cousin betty-第46部分

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We　shudder　to　think　of　the　result　of　such　unions　from　the　three　points
of　view　of　increasing　crime；　degeneracy　of　the　race；　and　miserable
households。

As　to　the　mere　financial　mischief　that　results　from　domestic
peculation；　that　too　is　immense　from　a　political　point　of　view。　Life
being　made　to　cost　double；　any　superfluity　becomes　impossible　in　most
households。　Now　superfluity　means　half　the　trade　of　the　world；　as　it
is　half　the　elegance　of　life。　Books　and　flowers　are　to　many　persons　as
necessary　as　bread。

Lisbeth；　well　aware　of　this　dreadful　scourge　of　Parisian　households；
determined　to　manage　Valerie's；　promising　her　every　assistance　in　the
terrible　scene　when　the　two　women　had　sworn　to　be　like　sisters。　So　she
had　brought　from　the　depths　of　the　Vosges　a　humble　relation　on　her
mother's　side；　a　very　pious　and　honest　soul；　who　had　been　cook　to　the
Bishop　of　Nancy。　Fearing；　however；　her　inexperience　of　Paris　ways；　and
yet　more　the　evil　counsel　which　wrecks　such　fragile　virtue；　at　first
Lisbeth　always　went　to　market　with　Mathurine；　and　tried　to　teach　her
what　to　buy。　To　know　the　real　prices　of　things　and　command　the
salesman's　respect；　to　purchase　unnecessary　delicacies；　such　as　fish；
only　when　they　were　cheap；　to　be　well　informed　as　to　the　price　current
of　groceries　and　provisions；　so　as　to　buy　when　prices　are　low　in
anticipation　of　a　rise；all　this　housekeeping　skill　is　in　Paris
essential　to　domestic　economy。　As　Mathurine　got　good　wages　and　many
presents；　she　liked　the　house　well　enough　to　be　glad　to　drive　good
bargains。　And　by　this　time　Lisbeth　had　made　her　quite　a　match　for
herself；　sufficiently　experienced　and　trustworthy　to　be　sent　to　market
alone；　unless　Valerie　was　giving　a　dinnerwhich；　in　fact；　was　not
unfrequently　the　case。　And　this　was　how　it　came　about。

The　Baron　had　at　first　observed　the　strictest　decorum；　but　his　passion
for　Madame　Marneffe　had　ere　long　become　so　vehement；　so　greedy；　that
he　would　never　quit　her　if　he　could　help　it。　At　first　he　dined　there
four　times　a　week；　then　he　thought　it　delightful　to　dine　with　her
every　day。　Six　months　after　his　daughter's　marriage　he　was　paying　her
two　thousand　francs　a　month　for　his　board。　Madame　Marneffe　invited　any
one　her　dear　Baron　wished　to　entertain。　The　dinner　was　always　arranged
for　six；　he　could　bring　in　three　unexpected　guests。　Lisbeth's　economy
enabled　her　to　solve　the　extraordinary　problem　of　keeping　up　the　table
in　the　best　style　for　a　thousand　francs　a　month；　giving　the　other
thousand　to　Madame　Marneffe。　Valerie's　dress　being　chiefly　paid　for　by
Crevel　and　the　Baron；　the　two　women　saved　another　thousand　francs　a
month　on　this。

And　so　this　pure　and　innocent　being　had　already　accumulated　a　hundred
and　fifty　thousand　francs　in　savings。　She　had　capitalized　her　income
and　monthly　bonus；　and　swelled　the　amount　by　enormous　interest；　due　to
Crevel's　liberality　in　allowing　his　〃little　Duchess〃　to　invest　her
money　in　partnership　with　him　in　his　financial　operations。　Crevel　had
taught　Valerie　the　slang　and　the　procedure　of　the　money　market；　and；
like　every　Parisian　woman；　she　had　soon　outstripped　her　master。
Lisbeth；　who　never　spent　a　sou　of　her　twelve　hundred　francs；　whose
rent　and　dress　were　given　to　her；　and　who　never　put　her　hand　in　her
pocket；　had　likewise　a　small　capital　of　five　or　six　thousand　francs；
of　which　Crevel　took　fatherly　care。

At　the　same　time；　two　such　lovers　were　a　heavy　burthen　on　Valerie。　On
the　day　when　this　drama　reopens；　Valerie；　spurred　by　one　of　those
incidents　which　have　the　effect　in　life　that　the　ringing　of　a　bell　has
in　inducing　a　swarm　of　bees　to　settle；　went　up　to　Lisbeth's　rooms　to
give　vent　to　one　of　those　comforting　lamentationsa　sort　of　cigarette
blown　off　from　the　tongueby　which　women　alleviate　the　minor　miseries
of　life。

