cousin betty-第43部分

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the　smallest　details。　And；　alas！　the　portrait　will　not　cure　any　man　of
the　folly　of　loving　these　sweetly…smiling　angels；　with　pensive　looks
and　candid　faces；　whose　heart　is　a　cash…box。



About　three　years　after　Hortense's　marriage；　in　1841；　Baron　Hulot
d'Ervy　was　supposed　to　have　sown　his　wild　oats；　to　have　〃put　up　his
horses；〃　to　quote　the　expression　used　by　Louis　XV。's　head　surgeon；　and
yet　Madame　Marneffe　was　costing　him　twice　as　much　as　Josepha　had　ever
cost　him。　Still；　Valerie；　though　always　nicely　dressed；　affected　the
simplicity　of　a　subordinate　official's　wife；　she　kept　her　luxury　for
her　dressing…gowns；　her　home　wear。　She　thus　sacrificed　her　Parisian
vanity　to　her　dear　Hector。　At　the　theatre；　however；　she　always
appeared　in　a　pretty　bonnet　and　a　dress　of　extreme　elegance；　and　the
Baron　took　her　in　a　carriage　to　a　private　box。

Her　rooms；　the　whole　of　the　second　floor　of　a　modern　house　in　the　Rue
Vanneau；　between　a　fore…court　and　a　garden；　was　redolent　of
respectability。　All　its　luxury　was　in　good　chintz　hangings　and
handsome　convenient　furniture。

Her　bedroom；　indeed；　was　the　exception；　and　rich　with　such　profusion
as　Jenny　Cadine　or　Madame　Schontz　might　have　displayed。　There　were
lace　curtains；　cashmere　hangings；　brocade　portieres；　a　set　of　chimney
ornaments　modeled　by　Stidmann；　a　glass　cabinet　filled　with　dainty
nicknacks。　Hulot　could　not　bear　to　see　his　Valerie　in　a　bower　of
inferior　magnificence　to　the　dunghill　of　gold　and　pearls　owned　by　a
Josepha。　The　drawing…room　was　furnished　with　red　damask；　and　the
dining…room　had　carved　oak　panels。　But　the　Baron；　carried　away　by　his
wish　to　have　everything　in　keeping；　had　at　the　end　of　six　months；
added　solid　luxury　to　mere　fashion；　and　had　given　her　handsome
portable　property；　as；　for　instance；　a　service　of　plate　that　was　to
cost　more　than　twenty…four　thousand　francs。

Madame　Marneffe's　house　had　in　a　couple　of　years　achieved　a　reputation
for　being　a　very　pleasant　one。　Gambling　went　on　there。　Valerie　herself
was　soon　spoken　of　as　an　agreeable　and　witty　woman。　To　account　for　her
change　of　style；　a　rumor　was　set　going　of　an　immense　legacy　bequeathed
to　her　by　her　〃natural　father；〃　Marshal　Montcornet；　and　left　in　trust。

With　an　eye　to　the　future；　Valerie　had　added　religious　to　social
hypocrisy。　Punctual　at　the　Sunday　services；　she　enjoyed　all　the　honors
due　to　the　pious。　She　carried　the　bag　for　the　offertory；　she　was　a
member　of　a　charitable　association；　presented　bread　for　the　sacrament；
and　did　some　good　among　the　poor；　all　at　Hector's　expense。　Thus
everything　about　the　house　was　extremely　seemly。　And　a　great　many
persons　maintained　that　her　friendship　with　the　Baron　was　entirely
innocent；　supporting　the　view　by　the　gentleman's　mature　age；　and
ascribing　to　him　a　Platonic　liking　for　Madame　Marneffe's　pleasant　wit；
charming　manners；　and　conversationsuch　a　liking　as　that　of　the　late
lamented　Louis　XVIII。　for　a　well…turned　note。

The　Baron　always　withdrew　with　the　other　company　at　about　midnight；
and　came　back　a　quarter　of　an　hour　later。

The　secret　of　this　secrecy　was　as　follows。　The　lodge…keepers　of　the
house　were　a　Monsieur　and　Madame　Olivier；　who；　under　the　Baron's
patronage；　had　been　promoted　from　their　humble　and　not　very　lucrative
post　in　the　Rue　du　Doyenne　to　the　highly…paid　and　handsome　one　in　the
Rue　Vanneau。　Now；　Madame　Olivier；　formerly　a　needlewoman　in　the
household　of　Charles　X。；　who　had　fallen　in　the　world　with　the
legitimate　branch；　had　three　children。　The　eldest；　an　under…clerk　in　a
notary's　office；　was　object　of　his　parents'　adoration。　This　Benjamin；
for　six　years　in　danger　of　being　drawn　for　the　army；　was　on　the　point
of　being　interrupted　in　his　legal　career；　when　Madame　Marneffe
contrived　to　have　him　declared　exempt　for　one　of　those　little
malformations　which　the　Examining　Board　can　always　discern　when
requested　in　a　whisper　by　some　power　in　the　ministry。　So　Olivier；
formerly　a　huntsman　to　the　King；　and　his　wife　would　have　crucified　the
Lord　again　for　the　Baron　or　for　Madame　Marneffe。

