cousin betty-第27章

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Madame　Coquet；　our　chief　clerk's　wife；　came　to　sit　down　by　me；　and
admired　my　lace。　'English　point！'　said　she。　'Was　it　very　expensive；
madame？''I　do　not　know。　This　lace　was　my　mother's。　I　am　not　rich
enough　to　buy　the　like；'　said　I。〃

Madame　Marneffe；　in　short；　had　so　bewitched　the　old　beau；　that　he
really　believed　she　was　sinning　for　the　first　time　for　his　sake；　and
that　he　had　inspired　such　a　passion　as　had　led　her　to　this　breach　of
duty。　She　told　him　that　the　wretch　Marneffe　had　neglected　her　after
they　had　been　three　days　married；　and　for　the　most　odious　reasons。
Since　then　she　had　lived　as　innocently　as　a　girl；　marriage　had　seemed
to　her　so　horrible。　This　was　the　cause　of　her　present　melancholy。

〃If　love　should　prove　to　be　like　marriage〃　said　she　in　tears。

These　insinuating　lies；　with　which　almost　every　woman　in　Valerie's
predicament　is　ready；　gave　the　Baron　distant　visions　of　the　roses　of
the　seventh　heaven。　And　so　Valerie　coquetted　with　her　lover；　while　the
artist　and　Hortense　were　impatiently　awaiting　the　moment　when　the
Baroness　should　have　given　the　girl　her　last　kiss　and　blessing。

At　seven　in　the　morning　the　Baron；　perfectly　happyfor　his　Valerie
was　at　once　the　most　guileless　of　girls　and　the　most　consummate　of
demonswent　back　to　release　his　son　and　Celestine　from　their　duties。
All　the　dancers；　for　the　most　part　strangers；　had　taken　possession　of
the　territory；　as　they　do　at　every　wedding…ball；　and　were　keeping　up
the　endless　figures　of　the　cotillions；　while　the　gamblers　were　still
crowding　round　the　/bouillotte/　tables；　and　old　Crevel　had　won　six
thousand　francs。

The　morning　papers；　carried　round　the　town；　contained　this　paragraph
in　the　Paris　article：

　　〃The　marriage　was　celebrated　this　morning；　at　the　Church　of　Saint…
　　Thomas　d'Aquin；　between　Monsieur　le　Comte　Steinbock　and
　　Mademoiselle　Hortense　Hulot；　daughter　of　Baron　Hulot　d'Ervy；
　　Councillor　of　State；　and　a　Director　at　the　War　Office；　niece　of
　　the　famous　General　Comte　de　Forzheim。　The　ceremony　attracted　a
　　large　gathering。　There　were　present　some　of　the　most　distinguished
　　artists　of　the　day：　Leon　de　Lora；　Joseph　Bridau；　Stidmann；　and
　　Bixiou；　the　magnates　of　the　War　Office；　of　the　Council　of　State；
　　and　many　members　of　the　two　Chambers；　also　the　most　distinguished
　　of　the　Polish　exiles　living　in　Paris：　Counts　Paz；　Laginski；　and
　　others。

　　〃Monsieur　le　Comte　Wenceslas　Steinbock　is　grandnephew　to　the
　　famous　general　who　served　under　Charles　XII。；　King　of　Sweden。　The
　　young　Count；　having　taken　part　in　the　Polish　rebellion；　found　a
　　refuge　in　France；　where　his　well…earned　fame　as　a　sculptor　has
　　procured　him　a　patent　of　naturalization。〃

And　so；　in　spite　of　the　Baron's　cruel　lack　of　money；　nothing　was
lacking　that　public　opinion　could　require；　not　even　the　trumpeting　of
the　newspapers　over　his　daughter's　marriage；　which　was　solemnized　in
the　same　way；　in　every　particular；　as　his　son's　had　been　to
Mademoiselle　Crevel。　This　display　moderated　the　reports　current　as　to
the　Baron's　financial　position；　while　the　fortune　assigned　to　his
daughter　explained　the　need　for　having　borrowed　money。

Here　ends　what　is；　in　a　way；　the　introduction　to　this　story。　It　is　to
the　drama　that　follows　that　the　premise　is　to　a　syllogism；　what　the
prologue　is　to　a　classical　tragedy。



