cousin betty-第4部分

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

Such　mean　seducers　cannot　understand　a　great　soul。

〃I；　a　widower　five　years　since；〃　Crevel　began；　in　the　tone　of　a　man
who　has　a　story　to　tell；　〃and　not　wishing　to　marry　again　for　the　sake
of　the　daughter　I　adore；　not　choosing　either　to　cultivate　any　such
connection　in　my　own　establishment；　though　I　had　at　the　time　a　very
pretty　lady…accountant。　I　set　up；　'on　her　own　account；'　as　they　say；　a
little　sempstress　of　fifteenreally　a　miracle　of　beauty；　with　whom　I
fell　desperately　in　love。　And　in　fact；　madame；　I　asked　an　aunt　of　my
own；　my　mother's　sister；　whom　I　sent　for　from　the　country；　to　live
with　the　sweet　creature　and　keep　an　eye　on　her；　that　she　might　behave
as　well　as　might　be　in　this　ratherwhat　shall　I　sayshady？no；
delicate　position。

〃The　child；　whose　talent　for　music　was　striking；　had　masters；　she　was
educatedI　had　to　give　her　something　to　do。　Besides；　I　wished　to　be
at　once　her　father；　her　benefactor；　andwell；　out　with　ither　lover；
to　kill　two　birds　with　one　stone；　a　good　action　and　a　sweetheart。　For
five　years　I　was　very　happy。　The　girl　had　one　of　those　voices　that
make　the　fortune　of　a　theatre；　I　can　only　describe　her　by　saying　that
she　is　a　Duprez　in　petticoats。　It　cost　me　two　thousand　francs　a　year
only　to　cultivate　her　talent　as　a　singer。　She　made　me　music…mad；　I
took　a　box　at　the　opera　for　her　and　for　my　daughter；　and　went　there
alternate　evenings　with　Celestine　or　Josepha。〃

〃What；　the　famous　singer？〃

〃Yes；　madame；〃　said　Crevel　with　pride；　〃the　famous　Josepha　owes
everything　to　me。At　last；　in　1834；　when　the　child　was　twenty；
believing　that　I　had　attached　her　to　me　for　ever；　and　being　very　weak
where　she　was　concerned；　I　thought　I　would　give　her　a　little
amusement；　and　I　introduced　her　to　a　pretty　little　actress；　Jenny
Cadine；　whose　life　had　been　somewhat　like　her　own。　This　actress　also
owed　everything　to　a　protector　who　had　brought　her　up　in　leading…
strings。　That　protector　was　Baron　Hulot。〃

〃I　know　that；〃　said　the　Baroness；　in　a　calm　voice　without　the　least
agitation。

〃Bless　me！〃　cried　Crevel；　more　and　more　astounded。　〃Well！　But　do　you
know　that　your　monster　of　a　husband　took　Jenny　Cadine　in　hand　at　the
age　of　thirteen？〃

〃What　then？〃　said　the　Baroness。

〃As　Jenny　Cadine　and　Josepha　were　both　aged　twenty　when　they　first
met；〃　the　ex…tradesman　went　on；　〃the　Baron　had　been　playing　the　part
of　Louis　XV。　to　Mademoiselle　de　Romans　ever　since　1826；　and　you　were
twelve　years　younger　then〃

〃I　had　my　reasons；　monsieur；　for　leaving　Monsieur　Hulot　his　liberty。〃

〃That　falsehood；　madame；　will　surely　be　enough　to　wipe　out　every　sin
you　have　ever　committed；　and　to　open　to　you　the　gates　of　Paradise；〃
replied　Crevel；　with　a　knowing　air　that　brought　the　color　to　the
Baroness'　cheeks。　〃Sublime　and　adored　woman；　tell　that　to　those　who
will　believe　it；　but　not　to　old　Crevel；　who　has；　I　may　tell　you；
feasted　too　often　as　one　of　four　with　your　rascally　husband　not　to
know　what　your　high　merits　are！　Many　a　time　has　he　blamed　himself　when
half　tipsy　as　he　has　expatiated　on　your　perfections。　Oh；　I　know　you
well！A　libertine　might　hesitate　between　you　and　a　girl　of　twenty。　I
do　not　hesitate〃

〃Monsieur！〃

〃Well；　I　say　no　more。　But　you　must　know；　saintly　and　noble　woman；　that
a　husband　under　certain　circumstances　will　tell　things　about　his　wife
to　his　mistress　that　will　mightily　amuse　her。〃

Tears　of　shame　hanging　to　Madame　Hulot's　long　lashes　checked　the
National　Guardsman。　He　stopped　short；　and　forgot　his　attitude。

