登陆注册
4703900000062

第62章

Baron Hulot went quickly up to Lisbeth's apartment, but the door was locked, and the usual inquiries through the door took up time enough to enable the two light-handed and cunning women to arrange the scene of an attack of indigestion with the accessories of tea. Lisbeth was in such pain that Valerie was very much alarmed, and consequently hardly paid any heed to the Baron's furious entrance. Indisposition is one of the screens most often placed by women to ward off a quarrel.

Hulot peeped about, here and there, but could see no spot in Cousin Betty's room where a Brazilian might lie hidden.

"Your indigestion does honor to my wife's dinner, Lisbeth," said he, scrutinizing her, for Lisbeth was perfectly well, trying to imitate the hiccough of spasmodic indigestion as she drank her tea.

"How lucky it is that dear Betty should be living under my roof!" said Madame Marneffe. "But for me, the poor thing would have died."

"You look as if you only half believed it," added Lisbeth, turning to the Baron, "and that would be a shame----"

"Why?" asked the Baron. "Do you know the purpose of my visit?"

And he leered at the door of a dressing-closet from which the key had been withdrawn.

"Are you talking Greek?" said Madame Marneffe, with an appealing look of misprized tenderness and devotedness.

"But it is all through you, my dear cousin; yes, it is your doing that I am in such a state," said Lisbeth vehemently.

This speech diverted the Baron's attention; he looked at the old maid with the greatest astonishment.

"You know that I am devoted to you," said Lisbeth. "I am here, that says everything. I am wearing out the last shreds of my strength in watching over your interests, since they are one with our dear Valerie's. Her house costs one-tenth of what any other does that is kept on the same scale. But for me, Cousin, instead of two thousand francs a month, you would be obliged to spend three or four thousand."

"I know all that," replied the Baron out of patience; "you are our protectress in many ways," he added, turning to Madame Marneffe and putting his arm round her neck.--"Is not she, my pretty sweet?"

"On my honor," exclaimed Valerie, "I believe you are gone mad!"

"Well, you cannot doubt my attachment," said Lisbeth. "But I am also very fond of my cousin Adeline, and I found her in tears. She has not seen you for a month. Now that is really too bad; you leave my poor Adeline without a sou. Your daughter Hortense almost died of it when she was told that it is thanks to your brother that we had any dinner at all. There was not even bread in your house this day.

"Adeline is heroically resolved to keep her sufferings to herself. She said to me, 'I will do as you have done!' The speech went to my heart; and after dinner, as I thought of what my cousin had been in 1811, and of what she is in 1841--thirty years after--I had a violent indigestion.--I fancied I should get over it; but when I got home, I thought I was dying--"

"You see, Valerie, to what my adoration of you has brought me! To crime--domestic crime!"

"Oh! I was wise never to marry!" cried Lisbeth, with savage joy. "You are a kind, good man; Adeline is a perfect angel;--and this is the reward of her blind devotion."

"An elderly angel!" said Madame Marneffe softly, as she looked half tenderly, half mockingly, at her Hector, who was gazing at her as an examining judge gazes at the accused.

"My poor wife!" said Hulot. "For more than nine months I have given her no money, though I find it for you, Valerie; but at what a cost!

No one else will ever love you so, and what torments you inflict on me in return!"

"Torments?" she echoed. "Then what do you call happiness?"

"I do not yet know on what terms you have been with this so-called cousin whom you never mentioned to me," said the Baron, paying no heed to Valerie's interjection. "But when he came in I felt as if a penknife had been stuck into my heart. Blinded I may be, but I am not blind. I could read his eyes, and yours. In short, from under that ape's eyelids there flashed sparks that he flung at you--and your eyes!--Oh! you have never looked at me so, never! As to this mystery, Valerie, it shall all be cleared up. You are the only woman who ever made me know the meaning of jealousy, so you need not be surprised by what I say.--But another mystery which has rent its cloud, and it seems to me infamous----"

"Go on, go on," said Valerie.