In　Paris；　when　a　woman　determines　to　make　a　business；　a　trade；　of　her
beauty；　it　does　not　follow　that　she　will　make　a　fortune。　Lovely
creatures　may　be　found　there；　and　full　of　wit；　who　are　in　wretched
circumstances；　ending　in　misery　a　life　begun　in　pleasure。　And　this　is
why。　It　is　not　enough　merely　to　accept　the　shameful　life　of　a
courtesan　with　a　view　to　earning　its　profits；　and　at　the　same　time　to
bear　the　simple　garb　of　a　respectable　middle…class　wife。　Vice　does　not
triumph　so　easily；　it　resembles　genius　in　so　far　that　they　both　need　a
concurrence　of　favorable　conditions　to　develop　the　coalition　of
fortune　and　gifts。　Eliminate　the　strange　prologue　of　the　Revolution；
and　the　Emperor　would　never　have　existed；　he　would　have　been　no　more
than　a　second　edition　of　Fabert。　Venal　beauty；　if　it　finds　no
amateurs；　no　celebrity；　no　cross　of　dishonor　earned　by　squandering
men's　fortunes；　is　Correggio　in　a　hay…loft；　is　genius　starving　in　a
garret。　Lais；　in　Paris；　must　first　and　foremost　find　a　rich　man　mad
enough　to　pay　her　price。　She　must　keep　up　a　very　elegant　style；　for
this　is　her　shop…sign；　she　must　be　sufficiently　well　bred　to　flatter
the　vanity　of　her　lovers；　she　must　have　the　brilliant　wit　of　a　Sophie
Arnould；　which　diverts　the　apathy　of　rich　men；　finally；　she　must
arouse　the　passions　of　libertines　by　appearing　to　be　mistress　to　one
man　only　who　is　envied　by　the　rest。

These　conditions；　which　a　woman　of　that　class　calls　being　in　luck；　are
difficult　to　combine　in　Paris；　although　it　is　a　city　of　millionaires；
of　idlers；　of　used…up　and　capricious　men。

Providence　has；　no　doubt；　vouchsafed　protection　to　clerks　and　middle…
class　citizens；　for　whom　obstacles　of　this　kind　are　at　least　double　in
the　sphere　in　which　they　move。　At　the　same　time；　there　are　enough
Madame　Marneffes　in　Paris　to　allow　of　our　taking　Valerie　to　figure　as
a　type　in　this　picture　of　manners。　Some　of　these　women　yield　to　the
double　pressure　of　a　genuine　passion　and　of　hard　necessity；　like
Madame　Colleville；　who　was　for　long　attached　to　one　of　the　famous
orators　of　the　left；　Keller　the　banker。　Others　are　spurred　by　vanity；
like　Madame　de　la　Baudraye；　who　remained　almost　respectable　in　spite
of　her　elopement　with　Lousteau。　Some；　again；　are　led　astray　by　the
love　of　fine　clothes；　and　some　by　the　impossibility　of　keeping　a　house
going　on　obviously　too　narrow　means。　The　stinginess　of　the　Stateor
of　Parliamentleads　to　many　disasters　and　to　much　corruption。

At　the　present　moment　the　laboring　classes　are　the　fashionable　object
of　compassion；　they　are　being　murderedit　is　saidby　the
manufacturing　capitalist；　but　the　Government　is　a　hundred　times　harder
than　the　meanest　tradesman；　it　carries　its　economy　in　the　article　of
salaries　to　absolute　folly。　If　you　work　harder；　the　merchant　will　pay
you　more　in　proportion；　but　what　does　the　State　do　for　its　crowd　of
obscure　and　devoted　toilers？

In　a　married　woman　it　is　an　inexcusable　crime　when　she　wanders　from
the　path　of　honor；　still；　there　are　degrees　even　in　such　a　case。　Some
women；　far　from　being　depraved；　conceal　their　fall　and　remain　to　all
appearances　quite　respectable；　like　those　two　just　referred　to；　while
others　add　to　their　fault　the　disgrace　of　speculation。　Thus　Madame
Marneffe　is；　as　it　were；　the　type　of　those　ambitious　married
courtesans　who　from　the　first　accept　depravity　with　all　its
consequences；　and　determine　to　make　a　fortune　while　taking　their
pleasure；　perfectly　unscrupulous　as　to　the　means。　But　almost　always　a
woman　like　Madame　Marneffe　has　a　husband　who　is　her　confederate　and
accomplice。　These　Machiavellis　in　petticoats　are　the　most　dangerous　of
the　sisterhood；　of　every　evil　class　of　Parisian　woman；　they　are　the
worst。

A　mere　courtesana　Josepha；　a　Malaga；　a　Madame　Schontz；　a　Jenny
Cadinecarries　in　her　frank　dishonor　a　warning　signal　as　conspicuous
as　the　red　lamp　of　a　house　of　ill…fame　or　the　flaring　lights　of　a
gambling　hell。　A　man　knows　that　they　light　him　to　his　ruin。

