cousin betty- 第62部分

〃You　great　pumpkin！〃　she　exclaimed；　with　an　infernal　peal　of　laughter。
〃That　is　how　your　pious　women　go　about　it　to　drag　from　you　a　plum　of
two　hundred　thousand　francs。　And　you；　who　talk　of　the　Marechal　de
Richelieu；　the　prototype　of　Lovelace；　you　could　be　taken　in　by　such　a
stale　trick　as　that！　I　could　get　hundreds　of　thousands　of　francs　out
of　you　any　day；　if　I　chose；　you　old　ninny！Keep　your　money！　If　you
have　more　than　you　know　what　to　do　with；　it　is　mine。　If　you　give　two
sous　to　that　'respectable'　woman；　who　is　pious　forsooth；　because　she
is　fifty…six　years　of　age；　we　shall　never　meet　again；　and　you　may　take
her　for　your　mistress！　You　could　come　back　to　me　next　day　bruised　all
over　from　her　bony　caresses　and　sodden　with　her　tears；　and　sick　of　her
little　barmaid's　caps　and　her　whimpering；　which　must　turn　her　favors
into　showers〃

〃In　point　of　fact；〃　said　Crevel；　〃two　hundred　thousand　francs　is　a
round　sum　of　money。〃

〃They　have　fine　appetites；　have　the　goody　sort！　By　the　poker！　they
sell　their　sermons　dearer　than　we　sell　the　rarest　and　realest　thing　on
earthpleasure。And　they　can　spin　a　yarn！　There；　I　know　them。　I　have
seen　plenty　in　my　mother's　house。　They　think　everything　is　allowable
for　the　Church　and　forReally；　my　dear　love；　you　ought　to　be　ashamed
of　yourselffor　you　are　not　so　open…handed！　You　have　not　given　me　two
hundred　thousand　francs　all　told！〃

〃Oh　yes；〃　said　Crevel；　〃your　little　house　will　cost　as　much　as　that。〃

〃Then　you　have　four　hundred　thousand　francs？〃　said　she　thoughtfully。

〃No。〃

〃Then；　sir；　you　meant　to　lend　that　old　horror　the　two　hundred　thousand
francs　due　for　my　hotel？　What　a　crime；　what　high　treason！〃

〃Only　listen　to　me。〃

〃If　you　were　giving　the　money　to　some　idiotic　philanthropic　scheme；
you　would　be　regarded　as　a　coming　man；〃　she　went　on；　with　increasing
eagerness；　〃and　I　should　be　the　first　to　advise　it；　for　you　are　too
simple　to　write　a　big　political　book　that　might　make　you　famous；　as
for　style；　you　have　not　enough　to　butter　a　pamphlet；　but　you　might　do
as　other　men　do　who　are　in　your　predicament；　and　who　get　a　halo　of
glory　about　their　name　by　putting　it　at　the　top　of　some　social；　or
moral；　or　general；　or　national　enterprise。　Benevolence　is　out　of　date；
quite　vulgar。　Providing　for　old　offenders；　and　making　them　more
comfortable　than　the　poor　devils　who　are　honest；　is　played　out。　What　I
should　like　to　see　is　some　invention　of　your　own　with　an　endowment　of
two　hundred　thousand　francssomething　difficult　and　really　useful。
Then　you　would　be　talked　about　as　a　man　of　mark；　a　Montyon；　and　I
should　be　very　proud　of　you！

〃But　as　to　throwing　two　hundred　thousand　francs　into　a　holy…water
shell；　or　lending　them　to　a　bigotcast　off　by　her　husband；　and　who
knows　why？　there　is　always　some　reason：　does　any　one　cast　me　off；　I
ask　you？is　a　piece　of　idiocy　which　in　our　days　could　only　come　into
the　head　of　a　retired　perfumer。　It　reeks　of　the　counter。　You　would　not
dare　look　at　yourself　in　the　glass　two　days　after。

〃Go　and　pay　the　money　in　where　it　will　be　saferun；　fly；　I　will　not
admit　you　again　without　the　receipt　in　your　hand。　Go；　as　fast　and　soon
as　you　can！〃

She　pushed　Crevel　out　of　the　room　by　the　shoulders；　seeing　avarice
blossoming　in　his　face　once　more。　When　she　heard　the　outer　door　shut；
she　exclaimed：

