the marriage contract-第24部分

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affection　of　old　people　is　often　exacting　and　querulous。　Perhaps　I

could　not　efface　myself　as　I　should。　I　have　the　weakness　to　think

myself　still　handsome；　I　have　flatterers　who　declare　that　I　am　still

agreeable；　I　should　have；　I　fear；　certain　pretensions　which　might

interfere　with　your　lives。　Let　me；　therefore；　make　one　more　sacrifice

for　your　happiness。　I　have　given　you　my　fortune；　and　now　I　desire　to

resign　to　you　my　last　vanities　as　a　woman。　Your　notary　Mathias　is

getting　old。　He　cannot　look　after　your　estates　as　I　will。　I　will　be

your　bailiff；　I　will　create　for　myself　those　natural　occupations　which

are　the　pleasures　of　old　age。　Later；　if　necessary；　I　will　come　to　you

in　Paris；　and　second　you　in　your　projects　of　ambition。　Come；　Paul；　be

frank；　my　proposal　suits　you；　does　it　not？〃



Paul　would　not　admit　it；　but　he　was　at　heart　delighted　to　get　his

liberty。　The　suspicions　which　Mathias　had　put　into　his　mind　respecting

his　mother…in…law　were；　however；　dissipated　by　this　conversation；

which　Madame　Evangelista　carried　on　still　longer　in　the　same　tone。



〃My　mother　was　right；〃　thought　Natalie；　who　had　watched　Paul's

countenance。　〃He　IS　glad　to　know　that　I　am　separated　from　herwhy？〃



That　〃why〃　was　the　first　note　of　a　rising　distrust；　did　it　prove　the

power　of　those　maternal　instructions？



There　are　certain　characters　which　on　the　faith　of　a　single　proof

believe　in　friendship。　To　persons　thus　constituted　the　north　wind

drives　away　the　clouds　as　rapidly　as　the　south　wind　brings　them；　they

stop　at　effects　and　never　hark　back　to　causes。　Paul　had　one　of　those

essentially　confiding　natures；　without　ill…feelings；　but　also　without

foresight。　His　weakness　proceeded　far　more　from　his　kindness；　his

belief　in　goodness；　than　from　actual　debility　of　soul。



Natalie　was　sad　and　thoughtful；　for　she　knew　not　what　to　do　without

her　mother。　Paul；　with　that　self…confident　conceit　which　comes　of

love；　smiled　to　himself　at　her　sadness；　thinking　how　soon　the

pleasures　of　marriage　and　the　excitements　of　Paris　would　drive　it

away。　Madame　Evangelista　saw　this　confidence　with　much　satisfaction。

She　had　already　taken　two　great　steps。　Her　daughter　possessed　the

diamonds　which　had　cost　Paul　two　hundred　thousand　francs；　and　she　had

gained　her　point　of　leaving　these　two　children　to　themselves　with　no

other　guide　than　their　illogical　love。　Her　revenge　was　thus　preparing；

unknown　to　her　daughter；　who　would；　sooner　or　later；　become　its

accomplice。　Did　Natalie　love　Paul？　That　was　a　question　still

undecided；　the　answer　to　which　might　modify　her　projects；　for　she

loved　her　daughter　too　sincerely　not　to　respect　her　happiness。　Paul's

future；　therefore；　still　depended　on　himself。　If　he　could　make　his

wife　love　him；　he　was　saved。



The　next　day；　at　midnight；　after　an　evening　spent　together；　with　the

addition　of　the　four　witnesses；　to　whom　Madame　Evangelista　gave　the

formal　dinner　which　follows　the　legal　marriage；　the　bridal　pair；

accompanied　by　their　friends；　heard　mass　by　torchlight；　in　presence　of

a　crowd　of　inquisitive　persons。　A　marriage　celebrated　at　night　always

suggests　to　the　mind　an　unpleasant　omen。　Light　is　the　symbol　of　life

and　pleasure；　the　forecasts　of　which　are　lacking　to　a　midnight

wedding。　Ask　the　intrepid　soul　why　it　shivers；　why　the　chill　of　those

black　arches　enervates　it；　why　the　sound　of　steps　startles　it；　why　it

notices　the　cry　of　bats　and　the　hoot　of　owls。　Though　there　is

absolutely　no　reason　to　tremble；　all　present　do　tremble；　and　the

darkness；　emblem　of　death；　saddens　them。　Natalie；　parted　from　her

mother；　wept。　The　girl　was　now　a　prey　to　those　doubts　which　grasp　the

heart　as　it　enters　a　new　career　in　which；　despite　all　assurances　of

happiness；　a　thousand　pitfalls　await　the　steps　of　a　young　wife。　She

was　cold　and　wanted　a　mantle。　The　air　and　manner　of　Madame　Evangelista

and　that　of　the　bridal　pair　excited　some　comment　among　the　elegant

crowd　which　surrounded　the　altar。



〃Solonet　tells　me　that　the　bride　and　bridegroom　leave　for　Paris

to…morrow　morning；　all　alone。〃



〃Madame　Evangelista　was　to　live　with　them；　I　thought。〃



〃Count　Paul　has　got　rid　of　her　already。〃



〃What　a　mistake！〃　said　the　Marquise　de　Gyas。　〃To　shut　the　door　on　the

mother　of　his　wife　is　to　open　it　to　a　lover。　Doesn't　he　know　what　a

mother　is？〃



〃He　has　been　very　hard　on　Madame　Evangelista；　the　poor　woman　has　had

