cousin betty-第7章

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often　noticeable　in　characters　that　have　developed　late；　in　savages；
who　think　much　and　speak　little。　Her　peasant's　wit　had　acquired　a　good
deal　of　Parisian　asperity　from　hearing　the　talk　of　workshops　and
mixing　with　workmen　and　workwomen。　She；　whose　character　had　a　marked
resemblance　to　that　of　the　Corsicans；　worked　upon　without　fruition　by
the　instincts　of　a　strong　nature；　would　have　liked　to　be　the
protectress　of　a　weak　man；　but；　as　a　result　of　living　in　the　capital；
the　capital　had　altered　her　superficially。　Parisian　polish　became　rust
on　this　coarsely　tempered　soul。　Gifted　with　a　cunning　which　had　become
unfathomable；　as　it　always　does　in　those　whose　celibacy　is　genuine；
with　the　originality　and　sharpness　with　which　she　clothed　her　ideas；
in　any　other　position　she　would　have　been　formidable。　Full　of　spite；
she　was　capable　of　bringing　discord　into　the　most　united　family。

In　early　days；　when　she　indulged　in　certain　secret　hopes　which　she
confided　to　none；　she　took　to　wearing　stays；　and　dressing　in　the
fashion；　and　so　shone　in　splendor　for　a　short　time；　that　the　Baron
thought　her　marriageable。　Lisbeth　at　that　stage　was　the　piquante
brunette　of　old…fashioned　novels。　Her　piercing　glance；　her　olive　skin；
her　reed…like　figure；　might　invite　a　half…pay　major；　but　she　was
satisfied；　she　would　say　laughing；　with　her　own　admiration。

And；　indeed；　she　found　her　life　pleasant　enough　when　she　had　freed　it
from　practical　anxieties；　for　she　dined　out　every　evening　after
working　hard　from　sunrise。　Thus　she　had　only　her　rent　and　her　midday
meal　to　provide　for；　she　had　most　of　her　clothes　given　her；　and　a
variety　of　very　acceptable　stores；　such　as　coffee；　sugar；　wine；　and　so
forth。

In　1837；　after　living　for　twenty…seven　years；　half　maintained　by　the
Hulots　and　her　Uncle　Fischer；　Cousin　Betty；　resigned　to　being　nobody；
allowed　herself　to　be　treated　so。　She　herself　refused　to　appear　at　any
grand　dinners；　preferring　the　family　party；　where　she　held　her　own　and
was　spared　all　slights　to　her　pride。

Wherever　she　wentat　General　Hulot's；　at　Crevel's；　at　the　house　of
the　young　Hulots；　or　at　Rivet's　（Pons'　successor；　with　whom　she　made
up　her　quarrel；　and　who　made　much　of　her）；　and　at　the　Baroness'　table
she　was　treated　as　one　of　the　family；　in　fact；　she　managed　to　make
friends　of　the　servants　by　making　them　an　occasional　small　present；
and　always　gossiping　with　them　for　a　few　minutes　before　going　into　the
drawing…room。　This　familiarity；　by　which　she　uncompromisingly　put
herself　on　their　level；　conciliated　their　servile　good…nature；　which
is　indispensable　to　a　parasite。　〃She　is　a　good；　steady　woman；〃　was
everybody's　verdict。

Her　willingness　to　oblige；　which　knew　no　bounds　when　it　was　not
demanded　of　her；　was　indeed；　like　her　assumed　bluntness；　a　necessity
of　her　position。　She　had　at　length　understood　what　her　life　must　be；
seeing　that　she　was　at　everybody's　mercy；　and　needing　to　please
everybody；　she　would　laugh　with　young　people；　who　liked　her　for　a　sort
of　wheedling　flattery　which　always　wins　them；　guessing　and　taking　part
with　their　fancies；　she　would　make　herself　their　spokeswoman；　and　they
thought　her　a　delightful　/confidante/；　since　she　had　no　right　to　find
fault　with　them。

Her　absolute　secrecy　also　won　her　the　confidence　of　their　seniors；
for；　like　Ninon；　she　had　certain　manly　qualities。　As　a　rule；　our
confidence　is　given　to　those　below　rather　than　above　us。　We　employ　our
inferiors　rather　than　our　betters　in　secret　transactions；　and　they
thus　become　the　recipients　of　our　inmost　thoughts；　and　look　on　at　our
meditations；　Richelieu　thought　he　had　achieved　success　when　he　was
admitted　to　the　Council。　This　penniless　woman　was　supposed　to　be　so
dependent　on　every　one　about　her；　that　she　seemed　doomed　to　perfect
silence。　She　herself　called　herself　the　Family　Confessional。