What　could　the　world　have　to　say？　It　knew　nothing　of　the　former
episode　of　the　Brazilian；　Monsieur　Montes　de　Montejanosit　could　say
nothing。　Besides；　the　world　is　very　indulgent　to　the　mistress　of　a
house　where　amusement　is　to　be　found。

And　then　to　all　her　charms　Valerie　added　the　highly…prized　advantage
of　being　an　occult　power。　Claude　Vignon；　now　secretary　to　Marshal　the
Prince　de　Wissembourg；　and　dreaming　of　promotion　to　the　Council　of
State　as　a　Master　of　Appeals；　was　constantly　seen　in　her　rooms；　to
which　came　also　some　Deputiesgood　fellows　and　gamblers。　Madame
Marneffe　had　got　her　circle　together　with　prudent　deliberation；　only
men　whose　opinions　and　habits　agreed　foregathered　there；　men　whose
interest　it　was　to　hold　together　and　to　proclaim　the　many　merits　of
the　lady　of　the　house。　Scandal　is　the　true　Holy　Alliance　in　Paris。
Take　that　as　an　axiom。　Interests　invariably　fall　asunder　in　the　end；
vicious　natures　can　always　agree。

Within　three　months　of　settling　in　the　Rue　Vanneau；　Madame　Marneffe
had　entertained　Monsieur　Crevel；　who　by　that　time　was　Mayor　of　his
/arrondissement/　and　Officer　of　the　Legion　of　Honor。　Crevel　had
hesitated；　he　would　have　to　give　up　the　famous　uniform　of　the　National
Guard　in　which　he　strutted　at　the　Tuileries；　believing　himself　quite
as　much　a　soldier　as　the　Emperor　himself；　but　ambition；　urged　by
Madame　Marneffe；　had　proved　stronger　than　vanity。　Then　Monsieur　le
Maire　had　considered　his　connection　with　Mademoiselle　Heloise
Brisetout　as　quite　incompatible　with　his　political　position。

Indeed；　long　before　his　accession　to　the　civic　chair　of　the　Mayoralty；
his　gallant　intimacies　had　been　wrapped　in　the　deepest　mystery。　But；
as　the　reader　may　have　guessed；　Crevel　had　soon　purchased　the　right　of
taking　his　revenge；　as　often　as　circumstances　allowed；　for　having　been
bereft　of　Josepha；　at　the　cost　of　a　bond　bearing　six　thousand　francs
of　interest　in　the　name　of　Valerie　Fortin；　wife　of　Sieur　Marneffe；　for
her　sole　and　separate　use。　Valerie；　inheriting　perhaps　from　her　mother
the　special　acumen　of　the　kept　woman；　read　the　character　of　her
grotesque　adorer　at　a　glance。　The　phrase　〃I　never　had　a　lady　for　a
mistress；〃　spoken　by　Crevel　to　Lisbeth；　and　repeated　by　Lisbeth　to　her
dear　Valerie；　had　been　handsomely　discounted　in　the　bargain　by　which
she　got　her　six　thousand　francs　a　year　in　five　per　cents。　And　since
then　she　had　never　allowed　her　prestige　to　grow　less　in　the　eyes　of
Cesar　Birotteau's　erewhile　bagman。

Crevel　himself　had　married　for　money　the　daughter　of　a　miller　of　la
Brie；　an　only　child　indeed；　whose　inheritance　constituted　three…
quarters　of　his　fortune；　for　when　retail…dealers　grow　rich；　it　is
generally　not　so　much　by　trade　as　through　some　alliance　between　the
shop　and　rural　thrift。　A　large　proportion　of　the　farmers；　corn…
factors；　dairy…keepers；　and　market…gardeners　in　the　neighborhood　of
Paris；　dream　of　the　glories　of　the　desk　for　their　daughters；　and　look
upon　a　shopkeeper；　a　jeweler；　or　a　money…changer　as　a　son…in…law　after
their　own　heart；　in　preference　to　a　notary　or　an　attorney；　whose
superior　social　position　is　a