the marriage contract-第21部分

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〃Are　you　talking　of　the　diamonds？　Poor　boy；　he　wept；　he　did　not　want

them；　I　have　them。〃



〃Sleep　now；　my　child。　We　will　talk　business　when　we　wakefor；〃　she

added；　sighing；　〃you　and　I　have　business　now；　another　person　has　come

between　us。〃



〃Ah！　my　dear　mother；　Paul　will　never　be　an　obstacle　to　our　happiness；

yours　and　mine；〃　murmured　Natalie；　as　she　went　to　sleep。



〃Poor　darling！　she　little　knows　that　the　man　has　ruined　her。〃



Madame　Evangelista's　soul　was　seized　at　that　moment　with　the　first

idea　of　avarice；　a　vice　to　which　many　become　a　prey　as　they　grow　aged。

It　came　into　her　mind　to　recover　in　her　daughter's　interest　the　whole

of　the　property　left　by　her　husband。　She　told　herself　that　her　honor

demanded　it。　Her　devotion　to　Natalie　made　her；　in　a　moment；　as　shrewd

and　calculating　as　she　had　hitherto　been　careless　and　wasteful。　She

resolved　to　turn　her　capital　to　account；　after　investing　a　part　of　it

in　the　Funds；　which　were　then　selling　at　eighty　francs。　A　passion

often　changes　the　whole　character　in　a　moment；　an　indiscreet　person

becomes　a　diplomatist；　a　coward　is　suddenly　brave。　Hate　made　this

prodigal　woman　a　miser。　Chance　and　luck　might　serve　the　project　of

vengeance；　still　undefined　and　confused；　which　she　would　now　mature　in

her　mind。　She　fell　asleep；　muttering　to　herself；　〃To…morrow！〃　By　an

unexplained　phenomenon；　the　effects　of　which　are　familiar　to　all

thinkers；　her　mind；　during　sleep；　marshalled　its　ideas；　enlightened

them；　classed　them；　prepared　a　means　by　which　she　was　to　rule　Paul's

life；　and　showed　her　a　plan　which　she　began　to　carry　out　on　that　very

to…morrow。







CHAPTER　V



THE　MARRIAGE　CONTRACTTHIRD　DAY



Though　the　excitement　of　the　fete　had　driven　from　Paul's　mind　the

anxious　thoughts　that　now　and　then　assailed　it；　when　he　was　alone　with

himself　and　in　his　bed　they　returned　to　torment　him。



〃It　seems　to　me；〃　he　said　to　himself；　〃that　without　that　good　Mathias

my　mother…in…law　would　have　tricked　me。　And　yet；　is　that　believable？

What　interest　could　lead　her　to　deceive　me？　Are　we　not　to　join

fortunes　and　live　together？　Well；　well；　why　should　I　worry　about　it？

In　two　days　Natalie　will　be　my　wife；　our　money　relations　are　plainly

defined；　nothing　can　come　between　us。　Vogue　la　galereNevertheless；

I'll　be　upon　my　guard。　Suppose　Mathias　was　right？　Well；　if　he　was；　I'm

not　obliged　to　marry　my　mother…in…law。〃



In　this　second　battle　of　the　contract　Paul's　future　had　completely

changed　in　aspect；　though　he　was　not　aware　of　it。　Of　the　two　persons

whom　he　was　marrying；　one；　the　cleverest；　was　now　his　mortal　enemy；

and　meditated　already　withdrawing　her　interests　from　the　common　fund。

Incapable　of　observing　the　difference　that　a　Creole　nature　placed

between　his　mother…in…law　and　other　women；　Paul　was　far　from

suspecting　her　craftiness。　The　Creole　nature　is　apart　from　all　others；

it　derives　from　Europe　by　its　intellect；　from　the　tropics　by　the

illogical　violence　of　its　passions；　from　the　East　by　the　apathetic

indifference　with　which　it　does；　or　suffers；　either　good　or　evil；

equally；a　graceful　nature　withal；　but　dangerous；　as　a　child　is

dangerous　if　not　watched。　Like　a　child；　the　Creole　woman　must　have　her

way　immediately；　like　a　child；　she　would　burn　a　house　to　boil　an　egg。

In　her　soft　and　easy　life　she　takes　no　care　upon　her　mind；　but　when

impassioned；　she　thinks　of　all　things。　She　has　something　of　the

perfidy　of　the　Negroes　by　whom　she　has　been　surrounded　from　her

cradle；　but　she　is　also　as　naive　and　even；　at　times；　as　artless　as

they。　Like　them　and　like　the　children；　she　wishes　doggedly　for　one

thing　with　a　growing　intensity　of　desire；　and　will　brood　upon　that

idea　until　she　hatches　it。　A　strange　assemblage　of　virtues　and

defects！　which　her　Spanish　nature　had　strengthened　in　Madame

Evangelista；　and　over　which　her　French　experience　had　cast　the　glaze

of　its　politeness。



This　character；　slumbering　in　married　happiness　for　sixteen　years；

occupied　since　then　with　the　trivialities　of　social　life；　this　nature

to　which　a　first　hatred　had　revealed　its　strength；　awoke　now　like　a

conflagration；　at　the　moment　of　the　woman's　life　when　she　was　losing

the　dearest　object　of　her　affections　and　needed　another　element　for

the　energy　that　possessed　her；　this　flame　burst　forth。　Natalie　could

be　but　three　days　more　beneath　her　influence！　Madame　Evangelista；

vanquished　at　other　points；　had　one　clear　day　before　her；　the　last　of

