cousin betty-第6章

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So　long　as　Baron　Hulot　d'Ervy　was　a　fine　man；　his　flirtations　did　not
damage　his　fortune；　but　when　a　man　is　fifty；　the　Graces　claim　payment。
At　that　age　love　becomes　vice；　insensate　vanities　come　into　play。
Thus；　at　about　that　time；　Adeline　saw　that　her　husband　was　incredibly
particular　about　his　dress；　he　dyed　his　hair　and　whiskers；　and　wore　a
belt　and　stays。　He　was　determined　to　remain　handsome　at　any　cost。　This
care　of　his　person；　a　weakness　he　had　once　mercilessly　mocked　at；　was
carried　out　in　the　minutest　details。

At　last　Adeline　perceived　that　the　Pactolus　poured　out　before　the
Baron's　mistresses　had　its　source　in　her　pocket。　In　eight　years　he　had
dissipated　a　considerable　amount　of　money；　and　so　effectually；　that；
on　his　son's　marriage　two　years　previously；　the　Baron　had　been
compelled　to　explain　to　his　wife　that　his　pay　constituted　their　whole
income。

〃What　shall　we　come　to？〃　asked　Adeline。

〃Be　quite　easy；〃　said　the　official；　〃I　will　leave　the　whole　of　my
salary　in　your　hands；　and　I　will　make　a　fortune　for　Hortense；　and　some
savings　for　the　future；　in　business。〃

The　wife's　deep　belief　in　her　husband's　power　and　superior　talents；　in
his　capabilities　and　character；　had；　in　fact；　for　the　moment　allayed
her　anxiety。

What　the　Baroness'　reflections　and　tears　were　after　Crevel's　departure
may　now　be　clearly　imagined。　The　poor　woman　had　for　two　years　past
known　that　she　was　at　the　bottom　of　a　pit；　but　she　had　fancied　herself
alone　in　it。　How　her　son's　marriage　had　been　finally　arranged　she　had
not　known；　she　had　known　nothing　of　Hector's　connection　with　the
grasping　Jewess；　and；　above　all；　she　hoped　that　no　one　in　the　world
knew　anything　of　her　troubles。　Now；　if　Crevel　went　about　so　ready　to
talk　of　the　Baron's　excesses；　Hector's　reputation　would　suffer。　She
could　see；　under　the　angry　ex…perfumer's　coarse　harangue；　the　odious
gossip　behind　the　scenes　which　led　to　her　son's　marriage。　Two
reprobate　hussies　had　been　the　priestesses　of　this　union　planned　at
some　orgy　amid　the　degrading　familiarities　of　two　tipsy　old　sinners。

〃And　has　he　forgotten　Hortense！〃　she　wondered。

〃But　he　sees　her　every　day；　will　he　try　to　find　her　a　husband　among
his　good…for…nothing　sluts？〃

At　this　moment　it　was　the　mother　that　spoke　rather　than　the　wife；　for
she　saw　Hortense　laughing　with　her　Cousin　Bettythe　reckless　laughter
of　heedless　youth；　and　she　knew　that　such　hysterical　laughter　was
quite　as　distressing　a　symptom　as　the　tearful　reverie　of　solitary
walks　in　the　garden。

Hortense　was　like　her　mother；　with　golden　hair　that　waved　naturally；
and　was　amazingly　long　and　thick。　Her　skin　had　the　lustre　of　mother…
of…pearl。　She　was　visibly　the　offspring　of　a　true　marriage；　of　a　pure
and　noble　love　in　its　prime。　There　was　a　passionate　vitality　in　her
countenance；　a　brilliancy　of　feature；　a　full　fount　of　youth；　a　fresh
vigor　and　abundance　of　health；　which　radiated　from　her　with　electric
flashes。　Hortense　invited　the　eye。

When　her　eye；　of　deep　ultramarine　blue；　liquid　with　the　moisture　of
innocent　youth；　rested　on　a　passer…by；　he　was　involuntarily　thrilled。
Nor　did　a　single　freckle　mar　her　skin；　such　as　those　with　which　many　a
white　and　golden　maid　pays　toll　for　her　milky　whiteness。　Tall；　round
without　being　fat；　with　a　slender　dignity　as　noble　as　her　mother's；
she　really　deserved　the　name　of　goddess；　of　which　old　authors　were　so
lavish。　In　fact；　those　who　saw　Hortense　in　the　street　could　hardly
restrain　the　exclamation；　〃What　a　beautiful　girl！〃

She　was　so　genuinely　innocent；　that　she　could　say　to　her　mother：

〃What　do　they　mean；　mamma；　by　calling　me　a　beautiful　girl　when　I　am
with　you？　Are　not　you　much　handsomer　than　I　am？〃