The　Baroness　only；　remembering　her　ill…usage　in　childhood　by　the
cousin　who；　though　younger；　was　stronger　than　herself；　never　wholly
trusted　her。　Besides；　out　of　sheer　modesty；　she　would　never　have　told
her　domestic　sorrows　to　any　one　but　God。

It　may　here　be　well　to　add　that　the　Baron's　house　preserved　all　its
magnificence　in　the　eyes　of　Lisbeth　Fischer；　who　was　not　struck；　as
the　parvenu　perfumer　had　been；　with　the　penury　stamped　on　the　shabby
chairs；　the　dirty　hangings；　and　the　ripped　silk。　The　furniture　we　live
with　is　in　some　sort　like　our　own　person；　seeing　ourselves　every　day；
we　end；　like　the　Baron；　by　thinking　ourselves　but　little　altered；　and
still　youthful；　when　others　see　that　our　head　is　covered　with
chinchilla；　our　forehead　scarred　with　circumflex　accents；　our　stomach
assuming　the　rotundity　of　a　pumpkin。　So　these　rooms；　always　blazing　in
Betty's　eyes　with　the　Bengal　fire　of　Imperial　victory；　were　to　her
perennially　splendid。

As　time　went　on；　Lisbeth　had　contracted　some　rather　strange　old…
maidish　habits。　For　instance；　instead　of　following　the　fashions；　she
expected　the　fashion　to　accept　her　ways　and　yield　to　her　always　out…
of…date　notions。　When　the　Baroness　gave　her　a　pretty　new　bonnet；　or　a
gown　in　the　fashion　of　the　day；　Betty　remade　it　completely　at　home；
and　spoilt　it　by　producing　a　dress　of　the　style　of　the　Empire　or　of
her　old　Lorraine　costume。　A　thirty…franc　bonnet　came　out　a　rag；　and
the　gown　a　disgrace。　On　this　point；　Lisbeth　was　as　obstinate　as　a
mule；　she　would　please　no　one　but　herself　and　believed　herself
charming；　whereas　this　assimilative　processharmonious；　no　doubt；　in
so　far　as　that　it　stamped　her　for　an　old　maid　from　head　to　footmade
her　so　ridiculous；　that；　with　the　best　will　in　the　world；　no　one　could
admit　her　on　any　smart　occasion。

This　refractory；　capricious；　and　independent　spirit；　and　the
inexplicable　wild　shyness　of　the　woman　for　whom　the　Baron　had　four
times　found　a　matchan　employe　in　his　office；　a　retired　major；　an
army　contractor；　and　a　half…pay　captainwhile　she　had　refused　an　army
lacemaker；　who　had　since　made　his　fortune；　had　won　her　the　name　of　the
Nanny　Goat；　which　the　Baron　gave　her　in　jest。　But　this　nickname　only
met　the　peculiarities　that　lay　on　the　surface；　the　eccentricities
which　each　of　us　displays　to　his　neighbors　in　social　life。　This　woman；
who；　if　closely　studied；　would　have　shown　the　most　savage　traits　of
the　peasant　class；　was　still　the　girl　who　had　clawed　her　cousin's
nose；　and　who；　if　she　had　not　been　trained　to　reason；　would　perhaps
have　killed　her　in　a　fit　of　jealousy。

It　was　only　her　knowledge　of　the　laws　and　of　the　world　that　enabled
her　to　control　the　swift　instinct　with　which　country　folk；　like　wild
men；　reduce　impulse　to　action。　In　this　alone；　perhaps；　lies　the
difference　between　natural　and　civilized　man。　The　savage　has　only
impulse；　the　civilized　man　has　impulses　and　ideas。　And　in　the　savage
the　brain　retains；　as　we　may　say；　but　few　impressions；　it　is　wholly　at
the　mercy　of　the　feeling　that　rushes　in　upon　it；　while　in　the
civilized　man；　ideas　sink　into　the　heart　and　change　it；　he　has　a
thousand　interests　and　many　feelings；　where　the　savage　has　but　one　at
a　time。　This　is　the　cause　of　the　transient　ascendency　of　a　child　over
its　parents；　which　ceases　as　soon　as　it　is　satisfied；　in　the　man　who
is　still　one　with　nature；　this　contrast　is　constant。　Cousin　Betty；　a
savage　of　Lorraine；　somewhat　treacherous　too；　was　of　this　class　of
natures；　which　are　commoner　among　the　lower　orders　than　is　supposed；
accounting　for　the　conduct　of　the　populace　during　revolutions。



