cousin betty-第44部分

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their　own　heart；　in　preference　to　a　notary　or　an　attorney；　whose
superior　social　position　is　a　ground　of　suspicion；　they　are　afraid　of
being　scorned　in　the　future　by　these　citizen　bigwigs。

Madame　Crevel；　ugly；　vulgar；　and　silly；　had　given　her　husband　no
pleasures　but　those　of　paternity；　she　died　young。　Her　libertine
husband；　fettered　at　the　beginning　of　his　commercial　career　by　the
necessity　for　working；　and　held　in　thrall　by　want　of　money；　had　led
the　life　of　Tantalus。　Thrown　inas　he　phrased　itwith　the　most
elegant　women　in　Paris；　he　let　them　out　of　the　shop　with　servile
homage；　while　admiring　their　grace；　their　way　of　wearing　the　fashions；
and　all　the　nameless　charms　of　what　is　called　breeding。　To　rise　to　the
level　of　one　of　these　fairies　of　the　drawing…room　was　a　desire　formed
in　his　youth；　but　buried　in　the　depths　of　his　heart。　Thus　to　win　the
favors　of　Madame　Marneffe　was　to　him　not　merely　the　realization　of　his
chimera；　but；　as　has　been　shown；　a　point　of　pride；　of　vanity；　of　self…
satisfaction。　His　ambition　grew　with　success；　his　brain　was　turned
with　elation；　and　when　the　mind　is　captivated；　the　heart　feels　more
keenly；　every　gratification　is　doubled。

Also；　it　must　be　said　that　Madame　Marneffe　offered　to　Crevel　a
refinement　of　pleasure　of　which　he　had　no　idea；　neither　Josepha　nor
Heloise　had　loved　him；　and　Madame　Marneffe　thought　it　necessary　to
deceive　him　thoroughly；　for　this　man；　she　saw；　would　prove　an
inexhaustible　till。　The　deceptions　of　a　venal　passion　are　more
delightful　than　the　real　thing。　True　love　is　mixed　up　with　birdlike
squabbles；　in　which　the　disputants　wound　each　other　to　the　quick；　but
a　quarrel　without　animus　is；　on　the　contrary；　a　piece　of　flattery　to
the　dupe's　conceit。

The　rare　interviews　granted　to　Crevel　kept　his　passion　at　white　heat。
He　was　constantly　blocked　by　Valerie's　virtuous　severity；　she　acted
remorse；　and　wondered　what　her　father　must　be　thinking　of　her　in　the
paradise　of　the　brave。　Again　and　again　he　had　to　contend　with　a　sort
of　coldness；　which　the　cunning　slut　made　him　believe　he　had　overcome
by　seeming　to　surrender　to　the　man's　crazy　passion；　and　then；　as　if
ashamed；　she　entrenched　herself　once　more　in　her　pride　of
respectability　and　airs　of　virtue；　just　like　an　Englishwoman；　neither
more　nor　less；　and　she　always　crushed　her　Crevel　under　the　weight　of
her　dignityfor　Crevel　had；　in　the　first　instance；　swallowed　her
pretensions　to　virtue。

In　short；　Valerie　had　special　veins　of　affections　which　made　her
equally　indispensable　to　Crevel　and　to　the　Baron。　Before　the　world　she
displayed　the　attractive　combination　of　modest　and　pensive　innocence；
of　irreproachable　propriety；　with　a　bright　humor　enhanced　by　the
suppleness；　the　grace　and　softness　of　the　Creole；　but　in　a　/tete…a…
tete/　she　would　outdo　any　courtesan；　she　was　audacious；　amusing；　and
full　of　original　inventiveness。　Such　a　contrast　is　irresistible　to　a
man　of　the　Crevel　type；　he　is　flattered　by　believing　himself　sole
author　of　the　comedy；　thinking　it　is　performed　for　his　benefit　alone；
and　he　laughs　at　the　exquisite　hypocrisy　while　admiring　the　hypocrite。

Valerie　had　taken　entire　possession　of　Baron　Hulot；　she　had　persuaded
him　to　grow　old　by　one　of　those　subtle　touches　of　flattery　which
reveal　the　diabolical　wit　of　women　like　her。　In　all　evergreen
constitutions　a　moment　arrives　when　the　truth　suddenly　comes　out；　as
in　a　besieged　town　which　puts　a　good　face　on　affairs　as　long　as
possible。　Valerie；　foreseeing　the　approaching　collapse　of　the　old　beau
of　the　Empire；　determined　to　forestall　it。

