cousin betty-第62部分

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my　wife's　diamonds　to　the　Monte…de…Piete；　we　should　be　no　further
forward。〃

〃Then　borrow　of　Madame　Marneffe；〃　said　Lisbeth。　〃Persuade　Hortense；
Wenceslas；　to　let　you　go　there；　or　else；　bless　me！　go　there　without
telling　her。〃

〃That　is　what　I　was　thinking　of；〃　replied　Wenceslas；　〃when　I　refused
for　fear　of　grieving　Hortense。〃

〃Listen　to　me；　I　care　too　much　for　you　both　not　to　warn　you　of　your
danger。　If　you　go　there；　hold　your　heart　tight　in　both　hands；　for　the
woman　is　a　witch。　All　who　see　her　adore　her；　she　is　so　wicked；　so
inviting！　She　fascinates　men　like　a　masterpiece。　Borrow　her　money；　but
do　not　leave　your　soul　in　pledge。　I　should　never　be　happy　again　if　you
were　false　to　Hortensehere　she　is！　not　another　word！　I　will　settle
the　matter。〃

〃Kiss　Lisbeth；　my　darling；〃　said　Wenceslas　to　his　wife。　〃She　will　help
us　out　of　our　difficulties　by　lending　us　her　savings。〃

And　he　gave　Lisbeth　a　look　which　she　understood。

〃Then；　I　hope　you　mean　to　work；　my　dear　treasure；〃　said　Hortense。

〃Yes；　indeed；〃　said　the　artist。　〃I　will　begin　to…morrow。〃

〃To…morrow　is　our　ruin！〃　said　his　wife；　with　a　smile。

〃Now；　my　dear　child！　say　yourself　whether　some　hindrance　has　not　come
in　the　way　every　day；　some　obstacle　or　business？〃

〃Yes；　very　true；　my　love。〃

〃Here！〃　cried　Steinbock；　striking　his　brow；　〃here　I　have　swarms　of
ideas！　I　mean　to　astonish　all　my　enemies。　I　am　going　to　design　a
service　in　the　German　style　of　the　sixteenth　century；　the　romantic
style：　foliage　twined　with　insects；　sleeping　children；　newly　invented
monsters；　chimerasreal　chimeras；　such　as　we　dream　of！I　see　it　all！
It　will　be　undercut；　light；　and　yet　crowded。　Chanor　was　quite　amazed。
And　I　wanted　some　encouragement；　for　the　last　article　on
Montcornet's　monument　had　been　crushing。〃

At　a　moment　in　the　course　of　the　day　when　Lisbeth　and　Wenceslas　were
left　together；　the　artist　agreed　to　go　on　the　morrow　to　see　Madame
Marneffehe　either　would　win　his　wife's　consent；　or　he　would　go
without　telling　her。



Valerie；　informed　the　same　evening　of　this　success；　insisted　that
Hulot　should　go　to　invite　Stidmann；　Claude　Vignon；　and　Steinbock　to
dinner；　for　she　was　beginning　to　tyrannize　over　him　as　women　of　that
type　tyrannize　over　old　men；　who　trot　round　town；　and　go　to　make
interest　with　every　one　who　is　necessary　to　the　interests　or　the
vanity　of　their　task…mistress。

Next　evening　Valerie　armed　herself　for　conquest　by　making　such　a
toilet　as　a　Frenchwoman　can　devise　when　she　wishes　to　make　the　most　of
herself。　She　studied　her　appearance　in　this　great　work　as　a　man　going
out　to　fight　a　duel　practises　his　feints　and　lunges。　Not　a　speck；　not
a　wrinkle　was　to　be　seen。　Valerie　was　at　her　whitest；　her　softest；　her
sweetest。　And　certain　little　〃patches〃　attracted　the　eye。

It　is　commonly　supposed　that　the　patch　of　the　eighteenth　century　is
out　of　date　or　out　of　fashion；　that　is　a　mistake。　In　these　days　women；
more　ingenious　perhaps　than　of　yore；　invite　a　glance　through　the
opera…glass　by　other　audacious　devices。　One　is　the　first　to　hit　on　a
rosette　in　her　hair　with　a　diamond　in　the　centre；　and　she　attracts
every　eye　for　a　whole　evening；　another　revives　the　hair…net；　or　sticks
a　dagger　through　the　twist　to　suggest　a　garter；　this　one　wears　velvet
bands　round　her　wrists；　that　one　appears　in　lace　lippets。　These
valiant　efforts；　an　Austerlitz　of　vanity　or　of　love；　then　set　the
fashion　for　lower　spheres　by　the　time　the　inventive　creatress　has
originated　something　new。　This　evening；　which　Valerie　meant　to　be　a
success　for　her；　she　had　placed　three　patches。　She　had　washed　her　hair
with　some　lye；　which　changed　its　hue　for　a　few　days　from　a　gold　color
to　a　duller　shade。　Madame　Steinbock's　was　almost　red；　and　she　would　be
in　every　point　unlike　her。　This　new　effect　gave　her　a　piquant　and
strange　appearance；　which　puzzled　her　followers　so　much；　that　Montes
asked　her：