At　the　time　when　this　/Drama/　opens；　if　Cousin　Betty　would　have
allowed　herself　to　be　dressed　like　other　people；　if；　like　the　women　of
Paris；　she　had　been　accustomed　to　wear　each　fashion　in　its　turn；　she
would　have　been　presentable　and　acceptable；　but　she　preserved　the
stiffness　of　a　stick。　Now　a　woman　devoid　of　all　the　graces；　in　Paris
simply　does　not　exist。　The　fine　but　hard　eyes；　the　severe　features；
the　Calabrian　fixity　of　complexion　which　made　Lisbeth　like　a　figure　by
Giotto；　and　of　which　a　true　Parisian　would　have　taken　advantage；　above
all；　her　strange　way　of　dressing；　gave　her　such　an　extraordinary
appearance　that　she　sometimes　looked　like　one　of　those　monkeys　in
petticoats　taken　about　by　little　Savoyards。　As　she　was　well　known　in
the　houses　connected　by　family　which　she　frequented；　and　restricted
her　social　efforts　to　that　little　circle；　as　she　liked　her　own　home；
her　singularities　no　longer　astonished　anybody；　and　out　of　doors　they
were　lost　in　the　immense　stir　of　Paris　street…life；　where　only　pretty
women　are　ever　looked　at。

Hortense's　laughter　was　at　this　moment　caused　by　a　victory　won　over
her　Cousin　Lisbeth's　perversity；　she　had　just　wrung　from　her　an　avowal
she　had　been　hoping　for　these　three　years　past。　However　secretive　an
old　maid　may　be；　there　is　one　sentiment　which　will　always　avail　to
make　her　break　her　fast　from　words；　and　that　is　her　vanity。　For　the
last　three　years；　Hortense；　having　become　very　inquisitive　on　such
matters；　had　pestered　her　cousin　with　questions；　which；　however；　bore
the　stamp　of　perfect　innocence。　She　wanted　to　know　why　her　cousin　had
never　married。　Hortense；　who　knew　of　the　five　offers　that　she　had
refused；　had　constructed　her　little　romance；　she　supposed　that　Lisbeth
had　had　a　passionate　attachment；　and　a　war　of　banter　was　the　result。
Hortense　would　talk　of　〃We　young　girls！〃　when　speaking　of　herself　and
her　cousin。

Cousin　Betty　had　on　several　occasions　answered　in　the　same　tone〃And
who　says　I　have　not　a　lover？〃　So　Cousin　Betty's　lover；　real　or
fictitious；　became　a　subject　of　mild　jesting。　At　last；　after　two　years
of　this　petty　warfare；　the　last　time　Lisbeth　had　come　to　the　house
Hortense's　first　question　had　been：

〃And　how　is　your　lover？〃

〃Pretty　well；　thank　you；〃　was　the　answer。　〃He　is　rather　ailing；　poor
young　man。〃

〃He　has　delicate　health？〃　asked　the　Baroness；　laughing。

〃I　should　think　so！　He　is　fair。　A　sooty　thing　like　me　can　love　none
but　a　fair　man　with　a　color　like　the　moon。〃

〃But　who　is　he？　What　does　he　do？〃　asked　Hortense。　〃Is　he　a　prince？〃

〃A　prince　of　artisans；　as　I　am　queen　of　the　bobbin。　Is　a　poor　woman
like　me　likely　to　find　a　lover　in　a　man　with　a　fine　house　and　money　in
the　funds；　or　in　a　duke　of　the　realm；　or　some　Prince　Charming　out　of　a
fairy　tale？〃

〃Oh；　I　should　so　much　like　to　see　him！〃　cried　Hortense；　smiling。

〃To　see　what　a　man　can　be　like　who　can　love　the　Nanny　Goat？〃　retorted
Lisbeth。

〃He　must　be　some　monster　of　an　old　clerk；　with　a　goat's　beard！〃
Hortense　said　to　her　mother。

〃Well；　then；　you　are　quite　mistaken；　mademoiselle。〃

〃Then　you　mean　that　you　really　have　a　lover？〃　Hortense　exclaimed　in
triumph。

〃As　sure　as　you　have　not！〃　retorted　Lisbeth；　nettled。

〃But　if　you　have　a　lover；　why　don't　you　marry　him；　Lisbeth？〃　said　the
Baroness；　shaking　her　head　at　her　daughter。　〃We　have　been　hearing
rumors　about　him　these　three　years。　You　have　had　time　to　study　him；
and　if　he　has　been　faithful　so　long；　you　should　not　persist　in　a　delay
which　must　be　hard　upon　him。　After　all；　it　is　a　matter　of　conscience；
and　if　he　is　young；　it　is　time　to　take　a　brevet　of　dignity。〃

Cousin　Betty　had　fixed　her　gaze　on　Adeline；　and　seeing　that　she　was
jesting；　she　replied：

〃It　would　be　marrying　hunger　and　thirst；　he　i