to　sell　her　house　and　her　diamonds；　and　is　going　to　live　at　Lanstrac。〃



〃Natalie　looks　very　sad。〃



〃Would　you　like　to　be　made　to　take　a　journey　the　day　after　your

marriage？〃



〃It　is　very　awkward。〃



〃I　am　glad　I　came　here　to…night；〃　said　a　lady。　〃I　am　now　convinced　of

the　necessity　of　the　pomps　of　marriage　and　of　wedding　fetes；　a　scene

like　this　is　very　bare　and　sad。　If　I　may　say　what　I　think；〃　she　added；

in　a　whisper　to　her　neighbor；　〃this　marriage　seems　to　me　indecent。〃



Madame　Evangelista　took　Natalie　in　her　carriage　and　accompanied　her；

alone；　to　Paul's　house。



〃Well；　mother；　it　is　done！〃



〃Remember；　my　dear　child；　my　last　advice；　and　you　will　be　a　happy

woman。　Be　his　wife；　and　not　his　mistress。〃



When　Natalie　had　retired；　the　mother　played　the　little　comedy　of

flinging　herself　with　tears　into　the　arms　of　her　son…in…law。　It　was

the　only　provincial　thing　that　Madame　Evangelista　allowed　herself；　but

she　had　her　reasons　for　it。　Amid　tears　and　speeches；　apparently　half

wild　and　despairing；　she　obtained　of　Paul　those　concessions　which　all

husbands　make。



The　next　day　she　put　the　married　pair　into　their　carriage；　and

accompanied　them　to　the　ferry；　by　which　the　road　to　Paris　crosses　the

Gironde。　With　a　look　and　a　word　Natalie　enabled　her　mother　to　see　that

if　Paul　had　won　the　trick　in　the　game　of　the　contract；　her　revenge　was

beginning。　Natalie　was　already　reducing　her　husband　to　perfect

obedience。







CHAPTER　VI



CONCLUSION



Five　years　later；　on　an　afternoon　in　the　month　of　November；　Comte　Paul

de　Manerville；　wrapped　in　a　cloak；　was　entering；　with　a　bowed　head　and

a　mysterious　manner；　the　house　of　his　old　friend　Monsieur　Mathias　at

Bordeaux。



Too　old　to　continue　in　business；　the　worthy　notary　had　sold　his

practice　and　was　ending　his　days　peacefully　in　a　quiet　house　to　which

he　had　retired。　An　urgent　affair　had　obliged　him　to　be　absent　at　the

moment　of　his　guest's　arrival；　but　his　housekeeper；　warned　of　Paul's

coming；　took　him　to　the　room　of　the　late　Madame　Mathias；　who　had　been

dead　a　year。　Fatigued　by　a　rapid　journey；　Paul　slept　till　evening。

When　the　old　man　reached　home　he　went　up　to　his　client's　room；　and

watched　him　sleeping；　as　a　mother　watches　her　child。　Josette；　the　old

housekeeper；　followed　her　master　and　stood　before　the　bed；　her　hands

on　her　hips。



〃It　is　a　year　to…day；　Josette；　since　I　received　my　dear　wife's　last

sigh；　I　little　knew　then　that　I　should　stand　here　again　to　see　the

count　half　dead。〃



〃Poor　man！　he　moans　in　his　sleep；〃　said　Josette。



〃Sac　a　papier！〃　cried　the　old　notary；　an　innocent　oath　which　was　a

sign　with　him　of　the　despair　on　a　man　of　business　before

insurmountable　difficulties。　〃At　any　rate；〃　he　thought；　〃I　have　saved

the　title　to　the　Lanstrac　estate　for　him；　and　that　of　Ausac；　Saint…

Froult；　and　his　house；　though　the　usufruct　has　gone。〃　Mathias　counted

his　fingers。　〃Five　years！　Just　five　years　this　month；　since　his　old

aunt；　now　dead；　that　excellent　Madame　de　Maulincour；　asked　for　the

hand　of　that　little　crocodile　of　a　woman；　who　has　finally　ruined　him

as　I　expected。〃



And　the　gouty　old　gentleman；　leaning　on　his　cane；　went　to　walk　in　the

little　garden　till　his　guest　should　awake。　At　nine　o'clock　supper　was

served；　for　Mathias　took　supper。　The　old　man　was　not　a　little

astonished；　when　Paul　joined　him；　to　see　that　his　old　client's　brow

was　calm　and　his　face　serene；　though　noticeably　changed。　If　at　the　age

of　thirty…three　the　Comte　de　Manerville　seemed　to　be　a　man　of　forty；

that　change　in　his　appearance　was　due　solely　to　mental　shocks；

physically；　he　was　well。　He　clasped　the　old　man's　hand　affectionately；

and　forced　him　not　to　rise；　saying：



〃Dear；　kind　Maitre　Mathias；　you；　too；　have　had　your　troubles。〃



〃Mine　were　natural　troubles；　Monsieur　le　comte；　but　yours〃



〃We　will　talk　of　that　presently；　while　we　sup。〃



〃If　I　had　not　a　son　in　the　magistracy；　and　a　daughter　married；〃　said

the　good　old　man；　〃you　would　have　found　in　old　Mathias；　believe　me；

Monsieur　le　comte；　something　better　than　mere　hospitality。　Why　have

you　come　to　Bordeaux　at　the　very　moment　when　posters　are　on　all　the

walls　of　the　seizure　of　your　farms　at　Grassol　and　Guadet；　the　vineyard

of　Belle…Rose　and　the　family　mansion？　I　cannot　tell　you　the　grief　I

feel　at　the　sight　of　those　placards；I；　who　for　forty　years　nursed

that　property　as　if　it　belonged　to　me；　I；　who　bought　it　for　your

mother　when　I　was　only　third　clerk　to　Monsieur　Chesnau；　my

predecessor；　and　wrote　the　deeds　my