登陆注册
5243500000017

第17章 CHAPTER III(6)

"Our daughter has cost us the eyes out of our head," replied Solonet.

"Besides, we like to spend money. Your jeremiads, let me tell you, won't recover two farthings of the money.""With the fifty thousand francs a year which belong to Mademoiselle Natalie you could have brought her up handsomely without coming to ruin. But if you have squandered everything while you were a girl what will it be when you are a married woman?""Then drop us altogether," said Solonet. "The handsomest girl in Bordeaux has a right to spend more than she has, if she likes.""I'll talk to my client about that," said the old notary.

"Very good, old father Cassandra, go and tell your client that we haven't a penny," thought Solonet, who, in the solitude of his study, had strategically massed his forces, drawn up his propositions, manned the drawbridge of discussion, and prepared the point at which the opposing party, thinking the affair a failure, could suddenly be led into a compromise which would end in the triumph of his client.

The white dress with its rose-colored ribbons, the Sevigne curls, Natalie's tiny foot, her winning glance, her pretty fingers constantly employed in adjusting curls that needed no adjustment, these girlish manoeuvres like those of a peacock spreading his tail, had brought Paul to the point at which his future mother-in-law desired to see him. He was intoxicated with love, and his eyes, the sure thermometer of the soul, indicated the degree of passion at which a man commits a thousand follies.

"Natalie is so beautiful," he whispered to the mother, "that I can conceive the frenzy which leads a man to pay for his happiness by death."Madame Evangelista replied with a shake of her head:--"Lover's talk, my dear count. My husband never said such charming things to me; but he married me without a fortune and for thirteen years he never caused me one moment's pain.""Is that a lesson you are giving me?" said Paul, laughing.

"You know how I love you, my dear son," she answered, pressing his hand. "I must indeed love you well to give you my Natalie.""Give me, give me?" said the young girl, waving a screen of Indian feathers, "what are you whispering about me?""I was telling her," replied Paul, "how much I love you, since etiquette forbids me to tell it to you.""Why?"

"I fear to say too much."

"Ah! you know too well how to offer the jewels of flattery. Shall Itell you my private opinion about you? Well, I think you have more mind than a lover ought to have. To be the Pink of Fashion and a wit as well," she added, dropping her eyes, "is to have too many advantages: a man should choose between them. I fear too, myself.""And why?"

"We must not talk in this way. Mamma, do you not think that this conversation is dangerous inasmuch as the contract is not yet signed?""It soon will be," said Paul.

"I should like to know what Achilles and Nestor are saying to each other in the next room," said Natalie, nodding toward the door of the little salon with a childlike expression of curiosity.

"They are talking of our children and our death and a lot of other such trifles; they are counting our gold to see if we can keep five horses in the stables. They are talking also of deeds of gift; but there, I have forestalled them.""How so?"

"Have I not given myself wholly to you?" he said, looking straight at the girl, whose beauty was enhanced by the blush which the pleasure of this answer brought to her face.

"Mamma, how can I acknowledge so much generosity.""My dear child, you have a lifetime before you in which to return it.

To make the daily happiness of a home, is to bring a treasure into it.

I had no other fortune when I married."

"Do you like Lanstrac?" asked Paul, addressing Natalie.

"How could I fail to like the place where you were born?" she answered. "I wish I could see your house.""OUR house," said Paul. "Do you not want to know if I shall understand your tastes and arrange the house to suit you? Your mother had made a husband's task most difficult; you have always been so happy! But where love is infinite, nothing is impossible.""My dear children," said Madame Evangelista, "do you feel willing to stay in Bordeaux after your marriage? If you have the courage to face the people here who know you and will watch and hamper you, so be it!

But if you feel that desire for a solitude together which can hardly be expressed, let us go to Paris were the life of a young couple can pass unnoticed in the stream. There alone you can behave as lovers without fearing to seem ridiculous.""You are quite right," said Paul, "but I shall hardly have time to get my house ready. However, I will write to-night to de Marsay, the friend on whom I can always count to get things done for me."At the moment when Paul, like all young men accustomed to satisfy their desires without previous calculation, was inconsiderately binding himself to the expenses of a stay in Paris, Maitre Mathias entered the salon and made a sign to his client that he wished to speak to him.

"What is it, my friend?" asked Paul, following the old man to the recess of a window.