And；　in　point　of　fact；　at　seven…and…forty　the　Baroness　might　have　been
preferred　to　her　daughter　by　amateurs　of　sunset　beauty；　for　she　had
not　yet　lost　any　of　her　charms；　by　one　of　those　phenomena　which　are
especially　rare　in　Paris；　where　Ninon　was　regarded　as　scandalous；
simply　because　she　thus　seemed　to　enjoy　such　an　unfair　advantage　over
the　plainer　women　of　the　seventeenth　century。

Thinking　of　her　daughter　brought　her　back　to　the　father；　she　saw　him
sinking　by　degrees；　day　after　day；　down　to　the　social　mire；　and　even
dismissed　some　day　from　his　appointment。　The　idea　of　her　idol's　fall；
with　a　vague　vision　of　the　disasters　prophesied　by　Crevel；　was　such　a
terror　to　the　poor　woman；　that　she　became　rapt　in　the　contemplation
like　an　ecstatic。

Cousin　Betty；　from　time　to　time；　as　she　chatted　with　Hortense；　looked
round　to　see　when　they　might　return　to　the　drawing…room；　but　her　young
cousin　was　pelting　her　with　questions；　and　at　the　moment　when　the
Baroness　opened　the　glass　door　she　did　not　happen　to　be　looking。



Lisbeth　Fischer；　though　the　daughter　of　the　eldest　of　the　three
brothers；　was　five　years　younger　than　Madame　Hulot；　she　was　far　from
being　as　handsome　as　her　cousin；　and　had　been　desperately　jealous　of
Adeline。　Jealousy　was　the　fundamental　passion　of　this　character；
marked　by　eccentricitiesa　word　invented　by　the　English　to　describe
the　craziness　not　of　the　asylum；　but　of　respectable　households。　A
native　of　the　Vosges；　a　peasant　in　the　fullest　sense　of　the　word；
lean；　brown；　with　shining　black　hair　and　thick　eyebrows　joining　in　a
tuft；　with　long；　strong　arms；　thick　feet；　and　some　moles　on　her　narrow
simian　facesuch　is　a　brief　description　of　the　elderly　virgin。

The　family；　living　all　under　one　roof；　had　sacrificed　the　common…
looking　girl　to　the　beauty；　the　bitter　fruit　to　the　splendid　flower。
Lisbeth　worked　in　the　fields；　while　her　cousin　was　indulged；　and　one
day；　when　they　were　alone　together；　she　had　tried　to　destroy　Adeline's
nose；　a　truly　Greek　nose；　which　the　old　mothers　admired。　Though　she
was　beaten　for　this　misdeed；　she　persisted　nevertheless　in　tearing　the
favorite's　gowns　and　crumpling　her　collars。

At　the　time　of　Adeline's　wonderful　marriage；　Lisbeth　had　bowed　to
fate；　as　Napoleon's　brothers　and　sisters　bowed　before　the　splendor　of
the　throne　and　the　force　of　authority。

Adeline；　who　was　extremely　sweet　and　kind；　remembered　Lisbeth　when　she
found　herself　in　Paris；　and　invited　her　there　in　1809；　intending　to
rescue　her　from　poverty　by　finding　her　a　husband。　But　seeing　that　it
was　impossible　to　marry　the　girl　out　of　hand；　with　her　black　eyes　and
sooty　brows；　unable；　too；　to　read　or　write；　the　Baron　began　by
apprenticing　her　to　a　business；　he　placed　her　as　a　learner　with　the
embroiderers　to　the　Imperial　Court；　the　well…known　Pons　Brothers。

Lisbeth；　called　Betty　for　short；　having　learned　to　embroider　in　gold
and　silver；　and　possessing　all　the　energy　of　a　mountain　race；　had
determination　enough　to　learn　to　read；　write；　and　keep　accounts；　for
her　cousin　the　Baron　had　pointed　out　the　necessity　for　these
accomplishments　if　she　hoped　to　set　up　in　business　as　an　embroiderer。

She　was　bent　on　making　a　fortune；　in　two　years　she　was　another
creature。　In　1811　the　peasant　woman　had　become　a　very　presentable；
skilled；　and　intelligent　forewoman。

Her　department；　that　of　gold　and　silver　lace…work；　as　it　is　called；
included　epaulettes；　sword…knots；　aiguillettes；　in　short；　the　immense
mass　of　glittering　ornaments　that　sparkled　on　the　rich　uniforms　of　the
French　army　and　civil　officials。　The　Emperor；　a　true　Italian　in　his
love　of　dress；　had　overlaid　the　coats　of　all　his　servants　with　silver
and　gold；　and　the　Empire　included　a　hundred　and　thirty…three
Departments。　These　ornaments；　usually　supplied　to　tailors　who　were
solvent　and　wealthy　paymasters；　were　a　very　secure　branch　of　trade。

