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cousin betty-第3部分

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mean to say that your son…in…law has no fortune〃

〃Worse than that; madame; a son…in…law whom I am obliged to maintain;〃
replied Crevel。 〃Of the five hundred thousand francs that formed my
daughter's marriage portion; two hundred thousand have vanishedGod
knows how!in paying the young gentleman's debts; in furnishing his
house splendaciouslya house costing five hundred thousand francs;
and bringing in scarcely fifteen thousand; since he occupies the
larger part of it; while he owes two hundred and sixty thousand francs
of the purchase…money。 The rent he gets barely pays the interest on
the debt。 I have had to give my daughter twenty thousand francs this
year to help her to make both ends meet。 And then my son…in…law; who
was making thirty thousand francs a year at the Assizes; I am told; is
going to throw that up for the Chamber〃

〃This; again; Monsieur Crevel; is beside the mark; we are wandering
from the point。 Still; to dispose of it finally; it may be said that
if my son gets into office; if he has you made an officer of the
Legion of Honor and councillor of the municipality of Paris; you; as a
retired perfumer; will not have much to complain of〃

〃Ah! there we are again; madame! Yes; I am a tradesman; a shopkeeper;
a retail dealer in almond…paste; eau…de…Portugal; and hair…oil; and
was only too much honored when my only daughter was married to the son
of Monsieur le Baron Hulot d'Ervymy daughter will be a Baroness!
This is Regency; Louis XV。; (Eil…de…boeufquite tip…top!very good。)
I love Celestine as a man loves his only childso well indeed; that;
to preserve her from having either brother or sister; I resigned
myself to all the privations of a widowerin Paris; and in the prime
of life; madame。 But you must understand that; in spite of this
extravagant affection for my daughter; I do not intend to reduce my
fortune for the sake of your son; whose expenses are not wholly
accounted forin my eyes; as an old man of business。〃

〃Monsieur; you may at this day see in the Ministry of Commerce
Monsieur Popinot; formerly a druggist in the Rue des Lombards〃

〃And a friend of mine; madame;〃 said the ex…perfumer。 〃For I; Celestin
Crevel; foreman once to old Cesar Birotteau; brought up the said Cesar
Birotteau's stock; and he was Popinot's father…in…law。 Why; that very
Popinot was no more than a shopman in the establishment; and he is the
first to remind me of it; for he is not proud; to do him justice; to
men in a good position with an income of sixty thousand francs in the
funds。〃

〃Well then; monsieur; the notions you term 'Regency' are quite out of
date at a time when a man is taken at his personal worth; and that is
what you did when you married your daughter to my son。〃

〃But you do not know how the marriage was brought about!〃 cried
Crevel。 〃Oh; that cursed bachelor life! But for my misconduct; my
Celestine might at this day be Vicomtesse Popinot!〃

〃Once more have done with recriminations over accomplished facts;〃
said the Baroness anxiously。 〃Let us rather discuss the complaints I
have found on your strange behavior。 My daughter Hortense had a chance
of marrying; the match depended entirely on you; I believed you felt
some sentiments of generosity; I thought you would do justice to a
woman who has never had a thought in her heart for any man but her
husband; that you would have understood how necessary it is for her
not to receive a man who may compromise her; and that for the honor of
the family with which you are allied you would have been eager to
promote Hortense's settlement with Monsieur le Conseiller Lebas。And
it is you; monsieur; you have hindered the marriage。〃

〃Madame;〃 said the ex…perfumer; 〃I acted the part of an honest man。 I
was asked whether the two hundred thousand francs to be settled on
Mademoiselle Hortense would be forthcoming。 I replied exactly in these
words: 'I would not answer for it。 My son…in…law; to whom the Hulots
had promised the same sum; was in debt; and I believe that if Monsieur
Hulot d'Ervy were to die to…morrow; his widow would have nothing to
live on。'There; fair lady。〃

〃And would you have said as much; monsieur;〃 asked Madame Hulot;
looking Crevel steadily in the face; 〃if I had been false to my duty?〃

〃I should not be in a position to say it; dearest Adeline;〃 cried this
singular adorer; interrupting the Baroness; 〃for you would have found
the amount in my pocket…book。〃

And adding action to word; the fat guardsman knelt down on one knee
and kissed Madame Hulot's hand; seeing that his speech had filled her
with speechless horror; which he took for hesitancy。

〃What; buy my daughter's fortune at the cost of? Rise; monsieur
or I ring the bell。〃

Crevel rose with great difficulty。 This fact made him so furious that
he again struck his favorite attitude。 Most men have some habitual
position by which they fancy that they show to the best advantage the
good points bestowed on them by nature。 This attitude in Crevel
consisted in crossing his arms like Napoleon; his head showing three…
quarters face; and his eyes fixed on the horizon; as the painter has
shown the Emperor in his portrait。

〃To be faithful;〃 he began; with well…acted indignation; 〃so faithful
to a liber〃

〃To a husband who is worthy of such fidelity;〃 Madame Hulot put in; to
hinder Crevel from saying a word she did not choose to hear。

〃Come; madame; you wrote to bid me here; you ask the reasons for my
conduct; you drive me to extremities with your imperial airs; your
scorn; and your contempt! Any one might think I was a Negro。 But I
repeat it; and you may believe me; I have a right toto make love to
you; for But no; I love you well enough to hold my tongue。〃

〃You may speak; monsieur。 In a few days I shall be eight…and…forty; I
am no prude; I can hear whatever you can say。〃

〃Then will you give me your word of honor as an honest womanfor you
are; alas for me! an honest womannever to mention my name or to say
that it was I who betrayed the secret?〃

〃If that is the condition on which you speak; I will swear never to
tell any one from whom I heard the horrors you propose to tell me; not
even my husband。〃

〃I should think not indeed; for only you and he are concerned。〃

Madame Hulot turned pale。

〃Oh; if you still really love Hulot; it will distress you。 Shall I say
no more?〃

〃Speak; monsieur; for by your account you wish to justify in my eyes
the extraordinary declarations you have chosen to make me; and your
persistency in tormenting a woman of my age; whose only wish is to see
her daughter married; and thento die in peace〃

〃You see; you are unhappy。〃

〃I; monsieur?〃

〃Yes; beautiful; noble creature!〃 cried Crevel。 〃You have indeed been
too wretched!〃

〃Monsieur; be silent and goor speak to me as you ought。〃

〃Do you know; madame; how Master Hulot and I first made acquaintance?
At our mistresses'; madame。〃

〃Oh; monsieur!〃

〃Yes; madame; at our mistresses';〃 Crevel repeated in a melodramatic
tone; and leaving his position to wave his right hand。

〃Well; and what then?〃 said the Baroness coolly; to Crevel's great
amazement。

Such mean seducers cannot understand a great soul。

〃I; a w
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