the marriage contract-第25部分

按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！



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

predecessor；　and　wrote　the　deeds　myself　in　my　best　round　hand；　I；　who

have　those　titles　now　in　my　successor's　office；　I；　who　have　known　you

since　you　were　so　high〃；　and　the　old　man　stopped　to　put　his　hand　near

the　ground。　〃Ah！　a　man　must　have　been　a　notary　for　forty…one　years　and

a　half　to　know　the　sort　of　grief　I　feel　to　see　my　name　exposed　before

the　face　of　Israel　in　those　announcements　of　the　seizure　and　sale　of

the　property。　When　I　pass　through　the　streets　and　see　men　reading

these　horrible　yellow　posters；　I　am　ashamed；　as　if　my　own　honor　and

ruin　were　concerned。　Some　fools　will　stand　there　and　read　them　aloud

expressly　to　draw　other　fools　about　themand　what　imbecile　remarks

they　make！　As　if　a　man　were　not　master　of　his　own　property！　Your

father　ran　through　two　fortunes　before　he　made　the　one　he　left　you；

and　you　wouldn't　be　a　Manerville　if　you　didn't　do　likewise。　Besides；

seizures　of　real　estate　have　a　whole　section　of　the　Code　to

themselves；　they　are　expected　and　provided　for；　you　are　in　a　position

recognized　by　the　law。If　I　were　not　an　old　man　with　white　hair；　I

would　thrash　those　fools　I　hear　reading　aloud　in　the　streets　such　an

abomination　as　this；〃　added　the　worthy　notary；　taking　up　a　paper；　〃'At

the　request　of　Dame　Natalie　Evangelista；　wife　of　Paul…Francois…Joseph；

Comte　de　Manerville；　separated　from　him　as　to　worldly　goods　and

chattels　by　the　Lower　court　of　the　department　of　the　Seine'〃



〃Yes；　and　now　separated　in　body；〃　said　Paul。



〃Ah！〃　exclaimed　the　old　man。



〃Oh！　against　my　wife's　will；〃　added　the　count；　hastily。　〃I　was　forced

to　deceive　her；　she　did　not　know　that　I　was　leaving　her。〃



〃You　have　left　her？〃



〃My　passage　is　taken；　I　sail　for　Calcutta　on　the　'Belle…Amelie。'〃



〃Two　day's　hence！〃　cried　the　notary。　〃Then；　Monsieur　le　comte；　we

shall　never　meet　again。〃



〃You　are　only　seventy…three；　my　dear　Mathias；　and　you　have　the　gout；

the　brevet　of　old　age。　When　I　return　I　shall　find　you　still　afoot。

Your　good　head　and　heart　will　be　as　sound　as　ever；　and　you　will　help

me　to　reconstruct　what　is　now　a　shaken　edifice。　I　intend　to　make　a

noble　fortune　in　seven　years。　I　shall　be　only　forty　on　my　return。　All

is　still　possible　at　that　age。〃



〃You？〃　said　Mathias；　with　a　gesture　of　amazement；you；　Monsieur　le

comte；　to　undertake　commerce！　How　can　you　even　think　of　it？〃



〃I　am　no　longer　Monsieur　le　comte；　dear　Mathias。　My　passage　is　taken

under　the　name　of　Camille；　one　of　my　mother's　baptismal　names。　I　have

acquirements　which　will　enable　me　to　make　my　fortune　otherwise　than　in

business。　Commerce；　at　any　rate；　will　be　only　my　final　chance。　I　start

with　a　sum　in　hand　sufficient　for　the　redemption　of　my　future　on　a

large　scale。〃



〃Where　is　that　money？〃



〃A　friend　is　to　send　it　to　me。〃



The　old　man　dropped　his　fork　as　he　heard　the　word　〃friend；〃　not　in

surprise；　not　scoffingly；　but　in　grief；　his　look　and　manner　expressed

the　pain　he　felt　in　finding　Paul　under　the　influence　of　a　deceitful

illusion；　his　practised　eye　fathomed　a　gulf　where　the　count　saw

nothing　but　solid　ground。



〃I　have　been　fifty　years　in　the　notariat；〃　he　said；　〃and　I　never　yet

knew　a　ruined　man　whose　friend　would　lend　him　money。〃



〃You　don't　know　de　Marsay。　I　am　certain　that　he　has　sold　out　some　of

his　investments　already；　and　to…morrow　you　will　receive　from　him　a

bill　of　exchange　for　one　hundred　and　fifty　thousand　francs。〃



〃I　hope　I　may。　If　that　be　so；　cannot　your　friend　settle　your

difficulties　here？　You　could　live　quietly　at　Lanstrac　for　five　or　six

years　on　your　wife's　income；　and　so　recover　yourself。〃



〃No　assignment　or　economy　on　my　part　could　pay　off　fifteen　hundred

thousand　francs　of　debt；　in　which　my　wife　is　involved　to　the　amount　of

five　hundred　and　fifty　thousand。〃



〃You　cannot　mean　to　say　that　in　four　years　you　have　incurred　a　million

and　a　half　of　debt？〃



〃Nothing　is　more　certain；　Mathias。　Did　I　not　give　those　diamonds　to　my

wife？　Did　I　not　spend　the　hundred　and　fifty　thousand　I　received　from

the　sale　of　Madame　Evangelista's　house；　in　the　arrangement　of　my　house

in　Paris？　Was　I　not　forced　to　use　other　money　for　the　first　payments

on　that　property　demanded　by　the　marriage　contract？　I　was　even　forced

to　sell　out　Natalie's　forty　thousand　a　year　in　the　Funds　to　complete

the　purchase　of　Auzac　and　Saint…Froult。　We　sold　at　eighty…seven；

