cousin betty-第21部分

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had　she　not　a　creature　belonging　to　her；　to　be　schooled；　scolded；
flattered；　and　made　happy；　without　any　fear　of　a　rival？　Thus　the　good
and　bad　sides　of　her　nature　alike　found　play。　If　she　sometimes
victimized　the　poor　artist；　she　had；　on　the　other　hand；　delicate
impulses　like　the　grace　of　wild　flowers；　it　was　a　joy　to　her　to
provide　for　all　his　wants；　she　would　have　given　her　life　for　him；　and
Wenceslas　knew　it。　Like　every　noble　soul；　the　poor　fellow　forgot　the
bad　points；　the　defects　of　the　woman　who　had　told　him　the　story　of　her
life　as　an　excuse　for　her　rough　ways；　and　he　remembered　only　the
benefits　she　had　done　him。

One　day；　exasperated　with　Wenceslas　for　having　gone　out　walking
instead　of　sitting　at　work；　she　made　a　great　scene。

〃You　belong　to　me；〃　said　she。　〃If　you　were　an　honest　man；　you　would
try　to　repay　me　the　money　you　owe　as　soon　as　possible。〃

The　gentleman；　in　whose　veins　the　blood　of　the　Steinbocks　was　fired；
turned　pale。

〃Bless　me；〃　she　went　on；　〃we　soon　shall　have　nothing　to　live　on　but
the　thirty　sous　I　earna　poor　work…woman！〃

The　two　penniless　creatures；　worked　up　by　their　own　war　of　words；　grew
vehement；　and　for　the　first　time　the　unhappy　artist　reproached　his
benefactress　for　having　rescued　him　from　death　only　to　make　him　lead
the　life　of　a　galley　slave；　worse　than　the　bottomless　void；　where　at
least；　said　he；　he　would　have　found　rest。　And　he　talked　of　flight。

〃Flight！〃　cried　Lisbeth。　〃Ah；　Monsieur　Rivet　was　right。〃

And　she　clearly　explained　to　the　Pole　that　within　twenty…four　hours　he
might　be　clapped　into　prison　for　the　rest　of　his　days。　It　was　a
crushing　blow。　Steinbock　sank　into　deep　melancholy　and　total　silence。

In　the　course　of　the　following　night；　Lisbeth　hearing　overhead　some
preparations　for　suicide；　went　up　to　her　pensioner's　room；　and　gave
him　the　schedule　and　a　formal　release。

〃Here；　dear　child；　forgive　me；〃　she　said　with　tears　in　her　eyes。　〃Be
happy；　leave　me！　I　am　too　cruel　to　you；　only　tell　me　that　you　will
sometimes　remember　the　poor　girl　who　has　enabled　you　to　make　a　living。
What　can　I　say？　You　are　the　cause　of　my　ill…humor。　I　might　die；
where　would　you　be　without　me？　That　is　the　reason　of　my　being
impatient　to　see　you　do　some　salable　work。　I　do　not　want　my　money　back
for　myself；　I　assure　you！　I　am　only　frightened　at　your　idleness；　which
you　call　meditation；　at　your　ideas；　which　take　up　so　many　hours　when
you　sit　gazing　at　the　sky；　I　want　you　to　get　into　habits　of　industry。〃

All　this　was　said　with　an　emphasis；　a　look；　and　tears　that　moved　the
high…minded　artist；　he　clasped　his　benefactress　to　his　heart　and
kissed　her　forehead。

〃Keep　these　pieces；〃　said　he　with　a　sort　of　cheerfulness。　〃Why　should
you　send　me　to　Clichy？　Am　I　not　a　prisoner　here　out　of　gratitude？〃

This　episode　of　their　secret　domestic　life　had　occurred　six　months
previously；　and　had　led　to　Steinbock's　producing　three　finished　works：
the　seal　in　Hortense's　possession；　the　group　he　had　placed　with　the
curiosity　dealer；　and　a　beautiful　clock　to　which　he　was　putting　the
last　touches；　screwing　in　the　last　rivets。

This　clock　represented　the　twelve　Hours；　charmingly　personified　by
twelve　female　figures　whirling　round　in　so　mad　and　swift　a　dance　that
three　little　Loves　perched　on　a　pile　of　fruit　and　flowers　could　not
stop　one　of　them；　only　the　torn　skirts　of　Midnight　remained　in　the
hand　of　the　most　daring　cherub。　The　group　stood　on　an　admirably
treated　base；　ornamented　with　grotesque　beasts。　The　hours　were　told　by
a　monstrous　mouth　that　opened　to　yawn；　and　each　Hour　bore　some
ingeniously　appropriate　symbol　characteristic　of　the　various
occupations　of　the　day。

