cousin betty-第22部分

快捷操作: 按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页 按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页 按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部! 如果本书没有阅读完，想下次继续接着阅读，可使用上方 "收藏到我的浏览器" 功能 和 "加入书签" 功能！


a　strip　of　white　paper；　on　which　was　printed　the　solemn　notice：

〃CLOSED　ON　ACCOUNT　OF　ILLNESS。〃

He　rushed　off　to　Josepha's　lodgings　in　the　Rue　Chauchat；　for；　like　all
the　singers；　she　lived　close　at　hand。

〃Whom　do　you　want；　sir？〃　asked　the　porter；　to　the　Baron's　great
astonishment。

〃Have　you　forgotten　me？〃　said　Hulot；　much　puzzled。

〃On　the　contrary；　sir；　it　is　because　I　have　the　honor　to　remember　you
that　I　ask　you；　Where　are　you　going？〃

A　mortal　chill　fell　upon　the　Baron。

〃What　has　happened？〃　he　asked。

〃If　you　go　up　to　Mademoiselle　Mirah's　rooms；　Monsieur　le　Baron；　you
will　find　Mademoiselle　Heloise　Brisetout　thereand　Monsieur　Bixiou；
Monsieur　Leon　de　Lora；　Monsieur　Lousteau；　Monsieur　de　Vernisset；
Monsieur　Stidmann；　and　ladies　smelling　of　patchouliholding　a
housewarming。〃

〃Then；　wherewhere　is？〃

〃Mademoiselle　Mirah？I　don't　know　that　I　ought　to　tell　you。〃

The　Baron　slipped　two　five…franc　pieces　into　the　porter's　hand。

〃Well；　she　is　now　in　the　Rue　de　la　Ville　l'Eveque；　in　a　fine　house；
given　to　her；　they　say；　by　the　Duc　d'Herouville；〃　replied　the　man　in　a
whisper。

Having　ascertained　the　number　of　the　house；　Monsieur　Hulot　called　a
/milord/　and　drove　to　one　of　those　pretty　modern　houses　with　double
doors；　where　everything；　from　the　gaslight　at　the　entrance；　proclaims
luxury。

The　Baron；　in　his　blue　cloth　coat；　white　neckcloth；　nankeen　trousers；
patent　leather　boots；　and　stiffly　starched　shirt…frill；　was　supposed
to　be　a　guest；　though　a　late　arrival；　by　the　janitor　of　this　new　Eden。
His　alacrity　of　manner　and　quick　step　justified　this　opinion。

The　porter　rang　a　bell；　and　a　footman　appeared　in　the　hall。　This　man；
as　new　as　the　house；　admitted　the　visitor；　who　said　to　him　in　an
imperious　tone；　and　with　a　lordly　gesture：

〃Take　in　this　card　to　Mademoiselle　Josepha。〃

The　victim　mechanically　looked　round　the　room　in　which　he　found
himselfan　anteroom　full　of　choice　flowers　and　of　furniture　that　must
have　cost　twenty　thousand　francs。　The　servant；　on　his　return；　begged
monsieur　to　wait　in　the　drawing…room　till　the　company　came　to　their
coffee。

Though　the　Baron　had　been　familiar　with　Imperial　luxury；　which　was
undoubtedly　prodigious；　while　its　productions；　though　not　durable　in
kind；　had　nevertheless　cost　enormous　sums；　he　stood　dazzled；
dumfounded；　in　this　drawing…room　with　three　windows　looking　out　on　a
garden　like　fairyland；　one　of　those　gardens　that　are　created　in　a
month　with　a　made　soil　and　transplanted　shrubs；　while　the　grass　seems
as　if　it　must　be　made　to　grow　by　some　chemical　process。　He　admired　not
only　the　decoration；　the　gilding；　the　carving；　in　the　most　expensive
Pompadour　style；　as　it　is　called；　and　the　magnificent　brocades；　all　of
which　any　enriched　tradesman　could　have　procured　for　money；　but　he
also　noted　such　treasures　as　only　princes　can　select　and　find；　can　pay
for　and　give　away；　two　pictures　by　Greuze；　two　by　Watteau；　two　heads
by　Vandyck；　two　landscapes　by　Ruysdael；　and　two　by　le　Guaspre；　a
Rembrandt；　a　Holbein；　a　Murillo；　and　a　Titian；　two　paintings；　by
Teniers；　and　a　pair　by　Metzu；　a　Van　Huysum；　and　an　Abraham　Mignonin
short；　two　hundred　thousand　francs'　worth　of　pictures　superbly　framed。
The　gilding　was　worth　almost　as　much　as　the　paintings。

〃Ah；　ha！　Now　you　understand；　my　good　man？〃　said　Josepha。

She　had　stolen　in　on　tiptoe　through　a　noiseless　door；　over　Persian
carpets；　and　came　upon　her　adorer；　standing　lost　in　amazementin　the
stupid　amazement　when　a　man's　ears　tingle　so　loudly　that　he　hears
nothing　but　that　fatal　knell。