those　that　a　daughter　spends　beside　her　mother。　A　few　words；　and　the

Creole　nature　could　influence　the　lives　of　the　two　beings　about　to

walk　together　through　the　brambled　paths　and　the　dusty　high…roads　of

Parisian　society；　for　Natalie　believed　in　her　mother　blindly。　What

far…reaching　power　would　the　counsel　of　that　Creole　nature　have　on　a

mind　so　subservient！　The　whole　future　of　these　lives　might　be

determined　by　one　single　speech。　No　code；　no　human　institution　can

prevent　the　crime　that　kills　by　words。　There　lies　the　weakness　of

social　law；　in　that　is　the　difference　between　the　morals　of　the　great

world　and　the　morals　of　the　people：　one　is　frank；　the　other

hypocritical；　one　employs　the　knife；　the　other　the　venom　of　ideas　and

language；　to　one　death；　to　the　other　impunity。



The　next　morning；　about　mid…day；　Madame　Evangelista　was　half　seated；

half　lying　on　the　edge　of　her　daughter's　bed。　During　that　waking　hour

they　caressed　and　played　together　in　happy　memory　of　their　loving

life；　a　life　in　which　no　discord　had　ever　troubled　either　the　harmony

of　their　feelings；　the　agreement　of　their　ideas；　or　the　mutual　choice

and　enjoyment　of　their　pleasures。



〃Poor　little　darling！〃　said　the　mother；　shedding　true　tears；　〃how　can

I　help　being　sorrowful　when　I　think　that　after　I　have　fulfilled　your

every　wish　during　your　whole　life　you　will　belong；　to…morrow　night；　to

a　man　you　must　obey？〃



〃Oh；　my　dear　mother；　as　for　obeying！〃　and　Natalie　made　a　little

motion　of　her　head　which　expressed　a　graceful　rebellion。　〃You　are

joking；〃　she　continued。　〃My　father　always　gratified　your　caprices；　and

why　not？　he　loved　you。　And　I　am　loved；　too。〃



〃Yes；　Paul　has　a　certain　love　for　you。　But　if　a　married　woman　is　not

careful　nothing　more　rapidly　evaporates　than　conjugal　love。　The

influence　a　wife　ought　to　have　over　her　husband　depends　entirely　on

how　she　begins　with　him。　You　need　the　best　advice。〃



〃But　you　will　be　with　us。〃



〃Possibly；　my　child。　Last　night；　while　the　ball　was　going　on；　I

reflected　on　the　dangers　of　our　being　together。　If　my　presence　were　to

do　you　harm；　if　the　little　acts　by　which　you　ought　slowly；　but　surely；

to　establish　your　authority　as　a　wife　should　be　attributed　to　my

influence；　your　home　would　become　a　hell。　At　the　first　frown　I　saw

upon　your　husband's　brow　I；　proud　as　I　am；　should　instantly　leave　his

house。　If　I　were　driven　to　leave　it；　better；　I　think；　not　to　enter　it。

I　should　never　forgive　your　husband　if　he　caused　trouble　between　us。

Whereas；　when　you　have　once　become　the　mistress；　when　your　husband　is

to　you　what　your　father　was　to　me；　that　danger　is　no　longer　to　be

feared。　Though　this　wise　policy　will　cost　your　young　and　tender　heart

a　pang；　your　happiness　demands　that　you　become　the　absolute　sovereign

of　your　home。〃



〃Then　why；　mamma；　did　you　say　just　now　I　must　obey　him？〃



〃My　dear　little　daughter；　in　order　that　a　wife　may　rule；　she　must

always　seem　to　do　what　her　husband　wishes。　If　you　were　not　told　this

you　might　by　some　impulsive　opposition　destroy　your　future。　Paul　is　a

weak　young　man；　he　might　allow　a　friend　to　rule　him；　he　might　even

fall　under　the　dominion　of　some　woman　who　would　make　you　feel　her

influence。　Prevent　such　disasters　by　making　yourself　from　the　very

start　his　ruler。　Is　it　not　better　that　he　be　governed　by　you　than　by

others？〃





〃Yes；　certainly；〃　said　Natalie。　〃I　should　think　only　of　his

happiness。〃



〃And　it　is　my　privilege；　darling；　to　think　only　of　yours；　and　to　wish

not　to　leave　you　at　so　crucial　a　moment　without　a　compass　in　the　midst

of　the　reefs　through　which　you　must　steer。〃



〃But；　dearest　mother；　are　we　not　strong　enough；　you　and　I；　to　stay

together　beside　him；　without　having　to　fear　those　frowns　you　seem　to

dread。　Paul　loves　you；　mamma。〃



〃Oh！　oh！　He　fears　me　more　than　he　loves　me。　Observe　him　carefully

to…day　when　I　tell　him　that　I　shall　let　you　go　to　Paris　without　me；

and　you　will　see　on　his　face；　no　matter　what　pains　he　takes　to　conceal

it；　his　inward　joy。〃



〃Why　should　he　feel　so？〃



〃Why？　Dear　child！　I　am　like　Saint…Jean　Bouche…d'Or。　I　will　tell　that

to　himself；　and　before　you。〃



〃But　suppose　I　marry　on　condition　that　you　do　not　leave　me？〃　urged

Natalie。



〃Our　separation　is　necessary；〃　replied　her　mother。　〃Several

considerations　have　greatly　changed　my　future。　I　am　now　poor。　You　will

lead　a　brilliant　life　in　Paris；　and　I　could　not　live　with　you　suitably

without　spending　the　little　that　re