cousin betty-第84部分

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account　for　his　little　amusements；　and　devotes　certain　profits　to　that
head　of　expenditure；　but　as　to　touching　his　capital！　it　would　be
folly。　My　children　will　have　their　fortune　intact；　mine　and　my　wife's；
but　I　do　not　suppose　that　they　wish　their　father　to　be　dull；　a　monk
and　a　mummy！　My　life　is　a　very　jolly　one；　I　float　gaily　down　the
stream。　I　fulfil　all　the　duties　imposed　on　me　by　law；　by　my
affections；　and　by　family　ties；　just　as　I　always　used　to　be　punctual
in　paying　my　bills　when　they　fell　due。　If　only　my　children　conduct
themselves　in　their　domestic　life　as　I　do；　I　shall　be　satisfied；　and
for　the　present；　so　long　as　my　folliesfor　I　have　committed　follies
are　no　loss　to　any　one　but　the　gullsexcuse　me；　you　do　not　perhaps
understand　the　slang　wordthey　will　have　nothing　to　blame　me　for；　and
will　find　a　tidy　little　sum　still　left　when　I　die。　Your　children
cannot　say　as　much　of　their　father；　who　is　ruining　his　son　and　my
daughter　by　his　pranks〃

The　Baroness　was　getting　further　from　her　object　as　he　went　on。

〃You　are　very　unkind　about　my　husband；　my　dear　Creveland　yet；　if　you
had　found　his　wife　obliging；　you　would　have　been　his　best　friend〃

She　shot　a　burning　glance　at　Crevel；　but；　like　Dubois；　who　gave　the
Regent　three　kicks；　she　affected　too　much；　and　the　rakish　perfumer's
thoughts　jumped　at　such　profligate　suggestions；　that　he　said　to
himself；　〃Does　she　want　to　turn　the　tables　on　Hulot？Does　she　think
me　more　attractive　as　a　Mayor　than　as　a　National　Guardsman？　Women　are
strange　creatures！〃

And　he　assumed　the　position　of　his　second　manner；　looking　at　the
Baroness　with　his　/Regency/　leer。

〃I　could　almost　fancy；〃　she　went　on；　〃that　you　want　to　visit　on　him
your　resentment　against　the　virtue　that　resisted　youin　a　woman　whom
you　loved　well　enoughtoto　buy　her；〃　she　added　in　a　low　voice。

〃In　a　divine　woman；〃　Crevel　replied；　with　a　meaning　smile　at　the
Baroness；　who　looked　down　while　tears　rose　to　her　eyes。　〃For　you　have
swallowed　not　a　few　bitter　pills！in　these　three　yearshey；　my
beauty？〃

〃Do　not　talk　of　my　troubles；　dear　Crevel；　they　are　too　much　for　the
endurance　of　a　mere　human　being。　Ah！　if　you　still　love　me；　you　may
drag　me　out　of　the　pit　in　which　I　lie。　Yes；　I　am　in　hell　torment！　The
regicides　who　were　racked　and　nipped　and　torn　into　quarters　by　four
horses　were　on　roses　compared　with　me；　for　their　bodies　only　were
dismembered；　and　my　heart　is　torn　in　quarters〃

Crevel's　thumb　moved　from　his　armhole；　he　placed　his　hand　on　the　work…
table；　he　abandoned　his　attitude；　he　smiled！　The　smile　was　so　vacuous
that　it　misled　the　Baroness；　she　took　it　for　an　expression　of
kindness。

〃You　see　a　woman；　not　indeed　in　despair；　but　with　her　honor　at　the
point　of　death；　and　prepared　for　everything；　my　dear　friend；　to　hinder
a　crime。〃

Fearing　that　Hortense　might　come　in；　she　bolted　the　door；　then　with
equal　impetuosity　she　fell　at　Crevel's　feet；　took　his　hand　and　kissed
it。

〃Be　my　deliverer！〃　she　cried。

She　thought　there　was　some　generous　fibre　in　this　mercantile　soul；　and
full　of　sudden　hope　that　she　might　get　the　two　hundred　thousand　francs
without　degrading　herself：

〃Buy　a　soulyou　were　once　ready　to　buy　virtue！〃　she　went　on；　with　a
frenzied　gaze。　〃Trust　to　my　honesty　as　a　woman；　to　my　honor；　of　which
you　know　the　worth！　Be　my　friend！　Save　a　whole　family　from　ruin；
shame；　despair；　keep　it　from　falling　into　a　bog　where　the　quicksands
are　mingled　with　blood！　Oh！　ask　for　no　explanations；〃　she　exclaimed；
at　a　movement　on　Crevel's　part；　who　was　about　to　speak。　〃Above　all；　do
not　say　to　me；　'I　told　you　so！'　like　a　friend　who　is　glad　at　a
misfortune。　Come　now；　yield　to　her　whom　you　used　to　love；　to　the　woman
whose　humiliation　at　your　feet　is　perhaps　the　crowning　moment　of　her
glory；　ask　nothing　of　her；　expect　what　you　will　from　her　gratitude！
No；　no。　Give　me　nothing；　but　lendlend　to　me　whom　you　used　to　call
Adeline〃

