cousin betty-第28部分

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the　Restoration；　the　handsome　Baron；　a　lady's　man　once　more；　had　begun
by　consoling　some　old　friends　now　fallen　from　the　political　firmament；
like　extinguished　stars；　and　then；　as　he　grew　old；　was　captured　by
Jenny　Cadine　and　Josepha。

Madame　Marneffe　had　placed　her　batteries　after　due　study　of　the
Baron's　past　life；　which　her　husband　had　narrated　in　much　detail；
after　picking　up　some　information　in　the　offices。　The　comedy　of　modern
sentiment　might　have　the　charm　of　novelty　to　the　Baron；　Valerie　had
made　up　her　mind　as　to　her　scheme；　and　we　may　say　the　trial　of　her
power　that　she　made　this　morning　answered　her　highest　expectations。
Thanks　to　her　manoeuvres；　sentimental；　high…flown；　and　romantic；
Valerie；　without　committing　herself　to　any　promises；　obtained　for　her
husband　the　appointment　as　deputy　head　of　the　office　and　the　Cross　of
the　Legion　of　Honor。

The　campaign　was　not　carried　out　without　little　dinners　at　the　/Rocher
de　Cancale/；　parties　to　the　play；　and　gifts　in　the　form　of　lace；
scarves；　gowns；　and　jewelry。　The　apartment　in　the　Rue　du　Doyenne　was
not　satisfactory；　the　Baron　proposed　to　furnish　another　magnificently
in　a　charming　new　house　in　the　Rue　Vanneau。

Monsieur　Marneffe　got　a　fortnight's　leave；　to　be　taken　a　month　hence
for　urgent　private　affairs　in　the　country；　and　a　present　in　money；　he
promised　himself　that　he　would　spend　both　in　a　little　town　in
Switzerland；　studying　the　fair　sex。

While　Monsieur　Hulot　thus　devoted　himself　to　the　lady　he　was
〃protecting；〃　he　did　not　forget　the　young　artist。　Comte　Popinot；
Minister　of　Commerce；　was　a　patron　of　Art；　he　paid　two　thousand　francs
for　a　copy　of　the　/Samson/　on　condition　that　the　mould　should　be
broken；　and　that　there　should　be　no　/Samson/　but　his　and　Mademoiselle
Hulot's。　The　group　was　admired　by　a　Prince；　to　whom　the　model　sketch
for　the　clock　was　also　shown；　and　who　ordered　it；　but　that　again　was
to　be　unique；　and　he　offered　thirty　thousand　francs　for　it。

Artists　who　were　consulted；　and　among　them　Stidmann；　were　of　opinion
that　the　man　who　had　sketched　those　two　models　was　capable　of
achieving　a　statue。　The　Marshal　Prince　de　Wissembourg；　Minister　of
War；　and　President　of　the　Committee　for　the　subscriptions　to　the
monument　of　Marshal　Montcornet；　called　a　meeting；　at　which　it　was
decided　that　the　execution　of　the　work　should　be　placed　in　Steinbock's
hands。　The　Comte　de　Rastignac；　at　that　time　Under…secretary　of　State；
wished　to　possess　a　work　by　the　artist；　whose　glory　was　waxing　amid
the　acclamations　of　his　rivals。　Steinbock　sold　to　him　the　charming
group　of　two　little　boys　crowning　a　little　girl；　and　he　promised　to
secure　for　the　sculptor　a　studio　attached　to　the　Government　marble…
quarries；　situated；　as　all　the　world　knows；　at　Le　Gros…Caillou。

This　was　a　success；　such　success　as　is　won　in　Paris；　that　is　to　say；
stupendous　success；　that　crushes　those　whose　shoulders　and　loins　are
not　strong　enough　to　bear　itas；　be　it　said；　not　unfrequently　is　the
case。　Count　Wenceslas　Steinbock　was　written　about　in　all　the
newspapers　and　reviews　without　his　having　the　least　suspicion　of　it；
any　more　than　had　Mademoiselle　Fischer。　Every　day；　as　soon　as　Lisbeth
had　gone　out　to　dinner；　Wenceslas　went　to　the　Baroness'　and　spent　an
hour　or　two　there；　excepting　on　the　evenings　when　Lisbeth　dined　with
the　Hulots。



This　state　of　things　lasted　for　several　days。

The　Baron；　assured　of　Count　Steinbock's　titles　and　position；　the
Baroness；　pleased　with　his　character　and　habits；　Hortense；　proud　of
her　permitted　love　and　of　her　suitor's　fame；　none　of　them　hesitated　to
speak　of　the　marriage；　in　short；　the　artist　was　in　the　seventh　heaven；
when　an　indiscretion　on　Madame　Marneffe's　part　spoilt　all。