〃What　have　you　done　to　yourself　this　evening？〃Then　she　put　on　a
rather　wide　black　velvet　neck…ribbon；　which　showed　off　the　whiteness
of　her　skin。　One　patch　took　the　place　of　the　/assassine/　of　our
grandmothers。　And　Valerie　pinned　the　sweetest　rosebud　into　her　bodice；
just　in　the　middle　above　the　stay…busk；　and　in　the　daintiest　little
hollow！　It　was　enough　to　make　every　man　under　thirty　drop　his　eyelids。

〃I　am　as　sweet　as　a　sugar…plum；〃　said　she　to　herself；　going　through
her　attitudes　before　the　glass；　exactly　as　a　dancer　practises　her
curtesies。

Lisbeth　had　been　to　market；　and　the　dinner　was　to　be　one　of　those
superfine　meals　which　Mathurine　had　been　wont　to　cook　for　her　Bishop
when　he　entertained　the　prelate　of　the　adjoining　diocese。

Stidmann；　Claude　Vignon；　and　Count　Steinbock　arrived　almost　together；
just　at　six。　An　ordinary；　or；　if　you　will；　a　natural　woman　would　have
hastened　at　the　announcement　of　a　name　so　eagerly　longed　for；　but
Valerie；　though　ready　since　five　o'clock；　remained　in　her　room；
leaving　her　three　guests　together；　certain　that　she　was　the　subject　of
their　conversation　or　of　their　secret　thoughts。　She　herself　had
arranged　the　drawing…room；　laying　out　the　pretty　trifles　produced　in
Paris　and　nowhere　else；　which　reveal　the　woman　and　announce　her
presence：　albums　bound　in　enamel　or　embroidered　with　beads；　saucers
full　of　pretty　rings；　marvels　of　Sevres　or　Dresden　mounted　exquisitely
by　Florent　and　Chanor；　statues；　books；　all　the　frivolities　which　cost
insane　sums；　and　which　passion　orders　of　the　makers　in　its　first
deliriumor　to　patch　up　its　last　quarrel。

Besides；　Valerie　was　in　the　state　of　intoxication　that　comes　of
triumph。　She　had　promised　to　marry　Crevel　if　Marneffe　should　die；　and
the　amorous　Crevel　had　transferred　to　the　name　of　Valerie　Fortin　bonds
bearing　ten　thousand　francs　a　year；　the　sum…total　of　what　he　had　made
in　railway　speculations　during　the　past　three　years；　the　returns　on
the　capital　of　a　hundred　thousand　crowns　which　he　had　at　first　offered
to　the　Baronne　Hulot。　So　Valerie　now　had　an　income　of　thirty…two
thousand　francs。

Crevel　had　just　committed　himself　to　a　promise　of　far　greater
magnitude　than　this　gift　of　his　surplus。　In　the　paroxysm　of　rapture
which　/his　Duchess/　had　given　him　from　two　to　fourhe　gave　this　fine
title　to　Madame　/de/　Marneffe　to　complete　the　illusionfor　Valerie
had　surpassed　herself　in　the　Rue　du　Dauphin　that　afternoon；　he　had
thought　well　to　encourage　her　in　her　promised　fidelity　by　giving　her
the　prospect　of　a　certain　little　mansion；　built　in　the　Rue　Barbette　by
an　imprudent　contractor；　who　now　wanted　to　sell　it。　Valerie　could
already　see　herself　in　this　delightful　residence；　with　a　fore…court
and　a　garden；　and　keeping　a　carriage！

〃What　respectable　life　can　ever　procure　so　much　in　so　short　a　time；　or
so　easily？〃　said　she　to　Lisbeth　as　she　finished　dressing。　Lisbeth　was
to　dine　with　Valerie　that　evening；　to　tell　Steinbock　those　things
about　the　lady　which　nobody　can　say　about　herself。

Madame　Marneffe；　radiant　with　satisfaction；　came　into　the　drawing…room
with　modest　grace；　followed　by　Lisbeth　dressed　in　black　and　yellow　to
set　her　off。

〃Good…evening；　Claude；〃　said　she；　giving　her　hand　to　the　famous　old
critic。

Claude　Vignon；　like　man