"It is that Crevel, that square lump of flesh and stupidity, is in love with you, and that you accept his attentions with so good a grace that the idiot flaunts his passion before everybody."

"Only three! Can you discover no more?" asked Madame Marneffe.

"There may be more!" retorted the Baron.

"If Monsieur Crevel is in love with me, he is in his rights as a man after all; if I favored his passion, that would indeed be the act of a coquette, or of a woman who would leave much to be desired on your part.--Well, love me as you find me, or let me alone. If you restore me to freedom, neither you nor Monsieur Crevel will ever enter my doors again. But I will take up with my cousin, just to keep my hand in, in those charming habits you suppose me to indulge.--Good-bye, Monsieur le Baron Hulot."

She rose, but the Baron took her by the arm and made her sit down again. The old man could not do without Valerie. She had become more imperatively indispensable to him than the necessaries of life; he preferred remaining in uncertainty to having any proof of Valerie's infidelity.

"My dearest Valerie," said he, "do you not see how miserable I am? I only ask you to justify yourself. Give me sufficient reasons--"

"Well, go downstairs and wait for me; for I suppose you do not wish to look on at the various ceremonies required by your cousin's state."

Hulot slowly turned away "You old profligate," cried Lisbeth, "you have not even asked me how your children are? What are you going to do for Adeline? I, at any rate, will take her my savings to-morrow."

"You owe your wife white bread to eat at least," said Madame Marneffe, smiling.

同类推荐
  • 法华玄赞义决

    法华玄赞义决

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
  • The Sorrows of Young Werther

    The Sorrows of Young Werther

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
  • 释签缘起

    释签缘起

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
  • 梅间诗话

    梅间诗话

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
  • 秋园杂佩

    秋园杂佩

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
热门推荐
  • 打动人心的108个交际技巧(教你成功丛书)

    打动人心的108个交际技巧(教你成功丛书)

    一个擅于交际的人,往往会受到很多人的喜欢,在各种场合下办起事情来,也会如鱼得水,因为人们常常会愿意帮助自己喜欢的人。有的人认为自己性格内向,不擅交际,常常担心自己做错事说错话。本书旨在向你展示切实可行的交际绝招,让你在人际关系中能够游刃有余,成为真正的交际高手。
  • 走进光学世界(物理知识知道点)

    走进光学世界(物理知识知道点)

    构成光的是那些物质呢?在光学的研究中有哪些大师巨匠为了探索光的奥秘而付出了辛勤与汗水?光是如何被人类广为应用的?这众多的问题都能在《物理知识知道点:走进光学世界》中得到解答。请《走进光学世界》吧。
  • 时光尽头

    时光尽头

    科幻短篇合集,共收录十个精彩故事,元素涵盖时间旅行、未来科技、星际探险、火星殖民和人外文明等。作者wkkk.net在本书中通过十个不同的主题,以老练的文笔为我们构建了十个有趣的未来世界。wkkk.net并不拘泥于呈现科幻元素,而更注重故事的叙述和氛围的营造,十个短篇风格各异,比如《未来某时》围绕科幻经典主题时光旅行,讲述女兵克里斯被挑中执行穿越到未来的任务,却发现在未来人类文明早已因为某种未知原因灭亡的故事;《红赭石》则以绝妙的氛围营造讲述了火星地质学家英奇的一场庄生之梦;而《世界的洛林》乍读之下会以为是一个奇幻故事——在这里,世界分为两个,云层之上的和云层之下的。
  • 阴祸

    阴祸

    农村结婚,媳妇儿他妈要三十万彩礼,我爸在梦中一气之下杀了她!而后的事情,却越来越奇怪……
  • 清漾文士毛子水

    清漾文士毛子水

    “虚静恬淡”是毛子水先生亲书并悬挂在书房中的四个字,他的一生似乎和这四个字如出一辙。他博览群书、学识渊博、学贯中西,却并非是满口之乎者也的旧式文人,而是一个富于科学精神的现代学者。他那一袭飘逸的长衫,包裹着的是现代文士的铁骨柔肠,他那漫长的学者生涯,充满了耐人寻味的传奇色彩,他一生治学的文士本色,是留给世人的一笔丰厚的财富。毛子水与他的故乡1893年4月11日,毛子水生于浙江江山石门镇清漾村。其父名世卿,乃清末廪生。为其取名曰“凖”,字子水,谱名延祚。
  • 异世流云

