound　only　by　his　conscience；　and　that
never　troubles　him；　but　a　foreigner　never　comes　out。Give　me　your
promissory　note；　my　bookkeeper　will　take　it　up；　he　will　get　it
protested；　you　will　both　be　prosecuted　and　both　be　condemned　to
imprisonment　in　default　of　payment；　then；　when　everything　is　in　due
form；　you　must　sign　a　declaration。　By　doing　this　your　interest　will　be
accumulating；　and　you　will　have　a　pistol　always　primed　to　fire　at　your
Pole！〃

The　old　maid　allowed　these　legal　steps　to　be　taken；　telling　her
protege　not　to　be　uneasy；　as　the　proceedings　were　merely　to　afford　a
guarantee　to　a　money…lender　who　agreed　to　advance　them　certain　sums。
This　subterfuge　was　due　to　the　inventive　genius　of　Monsieur　Rivet。　The
guileless　artist；　blindly　trusting　to　his　benefactress；　lighted　his
pipe　with　the　stamped　paper；　for　he　smoked　as　all　men　do　who　have
sorrows　or　energies　that　need　soothing。

One　fine　day　Monsieur　Rivet　showed　Mademoiselle　Fischer　a　schedule；
and　said　to　her：

〃Here　you　have　Wenceslas　Steinbock　bound　hand　and　foot；　and　so
effectually；　that　within　twenty…four　hours　you　can　have　him　snug　in
Clichy　for　the　rest　of　his　days。〃

This　worthy　and　honest　judge　at　the　Chamber　of　Commerce　experienced
that　day　the　satisfaction　that　must　come　of　having　done　a　malignant
good　action。　Beneficence　has　so　many　aspects　in　Paris　that　this
contradictory　expression　really　represents　one　of　them。　The　Livonian
being　fairly　entangled　in　the　toils　of　commercial　procedure；　the　point
was　to　obtain　payment；　for　the　illustrious　tradesman　looked　on
Wenceslas　as　a　swindler。　Feeling；　sincerity；　poetry；　were　in　his　eyes
mere　folly　in　business　matters。

So　Rivet　went　off　to　see；　in　behalf　of　that　poor　Mademoiselle　Fischer；
who；　as　he　said；　had　been　〃done〃　by　the　Pole；　the　rich　manufacturers
for　whom　Steinbock　had　worked。　It　happened　that　Stidmannwho；　with
the　help　of　these　distinguished　masters　of　the　goldsmiths'　art；　was
raising　French　work　to　the　perfection　it　has　now　reached；　allowing　it
to　hold　its　own　against　Florence　and　the　RenaissanceStidmann　was　in
Chanor's　private　room　when　the　army　lace　manufacturer　called　to　make
inquiries　as　to　〃One　Steinbock；　a　Polish　refugee。〃

〃Whom　do　you　call　'One　Steinbock'？　Do　you　mean　a　young　Livonian　who
was　a　pupil　of　mine？〃　cried　Stidmann　ironically。　〃I　may　tell　you；
monsieur；　that　he　is　a　very　great　artist。　It　is　said　of　me　that　I
believe　myself　to　be　the　Devil。　Well；　that　poor　fellow　does　not　know
that　he　is　capable　of　becoming　a　god。〃

〃Indeed；〃　said　Rivet；　well　pleased。　And　then　he　added；　〃Though　you
take　a　rather　cavalier　tone　with　a　man　who　has　the　honor　to　be　an
Assessor　on　the　Tribunal　of　Commerce　of　the　Department　of　the　Seine。〃

〃Your　pardon；　Consul！〃　said　Stidmann；　with　a　military　salute。

〃I　am　delighted；〃　the　Assessor　went　on；　〃to　hear　what　you　say。　The　man
may　make　money　then？〃

〃Certainly；〃　said　Chanor；　〃but　he　must　work。　He　would　have　a　tidy　sum
by　now　if　he　had　stayed　with　us。　What　is　to　be　done？　Artists　have　a
horror　of　not　being　free。〃

〃They　have　a　proper　sense　of　their　value　and　dignity；〃　replied
Stidmann。　〃I　do　not　blame　Wenceslas　for　walking　alone；　trying　to　make
a　name；　and　to　become　a　great　man；　he　had　a　right　to　do　so！　But　he　was
a　great　loss　to　me　when　he　left。〃