The　words　〃my　good　man；〃　spoken　to　an　official　of　such　high
importance；　so　perfectly　exemplified　the　audacity　with　which　these
creatures　pour　contempt　on　the　loftiest；　that　the　Baron　was　nailed　to
the　spot。　Josepha；　in　white　and　yellow；　was　so　beautifully　dressed　for
the　banquet；　that　amid　all　this　lavish　magnificence　she　still　shone
like　a　rare　jewel。

〃Isn't　this　really　fine？〃　said　she。　〃The　Duke　has　spent　all　the　money
on　it　that　he　got　out　of　floating　a　company；　of　which　the　shares　all
sold　at　a　premium。　He　is　no　fool；　is　my　little　Duke。　There　is　nothing
like　a　man　who　has　been　a　grandee　in　his　time　for　turning　coals　into
gold。　Just　before　dinner　the　notary　brought　me　the　title…deeds　to　sign
and　the　bills　receipted！They　are　all　a　first…class　set　in　there
d'Esgrignon；　Rastignac；　Maxime；　Lenoncourt；　Verneuil；　Laginski；
Rochefide；　la　Palferine；　and　from　among　the　bankers　Nucingen　and　du
Tillet；　with　Antonia；　Malaga；　Carabine；　and　la　Schontz；　and　they　all
feel　for　you　deeply。Yes；　old　boy；　and　they　hope　you　will　join　them；
but　on　condition　that　you　forthwith　drink　up　to　two　bottles　full　of
Hungarian　wine；　Champagne；　or　Cape；　just　to　bring　you　up　to　their
mark。My　dear　fellow；　we　are　all　so　much　/on/　here；　that　it　was
necessary　to　close　the　Opera。　The　manager　is　as　drunk　as　a　cornet…a…
piston；　he　is　hiccuping　already。〃

〃Oh；　Josepha！〃　cried　the　Baron。

〃Now；　can　anything　be　more　absurd　than　explanations？〃　she　broke　in
with　a　smile。　〃Look　here；　can　you　stand　six　hundred　thousand　francs
which　this　house　and　furniture　cost？　Can　you　give　me　a　bond　to　the
tune　of　thirty　thousand　francs　a　year；　which　is　what　the　Duke　has　just
given　me　in　a　packet　of　common　sugared　almonds　from　the　grocer's？a
pretty　notion　that〃

〃What　an　atrocity！〃　cried　Hulot；　who　in　his　fury　would　have　given　his
wife's　diamonds　to　stand　in　the　Duc　d'Herouville's　shoes　for　twenty…
four　hours。

〃Atrocity　is　my　trade；〃　said　she。　〃So　that　is　how　you　take　it？　Well；
why　don't　you　float　a　company？　Goodness　me！　my　poor　dyed　Tom；　you
ought　to　be　grateful　to　me；　I　have　thrown　you　over　just　when　you　would
have　spent　on　me　your　widow's　fortune；　your　daughter's　portion。What；
tears！　The　Empire　is　a　thing　of　the　pastI　hail　the　coming　Empire！〃

She　struck　a　tragic　attitude；　and　exclaimed：

　　〃They　call　you　Hulot！　Nay；　I　know　you　not〃

And　she　went　into　the　other　room。

Through　the　door；　left　ajar；　there　came；　like　a　lightning…flash；　a
streak　of　light　with　an　accompaniment　of　the　crescendo　of　the　orgy　and
the　fragrance　of　a　banquet　of　the　choicest　description。

The　singer　peeped　through　the　partly　open　door；　and　seeing　Hulot
transfixed　as　if　he　had　been　a　bronze　image；　she　came　one　step　forward
into　the　room。

〃Monsieur；〃　said　she；　〃I　have　handed　over　the　rubbish　in　the　Rue
Chauchat　to　Bixiou's　little　Heloise　Brisetout。　If　you　wish　to　claim
your　cotton　nightcap；　your　bootjack；　your　belt；　and　your　wax　dye；　I
have　stipulated　for　their　return。〃

This　insolent　banter　made　the　Baron　leave　the　room　as　precipitately　as
Lot　departed　from　Gomorrah；　but　he　did　not　look　back　like　Mrs。　Lot。

Hulot　went　home；　striding　along　in　a　fury；　and　talking　to　himself；　he
found　his　family　still　playing　the　game　of　whist　at　two　sous　a　point；
at　which　he　left　them。　On　seeing　her　husband　return；　poor　Adeline
imagined　something　dreadful；　some　dishonor；　she　gave　her　cards　to
Hortense；　and　led　Hector　away　into　the　very　room　where；　only　five
hours　since；　Crevel　had　foretold　her　the　utmost　disgrace　of　poverty。

〃What　is　the　matter？〃　she　said；　terrified。

〃Oh；　forgive　mebut　let　me　tell　you　all　these　horrors。〃　And　for