cousin betty-第93部分

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wife；　to　sell　a　bond　for　certain　funds　of　which　she　at　present　holds
only　the　reversion。You；　Mademoiselle　Fischer；　will　agree　to　this
sale；　thus　losing　your　life　interest　in　the　securities。〃

〃Yes；　dear　Count；〃　said　Lisbeth　without　hesitation。

〃Good；　my　dear；〃　said　the　old　soldier。　〃I　hope　I　may　live　to　reward
you。　But　I　did　not　doubt　you；　you　are　a　true　Republican；　a　daughter　of
the　people。〃　He　took　the　old　maid's　hand　and　kissed　it。

〃Monsieur　Hannequin；〃　he　went　on；　speaking　to　the　notary；　〃draw　up　the
necessary　document　in　the　form　of　a　power　of　attorney；　and　let　me　have
it　within　two　hours；　so　that　I　may　sell　the　stock　on　the　Bourse
to…day。　My　niece；　the　Countess；　holds　the　security；　she　will　be　here
to　sign　the　power　of　attorney　when　you　bring　it；　and　so　will
mademoiselle。　Monsieur　le　Comte　will　be　good　enough　to　go　with　you　and
sign　it　at　your　office。〃

The　artist；　at　a　nod　from　Lisbeth；　bowed　respectfully　to　the　Marshal
and　went　away。

Next　morning；　at　ten　o'clock；　the　Comte　de　Forzheim　sent　in　to
announce　himself　to　the　Prince；　and　was　at　once　admitted。

〃Well；　my　dear　Hulot；〃　said　the　Prince；　holding　out　the　newspapers　to
his　old　friend；　〃we　have　saved　appearances；　you　see。Read。〃

Marshal　Hulot　laid　the　papers　on　his　comrade's　table；　and　held　out　to
him　the　two　hundred　thousand　francs。

〃Here　is　the　money　of　which　my　brother　robbed　the　State；〃　said　he。

〃What　madness！〃　cried　the　Minister。　〃It　is　impossible；〃　he　said　into
the　speaking…trumpet　handed　to　him　by　the　Marshal；　〃to　manage　this
restitution。　We　should　be　obliged　to　declare　your　brother's　dishonest
dealings；　and　we　have　done　everything　to　hide　them。〃

〃Do　what　you　like　with　the　money；　but　the　family　shall　not　owe　one　sou
of　its　fortune　to　a　robbery　on　the　funds　of　the　State；〃　said　the
Count。

〃I　will　take　the　King's　commands　in　the　matter。　We　will　discuss　it　no
further；〃　replied　the　Prince；　perceiving　that　it　would　be　impossible
to　conquer　the　old　man's　sublime　obstinacy　on　the　point。

〃Good…bye；　Cottin；〃　said　the　old　soldier；　taking　the　Prince's　hand。　〃I
feel　as　if　my　soul　were　frozen〃

Then；　after　going　a　step　towards　the　door；　he　turned　round；　looked　at
the　Prince；　and　seeing　that　he　was　deeply　moved；　he　opened　his　arms　to
clasp　him　in　them；　the　two　old　soldiers　embraced　each　other。

〃I　feel　as　if　I　were　taking　leave　of　the　whole　of　the　old　army　in
you；〃　said　the　Count。

〃Good…bye；　my　good　old　comrade！〃　said　the　Minister。

〃Yes；　it　is　good…bye；　for　I　am　going　where　all　our　brave　men　are　for
whom　we　have　mourned〃

Just　then　Claude　Vignon　was　shown　in。　The　two　relics　of　the　Napoleonic
phalanx　bowed　gravely　to　each　other；　effacing　every　trace　of　emotion。

〃You　have；　I　hope；　been　satisfied　by　the　papers；〃　said　the　Master　of
Appeals…elect。　〃I　contrived　to　let　the　Opposition　papers　believe　that
they　were　letting　out　our　secrets。〃

〃Unfortunately；　it　is　all　in　vain；〃　replied　the　Minister；　watching
Hulot　as　he　left　the　room。　〃I　have　just　gone　through　a　leave…taking
that　has　been　a　great　grief　to　me。　For；　indeed；　Marshal　Hulot　has　not
three　days　to　live；　I　saw　that　plainly　enough　yesterday。　That　man；　one
of　those　honest　souls　that　are　above　proof；　a　soldier　respected　by　the
bullets　in　spite　of　his　valor；　received　his　death…blowthere；　in　that
armchairand　dealt　by　my　hand；　in　a　letter！Ring　and　order　my
carriage。　I　must　go　to　Neuilly；〃　said　he；　putting　the　two　hundred
thousand　francs　into　his　official　portfolio。