At　this　point　her　tears　flowed　so　fast；　Adeline　was　sobbing　so
passionately；　that　Crevel's　gloves　were　wet。　The　words；　〃I　need　two
hundred　thousand　francs；〃　were　scarcely　articulate　in　the　torrent　of
weeping；　as　stones；　however　large；　are　invisible　in　Alpine　cataracts
swollen　by　the　melting　of　the　snows。

This　is　the　inexperience　of　virtue。　Vice　asks　for　nothing；　as　we　have
seen　in　Madame　Marneffe；　it　gets　everything　offered　to　it。　Women　of
that　stamp　are　never　exacting　till　they　have　made　themselves
indispensable；　or　when　a　man　has　to　be　worked　as　a　quarry　is　worked
where　the　lime　is　rather　scarcegoing　to　ruin；　as　the　quarry…men　say。

On　hearing　these　words；　〃Two　hundred　thousand　francs；〃　Crevel
understood　all。　He　cheerfully　raised　the　Baroness；　saying　insolently：

〃Come；　come；　bear　up；　mother；〃　which　Adeline；　in　her　distraction；
failed　to　hear。　The　scene　was　changing　its　character。　Crevel　was
becoming　〃master　of　the　situation；〃　to　use　his　own　words。　The　vastness
of　the　sum　startled　Crevel　so　greatly　that　his　emotion　at　seeing　this
handsome　woman　in　tears　at　his　feet　was　forgotten。　Besides；　however
angelical　and　saintly　a　woman　may　be；　when　she　is　crying　bitterly　her
beauty　disappears。　A　Madame　Marneffe；　as　has　been　seen；　whimpers　now
and　then；　a　tear　trickles　down　her　cheek；　but　as　to　melting　into　tears
and　making　her　eyes　and　nose　red！never　would　she　commit　such　a
blunder。

〃Come；　child；　compose　yourself。Deuce　take　it！〃　Crevel　went　on；
taking　Madame　Hulot's　hands　in　his　own　and　patting　them。　〃Why　do　you
apply　to　me　for　two　hundred　thousand　francs？　What　do　you　want　with
them？　Whom　are　they　for？〃

〃Do　not；〃　said　she；　〃insist　on　any　explanations。　Give　me　the　money！
You　will　save　three　lives　and　the　honor　of　our　children。〃

〃And　do　you　suppose；　my　good　mother；　that　in　all　Paris　you　will　find　a
man　who　at　a　word　from　a　half…crazy　woman　will　go　off　/hic　et　nunc/；
and　bring　out　of　some　drawer；　Heaven　knows　where；　two　hundred　thousand
francs　that　have　been　lying　simmering　there　till　she　is　pleased　to
scoop　them　up？　Is　that　all　you　know　of　life　and　of　business；　my
beauty？　Your　folks　are　in　a　bad　way；　you　may　send　them　the　last
sacraments；　for　no　one　in　Paris　but　her　Divine　Highness　Madame　la
Banque；　or　the　great　Nucingen；　or　some　miserable　miser　who　is　in　love
with　gold　as　we　other　folks　are　with　a　woman；　could　produce　such　a
miracle！　The　civil　list；　civil　as　it　may　be；　would　beg　you　to　call
again　tomorrow。　Every　one　invests　his　money；　and　turns　it　over　to　the
best　of　his　powers。

〃You　are　quite　mistaken；　my　angel；　if　you　suppose　that　King　Louis…
Philippe　rules　us；　he　himself　knows　better　than　that。　He　knows　as　well
as　we　do　that　supreme　above　the　Charter　reigns　the　holy；　venerated；
substantial；　delightful；　obliging；　beautiful；　noble；　ever…youthful；
and　all…powerful　five…franc　piece！　But　money；　my　beauty；　insists　on
interest；　and　is　always　engaged　in　seeking　it！　'God　of　the　Jews；　thou
art　supreme！'　says　Racine。　The　perennial　parable　of　the　golden　calf；
you　see！In　the　days　of　Moses　there　was　stock…jobbing　in　the　desert！

〃We　have　reverted　to　Biblical　traditions；　the　Golden　Calf　was　the
first　State　ledger；〃　he　went　on。　〃You；　my　Adeline；　have　not　gone
beyond　the　Rue　Plumet。　The　Egyptians　had　lent　enor