And　this　was　how。

Lisbeth；　whom　the　Baron　wished　to　see　intimate　with　Madame　Marneffe；
that　she　might　keep　an　eye　on　the　couple；　had　already　dined　with
Valerie；　and　she；　on　her　part；　anxious　to　have　an　ear　in　the　Hulot
house；　made　much　of　the　old　maid。　It　occurred　to　Valerie　to　invite
Mademoiselle　Fischer　to　a　house…warming　in　the　new　apartments　she　was
about　to　move　into。　Lisbeth；　glad　to　have　found　another　house　to　dine
in；　and　bewitched　by　Madame　Marneffe；　had　taken　a　great　fancy　to
Valerie。　Of　all　the　persons　she　had　made　acquaintance　with；　no　one　had
taken　so　much　pains　to　please　her。　In　fact；　Madame　Marneffe；　full　of
attentions　for　Mademoiselle　Fischer；　found　herself　in　the　position
towards　Lisbeth　that　Lisbeth　held　towards　the　Baroness；　Monsieur
Rivet；　Crevel；　and　the　others　who　invited　her　to　dinner。

The　Marneffes　had　excited　Lisbeth's　compassion　by　allowing　her　to　see
the　extreme　poverty　of　the　house；　while　varnishing　it　as　usual　with
the　fairest　colors；　their　friends　were　under　obligations　to　them　and
ungrateful；　they　had　had　much　illness；　Madame　Fortin；　her　mother；　had
never　known　of　their　distress；　and　had　died　believing　herself　wealthy
to　the　end；　thanks　to　their　superhuman　effortsand　so　forth。

〃Poor　people！〃　said　she　to　her　Cousin　Hulot；　〃you　are　right　to　do　what
you　can　for　them；　they　are　so　brave　and　so　kind！　They　can　hardly　live
on　the　thousand　crowns　he　gets　as　deputy…head　of　the　office；　for　they
have　got　into　debt　since　Marshal　Montcornet's　death。　It　is　barbarity
on　the　part　of　the　Government　to　suppose　that　a　clerk　with　a　wife　and
family　can　live　in　Paris　on　two　thousand　four　hundred　francs　a　year。〃

And　so；　within　a　very　short　time；　a　young　woman　who　affected　regard
for　her；　who　told　her　everything；　and　consulted　her；　who　flattered
her；　and　seemed　ready　to　yield　to　her　guidance；　had　become　dearer　to
the　eccentric　Cousin　Lisbeth　than　all　her　relations。

The　Baron；　on　his　part；　admiring　in　Madame　Marneffe　such　propriety；
education；　and　breeding　as　neither　Jenny　Cadine　nor　Josepha；　nor　any
friend　of　theirs　had　to　show；　had　fallen　in　love　with　her　in　a　month；
developing　a　senile　passion；　a　senseless　passion；　which　had　an
appearance　of　reason。　In　fact；　he　found　here　neither　the　banter；　nor
the　orgies；　nor　the　reckless　expenditure；　nor　the　depravity；　nor　the
scorn　of　social　decencies；　nor　the　insolent　independence　which　had
brought　him　to　grief　alike　with　the　actress　and　the　singer。　He　was
spared；　too；　the　rapacity　of　the　courtesan；　like　unto　the　thirst　of
dry　sand。

Madame　Marneffe；　of　whom　he　had　made　a　friend　and　confidante；　made　the
greatest　difficulties　over　accepting　any　gift　from　him。

〃Appointments；　official　presents；　anything　you　can　extract　from　the
Government；　but　do　not　begin　by　insulting　a　woman　whom　you　profess　to
love；〃　said　Valerie。　〃If　you　do；　I　shall　cease　to　believe　youand　I
like　to　believe　you；〃　she　added；　with　a　glance　like　Saint　Theresa
leering　at　heaven。

Every　time　he　made　her　a　present　there　was　a　fortress　to　be　stormed；　a
conscience　to　be　over…persuaded。　The　hapless　Baron　laid　deep
stratagems　to　offer　her　some　triflecostly；　neverthelessproud　of
having　at　last　met　with　virtue　and　the　realization　of　his　dreams。　In
this　primitive　household；　as　he　assured　himself；　he　was　the　god　as
much　as　in　his　own。　And　Monsieur　Marneffe　seemed　at　a　thousand　leagues
from　suspecting　that　the　Jupiter　of　his　office　intended　to　descend　on
his　wife　in　a