〃Then　Lisbeth　is　revenged　over　and　over　again！　What　a　pity　that　she　is
at　her　old　Marshal's　now！　We　would　have　had　a　good　laugh！　So　that　old
woman　wants　to　take　the　bread　out　of　my　mouth。　I　will　startle　her　a
little！〃



Marshal　Hulot；　being　obliged　to　live　in　a　style　suited　to　the　highest
military　rank；　had　taken　a　handsome　house　in　the　Rue　du　Mont…Parnasse；
where　there　are　three　or　four　princely　residences。　Though　he　rented
the　whole　house；　he　inhabited　only　the　ground　floor。　When　Lisbeth　went
to　keep　house　for　him；　she　at　once　wished　to　let　the　first　floor；
which；　as　she　said；　would　pay　the　whole　rent；　so　that　the　Count　would
live　almost　rent…free；　but　the　old　soldier　would　not　hear　of　it。

For　some　months　past　the　Marshal　had　had　many　sad　thoughts。　He　had
guessed　how　miserably　poor　his　sister…in…law　was；　and　suspected　her
griefs　without　understanding　their　cause。　The　old　man；　so　cheerful　in
his　deafness；　became　taciturn；　he　could　not　help　thinking　that　his
house　would　one　day　be　a　refuge　for　the　Baroness　and　her　daughter；　and
it　was　for　them　that　he　kept　the　first　floor。　The　smallness　of　his
fortune　was　so　well　known　at　headquarters；　that　the　War　Minister；　the
Prince　de　Wissembourg；　begged　his　old　comrade　to　accept　a　sum　of　money
for　his　household　expenses。　This　sum　the　Marshal　spent　in　furnishing
the　ground　floor；　which　was　in　every　way　suitable；　for；　as　he　said；　he
would　not　accept　the　Marshal's　baton　to　walk　the　streets　with。

The　house　had　belonged　to　a　senator　under　the　Empire；　and　the　ground
floor　drawing…rooms　had　been　very　magnificently　fitted　with　carved
wood；　white…and…gold；　still　in　very　good　preservation。　The　Marshal　had
found　some　good　old　furniture　in　the　same　style；　in　the　coach…house　he
had　a　carriage　with　two　batons　in　saltire　on　the　panels；　and　when　he
was　expected　to　appear　in　full　fig；　at　the　Minister's；　at　the
Tuileries；　for　some　ceremony　or　high　festival；　he　hired　horses　for　the
job。

His　servant　for　more　than　thirty　years　was　an　old　soldier　of　sixty；
whose　sister　was　the　cook；　so　he　had　saved　ten　thousand　francs；　adding
it　by　degrees　to　a　little　hoard　he　intended　for　Hortense。　Every　day
the　old　man　walked　along　the　boulevard；　from　the　Rue　du　Mont…Parnasse
to　the　Rue　Plumet；　and　every　pensioner　as　he　passed　stood　at
attention；　without　fail；　to　salute　him：　then　the　Marshal　rewarded　the
veteran　with　a　smile。

〃Who　is　the　man　you　always　stand　at　attention　to　salute？〃　said　a　young
workman　one　day　to　an　old　captain　and　pensioner。

〃I　will　tell　you；　boy；〃　replied　the　officer。

The　〃boy〃　stood　resigned；　as　a　man　does　to　listen　to　an　old　gossip。

〃In　1809；〃　said　the　captain；　〃we　were　covering　the　flank　of　the　main
army；　marching　on　Vienna　under　the　Emperor's　command。　We　came　to　a
bridge　defended　by　three　batteries　of　cannon；　one　above　another；　on　a
sort　of　cliff；　three　redoubts　like　three　shelves；　and　commanding　the
bridge。　We　were　under　Marshal　Massena。　That　man　whom　you　see　there　was
Colonel　of　the　Grenadier　Guards；　and　I　was　one　of　them。　Our　columns
held　one　bank　of　the　river；　the　batteries　were　on　the　other。　Three
times　they　tried　for　the　bridge；　and　three　times　they　were　driven
back。　'Go　and　find　Hulot！'　said　the　Marshal；　'nobody　but　he　and　his
men　can　bolt　that　morsel。'　So　we　came。　The　General；　who　was　just
retiring　from　the　bridge；　stopped　Hulot　under　fire；　to　tell　him　how　to
do　it；　and　he　was　in　the　way。　'I　don't　want　advice；　but　room　to　pass；'
said　our　General　coolly；　marching　across　at　the　head　of　his　men。　And
then；　rattle；　thirty　guns　raking　us　at　once。〃

