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cousin betty-第92部分
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Martial de la Roche…Hugon; Deputy; brother…in…law to Monsieur le
Comte de Rastignac。 Monsieur Massol; Master of Appeals; will fill
his seat on the Council of State; and Monsieur Claude Vignon
becomes Master of Appeals。〃
Of all kinds of false gossip; the most dangerous for the Opposition
newspapers is the official bogus paragraph。 However keen journalists
may be; they are sometimes the voluntary or involuntary dupes of the
cleverness of those who have risen from the ranks of the Press; like
Claude Vignon; to the higher realms of power。 The newspaper can only
be circumvented by the journalist。 It may be said; as a parody on a
line by Voltaire:
〃The Paris news is never what the foolish folk believe。〃
Marshal Hulot drove home with his brother; who took the front seat;
respectfully leaving the whole of the back of the carriage to his
senior。 The two men spoke not a word。 Hector was helpless。 The Marshal
was lost in thought; like a man who is collecting all his strength;
and bracing himself to bear a crushing weight。 On arriving at his own
house; still without speaking; but by an imperious gesture; he
beckoned his brother into his study。 The Count had received from the
Emperor Napoleon a splendid pair of pistols from the Versailles
factory; he took the box; with its inscription。 〃/Given by the Emperor
Napoleon to General Hulot/;〃 out of his desk; and placing it on the
top; he showed it to his brother; saying; 〃There is your remedy。〃
Lisbeth; peeping through the chink of the door; flew down to the
carriage and ordered the coachman to go as fast as he could gallop to
the Rue Plumet。 Within about twenty minutes she had brought back
Adeline; whom she had told of the Marshal's threat to his brother。
The Marshal; without looking at Hector; rang the bell for his
factotum; the old soldier who had served him for thirty years。
〃Beau…Pied;〃 said he; 〃fetch my notary; and Count Steinbock; and my
niece Hortense; and the stockbroker to the Treasury。 It is now half…
past ten; they must all be here by twelve。 Take hackney cabsand go
faster than /that/!〃 he added; a republican allusion which in past
days had been often on his lips。 And he put on the scowl that had
brought his soldiers to attention when he was beating the broom on the
heaths of Brittany in 1799。 (See /Les Chouans/。)
〃You shall be obeyed; Marechal;〃 said Beau…Pied; with a military
salute。
Still paying no heed to his brother; the old man came back into his
study; took a key out of his desk; and opened a little malachite box
mounted in steel; the gift of the Emperor Alexander。
By Napoleon's orders he had gone to restore to the Russian Emperor the
private property seized at the battle of Dresden; in exchange for
which Napoleon hoped to get back Vandamme。 The Czar rewarded General
Hulot very handsomely; giving him this casket; and saying that he
hoped one day to show the same courtesy to the Emperor of the French;
but he kept Vandamme。 The Imperial arms of Russia were displayed in
gold on the lid of the box; which was inlaid with gold。
The Marshal counted the bank…notes it contained; he had a hundred and
fifty…two thousand francs。 He saw this with satisfaction。 At the same
moment Madame Hulot came into the room in a state to touch the heart
of the sternest judge。 She flew into Hector's arms; looking
alternately with a crazy eye at the Marshal and at the case of
pistols。
〃What have you to say against your brother? What has my husband done
to you?〃 said she; in such a voice that the Marshal heard her。
〃He has disgraced us all!〃 replied the Republican veteran; who spoke
with a vehemence that reopened one of his old wounds。 〃He has robbed
the Government! He has cast odium on my name; he makes me wish I were
deadhe has killed me!I have only strength enough left to make
restitution!
〃I have been abased before the Conde of the Republic; the man I esteem
above all others; and to whom I unjustifiably gave the liethe Prince
of Wissembourg!Is that nothing? That is the score his country has
against him!〃
He wiped away a tear。
〃Now; as to his family;〃 he went on。 〃He is robbing you of the bread I
had saved for you; the fruit of thirty years' economy; of the
privations of an old soldier! Here is what was intended for you;〃 and
he held up the bank…notes。 〃He has killed his Uncle Fischer; a noble
and worthy son of Alsace who could notas he canendure the thought
of a stain on his peasant's honor。
〃To crown all; God; in His adorable clemency; had allowed him to
choose an angel among women; he has had the unspeakable happiness of
having an Adeline for his wife! And he has deceived her; he has soaked
her in sorrows; he has neglected her for prostitutes; for street…
hussies; for ballet…girls; actressesCadine; Josepha; Marneffe!And
that is the brother I treated as a son and made my pride!
〃Go; wretched man; if you can accept the life of degradation you have
made for yourself; leave my house! I have not the heart to curse a
brother I have loved so wellI am as foolish about him as you are;
Adelinebut never let me see him again。 I forbid his attending my
funeral or following me to the grave。 Let him show the decency of a
criminal if he can feel no remorse。〃
The Marshal; as pale as death; fell back on the settee; exhausted by
his solemn speech。 And; for the first time in his life perhaps; tears
gathered in his eyes and rolled down his cheeks。
〃My poor uncle!〃 cried Lisbeth; putting a handkerchief to her eyes。
〃Brother!〃 said Adeline; kneeling down by the Marshal; 〃live for my
sake。 Help me in the task of reconciling Hector to the world and
making him redeem the past。〃
〃He!〃 cried the Marshal。 〃If he lives; he is not at the end of his
crimes。 A man who has misprized an Adeline; who has smothered in his
own soul the feelings of a true Republican which I tried to instill
into him; the love of his country; of his family; and of the poor
that man is a monster; a swine!Take him away if you still care for
him; for a voice within me cries to me to load my pistols and blow his
brains out。 By killing him I should save you all; and I should save
him too from himself。〃
The old man started to his feet with such a terrifying gesture that
poor Adeline exclaimed:
〃Hectorcome!〃
She seized her husband's arm; dragged him away; and out of the house;
but the Baron was so broken down; that she was obliged to call a coach
to take him to the Rue Plumet; where he went to bed。 The man remained
there for several days in a sort of half…dissolution; refusing all
nourishment without a word。 By floods of tears; Adeline persuaded him
to swallow a little broth; she nursed him; sitting by his bed; and
feeling only; of all the emotions that once had filled her heart; the
deepest pity for him。
At half…past twelve; Lisbeth showed into her dear Marshal's roomfor
she would not leave him; so much was she alarmed at the evident change
in himCount Steinbock and the notary。
〃Monsieur le Comte;〃 said the Marshal; 〃I would beg you to be so good
as to put your signature to a document authorizing my niece; your
wife; to sell a bond for certain funds of which she at present holds
only the rev
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