cousin betty-第87部分

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she　was　in　her　shift；　and　she　wriggled　into　the　dressing…gown　like　a
snake　into　a　clump　of　grass。

〃Madame　is　not　at　home？〃

〃What　a　question！〃　said　Valerie。〃Come；　tell　me；　my　big　puss；　have
/Rives　Gauches/　gone　down？〃

〃No。〃

〃They　have　raised　the　price　of　the　house？〃

〃No。〃

〃You　fancy　that　you　are　not　the　father　of　our　little　Crevel？〃

〃What　nonsense！〃　replied　he；　sure　of　his　paternity。

〃On　my　honor；　I　give　it　up！〃　said　Madame　Marneffe。　〃If　I　am　expected
to　extract　my　friend's　woes　as　you　pull　the　cork　out　of　a　bottle　of
Bordeaux；　I　let　it　alone。Go　away；　you　bore　me。〃

〃It　is　nothing；〃　said　Crevel。　〃I　must　find　two　hundred　thousand　francs
in　two　hours。〃

〃Oh；　you　can　easily　get　them。I　have　not　spent　the　fifty　thousand
francs　we　got　out　of　Hulot　for　that　report；　and　I　can　ask　Henri　for
fifty　thousand〃

〃Henriit　is　always　Henri！〃　exclaimed　Crevel。

〃And　do　you　suppose；　you　great　baby　of　a　Machiavelli；　that　I　will　cast
off　Henri？　Would　France　disarm　her　fleet？Henri！　why；　he　is　a　dagger
in　a　sheath　hanging　on　a　nail。　That　boy　serves　as　a　weather…glass　to
show　me　if　you　love　meand　you　don't　love　me　this　morning。〃

〃I　don't　love　you；　Valerie？〃　cried　Crevel。　〃I　love　you　as　much　as　a
million。〃

〃That　is　not　nearly　enough！〃　cried　she；　jumping　on　to　Crevel's　knee；
and　throwing　both　arms　round　his　neck　as　if　it　were　a　peg　to　hang　on
by。　〃I　want　to　be　loved　as　much　as　ten　millions；　as　much　as　all　the
gold　in　the　world；　and　more　to　that。　Henri　would　never　wait　a　minute
before　telling　me　all　he　had　on　his　mind。　What　is　it；　my　great　pet？
Have　it　out。　Make　a　clean　breast　of　it　to　your　own　little　duck！〃

And　she　swept　her　hair　over　Crevel's　face；　while　she　jestingly　pulled
his　nose。

〃Can　a　man　with　a　nose　like　that；〃　she　went　on；　〃have　any　secrets　from
his　/Vavaleleririe/？〃

And　at　the　/Vava/　she　tweaked　his　nose　to　the　right；　at　/lele/　it　went
to　the　left；　at　/ririe/　she　nipped　it　straight　again。

〃Well；　I　have　just　seen〃　Crevel　stopped　and　looked　at　Madame
Marneffe。

〃Valerie；　my　treasure；　promise　me　on　your　honorours；　you　know？not
to　repeat　a　single　word　of　what　I　tell　you。〃

〃Of　course；　Mayor；　we　know　all　about　that。　One　hand　upsoand　one
footso！〃　And　she　put　herself　in　an　attitude　which；　to　use　Rabelais'
phrase；　stripped　Crevel　bare　from　his　brain　to　his　heels；　so　quaint
and　delicious　was　the　nudity　revealed　through　the　light　film　of　lawn。

〃I　have　just　seen　virtue　in　despair。〃

〃Can　despair　possess　virtue？〃　said　she；　nodding　gravely　and　crossing
her　arms　like　Napoleon。

〃It　is　poor　Madame　Hulot。　She　wants　two　hundred　thousand　francs；　or
else　Marshal　Hulot　and　old　Johann　Fischer　will　blow　their　brains　out；
and　as　you；　my　little　Duchess；　are　partly　at　the　bottom　of　the
mischief；　I　am　going　to　patch　matters　up。　She　is　a　saintly　creature；　I
know　her　well；　she　will　repay　you　every　penny。〃

At　the　name　of　Hulot；　at　the　words　two　hundred　thousand　francs；　a
gleam　from　Valerie's　eyes　flashed　from　between　her　long　eyelids　like
the　flame　of　a　cannon　through　the　smoke。

〃What　did　the　old　thing　do　to　move　you　to　compassion？　Did　she　show　you
what？herher　religion？〃

〃Do　not　make　game　of　her；　sweetheart；　she　is　a　very　saintly；　a　very
noble　and　pious　woman；　worthy　of　all　respect。〃

〃Am　I　not　worthy　of　respect　then；　heh？〃　answered　Valerie；　with　a
threatening　gaze　at　Crevel。

〃I　never　said　so；〃　replied　he；　understanding　that　the　praise　of　virtue
might　not　be　gratifying　to　Madame　Marneffe。