    异世流云

    我在刚成年之际就能成功炼制出魔法武器。不好意思,那是我三岁初学炼器时捣鼓出来的失败货色,本小姐用来切烤肉。我老师是药剂师公会的会长,会配制宗师级别的药剂。药剂?不是我打击你,太落后了,本小姐两岁就开始用灵液来泡澡,仙丹,听过吗?没有?哎,算了,这种新时代产物哪是你们这些土包子所能见识的。我的魔宠是高贵强大的巨龙。龙?那叫龙?高贵?强大?你个爬虫,丑八怪,四脚蛇,再敢在本小姐面前自称龙族,我一把火烧了你的翅膀。我们家族的天才少主拥有八个神分身。神分身?八个?本小姐的仙术撒豆成兵一施展成千上万的分身,淹都淹得死你。紫夕云,修炼天才,全能奇才,妖孽的让天也为之嫉妒,她到底有着什么特殊的身份?恐怖的天资,异样的身体,神秘诡异的紫色血液,血脉传承的功法,一次又一次的穿越…是巧合?意外?命运?抑或责任?
  • 彪悍世子妃

    彪悍世子妃

    重生成富二代,子鱼仰天大笑。只是,怎么睡错了人?靠,形势陡然扭转,富二代撞上霸道官二代。。。。呜呜,夫君猛如虎,小腰吃不消。“那个,我们打个商量如何,我帮你把后秦国搞定,你每月让我休息十天。”子鱼满是期盼。“嗯。”“你答应了,太好了,今天我休息……喂,放我下来……你才答应了的,你个禽兽,吃不消了……”“不要做不切实际的梦,人要务实。”某人扛起子鱼就朝卧房走去。天下风云起,八方诸侯动。你有帝皇权,我有万毒归。驾驭天下毒物,统率万千生灵。这方大地,唯我独尊。
  • 城市发展学

    城市发展学

    发展问题是当今世界的头等重大问题,也是城市的根本问题。城市的一切问题,既是在发展中产生,又是在发展中求得解决。城市发展学是城市学的核心组成部分,所以,在一定意义上讲,城市学也可以说是城市发展学。因为城市学的本质所在就是研究城市方方面面发展的学问。当然,相对而言,城市学的研究范围应当更加广泛和深入,其内涵和内容也会更加丰富。城市发展学的形成和建立,应当说是为城市学的建立和完善提供了一定的理论基础。
  • 清朝故事多

    清朝故事多

    从佛库伦生出爱新觉罗家族远祖布库里雍顺,努尔哈赤,皇太极,顺治,康熙,乾隆,舒尔哈齐,五大臣,四大贝勒,储英等等,一直写到清末帝溥仪退位中国走向共和,400年政治、军事、金钱、美色、文化等一应俱全,立体全面展示满清皇朝发展史,政治官场里的权谋手段,政客博弈的刀光剑影,普通小人物不懈奋斗的历史,拉帮结伙,结交人脉,消除异己,得到利益,用已得利益巩固己方力量,然后物极必反,此消彼长,永远没有常胜一方,继而陷入不断谁主沉浮的魔咒,不断上演着这种你方唱罢我登场的戏码。不在其位,不谋其政,不处其境,难解其乐。
  • 绝度纪元

    绝度纪元

    公元2140年,地球周围突然出现了一个类似于黑洞的东西。人们以为世界末日即将来袭,却从里面出来了几颗小的星球,并且开始靠近地球,环绕着地球转动。许多国家派遣代表临时组成世界共存联盟,然后派出专家前往调查……十年之后,人类科学家从这些与地球生态环境极为类似的星球的泥土当中,提取了一种名为“UTA”的神秘物质。但是,接下来,危险的事情也随之发生了……