〃To　proceed；〃　said　he。　〃We　became　intimate；　the　Baron　and　I；　through
the　two　hussies。　The　Baron；　like　all　bad　lots；　is　very　pleasant；　a
thoroughly　jolly　good　fellow。　Yes；　he　took　my　fancy；　the　old　rascal。
He　could　be　so　funny！Well；　enough　of　those　reminiscences。　We　got　to
be　like　brothers。　The　scoundrelquite　Regency　in　his　notionstried
indeed　to　deprave　me　altogether；　preached　Saint…Simonism　as　to　women；
and　all　sorts　of　lordly　ideas；　but；　you　see；　I　was　fond　enough　of　my
girl　to　have　married　her；　only　I　was　afraid　of　having　children。

〃Then　between　two　old　daddies；　such　friends　asas　we　were；　what　more
natural　than　that　we　should　think　of　our　children　marrying　each　other？
Three　months　after　his　son　had　married　my　Celestine；　HulotI　don't
know　how　I　can　utter　the　wretch's　name！　he　has　cheated　us　both；　madame
well；　the　villain　did　me　out　of　my　little　Josepha。　The　scoundrel
knew　that　he　was　supplanted　in　the　heart　of　Jenny　Cadine　by　a　young
lawyer　and　by　an　artistonly　two　of　them！for　the　girl　had　more　and
more　of　a　howling　success；　and　he　stole　my　sweet　little　girl；　a
perfect　darlingbut　you　must　have　seen　her　at　the　opera；　he　got　her
an　engagement　there。　Your　husband　is　not　so　well　behaved　as　I　am。　I　am
ruled　as　straight　as　a　sheet　of　music…paper。　He　had　dropped　a　good
deal　of　money　on　Jenny　Cadine；　who　must　have　cost　him　near　on　thirty
thousand　francs　a　year。　Well；　I　can　only　tell　you　that　he　is　ruining
himself　outright　for　Josepha。

〃Josepha；　madame；　is　a　Jewess。　Her　name　is　Mirah；　the　anagram　of
Hiram；　an　Israelite　mark　that　stamps　her；　for　she　was　a　foundling
picked　up　in　Germany；　and　the　inquiries　I　have　made　prove　that　she　is
the　illegitimate　child　of　a　rich　Jew　banker。　The　life　of　the　theatre；
and；　above　all；　the　teaching　of　Jenny　Cadine；　Madame　Schontz；　Malaga；
and　Carabine；　as　to　the　way　to　treat　an　old　man；　have　developed；　in
the　child　whom　I　had　kept　in　a　respectable　and　not　too　expensive　way
of　life；　all　the　native　Hebrew　instinct　for　gold　and　jewelsfor　the
golden　calf。

〃So　this　famous　singer；　hungering　for　plunder；　now　wants　to　be　rich；
very　rich。　She　tried　her　'prentice　hand　on　Baron　Hulot；　and　soon
plucked　him　bareplucked　him；　ay；　and　singed　him　to　the　skin。　The
miserable　man；　after　trying　to　vie　with　one　of　the　Kellers　and　with
the　Marquis　d'Esgrignon；　both　perfectly　mad　about　Josepha；　to　say
nothing　of　unknown　worshipers；　is　about　to　see　her　carried　off　by　that
very　rich　Duke；　who　is　such　a　patron　of　the　arts。　Oh；　what　is　his
name？a　dwarf。Ah；　the　Duc　d'Herouville。　This　fine　gentleman　insists
on　having　Josepha　for　his　very　own；　and　all　that　set　are　talking　about
it；　the　Baron　knows　nothing　of　it　as　yet；　for　it　is　the　same　in　the
Thirteenth　Arrondissement　as　in　every　other：　the　lover；　like　the
husband；　is　last　to　get　the　news。

〃Now；　do　you　understand　my　claim？　Your　husband；　dear　lady；　has　robbed
me　of　my　joy　in　life；　the　only　happiness　I　have　known　since　I　became　a
widower。　Yes；　if　I　had　not　been　so　unlucky　as　to　come　across　that　old
rip；　Josepha　would　still　be　mine；　for　I；　you　know；　should　never　have
placed　her　on　the　stage。　She　would　have　lived　obscure；　well　conducted；
and　mine。　Oh！　if　you　could　but　have　seen　her　eight　years　ago；　slight
and　wiry；　with　the　golden　skin　of　an　Andalusian；　as　they　say；　black
hair　as　shiny　as　satin；　an　eye　that　flashed　lightning　under　long　brown
lashes；　the　style　of　a　duchess　in　every　movement；　the　modesty　of　a
dependent；　decent　grace；　and　the　pretty　ways　of　a　wild　fawn。　And　by
that　Hulot's　doing　all　this　charm　and　purity　has　been　degraded　to　a
man…trap；　a　money…box　for　fi