同类推荐
  • 奉和圣制庆玄元皇帝

    奉和圣制庆玄元皇帝

    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。
  • 嗜卧门

    嗜卧门

    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。
  • 绘芳录

    绘芳录

    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。
  • 水浒传

    水浒传

    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。
  • 伊川易传

    伊川易传

    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
  • 喋血妖妃:王爷别得瑟

    喋血妖妃:王爷别得瑟

    狠毒,冷血,是她的标志。腹黑,邪恶,是他的代名词。她,相府待嫁的痴呆三小姐。他,帝国站在权力巅峰的摄政王。当腹黑撞上冷血,将碰撞出何种火花,且看喋血妖妃,玩转天下!
  • 灵武王者

    灵武王者

    天地灵气是宇宙自然对生灵的馈赠!灵神大陆的生灵,以吸收天地灵气,修炼自身,追求灵武之极,便能拥有不死不灭之身,开天裂地之能。杨朔,一个看似资质平凡的少年,却拥有成为最强灵武王者的潜力,看落魄少年如何成就宇宙最强者!
  • 逆袭:飞翔还是坠落

    逆袭:飞翔还是坠落

    作为“时代见证”系列丛书之一,《逆袭之路》通过对近两年来知名企业的市场表现进行分类,一类是在创意年代把握机会为消费者带来惊喜表现,在这场过山车的运动中成功的攀上更高位置;另一类是盛极而衰期待华丽转身的代表,他们更需要时间和市场来验证这一场运动是重上高峰还是荡到低谷。本书不是一般的企业案例书,它通过财经记者的专业分析,让读者看到企业的市场表现和战略特点,从中可以找到自已的判断分析。
  • 楚汉之我的天下

    楚汉之我的天下

    金陵岂是池中物,一遇风云变化龙。至今思项羽,不肯过江东。心中之痛。21世纪三省绿林总霸主死于非命,灵魂穿越至楚汉时期,化身少年项羽,开启新的征程,称霸天下。
  • 邪魅撒旦的恶魔游戏

    邪魅撒旦的恶魔游戏

    “这是一个恶魔游戏,所有天使禁止参与……”撒旦的歌声在午夜回荡,唤醒了沉睡的夜之魔王,也将恶魔们召集在了一起。“……残垣断壁,乌烟瘴气,所到之处没有生机,黑暗永远笼罩,这是撒旦的权利。”蛊惑人心的歌声再次响起,黑暗肆虐,光明步步失守,天使危已……————此游戏为虚幻的现实。
  • 错爱毒王:第一医妃

    错爱毒王:第一医妃

    一朝穿越?一次轮回?柯仁心自懵懂中醒来,身为医学世家嫡女,却要面对贫民区艰难生存!所幸她掌握着来自现代的先进医学知识,医术大赛,半月峰,原始部落,上古遗迹;打脸升级,虐极品,收复家族势力;柯仁心的医术一步一步往这个世界的巅峰走去,却一次偶然或刻意的安排下,她遇到了拥有与自己梦中恋人一模一样的男子,魂牵梦绕中,却发现他是当朝皇族重臣——毒王!这个世界“医者为尊,医毒不两立”,梦中的遗憾,现世能否圆满呢?
  • 自动营销

    自动营销

    在过去二十几年的高速市场经济发展过程中,由于机会多、市场竞争层面低等原因,中国市场产生了大量“一夜暴富、一夜成名”式的企业。这些企业往往都是在某个点上创新突破,就成功了。这给太多的中国企业、营销人带来一个很不良的影响:浮躁,工于投机,过于追求技术、技巧,不能安下心来做真正的营销。因此,中国企业的市场营销,表现为过分重视广告、促销、销售技术、推销方法等。其实,这都是在营销的基本战术层面做文章,没有深入真正的战术、策略与战略层面,因此无法形成营销的最高境界——自动营销。
  • 巡狩记

    巡狩记

    人的信仰是一种力量,当你相信一个世界存在时,它就有可能成为现实。不要因为平凡而气馁,今天的你不会知道明天的你有多么强大。打扰他人幸福之人,罪无可赦。
  • 花开四季

    花开四季

    青春是道明媚的忧伤!他是青梅竹马,却是一辈子不能说出口的感情;他玩着惊心动魄的双城恋,结果却只是一场闹剧;他时隔多年,心中仍有她的印记,再相识,只怨为何不是我……曾经年少轻狂,曾经肆意青春,青春向左,爱情向右,躁动青春不言败!
  • 民国之锦绣梅缘

    民国之锦绣梅缘

    她们是同父异母的三姐妹,姐姐的生母在多年前意外死亡,自己成了别人的替罪羊,又在被动的情况下变成了妹妹的情敌,三人落入了被命运黑手操控的局面中。一次荒唐的误会让她替妹出嫁,原来丈夫竟是搞错了对象!缘分使她早已命定良人,一段惊世骇俗的爱恨纠葛,在三人的痴痴相望中拉开帷幕,到底谁才是她的良人。