cousin betty-第69部分

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rag；　looked　at　the　model；　and　asked：

〃What　is　that？〃

〃A　group　for　which　I　had　just　had　an　idea。〃

〃And　why　did　you　hide　it？〃

〃I　did　not　mean　you　to　see　it　till　it　was　finished。〃

〃The　woman　is　very　pretty；〃　said　Hortense。

And　a　thousand　suspicions　cropped　up　in　her　mind；　as；　in　India；　tall；
rank　plants　spring　up　in　a　night…time。



By　the　end　of　three　weeks；　Madame　Marneffe　was　intensely　irritated　by
Hortense。　Women　of　that　stamp　have　a　pride　of　their　own；　they　insist
that　men　shall　kiss　the　devil's　hoof；　they　have　no　forgiveness　for　the
virtue　that　does　not　quail　before　their　dominion；　or　that　even　holds
its　own　against　them。　Now；　in　all　that　time　Wenceslas　had　not　paid　one
visit　in　the　Rue　Vanneau；　not　even　that　which　politeness　required　to　a
woman　who　had　sat　for　Delilah。

Whenever　Lisbeth　called　on　the　Steinbocks；　there　had　been　nobody　at
home。　Monsieur　and　madame　lived　in　the　studio。　Lisbeth；　following　the
turtle　doves　to　their　nest　at　le　Gros…Caillou；　found　Wenceslas　hard　at
work；　and　was　informed　by　the　cook　that　madame　never　left　monsieur's
side。　Wenceslas　was　a　slave　to　the　autocracy　of　love。　So　now　Valerie；
on　her　own　account；　took　part　with　Lisbeth　in　her　hatred　of　Hortense。

Women　cling　to　a　lover　that　another　woman　is　fighting　for；　just　as
much　as　men　do　to　women　round　whom　many　coxcombs　are　buzzing。　Thus　any
reflections　/a　propos/　to　Madame　Marneffe　are　equally　applicable　to
any　lady…killing　rake；　he　is；　in　fact；　a　sort　of　male　courtesan。
Valerie's　last　fancy　was　a　madness；　above　all；　she　was　bent　on　getting
her　group；　she　was　even　thinking　of　going　one　morning　to　the　studio　to
see　Wenceslas；　when　a　serious　incident　arose　of　the　kind　which；　to　a
woman　of　that　class；　may　be　called　the　spoil　of　war。

This　is　how　Valerie　announced　this　wholly　personal　event。

She　was　breakfasting　with　Lisbeth　and　her　husband。

〃I　say；　Marneffe；　what　would　you　say　to　being　a　second　time　a　father？〃

〃You　don't　mean　ita　baby？Oh；　let　me　kiss　you！〃

He　rose　and　went　round　the　table；　his　wife　held　up　her　head　so　that　he
could　just　kiss　her　hair。

〃If　that　is　so；〃　he　went　on；　〃I　am　head…clerk　and　officer　of　the
Legion　of　Honor　at　once。　But　you　must　understand；　my　dear；　Stanislas
is　not　to　be　the　sufferer；　poor　little　man。〃

〃Poor　little　man？〃　Lisbeth　put　in。　〃You　have　not　set　your　eyes　on　him
these　seven　months。　I　am　supposed　to　be　his　mother　at　the　school；　I　am
the　only　person　in　the　house　who　takes　any　trouble　about　him。〃

〃A　brat　that　costs　us　a　hundred　crowns　a　quarter！〃　said　Valerie。　〃And
he；　at　any　rate；　is　your　own　child；　Marneffe。　You　ought　to　pay　for　his
schooling　out　of　your　salary。The　newcomer；　far　from　reminding　us　of
butcher's　bills；　will　rescue　us　from　want。〃

〃Valerie；〃　replied　Marneffe；　assuming　an　attitude　like　Crevel；　〃I　hope
that　Monsieur　le　Baron　Hulot　will　take　proper　charge　of　his　son；　and
not　lay　the　burden　on　a　poor　clerk。　I　intend　to　keep　him　well　up　to
the　mark。　So　take　the　necessary　steps；　madame！　Get　him　to　write　you
letters　in　which　he　alludes　to　his　satisfaction；　for　he　is　rather
backward　in　coming　forward　in　regard　to　my　appointment。〃

And　Marneffe　went　away　to　the　office；　where　his　chief's　precious
leniency　allowed　him　to　come　in　at　about　eleven　o'clock。　And；　indeed；
he　did　little　enough；　for　his　incapacity　was　notorious；　and　he
detested　work。

No　sooner　were　they　alone　than　Lisbeth　and　Valerie　looked　at　each
other　for　a　moment　like　Augurs；　and　both　together　burst　into　a　loud
fit　of　laughter。

