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