It　is　now　easy　to　understand　the　extraordinary　attachment　of
Mademoiselle　Fischer　for　her　Livonian；　she　wanted　him　to　be　happy；　and
she　saw　him　pining；　fading　away　in　his　attic。　The　causes　of　this
wretched　state　of　affairs　may　be　easily　imagined。　The　peasant　woman
watched　this　son　of　the　North　with　the　affection　of　a　mother；　with　the
jealousy　of　a　wife；　and　the　spirit　of　a　dragon；　hence　she　managed　to
put　every　kind　of　folly　or　dissipation　out　of　his　power　by　leaving　him
destitute　of　money。　She　longed　to　keep　her　victim　and　companion　for
herself　alone；　well　conducted　perforce；　and　she　had　no　conception　of
the　cruelty　of　this　senseless　wish；　since　she；　for　her　own　part；　was
accustomed　to　every　privation。　She　loved　Steinbock　well　enough　not　to
marry　him；　and　too　much　to　give　him　up　to　any　other　woman；　she　could
not　resign　herself　to　be　no　more　than　a　mother　to　him；　though　she　saw
that　she　was　mad　to　think　of　playing　the　other　part。

These　contradictions；　this　ferocious　jealousy；　and　the　joy　of　having　a
man　to　herself；　all　agitated　her　old　maid's　heart　beyond　measure。
Really　in　love　as　she　had　been　for　four　years；　she　cherished　the
foolish　hope　of　prolonging　this　impossible　and　aimless　way　of　life　in
which　her　persistence　would　only　be　the　ruin　of　the　man　she　thought　of
as　her　child。　This　contest　between　her　instincts　and　her　reason　made
her　unjust　and　tyrannical。　She　wreaked　on　the　young　man　her　vengeance
for　her　own　lot　in　being　neither　young；　rich；　nor　handsome；　then；
after　each　fit　of　rage；　recognizing　herself　wrong；　she　stooped　to
unlimited　humility；　infinite　tenderness。　She　never　could　sacrifice　to
her　idol　till　she　had　asserted　her　power　by　blows　of　the　axe。　In　fact；
it　was　the　converse　of　Shakespeare's　/Tempest/Caliban　ruling　Ariel
and　Prospero。

As　to　the　poor　youth　himself；　high…minded；　meditative；　and　inclined　to
be　lazy；　the　desert　that　his　protectress　made　in　his　soul　might　be
seen　in　his　eyes；　as　in　those　of　a　caged　lion。　The　penal　servitude
forced　on　him　by　Lisbeth　did　not　fulfil　the　cravings　of　his　heart。　His
weariness　became　a　physical　malady；　and　he　was　dying　without　daring　to
ask；　or　knowing　where　to　procure；　the　price　of　some　little　necessary
dissipation。　On　some　days　of　special　energy；　when　a　feeling　of　utter
ill…luck　added　to　his　exasperation；　he　would　look　at　Lisbeth　as　a
thirsty　traveler　on　a　sandy　shore　must　look　at　the　bitter　sea…water。

These　harsh　fruits　of　indigence；　and　this　isolation　in　the　midst　of
Paris；　Lisbeth　relished　with　delight。　And　besides；　she　foresaw　that
the　first　passion　would　rob　her　of　her　slave。　Sometimes　she　even
blamed　herself　because　her　own　tyranny　and　reproaches　had　compelled
the　poetic　youth　to　become　so　great　an　artist　of　delicate　work；　and
she　had　thus　given　him　the　means　of　casting　her　off。



On　the　day　after；　these　three　lives；　so　differently　but　so　utterly
wretchedthat　of　a　mother　in　despair；　that　of　the　Marneffe　household；
and　that　of　the　unhappy　exilewere　all　to　be　influenced　by　Hortense's
guileless　passion；　and　by　the　strange　outcome　of　the　Baron's　luckless
passion　for　Josepha。

Just　as　Hulot　was　going　into　the　opera…house；　he　was　stopped　by　the
darkened　appearance　of　the　building　and　of　the　Rue　le　Peletier；　where
there　were　no　gendarmes；　no　lights；　no　theatre…servants；　no　barrier　to
regulate　the　crowd。　He　looked　up　at　the　announcement…board；　and　beheld
a　strip　of　white　paper；　on　which　was　printed　the　solemn　notice：

〃CLOSED　ON　ACCOUNT　OF　ILLNESS。〃

He　rushed　off　to　Josepha's　l