But　mealy…mouthed　propriety；　the　semblance　of　virtue；　the　hypocritical
ways　of　a　married　woman　who　never　allows　anything　to　be　seen　but　the
vulgar　needs　of　the　household；　and　affects　to　refuse　every　kind　of
extravagance；　leads　to　silent　ruin；　dumb　disaster；　which　is　all　the
more　startling　because；　though　condoned；　it　remains　unaccounted　for。
It　is　the　ignoble　bill　of　daily　expenses　and　not　gay　dissipation　that
devours　the　largest　fortune。　The　father　of　a　family　ruins　himself
ingloriously；　and　the　great　consolation　of　gratified　vanity　is　wanting
in　his　misery。

This　little　sermon　will　go　like　a　javelin　to　the　heart　of　many　a　home。
Madame　Marneffes　are　to　be　seen　in　every　sphere　of　social　life；　even
at　Court；　for　Valerie　is　a　melancholy　fact；　modeled　from　the　life　in
the　smallest　details。　And；　alas！　the　portrait　will　not　cure　any　man　of
the　folly　of　loving　these　sweetly…smiling　angels；　with　pensive　looks
and　candid　faces；　whose　heart　is　a　cash…box。



About　three　years　after　Hortense's　marriage；　in　1841；　Baron　Hulot
d'Ervy　was　supposed　to　have　sown　his　wild　oats；　to　have　〃put　up　his
horses；〃　to　quote　the　expression　used　by　Louis　XV。's　head　surgeon；　and
yet　Madame　Marneffe　was　costing　him　twice　as　much　as　Josepha　had　ever
cost　him。　Still；　Valerie；　though　always　nicely　dressed；　affected　the
simplicity　of　a　subordinate　official's　wife；　she　kept　her　luxury　for
her　dressing…gowns；　her　home　wear。　She　thus　sacrificed　her　Parisian
vanity　to　her　dear　Hector。　At　the　theatre；　however；　she　always
appeared　in　a　pretty　bonnet　and　a　dress　of　extreme　elegance；　and　the
Baron　took　her　in　a　carriage　to　a　private　box。

Her　rooms；　the　whole　of　the　second　floor　of　a　modern　house　in　the　Rue
Vanneau；　between　a　fore…court　and　a　garden；　was　redolent　of
respectability。　All　its　luxury　was　in　good　chintz　hangings　and
handsome　convenient　furniture。

Her　bedroom；　indeed；　was　the　exception；　and　rich　with　such　profusion
as　Jenny　Cadine　or　Madame　Schontz　might　have　displayed。　There　were
lace　curtains；　cashmere　hangings；　brocade　portieres；　a　set　of　chimney
ornaments　modeled　by　Stidmann；　a　glass　cabinet　filled　with　dainty
nicknacks。　Hulot　could　not　bear　to　see　his　Valerie　in　a　bower　of
inferior　magnificence　to　the　dunghill　of　gold　and　pearls　owned　by　a
Josepha。　The　drawing…room　was　furnished　with　red　damask；　and　the
dining…room　had　carved　oak　panels。　But　the　Baron；　carried　away　by　his
wish　to　have　everything　in　keeping；　had　at　the　end　of　six　months；
added　solid　luxury　to　mere　fashion；　and　had　given　her　handsome
portable　property；　as；　for　instance；　a　service　of　plate　that　was　to
cost　more　than　twenty…four　thousand　francs。

Madame　Marneffe's　house　had　in　a　couple　of　years　achieved　a　reputation
for　being　a　very　pleasant　one。　Gambling　went　on　there。　Valerie　herself
was　soon　spoken　of　as　an　agreeable　and　witty　woman。　To　account　for　her
change　of　style；　a　rumor　was　set　going　of　an　immense　legacy　bequeathed
to　her　by　her　〃natural　father；〃　Marshal　Montcornet；　and　left　in　trust。

With　an　eye　to　the　future；　Valerie　had　added　religious　to　social
hypocrisy。　Punctual　at　the　Sunday　services；　she　enjoyed　all　the　honors
due　to　the　pious。　She　carried　the　bag　for　the　offertory；　she　was　a
member　of　a　charitable　association；　presented　bread　for　the　sacrament；
and　did　some　good　among　the　poor；　all　at　Hector's　expense。　Thus
everything　about　the　house　was　extremely　seemly。　And　a　great　many
persons　maintained　that　her　friendship　with　the　Baron　was　entirely
innocent；　supporting　the　view　by　the　gentleman's　mature　age；　and
ascribing　to　him　a　Platonic　liking　for　Madame　Marneffe's　pleasant　wit；
charming　manners；　and　conversationsuch　a　liking　as　that　of　the　late
lamented　Louis　XVIII。　for　a　well…turned　note。

The　Baron　always　withdrew　with　the　other　company　at　about　midnight；
and　came　back　a　quarter　of　an　hour　later。

The　secret　of　this　secrecy　was　as　follows。　The　lodge…keepers　of　the
house