Notwithstanding　Lisbeth's　nursing；　Marshal　Hulot　three　days　later　was
a　dead　man。　Such　men　are　the　glory　of　the　party　they　support。　To
Republicans；　the　Marshal　was　the　ideal　of　patriotism；　and　they　all
attended　his　funeral；　which　was　followed　by　an　immense　crowd。　The
army；　the　State　officials；　the　Court；　and　the　populace　all　came　to　do
homage　to　this　lofty　virtue；　this　spotless　honesty；　this　immaculate
glory。　Such　a　last　tribute　of　the　people　is　not　a　thing　to　be　had　for
the　asking。

This　funeral　was　distinguished　by　one　of　those　tributes　of　delicate
feeling；　of　good　taste；　and　sincere　respect　which　from　time　to　time
remind　us　of　the　virtues　and　dignity　of　the　old　French　nobility。
Following　the　Marshal's　bier　came　the　old　Marquis　de　Montauran；　the
brother　of　him　who；　in　the　great　rising　of　the　Chouans　in　1799；　had
been　the　foe；　the　luckless　foe；　of　Hulot。　That　Marquis；　killed　by　the
balls　of　the　〃Blues；〃　had　confided　the　interests　of　his　young　brother
to　the　Republican　soldier。　（See　/Les　Chouans/。）　Hulot　had　so
faithfully　acted　on　the　noble　Royalist's　verbal　will；　that　he
succeeded　in　saving　the　young　man's　estates；　though　he　himself　was　at
the　time　an　emigre。　And　so　the　homage　of　the　old　French　nobility　was
not　wanting　to　the　leader　who；　nine　years　since；　had　conquered　MADAME。

This　death；　happening　just　four　days　before　the　banns　were　cried　for
the　last　time；　came　upon　Lisbeth　like　the　thunderbolt　that　burns　the
garnered　harvest　with　the　barn。　The　peasant　of　Lorraine；　as　often
happens；　had　succeeded　too　well。　The　Marshal　had　died　of　the　blows
dealt　to　the　family　by　herself　and　Madame　Marneffe。

The　old　maid's　vindictiveness；　which　success　seemed　to　have　somewhat
mollified；　was　aggravated　by　this　disappointment　of　her　hopes。　Lisbeth
went；　crying　with　rage；　to　Madame　Marneffe；　for　she　was　homeless；　the
Marshal　having　agreed　that　his　lease　was　at　any　time　to　terminate　with
his　life。　Crevel；　to　console　Valerie's　friend；　took　charge　of　her
savings；　added　to　them　considerably；　and　invested　the　capital　in　five
per　cents；　giving　her　the　life　interest；　and　putting　the　securities
into　Celestine's　name。　Thanks　to　this　stroke　of　business；　Lisbeth　had
an　income　of　about　two　thousand　francs。

When　the　Marshal's　property　was　examined　and　valued；　a　note　was　found；
addressed　to　his　sister…in…law；　to　his　niece　Hortense；　and　to　his
nephew　Victorin；　desiring　that　they　would　pay　among　them　an　annuity　of
twelve　hundred　francs　to　Mademoiselle　Lisbeth　Fischer；　who　was　to　have
been　his　wife。

Adeline；　seeing　her　husband　between　life　and　death；　succeeded　for　some
days　in　hiding　from　him　the　fact　of　his　brother's　death；　but　Lisbeth
came；　in　mourning；　and　the　terrible　truth　was　told　him　eleven　days
after　the　funeral。

The　crushing　blow　revived　the　sick　man's　energies。　He　got　up；　found
his　family　collected　in　the　drawing…room；　all　in　black；　and　suddenly
silent　as　he　came　in。　In　a　fortnight；　Hulot；　as　lean　as　a　spectre；
looked　to　his　family　the　mere　shadow　of　himself。

〃I　must　decide　on　something；〃　said　he　in　a　husky　voice；　as　he　seated
himself　in　an　easy…chair；　and　looked　round　at　the　party；　of　whom
Crevel　and　Steinbock　were　absent。

〃We　cannot　stay　here；　the　rent　is　too　high；〃　Hortense　was　saying　just
as　her　father　came　in。

〃As　to　a　home；〃　said　Victorin；　breaking　the　painful　silence；　〃I　can
offer　my　mother〃

As　he　heard　these　words；　which　excluded　him；　the　Baron　raised　his
head；　which　was　sunk　on　his　breast　as　though　he　were　studying　the
pattern　of　the　carpet；　though　he　did　not　even　see　it；　and　he　gave　the
young　lawyer　an　appealing　look。　The　rights　of　a　father　are　so
indefeasibly　sacred；　even　when　he　is　a　villain　and　devoid　of　honor；
that　V