〃I　say；　Valerieis　it　the　fact？〃　said　Lisbeth；　〃or　merely　a　farce？〃

〃It　is　a　physical　fact！〃　replied　Valerie。　〃Now；　I　am　sick　and　tired　of
Hortense；　and　it　occurred　to　me　in　the　night　that　I　might　fire　this
infant；　like　a　bomb；　into　the　Steinbock　household。〃

Valerie　went　back　to　her　room；　followed　by　Lisbeth；　to　whom　she　showed
the　following　letter：

　　〃WENCESLAS　MY　DEAR；I　still　believe　in　your　love；　though　it　is
　　nearly　three　weeks　since　I　saw　you。　Is　this　scorn？　Delilah　can
　　scarcely　believe　that。　Does　it　not　rather　result　from　the　tyranny
　　of　a　woman　whom；　as　you　told　me；　you　can　no　longer　love？
　　Wenceslas；　you　are　too　great　an　artist　to　submit　to　such　dominion。
　　Home　is　the　grave　of　glory。Consider　now；　are　you　the　Wenceslas
　　of　the　Rue　du　Doyenne？　You　missed　fire　with　my　father's　statue；
　　but　in　you　the　lover　is　greater　than　the　artist；　and　you　have　had
　　better　luck　with　his　daughter。　You　are　a　father；　my　beloved
　　Wenceslas。

　　〃If　you　do　not　come　to　me　in　the　state　I　am　in；　your　friends　would
　　think　very　badly　of　you。　But　I　love　you　so　madly；　that　I　feel　I
　　should　never　have　the　strength　to　curse　you。　May　I　sign　myself　as
　　ever；

〃YOUR　VALERIE。〃


〃What　do　you　say　to　my　scheme　for　sending　this　note　to　the　studio　at　a
time　when　our　dear　Hortense　is　there　by　herself？〃　asked　Valerie。　〃Last
evening　I　heard　from　Stidmann　that　Wenceslas　is　to　pick　him　up　at
eleven　this　morning　to　go　on　business　to　Chanor's；　so　that　gawk
Hortense　will　be　there　alone。〃

〃But　after　such　a　trick　as　that；〃　replied　Lisbeth；　〃I　cannot　continue
to　be　your　friend　in　the　eyes　of　the　world；　I　shall　have　to　break　with
you；　to　be　supposed　never　to　visit　you；　or　even　to　speak　to　you。〃

〃Evidently；〃　said　Valerie；　〃but〃

〃Oh！　be　quite　easy；〃　interrupted　Lisbeth；　〃we　shall　often　meet　when　I
am　Madame　la　Marechale。　They　are　all　set　upon　it　now。　Only　the　Baron
is　in　ignorance　of　the　plan；　but　you　can　talk　him　over。〃

〃Well；〃　said　Valerie；　〃but　it　is　quite　likely　that　the　Baron　and　I　may
be　on　distant　terms　before　long。〃

〃Madame　Olivier　is　the　only　person　who　can　make　Hortense　demand　to　see
the　letter；〃　said　Lisbeth。　〃And　you　must　send　her　to　the　Rue　Saint…
Dominique　before　she　goes　on　to　the　studio。〃

〃Our　beauty　will　be　at　home；　no　doubt；〃　said　Valerie；　ringing　for
Reine　to　call　up　Madame　Olivier。

Ten　minutes　after　the　despatch　of　this　fateful　letter；　Baron　Hulot
arrived。　Madame　Marneffe　threw　her　arms　round　the　old　man's　neck　with
kittenish　impetuosity。

〃Hector；　you　are　a　father！〃　she　said　in　his　ear。　〃That　is　what　comes
of　quarreling　and　making　friends　again〃

Perceiving　a　look　of　surprise；　which　the　Baron　did　not　at　once
conceal；　Valerie　assumed　a　reserve　which　brought　the　old　man　to
despair。　She　made　him　wring　the　proofs　from　her　one　by　one。　When
conviction；　led　on　by　vanity；　had　at　last　entered　his　mind；　she
enlarged　on　Monsieur　Marneffe's　wrath。

〃My　dear　old　veteran；〃　said　she；　〃you　can　hardly　avoid　getting　your
responsible　editor；　our　representative　partner　if　you　like；　appointed
head…clerk　and　officer　of　the　Legion　of　Honor；　for　you　really　have
done　for　the　poor　man；　he　adores　his　Stanislas；　the　little　monstrosity
who　is　so　like　him；　that　to　me　he　is　insufferable。　Unless　you　prefer
to　settle　twelve　hundred　francs　a　year　on　Stanislasthe　capital　to　be
his；　and　the　life…interest　payable　to　me；　of　course〃

〃But　if　I　am　to　settle　securities；　I　would　rather　it　should　be　on　my
own　son；　and　not　on　the　monstrosity；〃　said　the　Baron。

This　rash　speech；　in　which　the　words　〃my　own　son〃　came　out　as　full　as
a　river　in　flood；　was；　by　the　end　of　the　hour；　ratified　as　a　formal
promise　to　s