〃Oh；　Lisbeth；　my　love；　two　hours　of　Crevel　this　morning！　It　is
crushing！　How　I　wish　I　could　send　you　in　my　place！〃

〃That；　unluckily；　is　impossible；〃　said　Lisbeth；　smiling。　〃I　shall　die
a　maid。〃

〃Two　old　men　lovers！　Really；　I　am　ashamed　sometimes！　If　my　poor　mother
could　see　me。〃

〃You　are　mistaking　me　for　Crevel！〃　said　Lisbeth。

〃Tell　me；　my　little　Betty；　do　you　not　despise　me？〃

〃Oh！　if　I　had　but　been　pretty；　what　adventures　I　would　have　had！〃
cried　Lisbeth。　〃That　is　your　justification。〃

〃But　you　would　have　acted　only　at　the　dictates　of　your　heart；〃　said
Madame　Marneffe；　with　a　sigh。

〃Pooh！　Marneffe　is　a　dead　man　they　have　forgotten　to　bury；〃　replied
Lisbeth。　〃The　Baron　is　as　good　as　your　husband；　Crevel　is　your　adorer；
it　seems　to　me　that　you　are　quite　in　orderlike　every　other　married
woman。〃

〃No；　it　is　not　that；　dear；　adorable　thing；　that　is　not　where　the　shoe
pinches；　you　do　not　choose　to　understand。〃

〃Yes；　I　do；〃　said　Lisbeth。　〃The　unexpressed　factor　is　part　of　my
revenge；　what　can　I　do？　I　am　working　it　out。〃

〃I　love　Wenceslas　so　that　I　am　positively　growing　thin；　and　I　can
never　see　him；〃　said　Valerie；　throwing　up　her　arms。　〃Hulot　asks　him　to
dinner；　and　my　artist　declines。　He　does　not　know　that　I　idolize　him；
the　wretch！　What　is　his　wife　after　all？　Fine　flesh！　Yes；　she　is
handsome；　but　II　know　myselfI　am　worse！〃

〃Be　quite　easy；　my　child；　he　will　come；〃　said　Lisbeth；　in　the　tone　of
a　nurse　to　an　impatient　child。　〃He　shall。〃

〃But　when？〃

〃This　week　perhaps。〃

〃Give　me　a　kiss。〃

As　may　be　seen；　these　two　women　were　but　one。　Everything　Valerie　did；
even　her　most　reckless　actions；　her　pleasures；　her　little　sulks；　were
decided　on　after　serious　deliberation　between　them。

Lisbeth；　strangely　excited　by　this　harlot　existence；　advised　Valerie
on　every　step；　and　pursued　her　course　of　revenge　with　pitiless　logic。
She　really　adored　Valerie；　she　had　taken　her　to　be　her　child；　her
friend；　her　love；　she　found　her　docile；　as　Creoles　are；　yielding　from
voluptuous　indolence；　she　chattered　with　her　morning　after　morning
with　more　pleasure　than　with　Wenceslas；　they　could　laugh　together　over
the　mischief　they　plotted；　and　over　the　folly　of　men；　and　count　up　the
swelling　interest　on　their　respective　savings。

Indeed；　in　this　new　enterprise　and　new　affection；　Lisbeth　had　found
food　for　her　activity　that　was　far　more　satisfying　than　her　insane
passion　for　Wenceslas。　The　joys　of　gratified　hatred　are　the　fiercest
and　strongest　the　heart　can　know。　Love　is　the　gold；　hatred　the　iron　of
the　mine　of　feeling　that　lies　buried　in　us。　And　then；　Valerie　was；　to
Lisbeth；　Beauty　in　all　its　glorythe　beauty　she　worshiped；　as　we
worship　what　we　have　not；　beauty　far　more　plastic　to　her　hand　than
that　of　Wenceslas；　who　had　always　been　cold　to　her　and　distant。

At　the　end　of　nearly　three　years；　Lisbeth　was　beginning　to　perceive
the　progress　of　the　underground　mine　on　which　she　was　expending　her
life　and　concentrating　her　mind。　Lisbeth　planned；　Madame　Marneffe
acted。　Madame　Marneffe　was　the　axe；　Lisbeth　was　the　hand　the　wielded
it；　and　that　hand　was　rapidly　demolishing　the　family　which　was　every
day　more　odious　to　her；　for　we　can　hate　more　and　more；　just　as；　when
we　love；　we　love　better　every　day。

Love　and　hatred　are　feelings　that　feed　on　themselves；　but　of　the　two；
hatred　has　the　longer　vitality。　Love　is　re