〃That；　you　see；〃　exclaimed　Rivet；　〃is　what　all　young　students　aim　at
as　soon　as　they　are　hatched　out　of　the　school…egg。　Begin　by　saving
money；　I　say；　and　seek　glory　afterwards。〃

〃It　spoils　your　touch　to　be　picking　up　coin；〃　said　Stidmann。　〃It　is
Glory's　business　to　bring　us　wealth。〃

〃And；　after　all；〃　said　Chanor　to　Rivet；　〃you　cannot　tether　them。〃

〃They　would　eat　the　halter；〃　replied　Stidmann。

〃All　these　gentlemen　have　as　much　caprice　as　talent；〃　said　Chanor；
looking　at　Stidmann。　〃They　spend　no　end　of　money；　they　keep　their
girls；　they　throw　coin　out　of　window；　and　then　they　have　no　time　to
work。　They　neglect　their　orders；　we　have　to　employ　workmen　who　are
very　inferior；　but　who　grow　rich；　and　then　they　complain　of　the　hard
times；　while；　if　they　were　but　steady；　they　might　have　piles　of　gold。〃

〃You　old　Lumignon；〃　said　Stidmann；　〃you　remind　me　of　the　publisher
before　the　Revolution　who　said'If　only　I　could　keep　Montesquieu；
Voltaire；　and　Rousseau　very　poor　in　my　backshed；　and　lock　up　their
breeches　in　a　cupboard；　what　a　lot　of　nice　little　books　they　would
write　to　make　my　fortune。'If　works　of　art　could　be　hammered　out　like
nails；　workmen　would　make　them。Give　me　a　thousand　francs；　and　don't
talk　nonsense。〃

Worthy　Monsieur　Rivet　went　home；　delighted　for　poor　Mademoiselle
Fischer；　who　dined　with　him　every　Monday；　and　whom　he　found　waiting
for　him。

〃If　you　can　only　make　him　work；〃　said　he；　〃you　will　have　more　luck
than　wisdom；　you　will　be　repaid；　interest；　capital；　and　costs。　This
Pole　has　talent；　he　can　make　a　living；　but　lock　up　his　trousers　and
his　shoes；　do　not　let　him　go　to　the　/Chaumiere/　or　the　parish　of
Notre…Dame　de　Lorette；　keep　him　in　leading…strings。　If　you　do　not　take
such　precautions；　your　artist　will　take　to　loafing；　and　if　you　only
knew　what　these　artists　mean　by　loafing！　Shocking！　Why；　I　have　just
heard　that　they　will　spend　a　thousand…franc　note　in　a　day！〃

This　episode　had　a　fatal　influence　on　the　home…life　of　Wenceslas　and
Lisbeth。　The　benefactress　flavored　the　exile's　bread　with　the　wormwood
of　reproof；　now　that　she　saw　her　money　in　danger；　and　often　believed
it　to　be　lost。　From　a　kind　mother　she　became　a　stepmother；　she　took
the　poor　boy　to　task；　she　nagged　him；　scolded　him　for　working　too
slowly；　and　blamed　him　for　having　chosen　so　difficult　a　profession。
She　could　not　believe　that　those　models　in　red　waxlittle　figures　and
sketches　for　ornamental　workcould　be　of　any　value。　Before　long；
vexed　with　herself　for　her　severity；　she　would　try　to　efface　the　tears
by　her　care　and　attention。

Then　the　poor　young　man；　after　groaning　to　think　that　he　was　dependent
on　this　shrew　and　under　the　thumb　of　a　peasant　of　the　Vosges；　was
bewitched　by　her　coaxing　ways　and　by　a　maternal　affection　that
attached　itself　solely　to　the　physical　and　material　side　of　life。　He
was　like　a　woman　who　forgives　a　week　of　ill…usage　for　the　sake　of　a
kiss　and　a　brief　reconciliation。

Thus　Mademoiselle　Fischer　obtained　complete　power　over　his　mind。　The
love　of　dominion　that　lay　as　a　germ　in　the　old　maid's　heart　developed
rapidly。　She　could　now　satisfy　her　pride　and　her　craving　for　action；
had　she　not　a　creature　belonging　to　her；　to　be　scho