cousin betty-第51部分

快捷操作: 按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页 按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页 按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部! 如果本书没有阅读完，想下次继续接着阅读，可使用上方 "收藏到我的浏览器" 功能 和 "加入书签" 功能！


evening；〃　said　he。　〃I　have　lost　two　louisthere　they　are。〃

He　threw　the　two　gold　pieces　on　the　table；　and　seated　himself　on　the
sofa　with　a　look　which　everybody　else　took　as　a　hint　to　go。　Monsieur
and　Madame　Coquet；　after　exchanging　a　few　words；　left　the　room；　and
Claude　Vignon；　in　despair；　followed　their　example。　These　two
departures　were　a　hint　to　less　intelligent　persons；　who　now　found　that
they　were　not　wanted。　The　Baron　and　Crevel　were　left　together；　and
spoke　never　a　word。　Hulot；　at　last；　ignoring　Crevel；　went　on　tiptoe　to
listen　at　the　bedroom　door；　but　he　bounded　back　with　a　prodigious
jump；　for　Marneffe　opened　the　door　and　appeared　with　a　calm　face；
astonished　to　find　only　the　two　men。

〃And　the　tea？〃　said　he。

〃Where　is　Valerie？〃　replied　the　Baron　in　a　rage。

〃My　wife；〃　said　Marneffe。　〃She　is　gone　upstairs　to　speak　to
mademoiselle　your　cousin。　She　will　come　down　directly。〃

〃And　why　has　she　deserted　us　for　that　stupid　creature？〃

〃Well；〃　said　Marneffe；　〃Mademoiselle　Lisbeth　came　back　from　dining
with　the　Baroness　with　an　attack　of　indigestion　and　Mathurine　asked
Valerie　for　some　tea　for　her；　so　my　wife　went　up　to　see　what　was　the
matter。〃

〃And　/her/　cousin？〃

〃He　is　gone。〃

〃Do　you　really　believe　that？〃　said　the　Baron。

〃I　have　seen　him　to　his　carriage；〃　replied　Marneffe；　with　a　hideous
smirk。

The　wheels　of　a　departing　carriage　were　audible　in　the　street。　The
Baron；　counting　Marneffe　for　nothing；　went　upstairs　to　Lisbeth。　An
idea　flashed　through　him　such　as　the　heart　sends　to　the　brain　when　it
is　on　fire　with　jealousy。　Marneffe's　baseness　was　so　well　known　to
him；　that　he　could　imagine　the　most　degrading　connivance　between
husband　and　wife。

〃What　has　become　of　all　the　ladies　and　gentlemen？〃　said　Marneffe；
finding　himself　alone　with　Crevel。

〃When　the　sun　goes　to　bed；　the　cocks　and　hens　follow　suit；〃　said
Crevel。　〃Madame　Marneffe　disappeared；　and　her　adorers　departed。　Will
you　play　a　game　of　piquet？〃　added　Crevel；　who　meant　to　remain。

He　too　believed　that　the　Brazilian　was　in　the　house。

Monsieur　Marneffe　agreed。　The　Mayor　was　a　match　for　the　Baron。　Simply
by　playing　cards　with　the　husband　he　could　stay　on　indefinitely；　and
Marneffe；　since　the　suppression　of　the　public　tables；　was　quite
satisfied　with　the　more　limited　opportunities　of　private　play。

Baron　Hulot　went　quickly　up　to　Lisbeth's　apartment；　but　the　door　was
locked；　and　the　usual　inquiries　through　the　door　took　up　time　enough
to　enable　the　two　light…handed　and　cunning　women　to　arrange　the　scene
of　an　attack　of　indigestion　with　the　accessories　of　tea。　Lisbeth　was
in　such　pain　that　Valerie　was　very　much　alarmed；　and　consequently
hardly　paid　any　heed　to　the　Baron's　furious　entrance。　Indisposition　is
one　of　the　screens　most　often　placed　by　women　to　ward　off　a　quarrel。
Hulot　peeped　about；　here　and　there；　but　could　see　no　spot　in　Cousin
Betty's　room　where　a　Brazilian　might　lie　hidden。

〃Your　indigestion　does　honor　to　my　wife's　dinner；　Lisbeth；〃　said　he；
scrutinizing　her；　for　Lisbeth　was　perfectly　well；　trying　to　imitate
the　hiccough　of　spasmodic　indigestion　as　she　drank　her　tea。

〃How　lucky　it　is　that　dear　Betty　should　be　living　under　my　roof！〃　said
Madame　Marneffe。　〃But　for　me；　the　poor　thing　would　have　died。〃

〃You　look　as　if　you　only　half　believed　it；〃　added　Lisbeth；　turning　to
the　Baron；　〃and　that　would　be　a　shame〃

〃Why？〃　asked　the　Baron。　〃Do　you　know　the　purpose　of　my　visit？〃

And　he　leered　at　the　door　of　a　dressing…closet　from　which　the　key　had
been　withdrawn。