therefore　I　became　in　debt　for　over　two　hundred　thousand　francs　within

a　month　after　my　marriage。　That　left　us　only　sixty…seven　thousand

francs　a　year；　but　we　spent　fully　three　times　as　much　every　year。　Add

all　that　up；　together　with　rates　of　interest　to　usurers；　and　you　will

soon　find　a　million。〃



〃Br…r…r！〃　exclaimed　the　old　notary。　〃Go　on。　What　next？〃



〃Well；　I　wanted；　in　the　first　place；　to　complete　for　my　wife　that　set

of　jewels　of　which　she　had　the　pearl　necklace　clasped　by　the　family

diamond；　the　'Discreto；'　and　her　mother's　ear…rings。　I　paid　a　hundred

thousand　francs　for　a　coronet　of　diamond　wheat…ears。　There's　eleven

hundred　thousand。　And　now　I　find　I　owe　the　fortune　of　my　wife；　which

amounts　to　three　hundred　and　sixty…six　thousand　francs　of　her　'dot。'〃



〃But；〃　said　Mathias；　〃if　Madame　la　comtesse　had　given　up　her　diamonds

and　you　had　pledged　your　income　you　could　have　pacified　your　creditors

and　have　paid　them　off　in　time。〃



〃When　a　man　is　down；　Mathias；　when　his　property　is　covered　with

mortgages；　when　his　wife's　claims　take　precedence　of　his　creditors'；

and　when　that　man　has　notes　out　for　a　hundred　thousand　francs　which　he

must　pay　（and　I　hope　I　can　do　so　out　of　the　increased　value　of　my

property　here）；　what　you　propose　is　not　possible。〃



〃This　is　dreadful！〃　cried　Mathias；　〃would　you　sell　Belle…Rose　with　the

vintage　of　1825　still　in　the　cellars？〃



〃I　cannot　help　myself。〃



〃Belle…Rose　is　worth　six　hundred　thousand　francs。〃



〃Natalie　will　buy　it　in；　I　have　advised　her　to　do　so。〃



〃I　might　push　the　price　to　seven　hundred　thousand；　and　the　farms　are

worth　a　hundred　thousand　each。〃



〃Then　if　the　house　in　Bordeaux　can　be　sold　for　two　hundred　thousand〃



〃Solonet　will　give　more　than　that；　he　wants　it。　He　is　retiring　with　a

handsome　property　made　by　gambling　on　the　Funds。　He　has　sold　his

practice　for　three　hundred　thousand　francs；　and　marries　a　mulatto

woman。　God　knows　how　she　got　her　money；　but　they　say　it　amounts　to

millions。　A　notary　gambling　in　stocks！　a　notary　marrying　a　black

woman！　What　an　age！　It　is　said　that　he　speculates　for　your　mother…in…

law　with　her　funds。〃



〃She　has　greatly　improved　Lanstrac　and　taken　great　pains　with　its

cultivation。　She　has　amply　repaid　me　for　the　use　of　it。〃



〃I　shouldn't　have　thought　her　capable　of　that。〃



〃She　is　so　kind　and　so　devoted；　she　has　always　paid　Natalie's　debts

during　the　three　months　she　spent　with　us　every　year　in　Paris。〃



〃She　could　well　afford　to　do　so；　for　she　gets　her　living　out　of

Lanstrac；〃　said　Mathias。　〃She！　grown　economical！　what　a　miracle！　I　am

told　she　has　just　bought　the　domain　of　Grainrouge　between　Lanstrac　and

Grassol；　so　that　if　the　Lanstrac　avenue　were　extended　to　the　high…

road；　you　would　drive　four　and　a　half　miles　through　your　own　property

to　reach　the　house。　She　paid　one　hundred　thousand　francs　down　for

Grainrouge。〃



〃She　is　as　handsome　as　ever；〃　said　Paul；　〃country　life　preserves　her

freshness；　I　don't　mean　to　go　to　Lanstrac　and　bid　her　good…bye；　her

heart　would　bleed　for　me　too　much。〃



〃You　would　go　in　vain；　she　is　now　in　Paris。　She　probably　arrived　there

as　you　left。〃



〃No　doubt　she　had　heard　of　the　sale　of　my　property　and　came　to　help

me。　I　have　no　complaint　to　make　of　life；　Mathias。　I　am　truly　loved；

as　much　as　any　man　ever　could　be　here　below；　beloved　by　two　women　who

outdo　each　other　in　devotion；　they　are　even　jealous　of　each　other；　the

daughter　blames　the　mother　for　loving　me　too　much；　and　the　mother

reproaches　the　daughter　for　what　she　calls　her　dissipations。　I　may　say

that　this　great　affection　has　been　my　ruin。　How　could　I　fail　to

satisfy　even　the　slightest　caprice　of　a　loving　wife？　Impossible　to

restrain　myself！　Neither　could　I　accept　any　sacrifice　on　her　part。　We

might　certainly；　as　you　say；　live　at　Lanstrac；　save　my　income；　and

part　with　her　diamonds；　but　I　would　rather　go　to　India　and　work　for　a

fortune　than　tear　my　Natalie　from　the　life　she　enjoys。　So　it　was　I　who

proposed　the　separation　as　to　property。　Women　are　angels　who　ought　not

to　be　mixed　up　in　the　sordid　interests　of　life。〃



Old　Mathias　listened　in　doubt　and　amazement。



〃You　have　no　children；　I　think；〃　he　said。



〃Fortunately；　none；〃　replied　Paul。



〃That　is　not　my　idea　of　marriage；〃　remarked　the　old　notary；　naively。

〃A　wife　ought；　in　my　opinion；　to　share　the　good　and　evil　fortunes　of

her　husband。　I　have　heard　that　young　married　people　who　love　like

lovers；　do　not　want　children？　Is　pleasure　the