〃By　Heaven！〃　cried　the　workman；　〃that　accounts　for　some　of　these
crutches！〃

〃And　if　you；　like　me；　my　boy；　had　heard　those　words　so　quietly　spoken；
you　would　bow　before　that　man　down　to　the　ground！　It　is　not　so　famous
as　Arcole；　but　perhaps　it　was　finer。　We　followed　Hulot　at　the　double；
right　up　to　those　batteries。　All　honor　to　those　we　left　there！〃　and
the　old　man　lifted　his　hat。　〃The　Austrians　were　amazed　at　the　dash　of
it。The　Emperor　made　the　man　you　saw　a　Count；　he　honored　us　all　by
honoring　our　leader；　and　the　King　of　to…day　was　very　right　to　make　him
a　Marshal。〃

〃Hurrah　for　the　Marshal！〃　cried　the　workman。

〃Oh；　you　may　shoutshout　away！　The　Marshal　is　as　deaf　as　a　post　from
the　roar　of　cannon。〃

This　anecdote　may　give　some　idea　of　the　respect　with　which　the
/Invalides/　regarded　Marshal　Hulot；　whose　Republican　proclivities
secured　him　the　popular　sympathy　of　the　whole　quarter　of　the　town。

Sorrow　taking　hold　on　a　spirit　so　calm　and　strict　and　noble；　was　a
heart…breaking　spectacle。　The　Baroness　could　only　tell　lies；　with　a
woman's　ingenuity；　to　conceal　the　whole　dreadful　truth　from　her
brother…in…law。

In　the　course　of　this　miserable　morning；　the　Marshal；　who；　like　all
old　men；　slept　but　little；　had　extracted　from　Lisbeth　full　particulars
as　to　his　brother's　situation；　promising　to　marry　her　as　the　reward　of
her　revelations。　Any　one　can　imagine　with　what　glee　the　old　maid
allowed　the　secrets　to　be　dragged　from　her　which　she　had　been　dying　to
tell　ever　since　she　had　come　into　the　house；　for　by　this　means　she
made　her　marriage　more　certain。

〃Your　brother　is　incorrigible！〃　Lisbeth　shouted　into　the　Marshal's
best　ear。

Her　strong；　clear　tones　enabled　her　to　talk　to　him；　but　she　wore　out
her　lungs；　so　anxious　was　she　to　prove　to　her　future　husband　that　to
her　he　would　never　be　deaf。

〃He　has　had　three　mistresses；〃　said　the　old　man；　〃and　his　wife　was　an
Adeline！　Poor　Adeline！〃

〃If　you　will　take　my　advice；〃　shrieked　Lisbeth；　〃you　will　use　your
influence　with　the　Prince　de　Wissembourg　to　secure　her　some　suitable
appointment。　She　will　need　it；　for　the　Baron's　pay　is　pledged　for
three　years。〃

〃I　will　go　to　the　War　Office；〃　said　he；　〃and　see　the　Prince；　to　find
out　what　he　thinks　of　my　brother；　and　ask　for　his　interest　to　help　my
sister。　Think　of　some　place　that　is　fit　for　her。〃

〃The　charitable　ladies　of　Paris；　in　concert　with　the　Archbishop；　have
formed　various　beneficent　associations；　they　employ　superintendents；
very　decently　paid；　whose　business　it　is　to　seek　out　cases　of　real
want。　Such　an　occupation　would　exactly　suit　dear　Adeline；　it　would　be
work　after　her　own　heart。〃

〃Send　to　order　the　horses；〃　said　the　Marshal。　〃I　will　go　and　dress。　I
will　drive　to　Neuilly　if　necessary。〃

〃How　fond　he　is　of　her！　She　will　always　cross　my　path　wherever　I
turn！〃　said　Lisbeth　to　herself。

Lisbeth　was　already　supreme　in　the　house；　but　not　with　the　Marshal's
cognizance。　She　had　struck　terror　into　the　three　servantsfor　she　had
allowed　herself　a　housemaid；　and　she　exerted　her　old…maidish　energy　in
taking　stock　of　everything；　examining　everything；　and　arranging　in
every　respect　for　the　comfort　of　her　dear　Marshal。　Lisbeth；　quite　as
Republican　as　he　could　be；　pleased　him　by　her　democratic　opinions；　and
she　flattered　him　with　amazing　dexterity；　for　the