〃Are　you　talking　Greek？〃　said　Madame　Marneffe；　with　an　appealing　look
of　misprized　tenderness　and　devotedness。

〃But　it　is　all　through　you；　my　dear　cousin；　yes；　it　is　your　doing　that
I　am　in　such　a　state；〃　said　Lisbeth　vehemently。

This　speech　diverted　the　Baron's　attention；　he　looked　at　the　old　maid
with　the　greatest　astonishment。

〃You　know　that　I　am　devoted　to　you；〃　said　Lisbeth。　〃I　am　here；　that
says　everything。　I　am　wearing　out　the　last　shreds　of　my　strength　in
watching　over　your　interests；　since　they　are　one　with　our　dear
Valerie's。　Her　house　costs　one…tenth　of　what　any　other　does　that　is
kept　on　the　same　scale。　But　for　me；　Cousin；　instead　of　two　thousand
francs　a　month；　you　would　be　obliged　to　spend　three　or　four　thousand。〃

〃I　know　all　that；〃　replied　the　Baron　out　of　patience；　〃you　are　our
protectress　in　many　ways；〃　he　added；　turning　to　Madame　Marneffe　and
putting　his　arm　round　her　neck。〃Is　not　she；　my　pretty　sweet？〃

〃On　my　honor；〃　exclaimed　Valerie；　〃I　believe　you　are　gone　mad！〃

〃Well；　you　cannot　doubt　my　attachment；〃　said　Lisbeth。　〃But　I　am　also
very　fond　of　my　cousin　Adeline；　and　I　found　her　in　tears。　She　has　not
seen　you　for　a　month。　Now　that　is　really　too　bad；　you　leave　my　poor
Adeline　without　a　sou。　Your　daughter　Hortense　almost　died　of　it　when
she　was　told　that　it　is　thanks　to　your　brother　that　we　had　any　dinner
at　all。　There　was　not　even　bread　in　your　house　this　day。

〃Adeline　is　heroically　resolved　to　keep　her　sufferings　to　herself。　She
said　to　me；　'I　will　do　as　you　have　done！'　The　speech　went　to　my　heart；
and　after　dinner；　as　I　thought　of　what　my　cousin　had　been　in　1811；　and
of　what　she　is　in　1841thirty　years　afterI　had　a　violent
indigestion。I　fancied　I　should　get　over　it；　but　when　I　got　home；　I
thought　I　was　dying〃

〃You　see；　Valerie；　to　what　my　adoration　of　you　has　brought　me！　To
crimedomestic　crime！〃

〃Oh！　I　was　wise　never　to　marry！〃　cried　Lisbeth；　with　savage　joy。　〃You
are　a　kind；　good　man；　Adeline　is　a　perfect　angel；and　this　is　the
reward　of　her　blind　devotion。〃

〃An　elderly　angel！〃　said　Madame　Marneffe　softly；　as　she　looked　half
tenderly；　half　mockingly；　at　her　Hector；　who　was　gazing　at　her　as　an
examining　judge　gazes　at　the　accused。

〃My　poor　wife！〃　said　Hulot。　〃For　more　than　nine　months　I　have　given
her　no　money；　though　I　find　it　for　you；　Valerie；　but　at　what　a　cost！
No　one　else　will　ever　love　you　so；　and　what　torments　you　inflict　on　me
in　return！〃

〃Torments？〃　she　echoed。　〃Then　what　do　you　call　happiness？〃

〃I　do　not　yet　know　on　what　terms　you　have　been　with　this　so…called
cousin　whom　you　never　mentioned　to　me；〃　said　the　Baron；　paying　no　heed
to　Valerie's　interjection。　〃But　when　he　came　in　I　felt　as　if　a
penknife　had　been　stuck　into　my　heart。　Blinded　I　may　be；　but　I　am　not
blind。　I　could　read　his　eyes；　and　yours。　In　short；　from　under　that
ape's　eyelids　there　flashed　sparks　that　he　flung　at　youand　your
eyes！Oh！　you　have　never　looked　at　me　so；　never！　As　to　this　mystery；
Valerie；　it　shall　all　be　cleared　up。　You　are　the　only　woman　who　ever
made　me　know　the　meaning　of　jealousy；　so　you　need　not　be　surprised　by
what　I　say。But　another　mystery　which　has　rent　its　cloud；　and　it
seems　to　me　infamous〃

〃Go　on；　go　on；〃　said　Valerie。

〃It　is　that　Crevel；　that　square　lump　of　flesh　and　stupidity；　is　in
love　with　you；　and　that　you　accept　his　attentions　with　so　good　a　grace
that　the　idiot　flaunts　his　passion　before　everybody。〃

〃Only　three！　Can　you　discover　no　more？〃　asked　Madame　Marneffe。

〃There　may　be　more！〃　retorted　the　Baron。

〃If　Monsieur　Crevel　is　in　love　with　me；　he　is　in　his　rights　as　a　man
after　all；　if　I　favored　his　passion；