〃Why　give　yourself　so　much　bother；　my　dear　old　veteran？〃　said　she　one
day；　six　months　after　their　doubly　adulterous　union。　〃Do　you　want　to
be　flirting？　To　be　unfaithful　to　me？　I　assure　you；　I　should　like　you
better　without　your　make…up。　Oblige　me　by　giving　up　all　your
artificial　charms。　Do　you　suppose　that　it　is　for　two　sous'　worth　of
polish　on　your　boots　that　I　love　you？　For　your　india…rubber　belt；　your
strait…waistcoat；　and　your　false　hair？　And　then；　the　older　you　look；
the　less　need　I　fear　seeing　my　Hulot　carried　off　by　a　rival。〃

And　Hulot；　trusting　to　Madame　Marneffe's　heavenly　friendship　as　much
as　to　her　love；　intending；　too；　to　end　his　days　with　her；　had　taken
this　confidential　hint；　and　ceased　to　dye　his　whiskers　and　hair。　After
this　touching　declaration　from　his　Valerie；　handsome　Hector　made　his
appearance　one　morning　perfectly　white。　Madame　Marneffe　could　assure
him　that　she　had　a　hundred　times　detected　the　white　line　of　the　growth
of　the　hair。

〃And　white　hair　suits　your　face　to　perfection；〃　said　she；　〃it　softens
it。　You　look　a　thousand　times　better；　quite　charming。〃

The　Baron；　once　started　on　this　path　of　reform；　gave　up　his　leather
waistcoat　and　stays；　he　threw　off　all　his　bracing。　His　stomach　fell
and　increased　in　size。　The　oak　became　a　tower；　and　the　heaviness　of
his　movements　was　all　the　more　alarming　because　the　Baron　grew
immensely　older　by　playing　the　part　of　Louis　XII。　His　eyebrows　were
still　black；　and　left　a　ghostly　reminiscence　of　Handsome　Hulot；　as
sometimes　on　the　wall　of　some　feudal　building　a　faint　trace　of
sculpture　remains　to　show　what　the　castle　was　in　the　days　of　its
glory。　This　discordant　detail　made　his　eyes；　still　bright　and
youthful；　all　the　more　remarkable　in　his　tanned　face；　because　it　had
so　long　been　ruddy　with　the　florid　hues　of　a　Rubens；　and　now　a　certain
discoloration　and　the　deep　tension　of　the　wrinkles　betrayed　the
efforts　of　a　passion　at　odds　with　natural　decay。　Hulot　was　now　one　of
those　stalwart　ruins　in　which　virile　force　asserts　itself　by　tufts　of
hair　in　the　ears　and　nostrils　and　on　the　fingers；　as　moss　grows　on　the
almost　eternal　monuments　of　the　Roman　Empire。

How　had　Valerie　contrived　to　keep　Crevel　and　Hulot　side　by　side；　each
tied　to　an　apron…string；　when　the　vindictive　Mayor　only　longed　to
triumph　openly　over　Hulot？　Without　immediately　giving　an　answer　to
this　question；　which　the　course　of　the　story　will　supply；　it　may　be
said　that　Lisbeth　and　Valerie　had　contrived　a　powerful　piece　of
machinery　which　tended　to　this　result。　Marneffe；　as　he　saw　his　wife
improved　in　beauty　by　the　setting　in　which　she　was　enthroned；　like　the
sun　at　the　centre　of　the　sidereal　system；　appeared；　in　the　eyes　of　the
world；　to　have　fallen　in　love　with　her　again　himself；　he　was　quite
crazy　about　her。　Now；　though　his　jealousy　made　him　somewhat　of　a
marplot；　it　gave　enhanced　value　to　Valerie's　favors。　Marneffe
meanwhile　showed　a　blind　confidence　in　his　chief；　which　degenerated
into　ridiculous　complaisance。　The　only　person　whom　he　really　would　not
stand　was　Crevel。

Marneffe；　wrecked　by　the　debauchery　of　great　cities；　described　by
Roman　authors；　though　modern　decency　has　no　name　for　it；　was　as
hideous　as　an　anatomical　figure　in　wax。　But　this　disease　on　feet；
clothed　in　good　broadcloth；　encased　his　lathlike　legs　in　elegant
trousers。　The　hollow　chest　was　scented　with　fine　linen；　and　musk
disguised　the　odors　of　rotten　humanity。　This　hideous　specimen　of
decaying　vice；　trotting　in　red　heelsfor　Valerie　dressed　the　man　as
beseemed　his　income；　his　cross；　and　his　appointmenthorrified　Crevel；
who　could　not