Just　when　Cousin　Betty；　the　best　hand　in　the　house　of　Pons　Brothers；
where　she　was　forewoman　of　the　embroidery　department；　might　have　set
up　in　business　on　her　own　account；　the　Empire　collapsed。　The　olive…
branch　of　peace　held　out　by　the　Bourbons　did　not　reassure　Lisbeth；　she
feared　a　diminution　of　this　branch　of　trade；　since　henceforth　there
were　to　be　but　eighty…six　Departments　to　plunder；　instead　of　a　hundred
and　thirty…three；　to　say　nothing　of　the　immense　reduction　of　the　army。
Utterly　scared　by　the　ups　and　downs　of　industry；　she　refused　the
Baron's　offers　of　help；　and　he　thought　she　must　be　mad。　She　confirmed
this　opinion　by　quarreling　with　Monsieur　Rivet；　who　bought　the
business　of　Pons　Brothers；　and　with　whom　the　Baron　wished　to　place　her
in　partnership；　she　would　be　no　more　than　a　workwoman。　Thus　the
Fischer　family　had　relapsed　into　the　precarious　mediocrity　from　which
Baron　Hulot　had　raised　it。

The　three　brothers　Fischer；　who　had　been　ruined　by　the　abdication　at
Fontainebleau；　in　despair　joined　the　irregular　troops　in　1815。　The
eldest；　Lisbeth's　father；　was　killed。　Adeline's　father；　sentenced　to
death　by　court…martial；　fled　to　Germany；　and　died　at　Treves　in　1820。
Johann；　the　youngest；　came　to　Paris；　a　petitioner　to　the　queen　of　the
family；　who　was　said　to　dine　off　gold　and　silver　plate；　and　never　to
be　seen　at　a　party　but　with　diamonds　in　her　hair　as　big　as　hazel…nuts；
given　to　her　by　the　Emperor。

Johann　Fischer；　then　aged　forty…three；　obtained　from　Baron　Hulot　a
capital　of　ten　thousand　francs　with　which　to　start　a　small　business　as
forage…dealer　at　Versailles；　under　the　patronage　of　the　War　Office；
through　the　influence　of　the　friends　still　in　office；　of　the　late
Commissary…General。

These　family　catastrophes；　Baron　Hulot's　dismissal；　and　the　knowledge
that　he　was　a　mere　cipher　in　that　immense　stir　of　men　and　interests
and　things　which　makes　Paris　at　once　a　paradise　and　a　hell；　quite
quelled　Lisbeth　Fischer。　She　gave　up　all　idea　of　rivalry　and
comparison　with　her　cousin　after　feeling　her　great　superiority；　but
envy　still　lurked　in　her　heart；　like　a　plague…germ　that　may　hatch　and
devastate　a　city　if　the　fatal　bale　of　wool　is　opened　in　which　it　is
concealed。

Now　and　again；　indeed；　she　said　to　herself：

〃Adeline　and　I　are　the　same　flesh　and　blood；　our　fathers　were　brothers
and　she　is　in　a　mansion；　while　I　am　in　a　garret。〃

But　every　New　Year　Lisbeth　had　presents　from　the　Baron　and　Baroness；
the　Baron；　who　was　always　good　to　her；　paid　for　her　firewood　in　the
winter；　old　General　Hulot　had　her　to　dinner　once　a　week；　and　there　was
always　a　cover　laid　for　her　at　her　cousin's　table。　They　laughed　at　her
no　doubt；　but　they　never　were　ashamed　to　own　her。　In　short；　they　had
made　her　independent　in　Paris；　where　she　lived　as　she　pleased。

The　old　maid　had；　in　fact；　a　terror　of　any　kind　of　tie。　Her　cousin　had
offered　her　a　room　in　her　own　houseLisbeth　suspected　the　halter　of
domestic　servitude；　several　times　the　Baron　had　found　a　solution　of
the　difficult　problem　of　her　marriage；　but　though　tempted　in　the　first
instance；　she　would　presently　decline；　fearing　lest　she　should　be
scorned　for　her　want　of　education；　her　general　ignorance；　and　her
poverty；　finally；　when　the　Baroness　suggested　that　she　should　live
with　their　uncle　Johann；　and　keep　house　for　him；　instead　of　the　upper
servant；　who　must　cost　him　dear；　Lisbeth　replied　that　that　was　the
very　last　way　she　should　think　of　marrying。

Lisbeth　Fischer　had　the　sort　of　strangeness　in　her　ideas　which　is
often　noticeable　in　characters　that　have　developed　late；　in　savages；
who　think　much　and　speak　little。　Her　peasant's