〃I　am　pious　too；〃　Valerie　went　on；　taking　her　seat　in　an　armchair；
〃but　I　do　not　make　a　trade　of　my　religion。　I　go　to　church　in　secret。〃

She　sat　in　silence；　and　paid　no　further　heed　to　Crevel。　He；　extremely
ill　at　ease；　came　to　stand　in　front　of　the　chair　into　which　Valerie
had　thrown　herself；　and　saw　her　lost　in　the　reflections　he　had　been　so
foolish　as　to　suggest。

〃Valerie；　my　little　Angel！〃

Utter　silence。　A　highly　problematical　tear　was　furtively　dashed　away。

〃One　word；　my　little　duck？〃

〃Monsieur！〃

〃What　are　you　thinking　of；　my　darling？〃

〃Oh；　Monsieur　Crevel；　I　was　thinking　of　the　day　of　my　first　communion！
How　pretty　I　was！　How　pure；　how　saintly！immaculate！Oh！　if　any　one
had　come　to　my　mother　and　said；　'Your　daughter　will　be　a　hussy；　and
unfaithful　to　her　husband；　one　day　a　police…officer　will　find　her　in　a
disreputable　house；　she　will　sell　herself　to　a　Crevel　to　cheat　a　Hulot
two　horrible　old　men'　Poof！　horribleshe　would　have　died　before
the　end　of　the　sentence；　she　was　so　fond　of　me；　poor　dear！〃

〃Nay；　be　calm。〃

〃You　cannot　think　how　well　a　woman　must　love　a　man　before　she　can
silence　the　remorse　that　gnaws　at　the　heart　of　an　adulterous　wife。　I
am　quite　sorry　that　Reine　is　not　here；　she　would　have　told　you　that
she　found　me　this　morning　praying　with　tears　in　my　eyes。　I；　Monsieur
Crevel；　for　my　part；　do　not　make　a　mockery　of　religion。　Have　you　ever
heard　me　say　a　word　I　ought　not　on　such　a　subject？〃

Crevel　shook　his　head　in　negation。

〃I　will　never　allow　it　to　be　mentioned　in　my　presence。　I　can　make　fun
of　anything　under　the　sun：　Kings；　politics；　finance；　everything　that
is　sacred　in　the　eyes　of　the　worldjudges；　matrimony；　and　loveold
men　and　maidens。　But　the　Church　and　God！There　I　draw　the　line。I
know　I　am　wicked；　I　am　sacrificing　my　future　life　to　you。　And　you　have
no　conception　of　the　immensity　of　my　love。〃

Crevel　clasped　his　hands。

〃No；　unless　you　could　see　into　my　heart；　and　fathom　the　depth　of　my
conviction　so　as　to　know　the　extent　of　my　sacrifice！　I　feel　in　me　the
making　of　a　Magdalen。And　see　how　respectfully　I　treat　the　priests；
think　of　the　gifts　I　make　to　the　Church！　My　mother　brought　me　up　in
the　Catholic　Faith；　and　I　know　what　is　meant　by　God！　It　is　to　sinners
like　us　that　His　voice　is　most　awful。〃

Valerie　wiped　away　two　tears　that　trickled　down　her　cheeks。　Crevel　was
in　dismay。　Madame　Marneffe　stood　up　in　her　excitement。

〃Be　calm；　my　darlingyou　alarm　me！〃

Madame　Marneffe　fell　on　her　knees。

〃Dear　Heaven！　I　am　not　bad　all　through！〃　she　cried；　clasping　her
hands。　〃Vouchsafe　to　rescue　Thy　wandering　lamb；　strike　her；　crush　her；
snatch　her　from　foul　and　adulterous　hands；　and　how　gladly　she　will
nestle　on　Thy　shoulder！　How　willingly　she　will　return　to　the　fold！〃

She　got　up　and　looked　at　Crevel；　her　colorless　eyes　frightened　him。

〃Yes；　Crevel；　and；　do　you　know？　I；　too；　am　frightened　sometimes。　The
justice　of　God　is　exerted　in　this　nether　world　as　well　as　in　the　next。
What　mercy　can　I　expect　at　God's　hands？　His　vengeance　overtakes　the
guilty　in　many　ways；　it　assumes　every　aspect　of　disaster。　That　is　what
my　mother　told　me　on　her　death…bed；　speaking　of　her　own　old　age。But
if　I　should　lose　you；　she　added；　hugging　Crevel　with　a　sort　of　savage
frenzy〃oh！　I　should　die！〃

Madame　Marneffe　released　Crevel；　knelt　down　again　at　the　armchair；
folded　her　handsand　in　what　a　bewitching　attitude！and　with
incredible　fervor　poured　out　the　following　prayer：

〃And　thou；　Saint　Valerie；　my　patron　saint；　why　dost　thou　so　rarely
visit　the　pillow　of　her　who　was　intrusted　to　thy　care？　Oh；　come　this
evening；　as　thou　didst　this　morning；　to　inspire　me　with　holy　thoughts；
and　I　will　quit　the　path　of　si